The Future Of Less Work

What does it actually take to hire the best person for the job no matter where they are in the world?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Sagar Khatri, CEO and co-founder of Multiplier, to explore what’s really behind the promise of global hiring. The idea sounds simple: if talent exists everywhere, companies should be able to access it from anywhere. But in practice, most organizations stilldon’t. Sagar explains why the challenge is no longer about possibility but about execution. From operational complexity to deeply ingrained habits, companies are still figuring out what it takes to actually hire across borders. The conversation also uncovers a shift in how companies engage talent. Moving beyond outsourcing and contract work, organizations are increasingly hiring globally as employees—especially in critical roles shaped by AI, where ownership, continuity, and intellectual property matter more than ever. And global hiring itself is evolving. It’s no longer just about accessing lower-cost talent. It’s becoming a way to access markets,customers, and growth—changing how companies think about where work happens and why.If you’re trying to understand the shift from moving people to work to moving work to people — and what it takes to actually make that happenת this episode gets to what’s actually changing, and what it takes to make itreal.https://youtu.be/BDiPm87u0_QGuest Information:Sagar Khatri, a visionary leader and entrepreneur, serves as the CEO and co-founder of Multiplier, a pioneering global employment solution empowering businesses to seamlessly hire, onboard, and compensate talent across 150+ countries. Motivated by his firsthand encounters with the complexities of international expansion in prior ventures, Sagar, alongside his co-founders, established Multiplier to redefine the employment landscape. Their mission is to simplify global workforce management, ensuring it's as effortless as managing local teams, while handling intricacies such as employment contracts, payroll, taxes, and benefits in compliance with local regulations.Links:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagar-khatri-53529359/Multiplier website: https://www.usemultiplier.com/Chapters:00:00 What Does It Mean To Hire Talent Anywhere In The World?01:08 Are Companies Really Hiring Globally?02:14 Why Is Work Still Tied To Location?03:04 How Remote Work Changed Global Hiring05:25 Why H-1B Costs Are Changing Hiring Strategy08:23 What Actually Blocks Global Hiring Today?09:02 Why Companies Are Still Afraid To Hire Internationally10:11 Are Companies Moving Away From Gig Work?10:59 Why AI Is Driving A Shift Back To Full-Time Employment14:04 Why Companies Around The World Are Hiring In North America15:30 How AI Is Changing Global Talent Flows17:08 Can You Build A Global Company From Anywhere?19:41 What Will The Workforce Look Like In The Age Of AI?23:30 What Are Micro Enterprises And The “Atom Of Work”?25:12 What Is The Most Important Question About The Future Of Work?25:39 How Global Work Changes Careers, Companies, And Governments

What happens when employees can do more than their organizations allow? As AI takes on execution, people are gaining the ability to direct work, make decisions, and own outcomes. But most organizations are not built to absorb that shift.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jared Spataro, Chief Marketing Officer, AI at Work at Microsoft, to explore the findings behind the 2026 Microsoft Work Trend Index—and the growing gap between individual capability and organizational readiness.Together, they unpack what Microsoft calls “blocked agency,” the emerging reality where employees are ready to operate at a higher level but are held back by outdated structures, metrics, and management practices. The conversation explores how AI is shifting work from execution to decision-making, why the most advanced users sometimes choose not to use AI, and how “frontier professionals” are already redesigning work around agents.Spataro shares what separates “frontier firms” from the rest, why organizational culture and management practices matter more than individual skill, and how both bottom-up experimentation and top-down leadership are required to unlock real value. He also offers a look at what’s already changing inside software development—and why that transformation is a preview of what’s coming across all knowledge work.If you’re trying to understand why AI isn’t delivering the impact organizations expected—or what it will take to redesign work around it — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI Is Expanding Employee Agency. Why Most Organizations Block It⁠⁠”, to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/F1T121bDMp4 Guest Information:Jared leads efforts to help every organization leverage AI to solve their unique business problems, reduce costs, and drive net-new value creation. Jared and his team conduct research to help predict and shape what the future of work and business will look like across industries, while also delivering new products and features within Copilot, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform.  Links:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index Chapters:00:00 – How AI Is Changing Work In 202601:48 – 2026 Microsoft Work Trend Index02:43 – What Kind Of Work People Use AI For Today04:01 – Who Are Frontier Professionals In AI06:01 – Why The Best AI Users Know When Not To Use AI06:55 – Will AI Hurt Learning And Skill Development At Work08:35 – What Is Blocked Agency At Work09:14 – Why Organizations Block AI Impact10:38 – Can Managers Unlock AI Without Changing Culture11:10 – How One Employee Can Change AI Culture At Work13:06 – Why Fear Blocks AI Adoption In Organizations14:57 – Why AI Training Alone Doesn’t Work15:39 – What Is A Learning Organization In The Age Of AI17:46 – What Are Frontier Firms Doing Differently With AI18:09 – How AI Is Changing Jobs From Doers To Managers20:26 – What Happens If Organizations Get AI Right22:27 – Can Companies Transform Fast Enough For AI23:39 – Why The Future Of Work Is Not About Efficiency

What really happens when AI enters a large organization? How does it reshape roles, skills, and work itself? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Maryjo Charbonnier, former Chief Human Resources Officer at Kyndryl, to explore what it actually takes to translate AI from strategy into workforce reality inside a large, complex organization undergoing transformation.Drawing on her experience leading the transition of 80,000 employees through Kyndryl’s spin-off from IBM, Maryjo reframes AI not as a technology shift, but as a cultural and behavioral one. Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping work by breaking work into tasks, workflows, and skill combinations that can be reassembled in new ways. The conversation dives into one of the hardest operational challenges organizations face today: understanding skills. From overwhelming amounts of data to building AI-powered systems that dynamically match people to work, Maryjo shares what it takes to move from job-based structures to skill-based deployment at scale.If you’re leading AI transformation—or trying to understand how to align technology, people, and work in a system that no longer stands still—this conversation offers a grounded, inside look at what it takes to make it work.https://youtu.be/kk7Ys5CpR1MGuest Information:Maryjo Charbonnier serves as Executive Advisor to Kyndryl, supporting customers in transforming their workforces in the age of AI. She was Kyndryl’s first Chief Human Resources Officer from its founding as an independent company in 2021 to March 2026, bringing extensive experience in global HR leadership and large corporate transformations.Maryjo joined Kyndryl from Wolters Kluwer, a global provider of professional information, software solutions and services for professionals, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer since 2015. Prior to joining Wolters Kluwer, Maryjo served as Chief Human Resource Officer at Broadridge Financial Solutions for seven years. Earlier in her career, she was an HR executive in a variety of leadership roles at PepsiCo, including VP for Talent Sustainability for PepsiCo Foods Americas, a unit with $30 billion in revenues and more than 120,000 employees.A native of the Detroit area, Maryjo is a graduate of Catholic University in Washington, DC, and earned her MBA at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She was named "CHRO of the Year” in 2019 and 2024.Links:Kyndryl’s approach to change management in the agentic AI era 2025 Kyndryl Readiness Report Chapters:00:00 – How Are Companies Actually Implementing AI In Large Organizations?01:36 – Why AI Transformation Is a Culture Change, Not a Technology Change05:17 – How Do You Build a Learning Organization That Actually Works?05:59 – How AI Changes Jobs: From Tasks to Workflows to Roles08:17 – Who Owns Reskilling in the Age of AI? Employees or Managers?09:04 – How Do You Change Culture Across 80,000 Employees?10:48 – How Do You Make Organizations Faster and Less Bureaucratic?11:46 – What Leadership Skills Are Needed in the Age of AI?13:07 – How Should Leaders Redesign Work for AI and Automation?14:30 – What Is Human Judgment in the Age of AI?15:59 – How Do You Reduce Fear of AI Replacing Jobs?17:42 – What Does Employability Mean in the AI Era?18:27 – How Are Employees Using AI to Become More Productive?23:15 – How Do You Build a Skills-Based Organization with AI?24:57 – Can AI Predict Skills and Career Transitions?27:59 – How Do Companies Match People to Work Using Skills?29:10 – What Does Success Look Like in AI Transformation?

As AI moves from supporting work to performing it, organizations face a far more complex challenge than adopting new tools. They must redesign how work itself is structured, measured, and managed when part of the workforce is no longer human.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Brandon Metcalf, Founder and CEO of Asymbl, to explore what it really means to operate a hybrid workforce of humans and digital workers. Together, they unpack how companies must rethink job design from the ground up. Through concrete examples, from recruiting workflows to AI-generated executive briefings, the conversation reveals how easily organizations can lose critical business outcomes when they automate without understanding the full context of work.Nirit and Brandon explore the implications for talent development, leadership, and organizational design. How do you train people to manage work they no longer perform themselves? What happens to entry-level learning when foundational tasks disappear? And how do leaders ensure their organizations don’t simply layer AI onto outdated processes?Looking ahead, the conversation highlights what will separate organizations that succeed from those that struggle: the willingness to rethink work from first principles. Rather than forcing new technology into legacy models, leading companies will redesign their operations around outcomes, blending human and digital capabilities into a cohesive system.If you’re navigating AI transformation or questioning how work should be structured in a world of digital teammates, this episode offers a sharp and practical perspective on what it takes to build organizations that truly operate in the future of work.https://youtu.be/cYJsCMTWv9U Guest Information:Brandon Metcalf is the Founder and CEO of Asymbl, a workforce orchestration company that helps organizations coordinate human employees and digital workers as unified systems. He leads Salesforce consulting, digital labor advisory, and workforce applications to scale businesses with speed and discipline. A serial founder, he built and exited Talent Rover (Inc. 500 #9, acquired 2018) and integrated Blueprint Advisory into Asymbl. Harvard Business School OPM graduate with deep staffing roots, he emphasizes practical execution, measurable outcomes, and close Salesforce partnerships.Links: Asymbl Website: https://www.asymbl.com/Asymbl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asymbl-inc/ Brandon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/metcalf/Chapters:00:00 What Is Workforce Orchestration and Why It Matters Now01:16 How Do Humans and AI Work Together in Companies02:21 What Changes When Work Becomes Hybrid Human and AI02:53 What Is a Digital Worker vs AI Tool Explained05:18 Why Automating Tasks Can Break Business Outcomes06:30 What Is “Motivation for Success” in Job Design07:21 Why AI Automation Doesn’t Deliver Real ROI08:55 How to Redesign Jobs for AI and Digital Workers09:54 Why Job Descriptions Miss What Actually Matters12:16 What Is the Talent Paradox in the Age of AI13:11 Will AI Replace Jobs or Change Roles Instead15:02 How Do You Train People to Manage AI Output16:02 Why Human Skills Shift From Doing Work to Defining Outcomes17:08 How to Coach and Manage AI Digital Workers17:28 Real Example of AI Running Business Insights (Bradley Case)19:44 Why AI Needs Continuous Coaching Not Set-and-Forget20:17 How Managers Should Oversee AI and Human Teams23:19 How Technology Changes Jobs Over Time (Fax to AI)23:45 What Leaders Get Wrong About AI Productivity24:44 How to Implement AI Without Breaking Your Business25:43 What Will AI-First Organizations Look Like26:39 Why Some Companies Succeed With AI and Others Fail28:03 Why You Must Rethink Business Processes for AI29:03 What Question Leaders Should Ask About the Future of Work29:26 How Would You Design Your Business From Scratch With AI

Why are so many companies trying to return to the old rules of work just as technology is pushing organizations forward? And what happens when leaders treat AI primarily as a cost-cutting tool instead of using it to expand human potential?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward and a leading voice in the conversation about modern leadership and workplace transformation. Together they explore why the renewed push toward command-and-control leadership is unlikely to succeed in today’s organizations.Drawing on years of research and leadership experience, Elliott explains why headlines about strict return-to-office policies do not reflect what most organizations are actually doing. The deeper challenge facing leaders is not where people work but how work itself is designed. Productivity today depends on clarity of goals, trust in employees, and the ability to align teams around meaningful outcomes.The conversation also explores how this leadership shift intersects with the rapid adoption of AI. Many organizations are approaching AI as a tool for efficiency and cost reduction. Elliott argues that this framing limits the real opportunity. Companies that treat AI as a way to amplify human capability and unlock new value will move much faster than those focused only on automation.Nirit and Brian discuss what it takes to build organizations where people and technology work together effectively. They examine how leaders can help teams experiment with AI, why shared learning matters, and how a clear sense of purpose can guide organizations through rapid technological change.If you are trying to understand what leadership looks like in the age of AI and why trust, clarity, and human potential matter more than control, this conversation offers a powerful perspective on where work is heading next.https://youtu.be/YFmMhITZVyU Guest Information:Brian Elliott is CEO of Work Forward, executive-in-residence at Charter, and a Senior Advisor with BCG. A recognized expert on the future of work and the bestselling author of How the Future Works, he spent 25 years in tech as a startup CEO and executive at Google and Slack before co-founding Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work. He publishes Flex Index, the Work Forward and Charter newsletters, and was named to Forbes' Future of Work 50.His work enables leaders to build a future of work that's better for people and organizations, combining research-backed insights with practical advice from 30 years of leadership experience.For the latest, read his newsletter and follow on LinkedIn.Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belliotthttps://www.theworkforward.com/https://theworkforward.substack.com/Chapters:00:00 Why Command And Control Leadership Is Failing01:00 What Is Really Happening With Return To Office Policies02:20 Why Leaders Don’t Trust Employees At Work03:30 Why Measuring Activity Kills Productivity06:30 Why Employees Fear AI Replacing Their Jobs07:40 Why AI Adoption Fails Without Clear Goals09:00 How To Measure Productivity Instead Of AI Usage13:00 Why Internal Competition Hurts Team Performance14:15 What Is AI Burnout And How To Prevent It15:40 Who Benefits From AI Productivity Gains18:30 How To Train Teams To Use AI Effectively22:00 Why Trust Matters More Than Location In Work25:00 How To Balance Flexibility And Collaboration29:30 What Future Of Work Should We Create

What actually pushes someone from thinking about change to finally doing something about it? Why do some people leave their jobs while others renegotiate their relationship with work instead?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Anthony Klotz, professor of organizational behavior at UCL School of Management and the researcher credited with coining the Great Resignation, to explore the invisible moments that reshape careers. Drawing from his new book Jolted, Klotz explains how careers rarely change gradually. Instead, they shift in response to sudden events—what he calls “jolts”—that cause people to pause and rethink their relationship with work.Together, Nirit and Anthony unpack the many forms these jolts can take, from workplace disappointments and career milestones to personal events and global shocks. The conversation explores why these moments are becoming more common in a world of nonlinear careers, why the traditional stay-or-quit decision is no longer the only response, and how many people now respond to jolts by renegotiating their work rather than walking away.They also examine how the pandemic acted as a collective jolt that reshaped expectations about work and life—and why artificial intelligence may become the next wave of career-defining moments. From identity shifts caused by new technology to the ways managers can recognize and support employees through pivotal moments, the discussion reveals how careers are increasingly shaped by reflection, experimentation, and reconfiguration.If you’ve ever experienced a moment that made you suddenly question your job, your priorities, or your future at work, this episode offers a powerful lens for understanding why—and what to do next.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠The Moment Employees Decide To Leave — And Why Leaders Miss It", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/Kv025f8pzLM Guest Information:Anthony Klotz is a professor of organizational behavior at UCL School of Management in London. He is best known for predicting a global pandemic–related labor shift and dubbing it the Great Resignation. A leading scholar on the psychology of work, he has written for Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and his research is regularly published in the leading academic journals in management. He has discussed the current and future of work with media outlets, including NBC News, Bloomberg Businessweek, CNN, CNBC, Today, The New York Times, Financial Times, BBC, and NPR, and with executive teams at numerous Fortune 100 firms.Links:Author Site: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/people/anthonyklotz Chapters:00:00 – Why You Suddenly Want to Quit Your Job01:05 – What Makes You Rethink Your Career Path02:00 – Signs It’s Time to Change Jobs or Careers04:45 – Did COVID Change How We Think About Work06:29 – Should You Quit Your Job or Stay07:45 – Is Quiet Quitting Actually Setting Boundaries10:30 – How AI Is Changing Jobs and Career Decisions13:20 – Can Managers Tell When You’re About to Quit15:20 – How to Talk to Your Boss When You Feel Stuck17:00 – What to Do If You Don’t Want to Quit but Aren’t Happy17:45 – How People Start Side Hustles or Career Changes19:18 – What Question Should You Ask About Your Career20:40 – Can AI Help You Find Better Work

