Transforming Work with Sophie Wade Sophie Wade

Dart Lindsley is Strategic Advisor, People Experience at Google. He is also a writer, speaker, and host of the Work for Humans podcast – on a mission to humanize work. Dart share insights about his realization that businesses are multisided marketplaces where employees are (overlooked) customers of work and work is a product. To better design the work product, Dart recognizes teams’ agency and ability to allocate their attention among themselves to complete tasks effectively. He discusses a flipped org chart with managers in supportive, rather than authoritative, roles. Dart advocates for more leadership closest to the customer.
 
 
 
TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:05] Dart is an undergraduate for seven years partly because his brother told him never to graduate!
 
[03:47] Dart explores unpopular forms of writing which makes earning a living hard.
 
[04:37] Being a criminal defense investigator rearranges Dart’s soul.
 
[06:45] After a master’s degree, Dart becomes a recruiter to earn more as he starts a family.
 
[08:34] Dart’s family are scientists, so his career transitioned to analytical work after a recruiting downturn.
 
[09:49] Dart inserts himself into the team doing strategic work designing the new staffing system.
 
[10:52] Finding a home in analytical disciplines which are less burdensome and emotional.
 
[12:26] Dart explores tooling, UX, change management and Six Sigma, ending up with organizational design.
 
[13:36] Facilitating business architecture resonates with Dart who is very interested in how large systems create experiences.
 
[15:03] Companies are ‘n’ dimensional: humans cannot observe them or handle more than 3 dimensions.
 
[15:49] Human Resources had not been analyzed from a business architecture point of view before.
 
[17:03] Business architecture is only needed for companies going through significant transformation to discover new operational capabilities needs and how they interrelate.
 
[18:08] Translating strategic capability requirements into tech systems and architecture is not easy.
 
[20:48] Business architecture change derives from either market changes or new tech capabilities—as now.
 
[21:20] The pace layer of technology is usually the slowest thing. Not now, so much experimentation is needed.
 
[22:35] Dart initially subscribes to the traditional model of HR where employees are the inputs of production.
 
[23:48] Employee has happiness has not been a concern—only productivity which Dart finds ethically flawed.
 
[25:10] Dart notices ‘employees’ show up in two places—inside (production inputs) and outside (customers).
 
[25:59] Working on a patent for Cisco, Dart explores multi-sided businesses and realizes employees are also (forgotten) customers.
 
[28:25] If employees are customers, what are we selling them? We need to design work better.
 
[29:03] Do people want only autonomy, mastery and purpose? Dart finds 35+ more answers!
 
[30:15] People usually want 8 things from work. Only 4 likely overlap, so how to optimize individually?
 
[31:05] Lack of autonomy is a cost of a job, like social anxiety and threats to health and safety.
 
[32:33] Managers are key to a design-centered solution.
 
[33:28] Design is about empathy, understanding employees’ needs, scaling with managers below on the org chart.
 
[34:10] Managers are brokers between demand for the team’s labor and the market for work—the work people want to do.
 
[37:10] A team can act as a smart organism allocating its attention to work and delivering value.
 
[38:32] Color coding how rewarding work is—green, yellow, and red. What happens when colors change.
 
[39:41] The range of issues and solutions affecting the cost side of work.
 
[42:14] How do we design our lives so as not to be ‘inputs of production’?
 
[43:31] How a team agrees on what business value is and the core mission.
 
[44:25] Is the manag

Melissa Puls is the Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Customer Success at Ivanti which provides software solutions that elevate and secure EverywhereWork. Melissa brings deep experience building and leading decentralized teams. She shares her critical learnings that have enabled effective teamwork and successful outcomes. Melissa discusses key principles when implementing flexibility, the importance of change management, and how to identify non-performing remote team members. Melissa describes the holistic support distributed employees need, especially including IT and security.
 
 
TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:27] Melissa studies communications and psychology not realizing their connection with marketing.
 
