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Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

By: Stacia Garr & Dani Johnson
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About this listen

 At RedThread, we love data—but we know stories are what stick. That’s why we bring together thinkers, writers, leaders, and practitioners to share real-world insights about what works in the workplace, what they’ve learned, and where the future of work is headed. We keep it insightful, thought-provoking, and maybe even a little irreverent.

But we don’t stop at conversations. Our research, events, and community turn insights into action, helping organizations and individuals navigate the changing world of work.

Want to be part of the conversation? Join our community for free and connect with others shaping the future of work.

Learn more about RedThread Research here: https://redthreadresearch.com/homeRedThread Research 2024 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Stop Guessing: How J&J Gets Precise About Skills w/ Bas Debbink

    Stop Guessing: How J&J Gets Precise About Skills w/ Bas Debbink
    Jun 11 2025
    Most organizations claim to care about employee development, but upon closer examination, their approach to skills is often vague, subjective, or downright confusing. They might assume people will simply "figure it out" on the job or resort to one-size-fits-all training. If you've ever wondered why your learning investments don’t seem to translate into impact, it might be because you’re still guessing when it comes to skills.

    Today, you’ll hear how Johnson & Johnson’s tech organization stopped playing the guessing game. With clear processes to identify, assess, and verify skills, both digital and power skills, they’re not just hoping development happens; they’re engineering it. You'll learn how they use both talent leader insight and AI-driven inference to build a skills-based ecosystem that actually works, without overwhelming employees or managers.

    By the end of the conversation, it’s clear this isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about building a practical, scalable system that aligns employee growth with business needs and helps people know, with confidence, exactly what’s next in their development journey.

    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

    • (00:00) Intro.
    • (02:32) Bas’s career path and transition into L&D.
    • (05:08) Structure and priorities of J&J’s tech learning organization.
    • (09:00) How J&J defines, identifies, and verifies critical skills.
    • (17:34) Messaging, buy-in, and the cultural side of skill building.
    • (23:47) How AI and tech are reshaping development and learning systems.

    Resources & People Mentioned

    • https://fortune.com
    • https://degreed.com

    Connect with Bas Debbink

    • Connect with Bas Debbink on LinkedIn

    Connect With Red Thread Research

    • Website: Red Thread Research
    • On LinkedIn
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter

    Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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    37 mins
  • Leadership as a System, Not a Trait, with Cher Murphy

    Leadership as a System, Not a Trait, with Cher Murphy
    Jun 4 2025
    In this episode of Workplace Stories, Dani Johnson talks with Cher Murphy, Partner, Head of People+Talent Practice at ON Partner, founder of The Murphy Advisory, and faculty member at Pepperdine and the University of Michigan. Drawing from her deep experience in executive coaching and leadership development, Cher shares how leadership is evolving in response to rapid technological, political, and organizational change. She emphasizes that while AI and data can enhance decision-making, human traits like discernment, empathy, and the ability to communicate clearly remain irreplaceable. Leaders today must move from a mindset of control to one of clarity, especially as strategic planning windows shorten and collaboration across functions becomes essential.

    Cher also reflects on the erosion of trust in organizations and how leaders can rebuild it through transparency, consistency, and shared logic. She introduces the concept of leadership as a system—not just a set of traits—which, when embedded across all levels of an organization, can outlast any one individual. The conversation touches on the future of leadership development, the convergence of people functions, and how leaders can balance data and intuition to make better decisions. Ultimately, Cher makes a compelling case that strong leadership is still—at its core—a deeply human endeavor.
    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
    • (00:00) — Intro & Cher’s background
    • (04:00) — Leadership mindsets, speed, and trust
    • (12:00) — Rebuilding trust & communication challenges
    • (20:00) — Structural shifts and cross-functional collaboration
    • (26:00) — AI’s role, human skills, and decision-making
    • (32:00) — Universal leadership traits & leadership as a system
    • (39:00) — Succession, culture fit, and final reflections on meaning


    Resources & People Mentioned

    • https://www.onpartners.com
    • https://www.jeffwetzler.com

    Connect with Cher Murphy

    • Connect with Cher Murphy on LinkedIn


    Connect With Red Thread Research

    • Website: Red Thread Research
    • On LinkedIn
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter

    Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Why Your Strategic Plan Might Be Trapping You, with Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers

    Why Your Strategic Plan Might Be Trapping You, with Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers
    May 20 2025
    Most leadership development still clings to certainty, quarterly goals, strategic plans, official futures etched in stone. But what if that mindset isn’t just outdated, it’s dangerous? In this episode, Dani Johnson and Stacia Garr sit down with futurists and experience designers Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeff Rogers, two minds helping rewire how leaders think about the future, not as a distant unknown, but as a daily design challenge. What unfolds is a conversation that’s as practical as it is provocative, revealing how our obsession with predictability might be blinding us to the signals we most need to see.

    For learning leaders, especially those in HR and people analytics, this episode offers a wake-up call. Future thinking isn’t a luxury or a moonshot exercise. It’s a leadership muscle, and the longer it goes untrained, the more fragile our organizations become. Lisa and Jeff unpack what it really means to design for the future, not just in abstract vision decks, but in how we design meetings, questions, experiences, and even relationships. Their approach is grounded in curiosity, humility, and a radical shift from answers to inquiry.

    By the end, listeners don’t just understand why futures thinking matters, they feel invited to do something about it. The conversation offers not just hope, but tools: from rethinking design as a vehicle for emergence, to spotting and disrupting “official futures” inside their own organizations. Whether you’re planning your next L&D initiative or shaping strategy for a shifting workforce, this episode shows you how to lead with intention, not from the past, but toward what’s possible.

    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
    • (00:00) The overlooked leadership skill hiding in plain sight.
    • (03:30) Meet the minds behind Elevate: Futurists with a purpose.
    • (09:00) From theory to traction: Making futures thinking useful now.
    • (15:00) Design that disrupts: How to spark new thinking in any room.
    • (22:00) The silent trap: How a single “official future” keeps orgs stuck.
    • (30:40) Elevate’s true mission: Courage, connection, and change for learning leaders.

    Resources & People Mentioned
    • https://lisakaysolomon.com
    • https://rdcl.is/

    Connect with Lisa & Jeff
    • Connect with Jeffrey Rogers on LinkedIn
    • Connect with Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn

    Connect With Red Thread Research
    • Website: Red Thread Research
    • On LinkedIn
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter

    Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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    48 mins
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