Global wellbeing and employee engagement are cratering according to the 2022 Gallup State of the Workplace report. With only 9% of employees thriving and engaged, mentoring could be just what employers need to save attract and retain workers. Elisa Garn had the good fortune to experience the benefits of mentoring firsthand throughout her career, so she launched LevelNext , an online platform focused on connecting workers with mentors. She’s ready to make sure others experience eye-popping reward...
Jun 20, 2022•55 min•Season 5Ep. 26
A toxic culture has ten times more impact on attrition than compensation, according to MIT’s Sloan Review . In this episode, Mita Mallick , Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta , discusses culture killers and how to stop them. She also shares strategies for building community at work, holding leaders accountable, and investing in lasting change. Resources: MIT Sloan Review: Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation Brown Table Talk Podcast...
Jun 16, 2022•37 min•Season 5Ep. 25
Where have all the workers gone? When will labor shortages ease? What can companies do to access and retain qualified and skilled employees? For over 20 years, Ira S Wolfe has been forecasting The Perfect Labor Storm. It’s no longer coming. It’s arrived. A record number of vacant jobs, historic waves of resignations, and widening skill gaps are disrupting everything from production floors and operating rooms to classrooms and supply chains. These labor shortages are not a blip on the radar but l...
Jun 09, 2022•51 min•Season 5Ep. 24
What employer wouldn't want to save $11,000 per employee? That is just one of the benefits associated with embracing remote work. But Kate Lister , President of Global Workplace Analytics , recognizes 100% remote work may not be feasible for all organizations which is why she says a hybrid approach is the perfect compromise. In this episode, Kate discusses the upsides of adapting what work looks like. As you listen, you’ll learn how to navigate the challenges of remote work, maximize productivit...
Jun 02, 2022•40 min•Season 5Ep. 23
There is nothing worse than having a conversation with someone and feeling like they wish they can be doing anything besides listening to you? Admit it. Whether it’s your boss, customer, spouse, or kids, we’ve all been there. So what do you need to do to get people’s undivided attention, to put down their phones (plus a gazillion other distractions) and want to listen to you? During this episode, we get right to the heart of brain science with our guest Dr. Ali Atkison, one of the foremost autho...
May 26, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Do you feel stuck? Just going through the motions? Living someone else’s dream? Everyone knows that when you want to improve your physical health, lose weight, and get ready to show off that beach body as you head into summer, you head to the gym, right? Physical exercise is even recognized as a great way to get rid of stress - and we certainly have our share of stress to carry around these days. But where do you go to tune up your mental health, live the best version of yourself, or as Cory Cha...
May 24, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 22
What does the best academic science say about how people and companies operate together? Here to tell us is Marc Effron , Founder and President of The Talent Strategy Group , and co-author of Harvard Business Review books One Page Talent Management and 8 Steps to High Performance . In this episode, Marc shares his top learnings on talent management, the difference between high performance and high potential, and even his best coaching tip. As you listen, you’ll learn how to scale talent manageme...
May 19, 2022•35 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Transitioning from in-person work to work-from-anywhere teams is undoubtedly different. Building culture, connectivity, collaboration, and engagement can be awkward. How can businesses create the space to collaborate, connect, and communicate in a remote and hybrid workplace? Scott Novis, Founder of GameTruck , believes we need to be intentional about playing together and that the disconnection and loneliness that remote workers feel can be flipped through fun and games. During this episode, Sco...
May 12, 2022•50 min•Season 5Ep. 20
“Relationship building is the number one skill set you can have and being involved in community is the core that builds systems for you to really make the most of that skill." Nikki Lewallen is a partnership and relationship growth expert. As Founder and Chief Meaningful Work Officer at PeopleForward Network , Nikki knows just how important a sense of community is during these very disconnected times. In this episode, Nikki, Jason, and Ira discuss how to build meaningful relationships and find m...
May 12, 2022•38 min•Season 5Ep. 19
More than 50 years the futurist Alvin Toffler described a future human condition called “future shock”: a shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time.” Welcome to 2022, when SHIFT seemed to hit all our plans, leaving many of us all FCDD*up (*Frustrated-Confused-Disappointed-Distracted). During this episode, hosts Ira S Wolfe and Jason Cochran will explore a few of the trends reshaping business and personal lives, fr...
