Transforming Work with Sophie Wade

Steven Puri, Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company and former Academy Award-winning CGI producer and Hollywood executive, shares his insights from movie production and experiences as a tech entrepreneur. Emphasizing applied learning, Steven offers strategic and tactical insights for designing remote and hybrid work, cultivating focus, and supporting fulfilled cohesive teams to reduce churn. Drawing parallels with the Hollywood model, he discusses project-based collaboration, individualized productivity rhythms, and creating environments that support deep, self-directed learning and growth. TAKEAWAYS [01:33] Steven shares how each beneficial life opportunity has come from unexpected “left turns.” [01:57] Early on, Steven balances interests in journalism and coding, influenced by his engineer parents. [03:42] At USC, Steven’s tech fluency gives him entrée to film during the shift from analog to digital. [04:30] Working on trailers and music videos, Steven connects with aspiring filmmakers and directors. [05:26] Independence Day needs digital effects launching Steven’s Hollywood experience producing visual effects for major directors and films. [06:49] Co-founding a company after Academy Award success, the team delivers for investors. [10:43] Returning to technology to have agency, Steven starts and raises money for two tech companies. [12:01] Reviewing failed ventures, Steven’s top learning is to listen more to others. [13:30] Recognizing the Hollywood production cycle has always operated in remote, hybrid and in-person phases. [14:50] How remote/hybrid/in-person phases of filmmaking offer insights for modern work design. [15:37] The principle about personal productivity is to find a dedicated place where your mind settles. [18:17] In film projects, separation of visionary and operational leadership roles is critical. [19:18] ‘Flow’ principles—such as feedback loops and daily metrics—enables continuous improvement. [20:42] End of day progress reviews in film production supports high-intensity teamwork. [23:32] Creative breakthroughs are enabled when the brain is distracted, not singularly focused. [27:07] Steven buys a friend’s startup’s code base to build upon the to-do list using Hollywood learning. [28:07] The Sukha platform is rooted in work design insights to enable deep focus. [29:55] The app improves focus by limiting overwhelm and breaking major tasks into sub-steps. [31:07] Sukha’s assistant adapts to personal styles—momentum-building or starting with difficult tasks. [33:38] Understanding your own work rhythms to optimize for deep productivity. [35:17] Sukha uses curated music and real environmental sounds scientifically tuned for flow states. [37:30] Timers and breaks prevent burnout and encourage brain recovery post-focus. [38:49] Feedbacks help users learn from distractions and track progress with real-time productivity scores. [40:08] Optional co-working “coffee shop” to share energy and foster community accountability. [41:06] Social facilitation theory supports the idea that seeing others work can increase your output. [44:41] A user describes how Sukha helps him be being present with his kids or lose the whole day. [45:46] The goal is not just productivity, but meaningful, self-fulfilling work that leads to happiness. [46:18] Steven renames the company “Sukha” - a Sanskrit word meaning happiness and self-fulfillment – which is his ultimate goal for people to achieve. [46:51] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Cultivating self-fulfilled, cohesive teams reduces churn. If people are enabled to do great work, they want to stay. RESOURCES Steven Puri on LinkedIn The Sukha Company website Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport QUOTES “That pulse has existed for a hundred years in film. It is very well respected....

Prithwiraj ‘Raj’ Choudhury, Lumry Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, shares insights from years of research included in his newly released book “The World is Your Office: How Working from Anywhere Boosts Talent, Productivity and Innovation”. As a scholar of geography, talent, and innovation, Raj describes real world examples to illustrate how decoupling location from labor creates options and opportunities for employers and employees. He explains the economic benefits of 'working from anywhere' models for local communities. Raj emphasizes practical hybrid frameworks and team-based decision-making to unlock innovation, enhance wellbeing, and support multigenerational workforces. TAKEAWAYS [01:40] Raj studies computer science and engineering but would have loved to study literature. [01:57] As a singer-songwriter, Raj discusses writing songs in Bangla and playing in a band. [02:47] Raj starting out at IBM and then starts consulting and travels the world. [03:19] Switching to academia give Raj flexibility and creativity to focus on research and poetry. [04:32] Raj becomes a migration scholar researching the match of distant talent with work. [06:17] Infosys’ hiring from small Indian towns revealed underutilized high-potential talent. [07:08] Challenging early-career postings develop superior problem-solving skills that boost Indian bureaucrats’ later careers. [09:05] Gen Z can benefit from digital nomad visas to travel and work globally and build connections. [10:25] “Work from Anywhere” enables a person to choose the town, city, or country to work in. [10:54] Raj stresses in-person connections so “working from anywhere” is often not working from home. [12:15] Tulsa’s remote worker program is a win-win benefitting individuals and the community. [12:50] Lower cost of living and greater community engagement make smaller cities attractive for remote talent. [13:51] Work from anywhere helps reverse brain drain as talent returns to or remains in smaller towns. [15:57] Raj frames three hybrid models for teams based on meeting frequency and venue flexibility explaining when “working from anywhere” is feasible. [19:33] Performance should be measured by work quality, not time, presence, or attendance. [20:16] Managers remain essential for setting direction and motivating teams—not monitoring activity. [22:33] Managerial span of control can increase with remote tools, leading to leaner organizations. [24:46] Generative AI can codify individuals' knowledge into scalable personal bots. [25:27] AI-driven bots can extend a person’s ‘human capital’ across time zones and workloads. [26:30] Questions arise about bot/IP ownership—e.g. who controls the bot if an employee changes jobs. [28:29] Bots can assist with non-personal tasks, but human connection remains essential for leaders. [30:41] Raj emphasizes in-person gathering benefits rather than debating where events are organized. [31:20] Research shows people cluster by identity at in-person events unless serendipity is engineered. [32:09] Shared transportation like taxis can build bonds across silos and increase connection diversity. [33:23] “Virtual water cooler” meetings with senior leaders improved intern ratings—but bias remained. [35:40] Raj’s book outlines Working from Anywhere: the business case, solutions for the challenges, and future possibilities. [36:27] Digital twins make work from anywhere possible for blue-collar roles such as in factories and hospitals. [37:30] Remote operation of facilities from centralized hubs is becoming feasible and more widespread. [38:40] Work from anywhere extends flexibility to all worker types, closing the white-blue collar divide. [39:55] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Working from anywhere is the way to attract and retain talent nationally or globally. It’s a talent strategy, not a work...

Kamber Parker Bowden, Founder and CEO of Generational Performance Solutions, explains how leadership must evolve to integrate a multigenerational workforce in modern work environments. Kamber shares research insights and her personal journey that sparked her focus on closing workforce gaps and fostering cross-generational collaboration. To bridge differences, Kamber emphasizes clear communication, setting expectations, and empathy. She explores how different generations value flexibility, entrepreneurship trends, and side hustles’ appeal for younger workers. Kamber recommends building trust and supporting internal growth pathways to engage and retain younger talent. KEY TAKEAWAYS [01:42] Kamber shares her early dream of becoming a broadcast journalist before shifting paths. [03:32] Kamber’s first job in corporate insurance proves to be a poor fit and she doesn’t stay long. [04:24] Many of Kamber’s friends also leave their jobs after 18 months or less—why? [05:41] Common narratives of starting work after college and climbing the corporate ladder. [06:33] Lack of clear expectations and poor communication emerge as key reasons for early exits. [07:16] Despite good salary and benefits, Kamber leaves because of poor mental, physical and emotional health. [08:03] Taking a pay cut at a nonprofit which offers flexibility, Kamber develops her business on the side. [09:30] Companies often focus heavily on recruitment while neglecting retention and development. [13:48] Check which generational research to trust. [14:39] The issues of skills gaps as skills not being transferred sufficiently from experienced workers. [15:14] A feature of modern work is Gen Zs’ interest in side hustles and the Creator Economy. [17:31] The current lack of trust in the establishment and younger employees’ desire for fulfilling work. [18:24] Job satisfaction and career growth outweigh stability and recruiters become more aggressive. [19:36] How can organizations cultivate opportunities to entice younger employees to stay? [23:08] Millennials have a unique position understanding both older generations and Gen Zers. [23:51] Millennials reject being grouped with Generation Z. [24:23] Micro-generational differences shape unique experiences and perspectives. [25:01] “Entitlement” is best understood through generational context and upbringing. [26:45] Gen Z seeks in-person connection; Millennials look for flexibility and remote work. [28:06] Communication breakdowns arise when expectations go unspoken or unmet. [30:46] Data helps leaders understand generational change, trends, and frustrations. [31:56] Kamber asks leaders to consider the risks of falling behind if they resist adapting to change. [32:57] The importance of understanding senior professionals as well as younger workers. [34:38] Helping young and emerging leaders build bidirectional communication skills. [35:45] Recognizing people as individuals with different communication styles. [36:10] Kamber trains on respectful tech mentoring and basic professionalism. [37:42] Trust starts with understanding each team member’s communication preferences. [38:24] Asking about preferred communication methods can transform team dynamics. [40:03] Generation Z’s ideas of professional dress vary widely, so clarity is essential. [41:10] Kamber suggests sharing dress codes during hiring to avoid judgments and misunderstandings. [44:10] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: “To improve how you lead a multi-generational team, build trust, set clear expectations, and ask your team their top communication style.” RESOURCES Kamber Parker Bowden on LinkedIn Generational Performance Solutions website QUOTES “So many companies put so much effort into the recruiting and not as much on the growth, the development, the retention, the...

Stephen Dooley is Founder of Roamr, a corporate travel accommodation platform built for distributed teams. Merging insights from trust dynamics and the sharing economy, Stephen explains how a personal pain point led to an innovative travel solution rethinking cost structures and workplace needs. He shares how listening to customer feedback evolved the initial concept into a fresh approach to business travel that—being empathetic and practical—supports flexibility, connection, and culture while delivering measurable impact for businesses and employees alike. TAKEAWAYS [01:22] Stephen studies commerce aligning early interests in business and entrepreneurship. [01:45] A year abroad gives Stephen an exciting experience and global perspective. [03:11] The year studying in the US sparks Stephen’s ambition and sharpens his interpersonal skills. [03:47] Graduate research initially focuses on financial technology and wealth management. [05:15] Stephen is interested in tech-related consumer psychology dynamics and adoption drivers. [06:25] The sharing economy reverses historical fundamental trust patterns and behaviors. [07:11] Younger consumers now influence their parents' tech-based adoption decisions. [08:34] Stephen takes a new role then the pandemic hits, requiring rapid learning. [09:28] A light bulb moment about new realities for travel, lifestyle and career compatibility. [09:47] A great workation opportunity is dashed by unaffordable accommodation. [10:42] Identifying remote work necessities reveal need for better infrastructure. [11:17] Location flexibility is widespread, but how to take advantage of new opportunities. [12:21] Societal tailwinds are behind Working From Anywhere and distributed work. [12:55] Roamr launches with an employee-focused offering home swaps for workations. [13:49] During customer discovery, many employers ask to apply the model to corporate travel. [14:20] Employees get alternatives to hotels, financially benefit, and firms save money. [14:52] Now business travel is more relationship-focused, so culture and collaboration benefits can outweigh reduced costs. [16:31] Travel expenses can be significant so more than 20% in savings is valuable. [17:09] Improved culture, engagement, and retention offer meaningful additional benefits. [19:21] More younger workers understand the Roamr concept and have much interest to connect and network. [20:09] Hosting income also helps employees towards meaningful financial goals. [21:04] Roamr aligns CFO cost savings priorities and CPO employee experience goals. [22:40] Global platform partners expand reach to over 100 countries. [24:31] Top talent understand their worth and if not offered flexibility will work elsewhere. [25:50] Finding the option(s) that work for each person—where is the middle ground? [28:08] Research revealed how taxi rides fostered long-term interactions. [28:46] Engineering connections by mapping users to have facilitated serendipity. [29:32] Adding personal networks to expand reach, connectivity, and flexible opportunities. [31:50] Employees can create and plan local events during work trips. [32:30] Visibility avoids missed connections among nearby remote coworkers. [33:15] Highlighting common interests to encourage sharing experiences while traveling. [34:11] In-person sales increase in relevance as AI outreach becomes oversaturated. [36:02] Commoditized business travel offers few incentives for employees to reduce costs. [37:15] Incentivizing smart booking combined with uplifts for culture and engagement. [37:47] Buffers in travel planning processes reveal hidden budget inefficiencies. [38:55] Roamr is a win-win choice – an optional, flexible alternative to hotels. [39:18] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP – How can you think differently about business travel processes to avoid or reduce bloated costs? RESOURCES Stephen Dooley on LinkedIn Roamr’s website QUOTES “What if we could make work from...

Kelli Lester is the Co-founder and Partner at Onyx Rising, a change management consulting firm. Kelli discusses how leaders can navigate uncertainty, empower their teams, and drive innovation. She highlights the importance of leaders’ vulnerability, adaptability, and inclusive decision-making in today’s evolving business landscape. Kelli draws from her experiences navigating mergers, workforce integration, and cultural shifts to offer insights for leaders wanting to improve workplace dynamics and foster meaningful collaboration. Kelli explores strategies for developing high-potential talent, bridging generational divides, and cultivating authentic leadership. TAKEAWAYS [01:50] Kelli studies communications to have her own TV show and develops her voice. [04:00] Working for the Mayor’s office, Kelli needs to understand the pulse of the community. [04:50] Kelli works at the Census Bureau exploring why people might not want to be counted. [05:54] The Mayor reinforces understanding and serving the community’s needs. [07:02] Mergers and acquisitions at Sara Lee reveal leadership challenges in cultural integration. [08:10] Required field experience to get promoted reveals assumptions that Kelli’s boss questions. [10:12] A human-centric leadership approach creates a more integrated company. [11:01] Transforming the talent review processes to increase transparency and fairness. [12:00] Layoffs can be done with empathy, when leaders speak the truth and are authentic. [14:20] Organizations often rely on external voices, such as consultants, to challenge leadership. [15:08] A colleague’s feedback helps Kelli adapt and improve team collaboration. [16:46] Leaders must proactively understand individual motivations and work preferences. [18:51] Modeling behavior as a leader is essential. [19:55] Organizational and personal “whys” drive lasting behavior change. [21:28] Self-awareness helps leaders recognize their thought process and expectations. [24:41] To create an innovative organization, it is vital to learn to seek and receive feedback. [26:23] Leaders benefit from actively seeking input from those who challenge them. [29:18] Psychological safety enables innovation and trust through vulnerability. [31:56] Exposure to different perspectives strengthens emotional intelligence in leaders. [33:40] Kelli’s leadership model focuses on exposure, inclusion, understanding, and disruption. [34:59] Leaders can disrupt exclusionary behaviors and outdated leadership models. [36:22] Many companies talk about innovation but lack true commitment. [37:01] Risk-averse industries approach innovation as a necessity rather than an opportunity. [38:16] Think tanks help diverse teams generate innovative ideas and solutions. [39:16] Younger employees’ adaptability supports problem-solving and innovation. [39:47] Innovation thrives when integrated into culture, performance, and reward systems. [40:08] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Modern leadership traits include self-awareness, seeking, receiving, and giving feedback, and promoting psychological safety RESOURCES Kelli Lester on LinkedIn Onyx Rising’s website QUOTES "There isn't one way to lead. There are also two versions of the truth, right? Two truths can exist at the same time." "Leaders must involve multiple layers in decision-making for better outcomes." "We have to learn how to seek and receive critical or negative feedback." "Exposure to difference is critical. Many times, people are navigating the world thinking everything is set up the same way for everyone." "If you tell a leader, this is what good leadership looks like, you integrate it into your performance management, you have ways to reward that behavior, then you'll see more and more of it."

Phil Kirschner, Founder of PK Consulting, is an innovator at the intersection of employee experience, corporate real estate, organizational effectiveness, and technology strategy. Drawing on his background at Credit Suisse, WeWork, and McKinsey, Phil shares insights about professional and personal responses to workplace changes. He discusses leaders’ and employees’ intuitions and the frictions affecting trust. Phil explains the cultural impact of co-working environments and how a hospitality mindset helps achieve strategic human-centric productized work experiences to meet employees’ modern work needs. TAKEAWAYS [01:57] Phil shares his experiences in corporate real estate, workplace strategy, and employee experience. [02:45] Cost management taught Phil the importance of understanding workplace dynamics. [04:20] Phil loves the dimensions of workplace change recognizing people’s emotional responses. [05:41] How work-life integration can mean the physical manifestation of a policy in the work world. [06:38] Place is personal, affecting choices, relationships and how people communicate. [07:44] How office changes impact managers’ perceived control over their teams. [08:45] Executives visiting WeWork’s offices were often surprised by the energy and vibrancy. [10:12] Employees embracing the WeWork hospitality, community culture, and work patterns typically had better experiences than those who resisted. [14:00] How smaller companies smaller office investments allows them to be more responsive than large organizations which often struggle with underutilized space. [15:15] COVID revealed more humanity at work—executives were seen differently and trusted. [16:22] The Edelman Trust Barometer shows the first ever dip in trust in corporate leadership. [16:50] Employees’ and executives’ different intuition about what was ‘better before’ and for whom. [18:22] Discrepancies in pre-COVID experiences change expectations for new work environments. [19:22] Phil shares how a real estate company failed to extend workplace flexibility to frontline staff. [22:00] A critical missing question: what needs to be true to allow greater flexibility and not have core metrics dip? [24:40] Remote work enables business continuity and offer an operational risk mitigation framework. [25:00] Digital-first companies have better organizational health by adapting for being distributed. [25:45] Experiencing inefficient processes to develop metrics and optimize operations. [29:02] HR, IT, and Facilities Management need to collaborate to enable modern workplaces. [29:54] Work experience needs productization and someone in charge. [31:07] Real estate reporting to HR help shift the focus from cost control to employee experience. [32:35] Hospitality oriented experiences are typically revenue lines not expense related. [34:31] Companies with “virtual-first, but not placeless” mindset rethink workplace strategy effectively. [35:53] Many executives assume office presence is essential without analyzing why. [39:10] Organizational health and connecting business objectives and work experience. [40:30] How corporate cultures can connect and align employees with purpose enabling change. [43:06] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: The first questions to ask at the start of any good change program: who thinks something is wrong? What do they think is wrong? And who else knows? RESOURCES Phil Kirschner on LinkedIn Phil Kirschner, Contributor – Leadership Strategy, Forbes QUOTES "Many employees are feeling gaslit when they hear leaders say, ‘It was better before,’ because that doesn’t resonate with them." "Trust in organizations dipped for the first time in Edelman’s latest trust barometer report." “When I walk into the building, if the experience of getting in or registering a visitor or attending event is, is not a great one, at that point, I do not know or care whose problem it is. I want one place to go easily and I want a hospitality feeling...

Ashley Proctor, Founder of Creative Blueprint, Coworking Canada, and COHIP, is one of the founders of the coworking movement. She shares her experiences designing coworking environments as catalysts for creative and business synergy with economic sustainability and social impact. Ashley explains the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and how intentional community-building leads to long-term success. She emphasizes how coworking represents a shift in how people connect, co-create, and thrive together shaping the future of work. TAKEAWAYS [01:45] Ashley Proctor chooses to study art and design for its creative problem solving. [02:34] Ashley feels at home with people at college who are all ‘a little bit weird’! [03:42] Space issues during a renovation lead Ashley to create a shared study and learning environment. [04:55] XSpace is created to provide an external, student-run environment which has lasting impact. [06:22] Coworking for artists looks different than for information workers with laptops. [06:51] The Foundry building creates a maker space for artists, entrepreneurs, and tech startups. [07:53] Cross-industry coworking results in artists being more entrepreneurial and entrepreneurs being more creative in problem-solving. [09:49] 312 Main transforms a former police building into a coworking hub focused on social impact. [12:18] A bold vision and complex situation requires extensive community consultation and is a slow build. [13:34] Co-creation stimulates the necessary transformation supported by the local community. [14:40] Thoughtful coworking design includes harm reduction, de-escalation strategies, and cultural inclusivity. [24:00] The coworking movement is rooted in accessibility, inclusion, and empowering independent workers. [26:30] COHIP (Coworking Health Insurance Plan) emerges to address gaps in coverage for freelancers. [29:00] Ashley’s personal health crisis highlights the need for sustainable, independent health coverage. [31:30] COHIP expands to serve artists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across Canada. [34:00] The IDEA Project challenges coworking spaces globally to enhance inclusivity and accessibility. [37:00] Coworking is about fostering connections and collaboration, not just providing office space. [39:30] Larger organizations can benefit from coworking’s agility and cross-pollination of ideas. [42:00] Companies are increasingly funding coworking memberships to support hybrid work needs. [45:00] Employees thrive with autonomy in choosing coworking spaces that suit different tasks. [47:30] Coworking hubs in rural areas provide professional environments without long commutes. [50:00] Ashley shifts focus to mentorship and ensuring long-term sustainability of coworking models. [53:00] Community land trusts and coworking hubs can serve multiple civic and emergency functions. [56:00] Larger organizations should see coworking as a strategic investment, not just a perk. [58:30] Flexible workspaces help companies reduce costs, improve retention, and boost productivity. [1:01:00] Coworking spaces offer expertise in workplace design, benefiting both employees and companies. [1:03:30] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Your company can benefit from coworking by realizing lease cost savings, the coworking provider’s informed use of assets, tools, and space, and improved employee wellbeing and retention. This episode emphasizes how coworking drives innovation, inclusivity, and economic growth while providing practical benefits for individuals and organizations alike. RESOURCES QUOTES Verbatim Quotes from Ashley Proctor Episode Title: Coworking as a Catalyst for Innovation and Community "Working as a movement." "I feel like I'm solving problems and sometimes founding an entity is the way to do it, to continue to solve it for other folks." "When we build those spaces with intention, we can have a lot...

Dan Bladen, CEO and co-founder of Kadence, and Dave Cairns, Future of Work Strategist at Kadence, each discuss aspects of the evolving dynamics of modern workplaces and spaces. Dan shares insights from Kadence’s journey developing workplace technology and breaking down and rebuilding work to facilitate workflow and rhythm for distributed workers. Dave highlights the benefits of data-driven understanding of people flow and space utilization as well as intentional gatherings. They recognize flexible hybrid models’ acceptance and leaders’ increasingly purposeful coordination. TAKEAWAYS Dan Bladen Interview [01:22] Dan explains his background in theology, music, and technology. [02:57] Growing up with engineers, hardware, and gaming encouraged Dan to build computers. [05:04] Traveling around the world in 2012, connectivity and charging are basic needs. [05:40] Dan co-founds Chargify to make wireless charging a game changer as WiFi did for connectivity. [06:41] Dan notices offices were already half-empty as people start ‘agile working’ in the 2010s. [07:25] The business of checking an employee into a hot desk while also charging their laptop. [08:06] Strong growth stops with the pandemic, then a Fortune 50 company asks to use Chargify’s software to enable safe office-based work. [09:36] The checking-in capability leads to a business pivot to workplace coordination software. [11:02] Dan isn’t enthralled, but the market is large and 90% of companies are going hybrid. [12:20] Dan sees the potential of hybrid work to benefit from more work-life balance. [12:44] Finding rhythm with your family and your team and having a contract with your employer. [13:35] In the past, people had to act predictably as spaces were static. [14:36] Kadence philosophy breaks down the ‘work stack’—starting with the ‘why’ of work—vision and values [15:13] Moving from performative inputs to quantitative outputs. [16:10] Work defined by time not place—so what is the work ‘operating system’? [18:08] Kadence starts as desk-booking software and becomes a hybrid work management platform. [20:05] The hybrid shift is influenced by market conditions and economic pressures. [21:00] Data shows the best-performing companies are hybrid. [21:40] Servant leadership is rising and thinking about culture and the next generation. [22:51] Over 50% of hybrid companies now organize regular in-person events. [23:16] Time to trust is accelerated during face-to-face times of togetherness. [23:29] Leaders must be intentional about when and where they gather their teams. Dave Cairns Interview [24:32] Dave discusses how deep friendships build up live and asynchronously. [25:33] The mismatch between real estate supply and demand that Dave notices in 2019. [26:10] Pandemic shifts remind Dan of his poker-playing time when he was working remotely. [27:37] Merging two experiences, learning more about the nature of work, beyond office space. [28:07] Learning from many sources for the first time that office spaces pre-COVID were half empty. [29:30] Dave’s content resonates with people struggling with their working lives and rigid policies. [30:36] Many workers feel forced into office attendance without a clear reason. [32:23] Canada has a quieter acceptance of hybrid work compared to the U.S. [33:19] New York seems to have the most polarized views on remote and in-office policies. [36:17] The mismatch between work policies/mandates and actual employee behaviors. [37:26] Employees often coordinate informally and inefficiently, giving organizations no insights. [38:27] Most firms still lack clear data on how their offices are actually being used. [40:30] Some leaders demand full office occupancy despite low attendance rates. [41:06] Gathering granular data to understand people flow and office space utilization. [42:06] High lease costs, renewals or financial pressure are key...

Show host Sophie Wade welcomes 2025 focusing on the natural dynamic of modern work to facilitate executives’ and employees’ abilities to adapt. She outlines three priority areas for the year ahead, recommending how to adjust for and integrate AI as a core component of our tech-driven business and work. Highlighting research and examples, Sophie focuses on: human-AI collaboration, designing work for agility, and upskilling employees rapidly in the flow of work. Sophie emphasizes the principles of modern work: learning, intention, flexibility, and empathy, as well as systems thinking to help us recognize the full ramifications of our inventions and actions. TAKEAWAYS [00:42] Sophie sets the stage for 2025, focusing on adapting to rapid change. [01:29] Embracing change is essential. Rigid work structures conflict with human nature. [02:40] Work norms evolved based on prevailing possibilities and were not healthy or sustainable. [03:25] Flexibility and adaptability are natural and essential human traits. [03:58] Customization in work and products recognizes our individuality and different needs. [04:40] Human-centric approaches and tools foster creativity and problem-solving. [05:18] Early rigid work environments suppressed autonomy and innovation. [06:18] Modern work requires collaboration and proactive preparation for change. [07:20] Adapting to change thoughtfully can reveal the best evolutionary pathways. [08:44] Systems thinking helps anticipate and manage the ripple effects of innovation. [09:43] Modern work requires intentional action to navigate interconnected global systems. [11:10] AI integration is transforming the workforce into blended human-AI collaboration. [12:21] Leaders must identify opportunities for AI to complement humans and our skills. [14:05] Flattening hierarchies and skills-based work systems boost agility and engagement. [15:18] Internal talent marketplaces promote cross-functional use of employees’ skills. [16:37] Upskilling is critical for addressing skill gaps and maintaining competitiveness. [18:04] Continuous learning must be integrated into workflows for successful transformation. [18:35] Approaching change with intention, flexibility, and empathy reduces friction and boosts outcomes. [19:27] Empathy-centered leadership enables multigenerational and distributed teams to thrive. IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Incorporate learning, intention, flexibility, and empathy into workplace strategies. RESOURCES Sophie Wade on LinkedIn Sophie’s company Flexcel Network SophieWade.com QUOTES “We can lean into our natural capacity to adapt if we reframe what we’ve been used to and why.” “Work is in flux, nothing is set in stone, and adaptability is essential all along the way.” “Human-centric approaches and tools foster creativity and problem-solving because we are not machines and aren’t good at pretending to be.” “How you approach change, and specifically the significant ongoing changes occurring in and across our professional world, affects your ability to flex and adapt.” “Adapting to modern work requires continuous learning as a core habit, integrated into workflows and supported as part of daily operations.” “Empathy-centered leadership is critical, recognizing that each person has different skills, adapts at a different pace, and may encounter hiccups along the way.” “Internal talent mobility isn’t easy or obvious to operationalize, but it is necessary to keep pace with the faster evolution of modern work.” “Systems thinking recognizes that our actions are not independent or isolatable but always have ripple effects on others—and reciprocally on us.” “AI integration is enabling the emergence of a collaborative, blended human-AI workforce that complements uniquely human skills.”

Mehmet Baha is the author of “Creating Psychological Safety at Work” and a psychological safety trainer and speaker. Baha, as he is known, discusses the critical role of psychological safety in team performance in the modern workplace. He shares insights about how open dialogue about mistakes and a strengths-based approach enhance trust, collaboration, and results. Baha explains the importance of curiosity and empathy, and giving autonomy. He offers leaders actionable tips for cultivating vulnerability and fostering safe spaces that support innovation. TAKEAWAYS [01:59] Baha’s childhood in Cyprus—a divided island—prompts his interest in conflict resolution. [03:28] Assisting his father, facilitating leadership training shapes Baha’s career path. [04:30] Music influences Baha’s innovative approach and teamwork skills. [06:22] At Facebook early on, Baha experiences a psychologically safe workplace. [08:05] Google’s Project Aristotle shows psychological safety is key for high-performing teams. [09:00] Psychological safety becomes central to his training and consulting work. [10:40] Clarity, purpose, and high standards are other key elements driving team success. [11:28] Collaboration and openness drive better than hidden mistakes. [12:20] Amy Edmundson’s 1990’s study connecting reported mistakes and successful outcomes. [13:33] Research shows learning from mistakes boosts team performance. [14:46] Sharing mistakes, building upon ideas, and appreciating employees’ strengths create psychological safety. [16:25] Five points for leaders to model the vulnerability vital to foster psychological safety. [17:40] Examples include creating "failure reports" to promote organizational learning. [18:53] Openness helps leaders improve team trust and psychological safety. [19:45] One leader fosters openness that enables company-wide sharing of team mistakes. [20:50] Team performance is seen when participants are willing, open, and ambitious. [21:33] Leaders must be role models for sharing and learning from mistakes. [22:05] The ratio of positive to negative feedback plays a crucial role in creating psychological safety. [23:38] A case study about an award-winning practice of quarterly “mistake breakfasts”. [26:32] How innovation and a turnaround at a bank is stimulated by psychological safety. [28:08] Traditional organizations benefit from psychological safety, also enhancing physical safety. [29:15] Leaders' role in co-creating safe work environments. [31:05] Why to encourage employees—closest to the work—to share and implement their ideas. [32:12] Psychological safety supports creativity and sharing of innovative ideas. [32:43] How employees’ silence in meetings indicates an environment lacking psychological safety. [33:19] The seven points demonstrating Fearless Organizations. [35:08] Baha connects empathy with conscious listening which is key for safe workspaces. [35:56] Curiosity is crucial, starting with curiosity about ourselves. [38:06] Leaders can support safe work environments despite more pressure and workload. [36:55] Leaders need to encourage open dialogue about challenges and mistakes. [39:21] How AI can help us work with more humanity, compassion, and authenticity. [39:27] Empowering employees through autonomy enhances psychological safety. [40:22] Autonomy is important as micro-management greatly hinders psychological safety. [40:35] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To improve psychological safety, show curiosity, share mistakes and give employees autonomy. RESOURCES Mehmet Baha on LinkedIn Baha’s book “Creating Psychological Safety at the Essential Guide to Boosting Team Performance” Baha’s book “Playbook for Engaged Employees: Practical Insights to Master Leadership, Agility, Teamwork, Learning, and Psychological Safety” QUOTES “Sharing mistakes, learning from them, and improving is one key element of creating...

Helen Lee Kupp is Founder and CEO of Women Defining AI and co-author of best-selling book “How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to do the Best Work of Their Lives". She discusses her experiences as a strategy and operations leader benefiting from collaborative experimentation and elevating use cases when exploring AI and other technologies for business and workplace transformation. From her tenure at Slack, Helen emphasizes data fluency and intuitive decision-making, defining and applying metrics, and implementing flexible systems. Her insights offer guidance for navigating AI adoption, hybrid work, and creating flexible human-centric frameworks that empower people and processes. TAKEAWAYS [02:21] Helen interest in chemistry and bioengineering prompts her to study chemical engineering. [03:43] Helen loves to pair biology’s organic messiness with engineering and systems thinking. [04:36] Reflecting on a non-linear career path guided by attraction to ambiguous problems. [06:17] Helen’s desire for real-world impact leads her from lab work to consulting then startups. [08:07] Joining Slack early, Helen drives innovation projects, expanding as a consumer product. [09:30] The challenge of using data effectively, needing shared definitions across teams. [11:01] How leaders must foster data fluency to enhance decision-making processes. [11:50] Building operational intuition to make decisions using data and metrics in context. [14:05] Flexibility is integral for organizational systems to adapt to changing market conditions. [15:52] A ‘bridge’ describes a balanced need for stable data infrastructures for specific metrics and flexible systems for evolving demands. [18:19] An innovative process to elevate metrics from team insights to company-wide KPIs. [20:28] Hybrid data approaches enable both innovation and operational consistency. [22:36] Slack’s approach to dynamic work systems shapes Helen’s understanding of agile leadership. [24:02] How workplace tech evolves impacting team collaboration and decision rhythms. [26:15] Helen is an early Slack user and comfortable and effective async worker as an introvert. [29:17] ‘How the Future Works’ enabled the authors to share personal experiences and codify the redesigning of work. [32:24] Helen’s consulting trained her about team protocols enabling effective teamwork. [34:36] How personal work preferences are supported by team agreements. [37:55] Helen is prompted to actively define AI inclusively not stumble into it. [38:58] Women Defining AI launches serendipitously to craft AI development and adoption. [43:18] A community of experimentation, Helen approaches the future with a flexible mindset. [45:01] The importance of building intuition for using AI—it’s just as messy as humans! [45:01] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Embrace discovery mindsets and start small by piloting AI in manageable areas of your work, ensuring hands-on practice and learning opportunities for your teams to explore its potential impact. RESOURCES Helen Lee Kupp on LinkedIn Women Defining AI Almost Technical Helen’s book “How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to do the Best Work of Their Lives” QUOTES “We have a chance to redesign it all right. To redesign not just how we operate together, but to be thoughtful about how different everyone is and bring all that into the redesign.” “People are looking for structured guidance. They’re not looking for all the answers. But they’re looking for at least that you are thinking through it and that they can try.” “Experimenting and piloting use cases with individuals and teams to see what works for them and finding ways to elevate that across the broader organization and share practices. The more you can do that, the faster you’ll learn.” "I appreciate the consulting training because we had to come together in teams so frequently with new teams and new managers. We needed a process around how do we understand how we...

Michael (Mike) Todasco, Visiting Fellow at the James Silberrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence at San Diego State University. He shares insights from driving innovation at PayPal and discusses AI-enabled opportunities for non-technical users and potential entrepreneurs, drawing parallels with earlier transformation generated by GPS access. Mike explains the need for participation, exploration, innovation, and updated education to foster creativity, adapt, and thrive in AI-integrated workplaces. He elevates humans' ingenuity and discerning of quality which complement advanced technical capabilities. TAKEAWAYS [01:55] Mike’s interest in finance starts with selling baseball cards as a child. [03:03] Mike joins General Electric after a college professor talks so much about Jack Welch. [04:06] Mike doesn’t get his first choice. He is sent to work on aircraft engines. [04:20] The rotation program helps Mike find out all the jobs he doesn’t want to do! [04:57] The lasting impression a new employer can make being nimble and scrappy. [06:22] Cool tech lures Mike who starts his own venture, then joins PayPal. [07:29] Working on innovation products being launched at PayPal. [08:33] Mike has a game-changing meeting with a group of patent lawyers. [09:35] Brainstorming innovative products across PayPal teams, Mike develops a new skill. [10:21] Innovation is stimulated by asking good questions and building on each other’s ideas. [11:08] Generating new ideas by imagining what if resources weren’t an issue. [11:57] An innovation use case taking a completely different perspective. [13:40] Mike is captivated by the potential of AI particularly because he cannot code. [14:39] Mike recognizes the magical possibilities of AI and becomes obsessed! [16:28] Using the GPS example to try and project what AI might generate in future. [18:49] Mike shares his mother’s ER experience to illustrate how we might integrate AI support. [22:06] The early predictions that AI would automate away radiologists were totally wrong! [24:01] The history of illusion and the perception gap humans have. [24:57] We find significant personal improvement hard to imagine (as necessary or possible!). [25:52] We may not know, but we need to explore, the possibilities of AI tools. [27:56] The AI apps Mike uses daily. [29:22] Exploring new application versions and having AI running your life! [30:32] How AI can augment your daily personal, professional, and family habits. [32:56] Practical advice for how leaders can stimulate essential AI exploration. [34:22] The challenge of (too much) choice—never mind, just get involved! [35:36] Mike plans his daughter’s birthday party using ChatGPT. [37:37] Where and how AI is beneficially used in work processes. [38:18] What AI is good at, better at, and not so much! [39:58] What happens if AI does interns’ work? [40:30] Mike’s hopes for the possible fundamental impact of AI. [43:56] How should schools be integrating AI? [45:43] What some teachers are doing with AI in class. [47:19] Ideas to change college curriculums to incorporate AI. [48:47] The rising value of ‘taste’—‘what is ‘good?’ matters since AI offers average results. [51:50] The Steph Curry effect–we care about what humans do (and how to make viral videos). [54:13] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Get in front of the AI change as much as you can in your workplaces with your teams. Set up a channel to share, post and cold call on team members to spur ideas and activity. RESOURCES Michael (Mike) Todasco on LinkedIn Mike’s AIdeas podcast QUOTES "Even just asking the right type of question is a way to just really force people to take a step back." “By definition, AI is almost always going to be average right now. Ultimately, taste will matter more in the future, to know ‘what is good’?” “We are becoming directors of this new future where being able to...

Henrik Jarleskog, Head of Future of Work at Sodexo, shares his multinational perspective transforming workplace strategies, services, and experiences to enhance employee and business performance. Henrik explains the shift from building-centric to human-centric approaches. He describes facilitating implementation of future workplace strategies and systems, adapting for changing business, workforce, and cultural needs, for Sodexo’s more than 400,000 employees worldwide. Henrik recognizes the critical flexible, social, and strategic imperatives of modern, distributed work, and models essential experimentation with AI promoting adoption and integration. TAKEAWAYS [02:12] Henrik studies mechanical engineering for its creativity, design, and business focus. [03:29] The benefits of creativity in business for transformation and solving complex challenges. [04:00] Henrik’s early career focuses on data-driven decisions and performance improvement. [05:26] 20 years ago, workplace strategies were building-centric. [06:11] The integrated facilities management trend resulted in more strategic higher-level deals. [08:04] Workplace solutions and experiences are tailored for cultural and regulatory differences. [09:44] Outsourced facilities management contracts taught leadership and management running significant P&Ls. [11:58] Henrik gains great experience becoming a consultant to learn the skillset and tool box. [12:50] Vested partnerships focus on buying outcomes instead of transactions from a supplier. [13:42] The collaborative benefits of a relational contract which is transparent. [14:45] A Nordic airline achieves a vested transformation throughout the supply chain. [17:00] Transformation requires vision clarity and aligned incentives, communication, and actions. [18:12] In transparent strategic partnerships, agree critical business metrics together. [20:45] Henrik works with Sodexo, then his new family encourages him to take their job offer. [22:17] How management consulting roles involve substantial solutions selling. [23:20] Henrik works hybrid, while holding three roles, transforming the Nordic businesses. [24:29] When the pandemic strikes, Henrik builds a fully digital region of 16 countries. [26:00] Providing sustainable food solutions with broader services as workplace experiences to corporations. [28:05] Sodexo recognizes the pandemic’s disruption, choosing to emerge as a thought leader. [30:22] In employee surveys, preferences showed a huge shift in people’s expectations. [31:10] How Activity Based Working changed workplace dynamics in Europe 20 years ago. [33:56] New work norms and generational preferences such as flexibility and choice. [35:45] Henrik supports companies spanning models ranging full-time in office to fully flexible. [36:35] Providing knowledge and data for Future of Work and workplace systems and strategies. [38:15] Clients need ‘magnetic offices’ supporting recruitment with great office-based experiences. [39:31] Considering manufacturing site working experiences and the effect of monitoring. [41:20] Building relationships and connection with social hubs to support collaboration. [42:46] Two major structural changes: doing more with less and distributed work is here to stay. [45:45] How do Fortune 500 companies’ hybrid/flexible models affect their performance? [46:55] Nostalgia rather than data mostly drive five-days-a-week RTO mandates. [47:35] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To move your company forward effectively. One, your honor, people-centric, flexible journey. So ask your teams what's working for us and not. Two, ensure your work model aligns with the corporate mission. Three, design flexible, fantastic workplace experiences. Four, ensure everything is as sustainable as possible. [50:13] How Henrik views AI, experimentation and AI Agents. [54:10] Being a leading role model in using AI. [52:10] The future...

Stephan Meier is Professor of Business Strategy at Columbia Business School and author of The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive. Stephan describes how behavioral economics examine social dynamics and decision-making. He describes the importance of intrinsic motivation and fairness at work and the effect on behavior of monetary and non-monetary incentives. Stephan explains how fast-evolving business conditions require trusting leadership and empowered employees. He shares insights about flexibility and relatedness as key motivators which affect hybrid/remote working models. TAKEAWAYS [02:27] Stephan was fascinated by history but studied economics to understand the world better. [03:19] Traditional economic models, though predictive, lack alignment with human behavior. [04:09] Stephan explores behavioral economics to study non-rational behaviors and model deviations. [06:03] For his PhD, Stephan researches intrinsic motivations and non-selfish human interactions. [08:08] Early management models assumed people are lazy therefore control and incentives were essential. [09:01] Lack of training to support employee-centric versus control, incentive mechanisms. [11:06] Stephan’s thesis emphasizes intrinsic motivations and the joy achieved by helping others. [12:01] Fairness and social norms are important to foster collaboration and group motivation. [13:00] How monetary incentives can undermine social relationships. [14:21] The dynamics of social and intrinsic motivation compared with financial motivation. [17:13] Stephan’s Federal Reserve work focused on behavioral economics and improving financial decision-making. [19:31] How people revert to status quo choices when tired and lacking nourishment. [22:00] Money affects work-related decisions for people who are distracted by financial stressors. [23:33] How behavioral science and economic rational competition determine our behaviors which need to be balanced. [24:50] We overestimate our own decision-making abilities, not conscious of influential factors. [25:35] How managers, as humans, are affected by layoffs and unemployment benefits. [28:32] Thinking about employees like customers and improving their experiences. [29:11] Competition and transparency are two key reasons for the new employee emphasis. [30:27] A third reason is having more data and tools to personalize work experiences. [32:35] Employee centricity: fixing pain points and finding moments that matter along the Employee Journey. [33:21] The need for constant feedback and innovation to improve employees’ experiences. [35:07] What really motivates people and using technology to enhance not destroy this. [35:52] At the current pace of change, the importance of trusting relationships and autonomy. [36:35] Especially in AI-integrated, flatter companies, we need to empower employees. [37:20] Upskilling employees by matching them with opportunities just as Netflix matches viewers with their preferences. [40:00] Flexibility and relatedness are important motivators to consider when optimizing hybrid and remote work models [40:16] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To achieve a more employee centric approach, tap into two motivators: flexibility, giving people autonomy about how, when, where to work; and relatedness having social interactions which include in person. [41:45] Leaders need to embrace behavioral insights to adapt for new working environments. [43:16] Being intentional about workplace culture and coordinating office-based working. [45:30] Treating employees well is a win-win. [46:30] We must understand what motivates employees and use technology to enhance these motivators. RESOURCES Stephan Meier on LinkedIn Stephan’s website Stephan’s book “The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive” QUOTES “If we think people are lazy and we want to control,...