What happens when AI moves into places where error is not an option like banking approvals, medical claims, pharmaceutical compliance, the future of work becomes legal, operational, and deeply human.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Arya Bolurfrushan, Founder and CEO of AppliedAI, to explore what happens when automation enters highly regulated, mission-critical workflows where every decision must be auditable, defensible, and accountable.Together, they unpack the concept of “supervised automation” where AI performs the bulk of the execution while humans remain responsible for final judgment, mid-process checkpoints, and liability. Arya explains why fully autonomous systems struggle in regulated environments, how “compliance as code” can embed legal constraints directly into AI workflows, and why accountability cannot simply disappear as machines take over execution. What does it mean to be accountable when you no longer do most of the work? How do professionals develop judgment if entry-level “grunt work” disappears? And who carries risk, reputation, and responsibility in an AI-native organization?If you’re leading AI transformation in regulated industries—or simply wondering what remains uniquely human when machines execute most of the process, this episode will challenge how you think about work, accountability, and meaning in the age of AI.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If AI Does The Work, How Do People Build Expertise?⁠⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/F9Ty5yLKx0Y Guest Information:Arya H. Bolurfrushan is the Founder and CEO of AppliedAI, the world's most boring artificial intelligence company focused on increasing productivity of mission-critical workflows in regulated industries by an order of magnitude.Previously, Arya co-founded Accrete Capital, a technology-backed investment platform democratizing alternative investments that has deployed over $2B in equity. Before that, Arya served as GM, CFO and on the Nominations Committee of the Board of Directors of RAK Petroleum, taking the company public on the Oslo Stock Exchange (RAKP.OL). He began his career at Goldman Sachs’s Investment Strategy Group in New York, focused on private equity and technology.Arya studied at Oxford, Stanford, Cambridge, and the Cordon Bleu, and received his MSc and BSc from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  Chapters:00:00 What Happens When AI Enters Highly Regulated Industries?00:47 How Do You Design AI Where Error Is Not An Option?02:16 How Do Companies Safely Deploy AI In Regulated Environments?02:44 What Is Supervised Automation In AI Workflows?04:50 Why Can’t You Fully Automate Regulated Industries?05:51 Who Is Liable When AI Makes Decisions?09:06 Is Human Oversight In AI A Temporary Or Permanent Model?10:40 Does AI Make Knowledge Work Better Or Worse?12:20 How Does AI Increase Productivity In Regulated Workflows?12:46 How Do Workers Develop Judgment In AI-Driven Jobs?13:48 Will AI Eliminate Entry-Level Jobs In Regulated Industries?16:36 Can You Train Judgment Without Hands-On Experience?17:31 How Does AI Force Companies To Document Hidden Knowledge?17:53 How Should Regulation Change For AI In Critical Work?18:51 Where Should Humans Fit In AI-Native Workflows?19:45 Why Does AI Require Business Process Reengineering?20:14 Why Is AI Transformation A Human Problem Not A Tech Problem?20:58 Why Is Innovation Harder In Highly Regulated Industries?21:30 Can AI Embed Compliance Directly Into Workflows?23:45 What Will AI In Regulated Industries Look Like In 5 Years?24:58 Will Regulation Protect Human Jobs In The Age Of AI?28:15 What Happens If Work Is No Longer Needed For Income?29:29 Who Should Benefit From AI Productivity Gains?31:23 Why Do Employees Resist AI Adoption?32:41 Why Should Labor Be Priced By Output Instead Of Time?

As AI accelerates across organizations, most conversations still focus on tools, pilots, and productivity gains. But AI is also exposing cracks that were already there - misaligned leadership, siloed systems, fragile middle layers, and outdated assumptions about how transformation works. In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Barbara Wittmann, founder of the Digital Wisdom Collective and former interim CIO, to explore why AI is less a technology shift and more a leadership mirror. Barbara argues that the real constraint in AI transformation isn’t infrastructure - it’s human infrastructure. Together, Nirit and Barbara unpack why middle management is the critical layer where strategy meets execution. They explore how AI surfaces governance gaps, weak data foundations, and cultural misalignment faster than any previous technology wave. Barbara challenges leaders to look under the hood and redesign how people, systems, and decision-making work together. The conversation dives into what “Digital Wisdom” really means - the human capacity for asking better questions, sensing system dynamics, aligning across functions, and building collective intelligence in an era of accelerating change. They also examine why HR and IT can no longer operate in parallel universes, and why transformation must shift from episodic shake-ups to continuous evolution.Finally, Barbara offers practical advice for managers in the middle: build coalitions of the willing, step out of the echo chamber, and strengthen the uniquely human capabilities that AI cannot replicate.If you’re navigating AI transformation and wondering whether the real upgrade needed is technical or human, this conversation will challenge how you see both leadership and work itself.https://youtu.be/fai6Nofk4t4Guest Information:Barbara Wittmann is the founder of the Digital Wisdom Collective, helping organizations unlock the human side of AI and transformation. A strategist, advisor, and former interim CIO, she specializes in aligning business, IT, and people by developing the “Human Infrastructure” that makes technology work. Barbara is known for her work with global companies, her cross-industry leadership programs, and her bold message that the middle layer holds the key to the future of work.Links:www.digitalwisdom.cohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarawittmann/https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalwisdomcollective/https://substack.com/@barbarawittmann/Chapters:00:00 What Is Digital Wisdom In The Age Of AI01:06 Why Do We Need A Digital Wisdom Collective02:15 What Is The Human Advantage Over AI03:21 Do Humans Need To Reskill For AI03:57 Why Answers Are Cheap And Questions Matter More04:24 How AI Changes Organizational Thinking Models05:04 How Should Leaders Redesign Work With AI05:37 Why Middle Management Is Critical In AI Transformation06:01 Should Companies Eliminate Middle Management06:03 Why You Can’t Delegate Complexity To AI07:30 Why AI Pilots Fail Without Process Redesign08:22 What Is Human Infrastructure In Organizations09:18 Why HR And IT Must Work Together In AI10:34 How AI Transformation Is Different From Digital Transformation11:09 How AI Exposes Organizational Misalignment11:45 Why AI Pilots Often Fail In Companies13:10 Does AI Transformation Start From The Bottom Up13:45 Why Poor Data Breaks AI Strategy14:16 Is AI Just Automation Rebranded15:26 Why Companies Must Fix Data Before AI16:18 Who Is Responsible For AI Transformation17:01 Should HR And IT Be Combined18:15 What Should Managers Do Differently With AI18:29 How To Build A Coalition Of The Willing At Work19:42 Why Transformation Must Become Continuous20:51 What Is The Most Important Future Of Work Question21:20 How Humans And AI Will Co-Create Work22:16 How Do You Find Your Unique Human Value23:08 Why You Must Step Outside Your Echo Chamber24:11 How To Discover Your Unique Value At Work24:49 Why Self-Awareness Matters More In The AI Era

AI is no longer just another workplace technology. It is a general-purpose capability that is beginning to reshape how work is designed, how decisions are made, and how organizations create value.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with David Mallon, Chief Futurist and Head of Research for Deloitte’s Human Capital practice, to unpack the biggest insights from the 2026 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report.  The conversation explores why this moment of AI adoption is fundamentally different from past technology shifts. Unlike earlier tools that automated tasks, generative AI is entering knowledge work itself, acting as collaborator, analyst, and decision partner. That shift forces organizations to rethink how humans and machines work together and how leadership, productivity, and expertise evolve in an AI-enabled workplace.Nirit and David discuss why many companies are approaching AI through a narrow productivity lens, focusing on efficiency rather than redesigning work around human-machine collaboration. They examine the growing need for leaders to intentionally design how people interact with AI systems, orchestrate work across humans and intelligent tools, and rethink performance when technology can dramatically amplify individual output.The episode also explores a deeper challenge: how workers develop expertise when AI increasingly performs the early tasks that traditionally built experience. As organizations move faster to adopt AI, leaders must decide how to balance productivity, learning, and human judgment in a workplace where machines are part of the team.If you’re trying to understand what AI really means for organizations—not just tools, but the design of work itself—this conversation looks at the choices leaders must make as human and machine collaboration becomes the new operating model of work.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠AI Is Creating Culture Debt In Organizations⁠⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/1KJeMLNXyZEGuest Information:David Mallon, a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, is the head of research and chief futurist for Human Capital in the United States. With more than 25 years of experience in human capital, he helps organizations sense, analyze, and act with purpose. Mallon has been a key contributor to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends study since its inception and leads Insights2Action—Deloitte’s Human Capital decision intelligence capability. Links: 2026 Human Capital Trends report: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/human-capital-trends.htmlForbes article on Culture Debt: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niritcohen/2026/03/04/ai-is-creating-culture-debt-in-organizations/Chapters:00:00 — What Is the Deloitte 2026 Human Capital Trends Report About?01:29 — Why Is AI Different From Previous Technology Revolutions?05:46 — Will AI Replace Human Thinking or Augment It?10:03 — How Will Workers Build Experience If AI Does the Work?13:28 — How Should Humans and AI Work Together at Work?17:49 — Are Companies Using AI Only for Productivity Gains?21:09 — What Must Change in Leadership for the AI Era?23:09 — What Surprised Researchers in the 2026 Human Capital Trends Report?24:01 — What Is Culture Debt and Why Should Leaders Care?26:57 — Are Executives Trusting AI Decisions Too Much?27:47 — What Is the Most Important Leadership Insight About AI?28:54 — How Should Organizations Design Human–AI Collaboration?31:46 — What Question Should Leaders Ask About the Future of Work? 

What if the biggest barrier to AI transformation isn’t technology at all, but the fact that most organizations don’t actually understand how work gets done?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Vijay Swaminathan, co-founder and CEO of Draup, to explore what really breaks when AI meets industrial-age assumptions about jobs, roles, and headcount.The conversation begins with a fundamental shift in strategic workforce planning. Once a headcount exercise buried inside HR, it is now being pulled into the center of enterprise strategy as organizations try to allocate work between humans, machines, contractors, and AI agents. Vijay explains why traditional job descriptions no longer reflect reality, how large portions of work remain hidden inside workflows and processes, and why this invisible layer holds the greatest opportunity for AI-driven productivity.Together, Nirit and Vijay unpack how roles are fragmenting into builders, orchestrators, and synthesizers, why labor arbitrage is losing its power, and how leaders often underestimate the complexity of the human work that remains after automation. They also explore why metrics of power, control, and success built around headcount and org charts are starting to collapse, and what replaces them.This episode is a deep dive into the uncomfortable truth behind AI transformation: before organizations can redesign jobs, they must first see the work itself. And that shift, from org charts to workflows, may be the hardest change of all.If you’re trying to make sense of AI, skills volatility, and the future of workforce planning, this conversation offers a clear lens into what’s already changing beneath the surface. https://youtu.be/zkSdBx8L8zM Guest Information:Vijay Swaminathan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Draup, an AI copilot that helps global enterprises make strategic talent decisions. A recognized thought leader in the talent space, Vijay brings deep expertise in product ideation, concept-to-product transitions, and platform enablement. His career is marked by a strong command of data analytics, operations research, and strategic management. Vijay has designed numerous quantitative models and heuristics focused on global talent dynamics, cutting-edge business analytics, and strategic business maneuvers. He is also the co-founder of Zinnov, a leading research & advisory firm, and TalentNeuron, which was acquired by CEB, a Gartner company (NYSE: IT). Previously, Vijay held senior positions at Hewitt Associates and KPMG Consulting. Links:https://draup.com/talent/ceo-newsletter/mastering-ai-readiness-for-hr-leadershttps://draup.com/talent/ceo-newsletter/the-hidden-work-in-hr-building-on-mits-project-iceberg https://draup.com/talent/ceo-newsletter/tech-talent-strategies-of-2025-draups-annual-reporthttps://draup.com/talent/ceo-newsletter/the-new-frontier-of-strategic-workforce-planning Chapters:00:00 – How AI Is Changing Strategic Workforce Planning01:25 – What Does Strategic Workforce Planning Mean in the Age of AI?05:35 – Why Job Descriptions No Longer Reflect Real Work07:48 – How AI Exposes Hidden Work Inside Organizations09:25 – Can AI Read Process Maps and Redesign Workflows?11:02 – Why Companies Struggle to Document Real Tasks12:58 – Builders vs Orchestrators: Who Actually Uses AI in Enterprises?15:38 – Where Leaders Oversimplify AI Workforce Transformation17:25 – Why Human Verification Gets More Complex With AI20:09 – What Happens to Work in an AI-Driven Organization?22:36 – Why AI Forces Companies Beyond the Org Chart24:23 – Rethinking Headcount Models in the Age of AI26:21 – Should Workforce Planning Focus on Workflows Instead of Jobs?

When work breaks apart into tasks and AI steps in as a real participant, not just a helper, the familiar structure of jobs begins to unravel. The real question becomes how work gets recomposed, who orchestrates it, and how people redefine their value when execution is no longer the core of the role.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Carrol Chang, President of Andela, to explore what happens when the atomic unit of work shifts from jobs to tasks. Drawing on her experience leading global talent systems and marketplaces, Carrol explains why AI is forcing organizations to rethink not just productivity, but how work is allocated, priced, managed, and ultimately experienced.Together, Nirit and Carrol unpack why breaking work into tasks doesn’t eliminate the need for humans, but radically elevates it. As AI takes on execution, people move into roles that demand judgment, coordination,feedback, and orchestration. The conversation explores why every individual contributor is becoming more like a manager, how professional identity evolves when tasks change faster than titles, and why leadership now depends on setting expectations for continuous role reinvention.The episode also looks at what this shift unlocks beyond organizational boundaries. As work becomes more modular, highly specialized skills can be deployed across multiple projects, opening the door to new ways of earning, learning, and balancing life. Platforms, AI-enabled onboarding, and global talent networks emerge as the infrastructure that makes this possible, allowing work to scale without forcing everyone into a 40-hour week designed for the industrial era.If you’re thinking about how AI reshapes careers, why flexibility is moving upstream into high-skill work, and what it really means to design work in a world where intelligence is abundant, this conversation offers a grounded and human-centered lens on what comes next.https://youtu.be/nYkUjZBL0sEGuest Information:Serving as CEO of Andela since September 2024, Carrol Chang is committed to scaling the business while remaining true to its mission-driven approach of connecting brilliance with opportunity. She joined Andela from Uber, where she led efforts to improve work for nearly 7 million flexible workers around the world as the Global Head of Driver & Courier Operations.Carrol has held positions with McKinsey Company, Portraits of Hope, and the administration of President Barack Obama. She is passionate about expanding opportunity in all forms to underrepresented populations and making commerce more generous and kind for all stakeholders.  She holds a BA from Harvard and both a JD and MBA from Northwestern University. Chapters:00:00 Why Jobs Are No Longer the Basic Unit of Work01:36 What Does It Mean to Break Jobs Into Tasks With AI?03:44 Can Task-Based Work Scale Inside Large Organizations?04:10 How AI Turns Every Employee Into a Manager05:40 Do Companies Need to Redesign Jobs After AI?07:44 How Should Professionals Redefine Their Identity in the Age of AI?09:39 Will AI Change Job Titles and Organizational Structures?11:41 Do We Need to Rebundle Work Into New Job Structures?13:29 Can Specialized Skills Be Deployed Across Multiple Projects?15:51 How Can Organizations Manage Work Done by Fractional Talent?17:00 Is This the Evolution of the Gig Economy for High-Skilled Work?18:45 How AI Makes Platform-Based Work Scalable for Enterprises19:36 What Happens to Culture When Work Is Unbundled?21:49 Can AI Accelerate Employee Onboarding and Culture Fit?23:42 How Company Email Norms Reveal Organizational Culture24:30 Will AI Reduce the 40-Hour Workweek?26:30 How Should Leaders Prepare for the AI Change Curve?

