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Published by Dart Lindsley
Too often business leaders are forced to choose between the needs of their company and the needs of their employees. It’s a lose/lose scenario leaving managers burned out and workers seeking other opportunities. At Work for Humans, we believe work can be designed differently. When you design work like products people love, your company wins. Work becomes irresistible, employees passionately buy into their roles every day, and your company takes measurable strides towards your vision.
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Darius Mirshahzadeh built the company he'd always wanted. In just three years, he grew it from a one-person operation into one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. But when he looked around, he realized something unsettling: he hated the company he had created. That experience forced him to rethink what it really means to scale a business. In this revisited episode, Dart and Darius discuss how core values shape the way organizations grow, why culture must be designed intentionally, and what it takes to build a company that can scale without losing itself. Darius Mirshahzadeh is an entrepreneur, author, and leadership advisor who helps founders build values-driven organizations. He founded Twin Capital Mortgage, later served as CEO of The Money Source, and is the author of The Core Value Equation . In this episode, Dart and Darius discuss: - Building culture through values - When values become operational - Hiring for alignment - The language organizations create - Measuring engagement differently - Why some polarization is healthy - Scaling without losing your culture - Finding your calling - And other topics… Darius Mirshahzadeh is an entrepreneur, author, and leadership advisor who helps companies scale through strong culture and clearly defined core values. He founded Twin Capital Mortgage, growing it into one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, and later served as CEO of The Money Source. He is the author of The Core Value Equation , where he shares a framework for building organizations around values that guide hiring, leadership, and growth. Resources Mentioned: The Core Value Equation , by Darius Mirshahzadeh: https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Connect with Darius: Official website: https://therealdarius.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ The Greatness Machine podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 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 years building software products, Chris Metcalfe crossed into People & Culture and noticed something surprising. Organizations invested enormous effort into understanding customers, testing ideas, and improving products, yet the work people did every day was rarely designed with the same discipline. That realization led him to ask a different question: what if work itself were managed like a product? In this episode, Dart and Chris discuss what happens when organizations move beyond HR as a service function, how product thinking changes the way work is designed, and why better work begins with solving the right problems. Chris Metcalfe is a product leader and organizational strategist helping organizations apply product management to the design of work. After leading product teams at Workday, Docebo, and Primark, he now helps People teams build product capabilities through Red Oak and PX as a Product. In this episode, Dart and Chris discuss: - HR through a product lens - Treating work like a product - The customer inside your company - Solving real work problems - Outcomes over outputs - The power of constraints - Product thinking for HR - Rethinking HR as product - And other topics… Chris Metcalfe is a product leader and organizational strategist who helps organizations apply product management to the design of work. He has held product leadership roles at Workday, Docebo, and Primark, where he led product teams spanning enterprise software and People & Culture. Today, he is the founder of Red Oak and PX as a Product, where he helps organizations build product-led People functions and apply product operating models to the design of work. He also writes The Operating Model , a newsletter on product leadership, organizational design, and the future of work. Resources Mentioned: Inspired , by Marty Cagan: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119387507 Transformed , by Marty Cagan: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119697336 SapienX: https://sapienx.co.uk/ Chris's newsletter, The Operating Model : https://metcalfec.substack.com/ Connect with Chris: Red Oak: https://www.red-oak.agency/ PX as a Product: https://pxasaproduct.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-metcalfe-red-oak/ 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 .
