A podcast about work, the future and how they will go together

Back to work mandates are all the rage these days but they may not work out the way that organizations expect. The language around the mandates suggests that top performers understand the need to be at the office and want to be there and if the slackers do not then they are welcome to quit. […] The post Episode 129: Are Back to Work Mandates a Quick Way to Lose Top Performers? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

Will ordering workers to return to the office make them less lonely? To talk about that Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jim Frawley, the CEO and founder of executive development firm Bellwether. Jim is a consultant and coach who has studied and written about the the way that in-person work might be […] The post Episode 128: Will Returning to the Office Solve the Loneliness Epidemic? appeared first on LINDA NAZARETH.

If everything is on the table when it comes to the future of work, should we be talking about having workers own the company – or at least own a bit of it? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Elspeth Murray,   Director of the Centre for Innovation and Social Impact and CIBC Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University.  They discuss why the benefits from employee ownership can go far beyond money and why this work model might be a good thing for  workers and organizations and maybe for society as well. Guest: Elspeth Murray Director of the Centre for Innovation and Social Impact and CIBC Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University Elspeth Murray has served as the Associate Dean – MBA and Master's Programs from 2012-2022 and has been a professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Smith School of Business since 1996. She also holds the CIBC Fellowship in Entrepreneurship, and founded Smith's Centre for Business Venturing. She is the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact. Prior to joining Smith, she worked in industry for 7...

The climate transition has huge implications for the future of work. We know that we need to develop ‘green skills', although there is not complete agreement about how to define what those are. The  crux of it, however,  is that we are arguably moving into a new, clean energy economy or a green economy and that that will demand different kinds of skills than might be the norm right now. To talk about all of that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Hem Dholakia, Senior Research Associate with the Smart Prosperity Institute which is a policy think tank in Ottawa, Ontario Canada. They talk about what the green transition will demand in terms of workers, and how we can develop the labour force that we will need. Guest: Dr Hem Dholakia is a Senior Research Associate at the Smart Prosperity Institute, where he supports the work of the Clean and Resilient Growth team. Before joining SPI, he brings eleven years of international experience managing climate risks for infrastructure, mitigating air pollution and strengthening public health. Providing strategic advice to senior government officials and multilateral organizations has been integral to his experience. Hem is passionate about communicating science to different...

The issue of climate and climate change is a huge one today. We know that something is going on with our planet, it is getting warmer and we are having more weather events and that is impacting the economy and definitely it is impacting work. And the impacts are only going to get larger. To discuss all of those issues, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Steven Rothstein,  Managing Director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets. They talk about the risks ahead as well as the opportunities, and what organizations need to do to develop workforces that are ready to manage the new climate realities. Guest Steven Maze Rothstein is the founding Managing Director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets. Steven's 40+ years of experience are critical to explore the most effective strategies to focus on and move capital markets towards climate sustainability. Steven has had a successful career starting, managing, and growing several nonprofit, social change, and government organizations. After college he was one of Citizens Energy Corporation's founding team. He later started and ran Environmental Futures, a management and market consulting company serving enterprises seeking to grow their environmental work. He also ran...

It is a complicated time in the work world right now as organizations grapple with policies around the return to the office or remote or hybrid work. As well, the unemployment rate is rising, managers are dealing with stress around the economy and workers are uneasy about all of it. To talk about what the challenges mean for leaders in human resources, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Paul Falcone, the principal of Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting and an the best-selling author of several books on human resource and leadership. Guest:  Paul Falcone Principal, Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting  Paul Falcone (www.PaulFalconeHR.com) is principal of Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting, LLC, specializing in management & leadership training, executive coaching, international keynote speaking, and HR advisory services. He is the former CHRO of Nickelodeon Animation Studios and has held senior-level HR positions with Paramount Pictures, Time Warner, and City of Hope. He has extensive experience in entertainment, healthcare/biotech, and financial services, including in international, nonprofit, and union environments. Paul is the author of seventeen HarperCollins Leadership, AMACOM, and SHRM Books, many of which have been ranked as #1 Amazon bestsellers in the categories of human resources management, labor...

At one point we thought technology threatened jobs in fast food or retail but now we know that is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg.  AI will mean changes for all workers and  knowledge workers – the group that was once thought to be the most protected – may be at the top of the list. To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Anders Haugeto, founder of venture builder and product development studio Iterate. They talk about the disruptions ahead and as well about the way that AI will create opportunities and lead to positive changes, particularly for smaller organizations that might have had trouble competing in the past. Guest:  Anders Haugeto, founder of Iterate – a venture builder and product development studio in Oslo, Norway. Background as technologists, works today as early stage investor, startup mentor and advisor to corporations aiming to become more innovative. Last year Iterate teamed up with Magnus Carlsen, the greatest chess player of all time, and built the first version of his Fantasy Chess venture in just six weeks (using primarily humans and a dash of AI). An Optimist and Futurist, who continually tries to bridge the realities...

