Digital Transformation in Workplaces

In a world where attention is fleeting and virtual fatigue is real, how can you successfully host online events? Here are 9 essentials to keep in mind: 1. Start with a Compelling Opening Your opening should grab attention, set the tone, build anticipation and give people a reason to stay. 2. Make Eye Contact Look directly into the camera to create a sense of connection. If you're using a teleprompter or script, keep it at eye level to maintain that engagement. 3. Mind Your Facial Expression People are paying close attention to your face. They can see when you’re smiling, or when you appear bored, upset, or frustrated. Be conscious of your expression. 4. Manage Your Energy Your energy drives the entire experience. If you seem disengaged or flat, your audience will tune out. 5. Build Emotional Connections Use personal stories, relatable examples, and analogies. These human elements help your message resonate on a deeper level. 6. Engage the Audience Make your audience part of the experience. Use polls, Q&A, or chat prompts to keep them actively involved. 7. Be Clear and Concise Attention spans online are shorter. Get to the point quickly, and use clear language. 8. Use Visual Aids and Multimedia Use images, short videos, graphics, and animations that support your message. However, don’t overload your slides with text. 9. Check Your Tech Setup Poor lighting, audio, camera quality, or an unstable internet connection can lead to frustration and reduced participation. Test in advance. Hope this helps. I’m Temi Badru, a professional event MC for physical, virtual, and hybrid events. I also train individuals and teams in public speaking and effective communication. #temibadru #voicesandfaces #eventhost #mc #moderator #speaker #events

Over the past 10 weeks, I’ve interviewed 35 talent and learning leaders at Fortune 1000 companies for a report I’ll be releasing this fall. One of my favorite questions has been the very first one: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?” With 105 priorities and counting, the responses vary widely given differences in industry, scope, and role (VP of Learning, talent, talent management, leadership development) but here is a slice of what has been shared so far: ➡️ AI and work transformation: Clarify what AI means for the workforce, its implications for roles, and how teams can adopt it to accelerate development and efficiency. ➡️ AI Coaching Pilot: Launch an AI-powered coaching pilot program across the organization to scale leadership development support. ➡️ Generative AI Upskilling: Upskill employees and leaders to effectively use generative AI in day-to-day work ➡️ Future of Work & Workforce Planning: Prepare for disruptions to job architecture by integrating human and digital workforces. Rethink responsibilities, structures, and collaboration models. ➡️ Change management: Embed change management capabilities at all levels, particularly around AI adoption. ➡️ New leadership Behaviors: Equip leaders with new capabilities to thrive in a changing environment, including adaptability, resilience, and the ability to lead in an AI-augmented workplace. ➡️ Skills and Career Paths - Creating paths by prioritized skills in our organization ➡️ Rethinking the Function: Redesign the talent and learning function to reflect disruption caused by AI ➡️ Change Leadership: Navigate a period of executive turnover and transition by stabilizing the leadership team, clarifying roles, and building confidence with functional business leaders. ➡️ Facilitating Connection: Partnering with our employee experience and workplace teams to use in-office team days for learning and connection ➡️ Linking Performance and Development: Redesign performance processes to connect directly to development, helping employees understand what growth means in practical and tangible terms. ➡️ Manager Development: Continue to strengthen manager capability and resources, ensuring managers are equipped to drive performance and support employee development ➡️ VP and SVP Development: Support and accelerate the growth of new vice presidents and senior vice presidents as they step into expanded leadership roles. ➡️ Building a Leadership Bench : Develop and execute a strategy for strengthening the leadership bench, with a focus on preparing our Top 200 leaders ➡️ AI/Learning : Using AI internally within the learning function and focusing on key skills in AI for client-facing practitioners ➡️ Academies For AI/Data Roles: Developing and rolling out an academy for our AI & Data Product Employees I’d love to hear your perspective: What stands out most to you about this list, or what themes are you seeing in this list?

