Transforming Work with Sophie Wade

Lou Diamond, growth consultant and CEO of Thrive, is the host of popular podcast Thrive Loud, a keynote speaker and author. Lou’s new book “Speak Easy” is a playbook to help people connect and communicate, especially addressing the most difficult and awkward conversations. Lou shares insights gathered working in retail, consulting, banking, and as an entrepreneur, learning how “soft” skills are the “super” skills of communicating effectively and improving outcomes.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:44] Lou comes in feeling more than spectacular, sharing how beekeeping and jewelry selling were a part of his academic path to studying economics at Cornell!   [03:35] Economics was originally taught in the Agricultural School at Cornell, so Lou also learned bee-keeping.   [04:17] Lou learned much from his entrepreneurial father working in the family’s stores from age 13.   [05:13] How does communicating in a very small space differ from communicating in larger spaces?   [06:15] How to transcend the transaction in a competitive environment.   [07:28] Lou minors in communications in business—a key aspect of who he is.   [08:15] Consulting is the first stop to explore different industries and roles.   [10:32] Lou gets the opportunity to transition to communications and marketing in financial services.   [13:44] In the 2008 market crash, the spotlight was on Lou covering government sponsored agencies.   [16:00] Despite being very busy, Lou wanted to share his experiences and insights more broadly.   [17:40] After a side hustle for a tech consultancy in Vegas, the entrepreneur’s urging resulted in Lou writing “Master the Art of Connecting”.   [20:15] It’s not about what you need to say, how you need to be. There are five ways starting with “Be curious”.   [22:50] Lou became a certified coach knowing coaching skills would help him become a better communicator and leader.   [24:27] The importance of sharpening question-asking muscles.   [26:22] Be fearless. Move through courage, owning and committing to what you say.   [28:27] We all have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.   [30:50] How can we understand each other when our contexts are so different?   [32:00] To make a connection with someone, you have to let go a little bit which is the hardest thing for people to do.   [32:43] The three steps of moving through fear into courage.   [33:52] Being more fearless, we are more likeable, more connectable.   [35:06] Lou does a V.O.I.C.E. check-in to prepare before communicating: Visualize; Opportunity; Identity; Charisma and Energy level.   [37:20] “Soft” skills are actually “super” skills to Lou.   [39:08] The pandemic highlighted the importance of connections and conversations.   [39:59] The benefit of conversations at work to uncover and deal with problems—such as “why are people leaving?”.   [41:07] Lou shares a creative/risky exercise an executive tested to bring more empathy into work.   [43:02] “Speak Easy” us a guidebook and gift which explains how to prepare for different conversations using communication “cocktails”!   [46:26] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Lift the energy and be super--unleash your superpower. If you don’t know yet what your superpower is, ask yourself and others to help you figure it out and then incorporate that when describing who you are when you meet people.     RESOURCES   Lou Diamond on LinkedIn Thrive LouD Lou’s new book Speak Easy: Connect With Every Conversation Lou on Twitter Master the Art of Connecting, by Lou Diamond Lou on Instagram Lou on Facebook     QUOTES   “It’s not what you need to say, it’s how you need to be.”   “If you’re not telling and talking and you’re focused on asking and listening, by definition you’re curious.”   “By embracing curiosity, we are putting ourselves in a position to be open to the idea that we can grow, connect, and establish that relationship.”   “You have to move through your fears into courage in every conversation.”   “We’re afraid to engage and connect, we’re not embracing being fearless and being vulnerable in the way that we can actually be as a human being. We need to do that.”   “Be brief, be bright, be gone!”

