Work Better
Episodes
Building Critical Connection at Work with Tracy Brower (S8:E10)
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It takes about 60 hours to make a friend, and work is one of the few places where that time naturally accumulates. In this episode, Dr. Tracy Brower r...
In Praise of the Office with Peter Cappelli and Ranya Nehmeh (S8:E8)
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most organizations still haven’t cracked hybrid work — not in a way that truly supports performance, development, or culture. As Peter Cappelli an...
The Preschool Skills Business Leaders Need (S8:E6)
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Laura Jana explains that the human abilities we develop earliest—curiosity, self‑management, empathy, adaptability, and creative thinking—ar...
Rewiring Learning for an AI-Enabled World (S8:E5)
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is advancing so quickly that schools are struggling to keep pace, and learning‑innovation researcher Mario Chiasson argues that this gap is resha...
Rerun: Sparking Joy at Work with Ingrid Fetell Lee
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful, argues it’s possible to find joy in our physical environment even if we’re not feeling happy. She’s the fou...
How to Control Your Emotions at Work (S8:E4)
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ninety percent of our day is spent feeling something, which makes it unrealistic to expect emotions to stay out of work. Ethan Kross explains that emo...
Creating High Performance Culture with Khalil Smith (S8:E3)
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Meetings offer one of the clearest windows into an organization — who speaks, how decisions are made, and whether people feel included all reveal th...
Becoming the Leader People Don't Want to Leave (S8:E2)
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership matters because it shapes daily experience, and that consistency is built by small, cumulative actions – the lighting, the layout, the mo...
A Head and Heart Approach to Leadership (S8:E1)
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Recent McKinsey research describes today’s workplace as a “perma‑crisis,” demanding new levels of emotional stamina from leaders. In this Work...
Boosting Creativity by Talking to Strangers with Jill Perry Smith (S7:E5)
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Novel ideas often hinge on the right relationships. Research shows that if we lean on the wrong connections – or work alone when collaboration is ne...
Creating A Curious Organization with Stefaan van Hooydonk (S7:E4)
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Job postings that include the word “curiosity” have grown by 90% year over year. But curiosity isn’t just a personal trait -- it’s becoming a ...
Why We Misunderstand Each Other at Work with Nick Epley (S7:E3)
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We think we know what our coworkers want – but we’re often wrong. In this episode of Work Better, behavioral scientist Nick Epley reveals why we m...
Make Listening Your Superpower with Jeff Yip (S7:E2)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listening is hardest when it matters most – and many of us are doing it wrong. In this Work Better episode, researcher Jeff Yip reveals the five mis...
Leading Humans in the Age of AI with Erica Keswin (S7:E1)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
94% of people say they’re more productive when they feel connected. In this episode of Work Better, Erica Keswin explains why great leaders act more...
Why Mattering Matters with Zach Mercurio - Part Two (S6:E11)
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people want to feel like what they do matters -- but too often, they’re expected to care without being shown that they’re cared for. In this ...
Why Mattering Matters with Zach Mercurio - Part One (S6:E10)
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people want to feel like what they do matters – but too often, they’re expected to care without being shown that they’re cared for. In this...
Making Work Meaningful with Wes Adams (S6:E9)
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people want more from their work than just a paycheck. They want to feel like what they do matters. And that shift isn’t just a trend — it’...
What’s Really Causing Distraction with Nir Eyal (S6:E8)
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ‘indistractable?’ Probably not. Distractions constantly barrage us. How we choose to focus can profoundly impact our mental health, physic...
The Connection Between Culture and Sustainability with Joaquina Garrido and Susana Quintas (S6E7)
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainability isn’t relegated to just one team anymore. For many organizations, it's becoming intertwined with everything they do – and this elev...
Why Meetings Still Suck with Steven Rogelberg (S6E6)
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could this meeting have been an email? We ask it every week. Employees have long held a love-hate relationship with the traditional office meet-up. Ho...
