A podcast about work, the future and how they will go together

Behavioural science Guest: Adrian Camilleri Association Professor of Marketing University of Technology Sydney Business School Adrian Camilleri is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School. He uses experimental and survey research methods to understand, explain, and predict the cognitive processes underlying judgment and decision-making, and the application of this knowledge to environmental, financial, managerial, and consumption contexts. Links: Home https://hbr.org/2024/03/how-gamification-can-boost-employee-engagement

How can leaders develop the mental strength needed in today’s work environment? To talk about that Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Scott Mautz, author of the book The Mentally Strong Leader. Guest SCOTT MAUTZ, author of THE MENTALLY STRONG LEADER, is the founder and CEO of Profound Performance™, a keynote, training, and coaching company. Mautz is a former Procter & Gamble executive who successfully ran four of the company’s largest multi-billion dollar businesses, he is also the multi award-winning author of Leading from the Middle, Find the Fire, and Make It Matter. Mautz has been named a “CEO Thought-leader” by The Chief Executives Guild and a “Top 50 Leadership Innovator” by Inc.com, He is faculty on reserve at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for Executive Education and is a top instructor at LinkedIn Learning. He lives in San Diego. Links Website: scottmautz.com Go to scottmautz.com/mentallystronggift to download a free 60-page PDF that contains the Mental Strength Self-Assessment and prompts to help you get the most out of the book, “The Mentally Strong Leader: Build the Habits to Productively Regulate Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors”

Is Work Life balance a myth? On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Dan Pontefract, author of the book Work Life Bloom. Dan believes that we need to move to ‘work life bloom’ rather than ‘work life balance’ and he has some ideas about what organizations should be doing to make that a reality. Guest: Dan Pontefract is a renowned leadership strategist, award-winning author, and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience helping organizations and leaders improve performance, productivity, and overall engagement. He has presented at four TED events and earned multiple industry awards including Thinkers50 Radar, HR Weekly’s 100 Most Influential People in HR, PeopleHum’s Top 200 Thought Leaders to Follow, and Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers. Dan has written five best-selling books and he also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Links: Home

Is it time to include pet perks in more compensation packages? With talent acquisition a hot topic, everything is on the table now and perhaps that should include bringing your dog to the office, or at least having some of his health expenses covered by your benefits package. Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cerys Goodall, Chief Operating Officer + Head of People at Vetster to talk about the options around pet perks and why it might be in organizations’ best interest to consider them seriously. Guest: Cerys Goodall Chief Operating Officer Vetster Cerys is a change agent with over 20 years of experience helping leading tech startups to move from ideation to growth. Links: https://vetster.com/en-ca

Can AI help people become better chess players – and if it can, what does that mean for the future of work? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Henning Piezunka the co-author of a study on that topic which reached some interesting conclusions. If AI can train people to play chess better, then there are implications for training in the workplace, which in turn suggests that we can leverage AI to make workers more productive. Guest: Henning Piezunka is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at INSEAD and a Visiting Professor at Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. Henning’s teaching is focused on startups and entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on guiding entrepreneurs in building, scaling and growing their business ideas and ventures. He teaches this material to MBA students, executives and corporations, and coaches start-up CEOs and entrepreneurial leaders. He has received outstanding teaching ratings, been on the Dean’s list for excellence in MBA teaching, and won the INSEAD best teacher award multiple times. Henning is an award-winning researcher. He studies how organisations can tap into the knowledge of their members to foster greater inclusion, innovation and diversity. He has...

Workers have lives outside of the workplace, and in many cases that means being caregivers to family members who are elderly or disabled or ill. The strain of that can impact their work, and it can impact the organizations they work for as well. To talk about what organizations can do to support workers – and ultimately support themselves – Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jeff Moat of Pallium Canada a national, non-profit focused on building professional and community capacity to help improve the quality and accessibility of palliative care. Guest: Jeffrey B. Moat Chief Executive Officer Pallium Canada Jeff joined Pallium Canada as Chief Executive Officer in 2017 where he brings 30 years of experience in creating organizational excellence, compelling social change programs and increasing consumer engagement within the not-for-profit, private sector and NGO industries. Previous to this, Jeff joined the Mental Health Commission of Canada where he established Partners for Mental Health, the country’s first non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating a social movement to transform the way people think about mental health, and act towards people living with a mental health problem or illness. Jeff also enjoyed an eight-year tenure as National Director of Marketing for...

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and as well as changing and eliminating jobs it is creating new roles. On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Cliff Jurkiewicz, Vice President of Global Strategy at Phenom to talk about why it is time for companies to hire for the role of ‘AI Ethicist’ and what challenges those in the role will face in our rapidly changing world Guest: Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy, Phenom Cliff Jurkiewicz is the Vice President of Global Strategy at Phenom, a global HR tech company based in the greater Philadelphia area. Cliff supports Phenom’s purpose of helping a billion people find the right job by educating leaders at global organizations and their HR and HRIS teams on disruptive technologies, including AI and automation, so they can make meaningful connections with individuals throughout the talent journey. With a strong background in both design and technology, Cliff has held numerous roles in creative design and software development. Cliff is an active pilot who runs the only flight service in the country dedicated to helping those suffering from mental illness and addiction issues – Kyle’s Wish Foundation. The organization is named after Cliff’s son, who died at...

