- 21 Apr 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Architect Stefan Behnisch on designing for a changing workforce
Many architects are looking for work these days but the profession as a whole is influencing the future of work writ large. Architecture is shaped by the tension between the creative process and the more rigid, risk-averse business of building—a business that’s been hit hard by the pandemic. At the same time, architects are playing a key role in redefining work- and living spaces for the new normal. Stefan Behnisch, whose firm Behnisch Architekten designed Harvard’s vast new science and engineering complex, deconstructs the design and construction workforce, the future of the office, and the post-Covid city.
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- 20 Apr 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
What Went Wrong with the Boeing 737 Max?
How did the evolution of Boeing’s organization and management lead up to two tragic plane crashes—the crash of Lion Air flight 610 on October 29, 2018, in Indonesia, and the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 on March 9, 2019, in Ethiopia—in which a total of 346 people died? What role did cost cutting, FAA pressure, and CEO succession play in laying the foundation for this tragedy? Professor Bill George discusses the long roots that ultimately led to two tragic Boeing 737 Max crashes, and examines the response of Boeing executives to the crisis in his case, “What Went Wrong with Boeing's 737 Max?” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Apr 2021
- Climate Rising
Innovation in Materials for a Better Climate: Matt Scullin, MycoWorks
Matthew Scullin, CEO of MycoWorks, is attempting to reduce the carbon impact of the fashion industry by producing leather made from mushrooms as an alternative to leather made from cow hides or plastic. His product is called Reishi, and unlike conventional leathers it produces very little greenhouse gases. And because it’s grown in a laboratory to precise product specifications, it produces far less waste as well.
- 08 Apr 2021
- Climate Rising
Bringing Scale Capital to Climate Game-Changers: David Crane, Climate Real Impact Solutions SPAC
David Crane tried to lead the NRG utility to transition from fossil fuel energy sources, but was ousted in 2015. He shares his lessons learned, reflects on what’s changed since then, and describes his newest venture raising funds for a climate-tech SPAC.
- 08 Apr 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Social Finance: trainers make the grade when students get good jobs
Social Finance has deftly aligned incentives around skills training. By pooling public and private resources and making job placement a shared goal, the nonprofit is providing proof of concept that could scale to address workforce development needs nationwide. Co-founder and CEO Tracy Palandjian explains career impact bonds and social impact bonds.
- 06 Apr 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Disrupting the Waste Industry with Technology
Rubicon began with a bold idea: create a cloud-based, full-service waste management platform, providing efficient service anywhere in the US. Their mobile app did for waste management what Uber had done for taxi service. Five years after the case’s publication, Harvard Business School Associate Professor Shai Bernstein and Rubicon founder and CEO Nate Morris discuss how the software startup leveraged technology to disrupt the waste industry and other enduring lessons of professor Bill Sahlman’s case about Rubicon. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Apr 2021
- Climate Rising
Investing in No-Sacrifice Models for Climate: Nancy Pfund, DBL Partners
Nancy Pfund is founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, one of the first and largest impact investing venture capital firms in the world. DBL seeks to achieve “Double Bottom Line” results for its investors: top tier financial returns as well as meaningful social and environmental impact. It currently holds over $400 million in assets under management. Through her early stage investments in Tesla and support for companies in sectors from fashion to agriculture, Nancy has shaped the field of impact investing and demonstrated the power of venture capital to address climate change. In this episode, she describes the how she identifies double-bottom-line opportunities and some of the companies she's excited to be investing in now.
- 24 Mar 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Spotify’s talent play: distributed, flexible, and diverse
Going into the pandemic, Spotify was well positioned for the increase in demand for streaming music and podcasts. To accommodate the surge and expand its podcast presence, the 15-year-old Swedish company with offices in more than 70 countries increased its staff by a third in 2020. How do you manage such rapid growth in the midst of a pandemic, and what does the post-Covid workplace look like? What does it mean to be a purpose-driven, diverse, and inclusive firm? CHRO Katarina Berg explains.
- 23 Mar 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Managing Future Growth at an Innovative Workforce Education Startup
Guild Education is an education marketplace that connects employers and universities to provide employees with “education as a benefit.” Now CEO and co-founder Rachel Carlson must decide how to manage the company’s future growth. Professor Bill Sahlman discusses this unique startup and Carlson’s plans for its growth in his case, “Guild Education: Unlocking Opportunity for America's Workforce.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Mar 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Can AI and analytics deliver efficient, equitable skills markets?
As employers and job seekers cope with pandemic-induced disruption and uncertainty, the role of intermediary is more crucial than ever. Job platform CareerBuilder, with its two-sided skills market, looks to smooth the employment process and increase diversity. CEO Irina Novoselsky discusses the shift to skills-based hiring, demographic changes in the workforce, the benefits of well-informed AI, and how Covid and the gig economy are leading employers to make fulltime positions more flexible.
