Latest news with #WorkhumanLive
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Collective Effervescence: Hope From HR Leaders As They Face Challenges
Teamwork and thought leadership can overcome any challenge. If you're in the business of HR nowadays, the world of work can feel bleak. The divides amongst us grow broader and deeper; our businesses face layoffs, real and existential threats; DEIB has become a four-letter word; the C-suite implore us to help solve and ready the organization for an AI-laden near future, except instead of building the plane as we fly it, we're dismantling and repurposing the parts as we take off. At the interpersonal level, those of us in HR can feel like caretakers. We are the willing, compassionate warriors who strive to prevent and alleviate the suffering of others. We are a place where people air their grievances. And many times, that's a good thing. But who cares for the caretakers? Enter Workhuman Live, an HR conference put on by Workhuman, an employee recognition software company. My team attended Workhuman Live in Aurora, Colorado, the week of May 12th this year, and came home full of topical insights, new friends, and, more importantly, hope. Waypower and Willpower In psychology and the social sciences, hope is a measurable psychological state with tremendous power to enable action. Its component parts are Waypower and Willpower. Waypower encompasses the strategies necessary to achieve a goal, and willpower refers to the motivational energy required to reach it. Workhuman Live and events like these, when done well, can provide both. For ten years, Workhuman Live has gathered HR professionals, senior leaders, social scientists, and thought leaders to explore: How do we make work more human? From the likes of Adam Grant and Trevor Noah this year, to Michelle Obama, Brené Brown, Amal Clooney, and others in past years, this conference explores a wide range of topics. It seeks to unpack big questions, ponder challenging ones, and tread on uncomfortable ones, providing a place for HR professionals to collaborate, strategize, and bring actionable insights home to make a meaningful impact. This all contributes to the Waypower aspect of Hope. Beyond the brainpower and best practices, though, this conference provided attendees with the powerful experience of collective effervescence, a sociological term describing the feeling of belonging and connection to a group, making one feel like they are part of something larger. With high-energy visuals, engaging and thoughtful emcees KeyAnna Schmiedl and Holly Ransom, high-powered speakers, coffee bars, customizable water bottles, and (actually) good, healthy food, the week in Colorado at Workhuman Live was a place of connection and re-energization. Through this, Workhuman Live enlivened our Willpower. Key Themes: AI is Here to Stay One of our biggest takeaways from this year's conference was, possibly no surprise, the role of AI as a workplace disruptor. Met by some with cautious optimism, others with trepidation, and others with doomsday predictions, there is no doubt that AI is here to stay and changing work in ways yet to be fully revealed. With heavy-hitters weighing in like Adam Grant, Kelly Jones, the Chief People Officer at Cisco, and Kerry Dryburgh, the Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer at BP, it was nice to know that we are kindred spirits pondering the question: how will AI affect the future of work, workforces, and (up)skilling? Adam Grant suggested that we tap into the collective wisdom and creativity of our own workforces by launching a sort of AI hackathon, inviting employees to unlock the best possible ways to deploy AI to improve the organization. Whether you take his advice or not, the answer is not to crawl under your desk in the fetal position and hope that AI goes away soon. Great leaders are People-Centric We sat down and interviewed conference presenters, authors, and leaders, and asked them to differentiate between good and great leaders. Although our interviewees hailed from different industries, backgrounds, and areas of study, they all agreed that great leaders need to be people-centric, building relationships and cultivating the best in their people. Best-selling author and keynote speaker Cy Wakeman has been pondering this question for some time. Her insights were summed up with 'I think there's a totally new skill needed for great leaders. They are not going to manage the systems and the processes. That is for AI. Leaders should be managing the energy of their people. The new great leaders will be alchemists.' Niamh Graham, Vice President, Global HR at Workhuman said the great leaders truly care about their people. '[They] have to be a good listener, and [they] have to care.' We also spoke with Kia Afcari, Director of Greater Good Workplaces at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), who brings an academic lens to the question, given the GGSC's focus on the psychology and neuroscience behind wellbeing in the workplace. Kia shared, 'We've been doing a lot of research and writing on kindness in leadership. Known in academia as prosocial behavior, prosociality is generally defined as 'positive' social behavior intended to promote the welfare of others. Companies with prosopical CEOs perform better. Employees perform better for prosocial managers.' He writes in his article Why Kind Workplaces are More Successful, 'fostering a prosocial and well-being–oriented workplace is not only 'the right thing to do' but also a strategic business decision.' One way to initiate a more intentional approach to developing people-centric leaders is to explore the compassionate leadership toolkit, which includes a free assessment, and consider attending WorkHuman's next conference for educational and morale purposes.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Courage To Lead With Values In An Age Of Uncertainty: Insights From Workhuman Live 2025
