Work Better
Welcome to Work Better, the podcast where we think about work and ways to make it better.
Four overarching macro shifts are fundamentally changing work and will continue to alter the landscape for years to come. Some of these shifts have been building for years, while others seem to have happened all at once. It’s the magnitude of the change, along with the pace, that is uncharted territory. First, we’re living on screen. We’re spending more time collaborating on-screen than in-person. We have more meetings than ever and most people stay at their desk for video calls instead of going to a room to connect in person. No wonder people are feeling more lonely and isolated.
We’re in the middle of an AI supercycle – a period of dramatic growth and change. People are learning how to make AI their new co-workers. It’s changing jobs and the skills we need at a dizzying pace. Sometimes that pace can be overwhelming.
Meanwhile, the number of companies setting serious carbon reduction targets jumped 102% in one year. There’s a whole new mindset about sustainability. New types of jobs are being created, roles are changing, and people need new skills—essentially a culture change. It’s all good, but it’s a lot.
Another big shift is mental health, which is on everyone’s minds. For employers it’s even more top of mind than physical health. Gen Z is coming into the workforce with higher levels of anxiety and people of all ages feel like their work-life balance is getting worse.
With all the change around us, we need workplaces to be more like thriving communities. Because communities are both places and relationships. We need places that help us build connection, trust and a sense of shared purpose. By understanding how these shifts change behavior, we can create more resilient workplaces that build community and help people perform and feel better.
This season on Work Better, we’re sharing ideas about how work is changing and why we need community more than ever. Help us spread these ideas by sharing an episode with a friend or a colleague.
Work Better is brought to you by Steelcase, a global design and thought leader in the world of work. We help people do their best work by creating places that work better. Stay-up-to-date on design, insights and research to help people work better at steelcase.com/subscribe.
Latest episodes
Feb 28, 2019 • 18min
Why Educators Are Better Together
Micro schools, team taught classes, design thinking practices. In this episode, why it’s so crucial for educators to learn from each other. Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart and author of Better Together, joins Steelcase WorkSpace Futures researchers Aileen Strickland-McGee and Gabby Scarritt for a discussion centered around the power of networking in education.
Nov 19, 2018 • 30min
How Beth Comstock Survived the ‘F’ Word in Business
Beth Comstock, former GE Vice Chair and CMO, tells us how to thrive in the midst of failure, the “F” word in business. The self-described “changemaker in chief” shares stories from her book Imagine It Forward, how she gets her crazy ideas and what trends she’s watching right now.
Nov 8, 2018 • 28min
The Business Value of Joy
Who do you serve and what does delight look like for them? Listen in to Menlo Innovations CEO and co-founder, Richard Sheridan, as he explains how these questions have helped his team create an agile work environment filled with joy.
Aug 1, 2018 • 22min
Trends for the Future of Education with Jeff Selingo
As the classroom of tomorrow continues to paint a very different picture than what you see today, author, professor and visiting scholar, Jeff Selingo, shares his vision for the future of learning and how job and technology trends will make place more important than ever.
Jul 12, 2018 • 24min
Real Talk: How to Make Work Not Suck
As 360 Magazine Editor Chris Congdon hosts a revealing conversation on how to build trust and the ongoing search for purpose at work, organizational psychologist Adam Grant shares why team building activities don’t work, why the corner office sends a bad signal and why procrastination can be a key ingredient to creativity.
Feb 26, 2018 • 16min
String Theory Schools: Redefining Urban Education
String Theory Schools, a nonprofit in Philadelphia, is on a mission to grow the world’s next creative leaders. Jason Corosanite, co-founder and chief innovation officer, shares how their pedagogies challenge conventional assumptions and help kids discover what they love at an early age.
Jan 29, 2018 • 15min
Five Lenses to Spot Great Ideas in the Workplace
David Kidder, CEO of consultancy Bionic as well as a serial entrepreneur, teaches large enterprises how to operationalize a growth mindset, talks about his “army of entrepreneurs” at Bionic and the five lenses he uses to spot great ideas.
Jan 29, 2018 • 18min
Why the Co-Creator for Scrum Bans Email
Dr. Jeff Sutherland, an original signatory of the Agile Manifesto and inventor and co-creator for Scrum, explains why he bans emails, why his team had to change its space and why Agile and Scrum are so popular today.
Oct 26, 2017 • 22min
School District Rethinks Creativity + Collaboration
How do you bring back the “buzz” in our schools? Dan Behm, superintendent of Forest Hills Public Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan, wanted to banish boring and reinvigorate students, teachers and staff at all levels. Steelcase’s Applied Research + Consulting team worked with his district to rethink curiosity, collaboration and communication.
Sep 14, 2017 • 17min
Educators Share How to Integrate Pedagogy + Space
Two educators passionate about active learning share their strategies and techniques for engaging students. Dr. Julie Marshall, teacher from South Carolina’s Saluda Trail Middle School, and Randy Hall, an educational technology facilitator at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center in New York, discuss how to reimagine and reinvent classrooms to break down barriers, develop trust and prepare students for the future.