Behavioural science Guest: Adrian Camilleri Association Professor of Marketing University of Technology Sydney Business School Adrian Camilleri is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School. He uses experimental and survey research methods to understand, explain, and predict the cognitive processes underlying judgment and decision-making, and the application of this knowledge to environmental, financial, managerial, and consumption contexts. Links: Home https://hbr.org/2024/03/how-gamification-can-boost-employee-engagement

How can leaders develop the mental strength needed in today's work environment? To talk about that Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by  Scott Mautz,  author of the book  The Mentally Strong Leader. Guest SCOTT MAUTZ, author of THE MENTALLY STRONG LEADER, is the founder and CEO of Profound Performance™, a keynote, training, and coaching company. Mautz is a former Procter & Gamble executive who successfully ran four of the company's largest multi-billion dollar businesses, he is also the multi award-winning author of Leading from the Middle, Find the Fire, and Make It Matter. Mautz has been named a “CEO Thought-leader” by The Chief Executives Guild and a “Top 50 Leadership Innovator” by Inc.com, He is faculty on reserve at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business for Executive Education and is a top instructor at LinkedIn Learning. He lives in San Diego. Links Website: scottmautz.com  Go to scottmautz.com/mentallystronggift to download a free 60-page PDF that contains the Mental Strength Self-Assessment and prompts to help you get the most out of the book, “The Mentally Strong Leader: Build the Habits to Productively Regulate Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors”  

Is Work Life balance a myth? On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Dan Pontefract, author of the book Work Life Bloom. Dan believes that we need to move to  ‘work life bloom' rather than ‘work life balance' and he has some ideas about  what organizations should be doing to make that a reality. Guest: Dan Pontefract is a renowned leadership strategist, award-winning author, and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience helping organizations and leaders improve performance, productivity, and overall engagement. He has presented at four TED events and earned multiple industry awards including Thinkers50 Radar, HR Weekly's 100 Most Influential People in HR, PeopleHum's Top 200 Thought Leaders to Follow, and Inc. Magazine's Top 100 Leadership Speakers. Dan has written five best-selling books and he also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Links: Home

Is it time to include pet perks in more compensation packages? With talent acquisition a hot topic, everything is on the table now and perhaps that should include bringing your dog to the office, or at least having some of his health expenses covered by your benefits package. Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cerys Goodall, Chief Operating Officer + Head of People at Vetster to talk about the options around pet perks and why it might be in organizations' best interest to consider them seriously. Guest: Cerys Goodall Chief Operating Officer Vetster Cerys is a change agent with over 20 years of experience helping leading tech startups to move from ideation to growth. Links: https://vetster.com/en-ca

Can AI help people become better chess players – and if it can, what does that mean for the future of work? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Henning Piezunka the co-author of a study on  that topic which reached some interesting conclusions. If AI can train people to play chess better, then there are implications for training in the workplace, which in turn suggests that we can leverage AI to make workers more productive. Guest: Henning Piezunka is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at INSEAD and a Visiting Professor at Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. Henning's teaching is focused on startups and entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on guiding entrepreneurs in building, scaling and growing their business ideas and ventures. He teaches this material to MBA students, executives and corporations, and coaches start-up CEOs and entrepreneurial leaders. He has received outstanding teaching ratings, been on the Dean's list for excellence in MBA teaching, and won the INSEAD best teacher award multiple times. Henning is an award-winning researcher. He studies how organisations can tap into the knowledge of their members to foster greater inclusion, innovation and diversity. He has...

Workers have lives outside of the workplace, and in many cases that means being caregivers to family members who are elderly or disabled or ill. The strain of that can impact their work, and it can impact the organizations they work for as well. To talk about what organizations can do to support workers – and ultimately support themselves – Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jeff Moat of Pallium Canada a national, non-profit  focused on building professional and community capacity to help improve the quality and accessibility of palliative care. Guest: Jeffrey B. Moat Chief Executive Officer Pallium Canada Jeff joined Pallium Canada as Chief Executive Officer in 2017 where he brings 30 years of experience in creating organizational excellence, compelling social change programs and increasing consumer engagement within the not-for-profit, private sector and NGO industries. Previous to this, Jeff joined the Mental Health Commission of Canada where he established Partners for Mental Health, the country's first non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating a social movement to transform the way people think about mental health, and act towards people living with a mental health problem or illness. Jeff also enjoyed an eight-year tenure as National Director of Marketing for...

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and as well as changing and eliminating jobs it is creating new roles. On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Cliff Jurkiewicz, Vice President of Global Strategy at Phenom to talk about why it is time for companies to hire for the role of ‘AI Ethicist' and what challenges those in the role will face in our rapidly changing world Guest: Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy, Phenom Cliff Jurkiewicz is the Vice President of Global Strategy at Phenom, a global HR tech company based in the greater Philadelphia area. Cliff supports Phenom's purpose of helping a billion people find the right job by educating leaders at global organizations and their HR and HRIS teams on disruptive technologies, including AI and automation, so they can make meaningful connections with individuals throughout the talent journey. With a strong background in both design and technology, Cliff has held numerous roles in creative design and software development. Cliff is an active pilot who runs the only flight service in the country dedicated to helping those suffering from mental illness and addiction issues – Kyle's Wish Foundation. The organization is named after Cliff's son, who died at...

