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What happens to the work a middle manager carried when their role gets eliminated from the org chart? How do you make the most of a move from people leader to individual contributor? How does a team find its footing when a layer of management is stripped out and everyone has to work in a different formation? In this episode of Team Lab, Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell take on the trend of flattening organizations. Companies continue to explore cutting layers of management for reasons that sound familiar: cost, speed, and AI. We skip the debate over why, and focus on what comes after the announcement: The middle layer served as the translator between strategy and the people doing the work. And when these roles disappear, how can we reimagine how an organization moves forward with more clarity? They look at the situation as a system through four personas: the leader who moves from leading people to individual contributor, the team around them, the leader left with a broader span of control, and the leader who made the decision. Along the way, they cover why people need time to grieve and let go, how to recommission a team with a team charter, how to rebuild decision rights when the middle layer is gone, and why every decision needs an “empty chair” for the stakeholders no one has thought about yet. You’ll leave with a set of questions to bring to your team on Monday morning, plus ideas for the 1% change that any person in the system can make. Actionable Takeaways Make time to let go. People change at human speed. Name what is ending before asking anyone to embrace what comes next. Recommission your team. After a restructure, gather your team to answer five questions: Are we a team, and what can we do together that we cannot do alone? What is our purpose now? What are our shared goals? Who decides what? How do we treat each other when the pressure is on? Host the conversation. Run the charter session as a generative brainstorm and agreement session with your team rather than writing your own version for them. Set rules of engagement with green and red cards. Draw a line down a flip chart and list the behaviors that work and the behaviors to avoid when deadlines and stress hit. Build a team canvas. Capture named decision owners using RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) and have everyone contribute so every voice is in the room. Use peer accountability. Decisions the team agrees on together tend to follow through better than assignments handed down from leadership. Replace the middle layer’s role with creative formats. In a flatter organization, involve enough people in recommissioning meetings that everyone can say, “I helped build this.” Pull up an empty chair. Before making and communicating a decision, consider the ripple effect on other teams, customers, and future generations of customers. Start a community of practice. Gather a small group of supportive colleagues who see the benefit of the change and let them help lead it. Choose your 1% change. Step back, look at the whole web of relationships in the organization, and bring people together to reimagine the purpose of the team and/or the larger organization. Resources & Links Learn more about Team Chartering with Distinctive Teams Related episode: Team Lab conversation with Jack Swift on leadership in the era of AI Mentioned: Bayer’s reduction of its manager ranks to speed up decision making Mentioned: Amy Edmondson’s work on peer accountability in decision making Book a discovery call with Distinctive Teams About Team Lab Team Lab explores the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work. Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, this podcast brings you inspiring stories and insights to help you build trust, foster alignment, and unlock creativity in your teams. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe/follow to never miss an episode!

What if the friction on your team has nothing to do with personalities? What's the real difference between a team full of talented people and a team with genuine collective intelligence? How does a leader coach a team when they're also carrying a full individual workload? In this episode of Team Lab, Angela puts Cori Caldwell in the guest seat to explore the leader as team coach. Cori brings her experience as a former people leader, individual and team coach to the middle managers who sit inside highly matrixed tech organizations, absorbing ambiguity from every direction while keeping their teams moving. Most leaders learn to coach one person at a time — schedule the 1-on-1, develop the individual, and support them in meeting their goals, repeat. That model breaks down the moment a leader realizes that there’s a bigger impact to be had once they can tap into the collective intelligence of not only their team, but that of their stakeholders across the organization.  