
Abrupt Future. The Future of Work Happened Faster Than we Thought.
By Benoit Hardy-Vallée
For HR executives and transformational leaders. Each week we feature conversations with experts in leadership, management, human resources, culture and technology to help you succeed in this new normal. Benoit Hardy-Vallee covers topics such as Virtual Workforce Management, Distributed Leadership, Online Culture, Digital HR and Employee Experience.
More content at www.abruptfuture.com/
More content at www.abruptfuture.com/

32 - On the new compensation experience - a conversation with Matthew Kopko
A conversation with Matthew Kopko, Vice President of Public policy at DailyPay
What is On-Demand Pay ? What problems is it solving?
Will that make the bi-weekly payroll cycle a relic of the past?
What is the impact of on-demand pay for workers? For employers? Any other stakeholders?
Did the pandemic changed attitude toward pay or payroll? What have you seen evolving differently in the last 2 years?
What do you see as the future of payroll practices or technology?
Matthew Kopko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkopko/
DailyPay: https://www.dailypay.com/
23:17
March 25, 2022

31 - On business ecosystems, organisations and talent - a conversation with Roland Deiser
A conversation with Roland Deiser, Executive Chairman at Center for the Future of Organization, Drucker School of Management (https://futureorg.org/)
what is an ecosystem
the impact of ecosystems on organisations
the challenges of ecosystems; leadership, agility, talent and operating systems
Industry dynamics
Technology and ecosytems
33:25
February 14, 2022

30 - On meaning and leadership - a conversation with Stephen de Groot
Stephen de Groot is President & Co-Founder of Brivia and a leadership expert.
The Great Resignation - challenges and opportunities
The biggest killers of morale and the burnout epidemics
Getting better at tackling change
Advice for people who start a leadership role and for remote leadership
Brivia consulting: https://briviaconsulting.com/
Stephen de Groot https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-de-groot-b3577852/
35:17
January 24, 2022

29 - 10 things I learned about the “Future Of Work That Happened Faster Than We Thought”
In April 2020, I started this podcast to think through the different workforce, HR and organisational impacts of the global shift to remote work.
The idea of remote working wasn’t new to me, but this was different though—a new global experiment. Now everyone was working remotely, regardless of role or work preference, and that brings a lot of questions, especially if we are to have more of these alternative work arrangements in the future. I decided to have conversations with a variety of experts—HR, management consultants, academics, leaders, CEOs, start-up founders, remote work experts and an ex-military. Of all these conversations, a few key points stand out. This episode is a summary. Read the article here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-things-i-learned-future-work-happened-faster-than-benoit/.
17:40
January 03, 2022

28 - On the possible futures of work and leadership - a conversation with Dustin W. Seale
Dustin W. Seale is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and managing partner of Heidrick Consulting in Europe. He focuses on CEO and board advisory, specifically on improving leadership and talent, and transforming organizations through culture
https://www.heidrick.com/en/people/s/dustin_seale
Topic covered:
4 different scenarios for what post-COVID work would look like
What leaders need to do differently - and what the C-suite needs to do differently
Why leadership impact on sustainability and inclusion is not inspiring
Advice for organisations navigating the change to hybrid work
41:36
December 01, 2021

27 - On the evolution of Diversity and Inclusion, a conversation with Priya Radia
A conversation with Priya Radia, D&I Management Consultant at Included
How was Included created?
What is “Inclusion 3.0”
Do we still need to convince leaders that inclusion and diversity are worth achieving, or are we past the “business case for D&I”?
How do clients start to improve the diversity of the workforce and the inclusiveness of their culture. Are there specific levers, “low-hanging fruits” that leaders can look for?
How do you measure the diversity and inclusiveness of the workforce?
Is D&I changing with the rise of remote and hybrid work? If yes, how?
How do you see D&I practices evolving?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyaradia/
https://www.included.com/
16:45
November 20, 2021