Remote work keeps evolving: organizations have been changing the rules around it, workers have been shifting their demands on employers, and the pieces keep shifting. To talk about the new trends in remote work, Linda Nazareth is  joined on this episode by Jelena Djordjevic, Vice President of People at Thumbtack. Thumbtack is a technology company that helps people care for and improve their homes, an they have decided to be  ‘virtual first' and are not forcing people back to work. That approach is becoming rare, but Jelena explains why it can be the right decision and talks about the ways to make it work. Guest: Jelena Djordjevic, VP of People, Thumbtack Jelena Djordjevic is VP of People at Thumbtack. She leads an organization of 80+ team members spanning Employee Experience, Recruiting, People Business Partners, People Analytics, Compensation, Benefits, Operations, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Organizational Development. In her role, Jelena is responsible for reimagining the future of work at Thumbtack as we embark on a new chapter to be the only app homeowners need to fix, maintain, and improve their homes. Most recently, Jelena served as Chief of Staff at Thumbtack. She held this role for almost three years and was...

Everyone wants to be more effective and motivated at work, but doing that can be harder than it looks. To talk about how to revitalize your relationship with work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Art Markman, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the book Bring Your Brain to Work. They discuss why motivation sometimes flags as well as practical ways that you can how to jumpstart your motivation and achieve more of your goals. Guest: Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology, Human Dimensions of Organizations, and Marketing and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published over 150 research papers on topics including reasoning, decision making, and motivation. Art brings insights from cognitive science to a broader audience through his blogs at Psychology Todayand Fast Company as well as his radio show/podcast Two Guys on Your Head. He is the author of several books including Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Brain Briefs, and Bring Your Brain to Work. Links: http:/www.smartthinkingbook.com  

Flexible work goes in and out of fashion, with always loving it and organizations being somewhat more skeptical. To talk about the state of flexible work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex+Strategy Group. They talk about Cali's latest research on attitudes about flexible work and why more change is inevitably ahead  in the world of work. 

The pandemic has changed many things, among them the state of mental health in the workplace. Things were not perfect before the pandemic, there were definitely stresses and people under pressure, but lockdowns and having to manage a different way definitely took their toll. We are now at a different point but we are still struggling to figure out the best ways to work and that is creating its kinds of stress – and people are still struggling. To talk about how mental health has changed over the past years, Linda Nazareth s joined on this episode by  Bernie Wong, Principal and Senior Manager at Mind Share Partners which is a non-profit that is focussed on workplace mental health. Mindshare has done surveys on how workplace mental health has changed over the past few years and their findings are food for thought. Guest  Bernie Wong Principal and Senior Manager at Mind Share Partners Bernie Wong, MHS, is a founding team member and Senior Manager of Insights and Principal at Mind Share Partners, a national nonprofit changing the culture of workplace mental health so both employees and organizations can thrive. Through movement building, custom training, and strategic advising, it normalizes mental...

Gen Z is a unique generation, perhaps more likely to be dealing with stress and anxiety – or perhaps just more likely to talk about it. On this episode, Dr. Sarah Adler CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc. joins Linda Nazareth to talk about how organizations can  support the mental health of their Gen Z workers and why that will ultimately benefit all sides. Guest Dr. Sarah Adler is CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc, a mental health platform that pairs affordable and quality coaching with engaging and immersive skill-building for Gen Z. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and former hedge fund analyst obsessed with improving access to high-quality mental healthcare. Dr. Adler is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University. She sits on the advisory board of Redesign Health, and the Board of Directors of mpathic, using AI to improve empathic communication at scale. Previously, Sarah was CCO at a national behavioral health start-up, and Founding partner of Peninsula Behavioral Health, a group practice providing evidence-based-care to the San Francisco Bay Area. Links: Sarah's LinkedIn Wave's LinkedIn Wave's Website

What can an anthropologist tell us about the future of work? A lot as it happens, since they  know a lot about  societies and cultures, which means that their observations about the workplace can help us understand how things are evolving and what might come next. Listen as Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lizbet Simmons, Senior Anthropologist and Futurist with Cisco as they talk about what things look like from an anthropological perspective and how to get ready for the future. Guest: Lizbet Simmons Senior Anthropologist and Futurist Cisco https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizbet-simmons-phd-b5a89b84/ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizbet-simmons-phd-b5a89b84/ https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m04/an-anthropologist-eye-on-the-future-of-work.html

