Future of HR

How can you get real commitment, when you don’t have formal authority?Why does real persuasion require a point of view that is loosely held?My guest on this episode is Jay Conger, Leadership Expert and author of “The Persuasive Leader.”During our conversation Jay and I discuss:Why real persuasion is about commitment, not compliance.Why persuasion is a campaign, not a meeting.How to avoid the expertise trap.Why the best persuaders focus on problems before solutions.Why credibility will matter even more in the age of AI.Connecting with Jay CongerConnect with Jay Conger on LinkedInLearn more about or with Jay Conger

How can we stretch high-potential leaders into big new roles without setting them up to fail?Why does every job matter in building a successful HR career?My guest on this episode is Julie Fuller, EVP & CHRO, ZoetisDuring our conversation Julie and I discuss:Why judgment is what separates a good HR leader from a great oneHow to make 70-20-10 work by building a culture that takes real risks on peopleWhy constructive feedback can shape a leader’s career more than a strengths-based approachHow leadership development is shifting from classroom programs to in-the-flow, team-based learningHow CHROs can strengthen the HR pipeline by defining what good looks like and building bench depthConnecting with Julie FullerConnect with Julie Fuller on LinkedIn

How can leaders redesign work to be more meaningful, not just more efficient?Why should HR, not IT, own your organization’s AI transformation?My guest on this episode is Kelly Monahan, Future of Work and AI Advisor and Bestselling author of “Reclaim the Plot”During our conversation Kelly and I discuss:Why people vs. business is a false choice for HRHow leaders end up rewarding the behaviors they don’t want Why power erodes empathy, and how to design against it How sharing decision rights helps organizations move faster Why HR, not IT, should own AI transformation Connecting with Kelly MonahanConnect with Kelly Monahan on LinkedInLearn more about and work with Kelly MonahanLearn more about or buy Reclaim the Plot

How can HR lead organizational design, not just support it?Why does AI make org design more critical, not less?My guest on this episode is Greg Kesler and Amy Kates, org design experts, authors, and practitioners.During our conversation Greg, Amy, and I discuss:The difference between operating models and organization design.The four traits that distinguish great organization designersWhat CEOs really mean when they say the operating model isn't working.Why redesigning jobs for AI isn't enough to redesign the organization.How AI is changing where and how decisions get made.Connecting with Greg and AmyConnect with Greg Kesler on LinkedInConnect with Amy Kates on LinkedInLearn more about and buy The Organization Design Practitioner

In this solo episode, released on the fourth anniversary of the Future of HR podcast, I make the case that removing transactional work doesn't automatically make HR more strategic. I share the story of two HR business partners who got the same time back after a transformation, why one rose to the moment and the other didn't, and what CHROs and HR leaders must do to turn time back into real business impact.Here are a few key takeaways from the episode:Why removing transactional work exposes HR's capability gap instead of solving it.How AI and transformation raise the bar for HR business partners, shifting the value from assembling information to judgment, influence, and courage.Why 30 years of building HR to execute has left many HR business partners unprepared for a more strategic role.Why the step most transformations miss is being clear about what's changing in the role, and what's not.How to test whether your transformation plan is as specific about new capabilities as it is about the work that's going away.