Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Stacia Garr & Dani Johnson
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At RedThread, we love data—but we know stories are what stick. That’s why we bring together thinkers, writers, leaders, and practitioners to share real-world insights about what works in the workplace, what they’ve learned, and where the future of work is headed. We keep it insightful, thought-provoking, and maybe even a little irreverent. But we don’t stop at conversations. Our research, events, and community turn insights into action, helping organizations and individuals navigate the changing world of work. Want to be part of the conversation? Join our community for free and connect with others shaping the future of work. Learn more about RedThread Research here: https://redthreadresearch.com/home 

  1. Moving HR from Support to Strategic Driver with Nadia Uberoi

    4 DAYS AGO

    Moving HR from Support to Strategic Driver with Nadia Uberoi

    On the show this week, Nadia Uberoi, Head of People at Garner Health, joins us to explore how HR can move beyond compliance to become a solution-centric and outcome-driven function, aligning closely with the business’s mission and deliverables. Nadia shares practical details on how Garner Health has developed agile people systems and cultivated a high-candor culture rooted in real-time feedback and organizational transparency. We discuss how conscious alignment between HR and business strategy depends on both robust systems and hiring people with the right agile mindset. You’ll hear more about Nadia’s unique approach to performance management, Garner’s decision to publicly share 360 feedback, and how a culture of candor empowers everyone, not just HR, to take ownership of change. Nadia also offers an inside look at the mechanics of building and scaling an intentional organizational culture, and the lessons she’s learned from fast-growing companies. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [05:16] Aligning HR with business strategy and high candor cultures.[07:28] Seeking CEO buy-in for strategic alignment.[10:37] Balance short-term solutions and long-term infrastructure planning.[13:48] Focus on continuous improvement and clarity of responsibilities.[21:23] Quarterly planning with smaller, manageable initiatives enables better adaptability and faster impact.[29:04] Real-time feedback improved HR-business alignment by enabling quick adjustments.[33:31] Real-time feedback and collaboration enable immediate improvements.[48:22] Intentionally build and systematize culture for business impact.Resources & People Mentioned Principles by Ray DalioLatticeGarner Health    Connect with Nadia Uberoi  Nadia Uberoi on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    50 min
  2. Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover

    27 AUG

    Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover

    Haley Glover, Senior Director of UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute, is on a mission to build a world where skills—not degrees or pedigrees—are the primary currency of career opportunity. In this expansive conversation, she challenges organizations to think bigger, arguing that investing in frontline workers isn't just a corporate responsibility but a societal imperative that strengthens communities and economies alike. Glover shares her vision for a future where "all learning counts," and individuals own their skills data, freeing it from the silos of employers and academic institutions. Listen in for a dose of realistic optimism on one of the most complex—and human—challenges in the world of work today. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...[00:00] Intro.[03:34] Why skills are a societal issue, not just a corporate one.[13:31] Building a realistic ROI case for skills investments.[19:32] The "All Learning Counts" vision for skills recognition.[24:01] Why the next decade of skills innovation will be "messy."[27:56] The cultural blockades preventing a skills-first hiring revolution.[36:11] The evolving role and responsibility of the employer.[42:25] A real-world example of a company getting it right. Resources & People Mentioned UpSkill America at the Aspen InstituteJames By Percival EverettThe Brothers K by David James Duncan Connect with Haley Glover Haley Glover on LinkedIn  Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    47 min
  3. Doing More With Less: Serena Gonsalves-Fersch on Lean Talent Teams and Big Impact

    13 AUG

    Doing More With Less: Serena Gonsalves-Fersch on Lean Talent Teams and Big Impact

    Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch, Global Head of Talent and Academy, shares her refreshingly candid perspective on the evolving role of Learning and Development (L&D) in today’s organizations. You’ll hear her challenge traditional approaches to employee learning, advocate for seamless integration between learning, talent, DEIB, and performance, and call out industry complacency. Serena also shares how her small but mighty team serves 14,000 employees across the globe by staying closely attuned to actual business needs and leveraging the power of data and AI—not just for content creation, but for true predictive insights. Listen in for a fascinating discussion that covers everything from the purpose of L&D, how technology is reshaping talent strategies, to the importance of connecting learning directly to organizational impact.   You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [00:00] Integrated learning & talent strategy.[09:10] Rethinking organizational learning approaches.[21:47] Defining HR's role in automation.[29:04] Streamlining your learning and development team.[31:23] Creating GCP learning journeys.[34:49] Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplace policy.[40:34] AI's Role in boosting efficiency and elevating humanity.[47:08] Organizations as continuous learners. Resources & People Mentioned Curious Advantage by Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick JonesThe 70:20:10 InstituteLori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedInJay Wetterau on LinkedIn Nigel Paine Learning Technologies Awards  Connect with Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch, FLPI on LinkedIn  Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    49 min
  4. Building Trust Through Vulnerability: How Zane Zumbahlen Leads Transformational Change

