WorkMatters

In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Sergio Caredda about why AI is forcing organizations to confront a much deeper issue: no one really owns work design. HR owns roles and skills. IT owns systems and platforms. Operations owns processes. Strategy owns intent. But as AI begins to reshape tasks, decisions, capabilities, accountability, and governance, organizations need a mor...

Everyone is talking about the future of work. But much of the conversation is filled with buzzwords, vendor language, and overly simple predictions about what AI will do to jobs, organizations, and HR. In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Andy Spence about what is real, what is hype, and what leaders should actually be paying attention to as AI changes the way work gets done...

Many organizations are built around the assumption that problems can be analyzed, controlled, and solved through cause and effect. That assumption works well when the problem is clear or complicated. It is far less useful when the problem involves people, culture, leadership, relationships, change, or uncertainty. In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Boudewijn Bertsch about...

Talent acquisition is one of the most important processes in any organization. It determines who gets hired, what capabilities the organization builds, and whether the business can actually execute its strategy. And yet, in many companies, the process feels completely broken. In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Gabriella D. Salvatore about how AI is changing HR and talent a...

Workforce planning has always been difficult. For years, many organizations treated it as an annual headcount exercise: review the org chart, forecast roles, estimate capacity, and move on. But AI is changing the equation. In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Ram Venkatraman about how strategic workforce planning needs to evolve as organizations move from AI as a tool, to AI...

Governance is not usually a word that gets people excited. For many leaders, it brings to mind compliance, bureaucracy, policies, and control. But Jesper Persson sees governance differently. In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas Bertels speaks with Jesper about why governance should be understood as the way an organization steers itself. At its core, governance is about three practical questions...

Even the best athletes in the world have coaches. Not because they lack skill, but because high performance requires continuous feedback and refinement. Leadership is similar. Executive coaching matters because the higher someone rises in an organization, the fewer honest mirrors they have. Authority creates distance. Distance reduces feedback. Coaching helps close that gap. Jeremy Robinson has no...

In this episode, Thomas Bertels and Bruce Bolger, founder of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, discuss what lessons we can learn from Total Quality Management (TQM) about creating a creating a movement. Bruce argues TQM succeeded because competition made the economic impact of poor quality undeniable, while engagement lags because most companies don’t measure its costs within their own operation...

When it comes to leadership, context makes a big difference. Leaders that do well in large, established organizations are masters of securing resources, building consensus, and navigating the politics. But if you take those successful executives and put them into a leadership role in a start-up, many of them struggle - because leadership in a start-up requires a different set of skills. Michele Fi...

In this episode of the Work Matters Podcast, host Thomas Bertels is joined by Jesse Jacoby, founder of Emergent Consultants, to discuss best practices for managing layoffs and how to minimize negative impact on morale and productivity. Jesse delve into the roles of senior leaders and middle managers, the hidden costs of mishandling layoffs, the critical importance of clear communication, and the i...

Steve Degnan is the former CHRO for Nestle Purina North America, a role he held for nearly two decades under three different CEOs. In conversation with host Thomas Bertels, Steve offers his views on what good HR looks like, where the biggest opportunities are for HR to add real value , why seizing these opportunities is often challenging, and what the future holds for the HR function. He shares hi...

In this episode of the Work Matters Podcast, host Thomas Bertels and Patrick Farran talk about the power of co-creation. The conversation highlights the importance of involving team members in decision-making processes for significant change initiatives, because people value what they help create. Patrick explains the benefits and challenges of a co-creation approach and provides scenarios where c...

In this episode of Work Matters, host Thomas Bertels talks with independent analyst Dave Friedman about the nuances of AI adoption in large enterprises. They discuss common misconceptions about AI, and the potential risks of integrating AI into business operations. Dave predicts a slower-than-expected adoption in large corporations due to legal, operational, and compliance challenges. He also high...

In this episode of the Work Matters Podcast, host Thomas delves into change leadership with Elizabeth Moran, the founder of Elizabeth Moran Transformation and author of 'Forward: A Playbook Grounded in Neuroscience to Support Leaders Through Change’. The conversation explores why change is challenging for leaders, practical tips grounded in neuroscience for effective change leadership, dealing wit...

In this episode of the Work Matters podcast, host Thomas Bertels and HR thought leader Stela Lupushor explore how AI is reshaping workforce dynamics. Stela highlights the evolving role of HR in equipping line managers with necessary skills for AI-enabled work environments and discusses the implications of AI on workforce metrics and employee development. With a focus on the foundational changes AI...

In this episode, Thomas Bertels talks to Andrew Patricio, head of data and AI for UNIDOS US, the largest Hispanic advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States. In this conversation, Andrew describes how UNIDOS got started on its AI journey, explains the limitations and risks involved with AI, and explores the implications for the workforce, including potential job displacement and t...

In this episode of Work Matters, host Thomas Bertels and innovation management expert Bill Fischer discuss the Chinese company Haier and how its unique operating model has enabled its rapid growth. Bill explains how Haier evolved from its roots as a local refrigerator company to become a global innovator by embracing two big ideas: zero distance to the customer and entrepreneurship. The discussion...

In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas and his guest Rami Goldratt explore the theory of constraints, its applications, and its impact on organizations. Rami currently serves as CEO of Goldratt Consulting. Over the years, Rami has been involved in consulting engagements with retail, automotive, textile, chemical, and service industries all around the world. Rami is considered one of the most infl...

In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas and Tina Robinson discuss why engagement matters for leaders and how to make it personal. Tina is the founder of Work Joy, a leadership development and coaching boutique. For 25 years, Tina has played at the intersection of humans, technology, and work. In her corporate days, Tina directed global change management initiatives, overhauled HR functions, transf...

In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas talks with Bruce Rosenstein, the managing editor of the acclaimed business journal ‘Leader to Leader’ and a longtime student of Peter Drucker's work, about the relevance of Drucker's management theories in today's world. Bruce first got introduced to Drucker’s ideas in the mid-1980s while studying library management at Catholic University, where he encounter...

In this episode of Work Matters , host Thomas Bertels welcomes Steve Crom, former chairman and partner emeritus of global consulting firm Oxygy. With over four decades of experience in transforming work and improving productivity for leading global companies, Steve shares his insights on managing across cultures and how national culture influences how work gets done. Drawing from his personal expe...

In this episode, host Thomas Bertels talks to Dennis Adsit, president of AdsumInsights, about employee development. Dennis explains why leaders should prioritize developing their employees. He starts by emphasizing the significance of people development beyond the altruistic perspective. Leaders who focus on developing their teams not only leave a lasting legacy but also benefit from improved team...

In this episode, Thomas and Ellen Frank-Miller, the founder of the Workforce and Organizational Research Center (WORC), explore the topic of job quality. Ellen explains the mission of WORC - creating an economy where every worker has a job worth having, and shares insights from a comprehensive review of over 3,000 peer-reviewed articles on managerial and organizational science. She highlights key...

In this episode host Thomas Bertels welcomes Jeff Wald to discuss his book, "The End of Jobs." Jeff is the founder of WorkMarket, an enterprise software platform for managing freelancers, as well as several other tech companies. An active angel investor, startup advisor, and speaker, he previously held leadership roles in Financial Services with Barrington Capital Group, Glen Rock, and JP Morgan....

In today's Work Matters, Thomas talks with Dart Lindsley, head of Global Process Excellence for People Operations at Google. He previously led the HR Transformation Planning and Analysis organization at Cisco Systems and is the host of the popular "Work for Humans" podcast. In this discussion, Dart unpacks what makes the middle manager role so challenging. He explains how managers are pulled in tw...