Most companies obsess over products, but Jim Kalbach believes they're asking the wrong question. Customers don't buy products because of what they are. They "hire" them to make progress in their lives. Jobs to Be Done is a way of uncovering that progress, helping organizations stop guessing what people want and start understanding twhat people are really trying to accomplish. In this revisited episode, Dart and Jim discuss how Jobs to Be Done helps organizations uncover unmet customer needs, align teams around real problems, and apply the framework to innovation, hiring, and finding the right work for people. Jim Kalbach is an author, speaker, and instructor in innovation, design, and the future of work. He is the Chief Evangelist at Mural and Co-Founder and Principal of the JTBD Toolkit, where he helps organizations apply Jobs to Be Done to innovation, product strategy, and customer experience. In this episode, Dart and Jim discuss: - Why customers "hire" products - Finding unmet customer needs - Solving problems, not building features - Using JTBD to drive innovation - Matching people to the right work - Understanding customer circumstances - A shared language for teams - Mindset before methodology - And other topics… Jim Kalbach is the Chief Evangelist at Mural and Co-Founder and Principal of the JTBD Toolkit, where he helps organizations apply Jobs to Be Done to innovation, product strategy, and customer experience. He is the author of Designing Web Navigation , Mapping Experiences , and The Jobs to Be Done Playbook , and co-author of Collaborative Intelligence . Before joining Mural, Jim worked in design and innovation consulting with organizations including eBay, Sony, IBM, EY, LexisNexis, and Citrix. Resources Mentioned: The Jobs to Be Done Playbook , by Jim Kalbach: https://www.amazon.com/Jobs-Be-Done-Playbook-Organization/dp/1933820683 Mapping Experiences , by Jim Kalbach: https://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Experiences-Complete-Creating-Blueprints/dp/1491923539 JTBD Toolkit: https://www.jtbdtoolkit.com/ The Experience Economy , by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Economy-Competing-Customer-Time/dp/1633697975 Connect with Jim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalbach/ JTBD Toolkit: https://www.jtbdtoolkit.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 .
Vanessa Monsequeira spent years leading change initiatives and helping organizations roll out new systems. Again and again, she saw that the hardest part wasn't convincing people to change, it was that the work itself had never been intentionally designed. That realization led her to apply product thinking to the workplace, treating work as something to be researched, tested, and continuously improved. In this episode, Dart and Vanessa discuss what it means to design work intentionally, how product thinking is reshaping HR, and why the future of work depends less on new technology than on better design. Vanessa Monsequeira is a people and product leader who applies product thinking to the design of work. She has led People teams at Miro and Gorilla and now advises founders and executives on building more intentional, human-centered organizations. In this episode, Dart and Vanessa discuss: - Why work should be designed - HR as a product team - The MVP approach to work - Experimenting before scaling - Rethinking performance management - Designing fairness into systems - Better managers by design - AI as a learning partner - Leading with an abundance mindset - And other topics… Vanessa Monsequeira is a people and product leader who helps organizations design better work through product thinking. She has held leadership roles at Miro, Gorilla, PwC, Deloitte, and Philips, where she applied product management principles to people strategy, employee experience, and organizational design. Today, she advises founders and executives on building better workplaces, developing stronger leaders, and navigating AI-driven change. Connect with Vanessa: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessamonsequeira/ Website: https://www.vanessamonsequeira.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 .
Dr. Bob Aubrey has spent decades advancing the field of human development across Asia. With experience spanning 25 countries and six continents, he founded and chairs the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Human Development Organisation (AHDO), which promotes human development across the region and beyond. In this episode, Dart and Bob discuss the global human development movement, where it fits alongside HR, and what it means for capitalism, company profitability, and the future of work. Dr. Bob Aubrey is a human development consultant, author, educator, social entrepreneur, and leadership advisor whose work has spanned more than 25 countries across six continents. In this episode, Dart and Bob discuss: - How human deveolpment (HD) creates a better work environment - How HR and HD work together - HD curriculum and career paths - The importance of ethics in companies and investments - How Environmental Social Governance improves profitability - HD within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - HR practices in Western vs. non-Western nations - How to create an organization that prioritizes employee well-being - If and how HD can coexist with capitalism - And other topics... Dr. Bob Aubrey is a human development consultant, author, educator, social entrepreneur, and leadership advisor whose work has spanned more than 25 countries across six continents. He is the Founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Human Development Organisation (AHDO) and the Managing Director of Bob Aubrey Associates. Bob has authored numerous books on human development and leadership, including Human Development Careers: Leading the Future of Work , one of the first books dedicated to careers in human development, and The Ethics of ASEAN . Through his writing, consulting, and educational initiatives, he continues to advance the field of human development across Southeast Asia and beyond. Resources mentioned: Human Development Careers, by Bob Aubrey: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Development-Careers-Leading-Future-ebook/dp/B08QJ1BS98 Measure of Man , by Bob Aubrey: https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Man-Leading-Human-Development-ebook/dp/B014IF1W36 The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , by Thomas S. Kuhn: https://www.amazon.com/Structure-Scientific-Revolutions-50th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B007USH7J2 Human Resource Champions , by David Ulrich: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Resource-Champions-David-Ulrich/dp/0875847196 Connect with Bob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobaubrey/ ASEAN Human Development Organisation: https://www.aseanhdo.com/about 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 .
