Work For Humans

Donald Norman is perhaps the most influential design educator of all time. Don is often cited as the father of user interface design and user experience design. He is best known for his book The Design of Everyday Things and is set to release a new book early next year – Design for a Better World.In his latest book, Don argues that design principles can provide solutions to many of the complex global problems we are currently facing.In this episode, Dart and Don discuss how business leaders can shift to a more sustainable, and humanity-centered approach to business while maintaining a thriving economy. They discuss the impact design has on human behavior, the incredibly important role designers play in society, why everyday things are often designed poorly, and much more. Topics Include: - The difference between human-centered design and humanity-centered design- Circular Economies- Designing products and services with ecosystems in mind- How product design can massively influence human behavior- Training designers in sustainably- How better regulation can help reduce negative externalities- Don's experience working for Apple- Work design- And other topics…Donald Norman is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science and Psychology and founding director of the Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego. Business Week has named Don as one of the world’s most influential designers of all time. He was an Apple Vice President, has been an advisor and board member for numerous companies, and has three honorary degrees. His numerous books have been translated into over 20 languages.Resources Mentioned:Design for a Better World by Donald Norman: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Better-World-Sustainable-Humanity-Centered/dp/0262047950The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654/Emotional Design by Donald Norman: https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Design-Love-Everyday-Things-ebook/dp/B005GKIYD4/ The Psychology of Everyday Things by Donald Norman:https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Everyday-Things-Don-Norman/dp/0465067093Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

In this bonus episode, we are sharing Dart Lindsley's guest appearance on The Cutting Edge, a public radio show hosted by Santa Cruz's former mayor Tim Fitzmaurice.Tim and Dart discuss the genesis of Work for Humans, Dart's background and how it lead him to the management philosophy behind work for humans, the reimagining of work that is currently taking place worldwide, and much more.Topics Include:- The kind of work Dart does for Google- The complexity of work and how it integrates into our lives- What we've gotten wrong about work- The woes of modern HR- Thinking of employees like customers- Responses to the anti-work movement- Freedom of choice when choosing a job- Using design principles to design work- Dart's forthcoming book- And other topics...Resources Mentioned:Design Your Life by Dave Evans: https://designingyour.life/the-book/Clayton Christensen: https://claytonchristensen.com/Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Work culture is changing, and it's changing fast. The old norms of toughing it out and sticking with a new job are fast being replaced by notions of employee autonomy and choice. A recent survey from the Muse found that 80% of active job seekers believe quitting a new job in less than 6 months is acceptable if it doesn’t live up to expectations. In the modern workplace, it is workers who are pushing the envelope, and they are doing it with their feet.Joining us today is Shayla Thurlow, VP of People and Talent Acquisition at The Muse – a platform with 7 million monthly users that helps people find work that matters to them by matching job seekers with coaches, career advice, and employers. Unlike other sites that focus largely on skills, the Muse is focused on things like values, purpose, and culture.In this episode, Dart and Shayla discuss the experience of “Shift Shock”, what job seekers are saying is the most important feature they are looking for in their next job, what flexibility in the workplace really means, how HR professionals can approach this new landscape, and much more…Topics Include: - Defining shift shock, and how to avoid it with new hires - Modernizing HR technology - Questioning the emphasis we've placed on grit- What employees really mean by work-life balance - How candidates are choosing jobs today- Importance of offering learning and growth opportunities- Advice for HR professionals- And other topics...Shayla Thurlow is the VP of People and Talent Acquisition at The Muse, a company that is serving as the go-to destination for the next-gen workforce to research companies and careers. With nearly two decades of experience in human resources, Shayla is passionate about creating workplace cultures where employees can thrive. Before joining The Muse, Shayla worked in various industries and has held roles in many areas, including talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, performance management, and leadership training and development.Resources Mentioned:The Muse’s Shift Shock survey: https://www.themuse.com/advice/shift-shock-muse-survey-2022The New Rules of Work by Kathryn Minshew and Alex Cavoulacos: https://www.themuse.com/thenewrulesofworkWork with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Two-sided markets are revolutionizing the way we do business, and in time, it may revolutionize the way we think about employees as well.Dartmouth Professor Geoffrey Parker has spent years researching and writing about platform business strategies that leverage two-sided markets like eBay, Airbnb, and Uber. Geoffery is the co-developer of the theory of two-sided markets, the co-author of Platform Revolution, and has made significant contributions to the field of network economics and strategy.  