May 02, 2022•46 min•Season 5Ep. 19
The New Normal will be Never Normal, VUCA is our kryptonite, and adaptability will be our superpower. Our future isn’t just about digital transformation and how digital you are but how you are digital, says this episode’s guest Greg Verdino. There is a whole generation of new workers who are embracing Web3 as a model. It's almost like gig workers on steroids, where they are building their own day job across 5 or 6 or 10 Web3 projects. Some are working for cash, others for crypto and tokens. To w...
Apr 28, 2022•49 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Nothing scares people more than the unknown. And the concentration of the uncertainty the world is currently experiencing is unprecedented. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, author, speaker, and leadership trainer , Dr. Joe Serio , talks about how he went from being afraid of everything to hanging around the Russian mafia and the KGB. As you listen, you’ll learn how to take control of what scares you by putting your fears into perspective and acknowledging what you can and cannot ...
Apr 21, 2022•37 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Inclusion has officially become a buzzword. Companies tout it all the time, but it's mostly all talk, little action. It's time for them to stand up and read the writing on the wall. While 80% of employees want to work for an inclusive company, a recent report byJoshBersin.com revealed that 80% of companies are merely going through the motions. Inclusion is not only the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do. Inclusion can help businesses attract and retain top talent, increase custom...
Apr 13, 2022•43 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Relationship intelligence is a missed opportunity for managers and businesses. It helps leaders excel and communicate better. But many leadership development and workplace training programs follow a “one-size-fits-most” approach. That’s just not enough to help leaders be their best, according to our guest leadership communication expert Michael Piperno, Founder of The Comvia Group. Effective communication requires a whole lot more than just using the right words. It takes “relationship intellige...
Apr 12, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 15
A paycheck alone isn’t enough anymore. Meaningful compensation and recognition have become just as important. So how can you show your people appreciation to both attract and retain talent? In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Sarah McVanel , a leading recognition expert and author, sheds light on some myths that get in the way of acknowledging others. Sarah also breaks down how practicing recognition can help you create an army of recruiters. As you listen, you’ll hear simple ways t...
Apr 07, 2022•41 min•Season 5Ep. 14
We’ve gone from phone, to email, to text, to video. Communication is constantly evolving. Are you adapting with them to make sure you’re both heard and, more importantly, understood? In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, leadership communication and influence expert Dr. Laura Sicola discusses the subtle changes that make communication more effective. As you listen, you’ll hear tips on how to bring your in-person best to video so people take notice and retain the information you’re pre...
Mar 24, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Remember the good old pre-pandemic days when people woke up, showered, got dressed, crawled through long commutes, and searched for a coveted parking spot, just so that they could sit at a desk in a building to do work? Today, workers demand flexibility - to work from everywhere, anywhere, at any time. Building an Everywhere Workplace is not just an essential talent strategy. To navigate the labor market in this Never-Normal era, it's essential you can differentiate the opportunities from the la...
Mar 23, 2022•53 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Workers are stressed. Many employees are burned out, running on fumes. Symptoms of stress and burnout are proliferating. A recent McKinsey report revealed that nearly 1 out of every 4 employees has moderate needs for counseling and psychotherapy. The World Health Organization estimates the impact of mental health symptoms on absenteeism, presenteeism, and loss of productivity is costing the global economy over $1 Trillion per year. Unfortunately, stress and burnout still carry a stigma and emplo...
Mar 17, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 11
To everyone else, it looked like Dr. Loubna Erraji had a perfect life. She is a high achiever, a neuroscientist with 20 years of experience encompassing scientific research, teaching, consulting, and coaching. She’s held important academic positions and executive corporate roles. But despite her distinguished career and a long list of accomplishments, she wasn’t happy. Nothing was working in her life and job until she found a coach. One might wonder why high achievers like Loubna Erraji would ne...
Mar 12, 2022•46 min•Season 5Ep. 10
The Great Resignation, The Great Attrition, The Big Quit - whatever you want to call it, Steve Browne isn’t buying it. Steve, Chief People Officer at LaRosa’s Pizzeria , says people aren’t leaving the workforce, they are simply leaving places that don’t value them as both a person and an employee. That’s why Steve is making Larosa’s an organization people want to be a part of by putting people first. And not just in theory, but in practice. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Steve ...
