Olivia: A recent study found that inspired employees are 225 percent more productive than merely 'engaged' ones. Jackson: Whoa, 225 percent? That’s a staggering number. I’d expect inspired people to be more productive, but more than double? What’s the secret sauce? Free kombucha on tap? Unlimited vacation? Olivia: That's the fascinating part. The secret isn't bigger paychecks or better perks. It's something far more human, and a little bit weird. It's about creating a workplace where people feel they can be, well, human. Jackson: Okay, "human." I'm intrigued. What are we diving into today? Olivia: This is the core idea in Erica Keswin's bestselling book, Bring Your Human to Work. And what's fascinating about Keswin is her background—she's not your typical HR guru. She started her career at NASA, designing requirements for the space station. Jackson: Hold on. NASA? From the space station to the office station? That’s a career pivot. Olivia: Exactly. And she later collaborated with MIT's Sherry Turkle on how technology impacts relationships. So she comes at this from a unique angle: part space-age systems thinking, part deep human psychology. She argues that the most fundamental part of a successful business is honoring relationships. Jackson: I can see how that would be a hot topic. The book came out in 2018, right when the debate about remote work and digital burnout was really heating up. It got mixed but generally positive reviews, with a lot of readers calling it a must-read for managers, even if some found the ideas a bit common-sense. Olivia: I think that's the central tension of the book, which Keswin herself acknowledges. She says, "Bringing your human to work is not rocket science, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy." The first step, and maybe the hardest, is something that sounds simple: being real.

Jackson: Okay, but what does "being real" or "authentic" actually mean in a corporate setting? That term gets thrown around so much it’s almost lost all meaning. Does it mean I can tell my boss I’m taking a mental health day to binge-watch a new series? It sounds like a poster in a guidance counselor's office. Olivia: That’s the perfect skeptical question. Keswin argues it’s about moving your company's values off the motivational posters on the wall and into the daily actions in the halls. It’s about the company having a clear, human personality. The best example she gives is the difference between Lyft and Uber. Jackson: Ah, the ride-sharing wars. A classic business case. Olivia: Think about the simple act of getting into the car. For years, with Uber, the unspoken rule was that the passenger sits in the back. It’s a transaction. Clean, efficient, impersonal. You’re a client being transported. Jackson: Right, it’s a taxi service, just with a better app. Olivia: Exactly. But Lyft, from its very beginning, built its brand around a different human interaction. They encouraged passengers to sit in the front seat. To have a conversation. It was about connection, not just transportation. One of their core values is "Uplift Others." It’s a small difference in physical space that signals a massive difference in philosophy. Jackson: It’s kind of like the company’s operating system is its personality. One is built for efficiency, the other for connection. Olivia: Precisely. And this isn't just fluffy branding. Keswin shares this incredible story about a Lyft driver. A passenger got in his car, and she was clearly distraught, on the verge of suicide. The driver, picking up on this, didn't just drive. He talked to her, and at the end of the ride, he handed her a Valentine's Day card he had been giving out. That small, human gesture saved her life. Jackson: Wow. That's... that's profound. But you can't just hope your drivers become heroes. That feels like lightning in a bottle. How did Lyft build a system that makes something like that even possible? Olivia: That's the "into the halls" part. It’s not accidental. Lyft built a rotating "Culture Board" of employees to ensure their values were being lived. They hired, evaluated, and even compensated people based on those values. They actively shared stories like the one I just told to reinforce what "Uplifting Others" looks like in practice. It becomes part of the company's mythology, its DNA. Jackson: So they're not just stating the value, they're creating a feedback loop that celebrates and rewards it. It’s an active process. Olivia: It’s an active, and sometimes intense, process. Look at JetBlue. At their new-hire orientation, a leader gets up and proudly announces, "We’re kind of a cult!" They spend days indoctrinating new crew members into their five core values: Safety, Caring, Integrity, Passion, and Fun. They share emotional stories, like a recording of a mother thanking a crew member for helping her developmentally delayed son. Jackson: A cult! That's a bold thing to say out loud. But I get it. They’re creating a tribe with a shared language and purpose. Olivia: And it works. An executive from another major company once asked a JetBlue leader, "You guys have managed to be an airline associated with love. How on earth do you do that?" The answer is this relentless focus on making their values real and human for every single employee, from day one. It’s about speaking in a human voice, not a corporate one.