Haddy Davies is the Global Procurement Leader and Black Employee Network Chair at Johnson Matthey, a British specialties chemicals and sustainable technologies company. Haddy shares how lockdown in March 2020 forced her to do her job very differently. She recognizes the business’s heavy reliance on machines as well as the critical importance of understanding and engaging employees. Post-pandemic, her company is rethinking and testing new options—approaches, processes, and work arrangements—while Haddy uses First Principles to evaluate responsible sourcing.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:00] Haddy shares why she choose a career in engineering.   [05:11] Transitioning to the UK from The Gambia was not so easy.   [06:54] Haddy does a gap year at Bible college to understand more about religion for many family-related reasons.   [09:40] The link between science and theology for Haddy is the appetite for knowledge.   [11:48] Haddy and her husband have multi-faceted connections.   [12:04] Choosing between studying engineering or continuing to study theology.   [13:03] An industrial placement year, starts Haddy’s career at DuPont in sustainable packaging which led to fuel cells using clean fuel.   {14:14] Haddy enjoys working on her company’s efforts to decarbonize the world and get to net zero.   [16:02] The power of problem solving during emergencies.   [17:46] Typical mitigating response from engineers did not anticipate pandemic.   [18:26] Crisis conditions shift investment to achieve more flexibility as resources are freed up to find viable solutions.   [19:36] Cybersecurity issues with remote working require some extra caution with linking up the plant.   [21:07] Innovation to augment machines to reduce onsite human accidents and errors.   [22:18] Haddy’s company is rethinking the design for the workplace to be “fit for purpose”.   [22:54] Flexibility allows tailoring to employee preferences and project needs.   [24:20] Streamlining operations is a continuing challenge, and we need to let go and let the machines do their work!   [25:31] Empathetic management is needed so workers don’t feel disenfranchised or unfairly treated.   [26:54] Haddy is upskilling to explore new roles and is currently working on responsible sourcing.   [28:10] Using a First Principles approach is helpful to reimagine and assess new possibilities.   [30:00]  IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: You need a courageous people plan—one that is for the people with inputs from the people—which incorporates a flexible in the approach.   [31:28] The importance of understanding and engaging workers—transparency ensuring no disparities and career rich opportunities to support retention.   [33:42] Haddy’s family is doing well!   [34:27] How the pandemic enabled Haddy and her husband to reimagine their family life.       RESOURCES   Haddy Davies on LinkedIn Matthey.com       QUOTES    “Most of the great theologians were great thinkers; they were exploring the disjointedness of life, they always grappled with living in the now while understanding what had come before, and science is the same.”   “Things may seem impossible: ’You can’t possibly work from home if you’re an on-site person!’ We have not been forced to define the problems and bring solutions to the fore as a collective.”   “We are rethinking the design of the workplace to make sure that it is fit for purpose.”   “We need to train the machines to be on their own!”   “If anybody says to me ‘this is how we’ve been doing it!’ I will walk!”   “You have a workforce that is showing up for you. This means that they have considered all of the other options they could have gone to and they are staying. Never take that for granted.”   “Let the people plan the people plan!”

Trond Undheim, futurist, speaker, entrepreneur, venture partner, and the author of a new book, Augmented Lean in this second episode gets to the practical details of how flexibility can be achieved in manufacturing plants after a 50 year innovation hiatus. Trond draws on his industrial tech background, understanding of manufacturers’ realities, and recognition of frontline workers’ expertise to develop flexible, augmented environments. He recommends balancing inputs from both employees on the shop floor and management to “hack and govern” new solutions. Trond acknowledges these are long term paradigm shifts.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:57] Trond explains the deskless reality for factory workers results from forgetting to innovate for 50 years.   [05:00] Adding multiple screens gives employees the data they need and freedom to walk around.   [05:36] How no code technology now allows data to be widely available and accessible.   [06:26] Up to date information augments workers’ intelligence and real-time operational decisions.   [07:03] The first killer application is digital work instructions.   [07:52] Tech advances enable empathetic learning as feedback is immediate and uncontentious.   [09:44] Augmented lean approaches technology integration in a smarter way—top down and bottom up.   [10:54] Governance is an essential aspect of modern organizations.   [11:42] The problems arising with top down only technology integration.   [12:57] The benefit of bottom up analysis of bottlenecks and operating needs.   [13:51] The advantage of workers’ general understanding of operations and cross-training.   [14:38] In manufacturing, employees have to be learning on the job, on site.   [15:27] How can we expect an innovative workplace if the tools do not augment workers?   [16:32] Greenfields permit shortcuts so workers can add digital apps to legacy systems.   [17:44] What to do with legacy machines.   [18:39] Taking a First Principles approach to production based on value creation.   [19:10] Augmented lean is about context and flexibility.   [20:32] “Hack and Govern” – hacking is bottom up and governing is top down.   [23:58] Apps-based productivity in this digital revolution needs a certain amount of flexibility.   [24:56] Empowering and inspiring frontline workers to show their experience and improve ROI.   [26:15] How to get new workers interested in manufacturing jobs in the US.   [28:08] What is factory work like now? What do factories look and sound like?   [32:43] What does Trond think about Musk’s edict “return or resign”?   [34:25] Backlash or not, managers have a losing proposition trying to get everyone back to the office.   [35:44] This decade, Trond does not see factory work being done 100% on site.   [37:12] With significant advanced technologies, the shop floor has more pull than office environments.   [38:52] New fluid interfaces that interact with workers—the factory floor wasn’t ready at first.   [42:01] With cyber-physical systems, ‘prototype to product’ is not easy and can take time.     [43:42] The vision of “lean” in Trond’s new book.   [44:54] Did we take a wrong fork in the road away from cyber-physical systems in the 1970s?   [46:22] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Rinse and repeat! Use quick iterations to experiment your way through to positive change. Hack and Govern: the juxtaposition of bottom-up and top down approaches for a more balanced outcome.     RESOURCES   Trond Undheim on LinkedIn Trond on Twitter Futurized & Augmented podcasts Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Front-Line Operations, by Trond Arne Undheim Tulip.co     QUOTES    “If the tools that we are providing to the workforce don’t augment them, don’t make them feel meaningful, don’t give them dignity, and don’t give them knowledge, how can we expect to have an innovative workplace?”   “You have to govern technology … but on the other hand, the internet revolution is all about hacking, it is about bottom-up initiative, about enabling your smartest nerds — who nowadays can be someone who didn’t study computer science.”   “There are so many exciting factories right now … they have robots, they have digital interfaces, factories don’t look like you might imagine they do!”   “Tesla is today’s Ford — it is not a virtual organization of software programmers — Tesla produces something physical, they have factory floors, in fact, they have some of the world’s biggest factories that they just opened in Texas.”   “Software is easy, cyber-physical systems are hard.”   “Think in sprints, allow hacks, don’t forget to govern.”   “There is no management of workers that doesn’t include letting them experiment and try out new things, and there is no responsible management approach that lets everyone do their own thing.”

Trond Undheim, futurist, speaker, entrepreneur, venture partner, and author of a new book “Augmented Lean”. Trond draws on his technology-focused background across public, academic, and private sectors to discuss the need and solutions for workplace flexibility for frontline manufacturing workers. Acknowledging the paradigm shift to employ a human-centric approach, integrating employees’ inputs, Trond highlights sophisticated new software which improve frontline experiences and overall results. These solutions optimize processes and augment workers rather than emphasize machine automation.    KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:19] Trond’s path starts in a random manner when he notices a poster!   [04:55] How Trond canceled Christmas to write his Ph.D. proposal in two weeks.   [06:02] Norway’s phone company is exploring the nomadic workplace in 1998.   [07:44] Trond does fieldwork in Silicon Valley that is selling “placelessness”.   [09:18] Trond becomes sought after for technology policy decision-making, government thinktanks, energy policy, and eventually economics at the E.U..   [12:19] Standardization: Trond explains how fascinating and essential it is—eg the Apple charger.   [14:54] How interoperability and openness have been important new developments.   [16:19] Trond equates learning standards and standardization like foreign languages.   [19:22] Trond’s work at MIT on no-code language and the impact it can have on the workplace.   [20:42] Advanced efforts to transform the factory floor with productivity tools for frontline workers.   [22:08] The tech user interface is finally simple enough to get out of the way.   [22:49] Was the emphasis on automation was the wrong path to take—being technology deterministic?   [23:00] When it comes to manufacturing, why has the focus historically been on automation and efficiency?   [24:49] The question is NOT “Are the robots going to take over?” That has been a distraction.   [26:10] How can we think about the “how” of work differently to get on the right track? Trond offers a fundamental to ask question first.    [27:20] The role of business schools in producing leaders who think they know best!   [28:20] Changing the paradigm from a quest for lifelong specialization in one domain to multiple specializations over time with general systems knowledge.   [31:40] How a human-centric manufacturing approach gathers and benefits from front-line workers’ and middle managers’ years of expertise.   [34:17] Why “cobots” are an important reframing of machines as “robots” are defined as “dangerous”.   [36:52] Bridging the digital/physical divide through augmentation to transform frontline workers toward knowledge work—Trond explains why this is a good thing.   [40:45] How greater advances now can be made augmenting how frontline workers work rather than automating machines.   [42:30] The potential for renewed glory in manufacturing by augmenting the entire workforce. Tune in for Part 2 – the practical “how” to make it happen.   RESOURCES   Trond Undheim on LinkedIn Trond on Twitter Futurized & Augmented podcasts Augmented Lean book by Trond Arne Undheim Tulip.co   QUOTES    “It sounds extremely dry, but standardization is super interesting. It’s the driver of the economy: it builds markets.”   “Markets are built: they are very purposely constructed architectures of rules, regulations, and standards.”   “Multiple specialities consecutively throughout your career has to be the target.”   “In a true human centric vision of manufacturing, the humans are always at the center---the whole idea is manufacturing has always been about innovation.”   “The overall perspective that ‘management knows best’ is detrimental to a true understanding of human work.”   “To make progress, the smart thing is to augment your workforce more than you automate your machines.”

Jen Fox, Director of People Experience and Culture at Justworks, discovered her passion for training and developing people early on. She shares learnings from her experiences at Nordstrom and Starbucks as well as working independently as a coach. Jen continues her journey at Justworks supporting new individualized career pathways, navigating new work arrangements, and empowering employees to help figure it out.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:04] Jen starts out as an entrepreneur.    [04:12] The business reaches an inflection point and they have to make a decision.   [04:40] Jen joins Nordstrom and gets moved in Learning & Development.   [07:35] At Starbucks for five years, Jen benefits from many different experiences.   [08:57] Leadership’s commitment to the employee makes a difference—including transparency and openness.   [10:20] Jen hones her HR skills at Getty Images.    [11:30] Early understanding and observations about company culture.   [13:01] An impactful learning moment when having to lay people off after an acquisition.   [14:22] Jen’s lasting takeaway is the human-centric core.   [10:35] Despite not wanting to go, Jen moved to New York City to pursue her career.    [15:20] After having three kids, Jen transitions organically to freelancing, consulting, and coaching.   [17:42] Jen deliberately doubles down on her strengths.   [18:20] Why Jen wanted to go in-house at Justworks.   [20:20] The important focus on supporting small business.   [22:05] Jen delights about employees craving development resources.   [23:36] Driving the Wellness Program, Jen plans out through 2025.   [25:10] Being proactive, not just reactionary.   [25:58] Becoming more data driven and integrating DEIB.   [27:38] How Justworks pivoted in March 2020 as they were providing important support for their client companies.   [28:49] The core value is camaraderie.   [29:15] The tension about how best to build interpersonal relationships with new work arrangements.   [31:36] Being intentional about learning how to optimize remote working.   [32:31] Empowering teams to figure it out, working their way along their own journeys.   [34:59] How Jen tactically acts and reacts to support employees’ well-being.   [36:32] The four pillars of Justworks’ Well-being Program.   [37:03] Creating meeting boundaries.   [37:24] Financial well-being is a key focus.   [38:18] Now Jen purposefully shows her commute on her calendar.   [39:13] The importance of managers in creating a positive and productive team environment.   [40:17] Partnerships for resources help develop managers.   [41:18] New interest in role playing and learn new skills.   [42:51] New efforts to understand individual talent and create personalized career paths.   [43:48] Jen needs a pause button and intentionally to block time for herself.   [45:54] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Remember your why. In the hardest times, it’s a pause to remember why you are doing this work. It’s different for everybody. Get in touch with your why.   RESOURCES   Jen Fox on LinkedIn Justworks.com Justworks on Twitter JustWorks on Instagram   QUOTES   “It’s a privilege being at a company where our employees are at the center of it all.”     “If you take care of the people and yes, there's a lot of process and logistics and paperwork. But if at the end of the day, these are just people. How can we help and support them?”     “What I realized more so for myself was that doubling down on my strengths gave me more fuel, more energy. The more I did it, the more confident I became. And then the more people wanted to hire me.”     “We were able to pivot and get our stuff together essentially so quickly because we had to. Because we, our customers, all those little companies were now looking to us to help them keep the lights on.”