Mar 10, 2022•39 min•Season 5Ep. 9
For Kiersten Rippeteau, purpose, meaning, and company culture aren’t just lofty words but high-impact actions. Unfortunately for many business leaders, they are just word-du-jour. They toss them around in the hopes something sticks. She, however, believes that every business can have a powerful positive impact on its employees, customers, and community. And for nearly 15 years, she has been helping leaders do exactly that - connect the dots between the business strategy, mission, and people. You...
Mar 06, 2022•47 min
“We are now experiencing two, once-in-a-century trends happening at the same time—the labor shortage is one and the shift to remote work is the other.” Gad Levanon , Chief Economist at the Burning Glass Institute , has won awards for accurately forecasting U.S. economic trends. What’s his take on the shift to remote work? It’s dramatically changing the labor and economic playing field. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Gad joins hosts Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran to break down the ...
Feb 24, 2022•36 min•Season 5Ep. 7
On this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, show hosts Jason Cochran and Ira S Wolfe are joined by the Dulead leadership team of Eric Hiler and Scott Himes to explore the importance of growth mindset and how a micro-learning coaching experience can give everyone from the front-line to the C-Suite the power to make change work. While winning the gold at the Olympics is every athlete’s goal, less than 3 percent of the athletes get an opportunity to stand atop the world stage. How these world-...
Feb 16, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Last year over 18 billion dollars were infused into HR tech, yet only 40% of senior HR leaders say they have a digital transformation plan in place for their businesses. According to Chad Sowash , the issue isn’t the tech, it’s the planning and integration. Chad is an HR legend, especially in recruitment, and is currently co-host of “ Chad and The Cheese ,” HR’s most dangerous podcast. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Chad joins hosts Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran to explore why so...
Feb 10, 2022•39 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Burnout and stress are at all-time highs. In what has been dubbed The Great Resignation, over 26 million people have said adios to their bosses in just 5 months. Nearly one-third of the workforce has changed jobs over the past 12 months. Not only are more and better opportunities available, but a global study by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence found that 78% of employees reported that their mental health was negatively impacted by the pandemic. Half of the workers say they’re experiencing burn...
Feb 04, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In Geeks, Geezers, Googlization , Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran explore the new, challenge the old, and dare to push back on everybody who’s said “When we’re back to normal times…” . Join them weekly for fresh conversations around all topics pertaining to talent management.
Feb 03, 2022•4 min
If there ever was a time that HR and business leaders needed to reimagine their future and how they approach managing people, it's right now. Ben M. Bensaou , author of Built to Innovate and Professor of Technology Management at INSEAD, (home of the Blue Ocean Strategy) says that HR "needs to begin taking "innovating seriously." Instead of reaching for one more piece of HR Tech (which is innovation), we need to create an innovating culture that gives people permission to innovate and take risks ...
Jan 20, 2022•46 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Imagine yourself loving to go to work, where your office workspace is equipped with perfect air quality, light, sound, and personalized design (even if you're left-handed!). This workspace helps you be more efficient and productive, all while offering flexible privacy and psychological safety. Mo Hamzian took his love for working at what he calls “analog coffee shops'' and started VEL, a hyper-localized tech-enabled, highly productive workplace based on a coffee shop concept. Sounds pretty good,...
Jan 06, 2022•46 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Modern HR is not about HR, according to the “father of modern HR,” Dave Ulrich . Dave has eloquently described the major stumbling block in HR’s pursuit of change and leadership: HR is not about HR! For far too long HR has been clamoring that it wants a seat at the table. Dave's response: "If HR isn't at the table [in 2021,] you don't belong in HR!" So then ...what is HR about? Where does it belong? Why should a CEO rely on HR in the first place? Start by asking: What does HR contribute? HR is a...
Dec 30, 2021•45 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Plagued by the double whammy of a record number of job openings and employee resignations, many companies have opened up their purse strings to toss money at revolving doors of talent. But according to Recruiter.com chairman and CEO Evan Sohn , who is at the epicenter of what is going on, 75 percent of candidate priorities are not compensation-related. Paying more money isn’t the long-term solution. So what is? What’s going wrong in the job and labor markets and what must companies do right now ...
Dec 23, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 49