[03:40] Melissa’s mother is head of marketing at a tech company teaching Melissa women can do anything.
 
[04:17] Her entrepreneur father becomes mayor wanting to do good things for their country city.
 
[04:50] Her parents partner well, managing to prioritize Melissa and her sister, and demonstrating the importance of workplace flexibility.
 
[07:15] As her mother exits Kronos, Melissa feels purposeful in her starting role as a fulfillment coordinator.
 
[08:55] Melissa’s mother put the human element first in building teams, embracing different points of view. 
 
[09:35] After setting up the fulfillment center, Melissa’s time is freed up. Should she relax or solve new problems?! 
 
[10:15] Melissa pitches a promotion to help out the stressed-out marketing managers—her boss says yes!
 
[12:05] Wanting to live and raise a family by the ocean, and tired of commuting, Melissa leaves Kronos and moves to the Cape.
 
[13:16] Melissa lands a lead marketing role at a local tech company which then rolls up into a billion-dollar global organization.
 
[13:55] Maintaining her boundaries, Melissa stays remote, managing her teams based everywhere.
 
[15:26] At times, Melissa commutes in part of the week when certain leaders didn’t share her mindset.
 
[16:56] The first, critical principal is to give people the benefit of the doubt that they will do the right thing.
 
[17:10] Put people in an environment where they can do their best work and respect their boundaries.
 
[17:51] Many leaders don’t trust people to do the right thing. How to identify the few employees who don’t?
 
[18:57] Every employee must understand their purpose, how it relates to the bigger picture, and have clear metrics and expectations.
 
[19:40] What people say and how they react if there isn’t a good fit.
 
[21:28] Melissa learned from her father that some choose to set their boundary at doing the minimum work.
 
[22:42] Melissa joins Iron Mountain for an integrated growth marketing role.
 
[23:25] Highly corporate centric when she joins, Iron Mountain decides to move and shrink their office space.
 
[24:39] Employees get two choices: all in-office with a dedicated desk or flexibility with a shared desk.
 
[26:30] Motivated by costs, Iron Mountrain creates great new space and supports others’ change to work flexibly.
 
[28:16] Engagement goes up, people are more productive opting for the environment they can work best in.
 
[29:41] Iron Mountain is set up for success with a strong culture, purpose, and good performance management principles and protocols.
 
[30:17] Not everyone is on board with the change—which is natural.
 
[31:19] Ask, not assume, if people can meet your needs.
 
[32:21] Impressions can be misleading. Set your boundary and have the tough conversation.
 
[34:36] Melissa's current company is paving the way for flexible work everywhere—internally and for customers.
 
[35:44] Leaders support flexible work, but are IT and security professionals set up to support them?
 
[35:15] In new work situations, what new risks are employees under that need to be addressed?
 
[37:56] Silos between security and IT are decreasing their effectiveness.

Juliette Powell is Founder and Managing Partner of Kleiner Powell International, a consultancy working at the intersection of responsible technology and business. She is co-author of “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology.” Juliette brings rich technology research and innovation experience to evaluate our evolving landscape as we anticipate AI integration. She explains her core concerns—what we need to pay attention and lean into. She discusses the importance of personal data ownership, creative friction, digital trust, and logic. Juliette explains how diverse contributions diminish divergent, asymmetric trajectories, so we all need to be actively involved. 
 
 
TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:30] Monopoly is Juliette’s favorite game as a kid, showing how you can change your circumstances.
 
[02:50] Juliette studies finance and international business to understand global interconnectedness.
 
[03:15] At university, Juliette develops a TV career focusing on the business side of media.
 
[04:32] Interviewing Janet Jackson and Nelson Mandela reveals juxtaposed insecurity and confidence.
 
[07:30] Juliette’s first book results from her involvement with TED’s original founder producing the conference and meeting visionary thinkers.
 
[08:10] Transitioning from TV, Juliette explores technologies and the rise of social media.
 
[10:25] Citizen journalism and political messaging delivered using digital channels fascinates Juliette.
 