Paul McKinlay, VP of Communications and Remote Working at Cimpress and Vista (prev. VistaPrint) had a series of transformative experiences working in management, L&D, and Communications, working for ASDA and Walmart in the UK and US which set him up to take the lead role in implementing the strategic “Remote First” initiative at Cimpress and Vista. Paul shares his insights about the importance of transparency and alignment with employees, as well as a mindset of ongoing feedback and co-creation.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03;15] At the start of his career, Paul ran large supermarkets in the UK.   [03:34] Managing teams of up to 1000 people, Paul learned fast and transitioned to L&D.   [04:27] The experience of a major transformation at ASDA.   [06:19] Paul has to adapt to a very different culture when Walmart acquired ASDA.   [07:11] Paul’s unusual experience the first time he visited Walmart’s headquarters.   [08:50] Walmart takes a different approach to Learning and Development.   [10:10] Paul is persuaded—unwillingly—to change role and discipline.   [10:40] Paul’s epiphany about his new position in communications.   [13:42] There was very little remote working prior to 2020.   [15:36] When the pandemic hit, the business was hit hard, but they noticed employees were executing well.   [18:14] Many people wanted to work remotely long-term.   [19:05] Paul asks to lead the remote work strategic initiative. [20:02] CEO Robert Cain gives Paul a new lens for understanding his role and goals. [20:48] “Remote First” is not “Remote Only” and what that means. [21:16] Operating principles and “Remote First” practices using new Collaboration Centers. [23:06] Paul stresses the importance of having a team dedicated to optimizing remote working. [23:39] How on-boarding happens at Cimpress and Vista now. [24:52] Paul’s intention is for working at Vista be a master class in remote working. [25:38] Great success attracting talent by focusing on employees’ workplace taxability and work/life harmony. [27:32] Looking at ways to improve fixed-site workers’ experiences. [30:19] The importance of involving everyone when developing new solutions. [32:02] How to deconstruct resistance to remote working—trust is at the core. [33:07] Paul’s expectations that shareholders will also push for remote working. [33:31] “Shybrid” – the undermining subterfuge. “Mybrid” - I choose to come to work wherever I want to work from. [34:36] Paul describes the major initiative building remote working expertise and extensive resources. [36:13] IMMEDIATE action tip: To be an effective remote leader, collaborate with your team by getting extensive feedback and input on a regular basis—making the team experience about co-creation and trusting team members to get on with their jobs. Ask team members for suggestions about how to establish norms that will make working remotely much more effective—such as having fewer meetings!     RESOURCES   Paul McKinlay on LinkedIn Cimpress.com Vista.com Vista.io Cimpress on Instagram Vista on Instagram     QUOTES   “Comms [Communications] at a strategic level is about aligning people against the mission, helping them to execute against that, understanding the context of the decisions they make day today.” “The role of Communications is to be the radar and compass of the organization and the drive.” “The headwind that we were facing really energized the team and really brought the team together.”  “Giving people a real focus on flexibility and work/life how many is cited with our job applicants as a number one reason why they apply to us. It is because they are interested in the remote working, flexibility, work/life harmony. “ “We call what we do “mybrid” which is I choose when I come to work from wherever I want to.” 

