When is the last time you called a big company or government agency and after two or three rings, a real live human being answered the phone and said: "Hello, how can I help you?"
From big data, automation, complex algorithms, and giant corporations to massive government bureaucracy, we've lost the human touch. Everyday life often seems increasingly impersonal.
Our guest, Steve Hilton, argues for radical change. The former senior policy advisor to ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron has co-authored "More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First." The book is a clarion call for reform of government, law, education, welfare and business systems.
Read moreThis show may very well save you money, boost your career and help you make smarter decisions.
It's about risk.
Our guest is Karen Firestone - author of the new book “Even The Odds - Sensible Risk-Taking in Business Investing and Life." She is President and CEO, of Aureus Asset Management, an asset management firm she co-founded after 22 years as a fund manager and research analyst at Fidelity Investments. Karen is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review blog.
Read moreHow many times have heard somebody say that the political campaign has reached a new low? How much worse is the 2016 race compared to previous elections?
We asked Princeton University Professor, Sean Wilentz, to give us a history lesson.
In his latest book, "The Politicians and the Egalitarians" Sean makes the case for pragmatism, arguing that politicians serve the country best through the art of compromise.
Read moreThis podcast is all about how to have better habits and use them to be more productive in our projects, careers and everyday lives.
We talk about to-do lists, email, mental models and making the most of our time with best-selling author, Chares Duhigg. His latest book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit."
Read moreMedical errors are America's third-largest cause of death. Only heart disease and cancer have a higher body count.
A new report estimates that about 250,000 Americans die each year because of screw-ups in hospitals, doctors' offices and other medical settings. In 2013, research by NASA's chief toxicologist put the number at as many as 440,000.
In this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", Pittsburgh-based lawyer James Lieber brings a passion for practical solutions to a widespread problem. James has spent more than a decade researching medical errors after his friend and mentor died from a prescription overdose following a lung transplant. Last month, his provocative and practical op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, "How To Make Hospitals Less Deadly", caught our attention. (Note: readers can get behind the Journal's paywall by pasting the link at news.google.com).
His recent book is "Killer Care: How Medical Error Became America's Third Largest Cause of Death, And What Can Be Done About It"
Read moreIt's the biggest issue of the Presidential campaign that the candidates are not talking about: bloated government and the poor delivery of services.
From very long TSA airport security lines to the dysfunction at your local DMV, our interactions with government can be extremely frustrating. Exceedingly complex rules and laws make things even worse.
For decades, Philip K. Howard has been a leading voice on how to streamline government and make it work for all of us. His latest book is "The Rule of Nobody: Saving America From Dead Laws and Broken Government." He's the founder of the good-government group, Common Good.
In this 12-minute episode of "Fix It Shorts," Philip gives alarming examples of how regulations have programmed officials and politicians of both parties to follow rigid rules that often leave very little room for human judgement.
Read moreThe numbers are alarming. A 2015 Gallup poll found nearly 70% of U.S. employees say they're either bored or disengaged at work.
The cost to employers has been put at more than $500 billion in lost productivity. The cost to workers is incalculable - in human misery, unnecessary stress, and lost opportunity.
Workplace psychologist Ron Friedman is the author of "The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace." Ron says there's an astonishing gap between the latest science and most of the modern workplace. He has some great tips for both employers and employees.
Read more"Stuff happens," says homeland security expert, and mom of three, Juliette Kayyem.
The government has got to find a better way to talk about the threat of terrorism and natural disasters. Most of us need to have a better plan to prepare.
"We talked in a way when people would either tune out or freak out," says Juliette of her time as a top official at The Department of Homeland of Homeland Security. "We are all in this together," she tells on this episode of "How Do We Fix It?"
Her new book is "Security Mom: An Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland And Your Home." The book is packed with common-sense ways to think about positively about a difficult subject.
Read moreWe have a problem in our society. Too many people don't understand science or the importance of the scientific method.
Many children aren't learning the basics of math and science, which closes off a broad range of career opportunities.
It's also a problem in our civil society. A broader understanding of how science works would help parents know why they need to vaccinate their kids or what's going on with climate change.
Science evangelist Ainissa Ramirez has some great fixes. She's the author of "Save Our Science" and "Newton's Football," a lively book about the science of America's favorite sport. Ainissa is dedicated to making science fun for people of all ages. Her excellent two-minute podcast, "Science Underground," helps spread the word.
Read moreLet's face it. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have won far more votes than almost any "expert" forecast.
The reason may well be that emotions and learned behavior from others play a far bigger role in our decision-making than most of us realize.
Our "Fix It" guest Mark Earls - the HERDMeister - is an award-winning British writer and consultant on marketing, communications and human behavior. In his latest book, "Copy, Copy, Copy," Mark shows how we vote and buy stuff by copying others - our friends, family and our neighbors.
"Donald Trump is "much smarter than we give him credit for," says Mark.. "He gets that people need to feel stuff rather than think about it.
Read more