Productivity, AI and the Future of Work with Chad Syverson (S6E5)
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is revolutionizing productivity in the workplace. Economist Chad Syverson joins the Work Better podcast to share fascinating insights on AI's trans...
The Myth of Work-Life Balance with Danna Greenberg (S6 Ep04)
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's fast-paced world, balancing work and life can seem daunting. But building a life outside of work — establishing hobbies, cultivating a po...
Starting Your Relationship with AI with Mike Pell (S6E3)
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Starting Your Relationship with AI with Mike Pell (S6E3) by Steelcase
How Languishing at Work Impacts Your Life with Corey Keyes (S6: Ep.2)
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's demanding work environment, understanding the impact of languishing at work – and how to overcome it – is vital. On the Work Better pod...
Building Trust that Builds Profit with Minda Harts (S6: Ep.1)
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where trust is increasingly scarce, redefining it within the workplace can be a cultural game-changer. On the Work Better podcast, host Chri...
Burnout Isn’t What You Think It Is with special guest Jacqui Brassey (S5: Episode 9)
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many people say they feel ‘burned out’ at work, but how do they really know? How is ‘burnout defined? Or measured? And could other factors be at...
Why the Office Needs Social Infrastructure with Eric Klinenberg (S5:E8)
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why the Office Needs Social Infrastructure with Eric Klinenberg (S5:E8) by Steelcase
Battling Change Fatigue With Gallup’s Ben Wigert (S5:E7)
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Seven in 10 employees have experienced disruptive change in the past year. Gallup’s Ben Wigert joins the Work Better podcast to identify three chall...
Onboarding Your AI Coworker With Sean Gallagher (S5:EP6)
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no longer a question – AI is changing how we work, and it’s happening rapidly. A technical renaissance of sorts, AI is mainly driven by emp...
Building Brain Capital With Harris Eyre (S5:EP5)
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mental and neurological disorders are costing world economies trillions of dollars every year – something physician and neuroscientist Dr. Harris Ey...
Why We Need More Awe at Work with Libby Sander (S4:EP4)
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What would make you feel less stressed at your office? Researcher Libby Sander joins the Work Better podcast to discuss her groundbreaking research on...
Our 47-Second Attention Span With Gloria Mark (S5: EP3)
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New research suggests you’ll barely have the attention span to finish reading this paragraph. We shift our attention faster and more often than ever...
Make it Safe for Employees to Speak Up with Connie Noonan Hadley (S5: EP1)
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may think that if you don’t hear much from your employees, everything’s going pretty well. But that may not be the case. In fact, organization...
Teaching AI-Ready Students With José Antonio Bowen (S5: EP2)
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft research shows 3 out of 4 global knowledge workers use AI in their jobs. But how are we preparing students for an AI-future at work? Educato...
Why We Need More Humor at Work with Jennifer Aaker + Naomi Bagdonas (S4: E8)
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s so funny? Turns out humor at work is for more than just a good laugh. It can help us influence people and be more creative. Authors Naomi Bag...
Breaking Our Obsession with Generations with Mauro Guillén (S4: E7)
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever held back on something because it just wasn’t “age appropriate?” Or evaluated someone based on if they’re a Millennial or Gen Z?...
Embracing How Different Our Brains Are with Elena Sabinson (S4:E6)
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the workplace has to support a lot of diverse needs and it could probably do a much better job than it does today. But that can be really ...
Why You Need More Women on Teams with Anita Woolley (S4:E5)
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it some teams at work struggle and others seem to just click? Anita Woolley studies the science of teamwork and she’s sharing what research s...
The Science of “Aha!” Moments with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (S4:E4)
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all been told at some point in our lives that hard work is the key to success. But author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang is out to dispel this myth. He...
Creating a Brain Healthy Workplace with Upali Nanda (S4:E3)
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Spaces communicate a lot about how you are supposed to behave. In a library, everything about the lighting and the furniture tells you to be quiet and...