In this episode, Dart and Geoffrey talk about employees as outside producers at one end of a multi-sided market, how to optimize choice and non-monetary micro-economies in the workplace, the pros and cons of salary-based work, how to attract employees beyond money and benefits, and much more. Topics Include:- The history of multi-sided markets - How to attract the kind of work you want within a company  - Calculating lifetime value and churn - Improving employee retention- What people really want from work- Building the kind of work people want- Pros and cons of online work vs on-premises  - The unintended consequences of viewing employees as inputs to production- And other topics…Geoffrey Parker is a professor of engineering at the Thayer School of Dartmouth College, where he also serves as director of the Master of Engineering Management Program. Before joining Dartmouth, Geoffrey was a professor of management science at the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and served as Director of the Tulane Energy Institute. Geoffrey is also a visiting scholar and fellow at the MIT Initiative for the Digital Economy where he co-chairs the annual MIT Platform Summit and the annual BU Platform Research Symposium, and he is a fellow at the Luohan Academy and the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. As well as co-authoring the book Platform Revolution, Geoff is the co-developer of the theory of two-sided markets and has made significant contributions to the field of network economics and strategy. Resources Mentioned: Geoffrey’s Website: ​​https://ggparker.net/ Barry Schwartz on Work For Humans: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1949517/11170487Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

What comes to mind when you hear the word power? Whether or not you’re ambivalent about the idea of power, there’s no denying its role in the workplace. From bureaucracy and hierarchy to performance reviews and incentive plans, power dynamics are on full display in the workplace. So how can we show up powerfully at work and wield influence within our organizations? Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He's the author of many books including The Human Equation, Dying For Paycheck, and most recently The 7 Rules of Power: Surprising–but True–Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career.  In this episode, Dart and Jeffrey discuss the thesis of Jeffrey’s recent book The 7 Rules of Power. They discuss the relationship between power and formal titles, how leaders rise to the top, how to gain power and influence, how companies can generate higher profits by putting people first, and much more. Topics Include:- Why people are ambivalent about power - Defining power, influence, and control- The purpose of power  - Dying for a paycheck - The knowing-doing gap - Gaining influence with powerful people- The modern plight of HR departments - And other topics… Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, where he has taught since 1979. Before Stanford, Jeffrey taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois. Jeffrey has been a visiting professor at Harvard Business School, London Business School, Singapore Management University, and IESE in Barcelona. He has given talks in 39 countries and received an honorary doctorate from Tilburg University in The Netherlands. He currently writes a twice-monthly column for Fortune.com, and in the past has written for Business 2.0, the CEIBS Business Review (China), Capital Magazine (Turkey), and for numerous other blogs in the U.S. He is also the author of several books including the Human Equation, The Knowing-Doing Gap, Dying for a Paycheck, Hard Facts, Managing with Power, and the 7 Rules of Power. Jeffrey currently serves on the board of Berlin Packaging and a nonprofit, Quantum Leap HealthcareResources Mentioned:7 Rules of Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Power-Surprising-but-True-Advice-Advance-ebook/dp/B09FPGBG22 The Human Equation by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Equation-Building-Profits-Putting/dp/0875848419The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton: https://www.amazon.com/The-No-Asshole-Rule-audiobook/dp/B000NOKBYSInfluence by Robert B. Cialdini: https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X  Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Inspiring individual or organizational change is one of the hardest things for any leader or manager to accomplish. According to Shalini Verma, a high-energy leader at Google who practices trauma-informed management, it's not about the process or the tools. That’s the easy stuff. In her opinion, the ability to drive individual and organizational change starts with a single thread: self-awareness. In