Work For Humans

Many products are made by people but often don't consider human needs. The chair you're sitting on might not fit you well or suit your work habits and office setup. The same issue applies to how we approach work.

Can a manager act as an experience designer to improve productivity, satisfaction, and well-being in the workplace? Is it practical and possible? Abraham Burickson, a design expert with over 20 years of experience, thinks so. He wants to change the way we think about design to create new possibilities in the workplace and beyond.

Abraham Burickson is an author, speaker, and design expert with more than two decades of experience in exploring experience design. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Odyssey Works, where he plans immersive artistic experiences involving up to 100 artists in various locations across the U.S.

In this episode, Dart and Abraham discuss:
- How to create a transformative experience for a single individual
- Whether or not managers can be experience designers
- Why experience is not designable
- How to implement experience design at work
- Baking experiences within static products
- Companies as a platform for the co-creation of experience
- The origin story and myths of organizations
- And other topics…

Abraham Burickson has spent over two decades exploring experience design. As the co-founder and Artistic Director of Odyssey Works, he directs up to 100 artists at a time while designing experiences for one-person audiences across the U.S. With a background in architecture from Cornell University, he has also studied the transformative power of designed experience with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, the Shuar of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and with countless artists, designers, and students over the years.

Abraham is the winner of the 2018 Mary Sawyers Baker Prize, and his work has been profiled in the New York Times, Vulture, the Stanford Storytelling Project, the SF Bay Guardian, and other publications. He has lectured at the Brooklyn Museum, Cornell University, Fordham University, The GoGame, and Southern Exposure Gallery. He is also a current Lead Experience Design faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Resources mentioned:
Experience Design, by Abraham Burickson: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Design-Participatory-Abraham-Burickson/dp/0300269471
Odyssey Works, by Abraham Burickson: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Works-Transformative-Experiences-Audience/dp/1616895152
The Anatomy of Genres, by John Truby: https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Genres-Story-Forms-Explain/dp/0374539227

Connect with Abraham:
www.OWprograms.com
www.AbrahamBurickson.com 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

After dedicating her early professional life to a career in national defense, Ashley made a bold choice to try something different—career coaching. This transition was not without its challenges. In a distressing turn of events, she found herself burdened with a staggering $500,000 debt, reaching a point of profound personal difficulty, both financially and emotionally.

It was during this period of adversity that Ashley uncovered the transformative strategies that led her to overcome her hardships and achieve her greatest success to date. Today, she leverages her expertise to guide others in proactively navigating their career paths, helping them avoid similar roadblocks and chart a course toward fulfillment and success, both in their professional lives and beyond.

Ashley Stahl is a professional career coach, best-selling author, and global spokesperson who has helped clients in 75+ countries find career fulfillment. Her TEDx talk on intuition and fulfillment is ranked among the top 100 TED talks on the Internet, amassing over 8 million views and counting.

In this episode, Dart and Ashley discuss:
- How a background in national defense led Ashley to become a renowned career coach
- The importance of experimentation to design fulfilling work
- Needfinding for employees
- The 5 core things people need to understand to find fulfillment
- How to choose and define values
- Aligning a core skill set to a job experience
- Our relationship with money and its impact on our work
- Core interests vs. core motivators
- And other topics…

Ashley Stahl is a counterterrorism professional turned career coach, an international bestselling author, a Fortune 500 spokesperson, and an expert on intuition, personal branding, and fulfillment. Her TEDx talk on intuition and fulfillment is ranked amongst the top 100 TED talks on the Internet, amassing over 8 million views and counting. Between her latest book, You Turn, online courses, subscribers, and “The You Turn Podcast” show, Ashley has been able to help clients in over 75 countries find career fulfillment.

Ashley maintains a monthly career column in Forbes, and her work has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CBS, SELF, Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune, among others. She's also the founder and current spokesperson of CAKE Publishing, a ghostwriting and publicity house for entrepreneurs and organizations.

Resourced mentioned:
You Turn, by Ashley Stahl: https://www.amazon.com/You-Turn-Unstuck-Discover-Direction/dp/1950665690
The Science of Happily Ever After, by Ty Tashiro: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Happily-Ever-After-Matters/dp/1335284796

Connect with Ashley:
https://www.ashleystahl.com/ 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

With decades of experience in education, Dr. Peter Liljedahl realized that classrooms and workspaces have long been failing to engage those within them. He began a push to shift the paradigm of learning by challenging every classroom norm he could find - and it worked. Dr. Liljedahl was able to increase student thinking and engagement, and his revolutionary ideas are now able to be applied to work around the world.