When AI stops being experimental and starts acting inside everyday workflows, the conversation about work changes completely. The question is no longer which tools to deploy, but who gets to redesign how work actually happens.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Bhavin Shah, co-founder and CEO of Moveworks, to explore what happens inside organizations once AI moves beyond summaries and copilots into real action. Drawing on what he sees across large enterprises, Bhavin explains why the next phase of AI innovation is being driven not by executives or engineers, but by frontline employees who know exactly where friction lives.Together, Nirit and Bhavin unpack why top-down AI strategies often stall, how non-technical teams are quietly rebuilding broken workflows, and why the most important metric for AI success is no longer outputs generated but actions completed. They explore the shift from fighting shadow IT to embracing “sanctioned autonomy,” where leaders provide guardrails and platforms, then step back and let innovation emerge from the work itself.The conversation also looks ahead at what this means for trust, leadership, and careers. As agents take on routine work, roles begin to level up, managers become designers rather than approvers, and influence starts to flow from those who improve systems rather than those who control them.If you’re wondering who becomes the architect of work when automation is accessible to everyone, and how organizations move from AI that talks to AI that truly changes outcomes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/qv0_pozxfP0Guest Information:Bhavin Shah is the CEO and co-founder of Moveworks (recently acquired by ServiceNow), the agentic AI assistant platform for the enterprise. He’s spent his career building technology that actually solves problems for people at work. Raised in Silicon Valley and shaped by early exposure to tech pioneers, Bhavin’s journey took him from collaborating with Dr. Sally Ride at UC San Diego to leading impactful projects at LeapFrog, where he helped bring educational tech to children worldwide, extending its impact with a prenatal health education program for women in Afghanistan. He later founded Refresh.io, which was acquired by LinkedIn in 2015, before launching Moveworks in 2016 to help organizations automate workflows and boost productivity using AI.Today, over 350 enterprises, including 10% of the Fortune 500, and over 5.5 million employees rely on Moveworks.Bhavin holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s degree in Education, Technology, and Business from Stanford University.Chapters:00:00 — Who Should Drive AI Transformation at Work?01:29 — Why AI Innovation Is Coming From the Frontline03:29 — Can Employees Redesign End-to-End Workflows With AI?05:30 — How Agentic AI Connects Fragmented Enterprise Systems07:46 — Is Shadow IT Becoming a Competitive Advantage?10:06 — What Does “Sanctioned Autonomy” in AI Really Mean?11:37 — Why AI Summarization Is No Longer Enough13:30 — Can Organizations Trust AI That Takes Action?15:31 — How Guardrails Replace Control in AI-Driven Work17:27 — Will AI Fool Us or Make Us Smarter at Work?18:45 — How Agentic AI Is Changing Non-Technical Jobs19:49 — Does Automation Actually Level Up Human Work?21:54 — How Much Work Can AI Really Eliminate?23:47 — Why Companies Are Scaling Faster Than Ever With AI25:29 — What Happens When Innovation Cycles Speed Up?26:54 — What Question Should We Be Asking About the Future of Work?

Why do meetings feel like the place where work goes to die and what would it take to finally fix them?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Rebecca Hinds, organizational researcher, founder of Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, founder of the Work AI Institute at Glean, and author of Your Best Meeting Ever, to unpack why meetings became one of the most broken systems in modern organizations.Together, Nirit and Rebecca explore why organizations default to meetings even when asynchronous tools exist, how unclear communication norms fuel meeting overload, and what it means to design meetings for the people in the room rather than the organizer. Rebecca introduces practical frameworks from the book for deciding when a meeting should exist, how to shorten meetings without losing impact, and why status update meetings are one of the biggest drains on organizational time. They also examine the role of AI in meetings—where it genuinely helps and where it quietly makes bad meetings worse by masking deeper design problems. The episode closes with a broader reflection on the future of work, calm technology, and the responsibility leaders have to use AI in ways that amplify human potential rather than replace it.If you’ve ever questioned why your calendar feels full but progress feels slow—or wondered how meetings could become a lever for better work instead of a blocker—this conversation offers both a diagnosis and a way forward.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Most Important Meeting Leaders Are Cutting Right Now⁠⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/sR1c9d982gIGuest Information:Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work. She holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work. Her research is consistently featured in publications like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired, TIME, CNBC, Bloomberg, Axios, and the Washington Post. Rebecca has been invited to speak on major stages including Dreamforce, SXSW, INBOUND, Ai4, Cloudfest, and the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit. She is a trusted advisor to companies navigating challenges of modern work—from meeting overload and hybrid dysfunction to the realities of AI adoption.YOUR BEST MEETING EVER: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done By Rebecca Hinds, PhD| On-Sale: February 3, 2026https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Your-Best-Meeting-Ever/Rebecca-Hinds/9781668067482Chapters:00:00 — Why Do Meetings Feel Like They Get Nothing Done?01:11 — What Is a “Good Meeting” and Why Are Most Meetings Bad?02:54 — Why Do We Default to Meetings Instead of Asynchronous Work?04:55 — How Broken Communication Systems Create More Meetings06:54 — What Is the 4D Test for Deciding If a Meeting Should Exist?08:44 — Which Decisions Actually Require a Meeting?09:52 — Why Do Meetings Always Last an Hour?10:40 — How Shorter Meetings Can Be More Effective12:25 — Can Running Better Meetings Help Advance Your Career?14:22 — How to Design a Meeting Agenda That Actually Works16:07 — Which Agenda Items Should Never Be in a Meeting?17:37 — How to Measure If a Meeting Is Worth the Time19:09 — Why Some People Find Meetings Valuable and Others Don’t20:56 — Does AI Make Meetings Better or Worse?23:01 — Should You Attend a Meeting If You’re Sending a Bot?24:36 — Which Meetings Should We Stop Having First?26:11 — Why Cancelling One-on-One Meetings Is Dangerous27:58 — How Should Leaders Think About AI and Human Potentia

What happens when AI agents stop assisting work and start reshaping how value moves through an organization? And what does that mean for people, roles, and leadership when velocity matters more than productivity?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2, to explore how agentic AI is changing the very mechanics of work. Drawing on G2’s large-scale enterprise data and Tim’s experience across platforms like Upwork, the conversation moves beyond hype to examine what’s actually happening inside organizations adopting AI agents.Together, Nirit and Tim unpack why jobs should be understood as collections of tasks and judgment, how agents are removing repetitive work while elevating human contribution, and why the real competitive advantage lies in augmentation rather than substitution. They explore the shift from productivity to velocity, why organizations stall when they overload “human-in-the- loop” approvals, and how trust—not technology—is the true gateto scaling AI autonomy.Tim shares concrete examples from industries like banking to show how management decisions, not technical limits, determine success with agents. The discussion also dives into emerging roles such as agent designers, auditors, and managers, and why judgment, taste, and goal-setting—not technical expertise—will define the most valuable work in an AI- driven world.If you’re wondering how AI agents will change careers, leadership, and what it means to do meaningful work when machines handle the grind, this conversation offers a grounded and deeply human perspective on what comes next.https://youtu.be/GFnDi7L3AogGuest Information:Tim Sanders is the Chief Innovation Officer at G2. He’s also an executive fellow at the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard and a New York Times bestselling author of five books, including Love is the Killer App. Links:G2's AI Agents Insight Report "AI Agents are Winning Hearts and Wallets"Tim's 5 Bold Predictions on the Rise of Agentic AI and the $30B Orchestration Boom Chapters:00:00 — What happens when AI starts doing the work?01:20 — If AI takes the tasks, what do humans do?03:00 — Does automation actually make jobs more valuable?05:06 — Is AI really replacing jobs or is that a myth?07:26 — Why can’t companies shrink their way to greatness?09:20 — Why productivity is the wrong metric in an AI world11:35 — How AI changes business growth and velocity13:37 — Why fear blocks AI adoption inside organizations15:08 — Why leaders and employees see AI so differently17:05 — How much should humans stay in the loop with AI?19:03 — When does human oversight slow work down?21:00 — Who actually decides how much AI autonomy to allow?22:06 — How leaders misjudge risk when designing AI workflows23:15 — How do you bring people along when AI changes work?24:59 — Why trust matters more than technology for AI scale26:38 — What new roles emerge when AI agents do the work?28:18 — What makes someone a good manager of AI agents?29:57 — What signals show where the future of work is heading?31:30 — How do people build judgment if AI does the entry work?32:47 — Is experience really what builds human judgment?34:49 — How must education change for an AI-driven world?35:45 — What question should we all ask about our work now?

What if the biggest signals about the future of work aren’t coming from boardrooms or technology labs but from workers themselves? ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Global Talent Barometer reveals a global workforce that feels confident in its skills, uneasy about AI, eager for stability, and increasingly determined to reshape the role work plays in their lives.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Becky Frankiewicz, President & Chief Strategy Officer at ManpowerGroup, to explore what this data means for organizations, leaders, and anyone navigating their career in a year shaped by rapid technological change. Together, they unpack why workers trust their capabilities more than their credentials, why AI adoption is rising even as confidence in using it falls, and why job hugging is becoming the new quiet quitting driven by choice.The conversation dives into the forces reshaping internal mobility, the decline in degree requirements, and the surprising truth about why many employees would rather grow within their current organization than leave it. Becky offers rare insight into what human skills will matter most as AI takes on more tasks, and why reasoning, creativity, and contribution will remain uniquely human.If you’ve ever wondered what workers really want right now, how AI is redefining—not replacing—human contribution, or what the next era of career growth inside organizations will look like, this episode offers a clear, grounded view of the road ahead.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠Managing The Now And The Next Is Leadership’s Hardest Job Today⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/YQs38CoBPfw Guest Information:Becky Frankiewicz is the President & Chief Strategy Officer at ManpowerGroup. In July 2017, Becky Frankiewicz joined ManpowerGroup as the President of ManpowerGroup North America. Prior to ManpowerGroup, she led one of PepsiCo’s largest subsidiaries, Quaker Foods North America. She was also named by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in the industry, anticipating and adapting to fast changing consumer demands. In 2020, Becky was appointed as a Board of Director for Energizer Holdings, Inc. She held a variety of senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, worked at Deloitte and Andersen Consulting and Procter & Gamble. Becky has a great educational track record, attaining top marks at the University of Texas, where she earned an MBA in finance, and a BA in Marketing. She has also completed executive training at Harvard Business School and IMD Business School in Switzerland. Links:2026 Global Talent Barometer  Chapters:00:00 – What Do Workers Actually Want in a World of AI?01:43 – What Does The Future of Less Work Really Mean for Employees?03:35 – When AI Takes Tasks, Who Redefines Jobs?05:39 – Why Are Workers Confident in Their Skills but Anxious About Technology?07:30 – Is Job Hugging a Sign That Power Has Shifted Back to Employers?09:25 – How Internal Mobility Is Replacing Traditional Career Ladders11:27 – Why Talent Shortages Are Forcing Companies to Build Skills Internally13:08 – Why Most Employees Aren’t Getting the Training They Need15:09 – What Skills Will Matter When AI Takes Over Routine Work?17:30 – What Can Humans Do That AI Agents Still Can’t?19:39 – Are Degrees Losing Their Value in the Job Market?21:44 – How Should Education Change in an AI-Driven Economy?23:47 – Are Skills the New Currency of Work?25:51 – Why Leaders Must Shift from Having Answers to Asking Questions27:35 – What Does the N=1 Workforce Mean for the Future of Work?29:45 – Is AI Really Transforming Work or Just Accelerating Automation?32:33 – How Should Organizations Approach AI Change Management?34:24 – How Can Individuals Stay Relevant as Work Keeps Changing?36:25 – What Role Do You Want Work to Play in Your Life?

What happens when competitive advantage no longer comes from having the right plan, but from how quickly you can adapt when the plan stops working?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Arjan Singh, author of Competitive Success, to explore what strategy looks like in a world defined by uncertainty, AI, and constant disruption. As organizations move away from long-term planning cycles, the conversation reframes strategy as a living capability rather than a static document. Together, Nirit and Arjan unpack why traditional planning assumptions collapse in volatile markets, how corporate war games help leaders surface blind spots before they become costly mistakes, and why preparing for unlikely but high-impact scenarios matters more than predicting the future. They discuss how AI is reshaping decision-making by making data abundant while elevating the importance of human judgment, context, and cultural awareness. The conversation goes beyond strategy teams and into the future of work itself. Arjan explains how continuous preparedness is changing leadership roles, why middle management must shift from reporting to decision quality, and what happens to early-career roles when routine analytical work can be automated in minutes. They also explore the risks of over-optimizing for efficiency and underestimating the nuanced human contributions that differentiate organizations in an AI-saturated world. If you’re trying to understand how leaders, organizations, and individuals can stay relevant when certainty is gone and advantage is temporary, this episode offers a powerful framework for thinking, deciding, and competing in the future of work.https://youtu.be/uAJvbPT7DYkGuest Information:Arjan Singh, author of Competitive Success: Building Strategies with Corporate War Games, is an expert in helping companies develop data-driven strategies through war games, strategic and competitive analysis, scenario planning and building business early warning systems that deliver significant impact. He has advised 68 of the top 100 companies in the Fortune Global 500 list in building winning strategies. Singh is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing and Global Consulting at Southern Methodist University (SMU) COX School of Business.Chapters:00:00 – How Do You Build Strategy When You Can’t Predict the Future?01:21 – What Are Corporate War Games and Why Do Companies Use Them?02:30 – How Do You Plan When Markets Are Unstable and Assumptions Break?03:20 – Can You Prepare for Events That Seem Impossible or Unlikely?05:20 – What’s the Difference Between Scenario Planning and War Gaming?07:32 – Why Long-Term Strategic Planning No Longer Works08:51 – What Is Continuous Strategy and How Is It Different from Annual Planning?11:10 – What Decisions Should Humans Make When AI Handles the Data?13:19 – How Do Leaders Balance Data, Judgment, and People Impact?15:20 – Why Do Organizations Ignore Bad News and Worst-Case Scenarios?17:15 – How Do You Challenge Leadership Assumptions Without Getting Shut Down?19:33 – How Can Companies Identify Blind Spots Before Competitors Do?21:20 – Is Being Prepared a Competitive Advantage?23:22 – How Is AI Changing Management and Middle-Management Roles?25:48 – Which Jobs and Skills Are Most at Risk from AI Automation?27:44 – Are Companies Overestimating What AI Can Replace?28:56 – How Do You Build Comfort With Ambiguity and Uncertainty?30:14 – What Question Should We All Be Asking About the Future of Work?

What happens when artificial intelligence meets work that can’t be fully documented, standardized, or abstracted? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Shin Nakamura, President of ONE to ONE Holdings, to explore the limits of AI through the lens of manufacturing. Drawing on his experience leading factories across Japan and Vietnam, Shin offers a grounded view of why much of today’s work still depends on human judgment, cultural context, and knowledge that lives in people rather than systems. The conversation moves beyond the familiar blue-collar versus white-collar debate to examine a deeper divide: work that can be reduced to tasks versus work that requires adaptation, situational awareness, and tacit expertise. Together, Nirit and Shin unpack why low-volume, high-variation environments resist automation, how language and culture quietly shape whether AI succeeds or fails, and why so much critical knowledge has never been written down in the first place. They also reflect on what Gen Z’s career choices reveal about this shift, why career security is being redefined around capability rather than job titles, and how AI risks widening gaps by making some forms of work visible while leaving others invisible. If you’re trying to understand where AI delivers real value, where it falls short, and what kinds of work are likely to endure in an automated world, this conversation offers a rare, on-the-ground perspective from the factory floor. https://youtu.be/WupIMAo_G7g Guest Information: Shinichiro (SHIN) Nakamura, President of one to ONE Holdings:Shin is a manufacturing and global thought leader in the secondary steel processing industry. He is the President of ONE to ONE Holdings, which operates steel tube-making factories in Japan and Vietnam and provides inline galvanizing technology to tubing companies worldwide. His original family business, Daiwa Steel Tube Industries, is one of the largest producers of inline-galvanized steel tubes in East Asia.From leading cross-border operations to overseeing factory-level development, Shin works directly within the type of blue-collar workforce that younger professionals are increasingly gravitating to. This gives him a close view of how job preferences are shifting, why some young workers are choosing skilled manufacturing roles over traditional office careers, and what industries like his are doing to attract and retain new talent.Shin is a past Regional Chair of the YPO North Asia region and currently serves on the Board of Governors at the Asia School of Business. He previously worked as a consultant at Bain & Company and received his MBA from MIT Sloan, specializing in New Product & Venture Development.Chapters:00:00 — Why Gen Z Is Choosing Manufacturing Over Office Jobs01:31 — Why Young Workers See the Future of Work Differently03:08 — How Income Inequality Is Reshaping Global Career Choices04:59 — How Automation and Robotics Are Changing Factory Jobs06:00 — Why Some Manufacturing Jobs Cannot Be Fully Automated07:33 — What Young Workers Expect From Modern Factory Jobs09:44 — Are White-Collar Job Losses Pushing Talent Into Manufacturing?10:36 — How Manufacturing Must Change to Attract Skilled Talent12:40 — How AI Adoption in Manufacturing Depends on Economics13:58 — Does AI Work Equally Well Across Languages and Cultures?15:35 — Why AI Struggles With Tacit and Cultural Knowledge17:26 — Why Japanese Manufacturing Knowledge Is Hard to Digitize19:17 — Where AI Stops Working in Craft-Based Industries20:52 — Why Shorter Careers Threaten Knowledge Transfer21:55 — How Manufacturers Make Blue-Collar Jobs More Attractive22:56 — The Most Important Question About the Future of Work 

