About this episode

Nicole Kalil and Nidhi Tewari discuss the broken state of modern work and the importance of attunement in fostering human connection and improving workplace culture.

Let’s just say the quiet part out loud: work is broken. Burnout is everywhere. People are disengaged. Leaders feel like they can’t win. Employees feel invisible. And somewhere along the way, work became more about transactions than human connection. In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Nidhi Tewari — licensed clinical social worker, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council member, Thinkers50 Radar Award recipient, and author of Working Well — to unpack what’s really going wrong at work… and what actually fixes it. Thank god, it’s not another productivity hack. It’s attunement. In this episode, we cover: Why modern work culture is failing (and why it’s not entirely new) The real reason burnout and disengagement are skyrocketing What “attunement” is — and why it goes deeper than emotional intelligence The 4 core skills of attunement: flexibility, reading cues, self-regulation, and collaboration Simple ways to practice attunement at work — without adding more to your plate Why asking instead of assuming is a leadership superpower How workplace connection directly impacts performance, retention, and fulfillment Because maybe the goal isn’t to care more. Maybe the goal is to…

People in this episode

Host: Nicole Kalil

Guest: Nidhi Tewari

Topics covered

• work culture
• burnout
• attunement
• leadership
• employee engagement
• human connection

Keywords

• workplace
• attunement
• burnout
• leadership
• employee engagement
• human connection
• productivity
• self-regulation

Sponsors

Gusto

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Business Review, Thinkers50

Books & works: Working Well

More episodes of This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

• A Terrible Strength: How Medical Bias Is Costing Women Their Lives with Dr. Kemi Doll | 408 · May 4, 2026 · 39 min
• When a One-Star Review Means You’ve Officially Arrived | Unfiltered & Unhinged · May 1, 2026 · 7 min
• The No-BS Fitness Strategy That Actually Works (That You’ve Probably Been Overlooking) with Dr. Milica McDowell | 407 · April 29, 2026 · 42 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil podcast page.