In this solo episode, Angela and Cori unpack what it actually means to coach a team who are a critical part of a larger system, not simply a collection of individuals. They cover the shift from an individual to collective intelligence, why a clash between two people often points to a potentially larger issue in the system, the reality of coaching while still carrying a full project load, and the clear signals that tell a leader it's time to bring in outside support. You’ll leave with a few simple practices you can implement with your team this week. Key Takeaways Look at the system around the individuals. Recurring problems such as duplicated work, exclusion from strategic meetings, and finger pointing point to how the work is connected across the organization. Coach the relationship. When two people clash, bring in the other team members and ask what the wider system is calling the team to solve collectively. Start outside-in. Learn what stakeholders and partner teams need from you, align on shared KPIs, then bring that clarity to your team so everyone moves in the same direction. Have the hard conversation. Ask the stakeholder who causes your team the most dread, "How can we partner better together?" One conversation can reset the relationship. Check your hub and spoke. Look at how communication and decisions flow on your team. Does everything route through you, or do people talk to each other to decide? Build short reflection habits. Run a 15-minute after action review at the end of a project or launch, and add a pre-reflection before a big meeting.  Know when to call in an outside coach. Signals include being too close or implicated, a team that does not see you as objective, a pattern that repeats despite your efforts, and a team that keeps falling back on you for every answer. Point your 20% at the highest leverage. With limited bandwidth, focus on purpose, clarity, and the team's relationship with each other and with key stakeholders. Resources Take the Team Doctor assessment (8 questions, mapped to the eight foundations of healthy teams) Center for Creative Leadership stat on new-manager training, via Wharton Executive Education "7 Habits of Healthy Teams" self-check infographic Related episode: Navigating Polarities (on repeating patterns and structural tension) Book a discovery call with Distinctive Teams About Team Lab Team Lab explores the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work. Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, this podcast brings you inspiring stories and insights to help you build trust, foster alignment, and unlock creativity in your teams.Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe/follow to never miss an episode!

How do you identify the one belief that's blocking a team's results? Why do departments typically compete instead of collaborate, and what breaks the pattern? Dr. Jessica Kriegel joins Team Lab to unpack these questions and we dig into the central paradox of her book Surrender to Lead: that letting go of control is what actually produces it. She explains how the very human pattern of controlling outcomes to avoid discomfort shows up in how leaders manage their teams. She also covers the steps to dissolving the department rivalry (SILOS!) that shows up in nearly every organization.  Our conversation moves through her SHIFT model for decision-making and a live walkthrough of how beliefs (not actions) are the real lever leaders can pull. Jessica shares that a leader's REAL JOB is designing the experiences that move a team toward the belief that drives the result. Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a change activation expert at Culture Partners and the #1 USA Today best-selling author of Surrender to Lead, co-written with Culture Partners CEO Joe Terry. Her previous book, Unfairly Labeled, challenged the conventional wisdom on generational stereotypes in the workplace.  A regular contributor to CNN, CNBC, and Fox Business, Kriegel researches how leaders can trade command-and-control management for results that actually last. She also publishes This Week in Culture on LinkedIn and co-hosts The CEO Daily Brief, a five-minute daily podcast briefing executives on what they need to know. Resources & Links Books: Surrender to Lead | Unfairly Labeled Culture Partners — culturepartners.com Jessica Kriegel — jessicakriegel.com This Week in Culture newsletter — LinkedIn The CEO Daily Brief podcast

What if the biggest risk to your organization is an under-architected relationship? How do you know if a promising hire will create productive friction or destructive friction? And what does it actually take to be the person in the room who tells a leader the truth they don't want to hear? In this episode of TeamLab, we sit down with Rachael Goldfarb and Suzi Coul, co-founders of The Coul & Gold Group, to unpack the concept of organizational "architecture" — the underlying operating styles and relational dynamics that most companies never diagnose until something breaks. Rachael and Suzi bring decades of experience advising heads of state, White House officials, and corporate leaders, and they've built two diagnostic tools: the Leadership Operating Profile and the Chief of Staff Readiness Assessment to expose gaps in what standard interview questions might miss. We dig into their "fit and friction" framework, why hiring is fundamentally a relationship decision rather than a person decision, the nine functions that define a real