The Edge of Work

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, host Al Dea shares key takeaways from his time attending HR Tech Conference 2026 in Las Vegas, highlighting emerging trends in HR technology and their implications for the future of work. In this episode, Al shares some of his thoughts and insights from the 400+ vendors on the Expo Hall and in particular categories like AI enablement and AI/HR agents and agentic tools. He also shares some of the takeaways from his conversations with leaders across the HR ecosystem.

Links

• Al Dea:https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website:https://www.al-dea.com/

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea explores why traditional career planning may no longer be enough in a rapidly changing workplace. He introduces career experimentation, a curiosity-driven approach that replaces rigid career roadmaps with small, practical tests designed to uncover new interests, build skills, and identify opportunities. Al outlines a four-step framework: formulate a hypothesis, test it, learn from the experience, and take action.

He explains how this approach helps professionals navigate uncertainty, build momentum, and make more informed career decisions without waiting for a promotion, a formal development plan, or a clear career ladder.

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Joe Leslie is Vice President of Global AI L&D at Golin Ketchum. In this episode, Joe shares how organizations can move beyond basic AI training to drive meaningful adoption and behavior change. He discusses how Golin Ketchum increased weekly AI usage among client-facing teams from 15% to 93% in 18 months, emphasizing the importance of leadership support, role-specific learning, and practical application. Joe also introduces his “Live AI” framework, which uses AI itself as a tool for learning and development. Finally, Joe also explores how Golin Ketchum uses role-specific AI workflows, peer mentoring, and an AI coaching companion to help employees improve their use of AI in everyday tasks.

Links

• Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephleslie/

Debbie Lovich is a Managing Director & Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and Author of Make Work Work: The 5 Daily Practices of the Employee-Centric Leader. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Debbie discusses why she believes work is broken and how organizations can become more employee-centric without sacrificing performance. She explains why employee experience needs to focus on the work itself, not just HR programs, and why the perceived trade-off between employees, customers, and shareholders is a false one. Debbie also shares the five daily practices leaders can use to create better workplaces: celebrate them, go see and help, be interested, co-create, and do it first. She also discusses what these practices look like in action, including how leaders can model change and encourage AI adoption.

Links

• Debbie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-lovich-634b681/
• Debbie’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHP1B28Z?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Lauren Tropeano is Chief People Officer of Docebo. In this episode, Lauren explores how organizations can navigate rapid change, develop talent, and create the conditions for successful AI adoption.

She introduces the concept of the “renaissance worker,” someone who combines core expertise with adjacent skills and interests to create value beyond traditional roles. Lauren discusses how a skills-based talent philosophy can help organizations identify and deploy employees’ capabilities, why HR leaders need to understand the broader business, and how leaders can encourage AI experimentation through learning and invitation rather than mandates.

Links

• Lauren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkrol/

Samantha Dray is Director of Early Career Finance & Strategy Development Programs at ServiceNow. In this episode, she shares how ServiceNow is rethinking early career development by putting emerging talent at the center of AI and automation initiatives. Samantha explains the company’s AI accelerator sprint, where early career professionals spend three focused months identifying business problems, building solutions, and driving adoption.

She discusses why fresh perspectives can be powerful in transforming work, how organizations can create meaningful opportunities for early career talent to build both technical and human skills, and the importance of giving employees the time and space to develop new capabilities.

Links

• Samantha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-kozub-dray-ba4a606/

Tanya Moore is the Chief People Officer at West Monroe. In this episode, she joins The Edge of Work to discuss how organizations can navigate transformation while keeping people and business performance at the center. Tanya shares how she's leading transformation at West Monroe and how she and her team are sensing and responding to shifts in the professional services industry, from investing in company culture to realigning performance management to meet the needs of the business environment.

Tanya also explores how West Monroe is approaching AI adoption, including the role of AI literacy, hands-on learning, and employee "power users" in driving meaningful adoption.

Links

• Tanya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyaemoore/

Emily Field is the Chief People Officer at LPL Financial. In this episode Emily she shares lessons from her transition from management consulting to becoming a Chief People Officer, including how to approach onboarding, operate as a strategic business leader, and serve as the connective tissue across an executive team.

During the conversation, Emily also discusses how AI is changing work design, why organizations need to keep humans in the lead, and how leaders can turn workplace anxiety into agency.

Finally, we close with a discussion about why why managers remain essential as teams increasingly work alongside AI agents.

Links

• Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykfield/
• Emily’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Middle-Managers-Hold-Future/dp/1647824850

In this solo episode, The Edge of Work host Al Dea takes a closer look at the idea that AI transformation is a change management challenge and explores what that really means for organizations. Drawing on his own speaking and coaching work as well as dozens of conversations with leaders working on AI adoption and enablement, he outlines six themes that go beyond simply introducing new tools: understanding different stages of AI adoption, addressing human behavior and incentives, involving people across the organization, investing in foundational work, rethinking how work gets done, and taking a more personalized approach to enablement.

The episode offers a practical framework for leaders looking to move beyond AI adoption and toward meaningful changes in how people work.

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Ketaki Sodhi is Head of AI Enablement at Moody's Corporation. In this episode, Ketaki shares her perspective on what it really takes for organizations to move beyond individual AI productivity toward enterprise-wide transformation.

They discuss why the biggest barriers to AI adoption are no longer technical, but organizational, spanning culture, workflows, leadership, data, and incentives. Finally, Ketaki shares how leading companies are building the systems, operating rhythms, and knowledge infrastructure needed to scale AI responsibly inside of organizations.

Links

• Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketakisodhi/

Sangeet Paul Choudary is the Founder of Platform Thinking Labs. In this episode, Sangeet joins the podcast to explore how AI is reshaping knowledge work, organizational structures, and the way businesses create value.

