Bring Your Human to Work

How can you create a workplace that feels less mechanical, less transactional, and more deeply human? In Bring Your Human to Work, Erica Keswin argues that organizations thrive when they honor relationships, foster genuine connection, and design work practices that align with human values. Keswin contends that companies anchored in empathy, authenticity, and purpose outperform those that treat their people like cogs in a machine. In her research and consulting experience, she discovered one essential principle behind every successful workplace: a human workplace honors relationships.

We live in an era defined by technology, speed, and constant communication. Yet those same forces isolate us. Smartphones interrupt conversations, video meetings replace real dialogue, and busyness is celebrated as a badge of productivity. Keswin warns that this culture comes at a cost—disconnection, stress, and burnout. What she proposes is deceptively simple: build organizations that put the human element first. That means crafting cultures of presence, gratitude, and care, where technology supports, not replaces, real connection.

Why Humanity at Work Matters

Keswin’s core message feels timely. Millennials and Gen Z employees expect meaning and authenticity at work, not just a paycheck. They want leaders who align words and actions—a culture where values live in the halls, not just on the wall. As she puts it, meaningful culture is the new competitive advantage. Citing stress data from the American Institute of Stress, she explains how U.S. businesses lose $300 billion annually due to workplace stress—a clear signal that ignoring the human side of work harms both people and profits.

Keswin situates her ideas in a rapidly evolving business landscape. The rise of technology, remote work, and automation presents both opportunity and danger. Technology can amplify human connection—if used wisely—but it can just as easily reduce us to avatars and data. The book asks readers to find balance: use technology to enhance connection, not to replace empathy. She calls this the “sweet spot between tech and connect.”

The Ten Human Principles

Keswin’s framework is organized around ten interlocking principles, each illustrating a way to design a workplace good for people and great for business. She begins with authenticity—“Be Real: Speak in a Human Voice”—and continues through sustainability, balance between technology and connection, meaningful meetings, well-being, giving back, disconnection, thoughtful space design, personalized development, and everyday appreciation. Each theme is rooted in stories from companies that do it right: JetBlue links employee bonuses to cultural engagement; Food52 handwrites thank-you notes to customers; Airbnb designs meeting rooms to evoke belonging; Vynamic bans late-night emails through its “zzzMail” policy. These organizations prove that human-focused practices drive success.

Honoring Relationships: The Central Thread

Every chapter circles back to Keswin’s golden rule: honor relationships. Whether building values, planning meetings, or using technology, the question she advises you to ask is simple: Does this decision strengthen relationships or weaken them? This shift—from “tasks” to “ties”—transforms the organizational mindset. Instead of optimizing screens and spreadsheets, leaders cultivate connection. For instance, JetBlue’s crew members embody company values through everyday acts of kindness, creating cascades of loyalty across teams and customers. Lyft’s drivers model empathy by uplifting riders with small human gestures. At Union Square Hospitality Group, employees learn that hospitality begins inside the organization—how managers treat staff determines how staff treat guests.

Keswin reminds readers that culture is not defined by slogans or perks but by consistent behaviors. A “human” workplace is one that empowers people to bring their whole selves to work—to be authentic, vulnerable, and connected. It’s not about being soft; it’s about performance. When people feel trusted, safe, and seen, they yield creativity, engagement, and innovation. Leadership, therefore, becomes less about authority and more about empathy—what Adam Grant calls “otherish thinking.”

The Path Forward

Keswin’s conclusion is quietly revolutionary: being human at work isn’t just moral—it’s strategic. A human-centered culture retains talent, inspires innovation, and sustains well-being. It bridges generational expectations and uses technology as an ally rather than adversary. For leaders and employees alike, bringing your human to work is both an invitation and a discipline—a call to reconnect, listen, and lead with compassion. As the author puts it, this approach is good for people, great for business, and just might change the world.

Erica Keswin begins her journey into bringing humanity to work with one guiding idea: be real. Authenticity is what attracts customers, retains employees, and builds trust. She explores this through vivid examples like Ellen Bennett, founder of Hedley & Bennett, who transformed kitchen aprons into a lifestyle brand by infusing them with her personality. Authentic companies, Keswin says, express their values loudly and live them daily.

Defining Values That Live Beyond the Walls

Authenticity begins with clarity about values. JetBlue demonstrates this perhaps better than any company in Keswin’s research. Its five values—Safety, Integrity, Caring, Passion, and Fun—are not just words. They guide hiring, training, and even bonuses. At JetBlue University, new hires memorize these values and witness them in stories shared by leaders and customers. When crew members practice caring and safety, customers feel secure; when leaders mirror the same respect internally, loyalty follows. (Note: JetBlue’s emphasis on “living the values” parallels how companies like Patagonia embed purpose into every policy.)

