In this HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Chris Wong about how nonprofit leaders can engage and develop employees , despite a lack of resources. Chris Wong is a licensed therapist, executive coach, and co-host of The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations—a podcast for people who want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and courage... by leaning into the hard conversations.  With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and healthcare sectors, Chris specializes in helping purpose-driven leaders navigate messy transitions, fix dysfunctional teams, and lead culture change that actually sticks. He’s worked as a therapist, built leadership programs from scratch, and coached hundreds of leaders who were brought in to “turn things around” under pressure. Chris lives outside Boston with his wife and two kids, serves on multiple nonprofit boards, and runs Leadership Potential, where he coaches new nonprofit executives to lead through chaos and build high-performing, values-aligned teams.

This video explores the gap between companies’ promises of career growth through training programs and the actual lived experiences of employees, particularly those facing personal and social challenges. It emphasizes that true opportunity is not simply handing out course catalogs or certificates but enabling real, meaningful learning that transforms lives. The narrative centers on Maria, a hardworking single mother who struggles to balance training with her demanding life, illustrating the hidden barriers many employees face despite seemingly equal access to development opportunities. Highlights 🎯 True opportunity in learning is more than handing out course catalogs; it’s about enabling life-changing growth. 👩‍👦 Maria’s story highlights the hidden personal struggles that complicate access to workplace training. 🧱 Barriers to learning fall into three categories: personal, social, and systemic. ⏰ Providing paid learning time and covering costs addresses critical financial and time constraints. 📚 Flexible learning options with short modules and varied schedules make growth accessible. 🤝 Confidence-building through peer support and navigation advisors is essential. 🌐 Designing clear pathways and fostering learning communities amplifies success. Key Insights 🔍 Hidden Barriers Require Active Investigation: The story of Maria reveals that equal access on paper does not translate to equal opportunity in practice. Organizations must dig deeper to identify the unseen obstacles—such as caregiving responsibilities and lack of quiet study space—that disproportionately affect certain employees. Understanding these nuances is crucial for designing truly inclusive development programs. 💡 Personal Challenges Impact Learning Readiness: Health, prior education, and digital literacy significantly influence an individual’s ability to engage with training. For example, someone with limited experience using digital platforms may feel intimidated or ashamed to ask for help, which can lead to disengagement. Addressing these foundational issues with empathy and support is necessary to build a culture of continuous learning. 🏢 Workplace Culture Shapes Learning Behavior: Social norms within organizations can either encourage or discourage employees from pursuing development. If the culture implicitly punishes those who take time to learn (e.g., through negative perceptions of time off for training), employees may avoid growth opportunities despite interest. Creating visible role models and celebrating learning helps shift these norms toward support and encouragement. 💰 Financial and Time Support Are Foundational: Offering paid learning time and covering costs such as course fees, materials, and certifications removes significant barriers, especially for employees with tight budgets or multiple responsibilities. Additionally, providing support for childcare or eldercare acknowledges the real-life demands that compete with learning and signals genuine organizational commitment. 📅 Flexible Learning Models Reflect Real Lives: Rigid training schedules often collide with complex personal lives. Short, self-paced modules and varied session times allow employees to engage when it fits their schedules, reducing stress and increasing completion rates. Learning ambassadors and protected learning time further enhance accessibility and participation. 🌱 Confidence Is Built Through Practice and Support: Low-stakes environments where learners can practice skills without fear of failure promote growth and reduce anxiety. Peer groups and navigation advisors serve as guides, helping learners overcome hurdles and maintain motivation. Confidence gained this way translates into greater persistence and success in learning journeys. 🌐 Structured Pathways and Communities Enhance Outcomes: Simply providing a course catalog is insufficient. Employees benefit from clear, well-designed learning pathways that outline progression steps and goals. Communities of learning—cohorts or groups who learn together—create accountability, shared experiences, and networks of encouragement that sustain long-term development. #CapabilityApproach #AdultLearning #OrganizationalDevelopment #WorkforceDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Learning as True Freedom 00:00:36 - Why Equal Training Isn't Always Fair 00:01:15 - Personal, Social, and Environmental Walls 00:01:48 - From Barriers to Bridges: Practical Steps and Call to Action