Most organizations are built around hierarchy, clear reporting lines, and top-down control. But a growing number are experimenting with a different way of organizing work through self-management, distributed authority, and evolving purpose. As more organizations experiment with alternatives to traditional management, Matthew Spaur has spent years studying Teal organizations and what actually happens when hierarchy gives way to self-management. In this episode, Dart and Matthew discuss what Teal really is, how self-managing organizations operate, and whether these post-bureaucratic management models are delivering on their promise. Matthew Spaur is a marketing consultant, author, and researcher who studies self-managing organizations and emerging models of work. He is a co-author of the annual Teal Landscape Report , which tracks organizations experimenting with post-bureaucratic management. In this episode, Dart and Matthew discuss: - Beyond bureaucracy - What Teal organizations really are - Predict and control vs. sense and respond - Roles instead of job descriptions - Leadership without traditional bosses - Bringing your whole self to work - Organizations with an evolving purpose - Are these models actually working? - AI and the future of management - And other topics… Matthew Spaur is a marketing consultant, author, and researcher focused on emerging models of organization and management. He is a co-author of the annual Teal Landscape Report , a global study of organizations experimenting with self-management and other post-bureaucratic management practices. Through his consulting work, Matthew helps organizations communicate their ideas, adapt to change, and rethink how work is organized. Resources Mentioned: Reinventing Organizations , by Frederic Laloux: https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Organizations-Creating-Inspired-Consciousness/dp/2960133501 Holacracy: The New Management System for a Rapidly Changing World , by Brian J. Robertson: https://www.amazon.com/Holacracy-Management-System-Rapidly-Changing/dp/162779428X Connect with Matthew: Official website: https://matthewspaur.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewspaur/ 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 .
Twenty years ago, Abraham Burickson and his collaborators asked a simple question: what if a work of art were designed for just one person? Instead of creating experiences for the masses, they spent months crafting deeply personal journeys for an audience of one. That experiment grew into a new way of thinking about design, participation, and transformation. In this revisited episode, Dart and Abraham discuss what those lessons can teach us about management, why experience cannot be fully designed, and how organizations can become platforms for people to create meaning together. Abraham Burickson is an author, speaker, and experience designer who has spent more than two decades exploring how designed experiences can transform people. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Odyssey Works and the author of Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto . In this episode, Dart and Abraham discuss: - How to create a transformative experience for a single individual - Can managers be experience designers? - Why experience is not designable - How to implement experience design at work - Baking experiences within static products - Designing for transformation - Work as a shared experience - The origin story and myths of organizations - And other topics… Abraham Burickson is an author, experience designer, and artist who has spent more than two decades exploring how design shapes human experience. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Odyssey Works, where he creates immersive performances for audiences of one, and co-directs the Experience Design Certificate Program. Trained in architecture at Cornell University, his work spans art, design, education, and consulting. He is the author of Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto and co-author of Odyssey Works: Transformative Experiences for an Audience of One . 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: https://www.abrahamburickson.com/ https://www.owprograms.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 .