Robert Keane, Founder and CEO of Cimpress and Vista (formerly VistaPrint) built a multibillion-dollar business from scratch starting more than 20 years ago. He transformed the original analog operations through digitalization in order to scale rapidly. Robert explains how this strategic move also set them up to go “remote first” in August 2020—listening to employees’ preferences—with the intent of building and maintaining competitive advantage for the business.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:22] Robert identified the need and developed the business plan for Cimpress at INSEAD business school.   [03:38] Cutting edge (at the time) technology was essential to provide the services.   [04:45] The core customer proposition and need have not changed over 27 years.   [06:30] Pushing the early envelope for browser-based software.   [07:49] After raising venture capital money in ’99, the company turned profitable by 2003 and reached US$1 billion in revenues by 2011.   [10:30] End-to-end integrated digitalization allowed them to achieve significant growth.   [11:55] Robert’s purposeful approach for capturing competitive advantage through automation.   [13:53] To build the business, new recruits were selected who were intent to transform industries.   [14:45] Post the 2000 crash, the emphasis is “digital first”.   [15:20] Robert recognizes the digitization emphasis needs to be rebalanced with more customer focus.   [16:31] How Cimpress operated as a global distributed business pre-pandemic.   [18:57] Robert’s direct reports in China and Italy rang alarm leading to early contingency planning.   [20:00] The decision to go “remote first”.   [20:56] Management could compete for talent, and give certainty and guidance to employees.   [23:24] Employees were asked regularly about their interest in remote work which started shifting.   [23:53] Management respectfully addresses the minority of people who didn’t want to go fully remote   [25:36] People accept the fact that remote is not perfect.   [26:22] How has Robert’s changed his leadership style going fully remote?   [27:26] The importance of systemizing communication to inform, align, and connect people.   [29:35] Investment in asynchronous documentation is essential for “remote first” companies.   [31:09] Hiring people to lead Cimpress businesses who have entrepreneurial/founder mindsets.   [32:26] Robert is open to making mistakes and not believing there’s only one way forward.    [35:10] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To integrate remote working effectively, run a thought experiment. If you started a company today, how would you architect it and incorporate remote working? Whatever percentage of time employees would be onsite and remote at this company, they would need clarity and certainty. Putting theory into practice for your current organization cannot happen overnight, but listen to team members to make choices about the direction you need to go.     RESOURCES Robert Keane on LinkedIn Cimpress.com Vista.com Vista.io     QUOTES   “Our engagement scores, which we've tracked for years, are at all time high because people can combine their life and their work in ways that fits their personal needs.”   “People embrace the fact that remote is not perfect.”   “It’s important to constantly reiterate the importance of that nimbleness, that ability to take action and the willingness to fail, to fall down and get bruised and pick yourself up and pivot and move.”   “We started believing that the way we were doing things was the only way to do things. They just happened to be the right way to do things at a certain moment in time.”  

Ali Azeem, the Global Head of Growth at Ipsos Strategy3, has always believed in making an impact through involvement across the three professional realms--corporate, government, and charity. He shares his career journey as he has developed greater insights into human behavior—from customers and constituents to business colleagues—leading to his increasing focus on and interest in creating organizations that are “human first”.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:40] Ali is raised by entrepreneurial parents.   [03:09] Ali’s early interest in business models through video games.   [04:37] Going through a turnaround after the credit crunch.   [06:45] Learning the importance of communication with colleagues, especially during times of stress.   [08:47] Ali believes in making a positive impact across three parallel streams – business, politics, and charity.   [10:18] How Ali found being involved in politics exciting.   [11:39] The human realities of government—good and bad.   [15:30] Working at an innovation agency, Ali began empathizing with customers to tap into their experiences.   [18:54] Recognizing cultural differences when exploring new ideas.   [22:09] Ali joins Ipsos which emphasizes human insights using a design-thinking approach.   [24:22] Discussion involving people and empathy converging into a new type of organization.   [26:50] Initiatives that must accompany diversity efforts to demonstrate inclusive leadership.   [30:20] The challenges measuring inclusion.   [31:38] How business leaders can shift their mindsets to be more inclusive.   [35:20] The importance of recognizing that employees bring very different backgrounds and cultural contexts and how to enable them to be successful.   [39:42] Ali’s insights after analyzing data on gender pay gaps.   [43:07] Insight 1 – The pay gap in the UK relates to mothers rather than women in general.   [44:21] Insight 2 – Women aren’t achieving as many of the higher paid senior positions.   [45:21] Career choices many women make in corporate roles don’t often have enough flexibility.   [47:24] What many men thing of as “the proper life’ and the consequences.   [49:05] How motherhood impacts women’s earning capacity.   [50:08] New positive UK legislation regarding parental leave.   [51:05] The mindset shift supported by the legislation.   [53:40] Ali recommends we create more prosperity by making better machines and focusing on a people-maximizing approach.   [55:58] Thinking about meaningful corporate purpose.   [58:10] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Start with the right mindset. The biggest unlock will come if you take ownership of making your life better, your customers’ lives better, and the lives of people impacted indirectly by your company.     RESOURCES   Ali Azeem on LinkedIn Ali Azeem on Twitter Ipsos.com Game Over by David Sheff Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R Sunstein     QUOTES   “Often companies are talking about diversity, focusing more on the diversity side, because it’s easier, it’s measurable.”   “Hiring these [diverse] people is quite an easy job relative to the much harder thing which is to make them feel included.”   “Let’s start building better machines.”   “We need to evolve from what we’ve been doing before and that means moving away from this profit-maximizing approach to a people-maximizing approach.”

