Roof Shots, Not Just Moonshots: The Power of Innovation-ish with Tessa Forshaw

How can leaders create real learning environments in today’s fast-paced, AI-driven workplace? On this episode of Humanity at Scale, host Bruce Temkin welcomes Tessa Forshaw, cognitive scientist and co-founder of Harvard’s Next Level Lab, about reimagining how adults build skills at work. Tessa explains why traditional training often fails, and how “learning in the flow of work” helps people connect new knowledge directly to daily challenges. She highlights metacognition, thinking about your thinking, as the essential skill for thriving in times of rapid change. Together, they explore how managers can act as cognitive apprentices by making their decision-making visible and transparent, and why small, incremental “roof shot” innovations often matter more than moonshots. Tessa also shares her insights on blending AI coaching with human mentorship to scale workplace learning while keeping it human-centered.