chief of staff role, and why the chief of staff seat may be one of the most important (and most misunderstood) roles in the modern organization. --- Big Questions We Explore - What does it mean to say an organization is "under-architected"? - Why is friction between two people not automatically a bad sign? - How can leaders get the benefits of "fit and friction" data without waiting for something to go wrong first? - Is there a specific "wiring" that makes someone built for high-stakes, high-trust roles like chief of staff? - Why is the chief of staff best positioned when they’re sitting below the CEO but above the rest of the C-suite? - What early warning signs tell a chief of staff they've started drinking the Kool-Aid? - Why does the chief of staff role skew so heavily female, and is that starting to change? --- Actionable Takeaways - Hire for the relationship, not just the person. Every new hire brings their own operating style and relational dynamics into the existing system, so it’s imperative to evaluate the potential fit, not just the resume. - Use data to navigate friction, not avoid it. Knowing how a colleague communicates under pressure won't eliminate friction, but it helps you recognize it for what it is instead of taking it personally. - Set a "how to disagree" agreement early. Ask directly: how does this person want to be challenged — publicly, privately, in writing? Establishing this early prevents bigger blowups later. - Watch for the "removing the names" test. When making a decision about people, try stripping out names and personalities and ask what the organization actually needs first — then map people onto it. - Protect the rollout. How a chief of staff (or any critical new hire!) is introduced to the team can make or break the role's effectiveness. Position the announcement for success the first time. --- About Our Guests Rachael Goldfarb and Suzi Coul are the co-founders of The Coul & Gold Group, where they advise senior leaders, executive teams, and chiefs of staff across government, corporate, and startup environments. Rachael brings experience from the White House and the Clinton administration; Suzi has advised heads of state and Parliament. Together they developed the Leadership Operating Profile and the "fit and friction" assessment, along with the Chief of Staff Readiness Assessment — diagnostic tools designed to surface the relational dynamics and blind spots that traditional hiring and org design overlook. They also publish a biweekly briefing on leadership and organizational dynamics. --- Resources - Connect with Rachael Goldfarb and Suzi Coul: [coulandgold.com](https://coulandgold.com) - Chief of Staff framework (nine functions): coulandgold.com/cos-framework - Subscribe to their biweekly briefing at coulandgold.com - Contact: [email protected] -- Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe/follow to never miss an episode!

How do global teams maintain trust and connection when geopolitical shifts shake the ground beneath their feet? What does it take to lead across cultures, borders, and varying levels of technological access without relying on outdated hierarchies? How can leaders move from standard mentorship to active sponsorship that opens real doors for the next generation? In this episode of Team Lab we sit down with Jillian Foster, founder and lead researcher at Global Insight. With over 20 years of experience navigating global research projects and geopolitical complexity, Jillian brings a grounded perspective on what it means to lead international teams with empathy, sensitivity, and structural resilience. Join us for an insightful discussion on navigating cross-border tensions, why instituting durable organizational change takes a key tipping point of collaborators, and how human connection remains the ultimate anchor in a high-tech world. About Jillian J. Foster Jillian is a Gender, Peace & Security expert and doctoral researcher in Political Science at Yale University. With over a decade of experience spanning data science, political violence research, and mixed-methods fieldwork across 12 countries, Jillian sits at the intersection of rigorous academic inquiry and practical global strategy. She is the founder and principal investigator of Global Insight, an international consultancy specializing in empirical, gender-sensitive research in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Moving from measuring what happens to supporting leaders understand what the data means—and what they should do because of it. Jillian is also a Chief Member Advisory Council, a Fractional COO Connect with Jillian: LinkedIn Explore Jillian's advisory work: JillianJFoster.com Learn more about Global Insight: G-Insight.org Network & Executive Community: Chief Resources Recommended Reading: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi About Team Lab Team Lab explores the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work. Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, this podcast brings you inspiring stories and insights to help you build trust, foster alignment, and unlock creativity in your teams. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to never miss an episode!