The word ‘networking' may seem a bit outdated, but perhaps it is time to update its meaning. To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Andres Lares, Managing Partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute. They cover what networking means today and why and how it is something that everyone needs to be doing it in a work context. Guest:  Andres is the Managing Partner at SNI, where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the global training and consulting firm. He previously served the role of Chief Innovation Officer until 2017.  His multi-disciplinary and lingual skills broaden SNI's ability to effectively teach and consult in a wide range of industries, languages, and cultures. Andres' expertise is in deal coaching live negotiations, and has focused on sports clients such as the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Milwaukee Brewers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Brooklyn Nets. He also works in several capacities with clients across a wide range of industries – from developing online content to facilitating programs in Real Estate (Lennar), Advisory (PWC, Grant Thornton), Media (ESPN, Roku, Hearst), Banking (M&T Bank), Aerospace (Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney), Insurance (Great American Insurance), and Pharmaceutical (Novo Nordisk, Roche), to name...

Workers want more than money when they accept a job and typical looking for things like a manageable commute and a good team to work with as well. Increasingly, they are also interested in working for mission-oriented companies, wanting to work for organizations that are making a difference. But are they trading things, like money, for that? And if so, should they be? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Insiya Hussain,  Assistant Professor of Management at McCombs Business School, University of Texas, Austin. They discuss her research around mission-oriented companies and what workers should be considering as they weigh the monetary and non-monetary benefits of work. Guest: Insiya Hussain is an Assistant Professor of Management. Her research focuses on understanding how employees can overcome the challenges of speaking up at work to share their ideas and opinions, advocate social issues, and negotiate for personal rewards. Insiya's research has been published in leading academic journals including Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, and Journal of Applied Psychology. Her work has also been featured in practitioner outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Bloomberg, and Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Editorial Review...

At a time when the world of work is more stressful than ever, how can leaders avoid burning out? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo, authors of the book Selling with Noble Purpose. The discuss the ways that  leaders can and should be purpose-driven, but do it in a way that will ultimately be a good thing for all parties involved. GUESTS: Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales strategist and professional speaker whose clients include Salesforce, Kraft Heinz, and Roche. She is the author of Selling with Noble Purpose and an expert in sales transformation. Learn more about Lisa's work here. Elizabeth Lotardo is a researcher and consultant who helps organizations drive revenue and engagement. She is the co-author of Selling with Noble Purpose and holds a master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Connect with Elizabeth here. LINKS: https://www.wiley.com/en-sg/Selling+With+Noble+Purpose%3A+How+to+Drive+Revenue+and+Do+Work+That+Makes+You+Proud%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781119700890#:~:text=Using%20real%2Dworld%20data%2C%20compelling,on%20internal%20targets%20and%20quotas.  

Artfiicial intelligence is changing the world, and it will inevitably change the world of work – but what will those changes look like? To tackle this huge topic, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jason Brommet, Head of Modern Work and Surface at Microsoft.  They discuss just how disruptive AI might be, and why it is time for both individuals and organizations to be ahead of the changes. Guest Links Work Trend Index | Will AI Fix Work? (microsoft.com)

Organizations talk about the need to have diverse organizations and they may be sincere about that, but actually making that happen can be difficult to do. Designing the right programs is not easy and getting people on board can be even harder. To talk about how organizations can successfully walk the talk on diversity, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Eddy Ng.  Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business, Smith School of Business at Queens University. Guest: Eddy Ng https://smith.queensu.ca/faculty_and_research/faculty_list/ng-eddy.php Eddy Ng is the Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business at Queen's University. His research focuses on managing diversity for organizational competitiveness, the future of work, and managing across generations. His work has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants. He has edited and published 7 books and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. According to a 2020 Stanford study, he is identified in the top 2% of highly cited scientists in Economics & Business. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Co-Editor of Personnel Review. He is currently the Chair-Elect for the Gender and Diversity in Organizations division of the Academy of Management....

How does an organization get ready for the future and build a workforce that is ready for it when technology is changing so quickly? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by David Morgenstern, President of Accenture Canada. They talk about the challenges of planning and training and why the latter might have to start with the C-Suite. Guest: David Morgenstern is President of Accenture Canada where he supports leaders in business and government to embrace change, transform their organizations, and become more resilient for the future, through the combination of technology and human ingenuity. David leads Accenture's Canadian workforce committed to improving how Canadians work and live. With services in advisory, technology and outsourcing, Accenture brings technology-enabled transformation to clients in the private and public sectors, with AI, cloud, data, and security at the core of much of the business. For more than 25 years, David has held progressive leadership roles in the technology services sector, serving in both Asia and in Canada, and joined Accenture in 2010. His time at Accenture has included senior roles in Accenture Operations, focusing on supply chain and procurement services, before leading Accenture's Products & Communications client groups in Canada....

