Work For Humans

Joan Ryan, award-winning journalist and author of Intangibles, explores how unseen human connections lift teams. She talks about neuroscience of bonding, archetypes like the jester and warrior, when chemistry amplifies skill, and how social vs. task chemistry shifts outcomes. Expect vivid locker-room stories and surprising examples of chemistry producing real results.

Elaine Howard Ecklund, sociologist at Rice University who studies religion, work, and science. She explores why workplaces avoid faith, what gets lost when belief is hidden, and how faith shapes calling, ethics, and belonging. Short, sharp conversations on discrimination, the risks of calling, and how designing for faith can improve work for everyone.

Derek Sivers, author and entrepreneur who founded CD Baby, offers a bite-sized look at his 27 competing ways to live. He discusses how different life philosophies shape what people want from work. Short, surprising takes explore introvert vs extrovert needs, designing company personality, and choosing beliefs for usefulness rather than truth.

Barry Schwartz, psychologist and professor emeritus known for work on decision-making and meaning in work. He questions treating choices like math. He discusses how framing, metrics, and maximizing can mislead. He explores when counting helps, when judgment and wisdom matter, and how decisions fit into a larger life story.

Reanna Browne, futurist and founder of Work Futures who helps organizations turn foresight into action. She argues the future is shaped by today’s choices. Short bets and micro activism matter. Language and metaphors change what leaders imagine. Work, health and youth attitudes signal deep cultural shifts.

Noah Sheidlower, a senior economy reporter who leads the "80 Over 80" series on Americans working into their 80s and 90s, shares vivid stories of elders still in the workforce. Conversations cover working out of necessity, how health and financial shocks reshape retirement, divorce and single-life vulnerabilities, older entrepreneurs, and surprising tech adoption among very old workers.

Most organizations approach change as something to manage. A new strategy, a new structure, a new set of goals. But what if real transformation doesn’t come from plans or policies, but from experiences that change how people see themselves and each other? Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea design those kinds of experiences. Through the College of Extraordinary Experiences, they bring together people from very different worlds and immerse them in something unfamiliar, often uncomfortable, and deeply human. The goal isn’t just learning. It’s transformation.In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss what it means to design for transformation, why difficulty is often a necessary part of growth, and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful change inside organizations.Claus Raasted is an experience designer and entrepreneur known for his work in live-action role-play and organizational transformation.Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator focused on creating co-creative, transformational experiences.In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss:- What makes an experience truly transformative- Why discomfort is often required for real growth- How immersive design changes how people think and behave- Why traditional learning often fails to create lasting change- What leaders get wrong about driving transformation- How environment and context shape human behavior- The difference between entertainment and transformation- How to design experiences people carry back into work- Why transformation can’t be forced- And other topics…Claus Raasted is a Danish entrepreneur, speaker, and experience designer. He is a pioneer in live-action role-play and has authored more than 40 books. His work focuses on mindset change, leadership, and designing experiences that drive behavioral transformation.Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator working at the intersection of innovation and transformation. He has collaborated with organizations including IKEA and Google to design co-creative experiences, and is co-founder of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He holds a master’s degree in Innovation in Tourism from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences.Together, Claus and Paul co-founded the College of Extraordinary Experiences, a five-day immersive program that brings together people from around the world to explore transformation through lived experience.Resources Mentioned:World Experience Organization: https://worldxo.org/ London Experience Week: https://londonexperienceweek.com/ College of Extraordinary Experiences: https://www.extraordinary.college/Connect with Claus and Paul:https://www.clausraasted.com/https://de.linkedin.com/in/paulbulenceahttps://dk.linkedin.com/in/clausraastedWork with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Josh Block, executive advisor and former president of Block Imaging, led cultural change with humility and people-first values. He discusses shifting from a “Me” to a “We” approach. Short takes cover collaborative decision-making, radical transparency, building trust after layoffs, seeing people as whole humans, and how leadership behaviors shape safety and ownership at work.

Alain Thys, experience architect and founder of Alain Thys & Co., helps companies build customer and employee experiences into their systems. He talks about turning vision into lived experience. He explains designing incentives and environments so people naturally do the right thing. He covers choosing the right customers and employees, hiring for cultural fit, and future-proofing experience and CRM design.

Margaret Heffernan, author and former CEO known for books on decision-making, explores why chasing certainty at work costs agency and creativity. She contrasts prediction-driven systems with artistic practices that embrace risk. Short, provocative takes on leadership that lets teams lead, how education and tech encourage compliance, and why curiosity and preparation beat false certainty.