Organizational Transformation Expert & CEO of Fractional Insights; Award-Winning Author of "The Coaching Shift: How A Coaching Mindset and Skills Can Change You"
Dr. Shonna Waters Biography
Dr. Shonna Waters PhD translates psychological science into engineered business systems that deliver quantifiable financial returns for enterprise leaders. As co-founder and CEO of Fractional Insights, she brings a strategic architect’s mindset to human capital investments—designing measurable frameworks that align workforce performance with C-suite priorities.
Dr. Waters’ expertise in systems design and organizational transformation has established her as a sought-after advisor for executives navigating complex workforce challenges. At BetterUp, where she was among the first 50 employees and founding scientist, Dr. Waters architected enterprise-wide assessment and coaching methodologies that helped drive the company’s growth, garnering a $4.7 billion valuation during her tenure. Her pioneering measurement frameworks transformed coaching from an HR expense to a data-backed strategic investment, repositioning human development as a driver of shareholder value.
As a former government executive, Dr. Waters led the comprehensive redesign of foundational talent systems—including promotion, performance management and recognition frameworks—that enhanced organizational performance while reducing administrative burden. This systems-level expertise is complemented by her experience developing sophisticated talent assessments that predict high performance across specialized roles, creating automated tools that drive both efficiency and performance.
Dr. Waters’ executive advisory work combines scientific precision with commercial pragmatism, focusing on: architecting human capital systems that create exponential returns on investments; developing measurement frameworks that quantify workforce adaptation and transformation; designing evidence-based talent strategies that drive measurable business outcomes; and building organizational resilience that sustains performance through disruption.
Her insights on workforce transformation and human capital ROI have been featured in and on CNBC, Forbes, Fast Company and Axios. As former vice president of research at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), she directed enterprise-wide research initiatives that shaped HR strategy across multiple industries, establishing her reputation as a thought leader who bridges scientific rigor with practical application.
Dr. Waters combines her PhD in industrial-organizational psychology and statistics from the University of Minnesota with Georgetown University executive coaching certification to deliver a unique blend of analytical depth and human insight. An award-winning author and educator, she has published over 100 academic and practitioner works including two celebrated books on HR analytics and coaching to drive individual, team and organizational impact.
At Fractional Insights, Dr. Waters engineers "psychological ergonomics" into organizational systems—ensuring workforce adaptability becomes your competitive advantage. Her approach brings engineering discipline to the "people side" of business, ensuring every dollar spent on technology and human capital produces exponential returns. She is passionate about creating organizational environments where human potential and business performance reach their highest expression simultaneously.
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Dr. Shonna Waters Speaking Topics
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The Human-AI Partnership: Unlocking Your Workforce's True Potential
As generative AI reshapes the business landscape, the critical question is no longer if you will adopt it, but how.
Organizational psychologist Dr. Shonna Waters provides a research-backed playbook for creating a symbiotic relationship between your people and intelligent technology. Drawing on proprietary frameworks and real-world case studies and examples, she reveals how to redesign the work experience, upskill teams, and lead with confidence in the AI era. Move beyond the fear of replacement and learn to build a powerful human-AI partnership that amplifies creativity, drives innovation, and secures your competitive advantage.
Key Audience Takeaways:
- A proven framework for auditing and redesigning job roles to maximize collaboration between employees and AI.
- Examples of leading organizations that are successfully navigating AI adoption such as the Mayo Clinic’s approach to reduce AI angst by inviting employees to design the tools and use cases.
- The three essential leadership skills for managing a hybrid human-AI workforce and fostering psychological safety.
- A strategic plan to future-proof your talent by investing in uniquely human skills that AI cannot replicate.
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Psychological Ergonomics: The Science of Designing Work That Works
Why do so many engagement initiatives and transformation projects fail? The answer lies in a fundamental conflict between common business practices and human nature. In this paradigm-shifting talk, Dr. Shonna Waters introduces "Psychological Ergonomics"—her proprietary, evidence-based framework for aligning your organization's systems with how people actually think, feel, and thrive. Learn to diagnose and eliminate the hidden points of friction in your culture and processes that drain motivation and hinder performance. This is the science of unlocking human potential and achieving breakthrough results for teams and organizations.
Key Audience Takeaways:
- A research-backed diagnostic toolkit to identify the top three sources of "psychological friction" in your organization.
- Actionable design principles to apply to your performance management, team collaboration, and change initiatives.
- A method for quantifying the ROI of human-centered design through improved retention, productivity, and innovation.
Dr. Shonna Waters Videos
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How do I book Dr. Shonna Waters to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Shonna Waters for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Shonna Waters, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Shonna Waters or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Dr. Shonna Waters
Speaking fees for Dr. Shonna Waters, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dr. Shonna Waters are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Shonna Waters, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Dr. Shonna Waters speak about?
Dr. Shonna Waters is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Business Leadership, Communication, Corporate Culture, Future of Work, Futurism, Human Resources, Leadership, Professors, Psychology, Social Sciences, Technology -
Where does Dr. Shonna Waters travel from?
Dr. Shonna Waters generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
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Dr. Shonna Waters is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Human-AI Partnership: Unlocking Your Workforce's True Potential, Psychological Ergonomics: The Science of Designing Work That Works, Work-Related Angst: From Data to Action on Burnout and Engagement, Influence Without Authority: A Psychologist's Toolkit for Leading Change and The ROI of Belonging: How to Fix the $154 Billion Connection Crisis. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dr. Shonna Waters for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Dr. Shonna Waters generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Adrian Gostick, Chester Elton, Bianca Baumann, Dr. Kimberly Harden and Steven Van Cohen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dr. Shonna Waters for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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