Now to Next: The Signal

EP1: You Can’t Lead an AI Strategy You Haven’t Experienced with Alison McCauley

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Most executives are being asked to make consequential decisions about AI before they have personally experienced what the technology can actually do. That creates a fundamental leadership problem: how do you set strategy for something you understand primarily through presentations, demonstrations, and other people’s explanations?

In Episode 1 of Now to Next: The Signal, the new season of Jason Averbook’s Now to Next podcast, Jason sits down with Alison McCauley, two-time bestselling author and author of How to Think with AI, to examine the growing gap between what AI makes possible and what most enterprises are actually doing with it. Jason and Alison explore what that disconnect means for leadership, learning, trust, culture, work design, and the role of HR. They challenge conventional measures of AI adoption, examine what happens when employees understand the possibilities before leadership does, and ask how organizations should prepare for a workforce that increasingly includes both human and digital workers.

The conversation ultimately moves beyond AI itself. It asks whether executives, operating models, and institutions can learn and change quickly enough to make intelligent use of a technology that will not wait for them to catch up.

Episode Highlights

Why leaders need direct experience with AI before they can shape a meaningful strategy.
What changes when software learns from people instead of people learning the software.
Why the gap between personal and enterprise AI is becoming impossible to ignore.
How speed to learn can matter more than speed to launch.
Why login rates reveal almost nothing about whether work is actually changing.
What HR must do when the workforce includes both humans and digital workers.

About Jason Averbook

Jason Averbook has spent more than 30 years shaping HR technology and workforce transformation. His career includes leadership roles at PeopleSoft and Ceridian, co-founding and leading Knowledge Infusion from 2005 to 2012, serving as CEO of The Marcus Buckingham Company, and co-founding and leading Leapgen from 2018 to 2023. After serving as Mercer’s Global HR Transformation Leader, he co-founded Now to Next to help leaders prepare people and organizations for an AI-shaped world.

About Alison McCauley

Alison McCauley is a two-time bestselling author who has spent three decades operating as a conduit between Silicon Valley disruptors and enterprise leaders seeking to leverage new technology. As an adviser to both the enterprise C-suite and emerging technology founders, she has helped develop new market categories and partnered with early leaders in AI since 2010.

As a social scientist, Alison’s work is grounded in human behavior, organizational dynamics, and the challenge of translating innovation into performance. Her most recent bestseller, How to Think with AI, grew from a year of research studying hundreds of AI early adopters and turns those insights into a framework for helping people use AI as a cognitive advantage. Her work has appeared in Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and her executive education course has reached more than 100,000 learners.

Stay Connected

Alison McCauley

Website: https://www.alisonmccauley.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/unblocked/

Jason Averbook

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook/

X: https://x.com/jasonaverbook

Substack: https://jasonaverbook.substack.com/

Now to Next

Website: https://nowtonext.ai/

Podcast: https://podcast.nowtonext.ai/episodes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-to-next-ai/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowtonext.ai/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nowtonextai

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Intro Episode for Now to Next: The Signal

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Everyone wants to know which AI tool to buy, but far fewer people are willing to talk honestly about what happened after they bought it. After 28 episodes of his previous podcast, Jason Averbook is beginning a new season with a new name and a sharper purpose: Now to Next: The Signal. It is designed to be an hour without the noise, built around candid conversations with executives, technology leaders, and practitioners who are already doing the work of transformation.

These conversations will go beyond polished case studies and easy slogans. Jason wants to understand how work actually changed, where organizations automated dysfunction, who was left behind, and what leaders still have not figured out. The goal is not to feed the fear or manufacture reassurance. It is to stay with the questions that matter, especially when the answers are not clear.

This season is for CIOs, CXOs, CHROs, CEOs, transformation leaders, and anyone curious about people, technology, and the way the world is changing. The premise is simple: AI is not the transformation. You are.

Episode Highlights

What changes after 28 episodes when the conversation gets more focused?
Why are so few people asking what actually changed after the AI arrived?
When does automation become dysfunction moving faster?
The most useful transformation conversations start where the easy answers end.
What remains uniquely human when machines can do more of the work?
The fear beneath the AI conversation may be the fear of becoming irrelevant.

About Jason Averbook

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EP28: Giants Will Fall: Rewiring the Enterprise to Become AI-Native with Melissa Reeve

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Most organizations are treating AI like a technology rollout. Buy the tool, train the team, check the box. Melissa Reeve has spent 25 years watching that exact playbook fail, from digital transformation to agile to cloud, and she wrote a book about why this time the stakes are even higher. In this episode, Jason and Melissa dig into why AI represents the largest management challenge in the last century and why giant brands will fall if they keep running on 100-year-old management thinking while AI-native startups are eating their lunch. Melissa breaks down the Hyperadaptive Model from her new book, a five-stage framework for rewiring how organizations actually operate, not just how they deploy technology.