The video transcript, dated November 21st, 2025, paints a vivid picture of how the workplace has undergone a profound transformation due to the rapid evolution of AI, specifically agentic AI systems. Initially, large language models (LLMs) were seen as mere tools or advanced chatbots performing simple, discrete tasks like drafting emails or summarizing documents. The human was the director, and the AI was a passive executor. However, this paradigm is becoming obsolete as AI systems now exhibit agentic qualities: they can autonomously plan, execute, and manage complex multi-step projects with minimal human intervention. Highlights 🤖 AI evolved from reactive typist to autonomous project manager, transforming workplace roles. 📊 Agentic AI independently plans, executes, and manages complex, multi-step professional tasks. 🚀 Studies show AI boosts productivity significantly, speeding up coding and innovation by 40-55%. ⚠️ AI excels at routine, data-heavy tasks but struggles with creativity and nuanced human judgment. 🧠 Human roles shift from task execution to strategic oversight, quality control, and relationship building. 🛡️ Organizations must implement clear AI governance frameworks, quality assurance, and task mapping. 🎓 Employee training in AI literacy and preserving junior talent development are vital for sustainable adoption. Key Insights 🤝 Agentic AI as a Managed Partner: Unlike early chatbot models, agentic AI demonstrates autonomy by creating and following multi-step plans, accessing external data sources, running code, and self-correcting. This evolution signifies a fundamental shift in human-AI collaboration, positioning AI as a digital colleague rather than a mere tool. The challenge is not AI capability but how humans direct and govern it effectively. 📈 Substantial Productivity Gains with Caveats: Empirical evidence from sectors like consulting and software development reveals AI can accelerate tasks by up to 55%, particularly in structured, repetitive workflows. However, these gains are uneven; for ambiguous, creative, or judgment-heavy tasks, AI’s contribution can be marginal or even detrimental, necessitating continued human expertise and vigilance. 🧩 Complex Task Mapping is Essential: To maximize AI benefits and minimize risks, organizations must rigorously analyze workflows, categorizing tasks by routine level, data intensity, and error risk. This nuanced approach ensures AI is deployed where it excels (low-risk, high-volume tasks) and human judgment remains central in high-stakes, complex decisions. Task mapping becomes the foundation for responsible AI integration. 🔄 Redefining Human Roles and Skills: The rise of AI demands a shift from performing discrete tasks to interpreting AI outputs, providing strategic insights, and maintaining ethical and relational dimensions of work. This evolution preserves human dignity and adds value beyond automation. Importantly, maintaining learning pathways for junior employees is critical to prevent skill erosion and ensure future leadership development. 🛡️ Robust Governance and Quality Control: AI outputs are not infallible; hallucinations and subtle errors require comprehensive quality assurance systems including audits, dual verification, error logging, and iterative refinement. Governance structures like cross-functional AI councils are vital to oversee AI deployment, set policies, manage risks, and foster an ethical, consistent organizational approach. 🎯 Incremental, Evidence-Based AI Adoption: Avoiding “Big Bang” implementations, organizations should start with pilots in low-risk areas, measuring productivity, costs, and user experience carefully. This iterative approach allows for learning, adaptation, and scaling based on evidence rather than hype, ensuring sustainable AI integration that truly augments human capabilities. 🧑‍🏫 Prioritizing AI Literacy and Human Capital Investment: Successful AI adoption hinges on comprehensive training that goes beyond simple use to critical evaluation of AI outputs, bias detection, and problem structuring. Investing in people’s skills ensures they remain in control, leveraging AI’s power safely and effectively while preserving innovation and creativity in the workforce. If this helped, please like and share the video to spread these evidence-based strategies. #AI #AgenticAI #HumanAICollaboration #WorkplaceAI #Gemini3

Abstract: Three years after ChatGPT's launch, artificial intelligence has evolved from generating coherent text to functioning as a collaborative workplace partner capable of autonomous planning, coding, research, and analysis. This article examines the transformation of AI capabilities through the lens of Google's Gemini 3 and similar agentic systems, analyzing their implications for organizational work design, human-AI collaboration models, and knowledge work transformation. Drawing on recent demonstrations of AI performing graduate-level research, autonomous coding, and multi-step project execution, we explore how organizations can effectively integrate these capabilities while maintaining human oversight and strategic direction. The shift from "human fixing AI mistakes" to "human directing AI work" represents a fundamental reimagining of knowledge work distribution, requiring new frameworks for task allocation, quality assurance, and capability development. Evidence suggests successful integration depends on treating AI as managed collaborators rather than automated tools, with clear governance structures, iterative feedback mechanisms, and realistic expectations about both capabilities and limitations.

In this HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Jennifer Carlson about the role of apprenticeships in preparing the future workforce. Jennifer Carlson serves as the CEO of Apprenti. Apprenti is a non-profit, apprenticeship intermediary and workforce consulting organization that delivers a secondary pipeline of tech talent to address U.S. domestic digital skills shortages. A former business leader with AIG, Progressive and adjunct professor at Seattle University, Jennifer also serves on the Tech Councils of North America (TECNA) foundation board, and as an Advisory Board Member - Apprenticeships for America.