Rishad Tobaccowala has spent much of his career breaking out of boxes. First it was the spreadsheet and the idea that organizations can be managed through numbers alone. Then it was the office and the assumptions built into how we supervise and coordinate work. More recently, he has turned his attention to the broader structures that shape how we work and learn. In this episode, Dart and Rishad discuss the limits of measurement, management as a zone of control versus a zone of influence, and why the future may not fit inside the containers we inherited from the past. In this episode, Dart and Rishad discuss: - The containers that shape our thinking - Why spreadsheets can blind us - When measurement becomes the mission - Talent without opportunity - The office as a management tool - Control versus influence - Why companies become zoos - What CEOs say about AI - Why people resist transformation - Choosing with our hearts, not our heads - And other topics… Rishad Tobaccowala is an author, advisor, speaker, and teacher focused on helping people and organizations thrive in times of change. He is the author of Rethinking Work and Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data . Rishad spent nearly four decades at Publicis Groupe, where he served as Global Chief Strategist and Chief Growth Officer. Today he advises leaders around the world on leadership, innovation, technology, and the future of work. He also writes The Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past , a newsletter on change and reinvention. Resources Mentioned: Rishad’s Book, Rethinking Work : https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Work-Seismic-Changes-Where/dp/1400249309 Rishad’s Book, Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data : https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Soul-Business-Staying-Human/dp/1400210542 Rishad’s Newsletter, The Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past : https://rishad.substack.com/ Connect with Rishad: Official website: https://rishadtobaccowala.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/rishad 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 years leading recruiting and talent systems at companies like Bridgewater, Electronic Arts, and Dolby, Jeff Hunter came to believe that many of our assumptions about talent, hiring, and performance are fundamentally wrong. The problem is not that people lack potential. The problem is that the systems around them often fail to recognize or develop it. In this revisited episode, Dart and Jeff discuss what gets in the way of human potential and what organizations can do differently. Prior to founding Talentism, Jeff served as Head of Recruiting at Bridgewater Associates and held leadership roles at Electronic Arts and Dolby. His work has focused on designing and scaling systems that help people learn, grow, and perform at their best. In this episode, Dart and Jeff discuss: - What limits human potential - Why talent matters more than capital - The hidden flaws in hiring - Why skills can be misleading - What Bridgewater taught Jeff - The problem with managing people - How systems shape behavior - Why context changes everything - The challenge of hiring for values - What great organizations do differently - And other topics… Jeff Hunter is founder and CEO of Talentism, a company that helps leaders build organizations that unlock human potential. Previously, he served as Head of Recruiting at Bridgewater Associates and held senior talent leadership roles in the technology industry. His work focuses on helping organizations design systems that enable people to learn, grow, and perform at their best. Connect with Jeff: Website: www.talentism.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 .
Many of the problems we care most about cannot be solved by a single organization. That insight helped John Kania develop Collective Impact, a framework for bringing people together around shared goals. But over time, Kania noticed that coordination alone was not enough. Even when groups made progress, the deeper patterns of the system often remained unchanged. In this episode, Dart and John discuss the evolution of systems change thinking and why lasting change requires more than alignment, strategy, and good intentions. John Kania is Executive Director of Collective Change Lab, a nonprofit that develops new approaches to collaboration and systems change. He is a leading thinker on collective impact, systems leadership, and the relational work of creating social change. In this episode, Dart and John discuss: - Problems no one can solve alone - Why good intentions often fail - The limits of coordination - What keeps systems stuck - The hidden power of mental models - Why relationships drive change - The challenge of sharing power - What leadership looks like in uncertainty - The role of healing in systems change - Why changing systems means changing ourselves - Building islands of coherence - And other topics… John Kania is Executive Director of Collective Change Lab, a nonprofit focused on advancing transformational systems change practices. He previously served as Global Managing Director of FSG, where he helped develop and popularize the concept of collective impact. John is co-author of the influential Stanford Social Innovation Review articles Collective Impact, The Dawn of System Leadership, and The Relational Work of Systems Change, as well as The Water of Systems Change. His work focuses on helping people and organizations collaborate across boundaries to address complex social challenges. Resources Mentioned: Collective Impact, by John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Peter Senge: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact The Dawn of System Leadership, by John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Peter Senge: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_dawn_of_system_leadership The Relational Work of Systems Change, by John Kania, Jennifer Splansky Juster, and Peter Senge: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_relational_work_of_systems_change The Water of Systems Change, by David Peter Stroh, John Kania, Mark Kramer, and others: https://www.fsg.org/resource/water_of_systems_change/ Collective Change Lab: https://collectivechangelab.org/ Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kania-1a294020/ 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 becoming painfully aware that he cared more about the numbers than the well-being of his employees, Mark LeBusque began to question his management philosophy. An insight to start thinking of his employees like customers helped Mark breakout of the "employees as inputs to production" model that previously informed his thinking. With this shift in management style, Mark was able to lead his team to unprecedented levels of growth and a