Ep 31. Minisode: Lillian Gilbreth and the Radical Power of Empathy at Work

In this miniepisode of the TroopHR Podcast, host Taylor Bradley spotlights Lillian Gilbreth, an often-overlooked pioneer who quietly reshaped the future of work. Long before terms like “employee experience” or “ergonomics” existed, Lillian was asking questions that still challenge leaders today: Can efficiency and empathy coexist? How do we design systems that serve both business goals and human needs?

From being one of the first women in America to earn a PhD in applied psychology to running a consulting firm as a widowed mother of 12, Lillian’s legacy offers powerful lessons for HR professionals navigating today’s AI-driven, fast-paced workplaces. Her revolutionary contributions to industrial-organizational psychology and human-centered design still influence how we think about productivity, inclusion, and well-being at work.

Credits
TroopHR Founder: Tracy Avin
Show Producer: Nicole Fealey
Show Host: Taylor Bradley
Note: Transcripts generated by AI.