Eric Mosley takes the stage at Workhuman Live 2025 to share how Human Intelligence is transforming ... More the workplace. I came into Workhuman Live 2025 with a question I was eager to explore: In a moment defined by acute disruption and technological acceleration, what does it take to lead with clarity and conviction, meeting the needs of both the business and people in it? Our speakers and attendees were posing the same question. Across every stage and side chat, I saw a thread running through the conversation: the importance of values, and how staying aligned to those values can drive forward both employee wellbeing and business performance. The theme of the week soon became clear: In times of uncertainty, values are cultural anchors. And the moral courage to stand by them is a leadership differentiator. As Kelly Jones, EVP and Chief People Officer at Cisco, put it in our Wednesday panel: 'Leadership without moral courage is weak tea.' As Kelly explained, oftentimes, when you're in times of disruption, employees want to know where you stand. 'This is the moral courage part,' she explained. 'Your culture comes to life through what you do, not what you say. And so you know, these moments of being able to communicate often and inclusively about who you are and where you stand on these things are very important.' But to act with courage, leaders need more than just instinct or good intentions. They also need visibility into the unbiased truth of their organizations: how people work, where culture thrives or breaks down, and where values are lived or lost. Moral courage doesn't mean having all the answers. It does mean being willing to seek out the truth. And this points to the other major threads of the conference: Having curiosity and seeking answers even when it's hard. In other words, finding and building on better data. Adam Grant reminded us of this in his keynote, urging attendees to seek out the truth about their own leadership and organizations. Finding a source of truth is important, he noted, even if it is uncomfortable or leaders feel uncertain. As Trevor Noah also observed in his keynote, 'Fear is an interesting emotion in that it lives in uncertainty. It breathes in uncertainty. And so there are a lot of leaders who are unsure, but I don't think a leader needs to be sure. What a good leader needs to be is communicative.' Culture, Clarity, and Alignment Moral courage and values may be the north star, but to lead with them consistently, you also have to see clearly how they are being practiced across your organization: where your culture is thriving, where it's under strain, and how people are actually experiencing work. Kerry Dryburgh, Chief Human Resource Officer of bp, offered a powerful example of this during our CHRO panel, reflecting on the company's decision to exit Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. It was a decision made quickly, but with a deep conviction rooted in bp's values. As Kerry explained, it wasn't just a political or financial choice. It was a people one. A recognition that you can't hold a values statement in one hand and do something misaligned with the other. That kind of clarity – knowing what matters, and acting on it – demands both insight and courage. But even with strong values, alignment doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentional leadership at every level of the organization. 'I think the first thing you have to think about is what's right in what context,' Kerry said. 'And it doesn't always mean that everything has to be the same… building authentic leaders, because at the end of the day, any moment for an employee is very largely impacted by the teams they work with and the leaders they work for.' It means making sure your people understand where the company is going, and how their work connects to that journey. 'Individuals tend to be more energized and motivated when they can see a direct line of sight between the company goals and what they're actually focused on,' Kerry said. 'So you've got a line of sight to outcomes and are rewarding accordingly.' But when that clarity is present, and when people feel seen, informed, and connected to the mission, it transforms the experience of work and business results. Human Intelligence as a Tool for Courageous Leadership This idea – that you don't need certainty to lead, but you do need clarity – is where many of our discussions this week converged. And, of course, getting to the truth starts with the right data. Whether feedback, answers, or people data, as Kelly Jones from Cisco said: 'Your data has got to be good or this will not work.' She reminded us during her session that no AI platform, however sophisticated, can create meaningful results without first starting with high-quality data. That's where Human Intelligence comes in. It's where values, data, and action converge, and where leaders can ensure they have the clarity to lead with both conviction and confidence. Recognition data as a source is uniquely powerful in this way because it is voluntary and specific, reflecting how work actually happens in an organization. It captures the informal networks, hidden contributions, and behaviors that don't always show up in traditional systems. That makes it a vital tool for aligning people with values, surfacing influence, and understanding the lived experience of culture in real time. Recognition itself functions first as a values-alignment tool, revealing who is modeling your organization's principles, where momentum is building, and where attention is needed. It shows not just what is rewarded, but what is remembered. And when used intentionally, it helps reinforce purpose and direction at every level of the business. Combined with AI, recognition also becomes a values measurement tool. Too often, leaders rely on lagging indicators or incomplete survey data to assess culture, skills, and engagement. But Human Intelligence offers real-time insight into what's working, what's shifting, and where leaders need to lean in. That kind of visibility supports better decisions, grounded not in assumptions, but in patterns of actual behavior. And critically, Human Intelligence is a performance engine. When leaders are working