Roof Shots, Not Just Moonshots: The Power of Innovation-ish with Tessa Forshaw
October 9, 2025
How can leaders create real learning environments in today’s fast-paced, AI-driven workplace?
On this episode of Humanity at Scale, host Bruce Temkin welcomes Tessa Forshaw, cognitive scientist and co-founder of Harvard’s Next Level Lab, about reimagining how adults build skills at work. Tessa explains why traditional training often fails, and how “learning in the flow of work” helps people connect new knowledge directly to daily challenges. She highlights metacognition, thinking about your thinking, as the essential skill for thriving in times of rapid change. Together, they explore how managers can act as cognitive apprentices by making their decision-making visible and transparent, and why small, incremental “roof shot” innovations often matter more than moonshots. Tessa also shares her insights on blending AI coaching with human mentorship to scale workplace learning while keeping it human-centered.
How can leaders create real learning environments in today’s fast-paced, AI-driven workplace?
On this episode of Humanity at Scale, host Bruce Temkin welcomes Tessa Forshaw, cognitive scientist and co-founder of Harvard’s Next Level Lab, about reimagining how adults build skills at work. Tessa explains why traditional training often fails, and how “learning in the flow of work” helps people connect new knowledge directly to daily challenges. She highlights metacognition, thinking about your thinking, as the essential skill for thriving in times of rapid change. Together, they explore how managers can act as cognitive apprentices by making their decision-making visible and transparent, and why small, incremental “roof shot” innovations often matter more than moonshots. Tessa also shares her insights on blending AI coaching with human mentorship to scale workplace learning while keeping it human-centered.
Here are some of the topics that Bruce and Tessa explore:
- How learning in the flow of work creates stronger neural connections and better knowledge retention than traditional training
- Why is metacognition (thinking about your thinking) the key skill for thriving in a rapidly changing work environment
- The three-part framework for effective innovation: mindsets, moves, and metacognition
- How to transform managers into effective educators through cognitive apprenticeship
- Why small "roof shot" innovations matter more than moonshots for success
- How to integrate AI as a learning partner while maintaining human-centricity
- The importance of creating authentic learning experiences
- Why traditional assumptions about creativity and innovation hold people back
- How to build a personal practice of noticing and adjusting your thinking patterns
- The future of workplace learning: empowering people to become skilled users of their own minds
Tessa Forshaw is a cognitive scientist and researcher at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and co-founder of the Next Level Lab at Project Zero, where she studies the cognitive and creative skills needed for the future of work. She teaches design thinking and creativity at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education and previously taught at Stanford’s
d.school. Tessa’s work explores human-AI collaboration, innovation, and adaptability, and she is also an award-winning designer, TEDx speaker, and co-author of Innovation-ish.
Episode Resources: