Humanity Working
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© 2025 Humanity Working
Description
Humanity Working is a podcast focused on employee development for the future of work.
In each episode, we engage with authors, business leaders, and top-tier academics to understand how workplaces can adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving world. This podcast aims to provide employers with actionable strategies to build a resilient, adaptable, and future-proof workforce.
Join us as we navigate the changing landscape of work, exploring topics such as workforce transformation, leadership development, employee adaptability, and resilience. Discover the steps you can take to foster a humane, productive workplace that is prepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
125 Episodes
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In this episode, Paul and Matt delve into the concept of control in the workplace. They define control as the ability to manage one's environment, knowing when to take command and when to step back. They discuss how remote work and the use of AI tools have shifted the dynamics of real-time collaboration, emphasizing the importance of situational awareness and adaptability. The conversation touches on leadership styles, the impact of micromanagement, and the psychological underpinnings of cont...
In this episode, Paul and Matt dive into one of the most misunderstood durable skills: organization. It’s not just about tidy desks or color-coded inboxes—it’s the human ability to make sense of the world. They explore why some of us are natural filers while others are pilers, how AI tools are reshaping our need for structure, and what “just right” organization looks like in modern work. From ancient libraries to Gmail, and from personal comfort to shared systems, this conversation uncovers w...
In this episode, Paul and Matt tackle what they call the “North Star” of durable skills—adaptability. They explore what it really means to adapt as the world changes daily, how it differs from resilience, and why it’s the single most important skill for staying relevant in work that refuses to stand still. Five Key Learnings: Adaptability is the ability to adjust as the world around you changes—it’s the North Star of durable skills.Resilience supports adaptability—it’s the ability to emotiona...
In this episode, Paul and Matt explore what readiness really means at work—and why it’s not the same as wellbeing or wellness. They unpack why traditional wellness programs often fail to resonate with everyone, introduce the idea of “focused energy,” and explain how daily practices can recharge your “brain battery” to stay effective in an unpredictable world. Five Key Learnings: Readiness is the ability to consistently bring focused energy to your work—not just feeling well, but being able to...
Changes are coming to Humanity Working. In this episode, Paul and Matt share what’s next: a new format designed for the way we all actually listen and learn. Every Tuesday, we will be dropping "Quick Fixes"—short, focused episodes that tackle one idea at a time, from mentoring and networking to resilience and adaptability. Continue to look out for interviews as bonus episodes from time to time, but Quick Fixes will keep you learning in a fast, practical, and built-for-real-life format.Five K...
Mentoring is everywhere—but not all of it works. In this episode, Paul and Matt separate hype from reality, covering what actually drives value for mentees, mentors, and organizations. They also place mentoring in a broader context. Five Key Learnings: Mentoring demand is surging, but impact varies widely.Programs often fizzle when urgent tasks crowd out the important.Mentees can accelerate value by finding fit, keeping momentum, and using the relationship.Great mentors balance challenge with...
Networking doesn’t have to mean awkward small talk or transactional card-swapping. Paul and Matt reframe networking as relationship-first, exploring how to create authentic connections, design better event formats, and balance depth with breadth in your network. Five Key Learnings: Intentional, authentic connections beat performative mingling.Even 30 minutes at an event can yield real relationships with the right design.Depth builds fastest through shared tasks, co-creation, or thoughtf...
Go Slow to Go Fast We live in a culture that prizes speed—but sometimes moving slower is what actually accelerates results. In this episode, Paul and Matt explore when deliberate pauses pay off, how to test “slow-downs” safely, and how leaders can set the right cadence without losing urgency when it matters most. Five Key Learnings: Slowing down can reduce rework, surface hidden costs, and sharpen decisions.Smart slow-downs (like reflection or structured breaks) often boost creativity and cla...
In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into the history—and the myths—around the Eisenhower Matrix. Was it really invented by Eisenhower? Did he even talk about this stuff? And how can a tool this simple be both game-changing and misleading at the same time? They explore how to apply it without over-engineering, how to spot when your team is maturing from reactive to proactive, and why “schedule” is the most powerful word in the framework. Five Key Learnings: Eisenhower never drew the Matrix—Step...