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is an author, researcher, and Professor of Faculty Education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He has authored or co-authored 38 journal articles, over 50 conference papers, and 12 books including Building Thinking Classrooms. Working within education for decades, Peter consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy.

In this episode, Dart and Peter discuss:
- Peter’s redesign of the classroom and how it can be applied to work
- How to create an environment that cultivates thinking
- Transforming norms to achieve better results
- The importance of collaboration in work and learning
- The best ways to evaluate employee performance
- Deconstructing ideas into actionable points
- What creates “Aha!” moments
- The structure of a good task
- And other topics…

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is an author, researcher, and Professor of Faculty Education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He has authored or co-authored over 38 book chapters, 38 journal articles, over 50 conference papers, and 12 books including Building Thinking Classrooms. Working within education for decades, Peter consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy.

Peter is the current president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG) and the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME). He also serves on various editorial boards and is a senior editor of IJSME. Dr. Liljedahl recently received the Cmolik Prize for the enhancement of public education in BC as well as the Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award for innovation and excellence in mathematics education.

Resourced mentioned:
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12, by Peter Liljedahl: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Thinking-Classrooms-Mathematics-Grades/dp/1544374836
Weapons of the Weak, by James Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Weak-Everyday-Peasant-Resistance/dp/0300036418
A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander: https://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199

Connect with Peter:
https://buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/
Facebook Groups: Thinking Classrooms

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

As employers constantly try to guess the next talent acquisition trend, Kevin Wheeler has studied talent management long enough to know that many answers lie in the past. In this episode, Kevin and Dart discuss current employment trends in their historical context to hypothesize the future of global talent acquisition.

Kevin Wheeler is a globally known speaker, author, futurist, and consultant in talent management, human capital acquisition and learning & development. He is the Founder of The Future of Talent Institute, facilitator of Future of Talent Retreats across three continents, and the author of multiple books and hundreds of articles on work and talent acquisition.

In this episode, Dart and Kevin discuss:
- The largest trends in talent acquisition and employment today
- How work is being decentralized
- The essential skills tech workers will need in the next decade
- The benefits of a liberal arts degree
- Changes in global demographics and their effects on work
- The relationship between the U.S.A, China, and Asia
- Employees as investors vs. customers
- The three groups employers hire for
- And other topics…

Kevin Wheeler is a globally known speaker, author, futurist, and consultant in talent management, human capital acquisition and learning & development. He has founded several organizations including the Future of Talent Institute, Global Learning Resources, Inc., and the Australasian Talent Conference, Ltd. Kevin hosts Future of Talent Retreats across three continents, has authored various books and hundreds of articles on talent acquisition, and writes frequently on LinkedIn and as a columnist for ERE.net.

Prior to his work at The Future of Talent Institute, Kevin held a 20+ year corporate career in several tech and financial firms in San Francisco. He also served on the faculty of San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco.

Resourced mentioned:
UX Strategy, by Jaime Levy: https://www.amazon.com/UX-Strategy-Innovative-Digital-Products/dp/1449372864

Connect with Kevin :
https://futureoftalent.org
Kevin’s FOT weekly newsletter: https://fotnews.futureoftalent.org/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Dr. Loretta Breuning's upbringing was marked by conflict, which shaped her into an adult who avoided confrontation. Much like many of us, she often felt stuck in her automatic reactions, not understanding their origins. However, her exploration of mammalian behavior unveiled the link between our brains, past experiences, and fundamental chemicals.

Through this understanding, Dr. Breuning discovered that we can rewire our brains using targeted psychological techniques. This rewiring process enables us to foster greater self-acceptance and achieve more positive outcomes, both in our professional and personal lives.

Loretta Graziano Breuning, Ph.D., is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, and author of Habits of a Happy Brain. Her work has been translated into 14 languages and has helped thousands of people build new neural pathways to produce more positive outcomes.

In this episode, Dart and Loretta discuss:
- 4 core brain chemicals and how they affect our experience of work
- The origin and purpose of serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin
- Our “survival needs” in the workplace
- How to identify and understand our emotional responses to improve the experience of work
- Psychological techniques for hacking our brain patterns
- How to use this knowledge to create more happiness – internally and at work
- And other topics…

Loretta Graziano Breuning, Ph.D., is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She's the author of many books on happiness, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin levels. Her work has been translated into 14 languages and has helped thousands of people build new neural pathways to produce more positive outcomes.

Before teaching, Loretta worked in Africa for the United Nations. She holds a BS from Cornell University and a PhD from Tufts University. In her free time, she travels to historic places and studies foreign languages.