What if the most important skill for the future of work isn’t technical or strategic—but human?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer and No. 2 executive at VaynerX, to explore what it really means to lead with heart. As the right hand to Gary Vaynerchuk, Claude has built a culture where empathy, belonging, and authenticity are not soft skills—they’re strategic advantages.Together, Nirit and Claude unpack how workplaces can scale humanity, how leaders can create belonging even across time zones and generations, and why fitting in is outdated in a world that demands genuine connection. Claude shares how her framework of emotional optimism, bravery, and efficiency helps leaders balance compassion with performance—and why fear around AI is an opportunity to rediscover what makes us uniquely human.They explore what “being yourself at work” truly looks like, how to design cultures where individuality is celebrated instead of suppressed, and why the heart—not the algorithm—will define the next era of leadership.If you’ve ever wondered how to build trust in a hybrid world, how to bring more humanity into leadership, or how to stay grounded as technology transforms what we do, this conversation will change how you think about work—and about yourself.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"AI Is Creating Culture Debt In Organizations", to explore these ideas further.   https://youtu.be/bgxBXr_GrzQ Guest Information:Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and author of Be Yourself at Work.  Claude Silver is on a mission to revolutionize leadership, talent, and workplace culture. She is the world's first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and partners with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to drive their success. Silver has earned Campaign US's Female Frontier Award and AdWeek's Changing the Game Award and she electrifies audiences at national and international conferences and at organizations, including Meta, Google, US Government agencies, and the US Armed Forces. She has been interviewed on dozens of podcasts and featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart. Links:Website: https://www.claudesilver.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casilver/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudesilver/?hl=en  Chapters:00:00 – What Does Being Yourself at Work Really Mean?01:15 – What Does a Chief Heart Officer Do?03:10 – Why VaynerX Created the Chief Heart Officer Role04:55 – What Makes Humans Valuable in an AI World?06:45 – Can Empathy Drive Business Performance?08:55 – Do Companies Still Need Humans When AI Is Everywhere?10:45 – What Is Authentic Presence at Work?11:05 – Emotional Optimism, Bravery, and Efficiency Explained13:35 – How to Face AI Fear Without Ignoring It14:50 – Why Fitting In at Work Is Outdated15:55 – How to Create Belonging in Hybrid and Remote Teams16:45 – Why Managers Are the Weakest Link in Culture17:20 – How to Train Managers to Build Trust18:05 – How to Build a Culture Where You Don’t Have to Change to Belong19:30 – How VaynerX Scales Culture Across Countries21:40 – Can Processes Kill Authenticity at Work?23:40 – How to Put People First During Layoffs and Hard Decisions26:30 – What Question Should We Be Asking About the Future of Work?28:55 – How AI Changes What Makes You Valuable at Work

As AI takes on not just what we do, but how we decide, create, and communicate — the question becomes how deeply we’ll remember what makes us human?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie, and Matt Britton, CEO of Suzy and author of Generation AI, to explore how people can future-proof themselves in an AI-driven world. Together, they unpack what happens as AI redefines work—from the end of the knowledge economy to the rise of new “co-creation” roles where humans and machines work side by side. Matt shares why creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving have become the new competitive edge, while Joe reveals why empathy, trust, and communication will matter more than ever for leaders navigating change. The conversation dives into how education and training must evolve, what leadership looks like when teams include both people and intelligent agents, and why agility and emotional intelligence—not technical mastery—will determine who thrives next.If you’ve ever wondered how to stay relevant when machines can do almost everything, this is the episode to listen to.https://youtu.be/ZSDsDWcs8ncGuest Information:Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, is a transformational leader and co-author of the Wall Street Journal's #3 Bestseller, Take Command. Guiding the globally recognized Dale Carnegie organization, he infuses the brand with a modern perspective, impacting millions worldwide. He is an inspiring leader who seeks to bring out the best in others. Hart is considered an acclaimed thought leader whose incisive commentary regularly appeared in Newsweek and Rolling Stone. With captivating speaking engagements and a popular leadership podcast, Take Command, his influence extends across industries. Prior to Dale Carnegie, he helped found Asset Health, an innovative company that works to revolutionize workplace wellness.Matt Britton is one of the world’s leading voices on artificial intelligence, generational change, and the future of work. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Youth Nation and the 2025 national bestselling book Generation AI, which explores how AI and Generation Alpha will reshape every corner of society. A sought-after keynote speaker and host of The Speed of Culture podcast with Adweek, Matt has advised more than half of the Fortune 500 and shared insights with audiences around the world. He is also the founder and CEO of Suzy, a venture-backed consumer intelligence platform trusted by companies like Netflix, Coca-Cola, and P&G.Matt Britton and Joe Hart / Dale Carnegie co-created Human by Design: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-Driven World course, predicting that roles requiring creativity, critical thinking, and complex problem-solving as well as effective communications will remain. These human-centric skills are essential in navigating the evolving workplace. Chapters:00:00 – What Makes Us Human in an AI World01:10 – The End of the Knowledge Economy03:05 – Human Skills AI Cannot Replace04:40 – Why Leadership Matters in the Age of AI06:50 – Will AI Replace Jobs or Redefine Them?09:50 – How Humans Stay Valuable in an AI Workplace11:50 – What AI Still Gets Wrong About Humans13:30 – How Learning Must Change for the AI Era15:20 – The Rise of the AI-Powered Solopreneur17:15 – Can Organizations Keep Up With AI Change?19:10 – Who Gets Left Behind in the AI Revolution?20:50 – How to Build AI Fluency in Daily Life22:50 – Building Trust in a Digital and AI-Driven Workplace24:55 – Why Caring Is a Critical Leadership Skill26:40 – How to Future-Proof Your Career With AI27:55 – The One Question to Ask About Your Future With AI29:10 – Doing More of What Only Humans Can Do

What happens when AI stops automating tasks and starts redesigning the workplace itself? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Rakshit Ghura, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Workplace Solutions at Lenovo, to explore the bold ideas behind Lenovo’s Work Reborn research. Rakshit explains why most companies are still stuck digitizing old habits, even though nearly every organization claims to be transforming.Together, Nirit and Rakshit unpack the shift to hyper-personalization—how AI analyzes work patterns, digital friction, focus time, and preferred tools to tailor each person’s environment, even reconfiguring devices in real time. Rakshit expands the conversation beyond productivity, showing how intelligent systems can reduce burnout, support well-being, and create work that flexes around life rather than forcing people to bend around systems.The episode also dives into democratizing innovation, the rise of digital twins that take on the repetitive “boring parts” of work, and why the organizations that thrive will be those that redeploy human capacity toward creativity, differentiation, and new value.If you want to understand where adaptive workplaces are heading—and how AI can help every employee become the best version of themselves—this conversation offers a clear, human-centered view of what work reborn really looks like.https://youtu.be/a4-sxtVBmmQ  Guest Information: Rakshit Ghura is the Vice President and General Manager of Digital Workplace Solutions (DWS) at Lenovo, where he leads the company’s strategic initiatives in the digital workplace and cybersecurity domains. In this role, Rakshit is instrumental in shaping Lenovo’s vision for the future of work, focusing on areas such as workplace mobility, Device as a Service, Persona-based configuration, automation, analytics, employee experience, and collaboration, with a strong emphasis on consulting and advisory services. Prior to joining Lenovo, Rakshit served as the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Digital Workplace Services & ServiceNow business at HCLTech. During his tenure, he was responsible for defining, incubating, and creating the product roadmap and strategy for digital workplace services. Rakshit is a recognized thought leader in the industry, frequently sharing insights on the impact of Generative AI, the evolution of the hybrid workplace, and the importance of unifying people, culture, and technology to redesign the future of work. He has contributed to various industry discussions, including podcasts and whitepapers.  Chapters:00:00 – Why Work Needs a Complete Redesign00:57 – Digitization vs. Reinvention of Work02:30 – Why Companies Struggle to Transform04:18 – The Rise of Hyper-Personalized Workplaces06:21 – How AI Learns Your Work Patterns08:09 – Tailoring Devices and Systems to Individuals09:10 – AI That Flexes Work Around Life10:40 – Reducing Burnout With Intelligent Systems11:19 – How to Build Trust in Workplace AI13:10 – Using AI Without Creating Fear or Job Loss Anxiety15:35 – Why AI Skills Matter More Than AI Automation16:45 – How AI Democratizes Workplace Innovation17:13 – Leadership in an Employee-Driven Innovation Model17:59 – Where Organizations Get Stuck in AI Transformation18:52 – Why “Start Small, Scale Fast” Works for AI19:47 – People-First, Process-Second, Tech-Third Strategy20:50 – How Companies Can Keep Up With Fast-Changing AI Tools22:40 – The Role of Employee Learning in AI Adoption23:30 – Real Examples of AI-Enabled Workflow Redesign25:50 – How Digital Twins Reduce Digital Friction26:59 – Co-Creating With AI Across the Organization27:34 – Digital Twins and the Future of Every Job28:58 – Doing Less of What Doesn’t Matter With AI

Finance has always been about precision, proof, and trust — qualities now being redefined in the age of AI. According to OneStream’s new AI Pulse Report, three out of four CFOs are leading enterprise AI strategy, yet only a third have managed to scale it successfully. So what happens when the people who once managed numbers begin managing intelligence?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Tom Shea, CEO of OneStream, to explore how AI is transforming finance — and, with it, the future of work. Tom shares why CFOs are uniquely positioned to steer the AI agenda, how finance’s “show-your-work” discipline is shaping enterprise trust, and why solving deterministic problems — where there’s only one right answer — is key to building real confidence in AI.The conversation delves into what happens when human judgment, context, and mentorship meet machine precision. From the risk of losing early-career learning to the emergence of AI agents as digital teammates, Tom and Nirit unpack what it takes to build systems that don’t just automate, but understand.If you’ve ever wondered how the rise of AI will reshape not just finance, but how organizations think, decide, and grow, this episode offers a grounded look at the future of intelligent work — where humans and machines learn to trust each other.https://youtu.be/Jy6-5ZYTPmw Guest Information:Tom Shea is the co-founder and CEO of OneStream, and one of the original architects of the OneStream platform. His mission is to transform the corporate performance management (CPM) ecosystem with a solution that combines power and flexibility with ease of use, deployment, and maintenance. For more than a decade, Tom has been dedicated to delivering value, success, and support to users – drawing on his deep understanding of finance and technology to drive fully innovative products. Before founding OneStream, he co-founded UpStream Software, where he invented and architected UpStream TB and UpStream WebLink, pioneering the Financial Data Quality Management space.Chapters:00:00 — Why CFOs Now Lead AI Strategy01:35 — Can AI Replace or Redesign Finance Work?03:33 — Deterministic vs Non-Deterministic AI in Finance05:39 — How AI Learns Corporate Context07:42 — Why Deterministic Problems Are the Hardest for AI09:45 — Will AI Eliminate Entry-Level Finance Roles?11:42 — Can AI Fix the Spreadsheet Problem?13:57 — How AI Frees Finance to Become Strategic15:35 — What Happens When AI Handles the Basics?17:44 — From Human-in-the-Loop to Trusted AI Agents20:00 — Why Finance Needs Explainable AI21:56 — Why So Many AI Pilots Fail24:15 — Productized AI vs Internal Experiments25:59 — Unlocking Full AI Value in Finance27:28 — Why AI Needs Context, Not Just Data29:02 — Coding Human Judgment Into AI Systems31:17 — The Real Opportunity: Turning Over Agency to AI32:55 — Will AI Replace Work or Give Us Superpowers? 

What happens when AI doesn’t just do our work—but starts shaping how we think?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Kirsti Samuels—founder and CEO of KS Insight and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University—to unpack the overlooked risks AI poses to leadership and culture. From standardized thinking to conflict avoidance, the conversation challenges the idea that AI is an innovation partner—and asks what we lose when tools reward consensus, speed, and surface-level answers.Drawing on her work with heads of state, rebel leaders, and Fortune 500 executives, Kirsti explains why the best leaders create “pressure cookers” where discomfort leads to insight, and why psychological safety is no longer enough without dissent, disagreement, and deliberate resistance to vanilla answers. Together, they explore how to lead through change, why answers are cheap but good questions are rare, and why the real threat isn’t that AI replaces people—but that it teaches leaders to avoid being human.If you’ve ever wondered what leadership should look like in an AI-driven world—or what skills organizations must urgently develop—this conversation is your starting point.https://youtu.be/dKlwlEDJ5J8 Guest Information:Dr. Kirsti Samuels is the founder and CEO of KS Insight, a leadership and strategy consultancy based in New York City. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, where she teaches Leadership and Management in Moments of Adversity and Opportunity to Master’s students at the School of International and Public Affairs. As an entrepreneur and strategist with 25 years of experience, Kirsti specializes in tackling complex problems with innovative approaches. Her clients have included the President of the Comoros Islands, the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the U.S. Department of State, the Clinton Global Initiative, the United Nations, the World Bank, the American Hospital Association, and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Kirsti holds a Doctorate in Law from Oxford University, a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Science and Law from Sydney University  Links:https://ks-insight.com/  Chapters:00:00 — What Happens When AI Shapes How We Think?03:10 — Why AI Makes Everything Sound the Same07:30 — Can Leaders Train AI to Challenge Them?10:00 — The Real Skill Behind Innovation: Tolerating Discomfort12:00 — What High-Stakes Leaders Do Differently14:45 — Leadership Skills for a Volatile AI Era17:30 — How to Lead Change Without Breaking People20:00 — Why AI’s Warmth May Weaken Us22:00 — The Marshmallow Challenge: When Having the Answer Kills Innovation24:00 — How Social Discomfort Blocks Better Ideas26:30 — Can We Still Spark Innovation Without Face-to-Face?29:00 — Building Cultures That Welcome Pushback31:00 — Why Human Feedback Still Matters More Than AI33:00 — The Question We Should Be Asking About Leadership35:00 — The Deeply Human Skills AI Can’t Replace

As AI becomes capable of doing not just the work of our hands but also the thinking of our minds, one question looms large: what remains uniquely human?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Tatyana Mamut — economic anthropologist and CEO of Wayfound — to explore the human value add in the age of AI. Together, they unpack how judgment, taste, trust, and relationships form the foundation of real value at work, and why replacing people with agents can strip away the very essence that makes an organization thrive. Tatyana shares how her company helps leaders navigate the “multisapiens workplace,” where humans and AI agents work side by side. She explains why AI should eliminate inhuman work, not human jobs — freeing people to focus on creativity, connection, and purpose — and how leaders must redesign management and culture to reflect this shift.The conversation moves from the classroom to the boardroom, covering why education must emphasize human skills, how AI can become a trusted collaborator rather than a threat, and why the future manager may oversee teams made up mostly of intelligent agents.If you’ve ever wondered what role humans will play when machines can do almost everything else — and how to redefine leadership, purpose, andmeaning in that world — this episode is your guide to what makes us human in the age of AI.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠AI Isn’t Eliminating Jobs. It’s Eliminating Inhuman Work", to explore these ideas further.  Guest Information:Dr. Tatyana Mamut, is the CEO andCo-Founder of Wayfound where she is driving the next frontier of workforces through AI management for a more seamless multisapiens workforce. Leveraging her Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology, Mamut brings a unique approach to innovating in technology to use AI as the singular largest force for cultural shifts and impacts in the next century.Prior to Wayfound, she led product development and design at Pendo, where she met her co-founder Chad Burnette. She’s held other senior leadership roles at household tech names like Amazon, Salesforce, IDEO, and more. Wayfound is the #1 “Guardian Agent” for AI - a leading, independent AI agent supervision platform designed for business leaders and governance teams. Wayfound’s “AI Supervisor” captures and analyzes every Agent interaction and activity, assesses how well the Agents are performing and suggests improvements in near real-time, providing unparalleled insights through a single-pane observability dashboard. They’re tackling a $1.3T problem in the AI category to help integrate AI Agents alongside humans for a multisapiens workplace of the future.