He explains why the biggest impact of AI may not be automation, but coordination, why most conventional explanations of Jevon’s paradox are off, and why leaders need to think beyond individual tasks to understand how entire systems and workflows are being redesigned.

Finally, also discusses the changing relationship between humans and AI, the risks of knowledge work becoming commoditized, and why organizations need to focus on where value is moving rather than simply what AI can automate.

Links

• Sangeet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangeetpaul/
• Sangeet's Substack: https://platforms.substack.com

Yolanda Seals-Coffield is Chief People & Inclusion Officer at PwC US. In this episode, Yolanda discusses how one of the world's largest professional services firms is preparing its workforce for the age of AI. During this conversation, Yolanda shares PwC's approach to AI upskilling, why human skills are becoming an even greater competitive advantage, and how the firm is reimagining apprenticeship and early career development.

They also explore the importance of culture, continuous learning, and equipping employees with the technical, AI, and human capabilities needed to thrive in a rapidly changing workplace.

Links

• Yolanda’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-seals-coffield/

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea reflects on the biggest leadership challenges emerging from his conversations with executives and organizations this year. From the unintended consequences of AI mandates to organizational whiplash, leading without certainty, and navigating growing workforce anxiety, Al unpacks the patterns shaping today's workplace. He introduces the idea of the "liminal space," the period between outdated ways of working and a future that has yet to fully take shape, and explains why leaders must resist waiting for clarity and instead create it through action.

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Author of Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). In this episode, Tomas challenges the conventional wisdom that authenticity is always a virtue, especially in leadership. He explains why showing up as your “whole self” can backfire, and why striving to bring your best self is a more powerful approach. Along the way, Tomas connects these ideas to his broader research on technology, AI, and the future of work.

Links

• Website: https://www.drtomas.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtomaschamorro/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-Yourself-Authenticity-Overrated/dp/1647829836
• HBR Article: https://hbr.org/2025/07/why-leaders-should-bring-their-best-self-not-their-whole-self-to-work

Note: This is a replay of a live webinar on the topic of how to lead change.

Leading change has never been more complex. In this episode, Al Dea explores why today's workplace demands a new approach to change leadership and shares practical strategies for helping people navigate uncertainty. Learn why transformation efforts often stall, how to avoid common leadership pitfalls, and what it takes to build commitment, resilience, and momentum across your team. From balancing competing priorities to leading with clarity when the future is uncertain, this conversation offers actionable insights for leaders navigating organizational change, AI transformation, and the evolving world of work.

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

Greg Satell is the Author of Cascades: How to Create a Movement That Drives Transformational Change. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Greg joins Al Dea to explore why most organizational change efforts fail and how leaders can spark lasting transformation. Drawing from his front-row experience during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and 15 years of research, Greg shares the power of “small groups, loosely connected, united by a shared purpose” to drive cultural and behavioral change. He explains why top-down, big-bang launches often trigger resistance, how to find early adopters, and the keys to creating the right conditions for change to spread.

Links

• Website: https://gregsatell.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsatell/
• Book: https://gregsatell.com/cascades/

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

Greg Shove is the CEO of Section AI, a company helping enterprises and teams become truly AI-enabled. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Greg shares his journey of pivoting Section from an online business school to an AI-powered transformation partner. He discusses why most companies are struggling to adopt AI, the mistakes leaders make when rolling it out, and why the challenge is less about technology and more about change management. Greg also explains how AI is reshaping knowledge work, what employees and leaders need to do to stay relevant, and why the future of learning will look more like personalized coaching than traditional training.

Links

• Newsletter: https://personalmath.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshove/
• Website: https://www.sectionai.com/

David Chestnut is a Principal Director of Human+AI Talent Strategy. In this episode, David joins Al to explore how AI is changing the relationship between human expertise, effort, and work itself. Drawing on his experience helping organizations adopt AI, David explains why AI is not a technology adoption challenge but a human capability challenge. During this conversation, David shares insights on developing judgment, expertise, and critical thinking in an era where outputs are increasingly easy to generate, and discusses the implications for early-career talent, learning and development, and organizational design.

David also explores why authenticity, trust, and uniquely human perspectives may become even more valuable as AI-generated content becomes more widespread.

Links

• David’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidchestnut/
• David’s Medium Page: https://medium.com/@chestnut.david

Robin Barbacane is the Head of Talent Development and Workforce Transformation at Rackspace. In this episode, Robin joins The Edge of Work to discuss what it takes to move beyond AI experimentation and drive enterprise-wide workforce transformation. She shares how Rackspace has approached becoming an AI-first organization, including the development of AI-powered solutions, employee-led innovation programs, and new operating models designed to embed AI into everyday work.

During the conversation, Robin also explains why successful AI adoption is fundamentally a change management challenge, how HR can play a more strategic role in transformation, and why organizations should focus on developing new ways of thinking and working rather than simply deploying new tools.

Links

• Robin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinbarbacane/

Kelly Monahan is an Author, Speaker and Researcher. She is the Co-Founder of Beyond The Desk, where she researches the intersection of AI, leadership, and the future of work. In this episode, Kelly shares her perspective on how organizations are navigating the growing gap between AI investment and measurable business value.

She shares insights from her work with executives and boards, including why many organizations lack a clear AI strategy, how leadership behaviors influence adoption, and what it will take to unlock value beyond individual productivity gains. Kelly also explores the changing nature of careers, the challenges facing early-career talent, and why organizations may need to rethink leadership and even the purpose of business as AI continues to reshape work.

Links

• Kelly’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-monahan-ph-d-18879413/
• Beyond the Desk: https://www.beyondthedesk.com/