Inclusion isn’t a one-time initiative or a single program—it’s a continuous commitment that must be embedded across every stage of the employee lifecycle. By taking deliberate steps, organizations can create workplaces where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. Here’s how we can make a meaningful impact at each stage: 1. Attract Build inclusive employer branding and equitable hiring practices. Ensure job postings use inclusive language and focus on skills rather than unnecessary credentials. Broaden recruitment pipelines by partnering with diverse professional organizations, schools, and networks. Showcase your commitment to inclusion in external messaging with employee stories that reflect diversity. 2. Recruit Eliminate bias and promote fair candidate evaluation. Use structured interviews and standardized evaluation rubrics to reduce bias. Train recruiters and hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices. Implement blind resume reviews or AI tools to focus on qualifications, not identifiers. 3. Onboard Create an inclusive onboarding experience. Design onboarding materials that reflect a diverse workplace culture. Pair new hires with mentors or buddies from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to foster belonging. Offer inclusion training early to set the tone for inclusivity from day one. 4. Develop Provide equitable opportunities for growth. Ensure leadership programs and career development resources are accessible to underrepresented employees. Regularly review training, mentorship, and promotion programs to address any disparities. Offer specific development opportunities, such as allyship training or workshops on cultural competency. 5. Engage Foster a culture of inclusion. Actively listen to employee feedback through pulse surveys, focus groups, and open forums. Support ERGs and create platforms for marginalized voices to influence organizational policies. Recognize and celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures, and contributions in the workplace. 6. Retain Address barriers to equity and belonging. Conduct pay equity audits and address discrepancies to ensure fairness. Create flexible policies that accommodate diverse needs, including caregiving responsibilities, religious practices, and accessibility. Provide regular inclusion updates to build trust and demonstrate progress. 7. Offboard Learn and grow from employee transitions. Use exit interviews to uncover potential inequities and areas for improvement. Analyze trends in attrition to identify and address any patterns of exclusion or bias. Maintain relationships with alumni and invite them to stay engaged through inclusive networks. Embedding inclusion across the employee lifecycle is not just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic imperative that drives innovation, engagement, and organizational success. By making these steps intentional, companies can create environments where everyone can thrive.

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

Once upon a time, the workplace looked like this: 🔺 A wide base of operators ⬛ A middle of managers 🔝 A small circle of execs at the top making “strategic” decisions And each layer was dependent on the prior layers knowledge and context. But that is no longer the case - AI is cracking that structure apart and now #1 question I get asked is “Where Should AI sit?” I have an entire framework for that, based on trail and error and over 60+ different structures and outcomes across a variety of industries, but to keep it super duper simple, the new mental model is: The Upside Down Pyramid. 🔻 Bottom layer: Automated out. Replaced by RPA, bots, agents. (FYI … Deloitte reports that intelligent automation has led to zero net growth in administrative headcount in over 65% of enterprises) 🧍🏻Middle layer: Thinned out, middle-management pruning some say - as real-time insights and AI copilots give execs direct access to context. They are no longer the widest & thickest structure. 🔝 Top layer: Amplified, not eliminated, with a new diverse set of players at the top. AI translators and cross-functional builders who know tech and business (fyi, Harvard Business Review reported that 42% of managers’ tasks are now deemed automatable—and that number is climbing) In summary: We’re not watching a job extinction event, we’re witnessing an extreme skills migration. 🤯 RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Redefine your middle. If you’re a middle manager, become the bridge—not the bottleneck. Strategic orchestration beats tactical supervision. 2. Train your top. Your leaders need fluency in AI—not prompt tokens. Nothing is a silver bullet. Invest in simulation-based leadership programs. The new org chart favors the thinkers, the builders, the doers—with AI as their multiplier. Are you adapting to the new shape of work? #FutureOfWork #AITransformation #Leadership #OrgDesign #WorkforceShift #DigitalStrategy #CareerAdvice #DataLeadership >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Worlds 1st Chief AI Officer for Enterprise, 10 patents, former Amazon & C-Suite Exec (5x), best-selling author, FORBES “AI Maverick & Visionary of the 21st Century” , Top 100 AI Thought Leaders, helped IBM launch Watson My 2nd #TEDx talk will be released in 2 weeks!