What if the best leadership training isn’t about managing others but about managing yourself?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Margaret Andrews, founder of the MYLO Center and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others, to flip the traditional leadership script. Based on the most popular executive development program at Harvard, Margaret’s approach doesn’t start with people management frameworks or org charts—it starts with self-awareness.Together, Nirit and Margaret unpack why the future of leadership depends on understanding the stories we tell ourselves—about success, values, emotion, and power—and how those stories shape everything from our decisions to our relationships. They explore six deceptively simple questions that can help anyone lead with greater composure, empathy, and impact—and three more that show you where you’re growing next. Whether you’re navigating career change, rethinking how you lead, or managing in a time of transformation, this conversation offers a timely reminder: before you manage others, manage the person in the mirror.https://youtu.be/-_67w1JS9JYGuest Information:Margaret C. Andrews is a seasoned executive, academic leader, speaker, and instructor. She has created and teaches a variety of leadership courses and professional and executive programs at Harvard University and is the founder of the MYLO Center, a private leadership development firm. Her clients include Amazon, Citi, Continental, Walmart, Wayfair, and the United Nations. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.You can follow Margaret on LinkedIn (@margaretcandrews)Chapters:00:00 – Why Great Leadership Starts With Self-Awareness03:30 – What Is the First Step to Leading Yourself?06:00 – The First Question Every Leader Should Ask Themselves09:00 – What Events Changed the Way You Lead?12:45 – How Do You Define Success (Really)?14:15 – What Your Calendar Says About Your Values17:10 – What Makes You Mad Might Reveal What Matters Most18:55 – Why Leaders Must Understand Their Emotional Triggers20:45 – What Feedback Have You Heard Over and Over?22:10 – How Do You Want to Be Seen as a Leader?24:10 – Why Self-Awareness Is More Important Than Ever in an AI World26:10 – The Future of Less Work Is About Doing More of What Matters27:55 – What’s the One Question to Ask About Your Future Career?

Most organizations say they want to adopt AI. But very few are doing what it takes to actually change how work gets done. In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Mary Alice Vuicic, Chief People Officer at Thomson Reuters, to unpack what real AI transformation looks like inside a global organization—and why so many companies are missing the $19,000 per person productivity opportunity AI puts on the table. Mary Alice shares how her team moved from pilots to full-scale adoption across a global workforce—and why AI strategy isn’t about tools or pilots, but about tone, training, tools, and time. She explains how curiosity became a cultural cornerstone, why AI champions emerged organically, and how psychological safety helped people let go of legacy expertise to make room for new value. Together, they explore how managers can lead AI adoption, why change management—not tech—is the real constraint, and how to redesign work for a world where agents and humans work side-by-side. If you’re tired of surface-level AI efforts and want to understand what true organizational shift requires, this is the episode for you.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠If You Treat AI Like Software, You’ll Miss The Real Transformation", to explore these ideas further.   https://youtu.be/k0IJ_PU6Gsg  Guest Information:Mary Alice Vuicic is the Chief People Officer at Thomson Reuters, leading Human Resources, Communications, Government Affairs and ESG.Thomson Reuters is a global content-driven technology company operating in the business information services sector. Chapters:00:00 — What’s Missing From Most AI Adoption Strategies?01:49 — How the $19,000 AI Productivity Opportunity Was Calculated03:02 — What Is a Clear AI Strategy—and Why Most Fail04:29 — Why Tech Isn’t the Problem (It’s Change Management)05:39 — The 4 T’s Framework: Tone, Training, Tools, and Time07:46 — Why Psychological Safety Is Key to AI Adoption09:27 — How to Find and Support AI Champions in Your Workforce11:04 — What Tools Are Employees Actually Using with AI?12:18 — Real AI Use Case: Eliminating 95% of M&A Admin Work13:56 — Why Transparency and Empowerment Matter for AI Success16:09 — How to Drive 75% AI Adoption Across a Global Workforce18:16 — What Managers Should Do With AI Usage Data20:16 — How AI Is Changing the Future of Professional Services22:25 — Rethinking Roles, Org Structures, and Ownership Models24:09 — What Happens to Experience When AI Does the Work?25:43 — Advice for Leaders Scaling from AI Pilots to Full Adoption27:06 — What Quality Metrics Should You Use for AI Output?

What separates companies still experimenting with AI from those reinventing how work gets done? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Anant Adya—Executive Vice President and Head of Cloud, Infrastructure and Security Services at Infosys—to explore what it really takes to embed AI into the operating fabric of work. As one of the leaders behind Infosys’ internal AI-first transformation and hundreds of enterprise deployments, Anant brings a front-row perspective to the mindset shift companies must make. Together, Nirit and Anant unpack why scaling AI isn’t about tools or pilots—it’s about strategy, outcomes, and workforce reinvention. They explore how Infosys trains over 200,000 employees across three levels of AI fluency, how organizations can reimagine roles instead of replacing them, and why AI must be implemented with people, not just for efficiency. From healthcare call centers to cloud operations, Anant shares real-world use cases that show AI's impact when deployed responsibly—with a focus on experience, not just execution. They also discuss why so few companies are truly ready across data, governance, and culture, and how leaders can close the gap between what technology can do and what organizations are ready to change. If you're a leader navigating the AI transition and wondering how to move beyond experiments to real reinvention, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for. https://youtu.be/4UOOhsy_URo  Guest Information:Anant Adya is EVP and Head Cloud, Infrastructure and Security Services (CIS) for Americas and APAC at Infosys. He and his team are responsible for designing solutions to help customers in their Digital and Cloud journey. They use a combination of AI-led solution sets combined with capabilities from partner and startup ecosystem to design best solutions for customers. Cloud and Infrastructure Service line include infrastructure operations, security, data center and network transformation, cloud (public, private and hybrid), workload migration and service experience.Link to Infosys Research:https://www.infosys.com/services/data-ai-topaz/insights/leading-ai-world.html Chapters:00:00 – How AI Is Changing the Way We Work01:30 – Why Infosys Became an AI-First Company02:45 – Internal AI Transformation Before Client Deployment04:15 – How to Upskill 200,000 Employees in AI06:05 – What It Means to Be AI-Aware, Builder, or Master08:00 – Four Core Use Cases for Enterprise AI09:55 – Moving AI From Tech Layer to Operating Model12:10 – Will AI Replace People in Operations?13:20 – How AI Is Creating New Roles, Not Just Replacing Old Ones15:00 – Real-World Impact: Faster Patient Service with AI17:05 – Why AI Requires Change Management Too18:45 – Only 2% of Companies Are AI-Ready20:00 – What Makes a Great AI Implementation?22:00 – How to Build Trust in AI Systems23:50 – Why AI Outcomes Matter More Than Tools25:00 – The Leadership Mindset Shift: Keep It Simple

What happens when AI becomes your teammate—not just your tool? How Will AI Transform Collaboration at Work?In this special live episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Anurag Dhingra, Cisco’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Connectivity and Collaboration, at #WebexOne in San Diego to explore how the workplace is being re-engineered for the age of AI.Anurag shares Cisco’s vision for distance zero—a world where technology erases barriers of time and space, connecting people seamlessly across the globe. From AI agents that take notes and run polls to a “director” agent that decides camera angles for hybrid meetings, he reveals how AI is transforming collaboration from the ground up.Together, Nirit and Anurag unpack what happens when digital teammates join the workforce, how AI is shifting human roles from execution to orchestration, and why the future of collaboration depends on blending human intuition with machine intelligence.If you’ve ever wondered what it will feel like to work alongside AI—and how organizations can build workspaces where humans and digital agents truly collaborate—this episode offers a glimpse into that future, already unfolding.https://youtu.be/SWICVT28DtQGuest Information:Anurag Dhingra serves as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Connectivity and Collaboration Group. In this role, he manages a diverse portfolio encompassing industry-leading hardware, software, and SaaS products. From Meraki, Cisco Catalyst, and Industrial IoT networking, to ThousandEyes network assurance, to Cisco Collaboration, these products power the workplaces of the world's largest and most sophisticated organizations.In our digital and AI-first world, Anurag has been a pioneer in applying new technologies to build and deliver exceptional experiences for both customers and employees. He has been instrumental in shaping Cisco's AI strategy across its product offerings, and he has led his teams in delivering thousands of innovations to Future-Proof the Workplace.During his tenure with Cisco, Anurag has held several leadership roles in the Collaboration business, including Chief Technology and Product Officer where he led the entire Collaboration software business. He was also Vice President and Head of Engineering for Webex Meetings where he was responsible for delivering applications and services to power online meetings for millions of users worldwide.With over two decades of experience in the Communications, Collaboration, and SaaS industries, Anurag is accomplished at building high performance global teams and creating innovative, market leading products. Anurag takes pride in being a customer-focused leader, with a proven track record of strategic thinking and executing with a strong culture of innovation.Passionate about applying technology for good, Anurag serves on Cisco's Human Rights Advisory Council and was the founding executive sponsor of Cisco's Responsible AI Framework.He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India.LinksAnurag Dhingra's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anurag-dhingraChapters:00:00 — How Will AI Transform Collaboration at Work?01:00 — What Happens When AI Becomes a Teammate?02:00 — How Will AI Agents Change the Workforce?03:20 — Inside Cisco’s New AI Tools for Collaboration04:40 — Can AI Boost Meeting Engagement?06:00 — What Is Cisco’s “Distance Zero” Vision?07:00 — How AI Is Reimagining Hybrid Meetings08:40 — The Rise of Digital Teammates and Voice Agents10:20 — Will Every Employee Become an AI Manager?11:40 — How Will Management Evolve with Digital Workers?13:00 — Preparing Organizations for AI-Driven Transformation14:40 — How Can Workers Stay Relevant in the Age of AI?16:00 — Why Leaders Must Keep Learning17:40 — The Future of Hybrid Work and AI Collaboration

What happens when young people step into the workforce and find only closed doors—too little experience, too few opportunities, and too many barriers outside their control? Is Gen Z really “unmotivated,” or is the system failing to connect them to the future of work?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Steve Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, to explore what it takes to close the opportunity gap. Together, they unpack why youth unemployment is 2.5 times higher than average, why nearly half of young job seekers feel locked out due to lack of experience or skills, and what it would take for employers to tap into overlooked talent pools. They dive into the widening divide between high-skill and low-skill work, the promise of new pathways like Goodwill’s AI Essentials training with Google,and the potential of green jobs as an engine for upward mobility.From career navigation and wraparound support to second-chance hiring and skill-based pathways, Steve shares both the urgency and the optimism of reimagining workforce readiness. And he offers a hopeful vision: a future where the economy doesn’t leave people behind, but opens more doors for everyone to participate and thrive.If you’ve ever wondered what it will take to make the future of work work for all—not just the few—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/W03Ox1YkLA4Guest Information:As president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International (GII), Steven C. Preston leads a federation of 151 local Goodwill® organizations in the U.S. and Canada with a combined revenue of $8.6 billion. Goodwill is the leading nonprofit provider of workforce training and development in North America and a leader in the secondhand retail market. It is the mission of Goodwill to ensure that every person in our communities has the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential in life.Links:AI EssentialsClean Tech AcceleratorChapters:00:00 — Why Gen Z Can’t Find Jobs01:24 — Barriers to Entry Without a College Degree03:10 — What Digital Skills Do Workers Really Need?05:14 — Green Jobs and Trade Skills at Goodwill07:18 — Why Training Pathways Are Hard to Access09:17 — How Employers Can Tap Untapped Talent Pools10:53 — Rethinking Hiring for Skills and Potential14:45 — How AI Is Changing Entry-Level Jobs17:06 — What Colleges Need to Teach for an AI World18:54 — Can AI Bridge the Skills Gap?20:46 — How AI Tools Can Support Workers22:48 — Breaking Barriers in the New World of Work24:00 — Steve Preston’s Magic Wand for Workforce Access25:31 — How Do We Make the Future of Work Work for Everyone?

What happens when AI can analyze, draft, and even advise—doing much of what knowledge workers have always done? Are knowledge jobs dying, or are they evolving into something new?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Pratap Khedkar, CEO of ZS, to explore how consulting—the profession built on knowledge—navigates an AI-first world. With a PhD in AI and decades advising global companies in healthcare, Pratap has a front-row seat to how the very definition of knowledge work is being reshaped.Together, Nirit and Pratap unpack why the biggest bottleneck isn’t the technology but the humans, how asking the right questions will matter more than having the right answers, and why leadership in this era is less about strategy decks and more about role modeling, system design, and workflow architecture. They dive into what it takes to scale AI beyond pilots, why proprietary data is the real competitive edge, and how adoption hinges on trust, culture, and change management.From specialization that AI can’t yet replicate to the risk of moving from distrust to blind trust, Pratap shares both the opportunities and the cautions that come with rethinking knowledge work. And he offers a hopeful vision for what’s next: a future where humans don’t disappear, but shift to different work—work that matters more.If you’ve ever wondered what AI really means for consultants, analysts, or any knowledge profession, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. https://youtu.be/LzNTaBuesHk Guest Information: Pratap Khedkar is the CEO of ZS and has held the position since July 2021. Prior to this, he led the firm’s global pharmaceuticals practice for nine years, as well as a practice focused on the dynamics of healthcare ecosystems. He founded and led its advanced data science capability track, which focuses on AI. He has also served on ZS’s board since 2012. Pratap has advised numerous leading companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries on a wide range of sales and marketing issues, including market access and managed care, using AI for multichannel marketing, marketing mix, sales force strategy and incentive compensation. More recently, his work has focused on developing effective strategies and analytics for changing customers in the new healthcare ecosystem. A recognized healthcare industry expert, Pratap regularly contributes his insights to publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, Fortune, Medical Marketing & Media, NPR, Pharmaceutical Executive and others. His thought leadership work focuses on topics as diverse as healthcare policy; life sciences companies’ new commercial and organizational models; and the evolving relationships between patients, providers and payers and the life sciences organizations that serve them.  Pratap holds a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.Tech in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.  Chapters:00:00 – Are Knowledge Jobs Dying?01:08 – From More Work to Less Work to Different Work03:01 – What Human Value Looks Like in Consulting05:24 – Can Specialization Save Knowledge Work from AI?07:01 – Why Asking the Right Question Still Matters08:36 – The Real Bottleneck in AI Adoption: Humans, Not Tech10:15 – Why “AI Everywhere” Doesn’t Deliver Results11:24 – How to Pick the Right AI Use Cases13:46 – Leadership vs. Productivity: What AI Rollouts Get Wrong15:20 – Slow Down to Speed Up: Scaling What Works17:14 – AI in Action: Lessons from Pharma and Clinical Trials20:04 – Turning Data into Insight and Action23:09 – How to Drive Real AI Adoption and Trust24:20 – Why Change Management Still Decides AI Success25:52 – What Leaders Can Learn from First-Line Managers27:35 – From Efficiency to New Work: Jevons Paradox Explained29:29 – The Risk of Blind Trust in AI31:49 – Do We Still Know How to Think Critically?

What happens when 8 billion people suddenly have the productive capacity of 80 billion?In this special live episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s President and Chief Product Officer, at #WebexOne in San Diego to explore what the AI-powered workplace means for leaders, employees, and the future of collaboration.Jeetu unpacks why “distance zero” is the new frontier of work—erasing barriers between people wherever they are—and why creativity and human connection remain central even as AI agents become digital teammates. He explains why unlearning is as critical as learning, why experience can sometimes get in the way of progress, and why freezing entry-level hiring is “the stupidest thing” companies can do if they want to stay adaptable.Together, Nirit and Jeetu explore how jobs will be reconfigured rather than replaced, how AI can generate original insights that humans could never reach alone, and why the leaders who master AI themselves—not just delegate it—will be the ones to keep their organizations relevant. If you’ve ever wondered how to balance human creativity with AI scale—and how to build organizations that thrive in a world of human–AI collaboration—this episode offers clarity, challenge, and a call to action.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Why Freezing Hiring For Entry-Level Jobs Is A Stupid Move", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/LuoQHp0TjpUGuest Information:Jeetu Patel is Cisco’s President and Chief Product Officer. He combines a bold vision, steeped in product design and development expertise, operational rigor, and innate market understanding to create high growth businesses. He is relentlessly focused on building world class products that solve Cisco customers’ biggest problems—bringing the power of the Cisco portfolio together to connect and protect every aspect of their organization in the era of AI.Previously he was Cisco’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration where he led the strategy and development for these businesses and held P&L responsibility for the multibillion-dollar portfolio.Prior to joining Cisco in 2020, Jeetu was the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Box, a role he pioneered. He led the company’s product and platform strategy, setting the company’s long-term vision and roadmap for cloud content management in the enterprise. He transformed Box from a single product application to a multi-product platform used by 100K customers representing 69% of the Fortune 500. Before joining Box, Jeetu was General Manager and Chief Executive of EMC’s newly acquired Syncplicity business unit, a cloud service for Enterprise File Sync Sharing (EFSS) and collaboration. Previously, Jeetu was President of Doculabs, a research and advisory firm co-owned by Forrester Research. The firm focused on collaboration and content management across a range of industries including financial services, insurance, energy, manufacturing, and life sciences. He currently serves on the board of JLL, an American commercial real estate services company. Jeetu holds a B.S. in Information Decision Sciences from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family. Chapters00:00 – What Happens When 8 Billion People Work Like 80 Billion?00:53 – What Is “Distance Zero” Collaboration?03:37 – Will AI Replace Human Creativity?05:15 – Can AI Generate Original Insights Never Seen Before?06:59 – Will AI Take My Job or Transform It?09:24 – Why Is Unlearning as Important as Learning?12:25 – Why Stopping Entry-Level Hiring Is a Huge Mistake14:24 – How Should CEOs Learn and Lead With AI?17:25 – What Is the Human Instinct Machines Can’t Replace?20:16 – What Impossible Problems Can AI Help Solve Next?22:24 – Should We Approach AI With Fear or Optimism?