26 - On the Future of HR Shared Services, a conversation with Emma Leonis
In this episode, Benoit Hardy-Vallee talks with Emma Leonis, Executive Director of HR Transformation at LACE Partners. She leads LACE’s thought leadership into the future of HR service delivery and operating models, with recent reports including ‘The Future of HR Shared Services: Becoming People Experience and Solutions Experts’ and ‘HR on the Offensive’.
Topics:
The evolution of HR shared service centers - new roles, new skills
HRBP vs Shared Services
How to transform Shared Services
Onboarding as a use case of coordinating all stakeholders around employee experience
Links:
LACE partners site
Emma on LinkedIn
The report: The Future of HR Shared Services: Becoming People Experience and Solutions Experts
39:10
September 27, 2021

25 - On Communication, Conflict and Compassion at work - A conversation with Liz Kislik
In this episode, Benoit Hardy-Vallee talks to Liz Kislik. She is a management consultant, executive coach, author, and an expert in leadership, management, culture and so much more.
Approaching conflict meaningfully and dealing with conflict avoidance.
The dynamic of conflict and conflict resolution in a remote environment.
Advice on returning to the office.
Compassion and surveillance.
“The fact that a team has no public disagreement does not mean that they are in good shape and happy and everything is perfect. It’s much more likely to mean that good ideas are being withheld and that there is some discomfort ranging from anxiety to full-on resentment present in the team that’s not being expressed as the leader.” - Liz Kislik
35:55
August 17, 2021

24 - On HR Operating Models - A conversation with Nalin Rajaure
***We are very proud to announce that Abrupt Future was ranked no. 9 on that list of "Top Workforce Management Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021" by Feedspot***
In this episode, Benoit Hardy-Vallee talks with Nalin Rajaure, Director at OrgVantage.
What is an HR operating model
The evolution of HR operating models and org design
How enterprise should rethink their structure when they digitize their business model.
The Zero-based approach to operating model
Agility in designing models
The impact of remote/hybrid work on operating models
How to help employees adapt to the ways of working
32:02
August 06, 2021

23 - On the Evolution of Remote Work - A conversation with Iwo Szapar
***We are very proud to announce that Abrupt Future was ranked no. 9 on that list of "Top Workforce Management Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021" by Feedspot***
In this episode, Benoit Hardy-Vallee talks to Iwo Szapar – Remote work Advocate and CEO at Remote-how.
Topics covered
- The story of Remote-How
- How Remote-How helped its client during the pandemic
- What Iwo learned by surveying Remote Managers
- What is a "head of remote" and why companies need it
- What is the "next new normal"
33:44
June 04, 2021

22 - On Recruiting in the age of Googlisation - A conversation with Ira Wolfe
In this episode, Benoit Hardy-Vallee talks to Ira S Wolfe - President at Poised for the Future Company, Founder of Success Performance Solutions, and a popular presenter at SHRM and business conferences. He has authored 6 books, including the latest “Recruiting in the age of googlisation.” - see https://www.irawolfe.com/recruiting-googlization/
AQ Webinar: https://irawolfe.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/741915/register
Recruiting in the Age of Googlization Book: https://www.successperformancesolutions.com/recruiting-googlization-book-sales-page/
Recruitment Marketing webinar: https://irawolfe.webinarninja.com/automated-webinars/15646/register
Googlization Nation: https://googlizationnation.com
42:16
May 26, 2021

21 - On business automation - A conversation with Richard Schnitzel
The kind of task or activities that tend to be automated
Where should leaders start
"Authenticious" Automation
How people react to automation
How to handle concerns about automation
How automation technology will evolve
· Richard Schnitzel: Website
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29:58
May 04, 2021

20- On military leadership, resilience and thinking, an interview with Richard Lawrence
On military leadership, resilience and thinking, an interview with Richard Lawrence, 04/12,2021
While serving in the military, Richard was posted in Northern Island, Iran, and Afghanistan. Post leaving the Army, he sought ways to bring his experience and knowledge to the business. He married his military experience and business knowledge into one and launched CounterStrike. The company is responsible for handling all aspects of corporate problem-solving, planning, and resilience training.
what business can learn from the military
the biggest misconception about the military
how can military techniques help improve resilience
How to apply Wargaming in the workplace
What leaders can do to help their staff be more resilient
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.counterstrikeuk.com/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awakening-Warrior-Richard-Charles-Lawrence/dp/1984179527/
35:46
April 26, 2021