Stop Managing. Start Enchanting March’s Leadership Wake-Up The video explores a profound perspective on leadership, emphasizing that effective leadership goes beyond technical skills and strategic planning—what the speaker refers to as “plumbing”—and deeply involves emotional connection and meaning, or “poetry.” Drawing from the ideas of James March, the speaker illustrates leadership as a dual function: the tangible, structural aspects necessary for organizational functioning, and the intangible, emotional elements that foster belonging, purpose, and resilience. The narrative stresses that while plumbing (rules, budgets, plans) is essential and measurable, poetry (stories, rituals, shared values) is what truly motivates people, especially during times of uncertainty and crisis. Leadership is not about having all the answers or fixing problems mechanically but about making people feel seen, understood, and united around a meaningful purpose. Highlights 🌟 Leadership is more about feeling and connection than just fixing problems and managing tasks. 🏠 “Plumbing” represents the technical, structural aspects of leadership, while “poetry” symbolizes emotional connection and shared meaning. 📖 Storytelling is a powerful leadership tool that helps people understand why their work matters. 🎉 Small rituals create belonging and community, turning groups into true teams. 🤝 Authentic presence and vulnerability build trust more effectively than polished perfection. 🎓 Traditional leadership training neglects emotional and spiritual intelligence, focusing too much on technical skills. 🔑 Leadership success should be measured by culture and trust-building, not just hitting targets. Key Insights 💡 Leadership’s Dual Nature: Plumbing and Poetry Leadership involves a balance between tangible systems (“plumbing”) and intangible emotional connections (“poetry”). While plumbing includes strategic plans, budgets, and rules necessary for operational success, poetry deals with stories, shared values, and emotions that inspire and unify people. Ignoring either aspect risks dysfunction—too much plumbing leads to sterile, mechanical leadership, while too much poetry without structure results in chaos. Effective leaders master both, recognizing that emotional engagement fuels resilience and sustained effort. 🔥 Emotional Connection as the Core Motivator Humans are fundamentally emotional beings wired for story and connection. When faced with difficulties or fatigue, clear instructions alone are insufficient motivation. Instead, a compelling narrative that explains the purpose behind the work provides the vital “why” that fuels perseverance. This insight shifts leadership from command-and-control to inspiring shared purpose, especially valuable during uncertainty and crisis. It underscores that leadership is about cultivating hope and meaning, not just managing tasks. 🛠️ The Necessity of Practical Emotional Leadership Skills Contrary to the belief that emotional leadership is innate or mysterious, the speaker emphasizes that skills like storytelling, designing rituals, and showing authentic presence are learnable and practical. This democratizes leadership, making it accessible beyond charismatic personalities. Training leaders to tell simple, heartfelt stories about real people, to create rituals that reinforce values, and to be candid and vulnerable fosters stronger connection and trust within teams. These skills, when practiced, transform organizational culture. 🎭 Authenticity Over Perfection for Trust Building The video highlights a critical insight that people do not trust polished, perfect leaders but instead resonate with those who reveal their true selves, including imperfections and doubts. Authentic presence invites connection and psychological safety, allowing leaders to model vulnerability and build deeper relationships. This challenges traditional leadership norms that prioritize image management and emotional control, advocating for a more human-centered approach. 📚 Leadership Development Must Integrate Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence Current leadership training programs disproportionately emphasize technical capabilities such as project management and financial analysis, neglecting the cultivation of emotional and spiritual intelligence. The speaker argues this imbalance is a costly mistake, as the ability to create meaning, inspire, and build community is equally critical. Integrating storytelling workshops, deep listening practices, and values exploration into leadership development is necessary to produce leaders who can navigate complexity with empathy and vision.

Abstract: James March distinguished between leadership as "plumbing"—the rational work of plans, structures, and controls—and leadership as "poetry"—the imaginative work of meaning-making, emotion, and beauty. Contrary to conventional leadership scholarship emphasizing measurable outcomes, March argued that leaders' poetic impact on human experience and meaning exceeds their ability to execute instrumental change. This article synthesizes March's framework with contemporary organizational research to examine why leaders' symbolic and emotional influence often proves more durable than their structural interventions. Drawing on evidence from meaning-making research, organizational symbolism studies, and practitioner accounts across healthcare, technology, and public sectors, we explore how leaders shape collective imagination, ritual, and aspiration—even when tangible outcomes remain elusive. The analysis offers three forward-looking capabilities for twenty-first-century leadership: aesthetic consciousness, symbolic stewardship, and poetic resilience. Organizations seeking sustainable impact may benefit more from cultivating leaders' capacity for beauty and meaning than from optimizing their technical execution.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Jennifer Carlson about the role of apprenticeships in preparing the future workforce. Jennifer Carlson serves as the CEO of Apprenti. Apprenti is a non-profit, apprenticeship intermediary and workforce consulting organization that delivers a secondary pipeline of tech talent to address U.S. domestic digital skills shortages. A former business leader with AIG, Progressive and adjunct professor at Seattle University, Jennifer also serves on the Tech Councils of North America (TECNA) foundation board, and as an Advisory Board Member - Apprenticeships for America. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network (https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/HCI) !