Heather E. McGowan is a keynote speaker and author of The Empathy Advantage and The Adaptation Advantage with deep experience in the Future of Work field. She describes the importance of empathy with AI's growing influence and fostering a connected, resilient, and adaptable workforce. Heather discusses how AI can transform cognitive work and why leaders must shift from relying on their own expertise to harnessing collective intelligence. She explains how the promise and tacit agreement of work has changed, leading to younger generations’ focus on mission, impact, and mentorship. TAKEAWAYS [02:35] Interested in human behavior and art, Heather goes to RISD to study industrial design. [04:00] Heather learns to ask the right question – is the process, not the product, that matters. [04:54] Observing people helps Heather identify unarticulated needs, as seen with the Swiffer. [06:21] Heather designs various products then does an MBA to bridge design and business. [07:36] Her mentor’s influence directs her towards ESG-focused private equity work. [09:49] Integrating design and business, Heather works in academia for several years. [10:50] Heather starts defining how work is changing for her academic and corporate clients as the Future of Work emerges. [12:24] Challenging the concept of having to take single discipline courses before collaborative studies. [13:00] The importance of having a common mindset around problem solving. [13:31] Using basic systems thinking to understand the impact of solutions. [14:33] Interesting reactions to mixed-year participation in courses. [15:25] How people responded to integrated design-thinking projects. [16:15] Heather gets delayed positive feedback to their innovative approach. [16:39] Insights from Heather’s experiences in education such as getting people to think propositionally. [17:00] The genesis of the Adaptation Advantage book. [17:45] The impact of set occupational identity and the rigid 'education-career-retire' model. [18:26] Lifelong learning with learning and careers overlapping not sequential stages. [18:55] Retirement is not good for us, now that life expectancy has increased. [19:30] The AARP starts to focus on people’s ‘next’ or ‘encore’ chapter rather than ‘retirement’. [20:46] Heather’s research and writing focuses on Future of Work tacit vs explicit knowledge. [21:17] Explicit knowledge can be automated, while tacit knowledge needs human interaction. [22:15] AI as a “third lens” for understanding human cognition and expanding our capabilities. [23:39] Heather warns that over-reliance on automation risks atrophying our skills. [24:59] The benefit of enhancing cognitive capabilities, not just reducing costs. [26:16] The long broken agreement about work between employers and employees. [27:38] Gen Z seeks mission, meaningful work, and mentorship since there is no job security. [28:04] Empathy is necessary to connect with employees and understand their mentoring needs. [28:55] Leaders must not rely on individual intelligence but shift to collective intelligence. [30:34] Heather predicts AI will disrupt cognitive work much like electrification disrupted labor. [31:28] Heather connects rising polarization with declines in socialization and greater loneliness. [32:08] How our brains are shaped for agitation because of our solitude. [33:00] Workplaces serving as essential social trust-building spaces. [34:32] Leaders must build trust through authenticity, logic, and empathy. [35:30] The compelling letter Airbnb’s CEO wrote to employees being laid off. [37:36] Being transparent about the challenges of fast-changing circumstances. [38:16] Human-centered policies which optimize for thriving employees improve retention and financial performance. [40:45] When leaders reach a very senior level in organizations their empathy decreases. [42:47] Heather encourages reweaving...

Luis Velasquez Ph.D. is the author of Ordinary Resilience, an executive leadership coach, and former research scientist. He describes his journey after a brain tumor forced him to leave academia and reinvent himself, using endurance sports goals during recovery. Luis explains how resilience means defining who you are, accepting your circumstances, and adapting to change, not toughness. He emphasizes intentional reframing, focusing on what you can control, and building relationships to foster social resilience and weather challenges. Luis shares insights and mental models for leaders managing teams as we navigate change at work and beyond. TAKEAWAYS [02:27] Instead of becoming a farmer, Luis loves science and does a Ph.D. in molecular biology. [02:59] Luis returns to Guatemala after a scholarship to college in the US, as he had committed to. [03:38] Luis takes the hardest class—plant pathology—wanting to improve resistance to disease. [04:49] Becoming a professor of fungal genetics, Luis wants to protect plants. [05:40] Suddenly, Luis gets a brain tumor and his full life stops. [06:50] Luis describes growing up amidst poverty and political violence in Guatemala. [07:24] Surviving the tumor, Luis's ‘recovery’ goal is to run a marathon which takes him a year. [07:57] Luis has to reinvent himself and recognizes ‘what I do is not who I am’. [09:18] Luis gives his tumor a funny name and begins his second journey. [10:00] Exploring the various ways Luis can use the same tools; he chooses Human Resources. [12:21] With reflection and research, Luis realizes everyone has resilience within that they can access. [14:07] Overwhelming amounts of information now at work put us in a phase of beginners. [15:02] In flatter organizations, how can we learn what we need to know? [15:53] We must be intentional about connections, not optimizing meetings only for efficiency. [17:32] How trusting relationships change interpersonal dynamics. [18:45] The power of social resilience, including allowing us to mimic solutions. [20:07] The most important question is ‘what is the problem you are trying to solve?’ [21:48] Resilience is not changing, but adapting, who we are. [22:44] Luis’s niche is helping people who are difficult at work, often misunderstood. [23:31] When intention is not aligned with action, and how to motivate alignment. [24:43] What small adjustment can be made to fulfill your intention and be perceived differently? [26:34] How entrepreneurs perceive failure if they attach their identity to their product. [27:55] The mental model that separates outcomes and outputs. [29:46] The power of reframing – such as the difference between a position and an option. [32:13] Younger employees are afraid of making mistakes and losing face. [32:58] The three types of failure and the issue of not clarifying when failure happens. [33:58] Resilience: taking a small risk, being able to make a mistake, adapt, and improve. [35:25] Luis's mental model ANT: an Annoying Negative Thought! [36:08] How to dispel swirling negative thoughts. [37:05] Everyone has what it takes to be resilient - a commitment and a decision to move forward. [38:11] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To be more resilient to change, describe yourself—who are you? Then give yourself permission to move forward in the direction you want. Make a choice. Make a decision as the first step. RESOURCES Luis Velasquez on LinkedIn Luis’s company VelasCoaching.com Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath QUOTES edited “I realized that who I am is not what I do or even what I have.” “I learned over the years that the world doesn't belong to the people that know the most but to the people that learn the fastest.” “We all are in a phase of beginners because we cannot know everything…Right now, a lot of the things that we are trying to work on, we don't even know how to start. Everybody's doing something...

Vidya Krishnan, Chief Learning Officer at Ericsson, combines her engineering experience, systems thinking, and love of learning to connect core upskilling with corporate strategy. For Vidya, learning at the speed of technology development requires a learning mindset and future-focused dynamic approach to jobs and skills. Vidya explains how a project marketplace enables internal talent mobility: redesigning work with a skills-focus; facilitating evolution to ‘resource fluidity’; and allowing organic shifts into emerging areas as employees gravitate towards where work is flowing. Vidya recommends stability management with change management. TAKEAWAYS [02:06] Vidya studies electrical engineering influenced by her family’s engineering legacy. [03:16] Deeply admiring engineering and loving learning, Vidya admits she had ‘will before skill’. [04:14] Vidya promotes internships: good summertime feedback boosts her while some college studies challenge. [05:07] For personal reasons Vidya leaves AT&T joining Nortel (acquired by Ericsson) in Dallas. [06:19] Always an engineer, now focused on people’s experiences in L&D, Vidya loves teaching. [08:24] Learning is as the heart of every transformation for Vidya’s team and workplace. [09:19] Learning even more from failure, by addressing both shame and ignorance after mistakes. [11:11] Technology and people are inherently upgradable—ongoing learning at a tech company. [12:34] How engineers need "power skills" like storytelling and managing stakeholders. [14:05] Looking creatively to other industries, like aviation, to solve engineering challenges. [16:49] Vidya has a double life for three years learning and networking at learning conferences. [18:54] Managers want her to advance in engineering, but Vidya is determined to change field. [19:45] Vidya overcomes self-doubt and family concerns while transitioning her career. [21:15] After three years, Vidya transitions horizontally into technical training for customers. [22:56] Becoming a studio offering digital learning using multimedia and experiential techniques. [23:41] How to create capabilities that customers will pay for and employees value. [27:00] Systems thinking to describe work’s three dimensions: digital ecosystem, business system, and culture system. [30:14] A systems vs programmatic approach to work is strategic and natural at a tech company. [31:20] Skills development is vital and therefore must be connected to company strategy. [33:21] Constructing a framework where skills are derivative of corporate strategy. [34:20] Starting with the one skill that is most consequential to the strategy—less is more. [36:20] Two sets of skills—global critical skills (top down) and job role skills (bottom up). [37:30] Digitalizing a job architecture starts development of a skills taxonomy. [38:23] Getting on the skills games board through credentialing and contribution. [39:13] To be future focused, skills and job roles are digitalized into a relational database. [40:40] Skills’ journey phases: initialize, mobilize, and capitalize advancing with winnable games. [43:10] "Resource fluidity" is where employees’ skills are not confined to their job role—reskill and constantly redeploy. [44:45] A talent marketplace that is a project marketplace redesigns work to put skills to work. [47:43] Disaggregating work into projects enables work packages doable outside of people’s day jobs—a third space—to develop new skills. [50:30] Enabling employees to gravitate towards emerging areas from eroding areas. [51:35] The hypothesis that progressive career reinvention at scale will pay for itself. [52:25] A project marketplace creates capability and expands capacity. [54:50] Partnership is the new leadership, and co-creation and co-ownership are key to execution. [56:10] Stability management needs to accompany change management. [57:16] How business...

