The Edge of Work

Rob Cross is an SVP of Research at the i4cp. A longtime expert, researcher, and author on the collaboration, teams, and organizational network analysis, Rob and his colleagues at the i4cp have recently conducted research to unearth the leading practices of how leaders collaborate effectively in today’s workplace. During this conversation, Rob Cross discusses the challenges of collaboration overload in the workplace. He explains that the explosion of collaborative work is drowning people today, leading to stress and burnout. He emphasizes the need for organizations to be intentional and precise in their collaboration efforts, rather than simply throwing meetings and teams at everything. Rob also highlights additional findings from The Team Network Effective, including the importance of effective talent practices and leadership behaviors in driving precision collaboration, what gets in the way of productive collaboration, and how leaders can make time to collaborate in intentional and precise ways.Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crossrob/Web: https://www.i4cp.com/Research: The Team Network Effect: https://go.i4cp.com/teams

Note: This is a replay from a LinkedIn Live Virtual Conversation with Lindsey PollakLindsey Pollak is a Career and Workplace Expert, Best-Selling Author, and Keynote Speaker.In this conversation, Al and Lindsey discuss the evolution of career development strategies as outlined in Lindsey's latest book, 'Getting From College to Career.' They explore the significant changes in the job market, the impact of technology and AI, the importance of flexibility in work-life integration, and the need for a supportive environment for first-time professionals. Lindsey emphasizes actionable advice for job seekers, the value of networking, and the necessity of a growth mindset in navigating career transitions.LinksLindsey Pollak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseypollak/Lindsey’s Website: https://lindseypollak.com/ Al's Website: https://al-dea.com/leadership-offerings/

We’ve got a special episode! This week, we’re in Las Vegas for the HR Tech Conference hosted by HR Executive. During the week, we spoke with a handful of leaders from various parts of the HR ecosystem to better understand what’s new and next at the intersection of technology, talent, and the workplace, including Jason Averbook (Mercer,) Carina Cortez, (Cornerstone) Kyle Forrest (Deloitte Consulting) and Thomas Stone (I4CP.)This episode features unique insights into key trends in the broader HR/technology landscape, including key insights into the role of AI, agents, and HR, the potential opportunity for collaboration between humans and machines, the intersection of tech solutions for improving company culture, and the opportunities for AI-powered learning and talent development.LinksHR-Tech: https://www.hrtechnologyconference.com/Jason Averbook, Senior Partner, Mercer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook/ Carina Cortez, Chief People Officer, Cornerstone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinacortez/Kyle Forrest, Principal & Chief Marketing Officer, Human Capital, Deloitte Consulting LLP: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleforrest/Thomas Stone, Senior Research Analyst, I4CP: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomrstone/

Katya Laviolette is the Chief People Officer at 1Password. A fully remote organization since its inception in 2005, 1Password has undergone significant growth over the past few years as it’s moved up to the enterprise, and has had to adapt and evolve its people and talent strategy to meet the needs of an evolving business and market.During our conversation, Katya spoke about some of the approaches she and the team have taken to strategically build a robust set of programs that provide intentional support and scaffolding to enable their workforce to be effective and engaged. Katya also spoke about the importance of leaders establishing clear guidelines and engaging in productive conflict, as well as how the company's remote-first environment has supplemented its focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).LinksKatya’s LinkedIn Profile:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katya-laviolette-6907b726/ Katya’s Previous Episode on The Edge of Work: https://theedgeofwork.buzzsprout.com/2046865/14679777-live-from-transform-mutual-mentorship-with-katya-laviolette-cpo-1password

Jolen Anderson is the Chief People and Community Officer at BetterUp. In her role, Jolen is not just responsible for leading the talent and people strategy at BetterUp, but she also connects and speaks with numerous HR leaders and other members of the broader HR ecosystem. During the conversation, Jolen spoke about the challenges and opportunities facing HR leaders today, and the complex nature of the role, especially in navigating both technology topics (ex: Artificial Intelligence) as well as human topics (ex: politics) Jolen also spoke about the importance of developing managers and leaders with skills in resilience, empathy, and coaching, so they can help elevate the performance of each individual employee.Links:Jolen Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolen-anderson-5616762/BetterUp: Pilots vs Passengers: https://grow.betterup.com/pilots-passengers Work with Al: https://al-dea.com/leadership-offerings/

Charlene Li is an Entrepreneur, Consultant, Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker. As a longtime expert in studying emerging technologies and their impacts on society, business and leadership, Charlene has a keen eye for what’s new and next and it’s implications for business.In this episode, Charlene shares her insights on AI, emphasizing its role in commoditizing knowledge and fostering innovation. They delve into the challenges of digital transformation, comparing it to past shifts driven by social media. Charlene also offers insight into where she is seeing organizations make progress in incorporating AI into their work, and highlights the importance of how leaders can think about leading during uncertain and evolving times. LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneli/Website: https://charleneli.com/

Dr. Alison Fragale is a Professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, a Keynote Speaker, and Author. She is the author of the newly released book Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve. A longtime researcher and expert in negotiations, influence and power dynamics, Alison’s book takes aim at helping women understand both the science and stories behind these topics to help women achieve their goals.During our conversation Alison  explores the complex dynamics of power, status, and gender in the workplace. She also shares  practical strategies for navigating these challenges, enhancing influence, and becoming both assertive and warm—a “likeble badass.” Links:Website: www.alisonfragale.comNewsletter: https://alisonfragale.substack.com/Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/712677/likeable-badass-by-alison-fragale-phd

Christopher Lind, is a Chief Learning Officer, and the writer of the Future-Focused Newsletter and host of the Future-Focused Podcast. A longtime leader in the learning and development profession, Chris has a keen understanding of the intersection of business, technology and workers, and its implications for the learning profession.In this conversation, Chris discusses the importance of finding purpose in any job, the changing landscape of learning and development, the role of a Chief Learning Officer, and the impact of artificial intelligenceI on work. Christopher emphasizes the need for intentional relationship building, self-reflection, and understanding the context of employees' work experiences. He also encourages leaders to recognize the value and potential of every individual in their organization.Links:LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind/Website: https://christopherlind.substack.com/ 

Megha Bansal Rizoli is a Senior Director at Jobs For the Future (JFF). In her role, Megha spends her time working with employers to help them build and adopt new and inclusive talent practices that create quality jobs and career mobility for more workers. During our conversation, Megha dissected what makes an Impact Employer and why they are so critical in today’s workplace. Megha also spoke about the Impact Employer Model that she and her team at JFF have developed to help organizations build more inclusive talent practices, including sharing details of the building blocks that Impact Employers can focus on, examples of inclusive talent practices, as well as insights into how Megha and her team at JFF using the Impact Employer Model to help organizations invest in their talent to grow their business.LinksJFF Impact Employer Website: https://www.jff.org/idea/impact-employer-model/ Impact Employer Summit: https://horizons.jff.org/iesMegha's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpbrizoli/

Sarah Tilley is the SVP of Talent Acquisition and Management at ServiceNow. With an organization that has over 24,000 employees across 74 different countries, Sarah and her team are focused on delivering a holistic talent strategy that supports employees across the entire talent lifecycle.During our conversation, Tilley spoke about how she and her team are thinking about a holistic and integrated talent strategy ranging from talent acquisition through succession planning and mobility. Tilley also shared how she and her team are thinking about delivering a talent strategy with respect to key trends around artificial intelligence and skills, as well as the importance of supporting employee career development through enabling strong people managers.