Heavy ChatGPT use may help short-term tasks—but it can quietly weaken your brain. In this episode, Paul and Matt unpack a new MIT Media Lab study and explain how durable skills act like muscles: neglect them, and they atrophy. They close with a blueprint to keep yours sharp with a few minutes a day. Five Key Learnings: MIT study found weaker brain activity and “cognitive debt” after ChatGPT use. Overreliance on AI dulls critical thinking and originality. Durable sk...
If health underpins great work, why do so many workplaces treat it like a perk? In this episode, Paul and Matt examine the gap between surface-level wellness offerings and real employee needs—then share how to shift toward readiness and resilience without overhauling everything. Five Key Learnings: Lived experience (burnout, caregiving, fatigue) doesn’t match company messaging. Health is still treated as “individual responsibility,” not a team design issue. Small m...
The highly political nature of the new South Park series has been making all the headlines, but it also has something else squarely in it’s sights - Generative AI. This week, Paul and Matt discuss a theme from a recent episode, the sycophantic nature of ChatGPT, and what that might be doing to our productivity…and our brains.Resources mentioned in this episode: Sickofancy South Park Episode Description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickofancy# Humanity Working is a podcast focused on h...
The word “wellbeing” might be fading at work—but not because people are thriving. In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into why the concept is being tuned out (especially by men), and how reframing it as “readiness” helps reclaim its importance without turning it into a lifestyle brand. Five Key Learnings: Wellbeing language can alienate—especially in high-pressure cultures. Framing it as “readiness” keeps the focus on performance, not perfection. 80-hour weeks don’t...
Instead of asking, “What’s your specialty?” ask: “How’s your T?” In this episode, Paul and Matt break down the T-shaped career model—depth in one or more areas, breadth across many—and why it's the key to thriving in an AI-shaped world. Five Key Learnings: Specialization isn’t dead—but it’s not enough on its own. T-shaped thinking means pairing mastery with adaptability. AI makes breadth even more critical—it connects your deep skills to changing needs. You ca...
We still talk about “work–life balance,” but let’s be honest—does that phrase even fit reality anymore? In this episode, Paul and Matt reframe balance not as fewer hours or rigid boundaries, but as something far more practical: managing attention, being present in the right places, and nurturing your relationships with others, your work, and yourself. Five Key Learnings: “Balance” isn’t about time—it’s about presence. Work is uniquely sticky; without boundaries, it seeps into...
Bob Johansen is a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley, and the author or co-author of 15 books, including Get There Early, The New Leadership Literacies, and Full-Spectrum Thinking, Office Shock, and The Reciprocity Advantage. In this episode, Paul and Bob catch up to discuss his latest book - the 3rd edition of Leaders Make the Future: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI (written with Jeremy Kirshbaum and Gabe Cervantes). It's a ...
Garry Ridge is the Chairman Emeritus of WD-40. During his 25-year tenure, he transformed the company's culture and increased its market value from $250 million to $1.6 billion. Garry is known for his leadership philosophy that emphasizes learning, psychological safety, and servant leadership. In this episode, Paul and Garry discuss his new book: Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It and Tribe Culture: How It Shaped WD-40 Company. They get into transforming the culture of any organization can be both...
With AI and Robotics on the rise, we risk becoming irrelevant at work, yet many of us barely engaged. Are we entering into a doom loop, or are their ways to get more engaged at work without driving ourselves to burnout? Paul and Matt discuss. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.
Have you heard of BANI? If you haven’t, you probably soon will. In today’s episode Paul and Matt discuss why the world of work is so difficult to comprehend and make decisions in, and why sometimes we confuse forward planning with fighting the last war. Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential. For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanitywo...
Paul’s back from speaking at a Digital Nomad conference. In this episode he discusses what he learned - how digital nomadism is evolving, if it’s even viable in an AI dominated world, and what superpowers Digital Nomads have that the rest of us could learn from. Resources mentioned in this episode: Can I truly work from anywhere? - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/can-i-truly-work-from-anywhere Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be rea...
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