SPOS #969 – Michael Horn On Making Progress In Your Career

Feb 2, 2025

Michael B. Horn, co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and Harvard educator, discusses the evolving landscape of education and career development. He reveals insights from his book 'Job Moves,' advocating for personalized career paths amidst changing job dynamics. The conversation touches on the significance of experiential learning, the challenges faced by minimum wage workers, and the impact of AI on employment. Horn also reflects on the legacy of his mentor, Clayton Christensen, emphasizing a hopeful and accessible future for work and learning.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Redefining Education and Career Pathways

01:31 • 20min

Navigating Entrepreneurship and Career Choices

21:41 • 22min

Enhancing Education through Co-ops and Experiential Learning

43:59 • 5min

Lessons from Innovation: The Legacy of Clayton Christensen

49:11 • 7min

Navigating the Impact of Technology on Youth Education

56:03 • 2min

Navigating Career Development and Education Integration

57:56 • 5min

What would Clayton Christensen think of AI?

Whitney Johnson

Dark Horse

Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment

Ogi Ogas

Todd Rose

In 'Dark Horse', Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas explore the concept of the 'dark horse' – individuals who achieve impressive success despite not fitting the conventional mold. Through the Dark Horse Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, they studied women and men who succeeded in unique ways. The book outlines a mindset that empowers readers to make choices aligned with their unique interests, abilities, and circumstances, leading to a life of passion, purpose, and achievement. This approach rejects the 'Standardization Covenant' and promotes a personalized path to success in the Age of Personalization.

Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career

Bob Moesta

Ethan Bernstein

Michael B. Horn

Job Moves provides a universally applicable model based on the 'Jobs to Be Done' theory, which views jobs as positions we 'hire' to solve problems in our lives. The book offers a 9-step framework to help job seekers make more informed choices about their career moves, focusing on understanding priorities, desired experiences, and tradeoffs. It is designed to help create a happier and more fulfilling career by taking a holistic view beyond job titles or companies.

Disrupting Class

How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Clayton M. Christensen

Curtis W. Johnson

Michael B. Horn

In 'Disrupting Class,' Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B. Horn, and Curtis W. Johnson argue that traditional educational models are insufficient for meeting the diverse needs of today's students. They propose a student-centric approach, utilizing disruptive innovation and technology to personalize learning. The book provides a roadmap for harnessing these technologies to create an adaptable learning environment, challenging conventional educational systems and offering insights for educators, policymakers, parents, and entrepreneurs. It emphasizes the potential for disruptive technologies to bring about significant positive changes in education, although it also acknowledges the challenges and idealistic aspects of such a transformation[2][3][5].

The Answer is a Question

null

Laura Ashley Timms

Dominic Ashley-Timms

The Answer is a Question explores a transformative approach to leadership and team engagement. It emphasizes the power of inquiry over directive problem-solving, arguing that empowering team members to find their own solutions fosters greater confidence and efficiency. The book introduces the STAR model—Stop, Think, Ask, Result—a practical framework for facilitating this process. Through research and real-world examples, it demonstrates how this method can significantly improve team performance and free up managers' time. Ultimately, it advocates for a more collaborative and empowering leadership style.

Never Split the Difference

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Tahl Raz

Chris Voss

VOSS/RAZ

This book, written by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and co-author Tahl Raz, provides a masterclass in influencing others through negotiation. It distills the Voss method, revealing skills such as establishing rapport, creating trust with tactical empathy, and transforming conflict into collaboration. The book is filled with real-life examples from Voss's career, illustrating how these techniques can be applied in both professional and personal life to achieve goals and defuse potential crises.

The Anxious Generation

Jonathan Haidt

In 'The Anxious Generation', Jonathan Haidt examines the sudden decline in the mental health of adolescents starting in the early 2010s. He attributes this decline to the shift from a 'play-based childhood' to a 'phone-based childhood', highlighting mechanisms such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, and perfectionism that interfere with children’s social and neurological development. Haidt proposes four simple rules to address this issue: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility. The book offers a clear call to action for parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments to restore a more humane childhood and end the epidemic of mental illness among youth.

Welcome to episode #969 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Michael B. Horn is one of those rare people who seamlessly bridges the worlds of education, innovation, and career development. As the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and a teacher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Michael has dedicated his career to reimagining how we learn and work. He’s the author of several transformative books, including Disrupting Class, From Reopen To Reinvent, and his latest, Job Moves - 9 Steps For Making Progress In Your Career. In this conversation, Michael shares his thoughtful approach to helping individuals and organizations adapt to a world where education and careers are anything but linear. We discussed how his latest book applies the “Jobs to Be Done” theory to career moves, offering a framework that helps people align their work with their lives in a more meaningful way. Michael’s passion for unlocking potential shines through as we explore the challenges minimum wage workers face, the evolving role of AI in the workplace, and the need for more experiential learning in education. He also reflects on the legacy of his mentor, Clayton Christensen, and how his ideas continue to shape modern business and learning. What struck me most was Michael’s grounded optimism - he’s not just thinking about the future of work... he’s actively working to make it more accessible, human, and fulfilling. If you’re grappling with a career change, wondering how education needs to evolve, or just curious about how to thrive in an unpredictable world, this episode is full of insight and inspiration. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 1:03:06.
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Here is my conversation with Michael B. Horn.
Job Moves - 9 Steps For Making Progress In Your Career.
From Reopen To Reinvent.
Disrupting Class.
Clayton Christensen Institute.
Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Follow Michael on X.
Follow Michael on LinkedIn.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Navigating Career Choices in a Fluid Landscape. (02:58) - The Evolution of Education and Work. (06:06) - Understanding Learning Differences and Accommodations. (08:51) - The Impact of Traditional Education on Career Paths. (12:10) - The Value of Trades and Alternative Pathways. (14:50) - Rethinking Professional Training in Healthcare. (17:58) - The Role of Entrepreneurship in Modern Careers. (21:09) - The Importance of Self-Discovery in Career Development. (23:55) - Job Mobility and Employee Engagement. (26:54) - The Challenges of Individual Needs in the Workplace. (31:39) - Navigating Individual Needs in Organizations. (35:40) - The Challenges of Minimum Wage and Job Mobility. (41:49) - The Impact of AI on Job Markets. (51:03) - Lessons from Clayton Christensen.