Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover
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 MentionedUpSkill America at the Aspen InstituteJames By Percival EverettThe Brothers K by David James DuncanConnect with Haley GloverHaley Glover on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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47:14
Doing More With Less: Serena Gonsalves-Fersch on Lean Talent Teams and Big Impact
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 MentionedCurious Advantage by Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick JonesThe 70:20:10 InstituteLori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedInJay Wetterau on LinkedIn Nigel Paine Learning Technologies Awards Connect with Dr. Serena Gonsalves-FerschDr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch, FLPI on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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49:03
Building Trust Through Vulnerability: How Zane Zumbahlen Leads Transformational Change
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 PharmacyAdam Grant on Personal Branding and TrustConnect with Zane Zumbahlen:LinkedIn: Zane ZumbahlenConnect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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43:03
Beyond Training: How to Prove L&D Isn’t Just Overhead: Dr. Keith Keating
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 Mentionedhttps://www.bdo.ca/en-ca/Hidden Value by Dr. Keith KeatingConnect with Dr. Keith KeatingConnect with Dr. Keith Keating on LinkedInConnect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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53:40
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53:40
Stop Guessing: How J&J Gets Precise About Skills w/ Bas Debbink
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 Mentionedhttps://fortune.comhttps://degreed.comConnect with Bas DebbinkConnect with Bas Debbink on LinkedInConnect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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/home
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