    23 JUL

    Building Trust Through Vulnerability: How Zane Zumbahlen Leads Transformational Change

    In this episode of Workplace Stories, we sit down with Zane Zumbahlen, Chief People Officer at Wedgwood Veterinary Pharmacy, to explore how vulnerability in leadership can catalyze organizational change. With a 30-year career spanning IBM, CTCA, and global roles in Sweden and Japan, Zane shares candid stories that reveal the power of low-ego, high-confidence leadership. From active listening sessions that rebuilt trust among skeptical managers to structural programs that flipped the risk equation for women leaders, Zane's journey is a masterclass in how HR leaders can move from intention to impactful systems. His approach blends authenticity, experimentation, and a relentless drive to make things better, one conversation at a time. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (00:00) Intro(04:21) How vulnerability accelerates trust and change.(12:45) The real-life risks of emotional leadership.(18:50) Driving systemic transformation from the HR seat.(22:33) A roadmap for active listening that leads to measurable action.(35:10) Building female leadership pipelines in risk-averse cultures.(47:52) Examples of HR-led innovation across global contexts.(56:15) Rethinking how credibility and compassion coexist in leadership. Resources & People Mentioned: Wedgwood Veterinary PharmacyAdam Grant on Personal Branding and Trust Connect with Zane Zumbahlen: LinkedIn: Zane Zumbahlen Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    43 min
  5. Beyond Training: How to Prove L&D Isn’t Just Overhead: Dr. Keith Keating

    2 JUL

    Beyond Training: How to Prove L&D Isn’t Just Overhead: Dr. Keith Keating

    Many organizations see learning and development (L&D) as a cost center rather than a strategic driver of value, but what if that mindset is costing them far more than they realize? In this episode, Dr. Keith Keating explains why we’re moving from a “knowledge economy” to a “value economy,” where it’s not what we know but what we do with it that matters. He shares practical ways for L&D teams to make their impact visible, bridging the disconnect with CFOs and earning a seat at the strategy table. Through his own journey from high-school dropout to Chief Learning Officer, Keith challenges learning leaders to see themselves as problem-solvers and value creators.  He offers frameworks like the Value Creation Compass to help map L&D’s role in business growth, resilience, and customer value, showing that when L&D stays hidden, organizations lose far more than training budgets: they lose adaptability and talent.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (00:00) Intro.(00:22) Keith’s background and why his book matters.(04:58) The shift to a value economy for L&D.(08:50) Keith’s personal journey from dropout to leader.(15:10) Economic, personal, and societal value explained.(19:30) Four key disconnects between L&D and CFOs.(25:40) The Value Creation Compass model.(39:20) Risks if L&D’s value stays hidden. Resources & People Mentioned https://www.bdo.ca/en-ca/Hidden Value by Dr. Keith Keating Connect with Dr. Keith Keating Connect with Dr. Keith Keating on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    54 min
  6. Stop Guessing: How J&J Gets Precise About Skills w/ Bas Debbink

    11 JUN

    Stop Guessing: How J&J Gets Precise About Skills w/ Bas Debbink

    Most organizations claim to care about employee development, but upon closer examination, their approach to skills is often vague, subjective, or downright confusing. They might assume people will simply "figure it out" on the job or resort to one-size-fits-all training. If you've ever wondered why your learning investments don’t seem to translate into impact, it might be because you’re still guessing when it comes to skills. Today, you’ll hear how Johnson & Johnson’s tech organization stopped playing the guessing game. With clear processes to identify, assess, and verify skills, both digital and power skills, they’re not just hoping development happens; they’re engineering it. You'll learn how they use both talent leader insight and AI-driven inference to build a skills-based ecosystem that actually works, without overwhelming employees or managers. By the end of the conversation, it’s clear this isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about building a practical, scalable system that aligns employee growth with business needs and helps people know, with confidence, exactly what’s next in their development journey.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (00:00) Intro.(02:32) Bas’s career path and transition into L&D.(05:08) Structure and priorities of J&J’s tech learning organization.(09:00) How J&J defines, identifies, and verifies critical skills.(17:34) Messaging, buy-in, and the cultural side of skill building.(23:47) How AI and tech are reshaping development and learning systems. Resources & People Mentioned https://fortune.comhttps://degreed.com Connect with Bas Debbink Connect with Bas Debbink on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    37 min
  7. Leadership as a System, Not a Trait, with Cher Murphy

