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:

FEEDBACK

​Feedback Isn’t About You​

• Gustavo Razzetti reminds leaders that the purpose of feedback is to be helpful, not self-serving. Too often, feedback becomes a stage for ego—leaders jump in to assert their ideas, control the outcome, or prove their worth. But only 26% of employees say the feedback they receive actually helps them do better work (Gallup).
• Helpful feedback starts with curiosity, not judgment. Tools like the COIN model (Context, Observation, Impact, Next Steps) or frameworks like "I like / I wish / What if" shift the focus back to the work and the people doing it.

⚒️ Prompt: Before your next piece of feedback, pause. Ask: “What kind of feedback would be most useful for you right now?” Then check your motive: Is this about helping them—or proving something about me?

AI IN HR

​HR + AI = Strategic Advantage​

• ​Context:​ A field experiment at Procter & Gamble demonstrated that GenAI enhances teamwork, focusing on performance, knowledge sharing, and social connection. AI reduced task completion time by 12-16%, broke down functional boundaries, and helped employees without core expertise generate viable ideas. Participants reported improved emotions and collaboration, with AI-powered teams three times more likely to produce top-tier solutions, highlighting AI’s potential as a "cybernetic teammate" in the workplace.
• ​Anthony Onesto​ highlights that HR leaders must step up as strategic drivers of AI transformation—not passive adopters. With research showing that companies with mature people analytics achieve 82% higher profits and AI-enabled performance systems boost retention by 22%, HR holds the key to unlocking competitive advantage. As AI breaks down traditional silos and redefines team structures, HR is uniquely positioned to lead org redesign, build cross-functional AI literacy, and reframe AI as a profit driver.

"Between now and the next three months, CEOs will start to look into their organizations to find the leader to help them drive this change. The CTO will be charged with buying human augmentation, the CFO will buy human replacement, and the CHRO will be in between, making the arbitrage.

Some HR leaders embrace this new technology, and some haven’t tried using it."

(Anthony Onesto)

⚒️ Prompt: Audit your current HR initiatives: Where can you shift from supporting AI adoption to leading it? Choose one area—org design, talent development, or performance systems—and identify how HR can become the strategic architect, not just the executor.

DIGITAL WORKPLACE

​Work Where the Work Is​

• ​Phil Kirschner​ challenges the false divide between remote and in-office work by spotlighting the real gap: digital clarity. In his vivid elevator-story opener, two CEOs debate the future of work—but miss the shared truth that today’s work happens primarily in digital environments, no matter where employees are physically located.
• Phil urges leaders to stop focusing on location and start focusing on intentional digital infrastructure. He outlines five key practices—from standardized communication channels, collaborative documents, project templates, enterprise infrastructure like SharePoint to digital "rooms" like Roam that mimic physical space—to reduce context switching and cognitive overload, improving both collaboration and AI readiness.

⚒️ Prompt: Start by taking this ​free 10-question assessment​ to identify gaps in your digital work environment. Then, pick one workflow and give it a proper “home” with clear tools, norms, and ownership.

AI IN REAL ESTATE

​AI Skills = Future-Proofing Power​

​Antony Slumbers​ presents a practical framework of 11 foundational skills essential for developing true AI literacy—especially critical in commercial real estate but broadly relevant across industries. These include:

1. Foundational AI Knowledge – Understanding what AI is and how it works.
2. Data Fluency & Data Economics – Grasping the value and use of data as an asset.
3. Problem Framing & Value Alignment – Translating business challenges into AI-solvable opportunities.
4. Use Case Fluency – Identifying where AI delivers real value.
5. Prompting & Human–AI Interaction – Effectively communicating with AI systems.
6. Human Uniqueness & Judgment – Preserving empathy, creativity, and moral reasoning.
7. Decision Intelligence – Structuring decisions that AI can enhance.
8. Systemic & Strategic Thinking – Viewing AI as a catalyst for business model transformation.
9. Ethics, Responsibility & Governance – Mitigating risks and ensuring AI integrity.
10. Organisational Enablement & Culture – Building a workplace that supports AI literacy and experimentation.
11. Curiosity, Experimentation & Learning Culture – Fostering hands-on learning through play and iteration.

They are partly ‘ways of thinking’, partly about ‘mindset’ and partly about things you just have to learn. But none are rocket science. Anyone can become modestly capable in all of them quite easily.

(Antony Slumbers)

⚒️ Prompt: If you work in commercial real estate and want to master AI, start by exploring one of the 11 building blocks today—or check out Antony Slumbers’ course on ​Generative AI for Real Estate People​ to accelerate your journey.

