Laszlo Bock

AI is poised to transform everything about how we work together. Laszlo Bock, who led Google’s people function during its most innovative years and has since founded two venture-backed AI companies, authored a bestselling book on the future of work, and is now a venture capitalist—draws on the latest academic research, startup ecosystem, and his unique knack for predicting the future of work to explain what organizations should do to harness the power of AI.

Some people work for a check, and some work to climb a ladder. But others work because they know deep in their souls that their work matters and that they are building something greater than themselves. No one understands this more than Laszlo Bock, who stepped away from the role of a lifetime as SVP of People Operations at Google to start his own HR software firm. Why? In his own words, he wanted to “keep learning and growing” and find out if he could make work better for everyone, everywhere. During this talk, Bock explains how to find deeper meaning in your organization’s work and cultivate that connection to your people. He explains that to be surrounded by passionate, motivated, high-performing people, you need to connect them to a mission that matters.

There’s a reason most transformations—be it personal or professional, individual or organizational—fail to deliver on their promises. Laszlo Bock, Founder of Humu and former SVP of People Operations at Google, shares the latest science and case studies showcasing how “nudges”—tiny, highly targeted, and customized interventions—are the key to energizing people and organizations and mobilizing them to drive real change. Regarding organizational transformation, “change at scale is almost impossible using traditional methods,” Bock says. “You can have all the consultants and top-down change programs you want. But the dominant strategy for most people is to duck their heads, passively resist, and wait until the latest flavor of the month program expires.” “If you want real, enduring, transformative results,” he continues, “You need to activate everyone. And there’s no better way to do that than nudges.” With a dash of humor and anecdotes from his time at Google, Bock draws on Nobel prize-winning research and life-changing stories to illustrate how to implement change – in all types of organizations, and our day-to-day lives. Bock shows that massive growth and transformation are possible – whether you aim to finish your first marathon, implement an innovative idea, or generate an extra $400 million a year in profits.

To be at the forefront of tomorrow’s workforce, future CEOs will need to learn some critical skills that will help them build a culture that will draw and retain employees. Laszlo Bock, Founder of Humu, and former SVP of People Operations at Google, provides key advice that CEOs can use to help reshape their organizations. “Culture shows up in every aspect of how you do business,” Bock says. “How you interact with one another on your team, how you treat your customers, and, of course, the small stuff like whether you’re a Coke or a Pepsi company. I repeat this classic line from management expert Peter Drucker all the time: ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.'” This talk will touch on authenticity and honesty, and how acting “on intuition” is no longer the right decision. It will also explore a fact-based approach to work and hiring that puts objective assessments at the forefront of job decisions.