What if AI wasn’t a tech transformation—but a people transformation? What happens when you redesign HR with a product mindset, reimagine productivity as time to reinvest, and treat AI not as a replacement—but as a readiness engine?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jacqui Canney, Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow, to explore how one of the most ambitious talent transformations in enterprise tech is unfolding—from the inside out.Together, they unpack how to scale AI fluency across 27,000 employees, why eliminating junior roles might be the biggest mistake you can make right now, and how ServiceNow is reshaping HR into a capability-building, cross-functional powerhouse.You’ll hear how Jacqui’s team doubled productivity without cutting headcount, how their internal AI university aims to skill 3 million learners, and why the future of work might depend less on technology—and more on the managers leading through it.If you’re rethinking your talent strategy, wondering how to prepare your workforce for AI, or curious what it means to design HR like a product team—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. https://youtu.be/oXzXFe9qEzs Guest Information:Jacqui Canney is the Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow, leading all talent strategies for the company’s rapidly growing global workforce. She is focused on constantly improving employee experiences and preparing the workforce for the future by putting people at the center and empowering them through technology and generative AI.Prior to joining ServiceNow in July 2021, she served as Chief People Officer at WPP and Walmart, driving complex transformations. Jacqui worked at Accenture for 25 years, where she played a pivotal role in supporting the rapid growth of the business.Jacqui serves on the Board of Directors for Wonder, the Board of Directors for Project Healthy Minds, the Chief HR Officer Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), the Board of Trustees at Boston College, and as the Co-Chair for the Boston College Wall Street Business Leadership Council. ServiceNow University: https://learning.servicenow.com/now/lxp/home Chapters:00:00 — What Is an AI-First Workforce?01:50 — Why ServiceNow Changed the CHRO Role03:30 — AI as a People Transformation, Not Just Tech05:10 — Rethinking Productivity with AI07:10 — How to Reinvest Time Freed by AI08:45 — Doubling Productivity with AI Use Cases10:50 — Building Trust Through Transparent AI Adoption12:30 — Inside ServiceNow University and AI Fluency14:10 — Why Culture Is Key to AI Readiness15:45 — Turning HR into a Product Function17:20 — Designing the Employee Journey Like a Product18:50 — The Future of HR and Tech Collaboration20:50 — Why Early Career Talent Still Matters22:30 — How to Hire for AI Potential, Not Just Skills24:30 — The New Role of People Managers in AI Workplaces26:30 — One Question Every Leader Should Ask Now

What happens when organizations say upskilling is a priority—yet fail to deliver beyond day one? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Leslie Kelley, Chief Growth Officer at Absorb Software, to explore why traditional upskilling isn’t cutting it—and what smarter, business-aligned learning looks like. Drawing on findings from Absorb’s new State of Upskilling 2025 report, Leslie explains why only 44% of companies offer training at onboarding, fewer than 10% continue when business needs shift, and why ownership of learning remains so fragmented. Together, Nirit and Leslie unpack how AI can eliminate the “boring parts” of jobs while personalizing skill pathways, why the half-life of skills is shrinking fast, and how Gen Z is redefining career growth around learning velocity—not promotions. They also highlight why mentorship, coaching, and people-based learning remain the human edge in a digital-first workplace. If you’ve ever wondered how to close the gap between intent and action in L&D—and how to build learning cultures that actually drive performance—this conversation offers both a reality check and a roadmap for what’s next. https://youtu.be/oEqT6EyER-4  Guest Information: Leslie Kelley is the Chief Growth Officer at Absorb Software, where she spearheads innovative growth strategies across product, sales, marketing, customer success, and account management.With a proven track record in driving revenue and customer satisfaction from Seed through Series E, Leslie excels in aligning complex platforms with customer value. Her expertise spans revenue generation, business strategy, and cross-functional team leadership.Prior to joining Absorb, Leslie held pivotal roles at 360Learning, SmartRecruiters, and ThirdChannel, where she consistently delivered exceptional results in sales and customer success. Leslie is passionate about challenging the status quo and building bold strategies that deliver unparalleled value to customers. Upskilling report: https://www.absorblms.com/white-papers/state-of-upskilling-report/ Chapters:00:00 – Why Is Upskilling Failing Beyond Onboarding?01:30 – How Can AI Personalize Learning and Skills?03:40 – Why Doesn’t Upskilling Stick in Organizations?05:07 – Who Really Owns Employee Upskilling?06:40 – Why Don’t Leaders Prioritize Learning Time?08:43 – How Can Upskilling Align with Business Outcomes?10:24 – What Role Does Culture Play in Learning with AI?12:27 – Why Is People-Based Learning Still Essential?14:06 – How Can L&D Drive Business Strategy?16:14 – What Makes Strategic Learning Collaboration Work?18:03 – How Can Companies Balance Oversight and Agility in Training?19:53 – What Does Always-On Upskilling Look Like?20:56 – How Can Leaders Tie Learning Directly to Business Outcomes?22:59 – Should Companies Train Customers and Partners Too?24:16 – What Will Learning Look Like in the Next Few Years?26:33 – Why Human Connection Matters in Future Learning28:15 – What Question Should We Ask About the Future of Work?29:56 – How Is Gen Z Changing Expectations Around Learning?

What if pressure—not power—is what derails managers? And what if the key to great leadership isn’t more tools or authority, but a willingness to change yourself before trying to change others?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Sabina Nawaz, global executive coach and author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), to explore the invisible forces that make or break managers.Drawing on over 12,000 pages of 360° feedback from executives at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and more, Sabina reveals why promotions are often the most dangerous moments in a manager’s career—and how the very traits thatgot you the role can backfire if left unchecked. Together, they unpack the pressure-pitfalls and power-gaps that derail even the most well-meaning leaders, and the simple, evidence-based strategies that can help you avoid them.You’ll learn about the Time Portfolio, the Yes List, the 10-Second Pause, and other practical tools to lead with clarity, trust, and intention. Sabina shares how to communicate your leadership “operating system,” how to delegate without disaster, and how to stop reacting and start reflecting—even if it’s just for 10 seconds a day.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the demands of leadership, unsure how to manage in an AI-disrupted world, or worried that being helpful might make you a micromanager—this conversation is for you.https://youtu.be/_Ab8DggaFUAGuest Information:Sabina Nawaz is the author of YOU’RE THE BOSS: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) and an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams atFortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’sexecutive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly.  She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, NBC, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch.Chapters:00:00 – Why managers fail under pressure01:40 – The question that predicts leadership success03:00 – Why promotions are the most dangerous moment05:30 – When strengths turn into weaknesses08:45 – How to stop being misunderstood as a leader10:30 – Power isolates you from your impact11:40 – Can AI make management harder?13:10 – Why busyness is a trap, not a badge13:55 – The Blank Space technique for overwhelmed managers17:20 – Micro habits that actually work18:45 – The “Yes List” and how to use it19:55 – What is a Time Portfolio?21:45 – Are you spending time on the right things?22:45 – One habit that separates great managers24:20 – 10 seconds that can change your day25:00 – From positional leadership to co-creation26:00 – The sole provider trap27:00 – How to delegate without disaster28:45 – A five-step delegation dial29:30 – The question every manager should ask themselves

What happens when the tools we use to work stop being background apps—and start becoming the very space where work lives? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Sanchan S. Saxena, Head of Product for Atlassian’s Teamwork Collection (including Jira, Confluence, and Loom), to explore how the digital workplace is evolving into the new office—and what that means for collaboration, leadership, and productivity. Sanchan shares a vision where the browser becomes a central workspace, agents work alongside humans, and asynchronous communication replaces endless meetings. He explains why video has become his most powerful leadership tool, how Atlassian saved 5,000 hours of meeting time in two weeks, and how AI is moving from assistant to co-creator—freeing people up to do more meaningful work. Together, they explore what it takes to build trust and transparency in distributed teams, how success is being redefined in the age of AI, and why the future of work won’t be fully human—or fully machine—but powered by both. If you’ve ever wondered what a great workplace looks like when the “place” is entirely digital, this episode offers both a playbook and a glimpse of what’s next. https://youtu.be/bLhfJ4HXZsY Guest Information: Sanchan Saxena is Head of Product for Atlassian's Teamwork Collection, which includes Jira, Confluence, and Loom. Prior to joining Atlassian, Sanchan led product strategy at Coinbase, Airbnb, Instagram, and Microsoft. How Atlassian Teams Saved 5,000 Hours of Meeting Time in Two Weekshttps://www.atlassian.com/blog/loom/atlassian-meeting-research Chapters: 00:00 — What Makes a Digital Workplace Truly Work?01:26 — Can Remote Collaboration Be Just as Effective?03:17 — Should We Be Replicating Physical Workspaces Online?05:22 — What New Workflows Does Digital Enable?07:31 — How AI Agents Are Replacing Meeting Attendance09:24 — What Work Should AI Take Off Our Plate?10:53 — Is AI Changing How Leaders Define Success?13:01 — Can Humans and AI Work as Teammates?15:01 — How to Stay Connected Across Time Zones16:49 — How to Replace Meetings with Asynchronous Video19:29 — What Happens When You Cancel 5,000 Meetings?21:46 — How AI Links Conversations to Action23:23 — What Distributed Leadership Looks Like in Practice25:30 — How to Align Teams Without Physical Presence27:24 — Can Video Build Trust Across Cultures?29:27 — Why Video is Easier Than You Think30:48 — How Gen Z is Reshaping Workplace Communication32:30 — Will AI Agents Become Our Teammates?34:43 — Closing Thoughts: Why Humans Still Matter Most

What if the future of work isn’t about hiring more people—but about building smarter systems that scale on demand? What happens when cloud-based teams replace org charts, and companies optimize for outcomes instead of headcount? Can companies using on-demand teams instead of employees?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Krishna Vardhan Reddy, founder and CEO of AiDOOS, to explore the seismic shift away from traditional employment toward distributed, project-based execution. Together, they dive into how organizations can unbundle work from jobs, rebuild delivery models in the cloud, and rethink the very structureof the enterprise.Krishna introduces the concept of the Virtual Delivery Center (VDC), a model that connects global talent to enterprise projects through AI-enabled, cloud-native workflows. You’ll hear how companies can shrink to their strategic core, orchestrate work through on-demand teams, and deploy AI as a productivity amplifier—not a replacement for people. From startup agility toenterprise transformation, Krishna shares his vision of a borderless, outcome-driven world of work.If you’ve ever wondered how to scale without hiring, what comes after the job description, or how AI and humans might truly collaborate in the next generation of work—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠If The Job Was Never The Work, What Is The Right Structure?", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/eIh44FpE8u4Guest Information:Krishna Vardhan Reddy is the founder & CEO of  AiDOOS, the world’s first Virtual Delivery Center (VDC) platform that enables enterprises to execute projects via distributed, cloud-based expert teams. A technologist and futurist at heart, Krishna is on a mission to redefine how work gets done in the age of AI and agility. With over two decades in enterprise delivery, Krishna now builds models that collapse organizational complexity and drive outcome-focused execution.Chapters:00:00 – What If Employment No Longer Made Sense?03:12 – Are We Returning to a World of Micro-Entrepreneurs?05:15 – Can Companies Rely on On-Demand Teams for Core Work?07:15 – How Do You Ensure Quality and Control Without Employees?09:26 – Can One Person Build a Unicorn with Cloud-Based Teams?11:24 – How Do You Maintain Culture Without Traditional Structures?13:14 – What Makes This Different from Freelance Platforms?14:13 – Can Dashboards Replace Direct Supervision?15:28 – Will Outcome-Based Compensation Replace Salaries?17:45 – How Does the AiDOOS Unit-Based Pay System Work?19:32 – Which Types of Work Fit the Virtual Delivery Model?20:09 – Can AI Agents Replace Human Teams?21:34 – Why Would Companies Use a Platform Instead of Building Their Own AI Stack?23:40 – Are We Entering Life 4.0?25:11 – What Is the Future of Talent Clouds?26:40 – What Happens to Culture in Borderless Organizations?27:16 – What Should We Ask About the Future of Work?

What if nearly half your team felt misunderstood—and you didn’t even know it?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Matt Poepsel, behavioral scientist, leadership expert, and VP at The Predictive Index, to unpack one of the most overlooked cracks in today’s workplace: the growing gap between what leaders think their people need—and what people actually experience at work.With fresh data showing that nearly 50% of employees don’t feel understood by their manager, Matt and Nirit explore the consequences of this misalignment on trust, energy, and performance—and why it’s not just a communication problem, but a design problem. They dive into the hidden ways organizations are still structured around systems of control, even as work demands flexibility, focus, and recovery.The conversation tackles tough questions: Can AI help leaders become better coaches instead of better monitors? What does it take to build leadership models that match how people actually function? And how can we rethink productivity to align with purpose, not just output? From rehumanizing leadership to using AI as a mirror for self-awareness, Matt offers a roadmap for evolving management—not just for efficiency, but for impact.If you’ve ever wondered how to lead in a world where performance systems and human behavior are out of sync, this episode is your starting point.https://youtu.be/I6e7N7to2FoGuest Information:Matt Poepsel , PhD is the author of Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work and host of the Lead the People podcast. He serves as Vice President & Godfather of Talent Optimization at The Predictive Index and is a graduate professor at Boston College, where he teaches leadership, human resources, and business spirituality. Matt holds a PhD in Psychology, an MBA, and a Harvard Business School Certificate of Management Excellence, and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience as a software executive and consultant.2024 Workplace Perception Gap DataThe Predictive Index's joint report with RaconteurChapters:00:00 — Why Half of Employees Feel Misunderstood at Work01:40 — What Causes the Manager-Employee Disconnect?03:10 — How Employee Expectations Changed After the Pandemic04:20 — The Three Systems Every Manager Must Balance05:50 — Why Feeling Seen at Work Drives Performance06:45 — Are Engagement Surveys Still Useful?08:35 — Is Work Structured Against Human Behavior?10:10 — Are AI Tools Making Work More Human or More Robotic?12:00 — Productivity vs. People: What's the Real AI Strategy?13:50 — The Power of Trust in High-Performance Cultures15:00 — Why Managers Fear AI and Empathy-Based Leadership16:20 — How Incentives Undermine the Manager's New Role17:35 — Can You Have Productivity and Purpose?18:50 — Where Should Managers Start? Self-Awareness19:40 — How to Free Up Time for People Leadership20:45 — Using AI as a Coach for Leadership Development21:55 — The First Five Minutes: A Habit for Human Connection23:30 — Motivation at Work Isn’t Always About Money24:45 — Closing the Perception Gap with Strength-Based Coaching26:40 — Real Examples of Using AI for Self-Coaching28:30 — The One Question Every Leader Should Ask About the Future of Work

What if experience isn’t what it used to be—but still exactly what we need? In a world where the rules change faster than we can accumulate wisdom, how do we lead when the past is no longer a reliable playbook? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Paul Achleitner—former CFO of Allianz, Supervisory Board Chair of Deutsche Bank, and author of Accelerate Your Experience—to explore how leadership must evolve when expertise alone won’t cut it.From leading by asking questions to embracing ambiguity, Paul challenges traditional notions of authority, judgment, and performance. Together, they examine why legitimacy now matters as much as results, how remote work is reshaping learning and innovation, and why intellectual humility—not overconfidence—is the most future-ready skill of all. If you’ve ever wondered how to lead in a world of AI, why overperformance can be as risky as mediocrity, or what it really takes to stay relevant when experience itself is being disrupted—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Is AI Making Your Experience Obsolete At Work?⁠", to explore these ideas further.  ⁠https://youtu.be/WG1AhpR4RYM Guest Information:Dr. Paul Achleitner is a globally recognized investor, advisor, and board leader with a distinguished career at the highest levels of international finance, industry, and governance. He is best known for his decade-long tenure as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank, where he continues to serve as Chair of the Global Advisory Board. A former partner at Goldman Sachs and Chief Financial Officer of Allianz SE, Achleitner has helped steer some of Europe’s most influential institutions through periods of transformation. He began his career in academia and consulting—first in research at the University of St. Gallen and Harvard Business School, then at Bain & Company—and has served on the boards of Bayer, Daimler, MAN, and RWE. Beyond corporate leadership, he contributes to global dialogue through advisory roles with Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Hakluyt, HPS, and Hedosophia; nonprofits including the Alfred Herrhausen Society, Brookings, Bilderberg, and the Munich Security Conference; and academic institutions such as Harvard Business School, WHU, Bocconi, and the University of St. Gallen. An Austrian citizen based in Munich, he and his wife, Professor Ann-Kristin Achleitner, are also active startup investors. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/A/bo257334367.html  Chapters:00:00 – What does it mean to accelerate your experience?02:27 – Why leadership needs curiosity over control05:31 – How trust and humility reshape the future of leadership08:19 – Why legitimacy now matters as much as performance11:12 – Can overperformance be as dangerous as underperformance?13:49 – What remote work changes about learning and innovation17:17 – How do we build cohesion without shared space?19:24 – Is experience earned—or built through reflection?21:36 – Why adaptability beats overconfidence24:15 – What mindset should leaders carry into the future?