This “values alignment” is the heartbeat of authenticity. Airbnb reinforces belonging through its “Ground Control” team, ensuring values aren’t just wall posters but living rituals in the office. Lyft’s culture promotes connection by inviting riders to sit in the front seat and engage in conversation. Each example shows that making values visible nurtures genuine connection.

Speaking in a Human Voice

Once values are clear, Keswin says a company must speak with a human voice. Transparency, storytelling, and empathy replace jargon and spin. She spotlights Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), where Chief Culture Officer Erin Moran cultivates “enlightened hospitality.” When Moran vulnerably shared her own struggles while addressing a team, employees responded with respect and warmth. Honest stories invite emotional engagement—an antidote to corporate coldness.

Keswin also highlights Jellyvision’s founder Harry Gottlieb, who created a “Schmutz Pact” encouraging honesty and kind feedback—telling colleagues if there’s “dirt on their face,” metaphorically speaking. Authentic communication, she writes, is not about perfection but sincerity. By empowering truth-telling, Jellyvision built trust and innovation. Similarly, Food52 won its devoted community through personal touches like handwritten notes and live cooking sessions with founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs—proof that authenticity scales when it’s genuine.

Empowering Employees as Brand Ambassadors

Finally, being real means empowering everyone to represent the brand authentically. Danny Meyer of USHG says, “Your brand is never better than your employees.” JetBlue empowers its crews to make decisions using “JetGrey,” trusting judgment over rigid scripts. Lyft drivers uplift passengers through spontaneous acts of kindness, even saving lives through compassion. These examples reveal that authenticity flourishes when employees feel trusted to be human.

To live authentically, Keswin suggests three steps: define your values (four to six key ones), align them with every aspect of your business—from hiring to communication—and celebrate employees who live them daily. Authenticity is contagious; it spreads through stories, gestures, and gratitude.

Keswin’s message echoes thought leaders like Simon Sinek (Start With Why): people buy what you believe, not what you sell. In today’s digital world, authenticity cuts through noise, builds trust, and humanizes work. When a company speaks in its true voice, everyone—from executives to baristas—becomes part of the same story.

Sustainability isn’t just about recycling bins or carbon footprints—it’s about creating conditions for people and organizations to thrive for the long term. Keswin calls this mindset “playing the long game.” It means thinking beyond quarterly profits, toward practices that make life and work sustainable for employees, families, and communities.

Intentional Work Practices

Companies that play the long game design intentional work practices tuned to real human lives. Food52 allows employees to work from home on “Workday Wednesdays,” balancing connection with flexibility. HubSpot cultivates trust through personalized scheduling; managers openly discuss what flexibility means for each team member. Likewise, Jellyvision promotes transparency via its “Graceful Leave Policy,” where employees are encouraged to notify the company when planning to move on—receiving support instead of secrecy.

These approaches emulate what the best leaders understand: sustainability starts with trust. Airbnb’s family-friendly policies highlight this principle—paid parental leave, transitional part-time returns, and even shipping breast milk for moms traveling for work. Supporting family life reinforces commitment and reduces burnout. Patagonia’s on-site child care does the same, and CEO Rose Marcario proves it's fiscally smart, claiming a 91% cost recovery from improved retention.

Diversity, Inclusion, and the Long View

Keswin argues that sustainability must extend to team composition. Diverse teams are stronger and smarter. EY’s global diversity officer Karyn Twaronite describes the firm’s approach: inclusion is woven through every function—from operations to legal—producing measurable financial returns. EY’s “leaning into bumpy” philosophy encourages employees to embrace uncomfortable differences, seeing diversity not as compliance but creativity.

Similarly, Accenture’s “Building Bridges” initiative began after emotional conversations about race and inclusion, turning personal awareness into company-wide dialogue. Playing the long game means designing systems that value differences over uniformity, strengthening the organization’s moral and financial sustainability. (In The Power of Diversity, Scott Page finds that cognitive diversity predicts innovation better than intelligence alone—Keswin builds on this insight masterfully.)

