HBS Managing the Future of Work

As careers last longer and AI accelerates workplace change, should extended career breaks become part of workforce strategy? Harvard Business School senior lecturer DJ DiDonna on burnout, reskilling, organizational resilience, and why sabbaticals may be a missing institution in modern work—for employees and employers alike.

We present Joe Fuller’s 2025 conversation with the Georgetown computer scientist, New Yorker contributor, and longtime student of knowledge work.

The Royal Bank of Canada CHRO explains how the bank's early AI investments are reshaping talent, leadership, and work. Also: RBC's strategic approach to integrating HSBC Bank Canada, redesigning entry-level roles, expanding college recruiting, balancing automation with relationship banking, and why human judgment remains a lasting competitive advantage.

The Conference Board's president and CEO sees AI as less a technological challenge than a managerial one, exacerbated by increasing global volatility. Drawing parallels to the introduction of the personal computer, he argues that governance, workflow redesign, and organizational trust matter more than the technology itself.

We present a recent episode of the HBS SkyDeck alumni podcast featuring Aarti Dhupelia (MBA 2005), CEO of One Million Degrees. The nonprofit supports community college students through career development, paid internships, and financial incentives tied to academic progress. Dhupelia discusses why community colleges are too often viewed as a fallback option despite offering an affordable, career-focused post-secondary path, and why employers should take a closer look at the talent and resilience community college graduates bring to the workforce.