Special Series: Tech at Work

If you’re a senior leader, managing technology has never been more challenging.

You face hard decisions about how to incorporate technology into your organization. But how do you cut through the noise to understand what a tool—especially a brand-new technology like generative AI—could mean for your organization or your team?

HBR IdeaCast has a new special series for you: Tech at Work. Every other Thursday, join our senior tech editors Juan Martinez and Tom Stackpole for research, stories, and advice to make technology work for you and your team.

• How can we all get the most out of adopting generative AI?
• Is your team making the best use of collaboration technology?
• What does your company need to know about spatial computing?
• How will digital marketing evolve without third-party cookies?

You’ll get answers from expert researchers and experienced practitioners to help you lead effectively and stay ahead. Listen every other Thursday starting May 2 in the HBR IdeaCast feed, after the regular Tuesday episode.

And please let us know what you think of the series and what technology topics you want us to cover at ideacast@hbr.org.

JUAN MARTINEZ: Hey, Tom, I have a really good question for you.

TOM STACKPOLE: All right, hit me, Juan.

JUAN MARTINEZ: Have you ever wondered which technology from the last 50 years has most changed the way we work?

TOM STACKPOLE: Is this a test?

JUAN MARTINEZ: Yes.

TOM STACKPOLE: Okay. There’s the personal computer. There’s the internet. There’s email. There’s the iPhone, and then definitely last year, generative AI. But what’s your take, Juan?

JUAN MARTINEZ: Well, you just mentioned every technology from the past 50 years, and didn’t leave me an option. So I’m just going to steal yours and say the iPhone. I mean, the ability to have a computer and every application and every website in your pocket at all times is a vast change from anything we’ve ever had.

TOM STACKPOLE: And also, you never have to leave work, so there’s clearly no downside.

JUAN MARTINEZ: If you’re a senior leader, you have hard decisions to make about adopting technology at your organization.

TOM STACKPOLE: But it’s not easy to cut through the noise and really understand what a tool, especially a brand new technology like generative AI, could mean for your organization or your team.

JUAN MARTINEZ: I’m Juan Martinez, a senior editor covering technology at Harvard Business Review.

TOM STACKPOLE: And I’m Tom Stackpole, also a senior editor covering tech here at HBR.

JUAN MARTINEZ: Join us for a new special series about managing technology right here in the IdeaCast feed.

TOM STACKPOLE: It’s called Tech at Work. And over four episodes, we’ll gather the most compelling research stories and expert advice to help you make technology work for you and your team.

JUAN MARTINEZ: We’ll cover spatial computing and explore some cutting-edge research about how to use these tools to engage with customers.

TOM STACKPOLE: We’ll also go deep talking with experts about a major shift in internet advertising.

GARRETT JOHNSON: The loss of third-party cookies is like the asteroid coming towards planet advertising.

JAMIE SELTZER: It’s going to be a seismic shift, but it’s also a necessary one that I think we need to work our way through.

JUAN MARTINEZ: And yes, we will talk about generative AI and how we can make the best use of these new tools.

ETHAN MOLLICK: We’re not ready for this world that’s happening. The incentive right now is for your employees to secretly use these systems, and they’re doing that all the time. How do we build a culture that people want to share what they do?

TOM STACKPOLE: Join us for Tech At Work, a special series from Harvard Business Review. Find it every other Thursday right here in the HBR IdeaCast feed from May 2nd through June 13th. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

JUAN MARTINEZ: Do not miss it.