When the pace of change feels multi-directional and unpredictable, how do leaders cultivate internal clarity before stepping into the room? And when legacy control models fall short, how can leaders create the systemic coherence needed for human-and-machine teams to thrive? In this episode, Jack Swift, author of Level 7 Leadership: The Blueprint for the Human + Machine Era, joins Angela and Cori to unpack the necessary shift from central control to organizational coherence. Jack shares how individual clarity ripple-effects across teams, why radical truth and trust are non-negotiable advantages in an AI world, and how leaders can move from intellectual knowing to somatic sensing when navigating high ambiguity. Big questions we tackle What happens to the human in the age of AI? Jack explains why machines excel at precision, scale, and speed, leaving humans to focus on their distinct superpowers: imagination, broad-scale creativity, adaptability, and performance under pressure. What is the difference between clarity and coherence? How individual internal clarity creates an anchor point that brings entire teams into alignment through "rhythmic entrainment". Why are "I don't know" and "I made a mistake" leadership advantages? How aligning with truth builds psychological safety, accelerates trust, and speeds up learning loops when collaborating. How do leaders move from thinking to sensing? Why linear planning is too slow for exponential change, and how somatic sensing—drawing on practices from nature, elite sports, and special operations—helps leaders navigate ambiguity. How do you shift from Ego to Eco? Why letting go of rigid identities and title attachments allows leaders to hold outcomes lightly and foster authentic innovation. What you can do right now Start with individual clarity. Check in with your own operating system before entering a meeting; your grounded coherence sets the tone for the entire room.Distill objectives down. When faced with ambiguity, shrink the team size, shorten the timeline, and focus on getting clear on the what, allowing the how to emerge organically.Say "I don't know" or "I made a mistake." Use radical truth to remove shame and cultivate the psychological safety needed for rapid experimentation.Practice a "murmuration walk." Take a 10-minute walk side-by-side with team members without speaking to practice non-verbal, somatic synchronization.Hold outcomes lightly. Shift from a framework of "winning vs. losing" to "winning vs. learning," viewing mistakes simply as data feedback. About Jack Jack Swift is a founder, CEO, board member, leadership advisor, and author. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a former U.S. Airborne Ranger, Jack has held executive roles across asset management and tech, including helping grow Janus Henderson, co-founding Pacific Current Group, serving as CEO of TIFIN, and leading Liminal Collective. He currently serves on corporate boards, advises high-growth technology companies, and guides executive teams navigating the shift into the human + machine era. Website: jackcswift.com Level 7 Leadership Platform & Agent: L7leadership.com Sangha Community: sangha.one Additional Resources Book: Level 7 Leadership: The Blueprint for the Human + Machine Era by Jack SwiftBook: Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek About Team Lab Team Lab explores the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work. Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, this podcast brings you inspiring stories and insights to help you build trust, foster alignment, and unlock creativity in your teams. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe/follow here to never miss an episode!

What if the "either/or" problems you are trying to solve in your organization cannot be fixed? It may be because they aren't problems to be solved after all, but polarities to be managed and navigated! The Big Questions We Tackle: What is a polarity, anyway? Angela explains the difference between a technical problem (which has a right/wrong answer) and a polarity—two interdependent poles in opposition that both need to be integrated. How do teams get stuck in pendulum swings? Learn why organizations continuously bounce back and forth between extremes (like rushing decisions vs. over-analyzing) and how unaddressed fears drive vicious cycles. What is the "Third Way"? Discover how to move past mere compromises and use a Greater Purpose Statement (GPS) to map values and downsides on both sides of a polarity. How do we navigate acquisitions and cultural friction? Angela shares real-world insights from her time at IBM on how acquired companies and leadership teams can blend legacy values with corporate evolution without losing their identity. What You Can Do Right Now: Spot the polarity. Recognize when an ongoing team struggle is actually an interdependent tension rather than a simple right-or-wrong decision. Map the four quadrants. Bring your team together to openly map the upsides (values) and downsides (fears) of both poles to build alignment. Look for early warning signs. Agree upon collective indicators so that when your team begins drifting too far toward one extreme, someone can call it out constructively without finger-pointing. Combine a sharp mind with a soft heart. Balance critical analytical thinking with deeply human perceptions, contextualization, and empathy About Angela Angela Migliaccio is a certified systemic team coach, consultant, and co-founder of Distinctive Teams. With over two decades of high-performance leadership and individual contributor experience within complex, matrixed technology organizations—including her background in leadership development at IBM—Angela specializes in helping corporate leaders and middle managers navigate persistent organizational tensions, decision-making bottlenecks, and systemic team dynamics. As an expert in polarity management, somatic awareness, and adaptive leadership frameworks, she guides teams away from destructive "either/or" thinking toward collaborative "third-way" solutions. More Resources Get the Polarity Map referenced in this episode Barry Johnson's work on polarity thinking Website: Distinctive Teams Connect with Angela & Cori Website: Distinctive Teams

In this solo session, Cori and Angela dive into the "new normal" of leadership—where project plans and deadlines often collide with emotional distractions and global crises. They explore how the Efficiency Paradox can seep into all areas of teamwork and leadership decisions, often increasing individual productivity but inadvertently eroding team trust. Plus, the rise of the "Octopus Organization" model, a peek into the reality of why most leadership offsites fail to create lasting change, and a roundup of super action Monday morning actions to help move your team from "spinning in circles" to "creating a ripple effect". Key Takeaways Acknowledge the Elephant: Leadership starts with recognizing the person before the role. Use low-stakes "check-ins"—like picking a color or a "rubber duck"—to gauge how teammates are arriving without hijacking the entire meeting. The AI Trust Test: Why AI integration mandates and workstreams aren't necessarily breaking trust; they're essentially testing it. The Octopus Organization: Modern companies should mimic the octopus: highly adaptable, curious, and possessing "intelligence in the arms" (departments) that can move independently yet stay synchronized toward a common goal. The "Dishwasher" Problem: Offsites are often the corporate version of a "marriage-saving vacation". Real change doesn't happen at a resort; it happens when teams are coached in the flow of their daily challenges. Resources Your Monday Morning Checklist Designed to help you transition from "business as usual" to a more human-centered, high-performing team dynamic. 1. Conduct a Structured "Arrival" Check-in Before jumping into project updates, acknowledge the human beings behind the roles. The Question: Ask every team member, "How are you arriving today?" The Constraint: Limit responses to one or two minutes per person to respect the meeting schedule. The Vibe Check Tool: If the team is hesitant, use a "palette" like colors or "rubber ducks" to help them express their emotional state quickly and safely. The Rule: Respect confidentiality; if someone isn't ready to share details, a simple "I'm a deep blue today" is enough. 2. Convert AI Friction into "Empowered Requests" Use the "efficiency paradox" as a catalyst for trust rather than a source of erosion. Acknowledge Frustration: When a teammate hits a "dead end" with an AI tool, normalize the discomfort instead of ignoring it. Promote Transparency: Dedicate five minutes for teammates to share "successes, lack of success, and dead ends" from the previous week. Reframe Complaints: Turn criticisms into learning moments by asking, "What did we learn from this, and what will we do differently next time?". Build Collective Intelligence: Use these shared insights to ensure no one feels "left behind" by the pace of technology. 3. Audit the Team "Operating System" Recognize when your team's "wheels are wobbly" and prioritize "going slow to go fast". Focus on Outcomes: Re-center the conversation on the actual value the team creates to support the end goal, rather than enforcing rigid hierarchies or "the way we've always done it". The "Thought Jar" Exercise: If you sense unresolved friction, have everyone anonymously write down what is getting in the way of their work. Review and Address: Read these items aloud and have the team collectively acknowledge and address them to clear the air. Synchronize the "Arms": Ensure every team member (or "arm" of your octopus) has the agency to move independently while staying connected to the ultimate goal. Connect with US! Submit an anonymous sticky team dynamic story you'd like to hear unpacked on a future episode. Angela Migliaccio - Follow & Connect on LinkedIn Cori Caldwell - Follow & Connect on LinkedIn

What if the antidote to Sunday Scaries isn't a better job — but a more soulful team? In this episode, we welcome back Jardena London for a deeper dive into what it actually looks like when soul is present in an organization. Jardena is a business transformation and agile consultant, author of Cultivating Transformations: A Leader's Guide to the Soulful and the Practical, and a member of the Org Design Forum conference committee. In this episode, we get into what it looks like when soul IS present in the workplace — and what leaders can do to cultivate it, even inside complex, change-resistant systems The Big Questions We Tackle: What are the three elements of a soulful workplace? Jardena breaks down dignity, creativity, and connection — and why dignity is the one most leaders are unknowingly undermining every day through common management practices like performance reviews, carrot-and-stick incentives, and poorly handled layoffs. Why does the "hub and spoke" leadership model quietly kill teams? When every conversation flows through the leader, the team stops talking to each other. That's when the leader becomes the bottleneck without ever meaning to. Jardena shares how she coaches leaders to redesign the dynamic so the whole team activates, not just the person whose turn it is to report. How do you make it safe to ask for help, especially in cultures where everyone values 'perfection'? Jardena shares how simply reframing "do you need help?" into "is there an obstacle I can knock down for you?" can break through cultural resistance and unlock the kind of cross-functional collaboration that actually moves the needle. What's the real cost of blunt-instrument decision-making? Whether it's layoffs, restructuring, or budget cuts, Jardena makes the case that leaders have more precision tools available than they're using, and that imprecise decisions don't just hurt people, they quietly destroy the business case for moving forward. Resources in this episode: 📘 Cultivating Transformations: A Leader's Guide to the Soulful and the Practical by Jardena London — available on Amazon and all major booksellers 🗓️ Org Design Forum Annual Conference — Pittsburgh, April 28–30 | Theme: Transforming in Motion: Designing for Continuous Change 🔗 Find Jardena on LinkedIn, Substack, JardenaLondon.com, or RosettaAgile.com

What if the biggest hurdle to your team's AI adoption isn't the technology at all, but what it reveals about the cracks in your human workflows? In this episode, we sit down with Yadin Porter De León, a marketing leader at Salesforce and co-host of The AI Edge for Enterprise Marketing podcast. He established one of the industry's first Global Marketing AI Councils to drive generative AI adoption and efficiency across organizational workflows. Yadin is a voice of reason in the "madness" of the current AI wave, moving past the hype to discuss how AI impacts team culture, the necessity of documented processes, and why cracking the code on the "human relational layer" remains the holy grail of business. Big Themes We Tackle: The Importance of Explicit Communication When introducing new tools, it's crucial to be explicit about expectations. For instance, if you're implementing a tool promising to reduce workload, clarify whether you expect increased productivity or simply a more efficient workflow. This clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and fosters an environment of trust. Managing Uncertainty with AI Yadin points out that the most disruptive element of AI is not the technology itself, but the uncertainty it introduces into teams and decision-making processes. The Impact of AI on Leadership and Culture As AI technologies become more integrated into business processes, the role of leadership evolves. Leaders are no longer just decision-makers; they must also be cultural architects who guide their teams through uncertainty. The Relational Layer: As we tinker with job roles and AI workflows, Yadin asks the critical question: Who is looking after the relational layer? We dive into why trust remains the "holy grail" of business At its core, this conversation is about the "critical core"—the idea that AI is a tool to collapse the boring tasks so that humans can double down on what actually matters: empathy, creativity, and connection. Connect with Yadin LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/porterdeleon Podcast: The AI Edge for Enterprise Marketing

