Episodes

  • Believability: The Secret to AI Adoption in Learning

    Believability: The Secret to AI Adoption in Learning
    Oct 15 2025
    Artificial Intelligence is transforming corporate learning, but not every organization is doing it in ways that employees actually trust. In this episode of Workplace Stories, we talk with Peter Manniche Riber, Head of New Tech Digital Learning Solutions at Novo Nordisk, about how his team built AI-powered learning tools that employees truly believe in.

    From creating the “Dilemma Coach” and “IDP Coach” to redefining personalization and data privacy, Peter demonstrates what happens when innovation is combined with practicality, and why sometimes the smartest move is to build, rather than buy.

    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
    • [00:00] Why “believability” is the key to AI adoption.
    • [04:50] How Novo Nordisk’s “Dilemma Coach” and “IDP Coach” came to life.
    • [09:00] Why less data, and the right data, creates better personalization.
    • [17:00] Balancing privacy, ethics, and personalization in AI learning.
    • [25:30] Working with works councils and data regulators early.
    • [33:00] Scaling learning equity and access across global teams.
    • [39:40] What AI means for strategic workforce planning.
    • [41:30] Peter’s advice for L&D leaders ready to experiment with AI.

    The Power of “Believability” in AI Learning
    At Novo Nordisk, Peter’s team coined a simple but powerful concept, believability. It means people will only engage with AI tools if they recognize themselves and their context in the experience. Through hundreds of user tests, they found that when an AI response feels personal and relevant, adoption skyrockets.Rather than hoarding corporate data, they ask employees directly about their goals, challenges, and career aspirations. This approach not only keeps data secure but also ensures every interaction feels real, human, and trustworthy.

    Why Novo Nordisk Built Its Own AI Tools
    When it came to designing learning applications, Peter’s team decided to build rather than buy. The reason? Control, context, and compliance. Off-the-shelf tools couldn’t meet Novo Nordisk’s strict privacy standards or reflect its unique leadership culture. By developing internally, the team could train AI on company-specific frameworks, design intuitive UX guardrails, and maintain full ownership of their data, while spending less than a handful of traditional e-learning modules would cost.

    Redefining Data and Trust
    Instead of scraping internal systems, Peter’s philosophy is simple: ask people. Employees willingly provide fresh, accurate context when they understand how it’s used. Transparency and consent are baked into the process, with large-font screens explaining how data is handled and why it matters.The result? Nearly 90% of employees feel completely safe using these tools, a remarkable trust level for AI-driven systems inside a regulated, global company.

    The Future of L&D and AI Experimentation
    Peter’s message to learning leaders: stop waiting for perfection and start experimenting. You don’t need a massive budget or a team of data scientists to create meaningful AI applications. What you need is curiosity, clear hypotheses, and the courage to learn by doing.AI won’t replace thoughtful design or human judgment, but it can unlock a new era of personalized, scalable, and believable learning.

    Resources & People Mentioned
    • Novo Nordisk
    Connect with Peter Manniche Riber
    • LinkedIn: Peter Manniche Riber

    Connect With Red Thread Research

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

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    44 mins
  • Moving HR from Support to Strategic Driver with Nadia Uberoi

    Moving HR from Support to Strategic Driver with Nadia Uberoi
    Sep 24 2025
    On the show this week, Nadia Uberoi, Head of People at Garner Health, joins us to explore how HR can move beyond compliance to become a solution-centric and outcome-driven function, aligning closely with the business’s mission and deliverables.

    Nadia shares practical details on how Garner Health has developed agile people systems and cultivated a high-candor culture rooted in real-time feedback and organizational transparency. We discuss how conscious alignment between HR and business strategy depends on both robust systems and hiring people with the right agile mindset.

    You’ll hear more about Nadia’s unique approach to performance management, Garner’s decision to publicly share 360 feedback, and how a culture of candor empowers everyone, not just HR, to take ownership of change. Nadia also offers an inside look at the mechanics of building and scaling an intentional organizational culture, and the lessons she’s learned from fast-growing companies.

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

    • [05:16] Aligning HR with business strategy and high candor cultures.
    • [07:28] Seeking CEO buy-in for strategic alignment.
    • [10:37] Balance short-term solutions and long-term infrastructure planning.
    • [13:48] Focus on continuous improvement and clarity of responsibilities.
    • [21:23] Quarterly planning with smaller, manageable initiatives enables better adaptability and faster impact.
    • [29:04] Real-time feedback improved HR-business alignment by enabling quick adjustments.
    • [33:31] Real-time feedback and collaboration enable immediate improvements.
    • [48:22] Intentionally build and systematize culture for business impact.
    Resources & People Mentioned

    • Principles by Ray Dalio
    • Lattice
    • Garner Health

    Connect with Nadia Uberoi

    • Nadia Uberoi on LinkedIn
    Connect With Red Thread Research

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

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    50 mins
  • Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover

    Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover
    Aug 27 2025
    Haley Glover, Senior Director of UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute, is on a mission to build a world where skills—not degrees or pedigrees—are the primary currency of career opportunity.

    In this expansive conversation, she challenges organizations to think bigger, arguing that investing in frontline workers isn't just a corporate responsibility but a societal imperative that strengthens communities and economies alike.

    Glover shares her vision for a future where "all learning counts," and individuals own their skills data, freeing it from the silos of employers and academic institutions.

    Listen in for a dose of realistic optimism on one of the most complex—and human—challenges in the world of work today.

