FROM OUR EXPERTS 🎙️

I keep a close eye on what our Future Work Experts are thinking, saying, and questioning. I break down the key conversations and brainstorm practical steps we can take to move forward.

​This week:

TRANSFORM 2025

​Brian Elliott: Key Insights from Transform 2025​

At Transform 2025, CHROs and people leaders shifted focus from generative AI (GenAI) and return-to-office (RTO) debates to the economic and cultural chaos disrupting strategic plans. As Brian Elliott notes, “It’s only March,” a sentiment echoed throughout the event, highlighting the unpredictability of 2025.

• GenAI: From Efficiency to Outcomes: The AI conversation is moving from efficiency gains, often seen as layoffs, to outcomes-driven applications. Companies face a choice: reskill their existing workforce or replace them with new talent. Elliott emphasizes, "Investing in people" creates loyalty, while "treating them as cogs" risks alienating the workforce.
• RTO: Real Problems Beyond Policy: RTO debates were overshadowed by a focus on human engagement, collaboration, and designing workplaces that foster deep, meaningful work. Leaders are moving beyond attendance mandates to promote effective collaboration and adaptability in an AI-enhanced, distributed workforce.
• Economic Chaos & DEI Challenges: Economic uncertainty is now a reality, with discussions of recession shifting from "if" to "when." DEI initiatives have become politically charged, especially for global companies balancing local political climates while maintaining diversity values.
• Building Resilience & Trust: Resilience is essential for leading through chaos. Leaders must be transparent, acknowledging challenges while fostering collaboration. Trust-building is critical, with one CPO noting, “We need real human connection to make hard decisions together.”

These insights highlight the importance of resilience, adaptability, and trust as core elements in navigating the complex challenges of 2025.

"It's Only March" and 2025's leadership challenges are just getting started!

AI & REMOTE WORK

​AI, Remote Work, and the Real Problem: Trust​

Rebecca Hinds discusses how remote work and AI, though often treated separately, are deeply interconnected in shaping the future of work. Both face the challenge of outdated management practices, such as the visibility bias ("If I can't see you, you're not working"), which hinder the potential of both.

As remote work and AI are implemented, they reveal deeper organizational issues around trust and ineffective collaboration systems. AI alone cannot fix broken workflows; it must be integrated as a collaborative partner within well-designed systems.

Rebecca emphasizes that organizations must rethink their work processes to embrace AI and remote work environments, focusing on outcome-based collaboration. Those who adapt will thrive, while those stuck in productivity theater will fall behind.

⚒️ Prompt: Pressure yourself with this question: Do you fully trust your team when they are not in the office?

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

​From Desks to Gatherings: The EX Budget Shift​

Employee experience is not just a strategy—it’s a product. Good products need transparent pricing and aligned incentives to make people want to “buy” them.

​Phil Kirschner discusses how traditional "below the line" chargeback mechanisms—like real estate costs—hinder workplace transformation by misaligning financial incentives.

He contrasts this with "above the line" budgets for T&E (Travel & Events), which are directly controlled by business units. Modern workplace models from companies like Atlassian, Dropbox, and Airbnb shift this model, cutting office space and reinvesting savings in intentional team gatherings.

For example, Atlassian hosted 1,600+ gatherings with 96% satisfaction, and 86% of Dropbox employees believe these gatherings enhance team effectiveness.

⚒️ Prompt: If employee experience is your product, how much budget would you allocate to trade for ROI in satisfaction and engagement? Start small with one gathering, assess the impact, and use that as a case to reshape your budget strategy.

🎙️ Event: On April 16, Phil will join Real Strategies for Driving AI Results to discuss the topic "How to Fix Your Broken Hybrid Work," focusing on how AI can enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and create a more connected work environment. Join him at Asana New York HR - 3 World Trade Center.