[12:10] Juliette tries to lead as her whole self, seeing people disconnecting their work/non-work lives.
 
[13:20] Where engineers can experience misalignment making decisions in their AI-related work.
 
[14:20] Juliette highlights those who live holistically as fully integrated people in her first book.
 
[15:00] Integrated work/life experienced early on meeting a couple working remotely in Thailand.
 
[16:50] Early career motivation to find work thinking about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
 
[18:58] How the internet extended possibilities beyond someone’s local geography.
 
[19:50] Ecosystem pressures raise mental health issues and people trying to survive not thrive.
 
[20:50] Navigating uncertainty—personally and professionally—requires having Plan A, B, C, and D.
 
[21:44] Juliette founded the Gathering to ensure diversity and avoid past mistakes in tech development.
 
[24:41] At TED, there is no separation between the expertise on stage and the audience.
 
[26:04] Turing AI and WeTheData.org focus on the personal data ecosystem, ownership, and ethical use.
 
[27:48] Research reveals four grand challenges include digital trust and digital infrastructure/access.
 
[29:30] An ‘eBay for data’ to aggregate and monetize personal data as Finns do.
 
[31:31] Research on Americans’ and Europeans’ different attitudes to their personal data.
 
[35:26] Most of Juliette’s NYU students are terrified of the potential impact of AI on their skills.
 
[36:25] Students’ potential questions ‘Will I have meaning? Can I contribute anything?’
 
[37:40] Juliette teaches students research methods to reduce fear and build confidence.
 
[41:30] The importance of creative friction to reconnect across seamless technology divides.
 
[42:45] Taking a moment to rise above the sand, things have changed a lot, probably within yourself.
 
[43:40] Diverse teams earn the most as they take the longest time to deliberate.
 
[44:45] With diverse debate, deliberating longer, with ongoing feedback, we can create better AI systems.
 
[45:53] Bias is part of human nature, so how we can reduce asymmetry of power?
 
[49:00] If we wake up to the power we have and give away, what we can do with that power.
 
[50:08] Juliette is excited to be alive right now when we are shaping the future such as digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and digita

David Abrams is the co-founder and CEO of HILO, a platform that is digitizing customer experience to create connected communities of people in buildings. David is also host of the TEN, the Tenant Experience Network podcast. David brings his entrepreneurial and marketing background and context to explore commercial real estate landlords’, owners’, and occupiers’ evolving circumstances. He explains why they need to be collaborating to create hospitality-driven, new tech-enhanced environments and programmed experiences for tenants—for each individually and together as a community.
 
 
TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:29] David takes a while to sort out what he wants to study at college ending up focusing on marketing and accounting.
 
[03:01] David enjoys the ability accounting gives him to explore how businesses operate.
 
[03:49] As a first entrepreneurial opportunity, David gets involved in repositioning a struggling agency.
 
[04:58] Early agency clients span commercial real estate and nonprofit, the latter which David finds especially satisfying. 
 
[05:45] Raw Society is launched to focus on critical strategic work before the creative process begins.
 
[07:15] The ESG movement makes building operators start to think about environmental impact. 
 
[07:52] What is the effect of the densification of people living and working in central business districts?
 
[09:13] New thinking is first driven by occupants, relating to basic ESG initiatives like recycling.
 
[10:14] Operators go paperless, initiating digital communications their tenants’ employees. 
 
[11:32] David loves the opportunity to start creating environments that people enjoyed being in.
 
[12:16] The smartest operators recognized they could develop better relationships and community by connecting their tenants. 
 
[12:55] The ultimate goal is to improve tenant retention through better customer service and experiences.
 
[14:09] Every building has constant turnover—both tenants and tenants’ employees.
 
[14:51] David launches his new company in 2019, gets financing and is in full growth mode when the pandemic hits.
 
[15:37] As an entrepreneur, David recognizes his two choices - give up or dig in. 
 
