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Disrupt DisruptRVA OutcomesThirty-five people from varied backgrounds came together for the first time to have adeeper discussion about work. The Lost Office Collaborative was selected for theevent because of its design intention to optimize collaboration. The variety of spaceswere used to immerse people in three disruptive ideas, rotating three groups acrossthe space, so they could react to it together, inspiring questions they most wantanswered about work. These are the consolidated raw notes from the event. They areintended to give potential speakers a view into what is on the minds of people whowork in RVA, people who are interested in making work part of a life well-lived.Event date: Thursday, June 20, 2024Event location: Lost Office CollaborativeEvent goal: Create a list of questions the group most wishes the speakers wouldanswer in the October 2024 DisruptRVA event1

1: Transcending Work Experiences (Humans and Tech)Focusing Question: What work can humans uniquely do that tech can’t, now and inthe future? What can be done to make working with (even the scariest) technologypart of a life well-lived?Activity Context:Participants were paired up in front of a computer tied to a whiteboard and asked toreact to two screens: a Technology Disaster Zone, where all apocalypticprognosticators predict we will be, and a Humans & Technology Harmony Zone,where insightful human creativity can take us. The questions participants posed arehighlighted below. The statements captured reflect concerns and hopes.Questions I most want answered:Customer Service:● Inability to evolve the company with technology/keep-up --> companies do not want toinvest in or train their staff in the technology needed to provide their customer with theproduct they desire.● We use AI to provide customer service for us. As a result, we lose any sort of empathy inthe experience. People who are at their lowest and most frustrated are not helpedbecause the AI cannot understand the depth of their frustration nor the subtlety of the2

problem. It can even make it worse by providing wrong guidance. This is especiallyharmful with banking, insurance, and medicine which can have life-altering implications.People can be turned off and distrust these organizations resulting in financial hardshipand shorter lifespans.Agile Development:● Kick the can down the road. Never delivering value.Communications:● More tools to communicate fragmenting attention● Interpersonal comms are no longer necessaryProcess Management:● No measurable improvements. Only doing it for process sakeProject Management:● Companies do not invest in PM tools due to other technology being used as a work aroundand then there is a lack of streamline across the company/from team to team● Utilization of PM workarounds results in lack of development and not having the skills torun a project once in a position to do so● Processes are disjointed due to no PM tool and other tools being used as workarounds,resulting in communication breakdowns and lack of accountabilityProfessional Development & Feedback:● Systems become weaponized and don’t reflect reality on the ground● Top talent leaves and you can’t get rid of lowest performers. Then business falls, thenbusiness fails because good talent takes customers with themRecruiting:● AI hiring AI:○ There’s no way to know if a person or an AI has hired you, and there’s no way toknow if you’ve even hired a person and not an AI bot. AI hires people to do jobs andsteals their data to enrich their own bots.○ Most jobs are remote, and video interviews have such great deepfake bots that youcan’t tell if you’re speaking with a person or not because the visuals and voices areso realistic.○ AIs get hired because they are able to optimize their answers on the fly in real time,and people can’t find employment because robots have been hired for all the roles.Nobody can eat anymore. The only work real people can get hired for requirespresence, and there are not enough jobs to support the population.● Quality of PDs, screening for AI (both sides)? Is the employer depending on AI to write thequals?3

● Potential diversity and discrimination related to recruiting / hiring do to AIHiring Decisions:● AI replaces jobs● AI replaces talent acquisition, challenges on both ends (hiring/candidate)Training:● Staff are told to Google or YouTube instead of technical training being developedOnboarding:● Not onboarding employees and evaluating them prematurely● Only onboard to procedural not cultural norms● Reality not aligned to written “rules”OKF Setting:● Over focus on getting the system and documentation right that focus lost on actual goals“the what” and why● Lost in translation as it moves down the hierarchy● Make it too complex● Not connected to strategic goals● Conversations don’t occur● Waste of time and effort from the employees● Can’t see the short-term, don’t know where to start● Not connected to performance management● Goals get obsolete quicklyPerformance Management:● All the data entered into the systems and data disappears -- do you ask everyone to goback and enter it all again?● Performance management calculated all the compensation packages incorrectly and “cutthe checks”!● How to really inspire and equip leaders to develop and provide feedback to staff.Understand and clarify the difference between management (tasks) and leadership(people). Leaders should see performance development as an ongoing number 1 priorityand be held accountable for that.● Poor data if not done correctly● Focus in how I show up in performance management● Pits people against each other● Removes context, the story isn’t there● Lose players who are critical - not calibrated correctly4

Change Management:● Stakeholder motivations not taken into accountLeadership:● Not attainable● Vision not aspirational or actionable● Trust the sales pitch rather than doing due diligence and proof of concept● Do we understand what AI is and the value to our company / vision?Employee Support:● If all employee support is held inside company benefit websites/systems and there are nohuman support systems available, is the employee actually supported?● Becomes less personalDecision-making:● Using AI without evaluating the results. “ChatGPT made me do it”● Going with the hippo (highest paid person’s opinion), rather than doing the research for atechnology solution/decisionCustomer Service:● How do you stay relevant and adapt in your area of service?● If it could work that would reduce need5

