DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley

Amir Morshed and Martin Adams are business and occupational psychologists – as well as the co-founders and managing directors of Propel International. Host Ross Thornley talks to Amir and Martin about creating a consulting company that can scale according to specific projects, the technology and digital fluency they possess as a business, and drawing solutions alongside clients due to co-creation and co-elevation. The trio also discuss the difference between leading an organization and inspiring visions versus managing people, business and clients.

Timestamps:

• :59: Who is Amir Morshed — in his own words
• 1:47: Martin Adams' background and how he and Amir met
• 4:17: Original aspirations and problems to solve in the world
• 6:18: The story of Propel’s first client
• 8:37: Important roles to play
• 10:35: Skills that clients are looking for
• 13:34: The evolution of Amir and Martins’s roles over the past 10 years
• 16:02: Valuable lessons learned for a cohesive organization 
• 20:07: A challenge that Propel has proudly helped a client overcome and advice for you
• 24:34: How to prove you’re an “invisible gem” — and tips for HR to find them
• 30:39: The vision for moving forward — what is being crafted and worked on
• 34:21: A recently read Book and the effect it had

Resources:

• Propel International
• Propel International on LinkedIn
• "American Gods"

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Barry O’Reilly is an author, software developer, and founder of ExecCamp. Host Ross Thornley and Barry talk about his book, “Unlearn,” the importance of co-creation within the marketplace, and why most people adapt or die rather than experiment and learn while at the top of their industry. Barry and Ross also discuss the helpfulness of putting yourself into uncomfortable situations because you have a vision or a goal — and thinking big but starting small to feel successful. 

Timestamps:

• 1:14: Barry’s journey — in his own words
• 6:42: The landscape shift in keeping up with the speed of change
• 10:15: The background of unlearning and manifesting into a book
• 14:29: The difficulty of unlearning 
• 17:16: The correlation of the adaptability of people and organizations  
• 24:28: Behaviors Barry has adopted to unlearn
• 30:13: Becoming more adaptable when forced to make a change
• 35:19: Adaptability in the context of the work Barry is doing
• 38:29: How important is it to measure and reflect when trying to improve?

Resources:

• Barry O'Reilly
• Singularity University
• Strategic Coach
• "Lean Enterprise"
• "Unlearn"

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Barry O’Reilly is an author, software developer, and founder of ExecCamp. Host Ross Thornley and Barry talk about his book, “Unlearn,” the importance of co-creation within the marketplace, and why most people adapt or die rather than experiment and learn while at the top of their industry. Barry and Ross also discuss the helpfulness of putting yourself into uncomfortable situations because you have a vision or a goal — and thinking big but starting small to feel successful. 

Timestamps:

• 1:14: Barry’s journey — in his own words
• 6:42: The landscape shift in keeping up with the speed of change
• 10:15: The background of unlearning and manifesting into a book
• 14:29: The difficulty of unlearning 
• 17:16: The correlation of the adaptability of people and organizations  
• 24:28: Behaviors Barry has adopted to unlearn
• 30:13: Becoming more adaptable when forced to make a change
• 35:19: Adaptability in the context of the work Barry is doing
• 38:29: How important is it to measure and reflect when trying to improve?

Resources:

• Barry O'Reilly
• Singularity University
• Strategic Coach
• "Lean Enterprise"
• "Unlearn"

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Nicola Strong is a trainer and facilitator, the director of Strong Enterprises Limited, and a senior consultant at the Institute for Ethical AI, Oxford Brookes University. Nicola and host Ross Thornley talk about supporting people through change, the debate between augmenting through AI instead of going autonomous — and Nicola’s extensive research into chatbots. The pair also discuss the builders and the user’s responsibility when interacting with technology and how tech can perhaps do the gathering and filtering — and allow humans to more effective and less overworked.  

Timestamps:

• 1:09: Nicola’s studies at Surrey University
• 2:58: How beginning her career from an academic start point shaped Nicola’s career
• 3:52: How technology has changed and evolved work over the past few decades
• 6:03: How digitization is affecting coaching, learning and training
• 9:28: Nicola’s research and discoveries about chatbots
• 14:27: Ethical dilemmas with chatbots 
• 20:50: Saberr’s CoachBot
• 23:30: Axa’s Amber chatbot
• 26:42: How human’s can prepare for e-coaching
• 28:06: Tips and advice to get started in this technology

Resources: 

• Nicola Strong
• Heather Knight’s comedic robots
• I am Echoborg
• Saberr’s CoachBot

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Nicola Strong is a trainer and facilitator, the director of Strong Enterprises Limited, and a senior consultant at the Institute for Ethical AI, Oxford Brookes University. Nicola and host Ross Thornley talk about supporting people through change, the debate between augmenting through AI instead of going autonomous — and Nicola’s extensive research into chatbots. The pair also discuss the builders and the user’s responsibility when interacting with technology and how tech can perhaps do the gathering and filtering — and allow humans to more effective and less overworked.  