[17:38] With little clarity about the future, they tried to be pragmatic about future technology needs.
 
[21:30] New realizations emerge after a difficult period that extended operators’ boundaries.
 
[23:09] Operators realize their responsibility to be involved in spaces beyond their buildings.
 
[24:24] Extra costs can be covered by charging premium rent or sharing new community spaces. 
 
[26:20] Connectivity is a huge driver of experience when it is pervasive and consistent.
 
[27:18] Investments go into programming, content, services and staff to offer white glove experiences.
 
[28:51] Office and multifamily categories are all hiring people from the hospitality industry.
 
[29:37] Programming, services, and staffing are becoming integral and significant to buildings’ offerings.
 
[31:00] The key factor is not the size of the building, but the commitment of its ownership.
 
[31:49] Across building classes, technology can be an equalizer to provide higher levels of service.
 
[34:05] Technology delivers better experiences and reduces friction when people choose to enter the built world.
 
[35:27] How can we put the power of personalization into the hands of the individual?
 
[36:29] David imagines we are between first and second base in the evolution of office buildings.
 
[37:15] People need to congregate for the right reasons in the right environments to do the right kind of work.
 
[39:49] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Occupiers and landlords need to think beyond the work that needs to get done in an office and co-create experiences that support good work. Consider all the various touchpoints for each person across technology, programming, content, services

Dr Zofia Bajorek is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Employment Studies (UK). She was HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinker in 2022 and 2023. Zofia’s recent work has focused on the quality of work to improve workforce health and wellbeing. She describes why giving employees good quality work improves results, why good work matters, and what it comprises. Zofia explains how good management contributes significantly to employee retention and well-being.
 
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:33] Zofia studied psychology to understand how people think, as well as behavior change, why and how we do things.
 
[04:17] Zofia’s Master’s focuses on the Future of Work and occupational stress/health at work.
 
[05:03] Zofia is curious about temporary work arrangements after her own—voluntary—experience.
 
[06:18] Temporary workers’ different agency and autonomy affects their experiences and health.
 
[08:01] Zofia’s PhD analyzes temporary staff management and patient care in NHS emergency departments.
 
[08:47] Possible safety/quality effects when emergency dept. employees get temporary assignments.
 
[09:42] NHS ‘bank’ and agency staff differences highlight many important talent management nuances.
 
[11:56] A systems approach to analyzing the UK’s ‘Speedy Summary Justice” – the promise.
 
[12:45] The effect of disconnects in a system that is overworked, underpaid, and understaffed.
 
[13:50] The practical reality of human messiness and how organizations and people work.
 
[15:02] Evidence shows workers’ health and wellbeing affects their productivity and retention.
 
[16:00] Q: What interventions make the biggest difference to employees’ health and well-being?
 
[16:50] A: Good management and good employment relationships are the most impactful.
 
[18:05] In 2006, two researchers discover “Work IS good for your health IF it’s good quality work.”
 
[18:26] People don’t really know what good quality work is.
 
[19:27] Good work includes: varied tasks that match interests and skills, co-collaboration, having a voice, autonomy and a fair work environment, with growth opportunities and strong work relationships.
 
[22:50] “Secure work” depends on the contractual arrangement—imposed or two-way.
 
[24:24] To achieve a healthy workplace with engaged employees, good quality work is essential.
 
[25:42] An important factor is someone’s choice about the work they have and can do.
 
[26:27] Zero-hour contracts are detrimental when managed badly with no communication or flexibility.
 
[27:28] Freelancers can have good choices: clients, autonomy, relationships, and interesting work.
 
[28:48] Empathizing is important to discover what encourages people to work, their values, what they bring to the workplace.
 
[30:26] Companies with embedded focus on wellbeing and good work pre-pandemic were able to transition well through and beyond the crisis.
 
[31:36] Good management practices including consistent communication, listening, and workplace policies.
 
[32:15] Zofia shares some examples of data points companies can colligate to increase understanding of their employees’ well-being.
 