Jenn DeWall is a leadership development strategist, workshop facilitator, and coach working mostly with and on behalf of her Millennial peers. She also hosts The Leadership Habit podcast. Focused on supporting rising Millennial leaders’ progress, Jenn shares her own experiences—successes and struggles—that have shaped her perspectives and approach to leadership development in the new era of work. She explains the goals, mindsets, and concerns of many Millennials and suggests productive, sustainable ways for us all to advance and grow.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:49] After college, Jenn’s initial enthusiasm about leadership soon wanes.   [03:30] Despite good results, Jenn gets an unexpected, negative review.   [04:34] Jenn is devastated. “Why didn’t somebody tell me?”   [06:21] Jenn loses confidence and gets conflicting direction about how to act at work.   [08:33] After some struggles, Jenn is asked to start training and mentoring her peers.   [10:20] Organizations need diversity across many dimensions, allowing people to show up as themselves.   [12:04] How Millennials were not prepared at college for the rules of work or to know their value.   [13:40] Jenn interviewed senior leaders to find out where Millennials are getting it wrong at work.   [14:55] Issue 1: Millennials want to have fun at work.   [15:42] Issue 2: Millennials yearn to develop and understand the big picture.   [16:49] Issue 3: Millennials desire for flexibility and work/life integration.   [18:46] Initial confidence about their potential and future is dulled for those not falling into line.   [20:12] As Millennials become leaders, how are they fulfilling their needs for external validation?   [22:01] Lacking conditioning for internal validation to know “I am enough” “I have the skills I need to succeed.”   [23:20] Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Our fundamental need to be connected.   [23:58] Millennials ask themselves “What is my life really worth?”   [25:02] The working environment has affected Millennials – such as 9/11 and the Great Recession.   [25:49] How technology has expanded Millennials’ worldview, footprint, and decisions.   [26:53] Jenn discusses how her peers think through “What do I want work to feel like?”   [28:42] Resignations often happen when employees assume/fear their employer will not be open to making accommodations.   [29:25] How the need for external validation affects workplace confidence and behaviors.   [31:59] Jenn shares Millennials’ confusion: Why can’t I have fun at work? And why can’t I also work hard?   [33:31] As such a large generation, Millennials are not afraid to stay and be the voice of change.   [34:52] How rising leaders benefit from being intentional about soft skills and behaviors they promote.   [38:25] Jenn advises leading with curiosity and empathy and assuming positive intent.   [41:20] You can’t hang your hat on stereotypes as everyone’s lived experience is different.   [42:46] Non-linear career paths are now the norm, requiring different consideration and allowing different possibilities.    [44:55] Reacting to “What is my life worth?” leads to disruption with new work configurations.    [47:12] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Find the common ground. We all carry an invisible suitcase that is the collective experience of our hopes, dreams, fears, and pains, and there is commonality within. Be intentional and find that commonality so we can work better together.   RESOURCES   Jenn DeWall on LinkedIn Jenn DeWall on Twitter JennDeWall.com Jenndewallcoaching.com Jenn DeWall on Instagram     QUOTES   “Through hardship comes great outcomes.”   “If we want a homogenous workforce where we are more alike, what does that do for innovation?”   “I never wanted millennials to feel less than, I just want them to feel empowered. You deserve to be recognized and seen for who you are.”   “This is where the helicopter parenting didn't set us up well because you need to have confidence at a foundational level to influence, to make a decision. And Millennials were very much conditioned for external validation.”

