Work Better

Many MBA students are taught that businesses should be created to fill a market gap. Poonam Bir Kasturi, founder of the home composting company the Daily Dump, believes in the power of business as a force for good. And she says the MBA-way is not the only way. A diversity of business models is important. She even calls her own style a little foolish.

The Daily Dump designs, makes and distributes beautiful home composting products in India. Daily Dump’s purpose is to reduce waste and reduce the pressure on public waste management systems. Poonam was a TED fellow at TED India. She received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Schwab Foundation of the World Economic Forum and a Smart Cities India Award.

Her outlook on business opens up a new way to think about work and the role our companies play in doing more for the wellbeing of people and our planet.

Additional resources:

Learn more about the Daily Dump at https://www.dailydump.org/

Read insights about how to create more inclusive workplaces www.steelcase.com/WBmagazine

Get the latest workplace design, insights and research: www.steelcase.com/subscribe

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Lots of organizations make commitments around sustainability today — which is a good thing. But some are making more progress, much faster than others. So what separates the leaders from the laggards?

Kara Pecknold has some ideas. She is Vice President of Regenerative Design at frog. She consults with organizations around the world to help them develop circular products, services and business models. Some people refer to her as a Swiss army knife because of how she must tap into so many skills as a designer, researcher and leader in sustainability.

She explains how work she did in Rwanda led her down this path of regenerative design. She helps us understand the meaning of regenerative design and she gives us real-life examples of how companies are making an impact right now by redesigning how they do business.

Additional resources:

Learn more about Kara Pecknold https://www.frog.co/authors/kara-pecknold

A game to apply play for solving tough sustainability challenges: http://cardsforsustainability.frog.co

Learn more about frog’s approach to sustainability: https://www.frog.co/insights/chief-challenges/sustainable-business

Learn more about designing sustainable products: https://www.frog.co/designmind/sustainable-product-design-is-our-future

Voices from Cannes: https://www.frog.co/designmind/design-mind-frogcast-bonus-episode-voices-from-cannes-day-4

Discover how biodiversity is key to bringing nature to the business: https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/biodiversity/

Watch a video to learn more about Kara’s views on the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLqIS24yMRw

Read about how Steelcase is supporting the wellbeing of people and the planet www.steelcase.com/people-planet

Get the latest workplace design, insights and research: www.steelcase.com/subscribe

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Over the past 100 years, the office has been integral to how work gets done. It has shaped cities, cultures and how many of us, individually, behave. But the pandemic triggered a complete re-evaluation of the workplace. Jeremy Myerson says it’s time to relearn old habits and rituals and start thinking a little more like Walt Disney when we design offices in the future.

Jeremy is a researcher, author and activist in workplace design and innovation. He is a director at WORKTECH Academy. If you aren’t familiar with WORKTECH, it is a global, online knowledge platform and member network that explores the future of work and workplace. He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and Professor Emeritus in design at the Royal College of Art. He’s also published several books on workplace design including his latest, “Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office.”

When we think about the impact the workplace has on people, we have to consider how to create better experiences for workers. Modern office design has to integrate hybrid work spaces, biophilia, social spaces, and contemplation spaces to improve workplace experiences and productivity. As a collector of knowledge, Jeremy shares four specific new ways to think about designing offices for experiences in today’s era.

Additional resources:

Learn more about WORKTECH Academy https://www.worktechacademy.com/

Read Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office

Read insights about how to create more inclusive workplaces www.steelcase.com/WBmagazine

Get the latest workplace design, insights and research: www.steelcase.com/subscribe

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Caroline Casey spent a good part of her life hiding her true self. When she finally opened up to the world, amazing things happened. Her story starts when she was inspired by the Disney movie The Jungle Book. Later, she found herself on elephant-back in India which helped her kickstart an inclusion revolution in the workplace.

Caroline is an Irish activist and management consultant that just so happens to be legally blind. She leads the Valuable 500 — which Steelcase is proud to be a part of. The Valuable 500 is a partnership of 500 of the most influential organizations in the world that have made a commitment to work to end disability exclusion.

Caroline is bringing disability inclusion to the forefront of the diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace initiative. Learn how Caroline’s commitment to audacious inclusion is changing the ways people work. And hear her insights into what to do to design more inclusive workplaces (https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/design/ideas-designing-inclusive-workplaces/) even when everyone’s needs are so different.

Additional resources:

Learn more about The Valuable 500 https://www.thevaluable500.com/

Read insights about how to create more inclusive workplaces www.steelcase.com/WBmagazine

Get the latest workplace design, insights and research: www.steelcase.com/subscribe

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Leadership is complicated today. Managers are under pressure to deliver business results and create relationships with employees guided by empathy. This episode, we’re learning lessons from Google’s former head of People Operations about how the relationships between leaders and employees can improve one nudge at a time.

Laszlo Bock is co-founder and on the Board of Directors at Humu, a company designed to help managers create better routines and habits at scale. He previously led Google’s People Operations where he was responsible for attracting, developing and retaining “Googlers.” He’s the author of “Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead”. Laszlo gives us the inside track on Humu’s research into hybrid work and helps us with tips on how to go from insight to action.

After hearing from Laszlo, we’ll be joined by Isabel Medellin who focuses on talent attraction and retention, along with leading DEI efforts at Steelcase. She also works with Humu to develop leaders within Steelcase around the world.

