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Thomas Bertels

President at Purpose Works Consulting LLC

New York, United States

Thomas Bertels is the president and founder of Purpose Works Consulting, a management consulting firm on a mission to make work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful. He has twenty-five years of experience working with companies ranging from Fortune 10 firms to start-ups to improve organizational effectiveness and transform how work gets done.

Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Speaking
Travels From: New York
Speaking Topics: Future of Work, Business Transformation, Work Design, Productivity

Speaking Fee $5,000 (In-Person), $1,000 (Virtual)

Thomas Bertels Points
Academic 0
Author 272
Influencer 28
Speaker 9
Entrepreneur 0
Total 309

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Featured Videos

Thomas Bertels interview on RVN-TV's 'The Advocates'
September 18, 2023
JIT Cafe Webinar on Work Design
September 18, 2023
Thomas Bertels interview on RVN-TV's 'Behind the Numbers'
September 18, 2023

Featured Topics

Company Information

Company Type: Company
Minimum Project Size: $10,000+
Average Hourly Rate: $300+
Number of Employees: 11-50
Company Founded Date: 2023
Media Experience: 15 years
Last Media Interview: 06/29/2023

Areas of Expertise

Agile 30.10
Business Strategy 32.04
Change Management 32.00
Customer Experience 30.04
Design Thinking 34.65
Digital Transformation
Future of Work 32.05
Innovation
Leadership 30.90
Lean Startup
Management 35.23
Supply Chain

Industry Experience

Automotive
Chemicals
Consumer Products
Cross Industry
Financial Services & Banking
Healthcare
High Tech & Electronics
Insurance
Manufacturing
Media
Pharmaceuticals
Professional Services

Publications

40 Article/Blogs
Stop Flying Blind: How Driver Trees Align Your Team on What Moves the Needle
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July 10, 2025
One of the most common mistakes you can make as a leader is to assume that everyone on your team sees the business the way you do. Because they rarely do.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Stela Lupushor - The AI-enabled Workforce
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June 30, 2025
In this episode of the Work Matters podcast, host Thomas Bertels and HR thought leader Stela Lupushor explore how AI is reshaping workforce dynamics.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

System Pullers: The High-Impact Improvement Levers Hiding in Plain Sight
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June 24, 2025
Not all improvement efforts are created equal. Smart leaders focus their energy on those that elevate the performance of the entire system.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Every Growing Company Needs a Fixer
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June 17, 2025
As companies scale, they face systemic coordination challenges that traditional hierarchies and formal processes simply can't handle.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Every Executive's AI Dilemma: How to Move Fast Without Getting Burned
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June 11, 2025
AI is powerful and risky. While your competitors are rushing headfirst into AI and hoping for the best, smart leaders are using a proven risk assessment tool to pick the right opportunities.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

From Documentation to Transformation: Unleashing RACI's True Potential
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June 03, 2025
Learn how to leverage your RACI chart to improve efficiency, empower teams, and redesign work that actually works.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Chainsaw or Scalpel?
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May 27, 2025
Cutting costs is sometimes necessary—but leaders must choose their tools wisely. Use a scalpel, not a chainsaw, or you risk killing the patient.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Why Process Mapping Might Be the Most Underrated Leadership Tool
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May 21, 2025
Don’t underestimate the power of a marker and a whiteboard. Done right, process mapping helps to align, engage, and energize.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

While Others Wait: Leveraging Uncertainty to Fix Work and Boost Performance
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May 16, 2025
Smart leaders don't wait out economic uncertainty—they use the pause to fix work, boost team performance, and strengthen capabilities.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Andrew Patricio - Leveraging AI
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April 22, 2025
In this episode, Thomas Bertels talks to Andrew Patricio, head of data and AI for UNIDOS US, the largest Hispanic advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Bill Fischer - Learning from Haier
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April 08, 2025
In this episode of Work Matters, host Thomas Bertels and innovation management expert Bill Fischer discuss the Chinese company Haier and how its unique operating model has enabled its rapid growth.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

When Your Open Positions Vanish, It's Time to Boost Team Productivity
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March 11, 2025
Struggling with unfilled positions? Discover how to boost your team’s productivity through actionable strategies that empower your team and improve work efficiency—no new hires required!

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Mastering the Infinite Game of Transformation
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March 04, 2025
Transformation used to be a project with a start and end date. Not anymore. If you’re still treating transformation as a finite game, you’re playing the wrong game.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

The Art of No: A Guide for Leaders
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February 13, 2025
There is always more work than resources. If you don't want to get crushed by the ever-increasing workload, you need to master the art of saying no.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

The Limits of Push and the Power of Pull
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February 06, 2025
There are two basic change strategies: Push and Pull. Push is about driving from the top down. Pull is about empowering employees to drive change. Savvy leaders know how to leverage both.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

The Secret to Survive and Thrive as a Middle Manager
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January 30, 2025
Many middle managers struggle to keep up with relentless change and ever increasing expectations. What do those that succeed do different to stay ahead and create lasting impact?

