The Power of Subtraction at Work with Leidy Klotz (S9:E2)

Researcher Leidy Klotz shares a simple but powerful idea: just noticing our surroundings (and choosing where we put ourselves) can boost how we feel and work. He explains how our spaces quietly shape three core needs: agency, competence and connection. When environments give people permission to adjust, move, or truly use a space, wellbeing rises. When they don’t, strain creeps in. Klotz also reveals why subtraction, not addition, is often the overlooked key to creating better places. Leidy Klotz is a professor, researcher and author who studies the intersection of design, engineering and human behavior. He’s best known for his work on how people make decisions about the built environment. Klotz teaches at the University of Virginia. The Work Better podcast is produced by Katie Pace, with assistance from Brandon Lacic. Erin Ellison provides creative art direction. Soundpost Studios edits and mixes the podcast. Sean McManaman provides technical support. Areli Arellano publishes digitally.