    4 JUN

    Leadership as a System, Not a Trait, with Cher Murphy

    In this episode of Workplace Stories, Dani Johnson talks with Cher Murphy, Partner, Head of People+Talent Practice at ON Partner, founder of The Murphy Advisory, and faculty member at Pepperdine and the University of Michigan. Drawing from her deep experience in executive coaching and leadership development, Cher shares how leadership is evolving in response to rapid technological, political, and organizational change. She emphasizes that while AI and data can enhance decision-making, human traits like discernment, empathy, and the ability to communicate clearly remain irreplaceable. Leaders today must move from a mindset of control to one of clarity, especially as strategic planning windows shorten and collaboration across functions becomes essential. Cher also reflects on the erosion of trust in organizations and how leaders can rebuild it through transparency, consistency, and shared logic. She introduces the concept of leadership as a system—not just a set of traits—which, when embedded across all levels of an organization, can outlast any one individual. The conversation touches on the future of leadership development, the convergence of people functions, and how leaders can balance data and intuition to make better decisions. Ultimately, Cher makes a compelling case that strong leadership is still—at its core—a deeply human endeavor. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (00:00) — Intro & Cher’s background(04:00) — Leadership mindsets, speed, and trust(12:00) — Rebuilding trust & communication challenges(20:00) — Structural shifts and cross-functional collaboration(26:00) — AI’s role, human skills, and decision-making(32:00) — Universal leadership traits & leadership as a system(39:00) — Succession, culture fit, and final reflections on meaning Resources & People Mentioned https://www.onpartners.comhttps://www.jeffwetzler.com Connect with Cher Murphy Connect with Cher Murphy on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    45 min
  8. Why Your Strategic Plan Might Be Trapping You, with Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers

    20 MAY

    Why Your Strategic Plan Might Be Trapping You, with Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers

    Most leadership development still clings to certainty, quarterly goals, strategic plans, official futures etched in stone. But what if that mindset isn’t just outdated, it’s dangerous? In this episode, Dani Johnson and Stacia Garr sit down with futurists and experience designers Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeff Rogers, two minds helping rewire how leaders think about the future, not as a distant unknown, but as a daily design challenge. What unfolds is a conversation that’s as practical as it is provocative, revealing how our obsession with predictability might be blinding us to the signals we most need to see. For learning leaders, especially those in HR and people analytics, this episode offers a wake-up call. Future thinking isn’t a luxury or a moonshot exercise. It’s a leadership muscle, and the longer it goes untrained, the more fragile our organizations become. Lisa and Jeff unpack what it really means to design for the future, not just in abstract vision decks, but in how we design meetings, questions, experiences, and even relationships. Their approach is grounded in curiosity, humility, and a radical shift from answers to inquiry. By the end, listeners don’t just understand why futures thinking matters, they feel invited to do something about it. The conversation offers not just hope, but tools: from rethinking design as a vehicle for emergence, to spotting and disrupting “official futures” inside their own organizations. Whether you’re planning your next L&D initiative or shaping strategy for a shifting workforce, this episode shows you how to lead with intention, not from the past, but toward what’s possible.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (00:00) The overlooked leadership skill hiding in plain sight.(03:30) Meet the minds behind Elevate: Futurists with a purpose.(09:00) From theory to traction: Making futures thinking useful now.(15:00) Design that disrupts: How to spark new thinking in any room.(22:00) The silent trap: How a single “official future” keeps orgs stuck.(30:40) Elevate’s true mission: Courage, connection, and change for learning leaders. Resources & People Mentioned https://lisakaysolomon.comhttps://rdcl.is/ Connect with Lisa & Jeff Connect with Jeffrey Rogers on LinkedInConnect with Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

    48 min
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At RedThread, we love data—but we know stories are what stick. That’s why we bring together thinkers, writers, leaders, and practitioners to share real-world insights about what works in the workplace, what they’ve learned, and where the future of work is headed. We keep it insightful, thought-provoking, and maybe even a little irreverent. But we don’t stop at conversations. Our research, events, and community turn insights into action, helping organizations and individuals navigate the changing world of work. Want to be part of the conversation? Join our community for free and connect with others shaping the future of work. Learn more about RedThread Research here: https://redthreadresearch.com/home 

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