[37:32] The challenges facing organizations are numerous, but a lot of the change can be addressed with good management practices.
 
[43:55] Young and old want the same thing from the workplace, but demographic pressures are changing the face of retirement.
 
[47:46] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Good work requires good managers. Ensure those promoted to managerial positions have people management skills and technical excellence. They need training, coaching support, and feedback to help them continue to improve.
 
 
RESOURCES
 
Dr. Zofia Bajorek on Linkedin 
Follow Dr. Bajorek on X @DrZofia
Website for employment-studies.co.uk
The Institute for Employment Studies
Interesting articles by Dr. Bajorek:
‘Peo

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, a consulting, coaching, and training firm. Gleb is a behavioral scientist and best-selling author of seven books, including “Never Go With Your Gut” and “Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams”. He shares his interest in human behaviors focused on decision-making and cognitive biases. Gleb explains his passion to help people make good decisions, discussing the role of emotions, and why to try to prove yourself wrong. He emphasizes how to optimize work-related decisions to improve working environments, experiences, policies, and outcomes.  
 
 
TAKEAWAYS
 
[02:59] Interested in human behaviors, Gleb studies history--people in their historical contexts.
 
[03:53] Gleb narrows his research to behavioral science decision-making in historical and contemporary contexts.
 
[04:53] Gleb’s interest focuses on motivations and historical archives reveal what people were saying behind the scenes.
 
[05:39] We’re not very good at making decisions. We often follow our intuition or go with our gut.
 
[06:32] How a client’s early experiences affect how he handles conflict as a business leader.
 
[07:41] How do individuals and groups make decisions? What motivations cause what effects?
 
[08:12] How to have healthy conflicts with people.
 
[09:32] How do you make good decisions, proofing yourself against future disruptions?
 
[10:50] Decision hygiene—identify biases including not what you don’t do, that's a decision too!
 
[13:55] How you can misperceive yourself, your skills.
 
[15:04] Blind spots and how humans are full of contradictions.
 
[16:42] Gleb’s early books about different aspects of decision making.
 
[17:29] Before making a decision ask: Q1 - What information haven't I fully understood yet?
 
[19:28] Q2: What judgment errors haven't I fully considered?
 
[20:30] The need to be introspective about our emotions so they don't dictate our decisions.
 
[21:50] Gleb starts his own company, Disaster Avoidance Experts, in 2018.
 
[22:30] Gleb’s targets people whose possible bad decisions could have disastrous consequences.
  
[23:35] Paying attention to leading indicators to make informed decisions early in the pandemic.
 
[24:49] The challenges belief bias and confirmation bias can cause.
 
[26:30] What comparable data is relevant to ensure you are making good decisions?
 
[29:40] Looking at the data and challenging the motivation to be back in the office—for what?
 
[31:10] Managers weren't comfortable that they could control their teams working remotely.
 
[31:56] Combining training and techniques to not manage by walking around the office.
 
[33:04] Switching to weekly performance evaluations with three to five goals per week.
 
[35:27] Coaching style leadership was gaining ground long before the pandemic.
 
[38:32] College educated males choose to work fewer hours, valuing well-being and leisure more than before the pandemic.
 
[40:02] Research and resignations show willingness to take a 10% pay cut to keep flexibility.
 
[40:38] The impact of not being empathetic about your employees.
 
[42:37] What is best for knowledge workers? Not sitting in factory style offices.
 
[43:22] For knowledge work: creativity and collaboration of the human mind determine any company’s value add.
 
[44:33] The four principles of knowledge work to set up workplaces of the future.
 
[45:44] To establish trust, new systems and processes are needed including regular performance evaluations.
 
[47:20] Don't let one bad apple spoil it for others.
 
[49:35] Finding truth through content curation versus creation in an AI-powered world.
 
[51:40] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To adapt to modern work, survey employees about they feel about hybrid work, best practices, problems, and opportunities for improveme