Jolen Anderson

▶0:01HostWelcome to the Built by People podcast, where we share the stories and insights of the world's top HR leaders. Join us as we dive deep into the minds of HR executives, uncovering their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in shaping today's workforce. I'm excited to welcome JoLynn to the Built By People podcast. JoLynn, thank you so much for joining us. And as a starting point, I always love to ask if you could share a little bit more about your career journey.

▶0:55GuestReally excited to be here today. Thank you so much for inviting me to join the conversation. I was greatly looking forward to it. So my career is interesting because most people don't know that I started out as an antitrust litigator. But I feel like going to law school and working as an attorney taught me, I think, the foundational elements of complex problem solving. And as I like to say, there's nothing more complex than an organization's trying to tackle than how to unlock and drive peak performance of its people. And so, although I started out in this way as kind of a litigator, I got closer and closer to, I think, trying to be a business partner, which then led me to both a passion and an interest around HR, and increasingly tried to, you know, tackle that answer and that question of what are the real solutions that can create fantastic work environments, but also unlock key performance results.

▶1:53HostJolena, you've had an incredible history of work, and I'm curious to get your perspective on a hot topic, and that hot topic being AI. How can managers play a key role in helping employees embrace AI in a way that enhances both productivity and also the human experience at work?

▶2:12GuestIt's a really good question, and I think one of the things that I was excited about joining BetterUp after a career and financial services to really tackle and answer. And, you know, BetterUp is an AI-first driven platform that really helps that human transformation cycle. And our mission is really to support workers' wellbeing and productivity. And one of the things that we do here at BetterUp is what we call this braid of both research and science and technology. And we kind of took that approach and applied it to thinking about how managers can play a key role, particularly in AI, because as we know, that's such a hot topic in today's, guys and conversations. And so after years of collecting data on cultural perceptions and attitudes about AI, what we discovered is that there are two distinct mindsets emerging that really help determine whether or not an organization is going to truly have the best impact from AI and truly what the transformative technology can be. And that's really pilots who are optimistic about their ability to use AI. In tools, and passengers who are less confident in their ability to master AI. They're concerned about the negative impacts that it could have on work and product activity, on autonomy, and all the sort of doomsday scenarios that you sort of see in the movie sometimes. And that pilot mindset is the most important predictor of AI adoption at work. And the things that really unlock whether or not someone can be a pilot is a couple of things that honestly also help unlock productivity all the way, all in general. And that is optimism and agency. People who feel energized, able to grow personally and professionally at work, those who feel empowerment around their own ability to adapt tools, those two things will predict whether or not you're a pilot within an organization, and really then determine whether an organization is going to be able to fully leverage the power of AI.

▶4:15HostJolynn, what strategies have you found effective in maintaining civility and camaraderie in organizations, especially during times of social and political polarization?

▶4:27GuestIt's a really interesting and timely question, and one that, again, I think with the power of BetterUp Labs, we anticipated would be an important characteristic or something that organizations were trying to understand of what exactly to do kind of in these polarized times and how should they show up and what are their employees expecting of them in this organization and what's the best way to proceed to ultimately, again, wellbeing and productivity at the center of how workplaces are being organized. So it's something that once again, we studied. And so, we got together and sort of looked at what were, you know, the best ways to approach this. So, leading up to last year's election, which was a really highly polarized time, our research told us that the most effective strategy to preserve kind of harmony in the workplace consists of, first, no surprise, investing in worker wellbeing, and then fostering opportunities for connection and unity. And our centered organization research found that almost 61% of employees want their organizations to reinforce that culture of wellbeing and that culture of connection. And about half the workforce is seeking deeper purpose through mission and unity. So that, those two things are kind of at the center of everything that we do at BetterUp. And I think for us, it was key to understand that even in these highly polarized times, Employees really want that investment in their own wellbeing and support to be at the center of how workplaces are pursuing their strategies.