new found sense of belonging. In this revisited episode, Dart and Mark discuss management, belonging, emotional labor, and what happens when leaders stop treating work as a system to control and start treating it as a human relationship. Mark is internationally known as the Human Manager. He is a Harvard-trained speaker, facilitator, mentor, coach, and author focused on making businesses more human-centric. In this episode Dart and Mark discuss: - Why results can hide bad management - What happens when people feel like inputs - Why belonging changes how people work - Why management is really relationship work - How trust changes team performance - Why discomfort can lead to growth - The difference between metrics and meaning - How leaders create psychological safety - Why some workplaces make people feel invisible - What work costs us emotionally - And other topics… Mark LeBusque is an Australian speaker, facilitator, coach, and author known for his work on human-centered leadership and workplace culture. After more than 25 years in sales, operations, and executive leadership roles, he developed his “Human Manager” philosophy, which focuses on belonging, trust, and human connection at work. He is the author of Being Human and The Little Book of Human , and works with leaders and organizations around the world to build healthier workplace relationships and cultures. Resources mentioned: Being Human: Why Robots Are Not the Answer to Business Success , by Mark LeBusque: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Human-Robots-Business-Success/dp/0995429618 Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed , by James C. Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-like-State-Certain-Condition/dp/0300078153 Connect with: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklebusque?originalSubdomain=au Website: https://marklebusque.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 .
A kidney transplant does not work like buying a gallon of milk. Neither does hiring or getting into a medical residency. In these markets, both sides care deeply about who they end up with, and a good outcome depends on more than money. Alvin Roth has spent his career studying what makes those systems succeed or fail. His work designing kidney exchange programs showed that even when people desperately want to help each other, the market can still break down unless the rules create the right kind of match. In this episode, Dart and Al discuss matching markets, moral economics, and the hidden rules that shape opportunity, fairness, and work itself. Alvin Roth is an economist and professor at Stanford University best known for his work on market design and matching theory. He received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on stable matching and the design of markets used in medical residencies, school choice, and kidney exchange. In this episode, Dart and Al discuss: - Why some markets depend on matching - Why fit matters more than money - What makes a market stable - Why real markets are messy - The difference between theory and engineering - What “repugnant transactions” are - Why societies ban some exchanges - How social norms shape markets - Why work is also a matching problem - And other topics… Alvin Roth is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University and recipient of the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, awarded with Lloyd Shapley for the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design. His work has helped design matching systems for medical residencies, public school admissions, and kidney exchange programs. He is the author of Who Gets What — and Why and Moral Economics: Why Good and Bad Markets Exist. Resources Mentioned: Al’s Book, Moral Economics: Why Good and Bad Markets Exist : https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Economics-Good-Markets-Exist/dp/1324076445 Al’s Book, Who Gets What — and Why : https://www.amazon.com/Who-Gets-What-Why-Matchmaking/dp/0544705299 Connect with Al: Stanford profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/alvin-roth Market Design Blog: https://marketdesigner.blogspot.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 .
When Joan Ryan stepped into the locker room to conduct her first post-game interview as a sports journalist, she was all but kicked out by the players. Feeling both unwelcome and undeterred, she made a firm decision to stick around and make a name for herself as one of the first female sports columnists in the country. Intrigued by the concept of team chemistry, Joan wrote Intangibles , where she shares what team chemistry really is, how to identify it, and how to use it to elevate the performance of any entity, from sports to businesses and beyond. In this revisited episode, Joan and Dart explore the hidden forces behind great teams, why chemistry matters more than most people think, and how human connection can elevate performance. Joan Ryan is an award-winning journalist, speaker, author, and media consultant with the San Francisco Giants. Her work has been featured on Oprah, 60 Minutes, the Today Show, People magazine, the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time Magazine. In this episode, Dart and Joan discuss: - Whether or not team chemistry exists - How team chemistry elevates performance - The neurophysiology of human connection - The essential archetypes within team chemistry - Connecting over emotions vs. connecting over a shared task - How chemistry and skills affect the likelihood of team success - Using an intangible concept to create tangible results - And other topics… Joan Ryan is an award-winning journalist, speaker, author, and media consultant with the San Francisco Giants. She pioneered sports journalism as one of the first female sports columnists in the country; her work has earned 13 Associated Press Sports Editors Awards, the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Journalism Award, and the Edgar A. Poe Award from the White House Correspondents Association, among others. As an author, Joan has been featured on Oprah, 60 Minutes, the Today Show, People magazine, the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time Magazine. Her expansive career inspired her book, Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry, which draws from hundreds of interviews to understand the phenomenon known as team chemistry. Resources mentioned: Intangibles , by Joan Ryan: https://www.amazon.com/Intangibles-Unlocking-Science-Soul-Chemistry/dp/B086KJFGBW Organizing Genius, by Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman: https://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Genius-Secrets-Creative-Collaboration/dp/0201339897 Connect with Joan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-ryan-intangibles/ 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 .
