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People Managing People

People Managing People

Written by: David Rice
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The People Managing People podcast equips forward-thinking leaders to thrive in the AI era—reshaping teams, systems, and strategy without losing what makes work human. Hosted by David Rice, each episode brings real-world insights from innovators, executives, and people leaders on topics like AI in practice, people-first leadership, performance systems, and workplace culture.

© 2026 People Managing People
Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • From Curiosity to Confidence: A Practical Framework for AI Adoption
    Jan 20 2026

    AI is everywhere—and yet, in most organizations, it’s nowhere. People are intrigued, but unsure. Leaders evangelize, but workflows stay the same. Curiosity, it turns out, is not a strategy. In this episode, we’re joined by Justin Angsuwat, Chief People Officer at Culture Amp, to unpack how they flipped the script. In just six weeks, they moved nearly 80% of their workforce from passively curious to actively confident in using AI—without top-down mandates or perfectionist paralysis.

    We get into the nuts and bolts of the “Accelerate” program, the value of separating exploration from expectation, and why confidence—not usage metrics—is the better north star for early-stage AI adoption. Justin also shares the uncomfortable truths about integrating AI into daily work, especially for senior employees whose identities are tied to outdated workflows. If your team is hovering in AI limbo, this conversation is your blueprint for action.

    Related Links:

    • Join the People Managing People Community
    • Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
    • Check out this episode’s sponsor: Deel
    • Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
    • Check out Culture Amp

    Support the show

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    35 mins
  • Why HR Gets Stuck on AI—and What It Takes to Lead the Transformation
    Jan 13 2026

    For the past 18–24 months, HR teams have been asked a blunt question: What are you doing with AI? The response has often been activity without strategy — policies, guardrails, governance frameworks — busy work that signals compliance rather than creates value. Dr. Dieter Veldsman joins David to diagnose this pattern of urgency → paralysis → compliance, explain why it’s holding HR back, and show how a deeper sense‑making process is the real lever for progress.

    Dieter argues — and the data backs it up — that most HR orgs focused on what can’t be done with AI, not what should be done to drive business value. The root isn’t technology ignorance, it’s cultural: HR has treated AI like a tech project when it’s fundamentally a people and organizational transformation. This episode walks through how to break the compliance trap, structure experimentation with purpose, and expand the CHRO role into the architect of the human‑machine ecosystem.

    Related Links:

    • Join the People Managing People Community
    • Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
    • Connect with Dieter on LinkedIn
    • Check out AIHR (Academy to Innovate HR)

    Support the show

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    40 mins
  • The Real Work Now Is Managing Energy, Not Productivity
    Jan 6 2026

    If you’ve noticed that effort stopped being a differentiator, this episode will explain exactly what shifted — and what actually drives value in modern work. Lena Thompson, a leadership consultant with a systems analysis background, argues that the era where hustle and logic alone produced breakthroughs is over. AI can outpace us on sheer processing — but it cannot manage emotional energy, and that’s where the real work of leadership now lives.

    We dig into what emotional energy actually is (it’s not soft feel‑good fluff — it literally shapes brain function), why unprocessed emotions create cognitive blockages, how leaders can regulate emotional energy to improve decisions under pressure, and practical tools you can use today. This is an episode about leading from within, not just doing more — because the quality of your energy determines the quality of your impact.

    Related Links:

    • Join the People Managing People Community
    • Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
    • Connect with Lena on LinkedIn

    Support the show

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    39 mins
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