The Edge of Work

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea shares key takeaways from six to eight weeks on the road, spanning client work, conferences, and his At The Edge dinner series. In this episode, Al reflects on conversations with a couple hundred HR and business leaders, highlighting four signals in AI adoption and transformation, including insights on moving beyond AI tooling and training, methods...

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, host Al Dea shares key takeaways from his time attending  HR Tech Conference 2026 in Las Vegas, highlighting emerging trends in HR technology and their implications for the future of work. In this episode, Al shares some of his thoughts and insights from the 400+ vendors on the Expo Hall and in particular categories like AI enablement and AI/HR agents and...

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea explores why traditional career planning may no longer be enough in a rapidly changing workplace. He introduces career experimentation, a curiosity-driven approach that replaces rigid career roadmaps with small, practical tests designed to uncover new interests, build skills, and identify opportunities. Al outlines a four-step framework: formulate a...

Joe Leslie is Vice President of Global AI L&D at Golin Ketchum. In this episode, Joe shares how organizations can move beyond basic AI training to drive meaningful adoption and behavior change. He discusses how Golin Ketchum increased weekly AI usage among client-facing teams from 15% to 93% in 18 months, emphasizing the importance of leadership support, role-specific learning, and practical a...

Debbie Lovich is a Managing Director & Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and Author of Make Work Work: The 5 Daily Practices of the Employee-Centric Leader . In this episode of The Edge of Work, Debbie discusses why she believes work is broken and how organizations can become more employee-centric without sacrificing performance. She explains why employee experience needs to focus on t...

Lauren Tropeano is Chief People Officer of Docebo. In this episode, Lauren explores how organizations can navigate rapid change, develop talent, and create the conditions for successful AI adoption.  She introduces the concept of the “renaissance worker,” someone who combines core expertise with adjacent skills and interests to create value beyond traditional roles. Lauren discusses how a skills-b...

Samantha Dray is Director of Early Career Finance & Strategy Development Programs at ServiceNow. In this episode, she shares how ServiceNow is rethinking early career development by putting emerging talent at the center of AI and automation initiatives. Samantha explains the company’s AI accelerator sprint, where early career professionals spend three focused months identifying business proble...

Tanya Moore is the Chief People Officer at West Monroe. In this episode, she joins The Edge of Work to discuss how organizations can navigate transformation while keeping people and business performance at the center. Tanya shares how she's leading transformation at West Monroe and how she and her team are sensing and responding to shifts in the professional services industry, from investing...

Emily Field is the Chief People Officer at LPL Financial. In this episode Emily she shares lessons from her transition from management consulting to becoming a Chief People Officer, including how to approach onboarding, operate as a strategic business leader, and serve as the connective tissue across an executive team.  During the conversation, Emily also discusses how AI is changing work design,...

In this solo episode, The Edge of Work host Al Dea takes a closer look at the idea that AI transformation is a change management challenge and explores what that really means for organizations. Drawing on his own speaking and coaching work as well as dozens of conversations with leaders working on AI adoption and enablement, he outlines six themes that go beyond simply introducing new tools: under...

Ketaki Sodhi is Head of AI Enablement at Moody's Corporation. In this episode, Ketaki shares her perspective on what it really takes for organizations to move beyond individual AI productivity toward enterprise-wide transformation.  They discuss why the biggest barriers to AI adoption are no longer technical, but organizational, spanning culture, workflows, leadership, data, and incentives. F...

Sangeet Paul Choudary is the Founder of Platform Thinking Labs. In this episode, Sangeet joins the podcast to explore how AI is reshaping knowledge work, organizational structures, and the way businesses create value.  He explains why the biggest impact of AI may not be automation, but coordination, why most conventional explanations of Jevon’s paradox are off,  and why leaders need to think beyon...

Yolanda Seals-Coffield is Chief People & Inclusion Officer at PwC US. In this episode, Yolanda discusses how one of the world's largest professional services firms is preparing its workforce for the age of AI. During this conversation, Yolanda shares PwC's approach to AI upskilling, why human skills are becoming an even greater competitive advantage, and how the firm is reimagining a...

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work , Al Dea reflects on the biggest leadership challenges emerging from his conversations with executives and organizations this year. From the unintended consequences of AI mandates to organizational whiplash, leading without certainty, and navigating growing workforce anxiety, Al unpacks the patterns shaping today's workplace. He introduces the idea of...

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Author of Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) . In this episode, Tomas challenges the conventional wisdom that authenticity is always a virtue, especially in leadership. He explains why showing up as your “whole self” can backfire, and why striving to bring your best s...

Note: This is a replay of a live webinar on the topic of how to lead change . Leading change has never been more complex. In this episode, Al Dea explores why today's workplace demands a new approach to change leadership and shares practical strategies for helping people navigate uncertainty. Learn why transformation efforts often stall, how to avoid common leadership pitfalls, and what it ta...

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode Greg Satell is the Author of Cascades: How to Create a Movement That Drives Transformational Change . In this episode of The Edge of Work , Greg joins Al Dea to explore why most organizational change efforts fail and how leaders can spark lasting transformation. Drawing from his front-row experience during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and 15 year...

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode Greg Shove is the CEO of Section AI, a company helping enterprises and teams become truly AI-enabled. In this episode of The Edge of Work , Greg shares his journey of pivoting Section from an online business school to an AI-powered transformation partner. He discusses why most companies are struggling to adopt AI, the mistakes leaders make when...

David Chestnut is a Principal Director of Human+AI Talent Strategy. In this episode, David joins Al to explore how AI is changing the relationship between human expertise, effort, and work itself. Drawing on his experience helping organizations adopt AI, David explains why AI is not a technology adoption challenge but a human capability challenge. During this conversation, David shares insights on...

Robin Barbacane is the Head of Talent Development and Workforce Transformation at Rackspace. In this episode, Robin joins The Edge of Work   to discuss what it takes to move beyond AI experimentation and drive enterprise-wide workforce transformation. She shares how Rackspace has approached becoming an AI-first organization, including the development of AI-powered solutions, employee-led innovatio...

Kelly Monahan is an Author, Speaker and Researcher. She is the Co-Founder of Beyond The Desk, where she researches the intersection of AI, leadership, and the future of work. In this episode, Kelly shares her perspective on how organizations are navigating the growing gap between AI investment and measurable business value.  She shares insights from her work with executives and boards, including w...

Melody Wilding is the Author of Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge . In this episode, Melody and Al explore why managing up is not about pleasing your boss, but about creating the clarity, influence, and support you need to do your best work. She shares practical strategies for navigating workplace relationships, aligning priorities, setting boundaries, building visibi...

Dr. Jerry Kane is a Professor at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. In this episode, Jerry joins The Edge of Work Podcast to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping work, learning, and leadership faster than most organizations can keep up.  Drawing on his work with students and executives, he shares why artificial intelligence is less about technology and more abo...

Charlene Li is the Author of Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success . In this episode, Charlene joins Al to break down what it really takes for organizations to move beyond AI experimentation and start creating real business value. She explains why companies should stop thinking about AI as a separate strategy and instead use it to strengthen their existing business goals. Charlene also...

In this solo episode of the Edge of Work, host Al Dea shares his perspective on what it means to lead through uncertainty in a world of work that refuses to stand still. Drawing from his research and work with leaders across industries, Al explores why traditional playbooks are falling short and what it takes to navigate constant change with confidence. He breaks down five key behaviors for leadin...