Workers want a certain amount of autonomy at work, but leaders have always been wary about providing it.  Finding the right balance is now more important than ever, and also more difficult than ever given that many workers are now working remotely. To talk about how much autonomy is appropriate at work and why leaders should provide it, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Julian Barling, Professor of Organiztional Behavior and Bordon Chair of Leadership at the Smith School of Business at Queens University and the author of the book Brave New Workplace. Guest: Dr. Julian Barling, Professor of Organiztional Behavior and Bordon Chair of Leadership at the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Dr. Julian Barling is the Borden Chair of Leadership and Stephen Gyimah Distinguished University Professor at Smith School of Business, Queen's University. He is an authority on transformational leadership and was named one of the 10 most influential leadership researchers in the world in one analysis. Julian has received numerous awards for teaching and research. In 2002, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and received the National Post's “Leaders in Business Education” award. Julian is an elected fellow of several...

Part of succeeding at work is building a strong brand and the kind of ‘social capital' that has people thinking about you when projects and opportunities come up. That is hard enough if you are at the office every day, but a lot more difficult if you work remotely and are in a sense invisible. To talk about how to get around that and build social capital even if you work remotely, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Aliza Licht, founder of Leave Your Mark and  the author of the book On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception. Guest: ALIZA LICHT is an award-winning marketer, bestselling author, podcaster, personal branding expert, and the founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK, a multimedia brand and consultancy. She advises businesses and mentors individuals on brand building and career development. Licht leverages over two decades of expertise in marketing, communications, and digital strategy in the fashion industry. She was formerly known as the anonymous social media phenomenon DKNY PR GIRL, an award-winning personality and pioneer fashion influencer with over 1.5M fans worldwide. Her reveal generated over 230M media impressions. Licht's first book, Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It...

Anxiety is everywhere, including in the workplace – but can it be used in a positive way? Better yet, are there ways that leaders and organizations can create an environment where anxiety is reduced if not eliminated? To talk about that Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Morra Aarons-Melly,  author of the book The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower.

On this 100th episode of the podcast, Linda Nazareth is joined by Carolyn Byer, Human Resources Lead at Microsoft Canada who was one of the guests early in the pandemic lockdowns. More than two years later, Linda and Carolyn reflect on how organizations had to deal with some new realities, what has been learned over this period of disruption and what has changed particularly for women and for younger generations. Guest As Human Resources Lead for Canada, Carolyn works closely with President Chris Barry and the Leadership Team to develop and execute the people strategy for Microsoft Canada. A strong business leader with proven experience in the c-suite and across all levels of management, Carolyn is a champion of Microsoft's “learn it all” and growth mindset” tenets and is committed to continuing to grow Microsoft's diverse and inclusive workforce. Prior to joining Microsoft, Carolyn served in a variety of HR disciplines globally at IBM for more than 17 years. She has a Bachelor of Psychology from University of Guelph and a Masters in Human Resources from Rutgers University. Outside of work, Carolyn focuses on her family. She enjoys conversing with others and expanding her perspectives and can typically be found...

In the future will we all wear headsets and communicate through avatars with our work colleagues? The metaverse is changing much of how we communicate and that has huge implications for the world of work. To talk about the implications Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Mark Purdy, an independent economics and technology advisor based in London who works with companies to get ready for the future of work, including work in the metaverse. Guest: Mark Purdy is an internationally recognized thought leader and advisor on issues at the intersection of economics, technology and business. He has over 27 years' experience as an economist in business and government, including twenty years as chief economist at one of the world's largest technology consultancy companies. He is Managing Director of Purdy & Associates, an independent consultancy focusing on economic and technology policy issues. He is also a senior advisor to several economics and technology analyst companies. His recent work has focused on topics such as the future of work in the metaverse, ESG, contactless commerce, AI-powered discovery, digital twins, digital trade, the rise of techno-nationalism, the economics of supercomputing, and the issues of bias and quality in AI systems. He has...

If you have a job and you have kids, you know that one impacts the other.  Logistics is part of it, but there is more as well. Our work impacts our life outside work, and our families, perhaps  more than we think. To discuss the relationship between work and families,  Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by  Maureeen Perry-Jenkins, Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the author of the book Work Matters. They talk about the ways that work impacts families and about what organizations  can do to make sure the impacts are not negative on either side. Guest: Links:  

Getting worker communication right is difficult, but it is at the crux of running an effective organization and the technology that is supposed to help sometimes seems to make things worse. To talk about effective ways to use technology to improve communication, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Nicole Alvino, Founder and CEO  at workforce communications platform Firstup. Guest: Nicole Alvino is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Firstup, the world's first intelligent communication platform – the SaaS platform used by 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. She is proud that companies like Amazon, Tesco, Ford, and Hilton use Firstup every day to connect and meaningfully engage with their people and help leaders better understand their workforce. Prior to co-founding SocialChorus (now Firstup), she was the Founder and CEO of Dermalounge and a pioneer in using new technologies to engage employees. Links: Home  

We all know what ‘ imposter syndrome' is as it relates to the workplace – the idea that you do not really belong, but are faking it as you are surrounded by people more competent than you. Then again, maybe that's a generational thing and maybe Gen Z will be the first generation that does not feel that way. That is the view of Corey Seemiller, a Gen Z expert and Professor at Wright State University. She joins Linda Nazareth on this episode to talk about why Gen Z's upbringing and experiences are giving them a different, more confident view of work and what that means for the future. Guest: Dr. Corey Seemiller Dr. Corey Seemiller is a professor in the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations at Wright State University. She is the author of The Student Leadership Competencies Guidebook, a prominent resource for developing youth and college student leadership programs. Dr. Seemiller is also the co-author of several articles as well as four books on Generation Z, including Generation Z: A Century in the Making, Generation Z Goes to College, Generation Z Leads, and Generation Z Learns. She also co-authored the Gen Z Voices on Voting...