from clean, behavior-based data instead of fragmented, transactional metrics, they can invest in what's creating value, course-correct where needed, and scale what's working. As I shared in my keynote, we are surrounded by behavioral data in the workplace, but most of it is locked inside messy systems. Unlocking that data and making it visible, usable, and human-centered gives leaders a foundation not just for culture and performance but also for confidence and more ethical decision-making. And in a world where values and performance are increasingly intertwined, that source of truth is essential. Moral Courage Is Not a Solo Sport: Community as Infrastructure Of course, even the strongest values can falter in isolation. Courage is easier to summon when you're not the only one carrying it. That's why I was especially proud to help launch the WSJ Chief People Officer Council at Workhuman Live 2025, a new peer forum created by The WSJ Leadership Institute in partnership with Workhuman. At a time when people leaders are being asked to lead through transformation, uphold culture, drive performance, and navigate intense social scrutiny all at once, this kind of space is crucial. The Council reflects the growing reality that CPOs and CHROs have become co-authors of the business agenda. And this council will be a space for bold ideas, real influence, and shared experience in leading through the complexity of our time. Trevor Noah issued a challenge to our audience on Wednesday to 'Be curious, so that fear is not the emotion you're experiencing.' The CPO Council is designed for just that sort of curiosity. It will be a place where questions are welcome, doubt is respected, and progress is built through collective curiosity. What It Takes to See – and Lead – Clearly If I emerged from this week with one insight, it is that in times of noise, the real competitive advantage is clarity. Clarity of purpose. Clarity of culture. Clarity of data. Clarity about what your organization stands for, and how that shows up in action. And moral clarity, which cuts across every aspect of people leadership and every topic on our agenda – from business performance to AI transformation, to DEI. As Valeisha Butterfield said during our panel: 'We determined that [DEI] was good for business, not just because it was a popular thing to do, and then holding the line and saying, 'This is good for my company. This is good for my industry. We're seeing gains. We're seeing bottom-line returns. So we're going to have courage in this moment, because we know, not only that it's the right thing to do, but it's actually good for our business.' That kind of courage may emerge as a defining trait of leadership in the AI era. The future of people leadership will belong to those brave enough to act in alignment with their values – with clarity, connection, and at scale. When data makes values visible, and community makes them actionable, leaders are equipped not only to respond, but to lead with courage. You can learn more about the CPO Council at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Decade of Human Connection: Workhuman Wraps It's Tenth Workhuman Live Conference; Announces Workhuman Live 2026 in Orlando, Florida
With bold keynotes, AI-powered innovation, and a decade of impact, the world's leading HR event continues to inspire people leaders to connect, recognize, and transform the future of work FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Workhuman®, the world's leading employee recognition company, wrapped the tenth instance of its flagship event Workhuman Live, in Denver, where thousands of HR leaders gathered to reimagine what it means to create thriving workplace cultures. This year's Workhuman Live wasn't just a look ahead—it was a mirror held up to the profession. It asked HR leaders not just to adapt to change, but to own it. To stop supporting from the sidelines and start architecting the future of work with data, dignity, and bold decisions. From May 12–15, thousands of HR leaders, practitioners, and executives from around the globe gathered. The mainstage came alive with headlining speakers like Trevor Noah, Adam Grant, and a who's who of industry trailblazers, offering fresh insight into leadership, workplace culture, and the human experience at work. Workhuman customers shared how they're using recognition not as a perk, but as a performance strategy—showing measurable impact on engagement, retention, and inclusion. "Workhuman Live has become more than a conference—it's an entire movement," said Tom Libretto, President of Workhuman. "It's where people leaders come to recharge, rethink their impact, and return to their organizations with the tools and momentum to build better workplaces." And this year's event proved that the work of the HR industry has never been more important. Among the many highlights, Workhuman and The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute announced the launch of the inaugural CPO Council—a first-of-its-kind coalition bringing together visionary Chief People Officers to elevate the role of HR in shaping strategic business outcomes. The Council represents a bold step forward in redefining the impact of people leaders at the highest levels of the enterprise. Innovations in Human Intelligence: Turning Recognition into a Live View of Workplace Culture Another defining moment of this year's event was the debut of Workhuman Topics™, the newest addition to Workhuman's Human Intelligence™ suite. Topics uses advanced AI to turn recognition moments into a living, breathing map of how strategic priorities—like inclusion, innovation, or leadership behaviors—are actually showing up in the culture. No forms to fill out. No added workload. Just continuous, real-time insight into how values and strategies are being reinforced across every team, function, and geography. Topics is the newest innovation in Workhuman's launch of Human Intelligence—new AI-powered tools that help companies understand what's really happening in their culture. While others focus on giving rewards, Workhuman leverages