At Work with The Ready

Starting fresh with a new company may sound appealing, but it can lead to pitfalls. The hosts explore designing an organizational operating system without the burden of traditional methods. They advocate for minimalist practices that emerge from real tension. Delaying system building until common pain is felt is key, along with avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions. Establishing a regular operating rhythm and utilizing tools like Kanban boards promotes effective work flow. Lastly, embracing 'sky sensing' helps teams adapt to changing trends.

Join Greg Shove, a seven-time founder and CEO of Section, as he dives into the world of AI adoption in businesses. He reveals why AI implementation is lagging, highlighting employee fears of layoffs and the hoarding of productivity gains. Greg argues that many leaders mistakenly treat AI as just another software tool instead of a transformative force. He also discusses the necessity for a robust AI strategy, the rise of super companies with small teams, and the importance of creating new roles in the evolving work landscape.

Leaders often fixate on immediate ROI in organizational design, but this can hinder meaningful discussions. The hosts delve into how true ROI emerges over longer periods, emphasizing the importance of aligning metrics with leaders' existing priorities. They highlight the significance of leading indicators—like decision speed and meeting effectiveness—over just short-term financial reports. Transformations are more about cultivating effective practices and reducing errors than just bottom-line savings.

As 2025 wraps up, the discussion pivots to how AI will reshape the workforce in 2026. A slowdown in the AI hype cycle is expected, leading to real white-collar job displacement. Companies will increasingly form internal design teams to adapt to constant change. Interestingly, employees might prefer collaborating with AI over challenging human colleagues. A divide is predicted between traditional organizations and agile, AI-native micro teams, highlighting a premium on human-crafted offerings.

Exploring the dynamics of organizational change, the hosts dive into whether to pursue internal transformation roles or external consulting. They discuss how internal teams can be constrained by company culture, while external consultants can gain diverse experience quickly. Insights reveal that positioning internal design efforts under strategy, rather than HR, can enhance impact. Plus, listeners learn practical tips for applying design principles in their current roles without needing a formal title!

Performance management might be broken, but organizations stubbornly cling to it. Traditional systems distort feedback and frustrate employees. The podcast explores why these methods fail and how their four conflicting tasks complicate development. Listeners learn about innovative approaches like micro feedback and the role of AI not just for efficiency, but as a partner in growth. Trust within the organization is essential for effective feedback, while defining clear outcomes can revolutionize performance management.

In this engaging discussion, the hosts tackle the challenges of balancing autonomy and alignment in IT teams. They argue that the centralized vs. decentralized debate is misleading, advocating for a hybrid approach. Key design principles for structuring federated models are explored, emphasizing the importance of defining outcomes over rigid ideologies. The conversation highlights the need for effective collaboration, accepting some redundancy for resilience, and ensuring edge teams have real decision-making authority. It's a fresh take on modern organizational dynamics!

The hosts explore the importance of genuine experimentation in complex organizational systems. They discuss how many workplace tests fail due to a lack of clear authority and resources. A marketing experiment is analyzed for its effective structure and team roles. The discussion also touches on validating problems before solutions and the cultural issues surrounding failure in experiments. Listeners are urged to create space for learning and develop a disciplined approach to testing, emphasizing that true success lies in the lessons learned.

Discover how to guide your team into the future without leaving them behind. The hosts explore the challenges of being a visionary and the loneliness that can come with it. Learn to communicate ambitious ideas in digestible ways and implement small, practical experiments to build trust. They emphasize the importance of establishing a network of like-minded futurists for support. Finally, find ways to nurture your innovative spirit outside your organization to maintain momentum and enthusiasm.

Raven Solomon, a dynamic speaker and CEO of the Future-Ready Institute, dives into the intricacies of leadership across generations. She discusses the urgent need for leaders to unlearn outdated assumptions about work and highlights how Gen Z’s disillusionment with traditional careers is reshaping corporate culture. Empathy emerges as a critical skill for understanding younger generations, while authentic inclusion is defined as valuing diverse perspectives. Raven also emphasizes the importance of humility and adaptability as work evolves in an AI-driven future.