Most workplaces don’t quite know what to do with faith. It often gets simplified, avoided, or treated as something too divisive to bring into professional life. Elaine Ecklund studies what happens when people try to leave that part of themselves outside the workplace, and what is lost when they do. Her research shows that faith is rarely just about religion. It becomes a window into bigger tensions around ethics, identity, belonging, and the struggle to feel fully present at work. In this episode, Dart and Elaine discuss how faith shapes the experience of work, why workplaces often misunderstand religion, and what designing for people of faith can teach us about designing work for everyone. Elaine Ecklund is a sociologist at Rice University and director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. She studies religion, work, science, and how people make meaning in everyday life. In this episode, Dart and Elaine discuss: - Why workplaces avoid conversations about faith - What happens when belief stays hidden - Faith as part of bringing one's whole self - How people decide what is ethical at work - The difference between personal and systems morality - Why some people see work as a calling - The risks of feeling called to work - How minority identity shapes belonging - Why discrimination depends on workplace context - How churches shape ideas about work - How religion and science overlap - And other topics… Elaine Howard Ecklund is the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and professor of sociology at Rice University. She is also the founding director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. Her research explores how people’s deepest beliefs shape work, science, leadership, and civic life. She is the author of several books, including Religion in a Changing Workplace , Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work , and Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear . Resources Mentioned: Elaine’s Books; Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work : https://www.amazon.com/Working-Better-Approach-Faith-Work/dp/1514011263 Religion in a Changing Workplace : https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Workplace-Scheitle/dp/0197675018 Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear : https://www.amazon.com/Science-Faith-Need-Each-Other/dp/1587434369 Connect with Elaine: Official website: https://www.elainehowardecklund.com/ Rice University profile: https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/elaine-howard-ecklund LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-howard-ecklund/ 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 .
People often want conflicting things from work because they carry different ideas about what makes a good life. What feels meaningful to one person can feel draining to another, and those differences often go deeper than personality or preference. That is what makes Derek Sivers’s book, How to Live , so useful here. It lays out 27 competing ways to live, each one convincing in its own voice. In this revisited episode, Dart and Derek discuss how those deeper beliefs shape the way people think about work, choice, and the lives they are trying to build. Derek Sivers is an author, entrepreneur, and former musician who founded CD Baby. He writes about business, creativity, philosophy, and how beliefs shape action and meaning. In this episode, Dart and Derek discuss: - How beliefs quietly shape our actions - The 27 ways to live - Why no one philosophy fits everyone - How work reflects deeper life beliefs - Why people want opposite things from work - Introverts and extroverts at work - Using beliefs as a listening tool - Nature and nurture at work - Why companies should have personality - Useful beliefs versus true beliefs - Data models as philosophical experiences - And other topics… Derek Sivers is an author, entrepreneur, and programmer best known for founding CD Baby, which became a major online seller of independent music. He later sold the company and transferred the proceeds into a charitable trust for music education. He is the author of Anything You Want , Your Music and People , Hell Yeah or No , How to Live , and Useful Not True . He is originally from California and now lives in New Zealand. Resources Mentioned: Derek’s Book, How to Live : https://sive.rs/h Derek’s Book, Useful Not True : https://sive.rs/u Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives , by David Eagleman: https://www.amazon.com/Sum-Forty-Tales-Afterlives-Eagleman/dp/0307389936 Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs , by Ari Wallach: https://www.amazon.com/Longpath-Becoming-Ancestors-Antidote-Short-Termism/dp/0063068737 Connect with Derek: Official website: https://sive.rs 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 .