Resumes aren’t dead. But they’re no longer what they used to be.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Volen Volkov, co-founder of Enhancv, to explore how AI is transforming self-presentation in a hiring market that’s more automated, competitive, and algorithm-driven than ever.With over 45% of resumes now AI-generated, and tailoring down by 27%, job seekers are caught between speed and substance—while employers rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) that may never even surface their applications. Volen and Nirit unpack what’s happening on both sides of the job search: why resume formats are evolving beyond one-page rules, how visual design and micro-details impact parsing, and what the shift to AI screening means for authenticity, personalization, and bias.Together, they demystify what today’s job seekers need to know about bots, keywords, and digital presence—while reaffirming what hasn’t changed: that your story still matters.If you’ve ever struggled to write a resume, wondered how it’s being read, or feared that AI is gaming the job market, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/XXWrpIpjE5oGuest Information:Volen Vulkov is a resume expert and the co-founder of Enhancv. He has written more than 500 resume guides and deep-dive articles on how to create your resume and cover letter, that inspire job applicants to make a resume to be proud of. His work has been featured in Forbes, Zendesk, HubSpot, and Business Insider, and cited by top universities and educational institutions, like Thunderbird School of Management, Rochester University, University of Miami, and Udemy. Volen applies his deep knowledge and practical experience to write about career changes, development, and how to stand out in the job application process.  https://enhancv.com/blog/resume-statistics/ Chapters:00:00 – How AI Is Changing Resumes01:18 – Why Focus on Resumes?02:36 – Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid03:33 – Should You Let AI Write Your Resume?05:59 – Why AI Tools Still Require Human Input07:17 – Can Recruiters Spot AI-Generated Applications?10:14 – Why Tailored Resumes Are Declining11:47 – Are Job Seekers Spamming Applications?13:50 – When AI Applies and AI Hires14:57 – How Applicant Tracking Systems Really Work16:09 – What Resume Keywords Actually Do17:02 – What Is a Resume Parser?17:46 – Why Creative Resume Formats Can Backfire19:23 – Do Visual Resumes Hurt ATS Compatibility?20:10 – What’s Changing in Resume Screening?21:39 – Focus on Content, Not Just Format23:05 – Everyone’s Resume Sounds the Same—Now What?23:30 – How Does AI Select Candidates?23:58 – Why Online Presence Matters More Than Ever24:51 – The Rise of Automated Screening Tools25:31 – Be Ready to Defend Your Resume with Evidence27:41 – AI Is Looking for Fit, Not Just Keywords28:43 – Generational Differences in Resume Language29:34 – Will Resumes Disappear in the Future?30:49 – What Comes After the Digital Resume?32:37 – How to Tell Your Career Story with Impact

What happens when AI takes over the tasks—but connection, trust, and leadership are still what hold teams together? What if the biggest differentiator in the future of work isn’t technical skills or automation—but the people leading other people?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jennifer Dulski, CEO of Rising Team and longtime tech leader at Google, Meta, and Change.org, to explore what leadership looks like when the work itself is changing.From the rise of soft skills to the risk of outsourcing our own thinking to AI, Jennifer unpacks the new manager playbook—one built on coaching, connection, and the kinds of human capabilities machines can’t replicate.Together, they explore how to build trust in distributed teams, why small moments of belonging drive big performance gains, and what it really means to equip managers to lead in an AI-first world.If you’ve ever wondered how to prepare your leaders for the future, why emotional intelligence is the new competitive edge, or how to build culture in a world where no one shares an office—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/s7Qqb30vKy8Guest Information:Jennifer Dulski – Formerly of Meta and Google, professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business and CEO of  RisingTeam. Jennifer has 25+ years of executive experience leading large, globally distributed teams at top companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo! and Change.org. She is founder and CEO of Rising Team, a team performance platform that helps companies increase employee engagement and retention,build trust and connection, and improve manager and team effectiveness. The platform combines software that equips managers to lead deeply connective team workshops with a personalized AI leadership coach.Jennifer is also a faculty member at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she teaches one of the most popular courses, “Managing Growing Enterprises,” about people leadership. She also writes about leadership and the future of work for Fast Company and LinkedIn Influencers. Her first book, Purposeful, is about how each of us can be movement starters, and is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller. Chapters:00:00 — Why Leadership Must Change in the Age of AI01:44 — What’s Driving the Shift in How We Lead03:40 — Why Managers Are Underprepared05:29 — From Executive Coaching to AI-Powered Managers07:10 — What Actually Makes Teams High Performing09:28 — What Humans Still Do Better Than AI11:17 — Are We Automating the Heart Out of Work?13:16 — How Rising Team Builds Human-Centered Managers15:36 — Will AI Replace Human Connection in Management?17:39 — The Line Between What AI Can and Can’t Do18:46 — One Question That Predicts Great Managers20:28 — Why Time With Your Team Still Matters Most21:59 — Rethinking How We Teach Managers to Lead23:08 — Building Trust at Scale With Software24:38 — What Happens When AI Agents Join the Team?26:00 — How to Manage AI Agents vs. Humans28:06 — The Most Important Leadership Skill of the Future30:05 — What Will We Regret Not Doing at Work?32:16 — The Future of Less Work That Matters

What happens when job seekers have bots applying for thousands of roles—and employers can no longer tell what’s real?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Adam Stafford, CEO of Recruitics, to explore how AI is rewriting the rules of talent acquisition. From bot-to-bot job applications to AI recruiters holding first interviews, hiring has become noisier, faster—and more confusing than ever.Together, Nirit and Adam unpack why the old ways of finding talent are collapsing, why job boards may be losing their edge, and how leading companies are adapting. The conversation explores what hiring looks like when resumes no longer reflect reality, how social platforms are becoming the new front doors for talent, and why digital presence may matter more than a degree or a title.Stafford offers a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is transforming the hiring funnel—from targeting to screening to the human moments that still matter. And he shares a hopeful vision for what’s next: a future where technology helps match people not just to any job, but to the right one.If you’ve ever wondered what happens when machines take over recruiting—or what comes after the job board—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/x5DI0axLuJoGuest Information:Adam Stafford is the Chief Executive Officer of Recruitics, an award-winning, data-powered recruitment marketing firm recognized for its innovative use of AI and data analytics to transform talent acquisition. Since joining Recruitics in 2016 as Director of Product, Adam has advanced through key leadership roles—including Senior Vice President of Product, President, and Chief Operating Officer—before being appointed CEO in January 2023. Under his leadership, Recruitics continues to pioneer technology-driven solutions such as ApplyAnywhere™, enabling global brands to seamlessly connect with hard-to-find talent. The company’s comprehensive suite of tools and services encompasses candidate targeting and acquisition, applicant nurturing and engagement, employer branding, programmatic advertising, and advanced data analytics. Adam holds an MBA from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, equipping him with a robust understanding of business strategy and management principles. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he serves as a member of the customer experience advisory board at Rutgers University, where he contributes his expertise to advance customer-centric initiatives in higher education.  Chapters:00:00 – Why Job Boards Are Failing02:45 – What Is Always-On Recruiting?06:00 – How AI Bots Apply to Jobs09:00 – Are Job Boards Still Relevant?11:00 – Recruiting Through TikTok and Instagram14:00 – Does Your Digital Presence Matter More Than Your Resume?16:00 – Can AI Replace the First Interview?18:30 – Why Human Moments Still Matter in Hiring21:00 – How Recruiting Became Marketing23:30 – Are Hard Skills Losing Value?26:00 – How to Stand Out in the AI Hiring Era29:00 – What Makes a Talent Ad Convert?31:00 – Is Bot-to-Bot Hiring the Future?34:30 – Can We Trust Digital Applicants?36:00 – How Do You Match People to the Right Jobs?

When the workplace stopped being a place, presence stopped being physical. But that didn’t make it any less important—it made it essential.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Lorraine K. Lee, bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence and former LinkedIn editor, to unpack how professionals can thrive in a world where digital impressions often matter more than physical ones.Together, they explore how to get noticed without burning out, how to build influence in hybrid and remote settings, and why your video presence, Slack updates, and LinkedIn posts might be more critical than your resume. Lorraine shares her 4Es framework for building visibility (Explore, Establish, Envision, Excel) and explains why career success today requires thinking like the CEO of your own brand.You’ll hear why visibility is no longer about charisma—it’s about intention. Why thoughtful communication beats constant noise. And why, even in an AI-powered world, presence is still one of the most human—and valuable—skills you can master.If you’ve ever felt unseen at work, wondered how to build credibility online, or struggled to “show up” when no one’s in the room, this is the episode for you.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Your Online Presence Matters More Than Your Resume", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/eHi9IkJ3TVAGuest Information:Lorraine K. Lee is a keynote speaker and the best-selling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. She also teaches popular courses at Stanford Continuing Studies and LinkedIn Learning.She is passionate about empowering leaders to elevate their presence, influence, and impact. Her frameworks have been adopted by globally recognized organizations like Zoom, Amazon, Cisco, and McKinsey & Company.Lorraine is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice with hundreds of thousands of followers, and previously spent over a decade as a founding editor at companies including LinkedIn and Prezi. Her insights are featured in top media outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fast Company.https://lorraineklee.com/unforgettable-presence/ Chapters:00:00 — Why Visibility Matters More Than Ever01:32 — What Is Presence in the Digital Workplace?02:59 — Be the CEO of Your Career05:23 — Speaking Up in Virtual Meetings07:15 — How to Communicate with Presence Online08:53 — Overcoming Proximity Bias in Hybrid Work10:39 — The 4Es Framework for LinkedIn Presence12:21 — Why Personal Brand Is Essential for Employees14:14 — How LinkedIn Builds Confidence and Opportunity16:22 — How to Align Your Offline and Online Presence17:48 — Why Your LinkedIn Profile Shapes Perception19:11 — One Small Move to Improve Video Presence20:42 — The T Framework for Video Presence: Tech, Energy, Aesthetics22:34 — Stop Underdressing for Video Meetings23:45 — What Questions Should We Be Asking About the Future of Work?24:55 — Will AI Replace Presence or Make It More Valuable?

What happens when the future of work demands not just new skills—but new muscles for conflict, tension, and trust? What if your ability to disagree well is what sets you apart in an AI-powered world? How should you handle disagreements at work?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Justin Jones-Fosu, CEO of Work. Meaningful. and author of I Respectfully Disagree, to explore how respectful disagreement is emerging as a core leadership skill.Together, they unpack why “culture fit” may be an outdated hiring filter, how over-agreeable teams erode trust, and why emotional safety matters more than ever in hybrid and remote settings. Justin introduces his Five Pillars of Disagreement Intelligence, shares the Heart.Head.Hand. model for conversations that connect, and explains why AI will only make the human skills harder—and more necessary.You’ll hear how inclusive design helped shape his thinking, how working across cultures challenges assumptions, and why boundaries are different from barriers when it comes to building workplace belonging.If you’ve ever struggled to speak up, lead hard conversations, or disagree without disengaging—this episode is your guide to building a more courageous, human, and future-ready workplace.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠One In Three Employees Would Rather Clean A Toilet Than Ask For Help⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/EL8hvdcrIPQ Guest Information:Justin Jones-Fosu brings energy everywhere—whether scaling one of the famed 7 Summits, dancing with his wife, or chasing after his four turbocharged kids. But his real passion? Elevating workplaces, one keynote, one training, and one course at a time.As the CEO of Work. Meaningful. Justin delivers 50+ keynotes a year, helping organizations climb higher with enchanting employee experience through meaningful engagement, belonging, and leadership that actually sticks.An author and workplace researcher, he’s written Your WHY Matters NOW, The Inclusive Mindset, and his latest, I Respectfully Disagree, a guide to navigating tough conversations in a divided world.With humor, insight, and research-backed wisdom, Justin doesn’t just speak—he creates experiences that leave participants not just informed but transformed. Chapters:00:00 – Why is disagreement essential in the workplace?02:40 – What is disrespectful agreement?05:00 – How should leaders handle team tension?08:51 – What are the Five Pillars of Respectful Disagreement?11:20 – How can we build disagreement skills before conflict happens?12:45 – What is the Circles of Grace Challenge?13:45 – Why does hiring for culture fit limit inclusion?15:15 – How can disagreement lead to innovation?16:00 – What is the Heart. Head. Hand.™ model?18:15 – Why human stories matter more than ever19:40 – What leadership skills will AI never replace?21:55 – Can AI simulate empathy and curiosity?23:45 – What is double Dutch communication—and how do we fix it?25:15 – Can disagreement actually build belonging?26:34 – What question should we ask about meaning at work?

What if the skill most missing from the modern workplace isn’t technical at all—but social? And what if our discomfort is actually the secret to our success?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Henna Pryor—workplace performance expert, Inc. columnist, and author of Good Awkward—to unpack why relational discomfort has quietly become one of the biggest blockers to trust, collaboration, and innovation at work.Drawing on new national research, Henna shares that 30% of employees would rather clean a toilet than ask for help—a stat that reveals just how far our social muscle has atrophied. Together, they explore why hybrid work environments have made it harder to be vulnerable, how AI is making human connection even more optional, and why leaders must rethink influence as a relational—not positional—skill.This episode is a call to rebuild what Henna calls “discomfort tolerance”—the willingness to engage with imperfection, disagreement, and awkwardness as core competencies for the future of work. From conflict avoidance to surface-level relationships, from solo productivity to relational blind spots, Henna and Nirit unpack the hidden costs of too much comfort—and how to start training your social fitness like a real skill. If you’ve ever hesitated to speak up, avoided asking for help, or wondered what soft skills really look like in an AI-powered world, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠"⁠One In Three Employees Would Rather Clean A Toilet Than Ask For Help", to explore these ideas further.   https://youtu.be/HS6PWctsAbs Guest Information:Henna Pryor is a workplace performance expert, executive coach, Inc. Magazine columnist, and the author of Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You. A two-time TEDx speaker, Henna specializes in helping high-achievers and teams improve their influence through social confidence and intentional discomfort. Her work draws on neuroscience, communication research, and real-world coaching insights to reframe awkwardness as a workplace asset.Learn more at: https://www.hennapryor.comThe Study: socialmusclereport.comGood Awkward: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646871456 Chapters:00:00 — What is the future of social skills at work?03:04 — Why do we avoid asking for help at work?06:39 — What is social muscle and why does it matter?10:42 — How do you train for discomfort at work?15:48 — Why awkward moments are good for your career19:23 — How to build disagreement intelligence24:51 — Can you grow influence without power?29:10 — What is relational fluency and how do you build it?33:58 — How can leaders foster human connection in hybrid work?39:44 — What’s one question we should all ask about the future of work?