Is Our Attitude About Work Broken? with Barry Schwartz (S4:E2)
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we work? It’s a simple enough question but the answer might surprise you. According to professor Barry Schwartz, it’s not just about a payc...
Sparking Joy at Work with Ingrid Fetell Lee (S4:E1)
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Look around you. Is there anything nearby that makes you smile? Our guest today argues there is a distinct connection between our surroundings, our we...
Creating Joy at Work with Scott Sonenshein (S3:E9)
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been in a job that just sucks the joy out of your work? On the flip side, have you had a job that leaves you feeling energized and full ...
The Power of Civility + Community with Christine Porath (S3:E8)
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than 65% of people feel no sense of community at work — and that was before the pandemic. Christine Porath studied data from 20,000 employees a...
The New Inclusive Campus with Moira Fischbacher-Smith (S3:E7)
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English speaking world. It opened in 1451 and parts of campus might remind you of Hog...
How the Office Can Boost Energy with Benjamin Laker (S3:E6)
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you hate meetings? Those 30 or 60 minute blocks of time that chew up your day can be frustrating. Some companies have gone so far as to try elimina...
Busting Carbon Myths with Sheri Hickok (S3:E5)
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean when you buy a carbon neutral product? Sheri Hickok, CEO of Climate Impact Partners, helps us understand what makes something carbon...
Benefits of Foolishness at Work with Poonam Bir Kasturi (S3:E4)
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many MBA students are taught that businesses should be created to fill a market gap. Poonam Bir Kasturi, founder of the home composting company the Da...
The Next Economy Company with Kara Pecknold (S3:E3)
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of organizations make commitments around sustainability today — which is a good thing. But some are making more progress, much faster than othe...
Designing the New Workplace Experience with Jeremy Myerson (S3:E2)
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past 100 years, the office has been integral to how work gets done. It has shaped cities, cultures and how many of us, individually, behave. ...
Audacious Inclusion with Caroline Casey (S3:E1)
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caroline Casey spent a good part of her life hiding her true self. When she finally opened up to the world, amazing things happened. Her story starts ...
How to Go From Insight to Action with Laszlo Bock (S2:E8)
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership is complicated today. Managers are under pressure to deliver business results and create relationships with employees guided by empathy. Th...
Gen Z: Power + Possibility with Jean Twenge (S2:E7)
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gen Z is on the cusp of being nearly 30% of the workforce. Today we’re talking about the power and possibility of the youngest generation at work. T...
Learning Is a Social Event with Anya Kamenetz (S2:E6)
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When the pandemic sent everyone home, many teachers and students struggled. And according to Anya Kamenetz, one of the biggest reasons is because lear...
Pop, Tech + Culture with Marcus Collins (S2:E5)
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re all trying to influence how people behave, according to Dr. Marcus Collins, whether it’s what people buy, how they interact with one another...
Be Happier at Work with Jenn Lim (S2:E4)
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn’t want to be happier at work? Jenn Lim has dedicated her life to bringing more joy into the workplace. Jenn is founder and author of Beyo...
How Your Brain Makes Friends with Robin Dunbar (S2:E3)
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You are more likely to stay at your job if you have a best friend at work. You are also more likely to learn from a peer at work than your boss. Relat...
Learning Is the New Pension with Heather McGowan (S2:E2)
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re like most of us these days, a pension is not in the cards. Today’s guest says not to worry – Heather McGowan has a different idea abou...
Conflict, Communication + Discomfort with Amy Gallo (S2:E1)
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The adoption of hybrid work has changed a lot of things – not just where and when you work, but also our relationships at work. How we build them. H...
Change Community and Your Company (S1:E8)
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about our communities outside of our office walls can actually strengthen our communities inside the workplace. In this episode, we talk to K...
Return to Office Is Like Returning From Deployment (S1:E7)
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lt. Col. Adria Horn shares a unique perspective on talent and turnover, and draws interesting parallels between returning to the office and returning ...