We all want to be productive, get more done, accomplish more – but it is kind of ironic that the more we think about those things the more anxious we get and the less productive we get. If we want to be productive, we probably should focus on being calm but that is easier said than done. To talk about how we can manage that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Chris Bailey,  author of the book How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times. Linda and Chris discuss the issues around finding calm in what are indeed anxious times in the workplace and the practical ways to do that. Guest: Chris Bailey is an author and lecturer who explores the science behind living a deeper, more intentional life. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject and has garnered coverage in media as diverse as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, HuffPost, New York magazine, Harvard Business Review, TED, Fast Company, and Lifehacker. The bestselling author of How to Calm Your Mind, The Productivity Project, and Hyperfocus, Bailey's books have been published in thirty-five languages. He lives in Ottawa, Canada....

Workers are dealing with all kinds of traumas at present, both in their personal and in their professional lives. To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by by Katharine Manning, author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm and Competent Response to Trauma on the Job.  They talk about  what can be done to help workers, and more importantly, why it needs to be done, the reality being that if you do not help people deal with trauma you pay the price in terms of productivity and absenteeism and unhappy workers. Guest:  Katharine Manning is the President of Blackbird DC, which provides training and consultation on empathy at work. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job, and teaches at American University and in the Master's in Trauma-Informed Leadership Program at Dominican University. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Thrive Global, and CEOWorld. She has worked on issues of trauma and victimization for more than 25 years, including 15 years at the Justice Department, where she was a Senior Attorney Advisor consulting on victim issues in cases like the...

A different episode this week as Work and the Future Host Linda Nazareth is interviewed about her just-released book Working it Out: Getting Ready for the Redesigned World of Work.  Special guest Bridgett Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, talks to Linda about the forces that are changing the economy and the ways that they are shifting the future of work. Guest: Bridgitte Anderson Bridgitte Anderson is the President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade – Western Canada's most active and influential business association, known for influencing decision-makers, and educating, connecting with, and engaging our communities. Bridgitte is the first woman to lead the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade in its 136-year history. She is committed to building a more competitive and sustainable economy while evolving the Board's programs to foster a more diverse and inclusive region. Her career has focused on public policy, business, and journalism. Prior to Bridgitte's current role, she was the Vancouver General Manager for Edelman, a global public relations firm advising clients on crisis communication, media strategy, and government and stakeholder relations.  Following a 20-year career in journalism, Bridgitte also served as Press Secretary to BC Premier...

Working and making decisions go hand in hand.  Every day we make dozens of decisions some thoughtful and good but others perhaps clouded by emotions or by haste. They are not all wise decisions – but maybe they could be, or maybe more of them could be. To talk about how to make better decisions, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker,  authors of the book Wise Decisions: A Science Based Approach to Making Better Choices. Guests: DR. JIM LOEHR, co-author of WISE DECISIONS, is a world-renowned performance psychologist, Co-Founder of the Human Performance Institute, and author of eighteen books including The Only Way to Win. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement. Dr. Loehr is well known for his individual work with top-flight athletes and Olympians. He holds a masters and doctorate in psychology, serves on several scientific boards, and is a full member of the American Psychological Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, and has been inducted into three Halls of Fame. You can learn more at: www.jim-loehr.com/ DR. SHEILA OHLSSON WALKER, co-author of WISE DECISIONS, is...

If we are going to work effectively and have any kind of balance we need to set boundaries, but how we can we do that? In a world where work demands seem to constantly be rising, saying ‘no' to anything sometimes seems impossible.  To talk about how to set boundaries at work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Tracy Brower, a sociologist and the author of  The Secrets to Happiness at Work. Guest: Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life. She is the vice president of workplace insights for Steelcase and a contributor to Forbes.com and Fast Company. Her work has been translated into 18 languages, and you can find her at tracybrower.com, LinkedIn, or any of the usual social channels. Links: Tracy Brower.com: https://tracybrower.com/ Tracy's newest book  The Secrets to Happiness at Work: https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Happiness-Work-Purpose-Fulfillment/dp/1728230896/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=secrets+to+happiness+at+work&qid=1606271086&sr=8-2 Follow Tracy on Forbes:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/?sh=5c9ca3075185  

