Workplace Stories by RedThread Research cover art

Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

By: Stacia Garr & Dani Johnson
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Summary

 Workplace Stories is a podcast for HR and people leaders who are tired of noise and need clarity that actually holds up. It is hosted by Stacia Garr and Dani Johnson of RedThread Research.

Each episode features candid conversations with practitioners, thinkers, and executives who are navigating real decisions inside complex organizations. Not hypotheticals. Not vendor promises. Real tradeoffs, real experiments, and real lessons learned along the way.

You’ll hear how leaders are making sense of skills, AI, organizational design, and culture when there’s no clear playbook and pressure to show progress is high. The focus is always the same: what’s actually working, what isn’t, and what leaders are doing next.

Workplace Stories helps you make sense of complexity, build credibility with evidence, and move from ideas to action with more confidence.

Want to be part of the conversation? Join our community for free and connect with others shaping the future of work.

Learn more about RedThread Research here: https://redthreadresearch.com/homeRedThread Research 2026 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Transforming Performance Management in the Public Sector: John Barrand

    Transforming Performance Management in the Public Sector: John Barrand
    Apr 29 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with John Barrand, CHRO for the State of Utah, to discuss an inspiring transformation in public sector performance management. John led a bold effort to overhaul Utah’s performance management system—moving it from a culture of “adequacy” and silence to one focused on learning, growth, connection, and accountability. John shares how he and his team achieved legislative change requiring quarterly check-ins, implemented management training, and shifted the state’s mindset around performance and development. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...[01:16] Initial state of Utah’s performance management system[06:23] Value of continuous learning and curiosity in government [10:06] Defining the “why” for performance management in Utah[17:02] Risks and Resistance in Systemic Change[20:06] Quarterly employee check-ins initiative[25:59] Balancing fairness and measurement without alienating staff [34:28] Creation of a system-wide talent mobility program [40:01] Development of incentive structures and bonus allocations [44:22] Sustainability and future of the programPerformance Management is a Sector-Spanning ChallengePerformance management has a notorious reputation, often maligned as bureaucratic and misaligned. These challenges aren’t confined to just the private sector. Public organizations often face a wealth of bureaucracy and challenges that can inhibit transformation, compounded by a cultural tendency towards silence and an adequacy mindset.When John assumed his role in 2021 for the state of Utah, over 70% of employees had an “unknown” performance rating, and only 16% had received annual reviews. The pervasive culture of silence fostered disengagement and suspicion, and performance management, where it occurred, was simply about maintaining adequacy—a relic from nearly a century and a half of defensive bureaucracy.From Compliance to ConnectionThe first pivotal move was defining purpose. Clarity on the “why” behind performance management is crucial. For Utah, the why was growth: enabling employees to learn and grow while retaining top talent—shifting away from the punitive roots of performance management. As John says: “Employees don’t want feedback, they want connection. They don’t want evaluation, they want attention”.One of the new steps John took was to require quarterly check-in conversations with all employees. The effect was transformational: from just 16% of employees having annual reviews to 89% participating in four quarterly check-ins within the first year. This regular cadence broke the culture of silence, making communication a legal and cultural imperative.Overhauling the System: What ChangedWhere most organizations tinker at the edges, Utah’s public sector embraced bold, structural change. They implemented legislation for conversations, which included quarterly check-ins and annual reviews, demonstrating a high-level commitment to improving performance management.Only 30% of managers previously had any training, and now, over 87% have been developed in crucial skills such as feedback, resilience, and collaboration. Utah also funds performance management by reallocating cost-of-living adjustments and introducing performance-driven bonuses. Goals now consist of both output-aligned objectives and developmental “how” objectives, pushing employees to reflect on and improve their impact.Evidence of a Transformed CulturePerformance conversations have become increasingly meaningful. The organization saw a 40% increase in first-year exits for cause—not a sign of ruthless weeding out, but of identifying and addressing performance issues sooner, thereby improving overall health without a drop in retention. High-potential (HIPO) employee retention rates rose 16% above the general population, and newly calibrated bonus systems rewarded and motivated top talent. Utah’s success has garnered attention from major institutions—including Harvard and the London School of Economics—looking to distill lessons from its model. Resources & People MentionedUtah Governor's OfficeUtah LegislatureHarvard UniversityLSE HB0104GRIT Initiative Connect with John BarrandJohn BarrandConnect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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    50 mins
  • Designing Future Narratives in a Changing Workplace: Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers

    Designing Future Narratives in a Changing Workplace: Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey Rogers
    Apr 15 2026
    In this episode, we welcome Lisa Kay Solomon, designer-in-residence at Stanford's d.school and host of the "How We Future" podcast, and Jeffrey Rogers, principal of Learning and Facilitation at Radical and co-founder of Projectory. We discuss why foresight—the ability to anticipate and design the futures we want—is everybody's job, not just the domain of senior leaders or specialized futurists. They challenge the idea that organizations operate on an "official future" built from unexamined assumptions, and explore how narrative shapes both our approach to work and our readiness for rapid change, especially in the face of AI disruption. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...[00:00] Rethinking future-focused leadership[03:39] HR's evolving role in shaping the future[07:18] Understanding contested narratives and the potential to challenge them [21:50] The importance of adopting futures thinking through broad learning across multiple perspectives[25:47] Strategic foresight and future practices[35:13] Rethinking knowledge and learning priorities[39:21] Reflecting on AI adoption barriers[47:08] Helping leaders develop future-oriented skills[51:14] Looking ahead to the futureThe Leadership Muscle We Forget to UseOne of the most powerful ideas to emerge from the conversation is that of foresight as a "leadership muscle." Most leaders are trained and incentivized to focus on quarterly results and annual plans. The urgent often squeezes out the important, leaving little room for the kind of long-term, strategic thinking that anticipates disruption rather than simply reacts to it.Foresight isn't someone else’s job—it's every leader's job. Yet, most organizations have let this muscle atrophy. Through scenario planning and immersive exercises like those facilitated at last year’s Summit, the hosts argue that HR and organizational leaders can rediscover the collective ability to inquire, imagine, and influence the future, rather than endure it.Challenging the "Official Future" and the Power of NarrativeEvery organization operates on an "official future," a set of unspoken assumptions about what tomorrow holds. In stable times, these guiding narratives are rarely questioned. But when the world is in flux, from technological disruptions like AI to geopolitical shocks, such narratives become vulnerabilities.Leaders, especially in HR, have a responsibility to both recognize and challenge prevailing stories about the future. Wherever there’s a narrative, there’s also the possibility for a counter-narrative, and organizations need to cultivate the skill of holding multiple possible futures in mind, letting diverse perspectives inform strategic choices rather than defaulting to inherited assumptions.Building Organizational Foresight: Tools, Skills, and CommunityThe value of events like the Red Thread Summit lies in three core takeaways: the experience of stepping back to envision the future, a toolkit of practices that can be applied immediately, and the creation of a community dedicated to learning and experimentation.There are three critical skills:Recognizing the narrative: Are you taking assumptions as fact, or seeing them as just one possible story?Crafting your own narratives: Are you able to articulate clear, alternative futures?Communicating vision: Can you equip others to see and believe in those visions?Perhaps nowhere is the need for foresight and narrative-shaping more acute than in the realm of AI and automation. Today’s leaders are under immense pressure to adopt and justify new technologies, to navigate uncertainty, and to avoid being blindsided by change.A key theme is the emerging digital (and AI) divide: those who are experimenting, learning, and shaping technology are pulling ahead, while those waiting for certainty risk being left behind. Learning, experimentation, and cross-pollination are essential. Creating the Conditions for Resilient FuturesRather than chasing after blueprints or one "correct" answer, try to cultivate a design mindset: creating organizational conditions in which new ideas and approaches can flourish. This means expanding our definition of leadership to include not just the preservation of knowledge, but the nurturing of curiosity, experimentation, collaboration, and adaptability. Resources & People MentionedPeter DruckerArticles by Lisa Kay Solomon Pascal Finette on LinkedIn Implications WheelView from the Future at Stanford d.school Hazel HendersonConnect with Lisa Kay Solomon and Jeffrey RogersLisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn Jeffrey Rogers on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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    53 mins
  • How Workplace Culture Shapes Business Success: Ron Storn

    How Workplace Culture Shapes Business Success: Ron Storn
    Apr 1 2026
    This week, we’re sitting down with Ron Storn, Chief People and Culture Officer at Truckstop, to discuss culture—how it forms, who owns it, and how it scales in growing organizations. We explore the relationships between systems, processes, and cultural values, and discuss signs of cultural breakdown and the keys to recovery. We also discuss how AI is reshaping workplace dynamics, hiring practices, and performance management, and Ron offers practical, research-based insights and strategies for understanding and supporting positive workplace culture. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...00:00 How company culture is formed09:19 Building strong HR and leadership systems11:54 Creating a positive culture for business success18:59 Scaling and preserving company culture22:53 Defining team behaviors and principles29:26 Aligning culture with decision-making32:13 Signs of a broken workplace36:50 Challenges with management and team culture41:45 Advantages of remote vs in-person work44:56 AI's impact on workplace cultureDefining CultureSome companies treat culture as little more than a list of values on the wall, disconnected from the day-to-day decisions and actions that define what it’s really like to work there. Ron believes culture is best understood as a set of shared behaviors, decision rights, and expectations to determine how a company actually executes its strategy when no one is watching. It’s how decisions are made, how people are hired or rewarded, and how work gets done when leadership isn’t in the room.In smaller organizations, culture often starts with a clear vision or set of norms, and systems are built around it. As organizations scale, systems and practices increasingly shape (and sometimes reshape) the prevailing culture, the challenge is finding ways to make culture systemic, woven into processes, rewards, and leadership behaviors, so that the company’s values endure as it grows.Who Owns Culture? Leadership, HR, and SystemsWhile HR is often perceived as the “owner” of culture, Ron believes it should be a shared responsibility, with ultimate ownership being at the very top. CEOs and founders define and embody desired cultural norms, while executive leaders model and cascade those norms through decisions and behaviors. HR’s role is to craft the mechanisms for how people are hired, evaluated, and developed to reinforce the company culture at scale. If only HR champions culture while leadership pays lip service or models different behaviors, culture will break down. Everyone, especially managers, must reinforce and live the culture for it to endure.Signs of Cultural Erosion and How to RecoverWhen culture unravels, it’s usually a gradual process, increasing decision friction, high performers becoming disengaged, and inconsistent behaviors creeping in across teams. If left unchecked, the result is a loss of trust, bureaucracy, and top talent walking out the door.Recovery is possible, but it needs radical transparency and recommitment.Ron recommends that organizations in crisis go back to their roots and principles, engaging teams in candid conversations about what must change. Leaders should model vulnerability, drive clarity on decision-making and expectations, and ensure every manager is accountable for rebuilding the cultural fabric. Resources & People MentionedTruckstop.com Connect with Ron StornRon Storn on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread ResearchWebsite: Red Thread ResearchOn LinkedInOn FacebookOn TwitterSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
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    56 mins
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