Rational choice theory has become so familiar that it can feel like common sense. We talk about trade-offs, optimization, ROI, and risk as if they capture what it means to think clearly. But many of the decisions that matter most do not work that way. They are shaped by context, values, relationships, and the larger story of a life. In this episode, Barry Schwartz returns to discuss how rational choice theory became the default way we think, how it shapes work and decision-making, and what a more human approach to being rational might look like. Barry Schwartz is a psychologist and professor emeritus at Swarthmore College. He studies decision-making, motivation, and the role of meaning in work and life. In this episode, Dart and Barry discuss: - Why we treat decisions like math - What gets lost when everything becomes a number - Why some choices cannot be compared - The difference between risk and uncertainty - How framing shapes every decision - Why metrics can crowd out judgment - The danger of maximizing everything - Why good enough can be wiser - How choices fit into a larger life story - Why counting is not the same as thinking - And other topics… Barry Schwartz is the Dorwin P. Cartwright Professor Emeritus of Social Theory and Social Action in the Psychology Department at Swarthmore College, and Visiting Professor of Management at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. His work focuses on decision-making, motivation, moral judgment, and meaning in work and life. He is the author of The Battle for Human Nature , The Costs of Living , The Paradox of Choice , and Why We Work . He is also the co-author of Practical Wisdom (with Kenneth Sharpe) and Choose Wisely (with Richard Schuldenfrei). Resources Mentioned: Barry’s Book, Choose Wisely: Rationality, Ethics, and the Art of Decision-Making : https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Wisely-Rationality-Ethics-Decision-Making/dp/0300283997 Barry’s Book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less : https://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Choice-Why-More-Less/dp/0060005688 Barry’s Book, Why We Work : https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Work-TED-Books/dp/1476784868 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 many organizations, some people are focused on keeping the lights on. Others are pushing for change. But what if the future isn’t something out there waiting for us at all? What if it’s shaped by what we do—and don’t do—right now? For Reanna Browne, that shift starts with how we think. Change how we think about the future, and we change how we act in the present. In this revisited episode, Dart and Reanna discuss how the way we think about the future shapes what we do today. Reanna Browne is a futurist and founder of Work Futures, a strategic foresight consultancy. She works with organizations to rethink the future and translate foresight into action in the present. In this episode, Dart and Reanna discuss: - Why the future does not exist as a fixed endpoint - How thinking about the future changes how we act today - The difference between futures studies and strategic foresight - Why prediction is less useful than action - How action and inaction both shape the future - Keeping the lights on vs. making change - What “small bets” look like in everyday decisions - Why young people are rethinking the meaning of work - How language reveals deeper shifts in work and culture - Why there is no single future - And other topics… Reanna Browne is the founder of Work Futures, a consultancy specializing in strategic foresight. She has over a decade of experience working with public and private organizations on workforce strategy and change. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Foresight from Swinburne University. Her work focuses on helping organizations understand change and act with intention in the present. Resources Mentioned: Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned , by Kenneth O. Stanley: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Greatness-Cannot-Planned-Objective/dp/3319155237 “The Bitter Lesson,” by Rich Sutton: http://www.incompleteideas.net/IncIdeas/BitterLesson.html Enlightenment Now , by Steven Pinker: https://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Now-Science-Humanism-Progress/dp/0525427570 Connect with Reanna: Work Futures: https://workfutures.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reannabrowne 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 .
An 81-year-old woman shows up for work at Home Depot while managing serious health issues. She isn’t there because she loves retail. She’s there because stopping isn’t really an option. That story is one of many Noah Sheidlower encountered while reporting on Americans working into their 80s and 90s. Together, they point to something that's changing about retirement: for many people, it doesn’t arrive as a clear finish line, but as something delayed, reshaped, or out of reach. In this episode, Dart and Noah discuss what these stories reveal about work, aging, responsibility, and how people navigate a retirement that doesn’t go as planned. Noah Sheidlower is a senior economy reporter at Business Insider. He covers retirement, aging, and labor, and leads the 80 Over 80 series. In this episode, Dart and Noah discuss: - The real lives behind retirement statistics - Working out of necessity, not choice - What it actually looks like to work in your 80s - An 81-year-old working through serious health issues - How financial shocks reshape retirement - Divorce and long-term financial consequences - Aging without a partner or safety net - The role of health in limiting choices later in life - How systems and policies shape who can retire - And other topics… Noah Sheidlower is a senior economy reporter at Business Insider covering retirement, aging, and labor. He leads the 80 Over 80 series, which explores how Americans continue working into their 80s and 90s. His reporting focuses on individual stories to show how health, family, financial shocks, and broader economic forces shape people’s ability to stop working. Connect with Noah: Business Insider author page: https://www.businessinsider.com/author/noah-sheidlower LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-sheidlower-64a789190/ Twitter: https://x.com/NSheidlower 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 .
