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Work Isn’t Working: The Hidden Cost of Thoughtload

A Blend Book Club Live with Liane Davey, Ph. D.
Event Location
Chicago
Event Date
September 10, 2026
to September 10, 2026
Event Time
6:00 pm
- 9:30 pm
About this event

Work isn’t working, and it’s not just the workload.

It’s the thoughtload: the hidden cognitive and emotional strain draining performance and productivity.

In this interactive Blend Masterclass, Liane Davey explores how rising mental demands, emotional burdens, and depleted energy reserves are impacting innovation, collaboration, and engagement. You’ll gain practical strategies to reduce thoughtload, lead more effectively, and create the conditions for your team to do their best work—along with candid insights into how leaders unintentionally add to the load.

Our speakers
Liane Davey, Ph. D.
Best-selling author | Harvard contributor | Co-Founder | Organizational Psychology Expert

Liane Davey is a bestselling author of four books, including The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Your Organization Back on Track and You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done. She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and is regularly cited by media outlets for her expertise in leadership, team effectiveness, and productivity. As the co-founder of 3COze Inc., she advises companies including Amazon, McDonald’s, Deloitte, UNICEF, and TD Bank. Liane has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology. Her new book, Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work, is out in May 2026.

Key themes & discussion topics

Rising cognitive demands, increasing emotional burdens, and depleted energy reserves.

How decision-making, communication patterns, and ambiguity amplify thoughtload.

Why managing energy — not time — determines sustainable performance.

Practical strategies for simplifying work, reducing noise, and restoring focus.

Event agenda
01
Registration & networking

6:00-6:30 PM

02
Workshop & discussion

6:30 – 8.00 PM

03
Dinner

8:00 – 9:00 PM

04
Event wrap-up, reflection & networking

9:00 – 9:30 PM

Why should you attend?

Understand the real drain on performance

Get clear on why work feels harder than it should – and why it’s not about hours, but mental and emotional overload.

Spot how leaders unintentionally add to the problem

Identify the subtle behaviours that increase thoughtload across your team – even with the best intentions.

Leave with practical tools

Walk away with evidence-based techniques to lower cognitive and emotional strain immediately.

Free your team to do great work

Create the conditions for sharper thinking, better collaboration, and stronger energy across your organisation.

Event Organizer
Emily Osgood
Venue
Event Location Light
Chicago
Chicago
United States
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