What if the secret to a high-trust, highly collaborative, results-driven corporate team is hidden in the drills of a Division I basketball practice? And what if the key to resilience isn't just "bouncing back" to where you were, but "bouncing forward" into something better? In this episode, we sit down with Angela Lewis, a former professional basketball player and coach turned corporate leadership advisor and author. Angela brings the intensity and discipline of the court into the workplace, helping teams understand how to leverage their "game-changing assists" to drive growth, harmony and high performance. Big Themes We Tackle: The Culture of Winning: Angela breaks down why honesty in feedback and a shared vision are the bedrock of successful teams. Confidence vs. Competence: Why it's okay (and even healthy) to NOT feel confident in every area of your role. The "Go-For-It Muscle": Practical advice for young women entering leadership. Feedback Loops: What corporate teams can learn from the "micro-doses" of feedback used in sports. The 6V Framework At the heart of Angela's coaching is the 6V Framework, a roadmap for moving teams from a state of struggle to a state of success: Valley: Conducting an honest assessment of how you got to a challenging point. Vision: Defining exactly where you want to go next. Voice: Managing the mindset and communication style of the team. Value: Aligning your daily actions with the ultimate goal. Volunteering: Sharing knowledge and helping teammates grow. Victory: Tracking the "small wins" that build the confidence needed for the big goal. Connect with Angela LinkedIn: Angela R. Lewis Website: angelarlewis.com Book: The Game Changing Assist Upcoming Book! A Ball and A Chance - Children's book releasing in March

In this episode of the Team Lab Podcast, we sit down with Greg Petroff to discuss why traditional hierarchies often hinder work and how leaders can transition toward value-driven, outcome-oriented teams. Greg is a veteran design and technology leader who has driven major organizational transformations at companies like GE Digital, Google, ServiceNow, Compass, and Cisco Secure. He's a founding member of Design Executive Council, and advises organizations of all sizes on how to rethink workflows and team agency through the lens of new technological capabilities. In his public work – from Substack essays to podcast interviews – he's a leading authority on how the nature of work is evolving. In this conversation, a common theme emerged: there's no more important task than removing obstacles and friction from your team's path, and that includes helping to optimize focus and time management. Greg shares his insights on everything from protecting your team's "organizational calories," and the importance of flow states, to how Gen AI is shifting the boundaries of product development. Conversation Highlights Outcome vs. Output: Customers buy outcomes (goals accomplished), not outputs (lines of code or feature velocity). Teams that own an outcome have more agency to satisfy customer needs with the "least number of most useful things". The "One More Thing" Trap: Leaders must publicly declare what they are not doing. Adding "one more thing" to show performance consumes vital organizational "calories" and prevents the completion of higher-priority work. Above the Line Prioritization: Borrowing from the Amazon model, teams should prioritize outcomes and assign resources until capacity is reached. Anything "below the line" is not touched until a higher priority is completed. The Power of Flow States: High-quality creative and technical work requires uninterrupted blocks of time—ideally two-to-three-hour periods—to reach a "flow state". Constant meetings disrupt this state and leave teams exhausted rather than accomplished. AI as a Boundary Disruptor: GenAI tools are allowing roles to merge; designers can write front-end code and engineers can draft requirements. This requires a new "social contract" where teams are adaptive and collaborative rather than protective of their specific silos. Reversing the Double Diamond: Historically, organizations spend too little time on discovery and too much on execution. Greg argues for a large first diamond (discovery) and a small second diamond (execution) to ensure you are solving the right problem in the simplest way. Connect with Greg LinkedIn: Greg Petroff Substack: Improbable Futures — Greg's newsletter exploring the intersection of design, technology, and the future of work Threads: @gpetroff Resources Two-Minute Fridays: Have each employee and leader record a two-minute video detailing what they did, what they planned to do, and what they were proud of. Leadership Club: Set up a structured monthly meeting for "leaders of leaders" to set their own agenda and discuss what they want to learn, giving senior leadership visibility into "facts on the ground". Career Mapping: Actively help employees identify what gives them energy, explore how those interests, skills or strengths map to their existing growth path or another path within the organization that might better align.