Most organizations approach change as something to manage. A new strategy, a new structure, a new set of goals. But what if real transformation doesn’t come from plans or policies, but from experiences that change how people see themselves and each other? Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea design those kinds of experiences. Through the College of Extraordinary Experiences, they bring together people from very different worlds and immerse them in something unfamiliar, often uncomfortable, and deeply human. The goal isn’t just learning. It’s transformation. In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss what it means to design for transformation, why difficulty is often a necessary part of growth, and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful change inside organizations. Claus Raasted is an experience designer and entrepreneur known for his work in live-action role-play and organizational transformation. Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator focused on creating co-creative, transformational experiences. In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss: - What makes an experience truly transformative - Why discomfort is often required for real growth - How immersive design changes how people think and behave - Why traditional learning often fails to create lasting change - What leaders get wrong about driving transformation - How environment and context shape human behavior - The difference between entertainment and transformation - How to design experiences people carry back into work - Why transformation can’t be forced - And other topics… Claus Raasted is a Danish entrepreneur, speaker, and experience designer. He is a pioneer in live-action role-play and has authored more than 40 books. His work focuses on mindset change, leadership, and designing experiences that drive behavioral transformation. Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator working at the intersection of innovation and transformation. He has collaborated with organizations including IKEA and Google to design co-creative experiences, and is co-founder of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He holds a master’s degree in Innovation in Tourism from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. Together, Claus and Paul co-founded the College of Extraordinary Experiences, a five-day immersive program that brings together people from around the world to explore transformation through lived experience. Resources Mentioned: World Experience Organization: https://worldxo.org/ London Experience Week: https://londonexperienceweek.com/ College of Extraordinary Experiences: https://www.extraordinary.college/ Connect with Claus and Paul: https://www.clausraasted.com/ https://de.linkedin.com/in/paulbulencea https://dk.linkedin.com/in/clausraasted 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 .
Josh Block became president of his family’s medical imaging company at 29, just months after layoffs had shaken trust across the business. People were asking whether he was ready. His answer was simple: not fully. But he knew what he didn’t know. That humility became the starting point for how he chose to lead. Instead of protecting his position or pushing for performance at any cost, Josh shifted from what he calls the “Me Cycle” to the “We Cycle.” In this episode, Dart and Josh discuss whether leadership alone can shape culture, whether performance is the goal or the byproduct, and what it really means to believe that people matter at work. Josh Block is Executive Advisor and former President at Block Imaging, where he led the company through significant growth and cultural change. He is the founder of Cube Mobile Imaging and author of People Matter at Work. In this episode, Dart and Josh discuss: - Work as a reflection of leadership beliefs - The shift from “Me” to “We” leadership - Why humility builds trust - Performance as a byproduct, not a goal - What it means to feel safe at work - How transparency changes behavior - Why culture shows up in daily decisions - The role of leaders in shaping experience - When growth follows people, not pressure - What it means to believe people matter - And other topics… Josh Block is Executive Advisor at Block Imaging, where he previously served as President from 2011 to 2025, helping grow the company into a global provider of refurbished medical imaging equipment. He is also the founder of Cube Mobile Imaging and the author of People Matter at Work , which explores how leadership shapes culture and performance. Resources Mentioned: Josh’s Book, People Matter at Work : https://www.amazon.com/People-Matter-Work-Fostering-Everyone/dp/1637635044 Connect with Josh: https://www.blockimaging.com/blog/author/josh-block https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshblock1/ 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 .
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Observed September 17, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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