Work For Humans

Every building comes with a set of expectations. Students are quiet in a library, but loud on a playground. Adults are focused in their deckchairs yet chatty on bar stools. Witnessing the limitations of conventional building design, Jan Golembiewski began to leverage design psychology to improve the lives of different groups, from inmates to the elderly. As one of the world’s leading researchers i...

In a world where company worth is often measured by profits alone, Yancey Strickler sought to create a company where values mattered more than just money. Throughout his career as an author and co-founder of Kickstarter and Metalabel, Yancey continuously advocates for a new view of success, emphasizing the impact companies can make beyond the financial bottom line. Yancey Strickler is the co-found...

There is a clear divide at work between traditional finance-led companies and innovative, design-focused firms. Creative leaders face unique challenges, from guiding creative teams to addressing ethical dilemmas. As a design expert and creative at heart, Ekaterina Solomeina aims to revolutionize leadership education in this space through the Future London Academy. Here, leaders learn a fresh appro...

Today we're joined by Jeff Hunter. Jeff is an award-winning entrepreneur and the Founder of Talentism – a philosophy and organization designed to help business leaders unleash the human potential within their organizations. By shifting their focus to the untapped potential of their employees, companies can unlock innovation and growth, harnessing human talent for lasting success. Prior to Tal...

Work and urban design are continuously evolving, but there’s something to be learned from one of the oldest multi-sided businesses in history – the Grand Bazaar. This intricate market has somehow managed to sustain itself for over 500 years without a single leader at the helm. Dr. Sharon Wohl has spent countless hours analyzing the design of the Grand Bazaar, revealing how such bottom-up hierarchi...

According to Gartner Research, work friction costs employees 1.9 extra hours of work per day on routine tasks. For a company with 10,000 employees, that translates to a staggering loss of $78.4M annually. From excessive meetings to inefficient workplace processes, Christophe Martel is actively investigating the underlying causes of employee dissatisfaction. Armed with data-driven strategies, he&ap...

When Alice Katter moved from Europe to the U.S., she was startled by the prevalent 9-to-5 culture dominating her colleagues' lives. Witnessing many Americans trapped in this work-centric routine until retirement, Alice sought an alternative. Exploring the different approaches to work, she set out on a mission to help others discover connection, inspiration, and regenerative practices in the w...

It's been several years since the onset of our current pandemic labor market, yet large organizations still face challenges in recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. In response to this challenge, some organizations are leveraging new tools to source the skills they need from the talent they already have. Heather Yurko is a seasoned talent strategist who has implemented talent marketplaces...

When Joan Ryan stepped into the locker room to conduct her first post-game interview as a sports journalist, she was all but kicked out by the players. Feeling both unwelcome and undeterred, she made a firm decision to stick around and make a name for herself as one of the first female sports columnists in the country. Using over four decades of experience on the field and in the conference room,...

Ray Dalio has long been hailed a hedge-fund titan, but investigative reporter Rob Copeland discovered there was more to the story than meets the eye. In his latest book, The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend , Copeland unfolds Ray Dalio’s principles as a grand display of pride that fosters a toxic work culture full of things like paranoia and backst...

Juan Luis Betancourt, a seasoned business executive and human capital management expert, understood the vital role of meaningful connections from early in his career. Recognizing that a lack of authentic connections negatively impacts productivity and retention at organizations globally, Juan founded Humantelligence – a company that leverages analytics and AI to humanize and optimize work across s...

Rehka Magon excelled as a child because of the mindfulness tools, community service, and travel experiences she received from a young age. When she began to form her own family, she realized that conventional schooling and family settings were more likely to hinder a child's growth rather than contribute to it. Rejecting the status quo, she co-founded Boundless Life – an organization that pro...

As a young child, Andy Chaleff had to become incredibly sensitive to the emotions of others in an attempt to evade the wrath of his disturbed and abusive father. He found solace in the presence of his mother, but when he was 18, she fell victim to a fatal accident at the hands of a drunk driver. He fled the United States, embarking on a decades-long journey that led him through the business world...

Tackling workplace burnout requires more than surface-level perks like snack boxes or ping-pong tables. As Gen Z becomes a predominant workforce, the companies that invest in employee well-being will be the ones to attract, retain, and evolve with this upcoming generation. Author and international speaker Jennifer Moss recognizes that understanding the employee perspective is multifaceted. She is...

Within social justice, those most impacted by design often find themselves left out of the design process. After witnessing power struggles between the oppressed and their surroundings, design practitioner Lesley-Ann Noel identified the need for co-designing within a system to create the most productive and equitable outcome. Lesley-Ann Noel is a university professor at North Carolina State Univer...

The number of remote workers more than tripled between 2019 and 2021. While remote work is not at its pandemic peak, it is here to stay. Liam Martin has been an expert on remote work for over two decades – long before it became a household term. He argues that all organizations – new and old – need to adopt remote and hybrid models to remain competitive in the marketplace. His mission is to make r...

In the shadows of ancient Rome, a constant battle brewed between power and humanity. While slave management may sound like a thing of the past, more than 27 million people still toil under oppressive conditions today, and millions more are tied to jobs due to debts or other obligations. Although there is no comparison between slavery and a contemporary office, there is plenty to learn from history...

In this replay episode from the podcast Space Construction, organizational architect and workspace strategist Alon Schwartz interviews Dart Lindsley to discuss the management philosophy behind Work for Humans . Join them as they discuss why employees are customers, the origin of Work for Humans , AI’s role in work design, and other topics. Alon Schwartz is an organizational and strategic consultan...

Whether it's disagreements with your partner or clashes within your team, one thing is clear – conflict is a part of life. Dr. Nate Regier understands that conflict is unavoidable, but he believes it can be turned into something positive. With his framework Compassionate Accountability, Dr. Regier has helped many groups use conflict as a catalyst for growth and positive change. Dr. Nate Regie...

The philosophy behind HR and our way of working predates most of the tools we use. While companies focus on sales and productivity, most neglect to measure one of the largest sources of value within the organization – the employee experience. Jessica Zwaan has made it her mission to teach executives and their companies how to transform the employee experience using product management principles, m...

Many products are made by people but often don't consider human needs. The chair you're sitting on might not fit you well or suit your work habits and office setup. The same issue applies to how we approach work. Can a manager act as an experience designer to improve productivity, satisfaction, and well-being in the workplace? Is it practical and possible? Abraham Burickson, a design exp...

After dedicating her early professional life to a career in national defense, Ashley made a bold choice to try something different—career coaching. This transition was not without its challenges. In a distressing turn of events, she found herself burdened with a staggering $500,000 debt, reaching a point of profound personal difficulty, both financially and emotionally. It was during this period o...

With decades of experience in education, Dr. Peter Liljedahl realized that classrooms and workspaces have long been failing to engage those within them. He began a push to shift the paradigm of learning by challenging every classroom norm he could find - and it worked. Dr. Liljedahl was able to increase student thinking and engagement, and his revolutionary ideas are now able to be applied to work...

As employers constantly try to guess the next talent acquisition trend, Kevin Wheeler has studied talent management long enough to know that many answers lie in the past. In this episode, Kevin and Dart discuss current employment trends in their historical context to hypothesize the future of global talent acquisition. Kevin Wheeler is a globally known speaker, author, futurist, and consultant in...

Dr. Loretta Breuning's upbringing was marked by conflict, which shaped her into an adult who avoided confrontation. Much like many of us, she often felt stuck in her automatic reactions, not understanding their origins. However, her exploration of mammalian behavior unveiled the link between our brains, past experiences, and fundamental chemicals. Through this understanding, Dr. Breuning disc...