EP27: Adaptability, Trust, and the Human Skills AI Can't Replace with Lara Albert

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0500

What happens when AI can do more of the work we've traditionally assigned to people? For many organizations, the conversation quickly turns to automation, efficiency, and workforce disruption. But according to Lara Albert, the more important conversation is about adaptability. As AI continues to reshape how work gets done, leaders face a critical challenge: helping people develop the skills, judgment, and confidence needed to thrive alongside increasingly intelligent technology. The future will not belong to organizations that simply deploy AI. It will belong to organizations that help people evolve with it. In this episode of Now to Next, Lara Albert joins me to explore the realities behind AI transformation, workforce readiness, leadership responsibility, and the human capabilities that will matter most in the years ahead.

EP26: The Human Side of AI: Trust, Fear, and Why Change Management Must Change with Dr. Xenia Wade

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0500

What happens when employees walk into AI training already convinced the technology might replace them? Most organizations are treating AI adoption as a technology challenge. Dr. Xenia Wade believes that is exactly where leaders are getting it wrong. Drawing from her research background, enterprise transformation work, and recent move from Germany to Japan, Xenia explains why AI creates a level of fear and vulnerability that previous technology transformations never did. Employees are not just learning a new tool. Many are questioning their future, their identity, and the value of skills they spent years developing. In this conversation, we explore why psychological safety has become a prerequisite for AI adoption, why traditional change management is no longer enough, and why trust may be the most important capability leaders need to build right now.

EP25: The Trust Collapse: Why Your Workforce Has Stopped Believing Your AI Strategy

Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 -0500

BCG dropped two studies that should be taped to the wall of every CHRO's office. One shows that adding AI "employees" to org charts is making human workers sloppier and more likely to blame the bot when things go wrong. The other — "AI brain fry" — shows that cognitive overload from managing AI tool sprawl is driving errors, burnout, and intent to quit. Meanwhile, 48% of Q1 tech layoffs were attributed to AI, Gen Z workers are listing AI skills they don't have on their résumés, and boards are demanding governance answers most executives cannot give yet. But the story underneath all of that — the one you won't find in any headline today — is a trust collapse. Workers don't believe what leaders are telling them about AI anymore. And that gap is now a credibility crisis. This episode is about all of it.

EP24: The Function Nobody Owned: HR, IT, and AI Finally in One Room with Tracey Franklin

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0500

What does it really take to integrate people, culture, and technology in a way that drives transformation, not just change? As organizations race to adopt AI and digital platforms, many are still treating technology and people as separate strategies. But what happens when those two become one system? In this conversation, I sat down with Tracey Franklin, Chief People and Digital Technology Officer at Moderna, to explore what it actually looks like to connect people and technology in practice, not just in theory.

EP23: The Agent Illusion: Why Most “AI Agents” Aren’t What You Think

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0500

What if the “AI agents” your organization is investing in aren’t actually agents at all? I woke up one morning, checked my phone, and saw yet another company announcing they are now an “AI agent company.” I have seen it over and over again. Different vendors. Same claim. No clear definition. I walk through in this episode what actually separates a workflow, a copilot, and a true agent, and why that distinction matters more than ever. I also share real examples of where organizations are getting this wrong, and what happens when you layer AI on top of broken processes. This is not about chasing the next buzzword. It is about knowing what you are actually deploying, what you can trust it with, and whether your foundation is ready for it. Because putting AI on top of broken processes does not create transformation. It hides the problem until it shows up at scale. If we cannot define what we are deploying, we cannot govern it, trust it, or scale it.

EP22: The Embodiment Gap: Why AI Adoption Was Never the Goal

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:30:00 -0600

What if the reason AI investments are not delivering value has nothing to do with the technology itself? Across industries, organizations are pouring billions into AI tools, rolling out enterprise copilots, and tracking usage metrics that suggest adoption is rising. But the outcomes are not changing. Productivity is not shifting in meaningful ways. Decision making is not improving. And leaders are starting to ask why.