Should organizations force workers to take vacations? With  workers increasing reporting that they are suffering from burnout, it might help if people took time off even if they are forced to do so. To talk about the issues around that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Joe Alim, VP of product and operations at Compt. He is a believer in mandating vacations, for the good of both workers and employers, a view that might require a mindset change in the workforce but that might ultimately be a good thing: Guest Joe Alim is the VP of Product and Operations at Compt, the number one employee stipends platform that gives people the freedom to choose the lifestyle perks they really want.  He is currently focused on ensuring the HR tech startup offers an amazing customer and product experience so that providing and utilizing perks is fun, easy, and gratifying for companies of all sizes and stages. Prior to his current role, Alim co-founded the talent-tech startup, ScholarJet, which he also led as COO. His commitment to building a better future of work begins with improving the employee experience through personalization. Links: https://compt.io/  

Hybrid work has become the norm in many organizations but it is an uneasy norm, with many details to be worked out. From how many days workers should be at the office to how managers can best connect with workers, many key details are still being worked out, and there are many changes to come. To talk about what is going on and  what might come next, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work at Microsoft.  Colette shares the ways that Microsoft is approaching hybrid work and talks about what she sees as the best practices to implement as we create the future of work. Guest: Colette Stallbaumer, General Manger of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work at Microsoft. Links: 2022 Work Trend Index Pulse Report

If no one is in the office, how can you create a culture? On this episode Linda Nazareth talks to Ken Babcock, CEO and co-founder of Tango, a browser and desktop application that automatically generates how-to guides. Ken leads a fully remote team of 30 people s and he has come up with some strategies and best practices to build connection and culture, and he shares what works and what practices organizations might consider implementing as they move into the next phase of living – and thriving – with remote work. Guest:  Ken Babcock  CEO and Co-Founder, Tango Ken Babcock is the CEO and co-founder of Tango. Before setting out on a mission to help people be their best at work, he spent 4+ years at Uber riding the rollercoaster of a generational company. After getting his feet wet with entrepreneurship at Atomic VC, he went to Harvard Business School, where he met his co-founders. Links:  https://qz.com/how-a-fully-remote-team-of-30-manages-to-create-vibrant-1849649918 https://www.tango.us/?utm_source=Quartz+at+Work&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Quartz+Remote+Work+Byline

We know that partnerships and teams matter to all organizations but movies are a little different. When you get a team together to make a movie, you are bringing together a lot of creative people and as well a lot of people with competing priorities.  To discuss what makes a good creative partnership, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Angelo Tomaselli,  assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Amsterdam Business School. He has done an in-depth study of movies made by Italian directors and what makes good creative partnerships between the people who worked on them – and how those conclusions can be extended to other partnerships at work. Guest: Angelo Tomaselli is an assistant professor in entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Amsterdam Business School. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, project-based ventures, financial intermediaries, reputational signals and creative industries. He has presented at conferences such as Druid, EGOS, Oxford Reputation Symposium and the AOM Annual Meeting. He has published in the Journal of Economic Surveys, Organization Studies, Harvard Business Review. Links: https://hbr.org/2022/10/what-makes-creative-partnerships-work

Just about everyone – even if they work independently or remotely –  has to collaborate with other people on occasion. Not everyone likes to do that and not everyone does it well, but when collaboration fails there are real business costs. To talk about how organizations can encourage better collaboration and how people can do it better Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Deb Mashek, a professor and the author of the book Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredibly collaborative relationships at work (even if you'd rather work alone). Guest Dr. Deb Mashek, PhD is an experienced business advisor, professor, higher education administrator, and national nonprofit executive. Previously Full Professor of social psychology at Harvey Mudd College, she is the author of Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredibly collaborative relationships at work (even if you'd rather work alone). Named one of the Top 35 Women in Higher Education by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, she has been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Business Week, The Hechinger Report, and Fortune. She writes regularly for Psychology Today. Deb is the founder of Myco Consulting LLC, where she speaks, advises, and provides professional development to those seeking to build better workplace collaborations. Links https://www.debmashek.com

After work usually comes  retirement, except that the line between the two is not quite what it used to be. With people living longer and with investments not always working out, there are a lot of people aged over 65 who make their way back into the labour force, sometimes by plan by often because after leaving their jobs they realize that they are not yet done with work.  To talk about how this is playing out, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Mike Drak, author of  and Simon Chan, CEO of Adapt with Intent Inc., a boutique advisory and coaching firm that helps individuals, leaders and organizations adapt to the Future of Work. Guests:  Mike Drak Author, Longevity Lifestyle by Design: Redefining What Retirement Can Be Mike Drak is an author, public speaker and recognized authority on the non-financial aspects of retirement. After having spent 38-years in the financial services industry, Mike retired and personally faced what he called “retirement shock”. During this time, Mike found himself on a journey of self discovery and authored two best selling books on retirement; Victory Lap Retirement and Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? Mike is now a...