Ethical Supply Chains and Transparency

Keswin widens sustainability to include supply chains—the relationships beyond your office walls. Lori Joyce’s Betterwith ice cream insists on “traceable milk” from happy cows. Rather than rushing to market, Joyce waited until she found farmers who aligned with her ethical vision. Similarly, Archer Roose’s boxed wine brand integrates fair partnerships with rural entrepreneurs, proving that transparency and purpose can coexist with profit.

Playing the long game means asking: Will this decision help our people and our planet five years from now? Sustainability is not a checklist—it’s a mindset.

For Keswin, true sustainability is relational—it connects people, purpose, and stewardship. Whether designing flexible schedules, inclusive cultures, or ethical products, what sustains organizations are not policies but intentions. In her words, “The long game always wins.”

Technology drives nearly every aspect of modern work, but it also threatens to erode human touch. Keswin urges readers to find the “sweet spot”—a balanced approach where technology enhances, rather than replaces, connections.

Using Technology to Deepen Relationships

Companies like JetBlue automate administrative tasks so employees can focus on meaningful small talk with new hires. At Airbnb, algorithms group employees into “troops” during conferences, ensuring that people meet colleagues outside their usual circles—data used to create genuine bonds. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group uses Apple Watches not for efficiency alone but to synchronize communication, improving the guest experience while preserving human hospitality.

Scaling Intimacy

Keswin’s story of Sweetgreen illustrates “intimacy to scale.” The salad chain uses technology to remember customers’ preferences, enabling personalized service even across multiple locations. Sweetgreen’s philosophy—“the best technology makes life more efficient so you can spend your time actually connecting”—embodies the sweet spot ideal. (Compare this to Howard Schultz’s Starbucks experience; both show that empathy can coexist with efficiency.)

Designing Human-Tech Experiences

Fashion brands like ThirdLove and Rebecca Minkoff exemplify human-centered innovation. ThirdLove’s online Fit Finder uses AI to personalize bra recommendations, yet customer service remains human, staffed by trained women who respond with empathy. Minkoff’s smart dressing rooms use mirrors that display related outfit suggestions or adjust lighting for different occasions—merging digital precision with emotional comfort. Her design mantra: “Use tech to make people feel cared for.”

Protocols and Digital Discipline

Finding balance also requires boundaries. Unilever’s CHRO Leena Nair sets an example by avoiding email during workdays, focusing instead on in-person engagement. Keswin encourages leaders to match medium with message: quick notes by text, meaningful discussion face-to-face, and empathy by phone. Digital discipline, she insists, reclaims attention and presence.

Ask yourself: Is this message about efficiency or empathy? The higher the stakes, the higher the need for human connection.

Keswin’s “sweet spot” philosophy parallels Cal Newport’s ideas in Digital Minimalism—use technology intentionally to serve purpose, not distraction. By designing protocols where automation frees time for empathy, companies like JetBlue, Airbnb, and Sweetgreen reveal that technology’s best purpose is connection.

Meetings consume vast organizational energy—Keswin cites 36 million daily in the U.S. alone—yet many drain morale instead of building connection. The problem isn’t meetings themselves but their absence of purpose, presence, and protocols.

Purposeful Meetings

Every meeting should serve a clear purpose. CEOs like Tiffany Pham of Mogul weave company values—transparency, shared voice, education—into each meeting agenda. Refinery29’s Piera Gelardi fosters creative freedom through playful “Peach Pit” brainstorms with rosé and peach candies, inviting everyone to contribute. Asgard Partners’ Karan Rai uses weekly partner gatherings to read personal mission statements, keeping purpose at the center.

Being Present

Presence is the antidote to multitasking. Leaders like Eileen Fisher begin meetings with a meditation bell to center focus; Satya Nadella opens Microsoft sessions by spotlighting “Researcher of the Amazing,” stories of tech used for good. These rituals discourage “phubbing” (phone snubbing) and create mindful attention. Companies like Zendesk and Centro use emotional check-ins, prompting employees to share feelings before diving into business—an approach underscored by Sherry Turkle’s research on conversation as a lost art.

Protocols That Honor Relationships

Successful organizations set meeting ground rules. LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner runs biweekly all-hands meetings himself, modeling “compassionate management” and transparency. Netflix’s Todd Yellin bans technology during discussions, invites prepared participants only, and encourages attendance by relevance—not rank. Barri Rafferty at Ketchum PR limits meetings to 30 minutes, enforcing focus and outcome-based collaboration.

Keswin’s guide to mindful meetings: Know the purpose. Be present in mind, body, and spirit. Create clear protocols. When people feel heard, meetings become spaces of connection, not endurance tests.

