Humanity Working

Go Slow to Go FastWe live in a culture that prizes speed—but sometimes moving slower is what actually accelerates results. In this episode, Paul and Matt explore when deliberate pauses pay off, how to test “slow-downs” safely, and how leaders can set the right cadence without losing urgency when it matters most.Five Key Learnings:Slowing down can reduce rework, surface hidden costs, and sharpen decisions.Smart slow-downs (like reflection or structured breaks) often boost creativity and clarity.Speed frequently degrades our decision making and causes us to miss opportunities to build on others workTeams can run tiny experiments—like slowing a sprint kickoff—to test the benefits.Mature leaders can help team members see how to balance slowing down and speeding upResources mentioned in this episode:Slow Down to Speed Up Newsletter - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/slow-down-to-speed-up?r=ourxz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseHumanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into the history—and the myths—around the Eisenhower Matrix. Was it really invented by Eisenhower? Did he even talk about this stuff? And how can a tool this simple be both game-changing and misleading at the same time? They explore how to apply it without over-engineering, how to spot when your team is maturing from reactive to proactive, and why “schedule” is the most powerful word in the framework.Five Key Learnings:Eisenhower never drew the Matrix—Stephen Covey popularized it in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.The four quadrants (Do, Schedule, Delegate, Delete) are helpful, but taken too literally, they can cause confusion.The most valuable shift is from treating tasks as a list to treating them as priorities.Teams mature when urgent/important work shrinks over time—fires are preventable.“Schedule” is the magic quadrant: if it’s truly important, it must be time-blocked to actually happen.Resources mentioned in this episode:Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_PeoplePaul’s article describing the Eisenhower Matrix  - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/slow-down-to-speed-up?utm_source=publication-searchHumanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

Heavy ChatGPT use may help short-term tasks—but it can quietly weaken your brain. In this episode, Paul and Matt unpack a new MIT Media Lab study and explain how durable skills act like muscles: neglect them, and they atrophy. They close with a blueprint to keep yours sharp with a few minutes a day. Five Key Learnings: MIT study found weaker brain activity and “cognitive debt” after ChatGPT use. Overreliance on AI dulls critical thinking and originality. Durable skills—like communication and problem-solving—need reps. Daily practice (even 5–10 mins) keeps skills from rusting. T-shaped careers rely on both depth and breadth—neglecting either costs you.Resources mentioned in this episode: MIT Media Lab / Tech & Learning article on “Your Brain on ChatGPT”Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

If health underpins great work, why do so many workplaces treat it like a perk? In this episode, Paul and Matt examine the gap between surface-level wellness offerings and real employee needs—then share how to shift toward readiness and resilience without overhauling everything. Five Key Learnings: Lived experience (burnout, caregiving, fatigue) doesn’t match company messaging. Health is still treated as “individual responsibility,” not a team design issue. Small moves like RMS (Rest, Movement, Socializing) beat flashy programs. Teams can change norms—leaders just have to start modeling them. Expect the shift: from “treat it when it breaks” to “design for health.” Resources mentioned in this episode: Billion Minds Readiness ModelRMS Stack (Rest, Movement, Socializing)Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

The highly political nature of the new South Park series has been making all the headlines, but it also has something else squarely in it’s sights - Generative AI. This week, Paul and Matt discuss a theme from a recent episode, the sycophantic nature of ChatGPT, and what that might be doing to our productivity…and our brains.Resources mentioned in this episode: Sickofancy South Park Episode Description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickofancy#Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

The word “wellbeing” might be fading at work—but not because people are thriving. In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into why the concept is being tuned out (especially by men), and how reframing it as “readiness” helps reclaim its importance without turning it into a lifestyle brand. Five Key Learnings: Wellbeing language can alienate—especially in high-pressure cultures. Framing it as “readiness” keeps the focus on performance, not perfection. 80-hour weeks don’t build grit—they drain capability and retention. You don’t need a full wellness protocol—just start with simple, proven habits. Readiness isn’t soft—it’s sustainable execution. Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

Instead of asking, “What’s your specialty?” ask: “How’s your T?” In this episode, Paul and Matt break down the T-shaped career model—depth in one or more areas, breadth across many—and why it's the key to thriving in an AI-shaped world. Five Key Learnings: Specialization isn’t dead—but it’s not enough on its own. T-shaped thinking means pairing mastery with adaptability. AI makes breadth even more critical—it connects your deep skills to changing needs. You can build multiple “depths” over time—Ts can evolve. Self-auditing your T reveals blind spots you didn’t know you had.Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

We still talk about “work–life balance,” but let’s be honest—does that phrase even fit reality anymore? In this episode, Paul and Matt reframe balance not as fewer hours or rigid boundaries, but as something far more practical: managing attention, being present in the right places, and nurturing your relationships with others, your work, and yourself. Five Key Learnings:“Balance” isn’t about time—it’s about presence. Work is uniquely sticky; without boundaries, it seeps into everything. Real balance depends on managing three relationships: with others, work, and self. Gen Z may be reacting differently, but they’re facing the same forces. “Work less” isn’t always possible—but changing how you show up is.Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

Bob Johansen is a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley, and the author or co-author of 15 books, including Get There Early, The New Leadership Literacies, and Full-Spectrum Thinking, Office Shock, and The Reciprocity Advantage.In this episode, Paul and Bob catch up to discuss his latest book - the 3rd edition of Leaders Make the Future: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI (written with Jeremy Kirshbaum and Gabe Cervantes). It's a fascinating discussion that dives deep into the leadership traits that are needed,  what is preventing them from being expressed today, and how we can move towards a human-driven approach to leadership.Resources mentioned in this episode:Leaders Make The Future: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI - https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Make-Future-Third-Leadership/dp/B0D66H9BF1/ (edited) Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.

Garry Ridge is the Chairman Emeritus of WD-40. During his 25-year tenure, he transformed the company's culture and increased its market value from $250 million to $1.6 billion. Garry is known for his leadership philosophy that emphasizes learning, psychological safety, and servant leadership.In this episode, Paul and Garry discuss his new book: Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It and Tribe Culture: How It Shaped WD-40 Company. They get into transforming the culture of any organization can be both simple and not easy, and draw on insights from Garry's long career on how to turn the theory of it into action.Resources mentioned in this episode:Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It and Tribe Culture: How It Shaped WD-40 Company - https://www.amazon.com/Any-Dumb-Ass-Can-Do-Multi-Billion-Dollar/dp/1637746296Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.