Resources mentioned:
Habits of a Happy Brain, by Loretta Breuning: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Happy-Brain-Serotonin-Endorphin/dp/1440590508

Connect with Loretta:
www.innermammalinstitute.org 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Scientists, philanthropies, governments, and NGOs alike often find themselves in possession of an important truth that could improve the world, but the public just can't seem to hear it. As CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, Nathanial Kendall-Taylor knows that how we frame information significantly influences how people perceive and respond to it. Using rigorous social science methods, the Frameworks Institute provides evidence-based techniques that help non-profits communicate in a way that transforms public thinking and enacts social change.

Nat is an expert in psychological anthropology and communications science. In addition to his role as CEO, he is also a senior fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a visiting professor at the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, and a fellow at the British-American Project.

In this episode, Dart and Nat discuss:
- What frames are and how they impact thinking and cultural mindsets
- How the FrameWorks Institute helps organizations disseminate information and ideas
- The keys to conveying important information effectively
- The steps needed to shift a cultural mindset
- The importance of a mobilization strategy when introducing a new idea 
- And other topics…

Nathaniel Kendall-Taylor is the CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, a communications think tank in Washington, DC that applies framing research methods to social issues and non-profit organizations. He is also a senior fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a visiting professor at the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, and a fellow at the British-American Project.

As an expert in psychological anthropology and communications science, Nat’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Science Communication, Human Organization, and Applied Communications Research. He is a global lecturer and has presented at conferences for the National Academy of Sciences, the Parenting Research Centre in Australia, the Science and Society Symposium in Canada, and Amnesty International in the United Kingdom.

Connect with Nat:
www.FrameworksInstitute.org 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

In every manmade job, place, and activity, design plays a pivotal role in shaping our experiences. Sadly, many designs miss the mark by neglecting the profound psychosocial impact they wield. This is where Dr. Sara Pazell steps in. As a dynamic design strategist, she empowers companies across industries to embrace human-centered work by integrating designs that ensure not only functionality but transformative success.

Dr. Pazell is the managing director and principal consultant at Viva Health at Work and podcaster of WhyWork. At Viva, Sara leads companies to find solutions for human factors and ergonomics design across industries like mining, transportation, healthcare, retail, finance, food and beverage, sport and fitness, and government organizations.

In this episode, Dart and Sara discuss:
- The job of a work design strategist
- Ergonomics and human factors in design
- Why companies should consider psychosocial factors in design
- The 7 principles of a human-centered organization
- How to generate excitement and engagement when designing work
- Improving design using failure modes analysis (in reverse)
- How to contextualize design for success
- The best and worst ways to generate new ideas
- And other topics…

Dr. Sara Pazell is a principal work design strategist, WhyWork podcaster, and managing director and principal consultant at Viva Health at Work. At Viva Health at Work, Sara leads companies in finding solutions for human factors and ergonomics design and work practices across industries like mining, transportation, healthcare, retail, finance, food and beverage, sport and fitness, and government organizations.

In the past, Dr. Pazell has served as a healthcare professional, an executive business manager for health and surgical care facilities, and a trainer for business, leadership, and health and fitness training companies. She has helped publish various case studies and articles around work design and received her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland, where she is an Industry Fellow.

Resources mentioned:
International Ergonomics Association: https://iea.cc/
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society: https://www.hfes.org/
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia: https://www.ergonomics.org.au/
Charted Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors: https://ergonomics.org.uk/
Jobs to Be Done, by Jim Kalbach: https://www.amazon.com/Jobs-Be-Done-Playbook-Organization/dp/1933820683
How Buildings Learn, by Stewart Brand: https://www.amazon.com/How-Buildings-Learn-Happens-Theyre/dp/0140139966

Connect with Sara:
Viva Health at Work: https://vivahealthgroup.com.au/
WhyWork Podcast: https://whywork.com.au 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Thoughtfully designed products can promote efficacy, success, and joy – but that’s only one side of the coin. Bad design is everywhere, and poorly designed products cause more than mere discomfort; they can anger, sadden, exclude, and even kill the people who use them. From a bad interface that ended a young cancer patient’s life to product designs that exclude minority groups, Jonathan Shariat has seen his fair share of dangerous designs during his decade-long career as a senior designer – a trend he’s determined to rectify. 

Jonathan is an international speaker, former podcast host, design leader at Google, and author of Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design. He is passionate about using design as a tool to improve our world, with over a decade of experience working as a senior designer for companies like Intuit, Project Ronin, and Hightail.