What if the "problem team member or leader" isn't the problem at all—but a symptom of a system protecting itself from the truth? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Nathalie Martinek, a former cancer researcher who discovered unsettling parallels between tumor metastasis and toxic workplace behavior. After experiencing a carcinogenic work environment herself, Nathalie hung up her lab coat to study what she calls "the human lab"—how good people become participants in dysfunctional systems, often without realizing it. The Big Questions We Tackle: What's the difference between psychological safety and a toxic workplace? Nathalie breaks down how teams can feel safe while existing in wider systems that aren't—and why the buffer won't last forever. How does scapegoating actually work? Unlike bullying (which is personal), scapegoating is systemic—the organization turns on someone to avoid looking at itself. And yes, entire teams can become scapegoats too. Are narcissistic leaders born or made? Nathalie challenges us to look at our own narcissistic traits and how low-trust environments bring out self-protective behaviors in all of us. The question isn't just "who's the narcissist"—it's "how am I participating?" Can toxic cultures change? Only if people are willing to see their own contribution to the problem. What You Can Do Right Now Don't take their word for it. Watch if what leaders say matches what they do—that's how you know if you're in a trustworthy environment. Preserve your integrity, not your honesty. You don't owe toxic systems your truth. Sometimes staying silent about certain things is self-preservation. Face your trigger points. That tricky person? They're going to show up at every job until you learn what they're teaching you about yourself. Recognize the pattern. If someone's blocking your moves, recruiting allies against you, or giving you impossible assignments designed for failure—you're likely being scapegoated. Get out. For Gen Z: Don't believe everything you're told about workplace culture. See for yourself. Be compliant without being exploited. And remember: work doesn't have to fulfill your purpose—it can just be a place you show up and do good work. Connect with Nathalie Substack: Hacking Narcissism Newsletter Website: www.drnataliemartinek.com LinkedIn: Dr. Nathalie Martinek Books: The Scapegoating at Work (ebook), The Little Book of Assertiveness More Resources Get the Cross-Functional Trust Repair Scorecard

What if navigating constant change isn't about moving faster, but noticing who's stuck at the edge of the bridge? In this episode, we sit down with Suzanne Sitrin, a leadership consultant who's spent decades helping leaders guide teams through transformation: from the quality-management era to today's rapid growth and perpetual pivots. Suzanne shares what actually helps when the bar keeps moving and people are running out of runway. The Big Questions We Tackle: How do you lead when the goalposts keep moving? Suzanne unpacks what she's seeing in so many corporate environments: innovation at the top can translate into exhaustion at the bottom—especially when teams hit a milestone and immediately learn it "doesn't count" anymore. What does psychological safety really require? We talk about trust, vulnerability, and how leaders create the conditions for productive disagreement (without it turning personal). How do you lead across generations without generalizing? Suzanne shares what's changing in expectations at work—and why leaders need both clarity and flexibility: feedback and autonomy. The Hard Truths Not every team (or leader) is ready. Suzanne shares what happens when there isn't true willingness to do the work, and why "growth mindset" can't be lip service if transformation is the goal. What You Can Do Right Now Stop assuming. Curiosity beats projection, especially in ambiguity. Ask more, tell less. You can name hard things if you do it with care and clarity. Celebrate before you raise the bar. Recognition affirms effort, and strengthens future performance. Build emotional intelligence on purpose. Your leadership doesn't end at 5pm; people take it home with them. Connect with Suzanne Website: www.bluebirch.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-sitrin/ Instagram: Blue Birch Consulting

What if everything you learned about leadership is actually holding you back? And what if the secret to thriving through AI disruption and remote work chaos isn't adding new skills—it's unlearning the old ones? In this episode, we sit down with Karen Ferris, organizational change expert, author of eight books including Be Remarkable: Learn to Unlearn, and a voice that cuts through the noise on what teams actually need from leaders today. Karen has spent her career watching organizations struggle with change—and she's seen what separates the ones that thrive from the ones that collapse under pressure. Big Themes We Tackle: What does it really mean to be a remarkable leader? Karen breaks down her REMARKABLE framework—Resilient, Empathetic, Mindful, Adaptive, Resourceful, Known, Accountable, Brave, Listening, and Empowering. But this isn't just another list of leadership buzzwords. At its core, this conversation is about having the courage and self-awareness to say: What served me yesterday is no longer relevant today. Karen reveals why most leaders struggle to achieve 'Remarkable', because they are often missing the foundations of: Listening to understand Empowerment Vulnerability Psychological Safety We also dig into why organizations are drowning in change fatigue—and why it's usually not about too much change, but too much badly handled change. Don't skip this episode, where Karen shares her proven formula for becoming more successful at better handling change. Connect with Karen Find Karen on LinkedIn Visit her website: KarenFerris.com Check out her books, including Be Remarkable: Learn to Unlearn Resources Mentioned Alvin Toffler's Future Shock - The origin of "learn to unlearn and relearn" Daniel Pink's work on motivation - Autonomy, mastery, purpose Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety Gallup's CliftonStrengths research - Trust, compassion, hope, stability as key factors Nick Shackleton-Jones on TikTok - The real reason for return-to-office mandates The Westpac vs. Carleen Chandler case - Groundbreaking Australian fair work decision on remote work