Despite the  inroads women have made in the workforce over the past decades, the progress may not be as good as it looks particularly when it comes to the C-Suite. On this episode Monica Hamori, Associate Professor at the IE Business School in Madrid joins Linda Nazareth to take about a study she co-authored looking at 40 years of data on executives in the largest U.S. corporations and what it reveals about women's progress – or lack thereof – and what companies can do to turn things around. Guest: Monica Hamori Associate Professor, IE Business School, Madrid Monika Hamori received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently an associate professor of Human Resource Management at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, where she teaches talent management to MBA and Executive MBA classes. Her academic research focuses on diversity and inclusion, and on topics related to employee development and top executive careers. Her articles appeared in top academic journals such as Organization Science or the Journal of Applied Psychology, and in premiere practitioner outlets such as the Harvard Business Review and the MIT Sloan Management Review. Links: https://www.ie.edu/business-school/faculty-and-research/faculty/monika-hamori/ https://thinkers50.com/biographies/monika-hamori/

The workplace is in a state of flux, and that includes the physical workplace.  It used to be the place we went to because that is where we could work – that was where the computers were and we had to sit in board rooms to meet with each other but that has changed.  To discuss how to create new physical workspaces to go with the hybrid world, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Doug Shapiro, VP of Research and Insights  at global furniture manufacturer OFS  and  the host of the podcast  Imagine a Place. Guest Doug Shapiro VP Research and Insights, OFS & Host, Imagine a Place Podcast As vice president of research and insights at OFS, Doug brings more than 15 years of experience collaborating with product and interior designers from around the globe. After graduating from Millikin University with a bachelor's in business, he began his career at OFS in international sourcing before transitioning to director of product development. Since that time, he has held a number of roles, including brand manager, director of A+D sales, VP of marketing and regional vice president for the central U.S. A well-respected and expressive thought leader in the design industry, Doug is also...

Is it time to deconstruct jobs and how do we do that? On this episode Linda Nazareth is joined by Ravin Jesuthasan, co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Work Without Jobs How to Reboot Your Organization's Work Operating System. They talk about why it may be time for a radically new way of looking at work and why the  systems we have now around work are out-dated. Going forward, we may need to think in terms of a new “work operating system” that deconstructs jobs into their component parts and then reconstructs them in a way that reflects the skills and abilities of individual workers. As well, they talk about the need for continuous re-skilling of the workforce, and why that mean the degrees that might mean that the expensive educational degrees held in such high regard may not be quite as desirable in future. Guest: Ravin Jesuthasan, Senior Partner, CFA FRSA Ravin Jesuthasan is the global leader of Mercer's Transformation Services business. He is a recognized global thought leader, futurist and author on the future of work and workforce transformation.  He has led multiple research efforts on the global workforce, the emerging digital economy, the rise of artificial intelligence and the transformation...

Resilience has become a kind of buzzword when it comes to business and when it comes to our lives. We are told to be resilient and to bounce back from setbacks, and we also hear about the need for resilient organizations, especially in the wake of the turmoil in the world. But what to leaders need to understand about resilience and what are they getting wrong about it? To discuss that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Danielle King, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences at Rice University.  They talk about what resilience really is, and what leaders need to understand about it to create a culture that encourages it in the right way. Guest Dr. Danielle King. Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University. Dr. King focuses the majority of her professional time on the study of RESILIENCE. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and published in both book chapters and scientific articles. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in IO Psychology from Michigan State University. Links https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/danielle-king https://hbr.org/2022/06/what-leaders-get-wrong-about-resilience      

The finance sector has been one of the economic leaders over the past few years, with companies seemingly hiring as many workers as they can. And it isn't just the finance sector…workers with skills in financial analysis have been in hot demand in all kinds of sectors and even if the economy slows a little over the next few years it does not seem like that will change. Then again, technology is disrupting everything and there are reasons to think that both the nature of jobs in finance and maybe the number of them will shift in future. How are careers in finance changing and what skills will be needed as we move forward?To talk about all of that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by y by Rebecca Fender, Head of Strategy and  Governance for Research, Advocacy and Standards for the CFA Research Institute.

This year has been a tough one for a lot of organizations. They have needed workers, sometimes needed them desperately, and it has not been easy to find them and they have been continuously losing them as we go through this thing called the Great Resingnation.   Now there have been a lot of things that companies have tried in terms of attracting and retaining workers, like money and bonuses and time off. One thing that is also being tried, and perhaps will be one of the more successful ways to hold on to people is through supporting continuing education for workers. Because if you listen to what they are saying, it is clear that people want to continue learning, for a lot of reasons, and that when their employers support them with that they are appreciative and happy and a lot less likely to quit their jobs. Is supporting education the key to retaining workers? That was one of the findings of a survey done by Strategic Education Inc.  an education company that serves working adult students.  Terry McDonough. ]President of Education Technology and Enterprise Services at Strategic Education joins Linda Nazareth on this episode to talk about the...