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

An Ounce of Prevention: The Power of Regular Organizational Check-Ups
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January 16, 2025
Most organizational performance issues are a long time in the making, yet leaders often fail to notice the warning signs. A regular check-up helps leaders identify and tackle issues early.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Rami Goldratt - Theory of Constraints
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August 21, 2024
In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas and his guest Rami Goldratt explore the theory of constraints, its applications, and its impact on organizations.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Tina Robinson - Personalizing Engagement
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August 07, 2024
In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas and Tina Robinson discuss why engagement matters for leaders and how to make it personal.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Bruce Rosenstein - Insights from Peter Drucker
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July 25, 2024
In this episode of Work Matters, Thomas talks with Bruce Rosenstein, the managing editor of the acclaimed business journal ‘Leader to Leader’ and a longtime student of Peter Drucker's work, about the relevance of Drucker's management theories in today's world.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Steve Crom - Managing across Cultures
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July 10, 2024
In this episode of Work Matters, host Thomas Bertels welcomes Steve Crom, former chairman and partner emeritus of global consulting firm Oxygy.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Dennis Adsit - The Generosity Gene
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June 26, 2024
In this episode, host Thomas Bertels talks to Dennis Adsit, president of AdsumInsights, about employee development.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Ellen Frank-Miller - Job Quality
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June 12, 2024
In this episode, Thomas and Ellen Frank-Miller, the founder of the Workforce and Organizational Research Center (WORC), explore the topic of job quality.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Jeff Wald - The End of Jobs
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April 10, 2024
In this episode host Thomas Bertels welcomes Jeff Wald to discuss his book, "The End of Jobs." Jeff is the founder of WorkMarket, an enterprise software platform for managing freelancers, as well as several other tech companies.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

Dart Lindsley - Middle Management
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March 27, 2024
In today's Work Matters, Thomas talks with Dart Lindsley, head of Global Process Excellence for People Operations at Google.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

1 Author Newsletter
Designing Work
Purpose Works Consulting
January 03, 2023
Designing Work is a newsletter about Insights on making work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

2 Books
Fixing Work: A Tale about Designing Jobs Employees Love
Greenleaf Book Group
September 12, 2023
In Fixing Work, authors David G. Henkin and Thomas Bertels uncover the root causes of employee disengagement and offer practical solutions for creating more meaningful, satisfying, and productive jobs. Through an allegorical tale of a typical office with typical employees, they allow us to see ourselves in the characters while learning strategies to create better work and perform at higher levels.
Drawing from decades of research, Henkin and Bertels show us how to design work that meets our fundamental human needs for meaningfulness, autonomy, and feedback. By empowering employees with these methods, managers can create a roadmap for fixing what’s broken at their own companies.

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Tags: Design Thinking, Management, Future of Work

Rath & Strong Six Sigma Leadership Handbook
Wiley
February 21, 2003
Achieve unparalleled customer satisfaction and greater profitability with this essential handbook! Six Sigma is a proven and highly effective business initiative for improving customer satisfaction and increasing the efficiency of processes. Rath & Strong's Six Sigma Leadership Handbook highlights the critical factors that make or break implementation, offers key best practices for getting it right the first time, and offers real-life examples and case studies that light the path to success. With Rath & Strong, you'll get an overview of the tools, methods, approaches, benefits, and risks that are associated with each element of the methodology.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Change Management, Leadership

1 Media Interview
Fixing Work
RVN-TV: Behind the Numbers
March 08, 2023
Dave Bookbinder goes Behind The Numbers with Thomas Bertels, Founder and President of Purpose Works Consulting. Today’s guest is the author of the book, “Fixing Work.” He’s here today to tell us how to do that and why we should. In this episode we’re discussing process improvement with a human capital component and how that focus is benefitting organizations and employees by creating more meaningful work. Thomas also shares the ROI that companies capture in redesigning processes along with some tips to fix work.