▶6:07HostJolan, a lot of us have been impacted by the disasters that are happening, particularly in Los Angeles, and our hearts go out to those people affected. Curious to get your perspective on, you know, when those sorts of things happen, what immediate steps can organizations take to provide meaningful support to impacted employees?

▶6:30GuestI think many of us, to your point, have been watching what has happened in Los Angeles, and whether or not you're personally impacted, have friends and family are impacted, you could not experience such a devastating loss and not feel a lot of empathy for what's happening. And, you know, I think for us in these times, first and foremost, organizations should show up with that empathy and an understanding of the situations and really have processes and systems to check in with affected employees. This is another place where investing in that manager support and development, ensuring that they have the tools that they need to be that frontline support for workers is incredibly important and could not show up at a better time than times like this when people are looking for that one-on-one support to help them navigate really stressful times. And, you know, our crisis management approach at BetterUp is really grounded in that sense of empathy, that immediate tangible support. So thinking about how we can be there for employees who are experiencing immediate losses, thinking about, you know, recovery of a place to live, personal items, how they're going to just navigate finding schools, just those immediate needs. But I think the other thing that organizations can't lose sight of, and I think is important to continue to invest in, is the long-term effects, right? There are going to be, as people sort of face in that recovery and rebuild mode, long-term effects of how they're approaching these situations, impact on resilience and support and stress. And I just would encourage organizations to think beyond kind of the immediate moment but also thinking about how they're investing in long-term support, offering counseling, emotional wellbeing support to our employees, but also partnering with our clients and our own workforce of thinking about how we can be there for some of those long-term support needs as people face recovery.

▶8:37HostJolynn, what balance should organizations strike between AI-driven efficiencies and maintaining human-centered leadership?

▶8:46GuestSomething that I think we will continue to consider and evolve. I would say that AI is just beginning to disrupt our world. And while many may fear that AI is going to eliminate jobs and create unemployment and disrupt the global workforce, I think we also should be focused on the promise of what AI can do when it allows us to really scale the things that are sometimes those administrative tasks that frankly none of us wanna do. And allow people to be focused on work that drives more purpose and meaning and is more strategic in terms of the value add that they, that they give to an organization. So while at the macro level, AI in the workforce will mean that people will experience a heightened level of change and uncertainty, it also requires that people will be able to quickly adapt at an even faster rate of change. We need to be thinking about what emerging roles may come out of AI. We may need to be thinking about what roles will be augmented by AI. And we also need to be thinking about what it looks like to keep that human in the loop. And for us, we believe that employees, especially leaders, will even need more support. And our research again tells us that as people are thinking about that level of support that they need from their managers and their leaders, it's frankly the things that are even more deeply human. It's that empathy, it's that resilience, it's that ability to drive connection. Those are the things that while AI scales and becomes more mature and continues to exist within workplaces, the administrative task will be reduced and I believe put in the appropriate place. But it doesn't mean people aren't gonna still need support. And I think empowering managers around the needs of employees in that space is gonna be an important thing for organizations to be thinking about and investing in.

▶10:39HostJolynn, any parting advice you'd like to share with our audience?

▶10:44GuestI think always stay curious. That's one of my favorite tips and advice that has been given to me. I think we are entering a time that's really exciting. You know, in some ways it's one of the potentially most disruptive times in the workplace. I recently heard a quote where we may be the last workplace that doesn't remember what life before and after AI was like. Almost like back in college when I got my first email address, I remember what was like, lifelike when I got that first email. And I think we're in that moment of this seismic change, and it just unlocks such opportunity. And so back to where we started around who are gonna create the winners and the losers in this disruptive change, it's going to be about adapting that pilot mindset, leaning in, embracing change, um, with curiosity, with resilience, and with positivity around the art of the possible. And I think those are the things that are gonna help us as we navigate these changing times and scenarios together.

▶11:47HostJolynn, thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast. It was a pleasure to have you involved.

▶11:53GuestThank you. Nice to meet you. Really enjoyed it.