● What if we created an AI that helped guide you through managing your finances from thelong-term plan to the shorter-term value you get from everyday spending?● What if it helped you maximize tax benefits and indicated when it was possible to save andhow much?● What if it made you feel good instead of down about your ability to manage your finances?Agile Development:● Progress in value creationCommunications:● Lower the expectation● How does AI create an experience for employee connection in the absence of naturalinterpersonal connections?Process Management:● [nothing noted]Project Management:● Known scope, budget, schedule● What are you missing when you don’t invest in the proper technology?● Is the short-term ROI on a PM workaround greater than the long-term ROI on investing inone to streamline process, communication, accountability, and adequately developingstaff?Professional Development & Feedback:● [nothing noted]Recruiting:● How do we make recruitment truly human?● How do we use AI to actually identify the ideal candidates?● How do we train hiring teams to leverage AI to their advantage?● How do you make sure AI is not biased or screening out potential candidates due to “codedbias”?● What additional measures do you put in place to make sure AI is not discriminating inrecruiting?Hiring Decisions:● How would we use AI to determine what to do with employees displaced by AI?Training:● More real time feedback● Real time reinforcement● AI recognize skills, recorded/documentation is faster6

● Action for development● Real time connection to company metrics● How do you utilize technology to provide more engaging and relevant training thanYouTube or Google?● Are you missing opportunities for your team and senior staff to pass down historicalexpertise?Onboarding:● How does AI get to know your employee base and incorporate motivations, history,saboteurs?OKF Setting:● Before we implement the technology, how do we make sure people really know what theOKRs are?● Opportunities and feedback● Progress reporting driven by AI● Goal setting● Improved planning and understanding of activities are occurring● Comparative market analysis by rolePerformance Management:● What controls do we have in place to check the system before we go live?● Create models to help leaders focus on the conversation● Loudest voice in the room factor is removed/reduced● Knowledge on anticipated dips● EngagementChange Management:● AI is just another tool, it’s not scaryLeadership:● Measurable and repeatable mission to reach the visionEmployee Support:● How do we determine when a people-first support channel is needed?Decision-making:● Increase value and show results for intangible results● Tech helps informed decisions, just works● How do we better understand our business process and requirements, and then determinewhether the technology meets our needs?● How can we be sure our results are hallucination free?7

2: Connecting Work Experiences (Joy at Work)Focusing Question: What are our best shared work experiences?Activity Context:Participants were in a space with a large wall filled with books and objects. They wereasked to select a book title or object that reminded them of their best experienceeither leading or being on a team. They were then paired up to share their stories tosee what they had in common and what was unique. The questions participants posedare highlighted below.Questions I most want answered:● Post COVID, what are the justifications for travel, local and international?● How do you change people's story to the new you after you’ve grown?● How do you build a positive team culture and scale it?● How do you make vision a self-driving car? Not dependent on a leader’s energy,self-perpetuating.● How do we create space for different types of thinking?● How do you know when it’s time to change?● How do you mobilize when it’s time to pivot but you don’t want to?!8

● How can we leverage work experiences to create great personal experiences?● How do you engage neurodiverse employees?● What support does an organization need to provide to allow employees to thrive orpotentially fail?● How do you enable evolution when resources are constrained?● How do we help the outliers in society?● What resources are needed to free up creativity/evolution?● How do we create a shared purpose?● How do you get people aligned with and excited about the goal/change?● How do you put people in the forefront? People first -- find your passion● How do you ignite passion in your workforce?● How can you be the leader people don’t want to leave?● Why is leadership rare?● Why can’t we pick one thing to focus on and stay focused on it? As a company, as a team,etc.● Why do we deviate from the mission?● How do I know if I’m an amazing leader? How do I know if I’m an amazing manager? What’sthe real difference between the two?● Why are we still solving the same problems?● How can we get comfortable with being uncomfortable?● Prove the business case of physical breaks in the work day to productivity. Not tied to work(i.e., walking meeting) but like a 30 second dance party or laugh yoga.A focused conversation by one team: The Fifth Discipline Perspective● Wisdom has no age● Knowing the outcome● Merging together● Perspective fuels collaboration● True supportive community/belonging, truly seeking one another● Connectedness, true belonging● A culture of safety and vulnerability parameters● How can you replicate a dialogue?● Collaboration is facilitated/fueled by inspiration when perspective on ideas is welcome.● Conclusion: ***** How many people are seeking connection but don’t want to (be the oneto) take the first step of vulnerability? *****9

3: Healing Work Experiences (Agency)Focusing Question: What could we do to heal the things that are broken at work?Activity Context:Participants were put into two teams. They used tape to identify all of the things atwork they see as broken and need to be healed. They rolled the balls across to eachother to add. The questions participants posed are highlighted below.10

Questions I most want answered:● Culture that values overwork:○ Managing priorities can result in:■ Doing what they’re not hired to do■ Burnout■ New impactful work○ How can we ensure that the tasks that are delegated are motivating and notburning out employees?○ How to recognize limitations, physical and mental?○ How to promote a culture that values performance over preferences?● Decision-making: Can we just decide already?○ Define your why○ Who is the final decision maker?○ How do we recognize the input and talent of introverted employees?○ How to get out of consensus culture?○ Bring full attention earlier in process○ Get people comfortable with being uncomfortable● Over use of innovation○ Is innovation required to remain competitive in the market?○ Is it better or just different? If it’s not broken, don’t fix it○ How do you cut through the innovation noise?○ Can we be competitive without AI? Without technology?○ How do we know when we’re over-innovating?○ How do we balance innovation and incremental improvement?● Meetings: Meetings come at the cost, how do we ensure they add value?○ What’s the purpose?○ Who needs to be there?○ Are you clear on the impacts and expected outcomes?○ Can this be delegated?○ What are generational considerations?○ What are the cultural norms?● Lack of cohesive corporate strategy and plan to communicate it clearly○ What’s the recipe to create an effective offsite?○ What does it take to be the chief communication/cheerleader of strategy?○ How do you get stakeholders aligned, contributing and buying into the corporatestrategy?○ What’s possible if you simplify your corporate strategy?11