In this episode, Dart and Jonathan discuss:
- The high stakes of bad design
- Incorporating accessibility and the human experience into design
- Transforming pessimism into innovation
- What types of design anger, sadden, and kill customers
- Accidental dark patterns at work and how to fix them
- How company values slowly impact design, products, and business success
- The importance of qualitative research
- And other topics…

Jonathan Shariat is an international speaker, podcast host, and senior interaction design leader at Google. Jonathan is passionate about doing right by others and using design as a tool to improve the world we live in, with over a decade of experience working in design with startups to large companies. Before Google, Jonathan worked as a senior designer for Project Ronin, Intuit, and Hightail, as well as a product director for Therapydia.

Jonathan’s insights and passion for ethical and helpful design are shared in his latest book, Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design and How to Fix It. He is also the author of a #1 most recommended article on Medium titled “How Bad UX Killed Jenny.”

Resources mentioned:
Tragic Design, by Jonathan Shariat and Cynthia Savard Saucier: https://www.amazon.com/Tragic-Design-Impact-Bad-Product/dp/149192361X

Connect with Jonathan:
www.Jonathanshariat.com

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

From pre-COVID to the Great Resignation and beyond, many employers face difficulties adjusting their talent acquisition strategies to meet current trends. Attracting adaptable candidates and leveraging technology for hiring could mean the difference between hiring the right candidate and the wrong one. Talent acquisition specialist Matt Alder brings over two decades of research and experience in the field to discuss his take on how to navigate the ever-changing recruitment landscape.

Matt is a distinguished author, speaker, strategic consultant, and podcaster in the fields of talent acquisition and innovation. Working with Fortune and FTSE 100 employers, Matt helps organizations optimize their digital strategies to stay at the forefront of industry advancements. He is the producer and host of The Recruiting Future Podcast, the world’s leading podcast on talent acquisition with over two million downloads and counting.

In this episode, Dart and Matt discuss:
- The recent tests and trends in talent acquisition
- Whether or not organizations need office space
- AI’s impact on screening and interviewing job candidates
- Scientific assessments within talent acquisition
- How to maintain a recruitment team in times of less hiring
- How to curate talent during recruitment
- The philosophical differences between companies and their effect on talent acquisition
- Changing the recruitment process to enact positive societal change
- And other topics…

Matt Alder is a distinguished author, speaker, strategic consultant, and podcaster in the fields of talent acquisition and innovation. He is the producer and host of the Recruiting Future podcast, the world’s leading podcast on talent acquisition. With more than two million downloads and over 500 episodes, the podcast features practitioners and thought leaders who are actively shaping the future of work. 

With over two decades of research into the shifts in talent acquisition, Matt has built a reputation as a global thought leader. Working with Fortune and FTSE 100 employers, Matt helps organizations optimize their digital strategies to stay at the forefront of industry advancements. He has presented as a keynote speaker in 17 countries and counting. Matt has also authored two books on the subject of talent acquisition, Exceptional Talent and Digital Talent, as well as previously authored a column for The Herald Newspaper.

Resources mentioned:
The Recruiting Future podcast: https://recruitingfuture.com/ 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

As a leadership expert with over 25 years of experience, business consultant Dr. Laura Fifner knows what it takes to find and groom exceptional leaders. In today's episode, Laura shares how she finds the right leaders for the right companies, and what red flags to look out for when hiring.

Dr. Laura Fifner is the co-founder of Leadership Excellence Consulting. Utilizing decades of experience and a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Laura helps clients find and coach senior-level talent using scientific assessments to evaluate leadership potential.

In this episode, Dart and Laura discuss:
- The purpose of leadership
- What personality tests Laura uses, and how they inform her thinking
- The universal attributes of great leaders
- How to detect a narcissistic leader
- The relationship between ambition and leadership
- Neuroplasticity and the cultivation of leadership skills
- Behavioral interviewing
- And other topics…

Dr. Laura Fifner is an internal and external leadership expert with over 25 years of experience in business consulting. As the co-founder of Leadership Excellence Consulting, she helps clients find and groom the right senior-level talent using scientific assessments to value leadership potential.

Laura received her Ph.D. from Purdue University in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and is a licensed psychologist in New York State. She is passionate about supporting the development of all team leaders – especially female entrepreneurs – and advocates for workplace inclusivity for individuals on the spectrum.

Resources Mentioned:
Burn the Boats, by Matt Higgins: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Boats-Overboard-Unleash-Potential/dp/006308886X
Radical Candor, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity/dp/B07XVQB7XV
Power, by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Some-People-Have-Others/dp/0061789089

Connect with Laura:
Leadership Excellence Consulting: www.leadershipexcellenceconsulting.com
[email protected] 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.