this episode, Dart and Shalini discuss the fundamentals of trauma research and how it lends itself to management. They discuss practical ways to implement trauma-informed management, how to deal with automatic responses that stem from trauma, why empathy is the key to inclusive product design, trauma as a path of evolutionary development, and much more.Topics Include: - Defining trauma- How trauma shows up in the workplace- Trauma-informed management- Practical applications of trauma-informed management - How to become more self-aware- How to heal from trauma- The connection between awareness of the body and anxiety  - How to make better decisions- Inclusive product design- And other topics... Shalini Verma is the ​​Global Lead of Technical Program Management at Google, helping to improve all of Googles products through global developer tools and frameworks. Named to Crain Magazine's Tech 50 - Top Technology talent, her career has transitioned from roles in process, to product, to leadership development. She is an MIT and Harvard Business School graduate.Whether leading non-profit or for-profit organizations, her passion is to inspire leaders to transform themselves and the world. She has spent the last ten years discovering and developing tools through cross-pollination, collaboration, and experimentation across industries, age groups, and methodologies. Resources Mentioned:Listening to your heart might be the key to conquering anxiety: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/sarah-garfinkel-interoceptThe Enneagram Prison Project: https://enneagramprisonproject.org/Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

When people don’t feel like they belong at work, their performance and well-being suffer. But, when individuals can be their authentic selves, the benefits for both the employee and the workplace are substantial. So what can organizations do to help promote belonging and inclusion in the workplace? Dr. Susie Wise studies, writes, and teaches how levers of design like roles, events, and spaces can be used to foster feelings of belonging and reduce othering in organizations and beyond. In this episode, Dart and Susie talk about Susie’s book, Design for Belonging, moments of belonging like code-switching, invitation, diverging, and exiting, and how leaders can design belonging into the workplace. Topics Include:- Stories of belonging - Contexts of belonging- Othering and alienation - Design as a path to belonging - Design neglect - Levers of belonging - The importance of descent - Impacts and effects of systems- Who designs experiences - And other topics…Dr. Susie Wise is a designer with experience in education, tech, and the social sector. She coaches leaders in innovation practices, liberatory design, and storytelling for inclusion. She founded and led the d.school's K12 Lab, catalyzing national projects like School Retool and the Shadow a Student Challenge. She is also a co-creator of Liberatory Design. Susie teaches at the d.school at Stanford University and coaches with the Mira Fellowship. She lives with her family and their dog Hijiki in Oakland, CA, USA. Susie is the author of Designing for Belonging, where Susie explains how to use simple levers of design to set the stage for belonging to emerge.Resources Mentioned:Designing for Belonging: https://www.designforbelonging.com/ Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

In order to survive and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace, businesses must be proactive in designing experiences that customers love. Alder Yarrow has spent 25 years creating customer experiences for some of the world’s top brands including Twitter, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Tesla Motors, and more. In this episode, Dart and Alder discuss experience design and experience modeling. They discuss how employers might think of employees as customers to better meet their needs,  the challenges of transforming a brand, experience design versus user experience, and other topics. Topics Include:- How to understand what customers want - Experience design- Experience modeling - Experience design for the American Cancer Society - In-context studies and why they’re important - The Manager Work Practice Study  - Grounded Theory  - Jobs-To-Be-Done Theory- The Say-Do Gap  - Trauma-Aware Management  - And other topics…​​Alder Yarrow has spent 25 years creating customer experiences for some of the world’s top brands. He has led mission-critical brand and experience design engagements for brands including Google, Twitter, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Gymboree, Cisco, HP, Motorola, Fidelity, Anki, Blurb, Starwood, Subaru, and Tesla Motors. Most recently, Alder served as the Chief Experience Officer at Cibo, a brand and customer experience agency (acquired by Projekt202) dedicated to creating winning brands and products by applying design thinking to business.Beyond his work as an advisor and marketing executive, Alder writes and publishes the blog, vinography.com. In 2013, vinography.com was nominated for a James Beard award. San Francisco Magazine has called Alder “The Wine World’s Brightest Cyberstar” and he is widely accepted as a pioneer of wine blogging.Resources Mentioned:The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation/dp/1633691780 Alder’s blog, Vinography: https://www.vinography.com/ Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