19 - On the Future of Meeting - A conversation with James Kelley
James Kelley is the CEO & Co-Founder of qChange, a real-time end-to-end Leader Experience Solution that prompts, measures, grows, and predicts leader success in Microsoft Teams. In August 2020, the first product - Leader Experience (LX) was launched in Microsoft Teams. LX is a low-touch high-impact solution that improves leadership development with real-time prompts, measurement, feedback, and growth. qChange partners with employee experience, coaching, and assessment organizations that have relationships with large global organizations.
Topics Covered:
What was the driver behind launching qChange?
James discusses the power of creating an engaging meeting culture by asking the right questions.
Are you having a one-way conversation or a two-way dialogue?
James points out how psychological factors are affecting an organization’s growth?
What is a top-down approach in a meeting?
Do we spend a lot of time in the same agenda-based meetings?
Is it an absolute necessity to attend meetings?
Are the employees adding value in discussions, asking questions or bringing some impact to the table?
James discusses how qChange is aimed to help leaders show up better in meetings?
How to drive more inclusions in meetings?
36:17
April 07, 2021

18 - On Frontline Worker Experience - A conversation with Jordan Boesch
Jordan Boesch is the CEO and Founder of 7shifts, a labor-management platform used by about 16,000 restaurants across North America. 7shifts allows restaurants to control labor, manage staff, manage compliance issues, and keep staff engagement high by providing a mobile app to the employees. Starting out as a side hustle, eventually, 7shifts made enough money for Jordan to quit his software engineering career and focus on changing the restaurant industry!
Topics Covered:
● How did Jordan come to start 7shifts?
● What is the experience for the managers and employees?
● How does 7shifts changing the employee experience?
● What does the future look like for restaurant workers and those outside the food industry?
● Jordan discusses employees’ desire to learn and advance their skills.
● What else would Jordan like to change in the restaurant industry and how does technology impact that?
● Jordan discusses the opportunities in front of 7shifts.
20:11
March 24, 2021

17 - On Skills for Success (That No One Taught You), a conversation with Mark A. Herschberg
Mark A. Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.
Leadership, networking, negotiation, teamwork, effective communication–all skills we’re told are essential for success, but skills rarely ever taught. Mark and Benoit discuss how these
Topics convered:
what is missing from secondary education
Why we all need a career plan
What "learning beyond your role" means
How being an interviewer helps become a better interviewee
Influential vs. positional leadership
Mental models
How should people build their network
How systems are designed to incentivize unethical behavior
Link: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/
46:38
March 11, 2021

16 - On the rise of On-demand Workers and the Future of Work, a conversation with Jeff Wald
A conversation with Jeff Wald, Founder of Work Market (now an ADP company). Jeff has founded several other technology companies including Spinback (eventually sold to Salesforce). He is an active angel investor and startup advisor, as well as serving on numerous public and private Boards of Directors. Jeff is the author of The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations.
Lessons from past industrial revolutions
The real size and impact of the on-demand labor market transformation
Robotics and Automation
The challenges of upskilling
The $10M "Future of Work Prize"
37:28
December 28, 2020

15 - On Talent Acquisition Technology, Candidate Experience and Nurturing Talent - A conversation with Graham Thornton
A conversation with Graham Thornton, CEO of Change State and Podcast host at the Changing State of Talent Acquisition.
The evolution of Talent Acquisition - where were we 10 years ago? What was it like to apply for a job, what kind of technology were TA leaders using?
How do employers today stand out to attract top talent?
The importance of marketing and relationship management in TA
Common mistakes that organizations make in trying to evolve their TA process?
Candidate nurturing and the future of TA technology
33:10
December 10, 2020

14 - On the skills of the future - a conversation with Diana Rivera and Joshua Zachariah
A conversation with 2 of the authors of a new research report on how labour market could evolve by 2030.
Context and drivers behind the “Ahead by a Decade” research (https://brookfieldinstitute.ca/ahead-by-a-century-employment-in-2030/)
Occupations that are forecast to change
Which skills are foundational for the workforce of the future
39:59
November 20, 2020

