I attended a talk by Carlos Alberto Júlio at the Convention Center in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, on the same subject as his book. In the book, he explores in greater depth how we can adapt and maintain our employability and satisfaction in today’s world. His advice is nicely seasoned with his life story: he went through a time of reflection and anxiety because of an illness that could have been serious, but fortunately wasn’t, and that allowed him to reinvent himself and share his experience with us.
In this post I’ll share the points from the book that caught my attention the most.
Planning by Doing I’ll start with a term Carlos Alberto uses in the book that I found very interesting: fazejamento, a blend of fazer (doing) and planejamento (planning). In other words, today’s professionals have to be ready to do both at once. The model of dividing and separating tasks is no longer effective for addressing many current problems, so instead of only planning, professionals must master both strategy and execution (hands-on work).
This formula needs balance, though. If we only execute, we can lose sight of our goal; if we spend too much time planning, we never get anywhere. The author says Gary Hamel advocates 5% planning and 95% execution, and that both should be dynamic, continuous, and daily.
The Generalist Professional He also says that “knowing a little bit about everything” no longer works. The phrase of the moment is “knowing a lot about almost everything,” which is what we now mean by a generalist: a professional with multidisciplinary skills and a finely tuned holistic perspective, someone who can connect facts, situations, and ideas in ways that are impossible for a professional still trapped in a divided-work model.
Lifelong Learning Another extremely important point can be summed up by the term “lifelong education.” It means a planned educational process that spans an individual’s entire life, allowing them to adapt more easily to changes imposed by society.
Learning to Handle Change While Maintaining a Solid, Inflexible Core The globalized world changes very quickly, with many variables involved, so action plans need constant adjustment to adapt easily to reality. Philip Kotler says, “There are two kinds of companies: those that change and those that disappear.” Stephen Covey says that each person should understand their role in the company and be prepared to answer three questions:
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- What principles govern the way things work here?
- How should I respond?
He makes clear that adapting to constant change depends on a solid, inflexible core made up of immutable, timeless principles: justice, courage, service, humility, integrity, human dignity, contribution, growth, empowerment, alignment of ideas, and value creation. When leadership is grounded in these ideas, it can face the changes ahead with confidence, act creatively, communicate effectively, and seek the best solutions.
Filtering Information and Going Digital Today’s professionals have to adapt and stay tuned in to the digital world. This isn’t simply about knowing the software involved and a set of websites; it’s about learning to filter out what’s essential from hundreds of unnecessary bits of information. Data and information are not knowledge. Knowledge is produced only when people draw on emotional and cognitive experience to analyze data, combined with a holistic view of the company and a strategic understanding of the direction it intends to take.
I’ll add to this point, since I work in web development and am familiar with the subject. Most websites where I look for relevant information are in English, but the number of relevant sites in Portuguese is growing. I prioritize information from expert blogs—in other words, people who create real products or services in their area of expertise. I complement this learning by participating in communities and forums, buying books, and attending talks.
I keep a list of bookmarks, so I don’t have to research the same things again. I haven’t had to do that for a long time. I search once, and if something is important, I save it on Delicious.
Feminization of the Marketplace The profile of the marketplace is changing. Instead of favoring the aggressive explorer (a man), the market is starting to prefer feminine characteristics, such as preparing a child for the future. Not to mention how easily women handle adversity almost simultaneously while also taking care of their appearance and home. In short, we have to learn from them.
One thing in the book caught my attention: when women lead teams, a conversation isn’t always about finding out the results. Sometimes they simply want to be heard, which helps create an atmosphere of support and connection in the company.
Additional Material The author also includes an entire chapter on creating a career strategy, and ends with a chapter containing a long list of historical figures, philosophers, films, soap operas, and artists grouped by the main topics covered in the book.
But to learn those details, you’ll have to buy the book. ;)
Best wishes, and I hope you enjoyed this review.