Description:

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Humu by visiting https://www.humu.com/

- Learn more about Laszlo Bock’s book, Work Rules! https://www.workrules.net/

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Gen Z is on the cusp of being nearly 30% of the workforce. Today we’re talking about the power and possibility of the youngest generation at work. This is not a conversation about what’s right and what’s wrong with Gen Z. It’s about understanding – so we can all work better together.

We are joined by Dr. Jean Twenge. Jean has spent her entire academic career – 30 years – studying generational differences. She is professor of psychology at San Diego State University and has authored more than 180 scientific publications and books. Her most recent book which just came out is called “generations.” In many ways, this book is her magnum opus. Its analysis is derived from 21 huge datasets that go back to the 1940s and are as recent as this year, spanning some 38 million people. Jean is also the author of iGen and Generation Me.

After we hear from Jean, we’ll be joined by Keith Bujak who is a researcher at Steelcase and recently led work on Gen Z in the workplace.

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Dr. Jean Twenge and her books: http://www.jeantwenge.com/

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

When the pandemic sent everyone home, many teachers and students struggled. And according to Anya Kamenetz, one of the biggest reasons is because learning is a social event. This episode of Work Better, we’re focused on the work happening in our classrooms. We’ll talk about how online and hybrid learning are impacting kids and teachers. Plus, share some inspiring success stories.

Anya speaks, writes, and thinks about how children learn, grow and thrive on a changing planet. She covered education for many years including for NPR, where she co-created the podcast Life Kit: Parenting. Her newest book is The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children’s Lives, And Where We Go Now. Before the pandemic, she wrote the book DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education. She also is currently an advisor to the Aspen Institute and a Co:Generate fellow working on a new initiative to end climate silence in children’s media.

Stick around after we hear from Anya because Andrew Kim, director of global research at Steelcase, will join us. Andrew will share why the physical environment makes such a difference to how we learn.

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Anya Kamenetz and her book The Stolen Year: http://www.anyakamenetz.net/

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

We’re all trying to influence how people behave, according to Dr. Marcus Collins, whether it’s what people buy, how they interact with one another or how they work. Marcus calls culture the biggest cheat code ever to influence human behavior. His work as an engineer, music maker and advertising guru with cultural influencers like Beyonce and Apple have put him on a path to become a leader in understanding how to harness the power of culture within organizations. His stories from the world of pop and tech will change how you see culture in the workplace.

Marcus now works as head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy in New York and teaches at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He’s also the author of the new book For the Culture.

After our interview with Marcus, Robin Rosebrugh will join us. Robin is a workplace researcher who works with Steelcase as an architecture and design manager. She’s also one of the most well-read people you’ll ever meet. Robin will talk to us about how the places we work can help influence behavior and, ultimately, culture.

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Marcus Collins and his book For the Culture at http://marctothec.com/

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

Who doesn’t want to be happier at work? Jenn Lim has dedicated her life to bringing more joy into the workplace.

Jenn is founder and author of Beyond Happiness. She is also CEO of Delivering Happiness which is a company she founded with Tony Hsieh, the late CEO of Zappos. In her book, she shares her “Greenhouse Model” for the workplace – it’s an idea she says leads to growth, purpose and business success.

After our conversation with Jenn, hear from Cherie Johnson – director of global design at Steelcase about how design can help us create happier places at work.

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Jenn Lim and her book Beyond Happiness at https://jennlim.com/

- Learn more about Jenn’s company Delivering Happiness at https://www.deliveringhappiness.com/

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.

You are more likely to stay at your job if you have a best friend at work. You are also more likely to learn from a peer at work than your boss. Relationships in the workplace are really important. But as work changes, our relationships are changing too.

Robin Dunbar, one of the world’s leading experts on friendship, will help us explore how relationships are changing in the era of hybrid work and what we need to know to make work more enjoyable. Robin is an anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist who specializes in human behavior at the University of Oxford. His most recent book is called Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships. He’s famous for something called the Dunbar Number – which is how many relationships our brains can manage.

After our conversation with Robin, hear from Dr. Tracy Brower, vice president of workplace insights at Steelcase. She will help us understand how the workplace can help support some of the ideas Robin has about building and maintaining relationships.

Additional resources:

- Be part of our community at steelcase.com/subscribe. Get the latest workplace design, insights and research sent to your inbox.

- You can find transcripts at www.steelcase.com/podcasts (Read today’s transcript)

- Learn more about Robin Dunbar: https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/people/robin-dunbar -

- Robin Dunbar’s book, Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships (https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Understanding-Power-Important-Relationships-ebook/dp/B08W4XPK7G)

- Robin Dubar Article, You Can Only Have So Many Close Friends (https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/05/robin-dunbar-explains-circles-friendship-dunbars-number/618931/)

- Dr. Tracy Brower’s article, Making Friends Is Hard But Work Can Help (https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2022/10/05/new-study-making-friends-is-hard-but-work-can-help/)

Work Better podcast is hosted by Chris Congdon. Produced by Rebecca Charbauski. Creative art direction by Erin Ellison and Emily Cowdrey. Technical support by Mark Caswell and Jose Jimenez. Digital publishing by Areli Arellano and Jordan Marks. Editing and sound mixing by SoundPost Studios.