13- On the social and economic impact of telework during lockdown, a conversation with Pr. Murtaza Haider
In May, the Urban Analytics institute released a research report on “Telework during COVID-19 lockdown in Canada” that analyzes the prevalence of work from home (telework) and its impact on transportation and real estate in urban context
The magnitude of telework during COVID-19 lockdown
Why was telework not more common beforehand, even if technology made it possible
Impact on traffic, traffic congestion, housing affordability and commercial real estate
40:16
October 04, 2020

12 - On leadership, coaching and resilience, a conversation with Shonna Waters
A conversation with Shonna Waters, VP Behavioral Science, Professor, Author, Certified Leadership Coach at BetterUp.
· How BetterUp uses behavioral science to help employees and organizations to grow
· Why resilience is increasingly important for organizations
· How to build resilient organizations and resilient leaders
· How coaching improves resilience and other benefits of coaching
· The future of leadership development
Resources for thriving in unprecedented times
26:60
August 11, 2020

11 - On VR Learning and Soft Skills, a conversation with Imran Mouna
A conversation with Imran Mouna, Co-founder of InStage, a company who develop VR software to rapidly improve soft skills.
· Background on launching InStage
· How to you use VR in learning
· The benefits for VR learning
· When is VR most effective for learners vs. when it is not
· The impact of the COVID19 crisis on VR
· What inStage is working on
· The future of VR
Episodes Notes:
https://www.abruptfuture.com/post/on-vr-learning-and-soft-skills-a-conversation-with-imran-mouna-s01e11
Links
https://www.instage.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/instagevr/
https://www.instagram.com/instagevr/
https://twitter.com/instagevr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imran-mouna
29:37
July 07, 2020

10 - On AI in Hiring and Racism in Canada, a conversation with Maaz Rana and Maurice Forbes
A conversation with Maaz Rana, co-founder & COO, and Maurice Forbes, HR Solutions Consultant, at Knockri (https://www.knockri.com/)
Knockri is an AI skills-based assessment tool, that helps reduce unconscious bias and shortlists the best fit job candidates to interview, during the early screening process of hiring
How AI systems can figure who should be short-listed, and how it increases diversity
The story of Knockri
What should organizations do to really reduce discrimination and racism
Racism, the Canadian way
The forgotten story of Africville
34:23
June 23, 2020

09 - On Digital Nomads, a conversation with Dave Cook
A conversation with Dave Cook – PhD Researcher, Anthropology, UCL (University College London).
What are “digital nomads” and what Dave learned about them in his 7-year research on remote work and digital nomads
The typical path, entry point or background in this way of living and working
The use of "disciplining practices to manage work/leisure boundaries”- digital mediated time management, self-regulation, skills maintenance, image management and personal branding.
Key trends that will shape the future of how we work
More information at https://www.eworklife.co.uk/
Academic Profiles
https://theconversation.com/profiles/dave-cook-507256
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/people/research-students/david-cook
Project Website
http://thenomadproject.org/
Original research: interim 4 years findings
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40558-020-00172-4
Five workplace trends will shape life after lockdown
https://theconversation.com/five-workplace-trends-will-shape-life-after-lockdown-138077
Specific article on digital nomads
https://theconversation.com/digital-nomads-what-its-really-like-to-work-while-travelling-the-world-99345
Articles issuing guidance on working from home for those new to it.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/mar/freedom-trap-how-manage-remote-working
https://www.myscience.org/news/wire/the_freedom_trap_how_to_survive_remote_working-2020-UCL
Some non-English/International syndications
https://theconversation.com/la-covid-19-force-le-teletravail-une-etude-leve-le-voile-sur-ses-risques-caches-134176
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/commentary-remote-working-promised-freedom-but-seems-to-be-12585756
https://theconversation.com/nomadas-digitales-el-reto-de-trabajar-mientras-se-viaja-por-el-mundo-100777
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/318832
30:45
June 12, 2020

08 - On Employee Experience Management, a conversation with Dr. Benjamin Granger
A conversation with Dr. Benjamin Granger, Sr. Principal | XM Catalyst XM Institute at SAP Qualtrics.
Definition and clarifications on Employee Experience (EX) and Experience Management (XM)
How can HR leaders embrace XM in HR and avoid the “ad-hoc employee surveying or disjointed EX efforts”
What is instrumental to manage the Working-From-Home Employee Experience
How to adjust your EX program in times of crisis
How employee expectations will change post-COVID
How can organizations prepare for these changes
The future of EX and XM programs
Qualtrics XM institute: https://www.qualtrics.com/xm-institute/
Ben's publications: https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/author/benjaming/
XM Professionals Network (XMPN) Online Forum https://www.qualtrics.com/community/categories/XMPN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-granger-7147991b/
29:33
May 29, 2020