Mark Ma, a research professor at the University of Pittsburgh, studies social and economic issues including Return To Office (RTO) mandates, AI, and tax evasion. A working parent during the pandemic, Mark describes how personal and community experiences initially generated his interest in researching remote work options and hybrid policies. He shares his discoveries that stock market declines generated RTO mandates but not improved corporate results. Mark discusses the dynamics of executives’ control, power, and distrust affecting work policies. He advocates for workplace flexibility—giving employees and teams choices. TAKEAWAYS [02:23] While Mark’s parents advised him to study accounting, he found it fascinating. [03:01] For his PhD, Mark explores financial analysis, and his tax avoidance research is cited. [03:45] Passionate about research, Mark pursues academia, also appreciating the flexible lifestyle. [05:09] Parental challenges during the pandemic fuels Mark’s interest in remote work options. [05:50] Noticing neighbors’ complaints about returning to the office, Mark attends a conference and hears about working from home research. [06:41] Mark gets tenure and explores risky research projects that help improve people’s lives. [08:25] In late 2022, Mark starts collecting data on companies’ return-to-office mandates. [09:25] Leaders say remote workers aren’t working hard, while employees keep performing. [11:06] Return-To-Office mandates often happen after a stock price crash—but why? [12:00] How remote work gets blamed—without evidence—for poor performance. [14:36] RTO mandates also result from executives’ loss of control and not trusting employees. [15:40] Companies may also use RTO policies to easily/cheaply lay off employees. [18:16] Male and powerful CEOs—with higher relative salaries—issue more RTO mandates to assert control. [21:38] Employee and team choice is recommended combined with intentional office time. [22:32] Mark needs data from companies offering employee choice to confirm the best approach. [24:58] Amazon’s shifts to 3-days/wk then 5-days/week RTO has caused employee dissatisfaction and departures. [25:50] One example of Nvidia’s flexible policy enables it to benefit from Amazon’s rigid one. [26:59] Mark finds no evidence that RTO mandates help firms’ performance or stock price. [27:43] Should productivity be measured appropriately and over what time period? [29:12] States level data shows structured hybrid work reduces depression and suicide risks. [32:00] Fully remote workers often self-select which fits their lifestyle and social setup. [32:50] Companies going fully remote need regular off-site engagements to mitigate isolation. [34:18] New research explores RTO mandates’ affect turnover, especially in finance and tech. [35:20] Initial findings show higher turnover, especially among women, follows RTO mandates. [36:48] After RTOs announcements, turnover increases quickly as some people can’t go back to the office. [39:06] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: “First, allow flexibility so employees have choice. Second, promote flexible team leaders to signal that people working from home will not be penalized. Third, for new graduate hires who want to work at the office, ensure mentors are present to support them. RESOURCES Mark Ma on LinkedIn Is Workplace Flexibility Good for the Environment? Research on Return To Office Mandates Mental Health Benefits of Workplace Flexibility QUOTES “The more powerful CEOs and the male CEOs are more likely to impose return-to-office mandates.” “You should allow team choice plus employee choice. That means teams decide when they want to come to office together. And on those in office days, those meetings should be intentional.” “We clearly do not find any evidence that Return To Office mandates help firms’ performance or stock price.” “Five-day in-office work is not...

Mika Cross is a Workplace Transformation Strategist at Strategy@Work. She discusses her military career and years federal government agency experience including talent management, workplace flexibility, and wellness. Mika shares her approach to distributed teams, performance management, and work-life balance. She describes how flexible private sector workforce management policies, informed by public sector successes, foster engagement, retain talent, and meet the diverse needs of the modern, distributed workforce. Mika describes how remote work options allow us to reimagine veterans’ and civilians’ working lives and communities. TAKEAWAYS [02:39] MIka works wants to be a journalist then has to take a break in her studies. [03:17] A mentor suggests military service so Mika can complete her education and serve nobly. [04:26] Mika has some job options from Uncle Sam after finishing top three in her officer training class. [05:35] Mika is attracted by inclusive workplaces that support the whole soldier and family. [06:32] Working for a rapidly deployable unit, Mika must support distributed teams holistically. [07:33] The military is facing shortages, how can retention be improved using flexibility? [09:15] How to share knowledge across agencies while dealing with confidential information. [10:31] What does employee experience look like in the federal government? [11:49] The power of communication to enable effective policy implementation. [13:41] Managers want discretion and information to make the right decisions for their teams. [16:11] With deep knowledge of federal regulations, Mika takes an integrated systems approach. [17:44] What are the blocks to effective equal opportunity? [18:37] Mika finds some workplace flexibility policy options blocked by supervisors. [19:50] Mindsets can prevent advancements or enable cultural transformation. [21:26] How to measure the impact of policies including cost savings. [23:04] Taking a multi-pronged approach with broad buy in and incentivized training. [24:25] Celebrating wins, measuring engagement, and saving on leases. [25:34] The benefits of getting multiple share stakeholders on board. [26:36] The USDA gets recognition and rewards as one of America's best workplaces. [27:25] Achieving savings of $8 million per year through telecommuting. [31:00] Negotiating work policies with 92 unions! [36:34] Enabling veterans’ smooth transitions into civilian jobs requires many types of flexibility. [38:20] Mika explores upskilling, reskilling and benefits. [40:14] Veterans often returning to Hometown USA find few jobs after years of rural brain drain. [41:20] Three ways to provide thriving healthy supportive workplaces to veterans. [42:43] Military spouses need remote work options as they support transitioning veterans. [45:01] The wild opportunity to reimagine the nation, rebuilding Hometown USA. [46:58] The importance of soft skills -- or success skills as Mike calls them. [48:18] Mika believes in career readiness skills so workers learn how to work. [49:14] Moving to a skills-based talent economy. [50:27] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: If you don’t include flexibility in your work policies and turnover increases, recognize the burden on employees who stay and the loss of skills and organizational knowledge. Instead, extend a little trust and autonomy first, hold people accountable second, and teach flexible open mindsets. RESOURCES Mika Cross on LinkedIn Mika’s website MikaCross.com QUOTES “I ended up seeing the power of inclusive workplaces, supportive workplaces, policies, procedures and programs that supported the whole soldier in order to get the best out of our troops, especially when they are deploying into conflict and being separated from their families and having to support the other half of that equation, which is their spouse, their families, their children, their loved...