recognition data to help leaders see who's making an impact, how teams are working together, and where support is needed. Workhuman Live 2026 The next frontier of business isn't digital, it's human. In a world driven by AI and automation, Workhuman is calling HR to lead with purpose, insight, and recognition as a growth lever. HR leaders are encouraged to enhance their learning, networking, and professional growth at Workhuman Live 2026, which will take place April 27–30, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. Early registration is now open at and code WHL26PRESS will provide a 20% discount. As attendees head back to their organizations, the message is clear: Workhuman is leading the next era of HR. One where recognition fuels performance, culture becomes a competitive advantage, and human intelligence drives business growth. About Workhuman Workhuman® is the world's leading recognition and rewards platform, serving organizations of all sizes—from the Fortune 500 to fast-growing mid-market companies—across more than 180 countries. With over 25 years of category leadership, we support 7 million employees worldwide and have facilitated more than 100 million moments of connection that elevate culture and drive performance. With over a decade of consistent profitability, Workhuman® stands as proof that investing in people delivers lasting business value. Our pioneering Human Intelligence™ technology transforms recognition into strategic insight, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their people while driving measurable business impact and culture transformation. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
A Decade of Human Connection: Workhuman Wraps It's Tenth Workhuman Live Conference; Announces Workhuman Live 2026 in Orlando, Florida
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Workhuman ®, the world's leading employee recognition company, wrapped the tenth instance of its flagship event Workhuman Live, in Denver, where thousands of HR leaders gathered to reimagine what it means to create thriving workplace cultures. This year's Workhuman Live wasn't just a look ahead—it was a mirror held up to the profession. It asked HR leaders not just to adapt to change, but to own it. To stop supporting from the sidelines and start architecting the future of work with data, dignity, and bold decisions. From May 12–15, thousands of HR leaders, practitioners, and executives from around the globe gathered. The mainstage came alive with headlining speakers like Trevor Noah, Adam Grant, and a who's who of industry trailblazers, offering fresh insight into leadership, workplace culture, and the human experience at work. Workhuman customers shared how they're using recognition not as a perk, but as a performance strategy—showing measurable impact on engagement, retention, and inclusion. 'Workhuman Live has become more than a conference—it's an entire movement,' said Tom Libretto, President of Workhuman. 'It's where people leaders come to recharge, rethink their impact, and return to their organizations with the tools and momentum to build better workplaces.' And this year's event proved that the work of the HR industry has never been more important. Among the many highlights, Workhuman and The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute announced the launch of the inaugural CPO Council —a first-of-its-kind coalition bringing together visionary Chief People Officers to elevate the role of HR in shaping strategic business outcomes. The Council represents a bold step forward in redefining the impact of people leaders at the highest levels of the enterprise. Innovations in Human Intelligence: Turning Recognition into a Live View of Workplace Culture Another defining moment of this year's event was the debut of Workhuman Topics™, the newest addition to Workhuman's Human Intelligence™ suite. Topics uses advanced AI to turn recognition moments into a living, breathing map of how strategic priorities—like inclusion, innovation, or leadership behaviors—are actually showing up in the culture. No forms to fill out. No added workload. Just continuous, real-time insight into how values and strategies are being reinforced across every team, function, and geography. Topics is the newest innovation in Workhuman's launch of Human Intelligence—new AI-powered tools that help companies understand what's really happening in their culture. While others focus on giving rewards, Workhuman leverages recognition data to help leaders see who's making an impact, how teams are working together, and where support is needed. Workhuman Live 2026 The next frontier of business isn't digital, it's human. In a world driven by AI and automation, Workhuman is calling HR to lead with purpose, insight, and recognition as a growth lever. HR leaders are encouraged to enhance their learning, networking, and professional growth at Workhuman Live 2026, which will take place April 27–30, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. Early registration is now open at and code WHL26PRESS will provide a 20% discount. As attendees head back to their organizations, the message is clear: Workhuman is leading the next era of HR. One where recognition fuels performance, culture becomes a competitive advantage, and human intelligence drives business growth. About Workhuman Workhuman ® is the world's leading recognition and rewards platform, serving organizations of all sizes—from the Fortune 500 to fast-growing mid-market companies—across more than 180 countries. With over 25 years of category leadership, we support 7 million employees worldwide and have facilitated more than 100 million moments of connection that elevate culture and drive performance. With over a decade of consistent profitability, Workhuman ® stands as proof that investing in people delivers lasting business value. Our pioneering Human Intelligence™ technology transforms recognition into strategic insight, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their people while driving measurable business impact and culture transformation. Learn more at
