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
Aug 23, 2017 • 19min
IDEO Measures & Cultivates Innovation in the Workplace
IDEO, a global design and consulting firm, is now helping organizations identify and measure workplace innovation with a tool called Creative Difference. 360 Real Time spoke with IDEO products managing director, David Aycan, about how the tool can help teams discover surprising new data and how the work environment plays a role.
Jun 9, 2017 • 11min
Skylar Tibbits on a 3D Printing Breakthrough
Founder of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, partnered with Steelcase to explore the future of furniture personalization. His creative, innovative team helped break 3D printing barriers.
Jun 7, 2017 • 18min
Tim Brown on Leading Creative Organizations
IDEO’s Tim Brown talks about the three roles leaders have in creatively-competitive organizations and how to assess the creativity of a company.