Her suggestions echo Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering: orchestrate meetings with intention and humanity. Whether through bells, storytelling, or brevity, well-designed meetings honor time and relationships. As Keswin concludes, mindful meetings are “gold”—they transform routine coordination into meaningful collaboration.

Corporate wellness has evolved from gym memberships to holistic well-being. Keswin presents Vynamic, a healthcare consulting firm, as a case study of how wellness and performance intertwine. CEO Dan Calista’s goal: build “the healthiest company in the world.”

Health as Culture, Not Perk

At Vynamic, wellness isn’t a fringe program—it’s central to the business strategy. Employees choose their projects and locations, reducing resentment and fostering autonomy. The company’s “Be Your Best Self” initiative supports personal goals—from mindfulness training to window gardening—funded by Vynamic. Attrition rates are far below industry norms, and hiring relies mainly on referrals, proving that well-being drives engagement.

Policies That Promote Rest

Vynamic’s celebrated “zzzMail” rule bans emails between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or on weekends. The discipline signals respect for personal boundaries and has increased productivity long-term. Employees describe feeling at peace, not pressured. Other companies follow suit: Deloitte’s “Mindset Mondays” give managers 15 minutes of reflection, and the Motley Fool blends fitness with social connection by hosting “walk meetings.”

Civility and Connection

Keswin reminds readers that wellness isn’t just physical. Georgetown professor Christine Porath’s research links kindness to health; rudeness drains immune systems. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls loneliness America’s most common disease. Thus, well-being intertwines with connection. CBRE’s WELL-certified offices, designed to reduce “germs” and support mental health, show how environment amplifies collective wellness.

Design, communicate, measure: Keswin’s three-part formula for integrating wellness into culture. Ask what your people need, share offerings clearly, and track engagement. Well-being is human fuel—without it, culture burns out.

In essence, Keswin’s take reframes wellness from benefit to identity. When companies respect sleep, civility, and joy as professional necessities, they don’t just build stronger teams—they build better humans.

Contrary to hustle culture, Keswin insists that productivity grows from rest. “Disconnect to reconnect” challenges the myth that endless busyness signals success. Neuroscience backs her up—creative insight arises when our brains wander.

Start as You Mean to Go On

Keswin profiles Tristan Walker, CEO of Walker & Company, who designed his business to prioritize wellness and family from the start. Leaving work by 6 p.m. and taking a full paternity leave, he set the tone for balanced leadership. By leading through example, Walker modeled disconnection not as laziness but clarity. His principle: “If you’re not taking care of yourself or your family, you’re not taking care of business.”

Designing Cultures of Rest

Rowland+Broughton Architects rebuilt their firm after realizing overwork had driven 30% attrition. By hiring a head of culture, limiting hours, and introducing sabbaticals, they created space for reflection. Their “ping” system tracks workload balance, reminding employees to rest. Upon taking their own four-week sabbatical, founders returned rejuvenated, inspiring their staff to embrace sustainable rhythm.

Other companies follow creative paths to disconnection. REI closes stores on Black Friday, prompting employees to “#OptOutside.” Slack installs signs reading “Work hard and go home.” Daimler auto-deletes vacation emails to relieve post-holiday stress. FullContact and SteelHouse even pay employees to take vacations—proof that disconnection pays dividends in loyalty.

Leaders must “leave loudly,” Keswin urges. When CEOs like Barri Rafferty or Robbert Rietbroek publicly head home, they give teams permission to do the same. Disconnection modeled from the top fuels healthier engagement.

“The problem isn’t technology,” Keswin writes. “It’s our relationship to it.” Like Arianna Huffington’s Thrive, she reframes rest as resilience. True productivity begins when we unplug—restoring attention and creativity. Where there’s a will, there is a way to reclaim human connection.

Physical space shapes behavior. Keswin draws on Winston Churchill’s insight that “we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” Design decisions—lighting, seating, layout—can either encourage collaboration or isolate people. Her advice: design workplaces that curate connection.

Aligning Space with Values

Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena’s office redesign exemplifies this principle. Partnering with A+I architects, he created an environment reflecting the brand’s motto, “Design is not a luxury.” Common areas line the interior, while quiet spaces with natural light form the exterior ring—flipping conventional layouts. The result mirrors company values of transparency and collaboration. Similarly, BLB&G law firm installs a Batman painting as a symbol of protecting clients—space as storytelling.