Dominic Price, Work Futurist at Atlassian, first explains unlearning. He discusses the excitement and challenges of his work ensuring his company keeps adapting to stay ahead of competitors as it grows rapidly year on year. Focused on anticipating, exploring, and improving ways of working, Dom offers suggestions to specific questions that we are all currently trying to answer such as about hybrid work models, burnout, transformation challenges, and more, sharing his lived experiences, experiments and refined solutions.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:10] Starting as a chartered accountant, Dom found a “job for life” wasn’t his vocation.   [03:54] Not wanting to fit into a box, Dom had to accept uncertainty and unlearn structure.   [05:34] How to be happy with career progress when “learning” is the key measurement.   [07:47] When Dom joined Atlassian it was one of the “best places to work”, but he hated it.   [08:31] Applying his skills very differently, Dom was confronted reframing his “firefighting” role.   [11:58] Dom’s boss challenges him to adapt and grow 40% each year to stay in his current role.   [14:10] We go back to old thinking because it was certain, not because it was valuable.   [15:22] Dom’s fascination with technology ends up with him focused on people.   [17:48] Question 1 – How to tackle the complexity of hybrid models?   [19:24] Underlying question – How do we become place agnostic?   [20:24] When we are place agnostic, how can we find effective ways of working?   [22:18] Question 2 – How does work “work” now?   [23;15] Underlying question – What more can we understand about what it is to be human?   [21:45] You can offer flexibility to your on-site workers. Dom explains how.   [24:23] The importance of psychological safety.   [26:14] Dom experiments and gives an asynchronous workshop.   [28:12] We have to experiment and explore our way forward in the Future of Work.   [29:11] Question 3 – How do you learn a growth mindset?   [30:14] Dom’s Five Ls exercise that he practices regularly.   [32:55] The importance of role modeling behavior as leaders now.   [36:03] Question 4 – How to embrace change and stop people resisting change?   [37:50] Breaking down transformation into “what’s one thing we can do today?”   [39:40] Celebrating “the good old days” in a positive way to be able to move forward.   [42:41] Question 5 – How to get rid of so many meetings?   [46:19] Questions 6 - How do we reduce burnout?   [47:15] Question 7 – Should I leave my employer?   [48:55] Be the change you seek. Feedback is a gift, but only if you give it!   [51:28] Question 8 & 9 – How can you help employees think through how to live their lives differently? How can their boss support this process?   [52:00] Why Dom thinks we are obsessed with perfection and we should focus on progress.   [52:45] Systems thinking—we can block progress if we only see the boundaries of the system.   [53:51] Learning organizations don’t exist, but learning loops do.   [55:42] Dom believes the organization chart is damaging—hindering progress in organizations.   [57:33] Leadership is based on competence, not level.   [59:37] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: If you’ve been taking mental or written notes listening to this episode, don’t sign up for more knowledge obesity, find ONE thing you are willing to try, and put a date on it.     RESOURCES   Dom Price on LinkedIn Dom Price on Twitter Domprice.me Atlassian.com Atlassian’s Team Playbook   QUOTES   “I need to unlearn all these things I got taught early on in my career, about “you must have a career plan”.”   “If you wanna be great, you're gonna have to evolve how you work, how your teams work, how you influence. You're gonna have to adapt to everything constantly.”   “How do we get those teams in a distributed fashion to work effectively together? Once we solve that everything else is done, right? Everything else is gravy.”   “How can we work human to human? How do we amplify that with technology? Technology isn’t the answer, it’s the amplifier.”   “How do I build a balanced life and where does work fit into that?”   “If you've got an hour, spend five minutes reminiscing on the good old days, spend the other 55 building better days tomorrow.”   “Leadership is based on competence, not level.”