AI IN MANUFACTURING

​The Future of Manufacturing Jobs with AI​

Context:

• ​Gartner's report emphasizes the importance of human-centric strategies to unlock the full value of connected factory workers in smart manufacturing. The three levels of value—operational cost savings, data-driven insights, and human-centric workforce strategies—focus on improving efficiency, engaging employees, and upskilling talent to attract the next generation of workers.
• ​SHRM’s report sheds light on the challenges faced by deskless workers, who make up 70-80% of the global workforce, with 26% turnover. Effective retention strategies include competitive compensation, job stability, and fostering positive relationships.

Both reports underline the need for data-driven approaches to improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.

​Josh Bersin raises a similar question about the future of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., noting the lower wages compared to other sectors. He suggests that AI and human-centric strategies could potentially create a Superworker effect that redefines these jobs and their value. His questions align with the findings of Gartner and SHRM, asking how AI and human-centric strategies can help elevate wages, enhance work conditions, and ensure long-term retention in both manufacturing and deskless jobs.

⁉️ Question: Is there a Superworker effect in manufacturing yet to be seen?

AI IN REAL ESTATE

​Does Owning Data Still Equal Owning Value?​

The traditional commercial real estate (CRE) model relied on exclusive access to proprietary data, which means Owning Data = Owning Value, but the value equation is shifting toward leveraging AI-generated insights from both open and synthetic data.

AI now extracts valuable insights from non-traditional sources like satellite imagery, IoT sensors, and crowdsourced data networks, reducing reliance on proprietary data.

​Antony Slumbers states that as regulations require more open data and the need for real-time insights increases, success in CRE will depend on who can turn data into useful insights, act on those insights quickly, and make smart decisions. The key to staying ahead will be having the best AI-driven systems and combining human judgment with AI.

Value = (Data x AI Processing) + Execution Speed + Contextual Intelligence

⚒️ Prompt: The new model may take time, but start now: If you own more data than your competitors, think about how to use it as a system to drive better decision-making.

AI IN HR

​Preventing "Garbage In, Garbage Out": Clean Your Data​

​Anthony Onesto highlights that poor data quality costs organizations an average of $15 million annually, and 84% of CEOs are concerned about the quality of their decision-making data.

HR departments often spend 80% of their time cleaning data rather than analyzing it, which leads to inefficiencies, strategic misalignment, and poor employee engagement.

Key strategies to combat GIGO include data centralization, regular audits, standardized data entry, and leveraging AI tools for real-time data monitoring and validation.

⚒️ Prompt: Sit with your team and categorize your current dataset into key areas (e.g., employee records, performance data). Standardize the input and clean the output gradually, working on both simultaneously.

FUTURE WORK ROUNDUP 📰

I track what’s worth your attention—bringing you the news and updates that matter most to how we work, lead, and grow.

This week:

LEADING AND MANAGING

​"Let It Go": Delegate to People and AI​

In the AI era, delegation becomes even more strategic as leaders can now delegate not only to people but also to AI agents and automation systems.

Yet the emotional hurdles remain; leaders often struggle to "let go", whether handing tasks to humans or trusting AI to handle routine or creative work.

Effective delegation is not about offloading tasks but about managing energy, empowering others, and focusing on what matters most. Experts like Dave Kerpen and Emily Morgan emphasize overcoming control, perfectionism, and fear of failure.

Strong delegation starts small, defines clear outcomes, and includes check-ins without hovering. Ultimately, it’s a leadership skill that builds trust, grows your team, and frees you to focus on strategic priorities—even if the result is only 80% perfect.

⚒️ Prompt: Identify one task you can delegate. Ask yourself: Who on your team could grow by taking this on? Draft a simple workflow and outcome, then discuss it with them as a learning opportunity. Remember to manage your own expectations!

BEHAVIORS

​Team Habits That Make or Break​

A study by Strengthscope analyzing over 1,500 team members found that while high-performing teams excel at trust and psychological safety, they often lack constructive feedback and accountability—key “stretch habits” that drive continuous improvement.

Teams that clearly define roles, goals, and purpose (“habit of clarity”) perform better and maintain higher motivation.