EP21: The Entry Level Collapse and the Rise of 22nd Century Leadership with Heather Jerrehian

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:30:00 -0600

What if by automating entry level work, we are quietly eliminating the future leaders we will need in five years? As AI accelerates productivity across enterprises, I see a silent fracture forming beneath the surface. Entry level roles are disappearing. Internships are evaporating. And Gen Z unemployment and underemployment are rising at rates that far too few leaders are openly discussing. In this urgent and deeply personal conversation, I sat down with Heather Jerrehian, Founder and CEO of H22 AI, to unpack what she calls an existential workforce crisis. From her vantage point in Silicon Valley, she has watched AI reshape workflows, hiring patterns, and corporate incentives in real time. What struck me most was this: the real danger is not automation itself, but redesigning work without redesigning pathways.

EP20: The K-Shaped Knowledge Economy: Why AI Fluency Is Splitting the Workforce

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0600

What if the biggest divide in your organization is no longer about role, pay, or seniority, but about how people think with AI? In this solo episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook breaks down a pattern that is accelerating inside companies right now and largely invisible to traditional HR systems. Drawing from fresh labor data, market signals, and real examples from his own work, Jason introduces the idea of the K shaped AI economy where the split is not between jobs, but within them. He explains why two people in the same role can now be operating at radically different levels of impact, why performance systems are failing to detect it, and why AI fluency is no longer about using tools but about changing how work and thinking actually happen. This episode is a direct call to leaders, HR, and talent teams to stop planning for the future of work and start responding to the reality already unfolding.

EP19: Voice AI, Hiring Ethics, and the Future of Recruiting with Ophir Samson

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook is joined by Ophir Samson, Founder and CEO of Ezra, to explore how voice AI is reshaping the front end of hiring and why resumes may no longer be fit for purpose in an AI-driven world. Ophir shares his unconventional journey from mathematics and autonomous vehicles to building voice-based interviewing technology, and explains why resumes have become a weak signal now that AI can generate polished applications at scale. Together, Jason and Ophir unpack how voice AI can surface richer, more human insight earlier in the hiring process without replacing recruiters or removing human judgment. The conversation dives into ethics, candidate experience, bias, trust, and why the future of recruiting isn’t about automation for efficiency alone, but about freeing humans to focus on the work they should be doing. This episode offers a grounded, thoughtful look at where AI belongs in hiring and where it absolutely doesn’t.

EP18:Leading Through Change, AI, and the Future of Work with Al Dea

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0600

What if the real challenge with AI is not the technology, but how humans respond to change? In this episode, Jason Averbook sits down with Al Dea, Founder of The Edge of Work, to unpack what talent, learning, and HR leaders are really experiencing as AI, transformation, and constant change collide in today’s workplace. Drawing from dozens of deep conversations with senior talent and learning leaders, Al shares what is top of mind right now. From change fatigue and fear, to middle manager overload, to why most organizations are using AI for efficiency instead of redesigning work itself. They explore why humans are wired to survive rather than thrive during change, why mindset matters more than tools, and what leaders must focus on to build resilient, human-centered organizations in an AI-driven world. This conversation goes beyond hype to examine leadership, agency, curiosity, and the deeply human skills that will matter most as work continues to evolve.

EP17: Why Career Advice No Longer Works

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0600

In this timely solo episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook takes on a feeling many people are struggling to name. A sense that the usual paths around education, careers, and work no longer feel clear, especially as families come together during the holidays. Drawing from conversations with executives, parents, students, and mid career professionals, Jason explains why this moment is not about jobs disappearing or people falling behind. It is about the loss of a shared map for how we plan our futures. Questions that once had straightforward answers no longer do. What should I study? Is college still the right choice? Am I behind, or just early? Instead of framing this uncertainty as a problem, Jason reframes it as awareness. A sign that people are paying attention to how work is really changing. He argues that the biggest gap today is not skills. It is agency. The ability to notice what is shifting, make informed choices, and move forward without waiting for permission.

EP16: The New AI Gap: What Leaders Aren’t Seeing Yet

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0600

What if your organization is already running on a new operating model—and no one realizes it yet? In this third solo episode, Jason unpacks two major reports from OpenAI and NTT Data and explains why they signal the biggest shift in how work gets done since the internet. He breaks down the invisible rewiring happening across enterprise workflows, the widening gap emerging between workers who use AI and those who don’t, and why HR must now become the architects of augmented work. This episode is a practical, urgent call for leaders to rethink how they design work, empower their people, and build momentum in an AI-shaped world.

EP15: Why Education Must Change Now — and How Work-Based Learning Delivers

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0600

What if the most important shift in education isn’t more degrees — but earlier, real-world experience? In this conversation, Jason sits down with Alexandra Levit, renowned futurist and author, and Stephanie Loeck, VP of Strategic Development at GPS Education Partners, to discuss their groundbreaking new book, Make School Work. From redefining what “success” looks like to bridging the broken signal between schools and employers, this conversation uncovers why the traditional college-or-bust mindset is becoming obsolete, how students can build confidence and agency through real-world experiences, and what needs to change—urgently—to prepare the next generation for the world ahead.

