David Price, OBE, is a learning futurist who writes, talks and advises on some of the biggest challenges facing business, education and society. He is passionate about finding innovative ways to engage people and he has has given keynote presentations all over the world. David has created many popular teaching resources, including a book called OPEN: How we’ll work, live and learn in the future, which was published in October last year. We’re delighted to chat to him and find out more about his inspirational work…
David Price, OBE
1. How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?
I write books, give talks, and work with organisations who want to change what they do. They range from students, teachers, college principals to CEOs of private and public sector organisations. I’m inspired by their passion and desire to improve. I’ve worked for myself for the past 14 years, and I vowed, when I started, to only work with people I personally liked. Thus far, I’ve stuck to it, and never had to walk off a job yet.
More recently, with the publication of OPEN, I’ve been contacted by people who I’ll probably never meet, who want to tell me how the book has changed how they think about the future, and how they’re changing their organisations as a result of reading it. That alone, is reason enough to love what I do.
2. What’s your background? What did you do before this?
My first job was in the civil service – I was terrible. So, I quit to become a professional musician, though I had no idea how I was going to do that. After three months, I was making a living (albeit an extremely modest one) and continued to do so for 15 years. Then I went to college, and that, in turn, led to a lifelong involvement in learning, in pretty much all its forms.
I’m proud to be a Senior Associate at the Innovation Unit, and co-founder of We Do Things Differently. Being intellectually stretched every day is about as good as it gets – especially is you can have a laugh while you’re doing it.
3. What inspired you to write Open: How we’ll work, live and learn in the future? How did it come about?
I spent a lot of time trying to understand the world my two sons were moving into through their eyes. Most parents have no idea how different the world of work now looks – how globalisation, disintermediation and automation are combining to devastate the concept of ‘the job’ – by 2020, half of all jobs will be freelance. What are we doing to re-think education, training and how we maintain purpose in our families and communities?
Conversely, outside our workplaces and formal learning spaces, we’re sharing everything we know, behaving and acting collaboratively in order to do good things. Yet all we hear from mainstream media sources on social media and the internet generally, are either tales of treachery, or an obsession with celebrity. I wanted to write the book as both a wake-up and a source of advice for leaders, learners and parents.
4. What’s the book about and why should people read it?
OPEN argues that the are fundamental shifts happening in the way we now work, and in the way we live our lives, as a result of how we now view knowledge. The so-called ‘knowledge revolution’was supposed to make intellectual ‘property’ the holy grail, the means to make profits. Instead, digital technologies have democratised learning, so we now give knowledge away to gain social capital. We now learn from each other in ways that were unimaginable even 10 years ago. Learning from each other is also changing our values: we don’t trust institutions anymore, but we trust each other (think of how the sharing economy could not function without trust). It’s a complex, uncertain, but tremendously exciting future. People should read it so they can best prepare for the future that doesn’t get talked about much – how we’re radically changing the ways we learn.
5. What career advice would you give young people today?
This is the hard part. The value of getting a degree is in sharp decline, because it isn’t the entry to a career that it used to be, and there are so many cheaper ways to access the knowledge that a degree offers. It’s going to be a fragmented, freelance future – so it’s never too soon to start putting a portfolio together. Your knowledge won’t be as valued as much as your network. Don’t allow yourself or others to judge your worth by the money you earn – instead, concentrate on what fulfils you and gives purpose to you and others.
6. What five tips can you give to help prepare us for the future and the shift in societal, personal and technological perspectives?
a) Don’t look at the world through your own eyes – look at it from your kids’ perspective. All the things that anyone over 40 takes for granted – the democratic process, the environment, employment to name just three – look very different when you’re 15.
b) Improve your digital literacy – and that of your kids. We’re still working out how to distinguish truth from fiction, love from ‘likes’ and fact from opinion. But this hyper-connected world isn’t going away, so learn from others how to deal with it.
c) Seek engagement, not achievement. Find a job that you really care about; if you’re a boss, pay attention to employees being engaged before you pay them bonuses; if you’re a teacher, involve your students in what they want/need to learn. Funny thing about engagement – success usually comes with it.
d) Expect transparency – keeping secrets isn’t possible anymore
e) Follow the geeks and the mavericks, the hackers and the makers – they’ll inherit the earth.
7. What’s the key to living happily in our ever-changing world?
I’ll tell you as soon as I’ve worked it out…
8. Tell us about your company, We do things differently…
My company is actually Educational Arts – at least for my work with people who obsess about learning. We Do Thing Differently is a newly formed collective, initiated by my friend and colleague Mark Stevenson, formed to work with organisations that recognise the need to be more innovative. Both areas of work recognise emotions and values as much as intellect and performance.
9. What’s next for you? What does the future hold?
I haven’t the faintest idea, but I hope it involves playing a bit more golf! I used to teach a thing called ‘career development’ and then I realised – with a CV like mine – that I was a complete hypocrite. I have never had a career plan, so I’ve had to be comfortable with uncertainty. Besides, that’s what’s so exciting. I haven’t done a day’s ‘work’ since I worked for myself!
10. What do you think is the key to following and fulfilling a passion and ultimately ‘doing what you love’?
There was a moment in my life where I realised I was chasing jobs for the status and the salary. Once I saw the smokescreen those two impostors create, I was fine. You can’t do what you love because you think someone will respect or value you more – but if you respect and value yourself more, you’re half way there.
A proud moment: David receiving his OBE for services to education in 2009
David’s snapshot…
Happiest place: Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
Biggest passion in life: My wife and kids, obviously.
Best bit of advice you have ever received: “Nothing can be taught”– Sri Aurobindo
Most inspiring book you’ve read: Stephen Sondheim’s Collected Lyrics (with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes) – spread over two volumes, such is his genius.
Best light-bulb moment: Understanding that less really IS more!
Anything is possible… what’s your wish? To hit a golf ball like Rory McIlroy, just once
Quote you live by: “You know, we’re not curing cancer here” (unless I’m addressing oncologists…)
Buy David’s book OPEN: How we’ll work, live and learn in the future here.