HR Technology Hot Take: The 'HRIS Configurator' is a dying job. For years, the value of a great HRIS analyst was measured by our configuration knowledge. How fast could we build a new business process in Workday? How many reports could we crank out? Our expertise was defined by our mastery of the system's back-end. That era is closing. Fast. As platforms become more intuitive and AI automates routine configurations, being a "button-pusher"—even a very skilled one—is a fast track to obsolescence. The future of our profession is less about technical execution and more about strategic design and influence. The modern HRIS professional is evolving into a hybrid of four new roles: The Solution Architect: Our job is no longer just to build what we're asked; it's to design holistic, scalable solutions that solve the actual business problem, considering the entire ecosystem. The AI Prompt Writer: The most critical new skill isn't knowing which checkbox to click; it's knowing how to write the perfect prompt to get an AI to analyze data, suggest a workflow, or generate an insight. The User Experience (UX) Advocate: We have to be obsessed with the employee experience. If we aren't the fiercest champions for simplicity, we're just building powerful but unusable machines. The Strategic Influencer: This is the most important shift. We must move from being order-takers to being strategic advisors. Using our unique view of data, processes, and technology, our job is to challenge assumptions and guide the business. The question is no longer just "How do I build this?" but "Should we be building this at all?" The future isn't about knowing the system better than anyone else; it's about understanding the business, the people, and the technology so deeply that you can orchestrate and influence them all into a seamless, high-impact experience. Are we preparing our HRIS teams for this shift from configurator to influencer? #HRIS #HRTech #FutureOfWork #AIinHR #Workday #UX #DigitalTransformation #HotTake

If You're Struggling With Workplace Inclusion, Try This...   → Neurodiversity Integration Framework   Last week, I audited a Fortune 500 company's workspace. What I discovered was shocking. Their "inclusive" office was actually excluding 15% of their talent pool.   The bright fluorescent lights. The open office chaos. The rigid 9-5 schedule.   All of these were silent barriers keeping neurodivergent employees from performing at their best.   Here's what we implemented:   1.   Sensory Zones - Created dedicated quiet spaces - Installed adjustable lighting - Provided noise-canceling equipment   2.   Communication Flexibility - Introduced written and verbal instruction options - Implemented structured feedback systems - Added visual aids for complex processes     3.   Adaptive Scheduling - Flexible work hours - Remote work options - Designated decompression areas   Living with cerebral palsy taught me this:   When you design for accessibility, you create excellence for everyone. The most successful companies aren't just accepting differences - they're leveraging them.   The India Autism Center has been pioneering this transformation, offering guidance to companies ready to embrace change.   The question isn't whether to create autism-friendly workplaces.   It's why haven't we done it sooner?   #asksumit   #iac

Your calendar isn’t your brand. Your presence is. Everyone says “just show up” But no one teaches how to stand out. Speaker. Attendee. Watching from the sidelines. Doesn’t matter. If you know how to use it. Let’s bust the myths about events and visibility 👇 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 1: Speaking = visibility Wrong. No framing, no impact. A stage means nothing alone. 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 2: Virtual events are just fluff Nope. They’re low-lift, high-leverage, if used right. 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 3: Thought leaders wait for invites False. They create, engage, and earn the mic. 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 4: If it’s not a post, it didn’t happen Bad take. Follow-ups, comments, and DMs build more trust. 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 5: Visibility means constant posting Not really. Relevance beats noise. Precision wins. You want to turn event participation into actual visibility? This is how you do it right 👇 📌 Before the event Clarify your lens Decide what you want to be known for 📌 While attending Listen for insight, not just quotes Capture what’s useful, not what’s loud 📌 While posting Tie it back to your brand Don’t just tag, contextualize 📌 If you speak Share one bold idea, not the whole talk Hook with clarity, not a mic drop 📌 If you lurk Still counts, just show how it shaped your thinking Reflection builds authority, too 📌 What compounds Showing up repeatedly, with a purpose One consistent lens, across moments 📌 What dilutes Clout-chasing recaps Over-tagging, zero signal Events are strategy. Only if you know how to turn presence into proof. So, how do your events show what you stand for? P.S.: Want to turn attendance into real brand impact? Full blog in the comments.