Mixing It Up

Dynamic seating fosters openness. Investopedia CEO David Siegel reconstructs the office layout so teams sit with departments they support—not just their hierarchy. At DoSomething.org, desks change every six months during “The Reaping,” a playful ritual promoting new interactions. Betterment forms eight-person “bands” for cross-functional bonding, while Airbnb’s themed meeting rooms replicate global homes, embedding belonging into space.

Rules of the Road

Space alone won’t spark connection; behavior must follow. CBRE’s Workplace360 project shows what happens when managers communicate clearly during transitions. By engaging skeptics, prototyping new setups, and blogging transparently, they reduced resistance and improved morale. Food52 similarly codifies space etiquette—its “Open Lounge” handbook section invites work, casual meetings, and even “secret naps.” These protocols make collaboration an everyday habit.

A human office aligns with culture, encourages flexibility, and gives personality to every corner. As Keswin quips, “If you’re not using your space to connect, you may as well just give everyone a laptop and a Starbucks card.”

Whether through architecture or ritual, space matters because it embodies relationships. When you curate spaces for belonging, your culture quite literally takes shape.

Keswin reframes professional development as human development. Instead of generic training programs, she advocates personalized growth experiences that empower people to be their best selves. Development, she writes, is not a perk—it’s a relationship.

Going the Extra Mile

The story of Aria Finger at DoSomething.org embodies this principle. When she sought new challenges, former CEO Nancy Lublin encouraged her to create an internal consultancy—allowing her to innovate within the company rather than leave. This act of trust birthed DoSomething Strategic and transformed Finger from employee into CEO. Similarly, DoSomething’s two-year sabbatical policy refreshes employees while nurturing successors who temporarily fill their roles, proving that development sustains culture.

Learning Through Connection

Betterment’s Jon Stein uses mentoring and cross-team relationships as professional development. His “bands” mix employees from different departments for learning and camaraderie. Formal mentorship programs, backed by Gartner research, improve retention and performance. Stein’s mantra—“Small Teams, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose”—captures development through belonging. (His ideas echo Daniel Pink’s in Drive: mastery grows through autonomy and purpose.)

Self-Expression and Emotional Intelligence

Refinery29 expands development into emotional intelligence and creative expression. Training focuses on empathy, strength spotting, and self-awareness, complemented by programs like the “School of Self-Expression” where employees paint, write, and reflect. These practices deepen relationships and manage stress, proving that creativity nurtures professional resilience.

Keswin’s formula: Ask employees what they want to learn. Receive what they can teach. Coach continuously. Development built on conversation and care transforms jobs into journeys.

Ultimately, professional growth equals human growth. By treating learning as dialogue, companies like DoSomething, Betterment, and Refinery29 prove that investing in people personally pays off professionally.

Keswin closes her book with one of humanity’s simplest yet most powerful acts: saying thank you. Gratitude transforms ordinary work into meaningful connection. Recognition, she insists, is not fluff—it’s strategy.

Stories of Everyday Appreciation

The entire book was inspired by Ashley Peterson, a Starbucks barista who chased the author down the street to gift a treat to her child—a spontaneous act of care. That empathy, Keswin realized, built loyalty and inspired joy. Starbucks’ culture of “treat customers like family” allowed Ashley’s humanity to flourish and later propelled her career from barista to store manager.

Systematic Gratitude

At SoulCycle, gratitude is institutionalized through the “#Soulitforward” pin program. Employees give pins representing company values—fun, teamwork, change—to peers who live them, creating an “ecosystem of celebration.” JetBlue’s “Lift” program, powered by Globoforce, lets employees instantly recognize one another for upholding values like caring and safety. Even small gestures—a crew member easing anxiety at a delayed flight—earn acknowledgment. Within four months, 88% of employees felt more appreciated.

Ritualizing Thanks

Keswin celebrates companies making gratitude habitual. Indagare opens every morning with a gratitude circle, where employees share what they’re thankful for and wish happiness on a colleague—a practice that strengthens empathy and morale. Leaders like David Siegel at Investopedia begin meetings by publicly thanking teams. These rituals keep appreciation tangible and immediate.

“Who, when, how,” Keswin writes: thank everyone, thank often, thank specifically. Recognition honors relationships and sparks engagement. A simple ‘thank you’ can change culture—and maybe the world.

Research backs her claim. Gratitude increases happiness, productivity, and physical health (Harvard’s studies confirm this). It also reinforces values far more effectively than punishment or incentives. Keswin’s final reflection ties the theme together: workplace humanity begins with awareness, with noticing someone’s effort, and saying to them—thank you.