Experts emphasize that leaders must foster a culture where feedback is routine and accountability is supportive, not punitive, to unlock true team potential.

⚒️ Prompt: Start by asking your team one question daily: “What’s your feedback on this topic or idea?” Listen with curiosity, capture their input, and either turn it into an actionable next step or simply document it.

PRODUCTIVITY

​Stop Believing These Productivity Myths​

Gartner research reveals that CEOs are prioritizing employee productivity as a key growth driver in 2025, but four common myths are hampering real progress.

These include:

• The belief that productivity is not HR’s job
• AI adoption will automatically boost productivity
• Onsite employees outperform hybrid workers
• More data equals better productivity.

Data shows HR involvement can improve productivity by up to 11%, and supportive team culture has the highest positive impact. Addressing these myths could lift overall productivity by 35%, equivalent to 2.8 more productive hours per employee per day.

⚒️ Prompt: Start by asking yourself, “How do I define productivity?” Then, check how your team currently measures or perceives productivity.

LEADERSHIP

​Former Ford CEO's Leadership: Transparency and Unity​

Alan Mulally’s leadership at Ford emphasized transparency, collaboration, and a clear vision through his “Working Together” system.

Key principles included prioritizing people, including all stakeholders, maintaining a unified plan, and focusing on reality.

A core element was the weekly Business Plan Review (BPR) meeting, using a color-coding system to track progress.

Alan’s approach fostered a culture of psychological safety, encouraged data-driven assessments, and promoted open discussions, ensuring that leadership moved from "I" to "we" in navigating today’s volatile and unpredictable business landscape.

⚒️ Prompt: Start changing the subject from 'I' to 'we,' in conversations with your team, such as saying 'We all contributed to this outcome,' to encourage shared responsibility and teamwork.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

​Leadership Drives Frontline Worker Engagement​

A study of over 46,000 frontline workers highlights the importance of employee engagement in reducing turnover and improving business performance.

Companies with high engagement scores see a 14% improvement in turnover rates, with a direct link to better. Key factors in driving engagement include leadership, communication, and technology.

However, only 63% of employees feel their managers create a trusting workplace, with leadership gaps especially noticeable in industries like food service.

Digital solutions, such as real-time feedback tools and sentiment analysis, are also crucial for fostering a connected and engaged workforce.

⚒️ Prompt: Implement "Walk-the-Floor" Days: Dedicate time each week for the CEO to walk the floors or visit key frontline departments, greet employees by name, ask how their work is going, and how he can help. Listen carefully to their feedback.

🔥 Quick Brief:

• (DEIB) JPMorgan Shifts from DEI to DOI: JPMorgan rebrands its diversity program to focus on Diversity, Opportunity, Inclusion (DOI), moving away from equity amid political pressures. 53% of C-suite leaders expect to reduce DEI efforts in 2025.
• (HIRING) Workers Feel Misled in Hiring: A Monster survey shows 79% of U.S. workers felt "catfished" during hiring — citing unclear roles, culture misrepresentation, and pay exaggeration. 13% of workers admit to overstating their own qualifications.
• (SHORTER WORKWEEK) Bill Gates Predicts AI-Driven 2-Day Workweek: Bill Gates forecasts AI will automate most work tasks within 10 years, making a 2-day workweek possible. He urges society to rethink the purpose of work and leisure.
• (LEADERSHIP RISK) Tesla Faces Brand Crisis & Sales Slump: Tesla stock is down 31% YTD, with double-digit sales drops in the US & Europe. CEO Elon Musk’s political ties fuel public backlash, internal unrest, and a decline in resale values.
• (EMPLOYEE INNOVATION) SAP’s AI-Driven Expansion: SAP expanded into the SME market using AI tools, doubling its pipeline and cutting sales cycles in half. The success was driven by clear business goals, change management, and a balanced approach of buying, building, or partnering. SAP engaged 25,000 employees in an innovation challenge, piloting ideas and ensuring leadership support for real business impact.