EP14: The November 2025 Reckoning: The Four Forces Reshaping Work Right Now

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0600

Is the world of work experiencing a normal cycle—or are we in the middle of a true workforce reckoning? In this solo episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook breaks down the four converging forces that are reshaping work faster than organizations can respond: collapsing workforce engagement, real-time job and skills restructuring, and the breakdown of the early-career pipeline. Jason calls this moment the “November 2025 Reckoning”—not because of hype, but because the data, signals, and lived experiences from leaders around the world show that organizations are hitting a wall. And it’s not AI causing the storm; AI is only accelerating cracks that were already forming. Speaking directly and candidly, Jason offers clarity on what’s happening, why it matters, and what leaders must do now to prepare their workforce for what’s coming next.

EP13: From Reactive to Ready — with Alexandra Zea, HR Digital Transformation Leader at Mercer

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0600

As technology and AI reshape how organizations work, what happens when we react too late? In this episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook sits down with Alexandra Zea, HR Digital Transformation Leader at Mercer, to talk about the danger of waiting for certainty before acting — and how to make sure people don’t become the collateral of change. Drawing on her experience helping organizations rethink HR strategy, operating models, and digital transformation, Alex shares why readiness isn’t about speed alone — it’s about balance, governance, and leading with humanity as technology accelerates.

EP12:Leading with Humanity in the Age of AI — with Patricia Frost, EVP and Chief People and Places Officer at Seagate Technology

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

As organizations everywhere race to adopt AI, what does it take to lead with humanity at the center? In this episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook sits down with Patricia Frost, Chief People and Places Officer at Seagate Technology, to discuss how leaders can build trust, courage, and connection in an era defined by technology. Drawing from her 32-year career in the U.S. Army and her leadership of Seagate’s 30,000+ global employees, Patricia shares her lessons on leading with empathy through uncertainty — and how Seagate is helping every employee embrace the power of AI, without losing the human touch.

EP11: Curiosity, Change, and the Human Side of AI — with Chris Maurio, Vice President of Solutions at Argano

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0500

What happens when curiosity becomes the most powerful skill of the future? In this episode of Now to Next, Jason sits down with Chris Maurio, Vice President of Solutions at Argano, to explore how AI is reshaping the way we work, parent, and think. From building his first database in HR to helping his six-year-old son design an app, Chris shares a deeply human perspective on innovation, digital literacy, and trust in an AI-powered world.

EP10: Inertia and Incrementalism - 2 barriers to an AI mindset with Adam Holton, Chief People Officer of GE HealthCare

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0500

When the world changes faster than ever before — do we truly want exponential change, or are we still thinking in increments? In this conversation, Jason Averbook sits down with Adam Holton, Chief People Officer at GE HealthCare, to explore what it really means to lead, coach, and stay human in an age defined by artificial intelligence. From his days as a Marine and basketball coach to his role leading one of the world’s most impactful healthcare organizations, Adam shares how curiosity, courage, and a willingness to “get dirty” with new technology are shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

EP9: Johannes Sundlo — Practical AI for HR | Curiosity, Experimentation & the Future of Work

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0500

How do we move from AI hype to real, useful change at work? In this episode, Jason sits down with Johannes Sundlo, HR practitioner, speaker, and creator of FullStack HR, to unpack what “practical AI” really means for the future of work. A former HR leader at Spotify, Johannes shares how small, low-risk experiments can create big impact — and why curiosity is the most underrated skill for navigating constant change. From reskilling and automation to leading with experimentation, this episode offers a playbook for turning AI anxiety into action.

EP8: Lead With Humanity — Mercedes Sullivan on HR Transformation, AI & the Frontline Workforce

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0500

How do you lead with humanity when AI and automation are reshaping work? What does belonging look like for frontline teams who rarely see HR? In this episode Jason sits down with Mercedes Sullivan, Executive Vice President, People, Culture & Communications at McKinley Companies, to explore HR as a values-driven practice — not just tech. We talk about frontline workforce strategy, “projects → products” in HR, the ethical choice points of AI, and how leaders create belonging for people who’ve historically been left out of the HR conversation. Mercedes brings a rare blend of front-line empathy and productized HR craft. A former touring tennis player turned HR transformation leader, she explains how HR can move from checkbox transactions to human-centered product thinking, why the frontline deserves a different technology playbook, and where AI helps — and where it must be restrained.