    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
    • [00:00] Intro.
    • [03:34] Why skills are a societal issue, not just a corporate one.
    • [13:31] Building a realistic ROI case for skills investments.
    • [19:32] The "All Learning Counts" vision for skills recognition.
    • [24:01] Why the next decade of skills innovation will be "messy."
    • [27:56] The cultural blockades preventing a skills-first hiring revolution.
    • [36:11] The evolving role and responsibility of the employer.
    • [42:25] A real-world example of a company getting it right.

    Resources & People Mentioned
    • UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute
    • James By Percival Everett
    • The Brothers K by David James Duncan

    Connect with Haley Glover
    • Haley Glover 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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    47 mins
  • Doing More With Less: Serena Gonsalves-Fersch on Lean Talent Teams and Big Impact

    Doing More With Less: Serena Gonsalves-Fersch on Lean Talent Teams and Big Impact
    Aug 13 2025
    Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch, Global Head of Talent and Academy, shares her refreshingly candid perspective on the evolving role of Learning and Development (L&D) in today’s organizations.

    You’ll hear her challenge traditional approaches to employee learning, advocate for seamless integration between learning, talent, DEIB, and performance, and call out industry complacency.

    Serena also shares how her small but mighty team serves 14,000 employees across the globe by staying closely attuned to actual business needs and leveraging the power of data and AI—not just for content creation, but for true predictive insights.

    Listen in for a fascinating discussion that covers everything from the purpose of L&D, how technology is reshaping talent strategies, to the importance of connecting learning directly to organizational impact.

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

    • [00:00] Integrated learning & talent strategy.
    • [09:10] Rethinking organizational learning approaches.
    • [21:47] Defining HR's role in automation.
    • [29:04] Streamlining your learning and development team.
    • [31:23] Creating GCP learning journeys.
    • [34:49] Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplace policy.
    • [40:34] AI's Role in boosting efficiency and elevating humanity.
    • [47:08] Organizations as continuous learners.

    Resources & People Mentioned

    • Curious Advantage by Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones
    • The 70:20:10 Institute
    • Lori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedIn
    • Jay Wetterau on LinkedIn
    • Nigel Paine
    • Learning Technologies Awards

    Connect with Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch

    • Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch, FLPI 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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    49 mins
  • Building Trust Through Vulnerability: How Zane Zumbahlen Leads Transformational Change

    Building Trust Through Vulnerability: How Zane Zumbahlen Leads Transformational Change
    Jul 23 2025
    In this episode of Workplace Stories, we sit down with Zane Zumbahlen, Chief People Officer at Wedgwood Veterinary Pharmacy, to explore how vulnerability in leadership can catalyze organizational change.

    With a 30-year career spanning IBM, CTCA, and global roles in Sweden and Japan, Zane shares candid stories that reveal the power of low-ego, high-confidence leadership. From active listening sessions that rebuilt trust among skeptical managers to structural programs that flipped the risk equation for women leaders, Zane's journey is a masterclass in how HR leaders can move from intention to impactful systems.

    His approach blends authenticity, experimentation, and a relentless drive to make things better, one conversation at a time.

    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
    • (00:00) Intro
    • (04:21) How vulnerability accelerates trust and change.
    • (12:45) The real-life risks of emotional leadership.
    • (18:50) Driving systemic transformation from the HR seat.
    • (22:33) A roadmap for active listening that leads to measurable action.
    • (35:10) Building female leadership pipelines in risk-averse cultures.
    • (47:52) Examples of HR-led innovation across global contexts.
    • (56:15) Rethinking how credibility and compassion coexist in leadership.

    Resources & People Mentioned:
    • Wedgwood Veterinary Pharmacy
    • Adam Grant on Personal Branding and Trust


    Connect with Zane Zumbahlen:
    • LinkedIn: Zane Zumbahlen

    Connect With Red Thread Research

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

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    43 mins
  • Beyond Training: How to Prove L&D Isn’t Just Overhead: Dr. Keith Keating

    Beyond Training: How to Prove L&D Isn’t Just Overhead: Dr. Keith Keating
    Jul 2 2025
    Many organizations see learning and development (L&D) as a cost center rather than a strategic driver of value, but what if that mindset is costing them far more than they realize?

    In this episode, Dr. Keith Keating explains why we’re moving from a “knowledge economy” to a “value economy,” where it’s not what we know but what we do with it that matters.

    He shares practical ways for L&D teams to make their impact visible, bridging the disconnect with CFOs and earning a seat at the strategy table. Through his own journey from high-school dropout to Chief Learning Officer, Keith challenges learning leaders to see themselves as problem-solvers and value creators.

    He offers frameworks like the Value Creation Compass to help map L&D’s role in business growth, resilience, and customer value, showing that when L&D stays hidden, organizations lose far more than training budgets: they lose adaptability and talent.

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

    • (00:00) Intro.
    • (00:22) Keith’s background and why his book matters.
    • (04:58) The shift to a value economy for L&D.
    • (08:50) Keith’s personal journey from dropout to leader.
    • (15:10) Economic, personal, and societal value explained.
    • (19:30) Four key disconnects between L&D and CFOs.
    • (25:40) The Value Creation Compass model.
    • (39:20) Risks if L&D’s value stays hidden.

    Resources & People Mentioned

    • https://www.bdo.ca/en-ca/
    • Hidden Value by Dr. Keith Keating

    Connect with Dr. Keith Keating

    • Connect with Dr. Keith Keating 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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    54 mins
  • 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
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    45 mins