07 - On Asynchronous Communication, a conversation with Amir Salihefendić
A conversation with Amir Salihefendić, Founder and CEO of Doist. (https://doist.com)
The backstory – how Amir came with Doist, what the experience is like for the user
How to balance synchronous and asynchronous communication
Upside and downside of async
Suggestions on adopting async for an organization that is not used to it
Creating a culture and a sense of community in a remote workplace
Remote Work Guides: https://doist.com/blog/remote-work-guides/
28:41
May 21, 2020

06 - On Imagination Work and Online Design Thinking, a conversation with Mariano Suarez-Battan
A conversation Mariano Suarez-Battan, CEO or MURAL.
The nature of imagination work
The story and use of MURAL
Remote vs in-person imagination work
Best practices for online creative work and collaboration
Online imagination work and asynchronous communication
The new normal and the future of imagination work
29:27
May 16, 2020

05 - On the Economics, Management and Psychology of Distributed Work, a conversation with Laurel Farrer
A conversation with Laurel Farrer CEO of Distribute Consulting, Founder of the Remote Work Association and a Writer for Forbes magazine and other business publications
The economic impact of virtual jobs and how can it benefits cities, communities and economies
The benefits of remote work for organizations
Guidelines to establishing a virtual operational model
How telework can improve diversity
The impact of remote work on mental health, and the safeguards that organizations can put in place
Closing the cultural gap between on-site and off-site workers
https://www.distributeconsulting.com
https://www.laurelfarrer.com/
https://www.remoteworkassociation.com/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/#7f470aa3517a
https://twitter.com/laurel_farrer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurel-farrer/
29:47
May 07, 2020

04 - On The 2020 State of Remote Work Survey, a conversation with Hailley Griffis
A conversation with Hailley Griffis, Head of Public Relations at Buffer, a fully distributed organization of 85 people living and working in 15 countries around the world, as well as co-host of the MakeWorkWork podcast.
For the last few years, Buffer publishes a State of Remote Work Research report (https://lp.buffer.com/state-of-remote-work-2020). In this episode we explore the key insights and their meaning for the future of work.
Topics discussed:
Background on the research project and Buffer's own commitment to being fully remote
What respondents think about remote work
The main benefits and the top challenges of remote work
Why some people don’t recommend remote work
Recommendations for communicating asynchronously
How to make collaboration and communication flow better
25:35
April 30, 2020

03 - On Relationships within Remote Organizations, a conversation with Andreas Eckhardt
With Pr. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt, Professor of Human Resource Management at the German Graduate School of Management and Law (GGS), an expert in Digital Transformation in HR Management and on the Adoption, Diffusion, and Use Of Information Systems.
Organizations that succeed in establishing remote working practices
The challenges faced by remote workers
Collaboration accross locations, time zones, and schedules
Establishing virtual trust
Why the social ties among virtual co-workers are stronger
Professional personas when working from home.
22:11
April 22, 2020

02 - On Generational Attitudes Toward Remote Work, a conversation with Giselle Kovary
How the rapid, forced virtualization of work is received by the different
generations at work
Generations and the use of technology at work
The leadership behaviours that are needed to effectively lead a virtual team
The virtual team’s challenges that can impact engagement and how to overcome them
What “followers” should do to better support and enable their leaders
What HR can do to help leaders and business units
30:44
April 11, 2020

01 - On Distributed Work and Personality, a conversation with Dr. Laura Hambley
A conversation with Laura Hambley from Work EvOHlution.
Topics covered:
What “distributed work” is
The biggest myths about distributed work
Personality and distributed work
Self-management in work from home
What should managers be doing to better manage their teams
25:42
April 09, 2020

Abrupt Future - Trailer
The future of work happened faster than we thought!
Got to https://www.abruptfuture.com/ for episodes notes and more.
00:48
April 07, 2020