What if meaning isn’t something you find in your job—but something you can create in any role, on any team, starting today?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, authors of Meaningful Work and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, to explore what it takes to unlock motivation in a world where paychecks alone aren’t enough.Together, they unpack what really makes work feel worth doing—and why nearly 50% of our experience of meaning at work comes down to what leaders do. From simple gestures of acknowledgment to the deep impact of challenge and trust, Wes and Tamara lay out a practical framework to help managers build community, spark contribution, and foster growth—three pillars that fuel engagement and performance.They also dive into how AI is reshaping the future of work—and why human skills like connection, creativity, and resilience aren’t going away. They’re becoming the most important differentiators of all.If you’ve ever wondered how to retain top talent, spark motivation in your team, or build a culture that actually makes people want to show up—this episode is for you.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠"Why China’s 996 Work Culture Won’t Win The Future Of Work", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/6smc_yH-h5E Guest Information:Wes Adams is the CEO of SV Consulting Group. He partners with Fortune 500s and scaling companies to develop high-impact leaders and design operating structures that support high performing teams. He is also a positive psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania where he studies the leadership practices and organizational structures that help employees thrive. He is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Tamara Myles. He lives in Atlanta, GA.Tamara Myles is a speaker, author, professor, and entrepreneur specializing in the science of human flourishing at work. She helps leaders and organizations like Microsoft, KPMG, and MassMutual unlock the power of meaningful work to drive peak performance, innovation, and resilience. A faculty member at Boston College and a researcher and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Tamara’s work challenges assumptions about work, showing that when leaders make work meaningful, they create thriving teams and lasting impact. She is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Wes Adams. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts.Chapters:00:00 – What makes work meaningful today?01:14 – What is meaningful work?02:18 – Can any job feel meaningful?03:45 – How leaders build community at work06:01 – Why feedback fuels a sense of contribution09:17 – Micro-moments of recognition that matter10:27 – What is the right kind of challenge at work?12:45 – Why meaning at work matters more today14:45 – How AI is changing the role of human skills17:05 – Will AI make work more meaningful—or less?18:39 – Designing AI for human flourishing20:25 – Practical ways to create meaningful work22:19 – How leaders can stretch more people on their team23:05 – What’s the big question we should be asking about work?24:00 – What do we want people to do with time AI frees up?

Why are entry-level jobs disappearing—just as companies claim they can't find qualified talent? How can managers lead in a world where AI handles the tasks but not the people? And what happens when employees want stability while leadership pushes for agility?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Kyle Forrest, Principal at Deloitte Consulting and U.S. Future of HR Leader, to unpack some of the biggest contradictions shaping work today.Drawing on insights from Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends Report, they explore the growing experience gap, the challenge of stagility—balancing stability with agility—and what it takes to reimagine the manager role in a fast-changing world.Together, they look at how leaders can redesign work for learning, well-being, and performance—not just productivity. They talk about preparing Gen Z for jobs that no longer look like jobs, using AI to unlock human potential, and why the future of work needs to center on human sustainability.If you’re navigating the space between disruption and design, this episode offers practical insight—and an invitation to rethink what work is really for.https://youtu.be/XG2rT9aAGiMGuest Information:Kyle Forrest, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and US Future of HR LeaderChapters:00:00 – Why Entry-Level Jobs Are Disappearing03:00 – The Experience Gap and What We’re Missing06:30 – How Companies Can Rethink Talent Pipelines09:00 – AI Fluency as the New Career Advantage11:30 – Reimagining Onboarding and Learning at Work13:00 – Why People No Longer Trade All Their Time15:00 – Personalization, Motivation, and the Role of the Manager18:30 – Freeing Managers to Actually Lead21:00 – Rethinking the Manager Track22:30 – The “Stagility” Tension: Stability vs Agility25:30 – What It Will Take to Lead with Agility27:00 – From Hierarchies to Networks (Will It Finally Happen?)28:30 – Human Sustainability as the Real Metric30:30 – From Billion-Dollar Companies to Billion-Dollar Individuals

What if productivity wasn’t just about how much people worked—but how they worked, who they collaborated with, and whether they were truly engaged?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Sam Naficy, CEO of Prodoscore, to explore the evolving science—and ethics—of measuring work.As more organizations embrace hybrid, digital, and AI-enhanced models, the old ways of tracking productivity are falling apart. Sam shares what live behavioral data from over 14,000 employees reveals about real-world performance, collaboration, burnout, and even AI’s impact on output. Together, they unpack how organizations can use data not just for oversight, but to empower employees, coach managers, and build systems where great work is easier to recognize—and replicate.From organizational network analysis to predictive signals for attrition, this conversation sheds light on the blind spots leaders face in distributed teams—and what becomes possible when we move beyond gut feel to data-driven trust. Whether you're leading a team, shaping workplace policy, or just trying to do meaningful work in less time, this episode challenges how you think about productivity—and offers a glimpse into the new social contract between people and work.If you're grappling with return-to-office debates, tool overload, or how to use data without surveillance, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. https://youtu.be/MvBuwnr8jZcGuest Information:Sam Naficy is the CEO of Prodoscore, an AI-powered productivity intelligence platform helping organizations gain real-time insights into how work happens. A serial entrepreneur by nature, Sam has over 25 years of senior executive experience in SaaS and technology-enabled businesses across industries including pharmaceuticals, retail, distribution, quick service restaurants, and enterprise software. He has raised more than $300 million in debt and equity throughout his career. Early on, he founded Daru Nardin, a pharmaceutical brokerage firm focused on the Middle East, where he secured exclusive distribution rights to Merck Sharpe & Dohme and Faulding Pharmaceuticals for sales into Iran. He went on to launch The NORG Group, entering into joint ventures with the 99 Cents Only Corporation (NYSE: NDN). Prior to Prodoscore, Sam was the founder and CEO of DTiQ, which has become the global leader in intelligent video surveillance and loss prevention, serving over 45,000 customers. Beyond the business world, Sam is a passionate supporter of nonprofits focused on underprivileged children and has served on the board of the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club. His philanthropic contributions include support for the National Kidney Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Juniors of Social Service, and Northridge Hospital. He is an active investor in SaaS and tech-enabled ventures and a longtime member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Los Angeles, where he previously served as Chapter Chair. In 2013, Sam was recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for Greater Los Angeles. https://www.prodoscore.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/samnaficy/Chapters:00:00 – What Productivity Data Can Reveal01:25 – How Prodoscore Measures Productivity02:45 – Activity vs Impact at Work04:33 – Measuring Quality of Work Engagement06:17 – Giving Employees Their Own Data08:03 – Why Hybrid Workers Are More Productive11:04 – How Organizational Network Analysis Works12:45 – Identifying Hidden Influencers in the Workplace14:46 – Using Data for Objective 360 Reviews16:19 – Predicting Employee Attrition with Data18:33 – Can Productivity Tools Be Gamified?20:38 – Good Employees Want to Be Measured22:05 – AI and the Future of Work Productivity24:00 – Linking Activity to Business Outcomes25:23 – Redefining Trust and Visibility in Hybrid Work27:03 – Why Culture Still Needs a Human Touch30:04 – Will We Work Less or Just Smarter?32:30 – Balancing Flexibility and Accountability with Data

DEI programs are under fire. Political pushback, budget cuts, and employee fatigue have left many organizations scaling back or quietly rebranding their diversity efforts. But what if the problem isn’t DEI itself—what if it’s the way we’ve been doing it? Why DEI training isn’t working anymore?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen speaks with Dr. Flannery Stevens, Associate Professor at Villanova School of Business and coauthor of a powerful Harvard Business Review article challenging outdated DEI models. Together, they ask the hard questions: What does inclusion really mean in a world of hybrid teams, AI tools, and fractional work? Are headcount metrics doing more harm than good? And how can we design systems that make everyone feel seen, heard, and valued?From personalized learning to inclusive AI practices and the unintended consequences of rapid tech adoption, this conversation explores how to rethink inclusion for today’s workforce—not just as a set of programs, but as a strategic lens for designing the future of work.If you’re tired of checkbox DEI and ready to rethink what fairness and equity could really look like, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/HToC6qDPRkoGuest Information:Flannery Stevens is an associate professor in the Management & Operations Department at the Villanova School of Business. Her research focuses on the sources and consequences of inequality in organizations at both micro and macro levels. Dr. Stevens’s research has been published in Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Journal of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review, among others. She earned her PhD in Management and Organizations from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and received MS and BA degrees in Psychology from Tulane University and Binghamton University, respectively.https://www.linkedin.com/in/flannery-stevens-4553333/https://hbr.org/2025/04/to-make-your-dei-efforts-more-effective-challenge-outdated-models Chapters:00:00 – Is DEI Broken or Just Misunderstood?01:27 – Why Counting Headcount Isn’t Enough04:51 – What’s Missing in Today’s DEI Execution?06:49 – Why Diverse Teams Build Better Products08:43 – What Does Inclusion Look Like in Remote Work?11:56 – How Technology Can Expand—or Shrink—Voices13:50 – Rethinking DEI Training in the Age of AI15:43 – Can AI Personalize Learning Without Reinforcing Bias?17:52 – How AI Might Reinforce Inequality at Work19:44 – Where Should CHROs Start on Inclusive AI?23:02 – Why Internal AI Tools Need Inclusion Too24:53 – The Fast Pace of AI and Human-Centered Design26:44 – Will the Future of Work Boost Real Inclusion?28:25 – How to Use AI Without Leaving People Behind29:30 – The Heart of Inclusion: Being Seen and Heard

What happens when AI becomes so ambient, so invisible, that it disappears into the background of work—while quietly transforming everything? How does voice AI change jobs? Can technology finally deliver on its promise to make work more human?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Punit Singh Soni, former Google executive and founder of Suki, a company reimagining healthcare through voice-enabled AI. But this isn’t just a healthcare story—it’s a blueprint for how every profession could evolve when administrative work is offloaded and human connection takes center stage.Together, they explore what it means to build “invisible” technology that assists without intruding, how ambient AI is redefining workflows one profession at a time, and why the real revolution may lie not in automation—but in imagination. Punit shares why he left Big Tech to find more meaning in his work, how AI can unleash new kinds of creativity and purpose, and why he believes we’re still in the earliest days of what’s possible.If you’ve ever wondered what happens when tech stops interrupting and starts supporting, what new jobs will emerge when coding is no longer a barrier, or how we can design work around our deepest human strengths—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “⁠When Work Talks Back And Voice Becomes The New Keyboard⁠“, to explore these ideas further. https://youtu.be/-rEAo7Z7OSsGuest Information:Punit Singh Soni is the founder and CEO of Suki, the leader in voice technology for healthcare, providing AI-powered voice solutions for clinicians. He leads a team of physicians, engineers, and technologists, creating innovative solutions to lift the administrative burden from doctors, including the company’s flagship product, Suki Assistant. Suki also offers its proprietary AI platform, Suki Platform, to partners who want to create a best-in-class AI and voice experience for their solutions. Prior to starting Suki, Punit was the Chief Product Officer of Flipkart, a $15B Indian e-commerce company. Punit also held leadership positions at Google including: VP of Product at Motorola; Lead PM at Google+ Mobile and Google Mobile Apps; PM at News, News Archive and Search. He graduated with an MBA from Wharton and has a MS/BS in Electrical Engineering. Chapters:00:00 – What Does It Mean to Put Humans First in AI?01:36 – Are We Headed Toward a Future of Less Work?05:45 – What Jobs Will Be Left for Humans?07:30 – How AI Can Make Work More Human08:57 – Will AI Redefine What a Job Is?10:41 – Why Voice Is the Future of AI Interfaces12:08 – What Is Ambient AI and How Will It Change Work?14:14 – The Benefits and Risks of Invisible AI16:30 – How AI Could Reduce Burnout in Healthcare18:29 – Will Every Profession Need Its Own AI Assistant?20:28 – Will AI Kill White-Collar Jobs—or Create More?22:23 – What Founders Learn About the Future of Work24:43 – Which Skills Will Stay Human in an AI World?26:23 – Can We Redesign Healthcare with AI This Time?28:10 – Who’s Responsible for the Future of Work?

What happens when the next generation enters the workforce without ever knowing the “old way”—and starts reshaping work not by accident, but by design? What if Gen Z isn’t the problem, but the prototype?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Amanda Schneider, founder of ThinkLab, the research division of Interior Design Magazine, to explore how digital-first workers are challenging our assumptions about space, trust, and connection.From the rise of the “phygital” workplace to the trust gap shaping hybrid work, Amanda offers a design-forward lens on what it takes to build belonging, culture, and collaboration in a fluid world. Together, they unpack why Gen Z sees digital and physical space as one seamless environment, what leaders get wrong about building culture, and why intentionality—not location—is the key to thriving in the next era of work. Amanda shares how radical transparency, authentic storytelling, and self-awareness can help organizations and individuals design better ways to work and live.If you’ve ever wondered how to build trust without walls, how to lead digital natives, or how to design workspaces and work cultures that truly reflect your values—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Dive deeper into the research featured in this episode: Unlocking Gen Z’s Potential to Impact the Future of Workhttps://youtu.be/DP3sVzes9PwGuest Information:Amanda Schneider the Founder & President at ThinkLab, the research division of Interior Design Magazine. As a former blogger for the Huffington Post Amanda has been exploring the future of work through the lens of design for more than two decades. Her latest research around Gen Z was featured in a viral Forbes article titled Gen Z and the Great Office Debate Won’t End in 2023. She also co-authored the #1 article in the MIT Sloan management review July of 2024, and took the TedX stage in 2024 which can now be found on TED.com. Her degree in Industrial Design coupled with an MBA formed her foundation at the intersection of design and business and the power of that intersection to transform our world. Learn more by tuning into her award-winning podcast, Design Nerds Anonymous.Chapters:00:00 – What Is the Future of Less Work?01:35 – What Does Phygital Mean for Workplaces?03:20 – How Should We Design Digital and Physical Work Together?06:25 – What Can Gen Z Teach Us About Work?08:30 – Why Gen Z Doesn’t Separate Digital and Physical Work10:55 – What Is the Trust Gap in Hybrid Work?12:00 – Can We Build Trust Without Returning to the Office?13:25 – How to Build Culture and Belonging Digitally15:00 – Why Intentionality Is the Key to Hybrid Success17:00 – How to Design Work Around When and How We Work Best18:55 – What Does Radical Transparency Look Like at Work?20:50 – How Gen Z Research Is Reshaping Workplaces21:55 – What Question Should We Ask About the Future of Work?

Will voice replace the keyboard at work? How will AI and voice technology change how we work?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Josh Blalock, Chief Evangelist at Jabra, to explore a future where conversation becomes the interface. From AI-powered noise-canceling to real-time voice translation, Josh shares how voice and smart audio are unlocking a new way to work—one that’s more natural, inclusive, and connected across distance, time, and even language.They dive into why voice is more than just a productivity hack, how it lowers the barrier to entry for AI adoption, and what it will mean when we no longer speak differently to machines and people. As the line blurs between human and agent teams, and as keyboards give way to microphones, this conversation offers a glimpse into how work is being reimagined—literally, word by word.If you’re wondering what it means to be AI literate, how to lead teams across continents and time zones, or why voice-first work is about more than devices, this episode will make you rethink how you show up—and speak up—at work.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “When Work Talks Back And Voice Becomes The New Keyboard“, to explore these ideas further. https://youtu.be/pFpG9480chM Guest Information:Josh Blalock is the Chief Evangelist at Jabra, a global leader in audio, video and collaboration solutions. With over 20 years of experience in engineering and architecting Microsoft technologies, Josh has deep expertise in Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365, as well as unified communications and video solutions. In his current role, Josh engages with customers, partners, and the industry around Jabra's portfolio of solutions, and how it is evolving to meet the changing needs of the modern workplace.Josh is also co-founder and board member of Comms vNext, a community-led conference that brings together Microsoft UC professionals and enthusiasts to learn and network. As a multiple-time Microsoft MVP in the Office Apps & Services category, Josh shares his knowledge and insights with the Microsoft UC community - helping them achieve their communication and collaboration goals.Josh recently launched Cutting Through the Noise - a weekly podcast aimed at taking topics in the AV / UC / AI space that are seemingly overly complex, and breaking them down into understandable concepts. Chapters:00:00 – What if we could talk to technology the same way we talk to people?01:50 – Will we stop using keyboards and prompts at work?03:23 – How voice AI removes barriers to adoption05:07 – What does AI literacy mean in a voice-first workplace?07:12 – Can anyone use AI if we just make it conversational?09:28 – Why accurate audio is critical for AI to work12:39 – Will voice tech make hybrid work more productive and inclusive?14:36 – Are personal devices replacing expensive meeting room tech?16:06 – How AI and video enhance hybrid collaboration17:45 – What will work look like when human-agent teams become the norm?19:49 – Why AI adoption affects happiness and productivity at work21:59 – Is talking faster—and better—than typing with AI?