EP7: Reinventing Recruiting with Doug Berg of Match 2

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook sits down with HR tech veteran Doug Berg, known as the “Kevin Bacon of HR Tech” for his deep connections across the industry. Doug shares his entrepreneurial journey—from building Techies.com during the dot-com boom, to founding Jobs2Web (later acquired by SAP/SuccessFactors), to creating ZapInfo (acquired by Indeed), and now his latest venture, Match 2, which aims to fix one of recruiting’s biggest problems: the broken candidate experience. Doug and Jason dive into why candidates still face repetitive, siloed processes, how companies lose great talent through poor systems, and why the future of talent acquisition must flip from job-first to candidate-first.

EP6: Why Authenticity is Overrated | Dr. Tomas Chamorro on Identity, Leadership & AI

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Jason sits down with Dr. Tomas Chamorro, psychologist, author, and Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, to explore the provocative themes from his upcoming book Why Authenticity is Overrated. Tomas shares insights from decades of research on leadership, psychology, and human behavior—challenging the popular notion that “being yourself” is always the best advice. From the dark side of authenticity to the impact of AI on human identity and trust, this conversation unpacks what authenticity really means in today’s workplace. Tomas argues that our obligation to others often outweighs our right to self-expression, and that the path to better leadership lies in self-control, perspective-taking, and compromise.

EP5: Dr. Thomas Otter on Acquisitions, AI, and the Future of HR Tech

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Now to Next, host Jason Averbook sits down with Dr. Thomas Otter — General Partner at Acadian Ventures, longtime product leader, and one of the most outspoken thinkers in HR technology. From his career at SAP and Gartner to co-founding a VC fund, Thomas has a unique vantage point on where HR tech has been and where it’s heading. Using golf bags, buffets, and a splash of wine metaphors, he and Jason break down acquisitions, AI, and the realities of building for the future of work. This isn’t hype — it’s a candid look at what’s really happening inside the industry, who’s likely to thrive, and which players may become roadkill on the way to reinvention.

EP4: Now to Next Solo Episode: Jason Averbook Answers Your Toughest Questions

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this special solo episode of Now to Next, host Jason Averbook launches a new series — Questions from the Edge — where he takes on the toughest, most forward-looking questions from the community about HR, AI, and the future of work. Throughout the episode, Jason makes it clear: this isn’t an incremental shift — it’s a collapse moment. The winners will be those who design for intent, agent, and workflow rather than clinging to platform, process, and user. He leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: In the AI era, trust is the true competitive advantage. The technology can scale instantly, but belief and confidence cannot.

EP3: Shlomit Gruman-Navot: We’re Not Passengers in the AI Era — We’re Pilots

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this conversation with Shlomit, we cut past the surface of “AI in HR” and get to what really matters: wisdom, judgment, and the human side of transformation.

EP2: AI-First HR & Leading Through Crisis with Shirley Baumer

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this powerful episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook sits down with Shirley Baumer—co-founder and Chief Product Officer of DreamTeam—for a raw and insightful conversation about building a company amidst war, reimagining HR tech from the ground up, and what true leadership looks like in 2025. From her early days as a journalist to scaling monday.com into a billion-dollar company, Shirley’s journey is anything but ordinary. She shares how DreamTeam was built as an AI-native, product-led people platform—not just to digitize outdated HR processes, but to rethink them entirely. You’ll hear firsthand how she and her team launched features while sheltering from missile attacks, why she believes presence is the ultimate leadership trait, and how AI should be designed not just for power—but for trust and humanity.

EP1: Jess Von Bank on Curiosity, Impact, and Redefining Work in the AI Era

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:00:00 -0500

In this candid first episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook sits down with Jess Von Bank for a deeply human conversation on curiosity as a leadership superpower, why burnout is a design flaw of legacy work systems, the difference between optics and impact, a clear-eyed take on DEI and equity, and how AI’s value exchange should be measured in human impact. From growing up in rural North Dakota to building a global community, leading Diverse Daisies, raising three daughters, even racing for the “thrill of the hunt,” Jess shares how purpose, community, and reciprocity shape better systems—for people and for business.

Now To Next with Jason Averbook Intro

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Now to Next, Jason Averbook delves into the podcast's mission, emphasizing the urgency of speed in today's business environment and the importance of innovative communication channels. Drawing insights from conversations with leaders who are at the forefront of driving change, Jason explores the dynamics of transformation in the modern workplace. He also discusses the variety of content that listeners can expect, alongside notes on the publishing schedule. The episode concludes with a reflection on the journey ahead, setting the stage for future discussions that aim to reshape and redefine the business landscape.