Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy digs into an interesting topic as it relates to EVs (electric vehicles)—that multiple industries are critical for their success. She shares her candid thoughts on some bold predictions for this space. She also discusses: New research about electric vehicles and how different industries fit. Five of the biggest hurdles multiple industries need to work through together. How AI (artificial inte...

Peggy Smedley and Ani Aprahamian, Frank M. Freimann professor of physics, University of Notre Dame, talk about her research, energy conversion, and how nuclear energy fits into the equation. She says energy is essential to our lives and we have seen increased use of energy in the last 200 years. They also discuss: How we can reach carbon goals. The process of changing energy from one form to anoth...

Peggy Smedley and Ben Rau, director of digital platforms, Twisthink, talk about what is holding industries back from achieving the full potential of the IoT (Internet of Things). He says there has been incredible advancement with technology, but scale can be a challenge. They also discuss: Specific applications for the Internet of Things. How technology can help solve problems for industries. The...

Peggy Smedley looks at sustainability at the summer Olympics 2024. She says we all had a front row seat to some of the greatest athletic achievements and some of the greatest innovations of our time—and even if we didn't know it, we were watching sustainability at work. She also discusses: The irony considering Paris was home to the 2024 Olympics and is the place where the Paris Agreement was brou...

Peggy Smedley and Jasna Jankovic, professor, University of Connecticut, talk about what is considered clean energy. She says we need to consider how much energy we really spend and global use of energy, giving a perspective by the numbers and talking about how we must first address waste. They also discuss: Trends related to materials science, engineering, and technologies. The role of education a...

Peggy Smedley and Ryan Chacon, president and co-founder, PowerShades, talk about how automated shades have evolved in the past decade. He says one thing is it is becoming much more mainstream and there is more opportunity for DIY (do it yourself). They also discuss: How automated shades integrate with other parts of the home like a smart thermostat. The benefits of automated shades. What makes thi...

How has sustainability changed in the past 12 months? Peggy answers on The Peggy Smedley Show.  She urges that we need to look at sustainability more practically and we need to develop practical business strategies that are good for business and good for sustainability. She also discusses: If sustainability investments have grown in the past two years—or remained flat. Examples of successful susta...

Peggy Smedley and Brett Shively, CEO, ACI Learning, talk about where the IT training, learning, and development landscape is heading. He says it comes down to finding a delivery modality that works for the end user; you must meet the learner where they are. They also discuss: The approach organizations must take to upskill their employees and how to invest in employee education. How employees lear...

Peggy Smedley and Rachel Salamone, chief people officer, Boston Dynamics, talk about the hiring process and what it looks like for candidates. She says the company is not unique in what it looks for in candidates, rather it is universal, which is part of what makes the competition for talent so challenging. It looks for ability, aptitude, and attitude. They also discuss: If Boston Dynamics use AI...

Peggy talks about some of the top workforce trends companies need to keep an eye on today—and she highlights how technology fits into the equation. She journeys back to the year 2019, looking at remote trends before the pandemic and highlights how trends have unfolded in the past five years. She also discusses: Six trends that leaders should being paying attention to. How to achieve greater employ...

Peggy Smedley and Irena Grugulis, chair of work and skills, University of Leeds, U.K., talk about a worrying trend in work and training—and some alternatives. She talks about how many employers are limiting or narrowing jobs and, as a result, narrowing training for those jobs, which leads to training without much learning—and why this can be both successful and counterproductive. They also discuss...

Peggy Smedley and Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor professor of management and director of the center for human resources, The Wharton School, talk about valuing employees and what employers need to do. He says most companies are service companies and the most important assets in companies are human assets. They also discuss: Why white-collar work is facing a fundamental inflection point for the f...

Peggy talks about how we must prepare for what the next generation of work will look like. She says the worker is key to ensuring successful digital transformation in the future and highly engaged individuals enjoy excelling at their roles and helping companies achieve their objectives. She also discusses: Who Gen Z is and their role in the workforce. What Gen Z wants and how Gen Z will impact the...

Peggy Smedley and Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor professor of management and director of the center for human resources, The Wharton School, talk about how we are shifting away from practices that seem to produce good results and instead are focusing on optimizing cost reduction. He says something that is not happening—but we think is—is fundamental attribution error, which is the assumption tha...

Peggy Smedley and Martin Moore-Ede, director, Circadian Light Research Center, talk about how we spend 90% of our time indoors and the impact this has on our health. He says for generations our ancestors lived under bright daylight and now we live indoors, and we live in the virtual twilight. Our internal clocks have drifted apart and that has huge health consequences. They also discuss: The impac...

Peggy talks about the state of women at work and if participation is increasing. She says women are in a perfect storm in the workplace, citing several new reports that are out and explaining what she believes will come next for women in the workplace. She also discusses: If a shattered glass ceiling is enough or if we also need to be talking about the broken rung. If the gender pay gap is widenin...

Peggy Smedley and Yannis Paschalidis, director, Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering and distinguished professor of engineering, Boston University, talk about gen AI (artificial intelligence). He says we live in fascinating times and generative AI has come to the forefront in the past few years and there are many uses, such as tutoring. They also discuss:...

Peggy Smedley and Alberto Galasso, professor of strategic management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, talk about the crucial role of patents in driving business success. He says patents have been used by businesses for a long time, but something changed in the past 20 years, and shares his book The Management of Innovation. They also discuss: If patents are important for small...

Peggy shares five steps to consider to ensure you hire the right candidate for the job. She says industry is struggling to uncover the right talent mix for the job because leadership must adjust their thinking and hiring practices. She also discusses: Where you should use technology to help in the hiring process. What the worker of tomorrow is looking for from hiring professionals. How to fill the...

Peggy Smedley and Laura Black talk to Craig Yu, associate professor, computer science, college of engineering and computing, George Mason, Brenda Bannan, professor, division of learning technologies, college of education and human development, George Mason University, and Liuchuan Yu, third-year computer science PHD student, George Mason University. They discuss a project they are doing that uses...

Peggy Smedley and David Long, CEO, National Electrical Contractors Assn., talk about electrification and where NECA contractors fit in. He says NECA will be 125 years old in 2026 and the purpose is the collective good of the industry. They also discuss: Workforce development and training and the demand on electricians and electrical contractors. Project management apprenticeships and creating a ta...

Peggy talks about the rise and fall of hospitality—before, during, and after the pandemic. She gives a glimpse of how worker shortages are impacting nearly every industry, including hospitality where nearly 80% of hotels report staffing shortages, and what needs to be done to address it. She also discusses: The state of the hospitality market. How hospitality is combating labor shortages today. Ho...

Peggy Smedley is joined by Julie Shainock, global managing director, travel, transportation, logistics, Microsoft, and Holger Mattig, SVP product management, airline and airport operations, Amadeus. Each share a little bit about the partnership between the companies and the impact it will have on airports and aviation in the future. They also discuss: Resilience in the face of extreme weather even...

Peggy Smedley unpacks a recent study about gen AI (artificial intelligence), looking at the hard numbers and identifying the value it provides. She also asks the hard questions: Are the deliverables still strong? Can quality stand the test of time? She also discusses: The percentages gen AI improves product time to market, product manager productivity, and employee experience. Four big takeaways f...

Peggy Smedley and Jules White, senior advisor to the chancellor on generative AI & professor of computer science, Vanderbilt University, talk about what he has learned teaching an online generative AI (artificial intelligence) course. He shares how he got involved in generative AI, sharing his ChatGPT moment. They also discuss: How to train faculty, staff, and students. The gen AI use cases. Why i...