Timestamps:

• 1:09: Nicola’s studies at Surrey University
• 2:58: How beginning her career from an academic start point shaped Nicola’s career
• 3:52: How technology has changed and evolved work over the past few decades
• 6:03: How digitization is affecting coaching, learning and training
• 9:28: Nicola’s research and discoveries about chatbots
• 14:27: Ethical dilemmas with chatbots 
• 20:50: Saberr’s CoachBot
• 23:30: Axa’s Amber chatbot
• 26:42: How human’s can prepare for e-coaching
• 28:06: Tips and advice to get started in this technology

Resources: 

• Nicola Strong
• Heather Knight’s comedic robots
• I am Echoborg
• Saberr’s CoachBot

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Enrique Rubio is the founder of Hacking HR — a global learning community that converges HR past, future, and technology. An electronic engineer and HR specialist by trade, Enrique talks with host Ross Thornley about serving the comunity, being open to feedback — even if it hurts, and creating the best HR that has ever existed because of its resounding effect on a positive society. Enrique also details his new value proposition for HR, which is more valuable now — than ever before. 

Timestamps:

• 1:50: Enrique’s background
• 4:41: What shaped Enrique’s journey 
• 9:37: The concept of mental flexibility
• 12:45: The embryo of Hacking HR
• 18:20: The future of Hacking HR
• 24:10: Potential obstacles for achieving desired goals 
• 28:10: Example of an organization leading with love and humanity
• 34:35: Where can HR lead in ethical redundancy?
• 36:34: New value proposition for HR
• 40:43: Jobs are changing 
• 47:20: Gratefulness even in a dark situation 

Resources:

• Hacking HR
• Enrique Rubio on LinkedIn
• A Message from Airbnb Co-Founder & CEO Brian Chesky

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Recorded at the quarterly meetup for Strategic Coach, host Ross Thornley sits down with Richard Wilson from the Family Office Club. The pair discuss how adaptability is perceived no matter the industry, experimentation to find new revenue stream versus being laser focus, and the level of resilience over the measurement of emotional overwhelm. 

Timestamps:

• :38: What led Richard to becoming part of Strategic Coach
• 1:08: What is Family Office Club?
• 2:25: Transitions in how Family Offices are managed
• 4:14: What drives investing
• 5:55: How can a Family Office diversify? 
• 7:48: Phrasing adaptability 
• 11:47: How to help people navigate change and disruption
• 14:27: An analogy for a multifold business
• 17:25: The importance of understanding the types of people businesses need
• 22:48: "Sometimes the tide matters more than the swimmer"
• 24:13: Using adaptability to solve real problems
• 26:27: Advice for startups navigating investments 
• 29:12: Is it smart to keep a wall between who clients are and who investors are?

Resources: 

• Family Office Club
• Strategic Coach
• PitchDecks.com
• Peter Diamandis: Abundance 360
• Now to Next with Nick Nanton

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Amanda Solosky is the co-founder and co-CEO of LA-based Lifekind.ai (formerly Rival Theory). She has successfully delivered AI-based products across interactive entertainment, VR, and Hollywood, used by over 100,000 studios in 26 countries. Host Ross Thornley and Amanda discuss the future of using artificial intelligence to create both fictional and real characters for different worlds, building and collaborating more by creating virtual personas, and solving problems through a game while also learning things along the way.

Timestamps:

• :57: Why Lifekind.ai was created
• 2:16: Creating remarkable work
• 4:40: New focus — and what is next
• 6:59: The beginnings of adaptive storytelling in games 
• 9:27: Benefits to the public of future projects
• 12:07: Historical and living individuals such as Tony Robbins, currently being worked on
• 16:58: The vision for the level of creating emotional relationships — and the difference to chatbots
• 21:30: How might a persona help someone going through an unexpected change
• 26:08: The pivot from storyline, entertainment, and gaming to quality of life, wellness, and education of real people 
• 30:57: Honing in on something only you can do
• 34:55: Overcoming challenges and pushback in these unique concepts 
• 40:26: The future of AI
• 42:45: Who would Amanda like to bring to AI life to

Resources:

• Amanda Solosky
• LifeKind.ai
• Barry O’Reilly

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation