EP 80: The Skills AI Can’t Replace (And Why They Matter More Than Ever) with Sonia Clarke

As AI takes over more of what we do at work, the question isn't whether your job will change. It's whether you're developing the skills that machines simply can't replicate.In this episode, I sit down with Sonia Clarke, collaboration designer, facilitator and founder of Clever Manka, to explore what it really means to work well with other humans and why that skill has never mattered more. With over two decades of experience helping organisations communicate, think and work better together, Sonia brings a perspective that is equal parts rigorous and deeply human.We get into why good collaboration never just happens, what the MIT research on high performing teams actually tells us, and why the way we work today was designed for factories — not knowledge workers. We also explore Sonia's upcoming book The Collective Code, which makes the case that there is another way to work, and it might be closer to how people worked hundreds of years ago than we think.Key TopicsWhy good collaboration has to be intentionally designed and what most organisations get wrongThe three things MIT research found in every high performing teamWhy the modern work day was built for factories and is fundamentally broken for knowledge workThe human skills that will matter most as AI reshapes the workforceHow to build trust and deeper relationships in hybrid and remote environmentsWhat collectives are, why they're growing, and what they mean for the future of workWhy women are leaving the workforce — and why that should concern all of usAbout SoniaSonia Clarke is a collaboration designer, facilitator, writer, yoga and meditation teacher, and the founder of Clever Manka. With more than two decades of experience helping organisations communicate, think and work better together, Sonia brings a unique blend of corporate expertise and human-centred leadership. Her career spans senior leadership roles including Director at PwC's Future of Work Practice and leader of its creative communications business. She is the author of The Collective Code newsletter and is currently writing a book of the same name — exploring the human skills that will matter most as technology continues to reshape how we live and work.Connect with SoniaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sonia-clarke Substack: substack.soniaclarke.comResources MentionedHumankind by Rutger BregmanJohn Demartini Values Process Keywordscollaboration, future of work, human skills, AI, collective intelligence, remote work, hybrid work, trust, wellbeing, leadership