For decades workers have been incentivized to work for a paycheck, but how does the pay-for-performance model impact motivation, productivity, innovation, and work satisfaction?Professor Barry Schwartz studies how work operates in our culture and argues that monetary incentives are weak drivers of employee productivity. Barry explores the traits that can make work feel meaningful, and studies how companies can flip the script to build workplaces where employees are motivated, innovative, and happy.In this episode, Dart and Barry talk about why the pay-for-performance model doesn’t work, what people really want from their work, the role of autonomy in the workplace, and Barry's tips for hiring the best talent.Topics Include:- Barry's book, Why We Work- What HR got wrong about work- What people really want from work- Job to be done theory- The paradox of choice- Autonomy in the modern workplace- The challenges of hiring- Designing work for the future- Academic theories vs real-world applications - And other topics…Barry Schwartz is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action in the psychology department at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where he has taught for thirty years.Barry is the author of Why We Work, Practical Wisdom, and The Paradox of Choice. He’s also the author of several leading textbooks on the psychology of learning and memory, including The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality, and Modern Life. His articles have been published in The New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Parade Magazine, USA TODAY, Slate, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, and others. Barry has appeared on dozens of radio shows, including Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, Anderson Cooper 360, and CBS Sunday Morning.Resources Mentioned:- Barry Schwartz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Schwartz_(psychologist)- Why We Work by Barry Schwartz: https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9781476784861- Practical Wisdom by Barry Schwartz: https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9781594487835- The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz: https://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Choice-Why-More-Less/dp/149151423X- Barry’s TedTalks: https://www.ted.com/speakers/barry_schwartz- Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/- The Human Equation by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/the-human-equation/Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped society as we know it. In this post-pandemic world, the balance of power has shifted from employer to employee. Workers are demanding respect and expecting a greater quality of life, in many cases refusing a return to the traditional office.So what happens when companies can no longer rely on culture and on-premise experience to attract and retain employees? And how can companies adapt and thrive in this new environment?Behavioral scientist, psychologist, and futurist, Aaron McEwan believes that businesses must place people at the center. Harnessing data and insights that focus on personalizing employees’ experiences, allowing for flexibility and autonomy, and rethinking the purpose of traditional office spaces IS the future of work. In this episode, Dart and Aaron talk about the Great Resignation, how the pandemic reshaped society, the “Netflix Experience” and personalization, how employers underestimated the workforce and how remote workers proved them wrong, the future of workplaces, and much more.Topics Include:- What business leaders are most worried about- The commoditization of work- The feasibility of personalized work experiences - What all managers need to know about employees- The challenge of understanding employee desires- The role of managers in the future - How we consistently underestimate the workforce- The anti-work movement- And other topics…Aaron McEwan is a behavioral scientist, psychologist, and futurist. He was recently named a Top 100 Global HR Influencer and one of 5 HR Leaders to Follow in 2022. As VP, Research & Advisory for Gartner’s HR Practice, Aaron provides strategic advice to the world’s leading companies on the future of work and talent and helps leaders manage their most critical relationships across the c-suite and board. Alongside his current role, Aaron is a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute, serves on the national committee for the Australian Psychological Society’s Interest Group in Coaching Psychology, and is an Associate of Macquarie University’s Centre for Workforce Futures.Aaron has lectured at Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong, University of NSW, University of Queensland, Griffith University, and the Australian College of Applied Psychology and was a member of Innovation Nation, a cross-industry initiative sponsored by the Office of the Prime Minister to elevate Australia’s reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation.Resources Mentioned:- James C. Scott: https://politicalscience.yale.edu/people/james-scott- Weapons of the Weak by James C. Scott: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300036418 Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.