Remote work keeps evolving: organizations have been changing the rules around it, workers have been shifting their demands on employers, and the pieces keep shifting. To talk about the new trends in remote work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jelena Djordjevic, Vice President of People at Thumbtack. Thumbtack is a technology company that helps people care for and improve their homes, an they have decided to be ‘virtual first’ and are not forcing people back to work. That approach is becoming rare, but Jelena explains why it can be the right decision and talks about the ways to make it work. Guest: Jelena Djordjevic, VP of People, Thumbtack Jelena Djordjevic is VP of People at Thumbtack. She leads an organization of 80+ team members spanning Employee Experience, Recruiting, People Business Partners, People Analytics, Compensation, Benefits, Operations, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Organizational Development. In her role, Jelena is responsible for reimagining the future of work at Thumbtack as we embark on a new chapter to be the only app homeowners need to fix, maintain, and improve their homes. Most recently, Jelena served as Chief of Staff at Thumbtack. She held this role for almost three years and was...

Everyone wants to be more effective and motivated at work, but doing that can be harder than it looks. To talk about how to revitalize your relationship with work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Art Markman, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the book Bring Your Brain to Work. They discuss why motivation sometimes flags as well as practical ways that you can how to jumpstart your motivation and achieve more of your goals. Guest: Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology, Human Dimensions of Organizations, and Marketing and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published over 150 research papers on topics including reasoning, decision making, and motivation. Art brings insights from cognitive science to a broader audience through his blogs at Psychology Todayand Fast Company as well as his radio show/podcast Two Guys on Your Head. He is the author of several books including Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Brain Briefs, and Bring Your Brain to Work. Links: http:/www.smartthinkingbook.com

Flexible work goes in and out of fashion, with always loving it and organizations being somewhat more skeptical. To talk about the state of flexible work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex+Strategy Group. They talk about Cali’s latest research on attitudes about flexible work and why more change is inevitably ahead in the world of work.

The pandemic has changed many things, among them the state of mental health in the workplace. Things were not perfect before the pandemic, there were definitely stresses and people under pressure, but lockdowns and having to manage a different way definitely took their toll. We are now at a different point but we are still struggling to figure out the best ways to work and that is creating its kinds of stress – and people are still struggling. To talk about how mental health has changed over the past years, Linda Nazareth s joined on this episode by Bernie Wong, Principal and Senior Manager at Mind Share Partners which is a non-profit that is focussed on workplace mental health. Mindshare has done surveys on how workplace mental health has changed over the past few years and their findings are food for thought. Guest Bernie Wong Principal and Senior Manager at Mind Share Partners Bernie Wong, MHS, is a founding team member and Senior Manager of Insights and Principal at Mind Share Partners, a national nonprofit changing the culture of workplace mental health so both employees and organizations can thrive. Through movement building, custom training, and strategic advising, it normalizes mental...

Gen Z is a unique generation, perhaps more likely to be dealing with stress and anxiety – or perhaps just more likely to talk about it. On this episode, Dr. Sarah Adler CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc. joins Linda Nazareth to talk about how organizations can support the mental health of their Gen Z workers and why that will ultimately benefit all sides. Guest Dr. Sarah Adler is CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc, a mental health platform that pairs affordable and quality coaching with engaging and immersive skill-building for Gen Z. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and former hedge fund analyst obsessed with improving access to high-quality mental healthcare. Dr. Adler is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University. She sits on the advisory board of Redesign Health, and the Board of Directors of mpathic, using AI to improve empathic communication at scale. Previously, Sarah was CCO at a national behavioral health start-up, and Founding partner of Peninsula Behavioral Health, a group practice providing evidence-based-care to the San Francisco Bay Area. Links: Sarah’s LinkedIn Wave’s LinkedIn Wave’s Website

What can an anthropologist tell us about the future of work? A lot as it happens, since they know a lot about societies and cultures, which means that their observations about the workplace can help us understand how things are evolving and what might come next. Listen as Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lizbet Simmons, Senior Anthropologist and Futurist with Cisco as they talk about what things look like from an anthropological perspective and how to get ready for the future. Guest: Lizbet Simmons Senior Anthropologist and Futurist Cisco https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizbet-simmons-phd-b5a89b84/ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizbet-simmons-phd-b5a89b84/ https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m04/an-anthropologist-eye-on-the-future-of-work.html

The word ‘networking’ may seem a bit outdated, but perhaps it is time to update its meaning. To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Andres Lares, Managing Partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute. They cover what networking means today and why and how it is something that everyone needs to be doing it in a work context. Guest: Andres is the Managing Partner at SNI, where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the global training and consulting firm. He previously served the role of Chief Innovation Officer until 2017. His multi-disciplinary and lingual skills broaden SNI’s ability to effectively teach and consult in a wide range of industries, languages, and cultures. Andres’ expertise is in deal coaching live negotiations, and has focused on sports clients such as the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Milwaukee Brewers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Brooklyn Nets. He also works in several capacities with clients across a wide range of industries – from developing online content to facilitating programs in Real Estate (Lennar), Advisory (PWC, Grant Thornton), Media (ESPN, Roku, Hearst), Banking (M&T Bank), Aerospace (Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney), Insurance (Great American Insurance), and Pharmaceutical (Novo Nordisk, Roche), to name...