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Tags: Future of Work, Management

37 Podcasts
Work Matters S6E6: Patrick Farran - The Power of Co-Creation
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August 26, 2025

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Work Matters S6E5: David Friedman - AI: Beyond the Hype
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July 16, 2025

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Work Matters S6E4: Elizabeth Moran - Change Leadership
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July 15, 2025

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Work Matters S6E3: Stela Lupushor - The AI-Enabled Workforce
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June 30, 2025

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Work Matters S6E2: Andrew Patricio - Leveraging AI
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April 22, 2025

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Tags: Agile

Work Matters S6 E1: Bill Fisher - Learning from Haier
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April 08, 2025

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Work Matters S5 E11: Rami Goldratt - Theory of Constraints
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August 21, 2024

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Work Matters S5E10: Tina Robinson - Personalizing Engagement
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August 07, 2024

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Work Matters S5E9: Bruce Rosenstein - Insights from Peter Drucker
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July 25, 2024

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Work Matters S5E8: Steve Crom - Managing across Cultures
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July 10, 2024

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Tags: Culture

Work Matters S5E7: Dennis Adsit - The Generosity Gene
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June 26, 2024

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Work Matters S5E6: Ellen Frank-Miller - Job Quality
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June 12, 2024

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Work Matters S5E5: Jeff Wald - The End of Jobs
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April 10, 2024

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Work Matters S5E4: Dart Lindsley - Middle Management
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March 27, 2024

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Work Matters S5E3: Todd Cherches - Visual Leadership
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March 13, 2024

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Work Matters S5 E1: Faisal Hoque - Transformational Leadership
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February 14, 2024

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Work Matters S5E2: Gordy Curphy - Building Effective Teams
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February 13, 2024

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Work Matters S4E12: Anna Tavis - The Future of Work
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January 10, 2024

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Tags: Future of Work

Work Matters S4E11: Ron Ashkenas - Simplifying Organizations
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October 24, 2023

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Work Matters S4E10: Greg Larkin - Overcoming Obstructionism
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October 10, 2023

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Work Matters S4E9: Joe Batista - Unlocking Latent Value
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September 26, 2023

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Work Matters S4E3: Frank Gallo - Leading in China
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July 05, 2023

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Tags: Design Thinking, Management, Future of Work

Work Matters S4E2: Tonille Miller - Employee Experience Design
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June 20, 2023

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Tags: Design Thinking, Management, Future of Work

Work Matters S4E1: Tony O'Driscoll - AI and the Future of Work
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June 06, 2023

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Tags: Design Thinking, Management, Future of Work

Designing Work To Be Fit For Humans
Work for Humans Podcast / Dart Lindsley
December 30, 2022
Thomas Bertels spent the last two decades as a Business Architect  helping struggling businesses solve structural problems: employee disengagement, inefficient teams, and low productivity. Whether working with a small company or a big player like PepsiCo, Thomas realized these issues stemmed from the same source – poor work design.

This insight led Thomas to develop what he now calls motivational work design – a systems approach to designing work that is employee-centric, improves productivity, and improves customer experiences.

Thomas Bertels is the founder of the consulting firm Purpose Works. He has worked across industries from big pharma, insurance, and top Fortune 50 companies like Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo, and others.

In this episode, Dart and Thomas discuss:
- How work came to be so poorly designed
- How to design work that balances employee needs and company needs
- The role of HR in work design
- The role of Senior Executives in work design
- Tops-down versus Bottom-Up approaches to work design
- The role of managers in well-designed workplaces
- The balance between employee oversight and autonomy

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Tags: Design Thinking, Future of Work, Management

2 Speaking Engagements
Designing Processes for People
ASQ
February 25, 2025
In the pursuit of operational excellence, Lean Six Sigma has been instrumental in driving efficiency, reducing waste, and improving quality.

However, there is an often-overlooked dimension: designing work processes that not only optimize performance but also enhance motivation for the people doing the work.

This session delves into the critical intersection of process design and human motivation, addressing a common pitfall in Lean Six Sigma implementations.

Too frequently, process redesign efforts focus solely on technical improvements, leaving out the human element. This oversight can lead to suboptimal outcomes, as disengaged employees are less likely to sustain the improvements and innovations achieved.

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Tags: Change Management, Future of Work, Management

Purpose of Work: Shift in the American HR Paradigm
HRM Asia
May 04, 2023
Thomas Bertels has become one of the most visible advocates in the USA to make work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful. With deep experience in HR at companies like AON and ABB as well as extensive consulting experience, Thomas started a podcast called Work Matters to host global thought leaders of the new paradigm shift. He will share the story behind his own philosophy, provide a who’s who of leading lights on new ways of working, and explain today’s American culture war over work.

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Tags: Future of Work, Management, HR

1 Webinar
Triple Win: Designing Work that Delivers for Everyone
JIT Cafe
August 24, 2023
Frederick Herzberg famously said: "You can only do a good job if there is a good job to be done". But what makes a good job, and why should leaders care? Thomas Bertels, the founder of Purpose Works and a well known expert on process redesign, explores the power of work design to create intrinsically motivating work, resulting in improved employee engagement, productivity, and customer experience. Participants will learn how different aspects of work design shape the employees’ experience and how to incorporate these factors into designing effective organizations. Using several case studies, we will discuss how to put these ideas into practice and how to structure an effective change strategy. Enjoy guest host and author Thomas Bertals for this 1-hour video, to learn about what makes a “good job” that satisfies customers, owners, and employees.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Future of Work

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