Humanity Working

In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into the history—and the myths—around the Eisenhower Matrix. Was it really invented by Eisenhower? Did he even talk about this stuff? And how can a tool this simple be both game-changing and misleading at the same time? They explore how to apply it without over-engineering, how to spot when your team is maturing from reactive to proactive, and why “schedule” is t...

Heavy ChatGPT use may help short-term tasks—but it can quietly weaken your brain.  In this episode, Paul and Matt unpack a new MIT Media Lab study and explain how durable skills act like muscles: neglect them, and they atrophy. They close with a blueprint to keep yours sharp with a few minutes a day.  Five Key Learnings:   MIT study found weaker brain activity and “cognitive debt” after ChatGPT us...

If health underpins great work, why do so many workplaces treat it like a perk?  In this episode, Paul and Matt examine the gap between surface-level wellness offerings and real employee needs—then share how to shift toward readiness and resilience without overhauling everything.  Five Key Learnings:   Lived experience (burnout, caregiving, fatigue) doesn’t match company messaging.  Health is stil...

The highly political nature of the new South Park series has been making all the headlines, but it also has something else squarely in it’s sights - Generative AI.  This week, Paul and Matt discuss a theme from a recent episode, the sycophantic nature of ChatGPT, and what that might be doing to our productivity…and our brains. Resources mentioned in this episode: Sickofancy South Park Episode Desc...

The word “wellbeing” might be fading at work—but not because people are thriving.  In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into why the concept is being tuned out (especially by men), and how reframing it as “readiness” helps reclaim its importance without turning it into a lifestyle brand.  Five Key Learnings:   Wellbeing language can alienate—especially in high-pressure cultures.  Framing it as “read...

Instead of asking, “What’s your specialty?” ask: “How’s your T?”  In this episode, Paul and Matt break down the T-shaped career model—depth in one or more areas, breadth across many—and why it's the key to thriving in an AI-shaped world.  Five Key Learnings:   Specialization isn’t dead—but it’s not enough on its own.  T-shaped thinking means pairing mastery with adaptability.  AI makes breadt...

We still talk about “work–life balance,” but let’s be honest—does that phrase even fit reality anymore?  In this episode, Paul and Matt reframe balance not as fewer hours or rigid boundaries, but as something far more practical: managing attention, being present in the right places, and nurturing your relationships with others, your work, and yourself.  Five Key Learnings: “Balance” isn’t about ti...

Bob Johansen is a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley, and the author or co-author of 15 books, including Get There Early , The New Leadership Literacies , and Full-Spectrum Thinking , Office Shock , and The Reciprocity Advantage . In this episode, Paul and Bob catch up to discuss his latest book - the 3rd edition of Leaders Make the Future: 10 New Skills to Hu...

Garry Ridge is the Chairman Emeritus of WD-40. During his 25-year tenure, he transformed the company's culture and increased its market value from $250 million to $1.6 billion.  Garry is known for his leadership philosophy that emphasizes learning, psychological safety, and servant leadership. In this episode, Paul and Garry discuss his new book: Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It and Tribe Culture: How...

With AI and Robotics on the rise, we risk becoming irrelevant at work, yet many of us barely engaged. Are we entering into a doom loop, or are their ways to get more engaged at work without driving ourselves to burnout? Paul and Matt discuss. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. Fo...

Have you heard of BANI? If you haven’t, you probably soon will.  In today’s episode Paul and Matt discuss why the world of work is so difficult to comprehend and make decisions in, and why sometimes we confuse forward planning with fighting the last war. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human p...

Paul’s back from speaking at a Digital Nomad conference. In this episode he discusses what he learned - how digital nomadism is evolving, if it’s even viable in an AI dominated world, and what superpowers Digital Nomads have that the rest of us could learn from.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Can I truly work from anywhere? - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/can-i-truly-work-from-anywhere...

Headline unemployment numbers are low, yet many of us know people who are struggling to find work.  In this episode Matt and Paul discuss what’s really going on, if it might be a harbinger of what is to come, and what specific skills are needed to be employable as a knowledge worker. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of wo...

Paul and Matt are back to discuss why so many of the important attributes that make an organization successful are difficult to measure, and what to do about that.  Resources mentioned in the episode  Hidden Value by Dr. Keith Keating - https://a.co/d/34FC44r   Why Human Value is Often Hidden in Organizations - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/why-human-value-is-often-hidden-in?r=ourxz Humanity W...

Dr. Keith Keating is the Workforce Futurist and Chief Learning Officer for BDO and the author of the books The Trusted Learning Advisor and his new book - Hidden Value: How to Reveal the Impact of Organizational Learning .  In this episode, Paul and Keith explore the paradox facing Learning and Development teams today — at a time when the world is changing faster than ever and organizations need t...

Sorry, where were we? Ah yes, discussing distraction.  In today’s episode Paul and Matt look at why distraction is more and more of an issue at work, and what to do about it. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at...

Almost all teams are distributed today across both space and time - but the way we work in them and manage them hasn’t really adapted.  In today’s episode Matt and Paul examine what needs to be done differently to make sure that distributed teams work really well. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing the...

How do you connect what you do today, with where you want to be in weeks, months and years?  In this episode, Paul and Matt examine when goals are even needed - and how to make sure that you get them right, both in scope and time horizon. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For mo...

Work has never been more ambiguous, but why is this, and is it a good thing?  In today’s episode - Matt and Paul explore ambiguity, how it translates to employee engagement, and how to move from surviving to thriving. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For more information, and a...

The world of work has changed hugely in the last few years but the way we enable employees to do it has barely shifted this century.  In this episode Paul and Matt discuss what’s wrong with employee enablement today and how to fix it. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For more i...

Work is moving so fast that traditional career planning doesn’t work.  In today’s episode Paul gives a sneak preview of his new book, due out later this year - which looks at how to truly build a career when every day is different to the last. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. F...

We live in a more interconnected world than ever, meaning we can be exposed to new ideas and new ways of working more than ever before.  In today’s episode - Matt and Paul discuss how this change is really affecting us, and look how to sift through the noise to truly learn and grow. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of wor...

 AI is not just a tool—it fundamentally changes how work gets done. So, just doing a prompt engineering course isn’t going to cut it when it comes to creating business value with it.  In today’s episode, Matt and Paul discuss the types of skills that are really needed to thrive with AI, and how you can go about getting them.  Resources mentioned in this podcast. Thrive With AI Program - https://bi...

Growth Mindset has been a hot topic in enterprises for nearly a decade, but does it REALLY help employees grow?  In today’s episode Paul and Matt look at what’s been happening inside organizations using this approach, and propose an alternative that can achieve better results in today’s world of work. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready fo...

Work is getting more distributed and we are doing a lot of it solo, so what’s more important to focus on - how we work as individuals or how we work in a team? Matt and Paul get together to discuss what matter more, and what teamwork even means in the context of today’s work environments. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future...