Workers want more than money when they accept a job and typical looking for things like a manageable commute and a good team to work with as well. Increasingly, they are also interested in working for mission-oriented companies, wanting to work for organizations that are making a difference. But are they trading things, like money, for that? And if so, should they be? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Insiya Hussain, Assistant Professor of Management at McCombs Business School, University of Texas, Austin. They discuss her research around mission-oriented companies and what workers should be considering as they weigh the monetary and non-monetary benefits of work. Guest: Insiya Hussain is an Assistant Professor of Management. Her research focuses on understanding how employees can overcome the challenges of speaking up at work to share their ideas and opinions, advocate social issues, and negotiate for personal rewards. Insiya’s research has been published in leading academic journals including Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, and Journal of Applied Psychology. Her work has also been featured in practitioner outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Bloomberg, and Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Editorial Review...

At a time when the world of work is more stressful than ever, how can leaders avoid burning out? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo, authors of the book Selling with Noble Purpose. The discuss the ways that leaders can and should be purpose-driven, but do it in a way that will ultimately be a good thing for all parties involved. GUESTS: Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales strategist and professional speaker whose clients include Salesforce, Kraft Heinz, and Roche. She is the author of Selling with Noble Purpose and an expert in sales transformation. Learn more about Lisa’s work here. Elizabeth Lotardo is a researcher and consultant who helps organizations drive revenue and engagement. She is the co-author of Selling with Noble Purpose and holds a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Connect with Elizabeth here. LINKS: https://www.wiley.com/en-sg/Selling+With+Noble+Purpose%3A+How+to+Drive+Revenue+and+Do+Work+That+Makes+You+Proud%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781119700890#:~:text=Using%20real%2Dworld%20data%2C%20compelling,on%20internal%20targets%20and%20quotas.

Artfiicial intelligence is changing the world, and it will inevitably change the world of work – but what will those changes look like? To tackle this huge topic, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jason Brommet, Head of Modern Work and Surface at Microsoft. They discuss just how disruptive AI might be, and why it is time for both individuals and organizations to be ahead of the changes. Guest Links Work Trend Index | Will AI Fix Work? (microsoft.com)

Organizations talk about the need to have diverse organizations and they may be sincere about that, but actually making that happen can be difficult to do. Designing the right programs is not easy and getting people on board can be even harder. To talk about how organizations can successfully walk the talk on diversity, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Eddy Ng. Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business, Smith School of Business at Queens University. Guest: Eddy Ng https://smith.queensu.ca/faculty_and_research/faculty_list/ng-eddy.php Eddy Ng is the Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business at Queen’s University. His research focuses on managing diversity for organizational competitiveness, the future of work, and managing across generations. His work has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants. He has edited and published 7 books and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. According to a 2020 Stanford study, he is identified in the top 2% of highly cited scientists in Economics & Business. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Co-Editor of Personnel Review. He is currently the Chair-Elect for the Gender and Diversity in Organizations division of the Academy of Management....

How does an organization get ready for the future and build a workforce that is ready for it when technology is changing so quickly? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by David Morgenstern, President of Accenture Canada. They talk about the challenges of planning and training and why the latter might have to start with the C-Suite. Guest: David Morgenstern is President of Accenture Canada where he supports leaders in business and government to embrace change, transform their organizations, and become more resilient for the future, through the combination of technology and human ingenuity. David leads Accenture’s Canadian workforce committed to improving how Canadians work and live. With services in advisory, technology and outsourcing, Accenture brings technology-enabled transformation to clients in the private and public sectors, with AI, cloud, data, and security at the core of much of the business. For more than 25 years, David has held progressive leadership roles in the technology services sector, serving in both Asia and in Canada, and joined Accenture in 2010. His time at Accenture has included senior roles in Accenture Operations, focusing on supply chain and procurement services, before leading Accenture’s Products & Communications client groups in Canada....

Workers want a certain amount of autonomy at work, but leaders have always been wary about providing it. Finding the right balance is now more important than ever, and also more difficult than ever given that many workers are now working remotely. To talk about how much autonomy is appropriate at work and why leaders should provide it, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Julian Barling, Professor of Organiztional Behavior and Bordon Chair of Leadership at the Smith School of Business at Queens University and the author of the book Brave New Workplace. Guest: Dr. Julian Barling, Professor of Organiztional Behavior and Bordon Chair of Leadership at the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Dr. Julian Barling is the Borden Chair of Leadership and Stephen Gyimah Distinguished University Professor at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University. He is an authority on transformational leadership and was named one of the 10 most influential leadership researchers in the world in one analysis. Julian has received numerous awards for teaching and research. In 2002, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and received the National Post’s “Leaders in Business Education” award. Julian is an elected fellow of several...