Work and the Future

Linda Nazareth |

A show about the past, present and future of work

  1. FEB 4

    Episode 141: Is AI-Generated Workslop Making Workers Less Productive?

    In this episode, Linda Nazareth talks to Kristina Rapuano, Research Scientist at Better Up Labs about the ways that AI Workslop is makng workers less productive. They cover topics including: Why using Generative AI can take the work burden off some workers and then create work for others The costs to workers and organizations when workslop is created Why some people are ‘Pilots’ who use AI more effectively than the average worker What leaders can do to increase productivity while using Generative AI Host: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Guest: Dr. Kristina Rapuano, PhD Dr. Kristina Rapuano is a cognitive neuroscientist with an interest in mechanisms of risk and resilience. Her research on the neurobiological underpinnings of health-risk behaviors and outcomes has been published in leading journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Neuroscience, Journal of Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, and NeuroImage. Currently, Kristina is a Research Scientist on BetterUp’s Labs team, where she explores the psychology at the intersection of technological innovation and personal development. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 141: Is AI-Generated Workslop Making Workers Less Productive? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    17 min
  2. JAN 21

    Episode 140: What Should Office Spaces Look Like in Future?

    As return to work mandates multiply, office spaces are being pushed to evolve with the policy shifts. Planning for the right mix of desks and meeting areas is difficult, as is even getting workers to want to come back to a physical office. Good design could help but getting things is not an easy task.In this episode, Linda Nazareth talks to Valerie Jardon, Managing Director of Strategy at IA Interior Architects about how the future of work is changing the future of offices. Amongst the topics they cover are:How Valerie determines how to craft the best workspaces for clientsWhy clients are asking for a ‘life raft’ in terms of designWhy it is important to balance the ratio of workspaces and meeting spacesHow creating purpose can be the driver that brings people back to workWhat you should think about if you are setting up a home office Host:Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’.As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes.Guest:Valerie JardonManaging Director of Strategy at IA interior Architects Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event.           The post Episode 140: What Should Office Spaces Look Like in Future? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    27 min
  3. JAN 7

    Episode 139: What Can Firefighters Teach Corporate Leaders?

    In this episode, Linda Nazareth talks to Melissa Swift, Founder and CEO of Anthrome Insight LLC about Melissa’s recent article talking about the things that firefighters could teach corporate leaders. Amongst the things they cover in the episode: Why scenario planning is so important for firefighters and why it needs to be more important in the corporate world Why firefighters have defined roles, and why that makes a difference in a time of crisis Why firefighters are well trained with their tools in a way that corporate leaders are not What leaders can learn about communications from firefighters Host: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Guest: Melissa Swift is the founder and CEO of organizational consulting firm Anthrome Insight. She is also the author of Work Here Now: Think Like a Human and Build a Powerhouse Workplace (Wiley, 2023). Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 139: What Can Firefighters Teach Corporate Leaders? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    21 min
  4. 2025-11-19

    Episode 138: How Do We Upskill Workers to Make the Most of AI?

    There is no stopping the oncoming train of artificial intelligence, with all that that means for the workplace. At the very least, it will mean training workers with new AI skills but it also means continuously retraining them to keep up with changes in technology. It will be a mammoth task. In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Tricia Williams, Director of research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization at the Future Skills Centre about training and AI. They discuss: The issues around whether AI will ultimately be good for workers Why workplace training is not happening as quickly as might be ideal What governments and educational institutions can do to help workers adjust to AI Why mental stress could be a major issue for workers as the AI transition takes place Host: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Guest: Tricia Williams, PhD, is Director of Research, Evaluation & Knowledge Mobilization at the Future Skills Centre, where she leads a portfolio of applied research and innovation projects focused on building a more inclusive and adaptable workforce in Canada. With over two decades of experience spanning academia, government, and the non-profit sector, she has developed deep expertise in skills development, labour market policy, and the future of work. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 138: How Do We Upskill Workers to Make the Most of AI? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    20 min
  5. 2025-11-05

    Episode 137: Can AI Make Us Better Communicators and Leaders?

    Who can resist the temptation? If you need to write anything these days, the easiest (and some think the best) thing to do is to start with letting AI technologies draft it for you. In doing that, however, it is easy to lose your own voice and create content that is cookie-cutter at best. If used properly, however, then AI technology can be a huge help in helping leaders communicate well. In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Allison Shapira, Founder and CEO of Global Public Speaking LLC.  They discuss: Why AI is being used enthusiastically but not necessarily well to create content How leaders can use AI as a tool while not losing their own voices Why return to office mandates are changing the way that we communicate Why continuous education will be crucial for leaders as the world is changed by AI Guest: Allison ShapiraFounder and CEO, Global Public Speaking LLC Allison Shapira is an opera singer turned entrepreneur. She is the Founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking LLC, a communication training firm that works with emerging and established leaders to help them speak clearly, concisely, and confidently. She teaches public speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent over 15 years working with Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations around the world. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and is the author of the best-selling book Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership). Her new book, “AI for the Authentic Leader: How GenAI Can Make Us More Human” is coming Fall 2025. She was a finalist for Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, San Diego chapter, and she lives in Washington, DC. Linda’s Take: It was great to talk through the challenges of AI as it relates to communication with Allison. Of course there are ways to use it efficiently, but at this point we are early in the process of learning. how to best employ it and that is resulting in some bad decisions. Allison works directly with leaders and she talks to them about how to use AI to perhaps do a first draft of a speech, but then make sure that their own values – their own voice – is in the text.  As she puts it, her goal is to find the boundaries of where it is helpful and where it is just creating cookie-cutter content. One of the things Allison and I talked about is the pace of change, and how difficult it is to see one year in the future let alone five. With things changing so quickly, leaders will need to continuously learn new skills if they are going to be able to lead their teams into the future. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 137: Can AI Make Us Better Communicators and Leaders? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    18 min
  6. 2025-10-22