- 09 Mar 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession
In 2000, Rohit Gera turned his family’s boutique real estate development firm in Pune, India, into a dynamic innovator in housing solutions for urban Indian families. Today Gera Developments stands at a crossroads, with Gera planning the end of his managerial career. How should the family think about scaling the business? And, should the company seek a successor to lead those efforts from inside or outside the family? Senior Lecturer Christina Wing and case protagonist Rohit Gera discuss the family business and the crucial decisions it faces in the case, “Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Mar 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Can Historic Social Injustices be Addressed Through Reparations?
Survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and their descendants believe historic social injustices should be addressed through reparations. Professor Mihir Desai discusses the arguments for and against reparations in response to the Tulsa Massacre and, more broadly, to the effects of slavery and racist government policies in the US in his case, “The Tulsa Massacre and the Call for Reparations.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Feb 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Factoring high-skills freelancers into the enterprise equation
Digital platforms for highly skilled freelancers are set to broker more strategic engagements for businesses needing extra capacity and flexibility. HBS and Managing the Future of Work’s Joe Fuller and Boston Consulting Group’s Allison Bailey, co-authors of the report Building the On-Demand Workforce, join Bill Kerr. How can employers adapt their approach to talent and align management incentives to benefit from this trend? What are the implications for workers and what choices are policymakers weighing?
- 23 Feb 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Examining Race and Mass Incarceration in the United States
The late 20th century saw dramatic growth in incarceration rates in the United States. Of the more than 2.3 million people in US prisons, jails, and detention centers in 2020, 60 percent were Black or Latinx. Harvard Business School assistant professor Reshmaan Hussam probes the assumptions underlying the current prison system, with its huge racial disparities, and considers what could be done to address the crisis of the American criminal justice system in her case, “Race and Mass Incarceration in the United States.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Feb 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
The value of knowing what you’re about: HR, diversity, and work-life balance
Self-awareness can be a strategic asset for businesses and individuals alike, says Edith Cooper. The former Goldman Sachs partner reflects on the evolution of the employer-employee relationship, the benefits of cultivating diversity and individuality, and how a new generation of professionals looks for work-life balance and community amid social upheaval and economic change.
- 16 Feb 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Fostering Authenticity and Employee Engagement at John Deere
As the first Black female factory manager to lead a John Deere plant, Rosalind Fox must figure out how to build relationships with her staff, who are mostly white men. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Tony Mayo discusses the pressure on Fox to assimilate into the dominant culture, her decision to lean into her authentic self, and the deep connection between employee engagement and authenticity in his case, “Rosalind Fox at John Deere.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Feb 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
Parsing 5G’s potential for work and learning
As the realities of 5G wireless networking and the Internet of Things catch up to the hype, the effects are expected to be sweeping, from smart infrastructure to enhanced education and training and new business models. Mo Katibeh, AT&T’s Chief Product and Platform Officer, helps break down implications for jobs, skills, and the future of work.
- 09 Feb 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Developing Resilience on the Path to Becoming a CEO
As a Black female CEO, Shellye Archambeau is no stranger to adversity. Now she faces her most critical leadership decision. The software company she leads, MetricStream, is losing customers, hemorrhaging cash, and struggling to make payroll. Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses Archambeau’s leadership style and the importance of developing resilience, particularly when managing through a crisis, in her case, “Shellye Archambeau: Becoming a CEO.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Feb 2021
- Managing the Future of Work
MIT’s David Autor on engineering more equitable growth
MIT labor economist David Autor, co-chair of the Institute’s Task Force on the Work of the Future, discusses the initiative’s report, “The Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines.” Describing the report as both optimistic and cautionary, Autor makes the case that the US needs to reinvest in innovation while supporting a more sustainable workforce transformation that broadens opportunity and narrows inequality.
- 02 Feb 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Using Empathy and Curiosity to Overcome Differences
Bill Riddick, an African-American community leader and counselor, must find a way to bridge the divide between Black and white community leaders, who are on opposing sides of school integration in Durham, North Carolina, in 1971. Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino and Jeffrey Huizinga explain how empathy and curiosity can foster understanding in divisive situations in their case, “Bill Riddick and the Durham S.O.S. Charrette.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Architect Stefan Behnisch on designing for a changing workforce
Many architects are looking for work these days but the profession as a whole is influencing the future of work writ large. Architecture is shaped by the tension between the creative process and the more rigid, risk-averse business of building—a business that’s been hit hard by the pandemic. At the same time, architects are playing a key role in redefining work- and living spaces for the new normal. Stefan Behnisch, whose firm Behnisch Architekten designed Harvard’s vast new science and engineering complex, deconstructs the design and construction workforce, the future of the office, and the post-Covid city.