Yesterday, I came across a term that I believe every Chief People Officer needs to know: Fourth Spaces™. The phrase comes from a new study commissioned by Eventbrite in partnership with Andrew Roth, and it captures a shift happening in the lives of your workforce, especially your Gen Z employees. These digital natives grew up not just in classrooms or offices, but in Twitch streams, gaming rooms, Discord servers, Reddit threads, and online fandoms. These communities aren’t just side hobbies. They’re where these youngsters' identity was shaped, friendships built, and passions were nurtured. Traditionally, when we’ve thought about fostering connection, we’ve leaned on “third spaces”, coffee shops, lounges, and other gathering spots that spark serendipitous encounters. Those still matter (even though they dying off in America). But they may not be enough for the generation entering and shaping your workforce today. Fourth Spaces are where online communities manifest in the physical world. An online book club gathering for the first time in person. A remote team leader creating a pop-up event instead of an office lease. A fandom turning cosplay and streaming culture into a live festival. For HR leaders, the implications are profound. When you’re designing your employee benefits stack, don’t stop at physical wellness (gym memberships) or mental wellness (EAP programs). Start thinking about social wellness (Kasley Killam, MPH). Imagine sponsoring your employees to buy a ticket to their favorite digital community’s live event. The data is clear: 84% of young adults who attend these kinds of gatherings meet a close friend, and nearly half say it deepens their sense of self. When you sponsor that type of life-affirming moment for them...That is retention. That is engagement. That is belonging in action. The future of work isn’t just hybrid policies or wellness stipends. It’s recognizing that your employees’ strongest sense of identity may start online, and asking how you can help bring it into the real world. I believe a natural evolution of employee benefits will be about investing in Fourth Spaces. So that your people can then show back up to work as their full selves. The question for every HR is simple: will you be the one to build it into your culture before someone else does? Link in the comments below to the study. It's fascinating.

Over the past year, I have had one consistent realization while speaking with data leaders, founders, and AI teams across conferences and interviews. AI is not just changing how we work. It is quietly creating entirely new job roles inside companies. Curious to know what the community thinks about it? When I started covering AI agents on The Ravit Show (www.theravitshow.com), most conversations were about automation. Faster reports. Smarter copilots. Less manual work. But now, what I see inside real teams is very different. Companies are not asking, “Which tasks can AI replace?” They are asking, “Who will design, supervise, and run these agents?” That shift is creating new roles that did not exist a few years ago. For example, I am now seeing teams actively look for people who can design how agents think and collaborate, not just write prompts. Roles like AI Agent Architects and Prompt-to-System Engineers are emerging because businesses need structured intelligence, not experiments. Future Job Roles Created by Age…. I am also seeing operations leaders move into workflow design roles. Instead of optimizing processes manually, they are turning onboarding, reporting, and customer support into agent-driven pipelines. This is where Agent Workflow Designers are becoming critical. Another big change is happening in production environments. Once agents go live, companies need people to monitor drift, control costs, handle failures, and improve performance continuously. That is where Agent Ops and Human-in-the-Loop Supervisors come in. These roles sit at the intersection of technology, risk, and business judgment. Even analytics teams are evolving. Analysts are no longer just querying data. Many are building agents that pull data, run analysis, generate insights, and draft reports. Their role is shifting from data pullers to decision accelerators. And perhaps the most interesting shift I am seeing is in consulting and product roles. AI Automation Consultants are helping companies find where agents actually deliver ROI. Agent Product Managers are thinking in terms of which agents do what, when, and why. Systems Integrators are becoming the bridge that connects agents to CRMs, databases, and enterprise tools. This is not a future prediction. It is already happening inside modern teams. If you work in data, product, operations, or engineering, the opportunity is not just to use AI. It is to become the person who designs, manages, and scales intelligent systems. I would love to hear from you. Which of these emerging roles do you think will become standard in every company over the next 3 years? #data #ai #agentic #promptengineering #designs #systems #jobs #agents #theravitshow