    Episode 136: Economic and Labour Market Update

    In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks about the labour market and work trends as part of the Economic and Labour Market Update. She covers: The state of the global economy and why it looks better than had been feared eariler this year The data to watch on U.S. jobs in the absent of government reports Canada’s labour market picture and why it is looking a little brighter Why the term ‘Workslop’ is becoming a household work and what that means for the future of AI Why the ‘work’ part of work-life balance is having a moment, amplified by the 996 culture and some support from the new Japanese Prime Minister About Linda Nazareth: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 136: Economic and Labour Market Update appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    14 min
  7. 2025-10-08

    Episode 135: Are Organizations Seeing the Value of Employee Well-Being?

    Organizations have long been criticized for giving scant thought to employee well-being – but is that now changing? Linda Nazareth talks to Mark C. Crawley, author of the new book The Power of Employee Well-Being about why that seems to be the case, and why that will be good for both workers and organizations. In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Mark C. Crowley, author of The Power of Employee Well-Being. They discuss:   Why organizations have slowly come to the realization that it is in their best interest to have happy workers Why it is important to check in with employees, perhaps as often as weekly The importance of employee engagement and employee well-being, and the differences between the two Why Gen Z may force companies to re-think how they manage workers Guest: Mark C. Crowley, a pioneering leader and bestselling author, is leading a revolution in workplace leadership. With twenty-five years in the competitive financial services industry, he rose to national roles, earning Leader of the Year for his emotionally connected, heart-centered approach that drove exceptional performance and employee growth. On the vanguard of leadership transformation, his book Lead from the Heart (2011, second edition 2023) disrupted conventional management with research proving traditional methods undermine employee achievement. Now taught in eleven universities, it ignited a global movement for humane leadership. In The Power of Employee Well-Being, he advances this vision, demonstrating that thriving teams fuel organizational success. Mark’s Lead from the Heart podcast, ranked in the top 1.5 percent globally, reaches 175+ countries. A sought-after speaker, Fast Company contributor, and organizational culture consultant, he shapes modern workplaces. A UC San Diego graduate, Mark lives in La Jolla, California. Linda’s Take: I first spoke to Mark on this podcast in 2020, at a time when Covid was changing the way that people worked. At the time, Mark was optimistic about the ways that the disruption might improve the ways that organizations treated workers and he believes that in the years since things have changed for the better. We talked about why some organizations realize the importance of managing well, and what that means in practical terms. I enjoyed speaking with Mark and hearing his upbeat take on the state of the workplace. My own vantage point is that of an economist, and as I watch the job market tightening I worry that a lot of the progress we have made over the past few years will be dialled back. Time will tell, but in the meantime any organization that sees the value of employee engagement would be well-served to listen to Mark’s points. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 135: Are Organizations Seeing the Value of Employee Well-Being? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    23 min
  8. 2025-09-24

    Episode 134: What Will AI Mean for the Future of Hiring?

    Using Artificial Intelligence in the hiring process is becoming mainstream, but is that a good or a bad thing? Organizations are embracing the new technology, but there are huge implications for privacy and security, as well as ethical considerations involved. Linda Nazareth talks about the implications of using AI in hiring with Tamara Elsahyouni of Talent Engagement Consulting about what is happening, and what should happen if organizations want to get the most out of the tools at hand. In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Tamara Elsahyouni, Founder of Talent Engagement Consulting. They discuss: How AI is now being used by organizations to streamline the sorting of applications Why AI is causing a massive increase in the number of people applying for jobs Why using AI to interview candidates is a contentious area and one that might cause the best candidates to refuse to take part The implications for finding workers with the right soft skills when AI is part of the process What comes next when it comes to using generative AI in the hiring process Guest: Tamara ElSahyouni Founder, Talent Engagement Consulting   Tamara is a seasoned Talent Acquisition Consultant, HR Strategist, and Executive Coach with over 20 years of experience across diverse industries. After holding different recruitment and HR leadership roles, Tamara leveraged her expertise to help small to mid-sized organizations navigate growth and development through strategic talent acquisition. She is fluent in both English and French, making TEC a valuable resource for a globalized market. Linda’s Take: Artificial Intelligence is not going to go away as a driver or change or a disruptor to the economy so it is important to know as much about it as possible. This conversation with Tamara was really enlightening since she was able to share the things she was learning and observing from the frontlines. One takeway for me from this conversation is that we are in the very early days of understanding the ways that AI, and specifically Generative AI, will change the future of work. Right now we are in kind of an experimental stage as organizations try different things and see what works best for them. In five years, or even in one year, we might be in a completely different place but either way there is no turning back. Book Linda as your Keynote Speaker: Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist and expert on the future of work. The author of five books including her most recent Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redefined World of Work (2023), she is also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Host of podcast ‘Work and the Future’. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Linda’s audiences have spanned a range of audiences and have included clients such as The Economist Magazine, LVMH, American Express, and the Bank of Montreal all of whom have benefitted from the way that she can take huge ideas and distill them into information that organizations can use for their own strategic planning purposes. Ready to navigate the future of work at your next event? Linda Nazareth helps organizations understand and prepare for workplace transformation. Visit lindanazareth.com to learn more about booking Linda for your conference or corporate event. The post Episode 134: What Will AI Mean for the Future of Hiring? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

    23 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

A show about the past, present and future of work

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