Innovation as a Recipe for Engaging Talent (S1:E6)
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Business leaders have been trying to crack the code on innovation since the beginning of time. But, Dr. Simone Ahuja has a new take on innovation. She...
Be More Human in the AI Age with Kevin Roose (S1:E5)
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can a robot take your job? Kevin Roose, New York Times technology writer and author of Futureproof, shares his take on how we can bring more of our hu...
Loneliness, Lingering + Libraries with Eric Klinenberg (S1:E4)
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the real impact of community? NYU professor and author Eric Klinenberg’s research about a deadly heat wave in Chicago is a powerful example...
Groupiness at Work with Annie Murphy Paul (S1:E3)
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re busting myths about how the brain works with guest Annie Murphy Paul, author of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. An...
A New Vision for the Workplace (S1:E1)
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Work Better, the podcast where we think about work and ways to make it better. The rules of work are being rewritten and we’re all trying...
Neuroscience of Community with David Rock (S1:E2)
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does a sense of community impact the brain? David Rock, CEO and co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute, explains that when we don’t feel pa...
Why We Need Joy at Work
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, says it’s a huge misconception that ...
Hack Your Brain
05 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jack Lewis, brain scientist and author of Sort Your Brain Out, translates neuroscience for everyday people. He spoke with 360’s Serena Borghero ...
Simon Sinek: Playing an Infinite Game
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Sinek, bestselling author of “Start with Why,” challenges conventional business norms in his new book “The Infinite Game.” Hear why he s...
Designing Healthcare Solutions for the Real World
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Erwin and Jerry Krishnan, co-directors for the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design at the University of Illinois Chicago, share how design is...
Why Educators Are Better Together
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Micro schools, team taught classes, design thinking practices. In this episode, why it’s so crucial for educators to learn from each other. Tom Vand...
How Beth Comstock Survived the ‘F’ Word in Business
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Beth Comstock, former GE Vice Chair and CMO, tells us how to thrive in the midst of failure, the “F” word in business. The self-described “chang...
The Business Value of Joy
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who do you serve and what does delight look like for them? Listen in to Menlo Innovations CEO and co-founder, Richard Sheridan, as he explains how the...
Trends for the Future of Education with Jeff Selingo
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As the classroom of tomorrow continues to paint a very different picture than what you see today, author, professor and visiting scholar, Jeff Selingo...
Real Talk: How to Make Work Not Suck
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As 360 Magazine Editor Chris Congdon hosts a revealing conversation on how to build trust and the ongoing search for purpose at work, organizational p...
String Theory Schools: Redefining Urban Education
26 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
String Theory Schools, a nonprofit in Philadelphia, is on a mission to grow the world’s next creative leaders. Jason Corosanite, co-founder and chie...
Five Lenses to Spot Great Ideas in the Workplace
29 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
David Kidder, CEO of consultancy Bionic as well as a serial entrepreneur, teaches large enterprises how to operationalize a growth mindset, talks abou...
Why the Co-Creator for Scrum Bans Email
29 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jeff Sutherland, an original signatory of the Agile Manifesto and inventor and co-creator for Scrum, explains why he bans emails, why his team had...
School District Rethinks Creativity + Collaboration
26 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do you bring back the “buzz” in our schools? Dan Behm, superintendent of Forest Hills Public Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan, wanted to bani...
Educators Share How to Integrate Pedagogy + Space
14 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Two educators passionate about active learning share their strategies and techniques for engaging students. Dr. Julie Marshall, teacher from South Car...
IDEO Measures & Cultivates Innovation in the Workplace
23 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
IDEO, a global design and consulting firm, is now helping organizations identify and measure workplace innovation with a tool called Creative Differen...
Skylar Tibbits on a 3D Printing Breakthrough
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Founder of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, partnered with Steelcase to explore the future of furniture personalization. His creative, innov...
Tim Brown on Leading Creative Organizations
07 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
IDEO’s Tim Brown talks about the three roles leaders have in creatively-competitive organizations and how to assess the creativity of a company.