🔥 QUICK HITS:

• ​Change Delayed? Don’t Pause Leadership // By Tracy Brower​
  • Change disruptions shake confidence, but they’re also a chance to regroup. Only 30% of leaders feel confident in managing change—use delays to reflect, reset strategy, and support your team.
  • ⚒️ Prompt: Clarify what work continues, what pauses, and what needs to change. Use the time to reinforce your “why” and engage the team with honest, hopeful communication.
• ​The Power of “I Don’t Know” // By Lars Schmidt​
  • Authenticity is a leadership advantage. Saying "I don't know" shows honesty, humility, and curiosity. Real leaders own their gaps—and commit to learning.
  • ⚒️ Prompt: In your next decision-making moment, pause. If you don’t know—say it. Then ask who can help you find out or commit to learning it by a specific time.
• ​When Promotions Aren’t Possible // By Ashley Herd​
  • Tough 1:1s ahead? Be clear, not cruel. Don’t dodge the “promotion talk”—reframe it as a growth conversation.
  • ⚒️ Prompt: Ask, “What skills would make you promotion-ready?” Then co-create a plan to build them.
• ​Show Up Before You Cheer Up // By Adam Grant​
  • In hard times, people don’t need silver linings—they need presence. Being there, listening, and validating their experience is the true gift.
  • ⚒️ Prompt: Instead of offering advice, say: “I see how hard this is. I’m here with you.”
• ​Retreat is a Remote Work Strategy // By Chase Warrington​
  • Doist CEO Amir says it best: retreats aren’t luxuries—they’re the foundation for thriving distributed teams. In a world where AI does more, culture, trust, and human connection become your edge.
  • ⚒️ Prompt: Next time you're planning an offsite or meetup, don’t justify it as a cost—treat it as your culture capital. Ask: How can this deepen trust, align purpose, and remind us what only humans can do?

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:‍

LEADERSHIP-BUILDING

​Leadership Needs a Mindset Reset​

To thrive in the AI era, leadership must shift from efficiency and control to regeneration and human-centered impact. This means embracing systems thinking, fostering psychological safety, and using holistic KPIs that include well-being, community impact, and sustainability—not just profit.

​It also requires a personal transformation:​ letting go of old habits focused on individual achievement and adopting humility, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven communication. As AI reshapes work, leaders who evolve first will be the ones who unlock growth, resilience, and lasting value.

⚒️ Prompt: List your daily work habits and behaviors.

On reflection, which ones are limiting your ability to lead in this new era of change, collaboration, and AI?

TEAM-BUILDING

​Build Teams That Think Commercially​

In the face of rising labor costs and tight budgets, organizations must shift from high-performing teams to commercially-minded, value-creating teams, says ​Carole Gaskell​.

This means building commercial awareness at all levels, reframing roles from “do-ers” to outcome-focused innovators, and driving cross-functional collaboration.

Case studies show this mindset boosts revenue (10%), cuts costs (15%), and improves retention. Leaders must move from control to coaching, see L&D as a strategic lever, and foster a culture of psychological safety and experimentation.

⚒️ Prompt: Instead of discussing layoff scenarios, coach your team on how their work creates value. Ask: “Where did we move the needle this week—for our customers, our costs, or our strategy?” Then guide them to connect their roles to real business outcomes.

TALENT RETENTION

​Walmart Builds Careers, Not Just Jobs​

Walmart retains talent by combining performance-based bonuses, career mobility, and tech-driven work simplification.

With 90% of store managers starting as hourly associates, Walmart creates clear internal pathways from entry-level to leadership, supported by significant salary growth (up to $620K with stock and bonuses).

Investments in tools like VizPick AR, electronic shelf labels, and automation aim to reduce repetitive tasks and enhance customer service—freeing up employees to focus on more meaningful, engaging work.

⚒️ Prompt: Start a team discussion: “If our tech made your job easier this month, how would you spend the saved time to create more value?” Help connect efficiency to engagement.

TARIFFS AND WORKFORCE IMPACTS

​From Tariffs to Layoffs​

President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs impose a minimum 10% tax on nearly all global imports, with some countries like ​China (34%), Vietnam (46%), and Cambodia (49%)​ facing much higher rates. The move has already triggered a 4% drop in the S&P 500, global market turmoil, and widespread warnings from economists about inflation and recession risks.

U.S. manufacturers are sounding alarms over President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, citing rising raw material costs and trade uncertainty. A March NAM survey found 76% list tariffs as their top concern, with 62% pointing to input costs—set to rise 5.5% on average. Stellantis has already laid off 900 workers, and experts warn the policy could weaken rather than revive U.S. manufacturing.

⚒️ Prompt: How are you preparing your teams to weather the ripple effects of global tariffs? Instead of silence or panic, start the leadership conversation:

"What rising costs are we already seeing? Where can we cut smarter, not deeper? How do we protect jobs and morale while adapting to policy-driven shocks?"

🔥 QUICK HITS:

• (DEIB) ​Law Firms Retreat from DEI​
  • In March 2025, the EEOC warned 20 top law firms that their DEI programs might violate Title VII. In response, firms like White & Case and Skadden removed DEI content and restructured initiatives. Skadden also agreed to $100M in pro bono work to avoid a Trump-era executive order—signaling rising legal fears and a retreat from public DEI commitments.
• (HUMANITY) ​What It Means to Be Human (Still)​:
  • Physicist and author Alan Lightman explores how AI is reshaping our understanding of consciousness and creativity. While AI may mimic awareness, it lacks true self-experience, making us reflect more deeply on what makes us human. As we inch toward a future of "homo techno"—blending biology with tech—Lightman reminds us that awe, wonder, and meaning are still uniquely ours.
• (INNOVATION) ​Resourcefulness > Resources​
  • DeepSeek disrupted the AI world not by outspending, but by outthinking—building a powerful open-source model faster and cheaper than tech giants. Their secret? Resourcefulness: leveraging existing tools, synthetic data, and outside expertise. Stop chasing more budget. Instead, ask your team:“Where can we use what already exists—knowledge, tools, people—to create greater impact at lower cost?”