Jackson: Okay, so if the company's "software" is its authentic, lived-in values, what about the "hardware"? I'm talking about the actual office, the meeting rooms, the Slack channels, the tech we use every day. Because honestly, most of that seems designed to isolate us, not connect us. Olivia: You’ve just hit on the second major theme of the book. Keswin calls it finding the "sweet spot" between tech and connect. We have all these tools for communication, yet we feel more disconnected than ever. The author herself tells a story about having lunch with a close friend who was so distracted by her phone buzzing that they couldn't have a real conversation. That personal frustration scales up to the entire workplace. Jackson: I totally know that feeling. You’re in a meeting, and you can just see everyone’s eyes glazing over as they secretly check their email under the table. Olivia: Right. So the most innovative companies are now actively designing against that. They're trying to architect serendipity—to intentionally create moments of human connection. A fantastic example is Airbnb. For their annual all-hands conference, they had thousands of employees from all over the world. How do you get them to connect? Jackson: Free food and an open bar? Olivia: They did that too, I'm sure. But they also did something brilliant. They created an algorithm to form small groups of six people, which they called "troops." The algorithm was designed to put people together who were least likely to know each other—different departments, different countries, different levels of seniority. Jackson: So they used technology, the very thing that can isolate us, to force human connection. That's clever. Olivia: It's more than clever; it's a philosophical shift. They're using tech to enhance touch, not replace it. These troops ate together, sat together, and went through the conference as a unit. It was an engineered solution to a human problem. Jackson: So they're literally designing the office experience like a chemist mixing reactive elements, hoping for a positive explosion? Olivia: That’s a perfect analogy. And it extends to the physical space, too. Keswin tells the story of David Siegel, the CEO of Investopedia. He intentionally re-arranges the office seating chart every few months. He doesn't group people by who they report to. He puts the social media team, which reports to marketing, right next to the editorial team. Why? Because he wants them talking, sharing ideas, and as he puts it, he wants the "barriers between those functions to melt away." Jackson: That makes so much sense. You solve problems faster when the person you need to talk to is sitting right next to you, not three floors away behind a wall of emails. Olivia: Exactly. It’s about curating connection, starting at the water cooler, or in this case, the desk cluster. Jackson: This all sounds great, but I have to bring up a point that some readers have made. A lot of these ideas can feel a bit idealistic, especially in our post-pandemic, hybrid world. How does "designing for connection" work when half the team is on a screen and the other half is in an office that’s half-empty? Olivia: That's a crucial question, and the principles still apply, they just shift from physical space to digital space. It becomes about designing protocols. For example, Todd Yellin at Netflix runs his product strategy meetings with a cardinal rule: no technology. No phones, no laptops. You have to read a detailed memo beforehand and come ready to engage, mind and body. Jackson: I love that. It forces presence. Olivia: It forces presence. Another great example is the healthcare consulting firm Vynamic. They have a policy called "zzzMail." No work emails are allowed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or on weekends. If it's urgent, you have to call or text. It creates a digital boundary that allows people to truly disconnect. Jackson: A Z-bomb! I can just imagine the office chatter. "Did you hear? Dave dropped a Z-bomb on the team last night." Olivia: It creates a cultural norm. So whether it's a no-tech meeting rule or an email curfew, you're still designing the "space"—in this case, the digital space—to prioritize human well-being and connection. The principles are the same.

Jackson: As we wrap up, it seems the big takeaway from Bring Your Human to Work isn't just about being 'nice' at work. It’s about treating culture and connection as an engineering problem. You have to design it, with intention, into every single system—your values, your tech, your meetings, even your seating chart. Olivia: Exactly. It’s a shift from letting culture happen by accident to building it on purpose. And Keswin's point, coming from her NASA background, is that it's not rocket science—though she'd know!—but it does take discipline and commitment. It requires leaders to be vulnerable and to prioritize relationships as a core business strategy. Jackson: It’s a powerful reframe. It moves these "soft skills" into the realm of hard strategy. Olivia: It absolutely does. So the question for everyone listening is: what's one small, 'human' thing you could design into your workday tomorrow? Could you start your team meeting with a two-minute, non-work check-in? Could you pick up the phone instead of sending that next email? Jackson: Or maybe just have a lunch without a screen in front of you. A radical act these days. We'd love to hear your ideas. Share them with us on our social channels. What does bringing your human to work look like for you? Olivia: This is Aibrary, signing off.