Organizations must prepare for low-probability events like having an active shooter because the stakes are so high. In this episode, we draw upon our own military experience, guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and some of Ben’s research to help people and leaders everywhere with regard to this sobering topic. In particular, we explore: - What is an active shooter and what you should do in an active-shooter situation - Roles for leaders and managers - Considerations for HR de...
Mar 18, 2021•48 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast We cut through the numbskullery and unpack what resilience really means, along with an associated characteristic: hardiness. These ideas are tremendously important for all of us. Specifically, we discuss: - What resilience and hardiness are and why they matter - Individual and environmental factors that influence resilience and hardiness - Implications for people, leaders, and organizations Links and Other Information The Navy Leader Development Framework 3.0: click here Building Your Resilience...
Mar 03, 2021•58 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Everything is awesome! Except when it’s not. Positivity, although generally valued, can have real downsides in our human relationships and in our organizations. We explore in this episode, specifically: - What toxic positivity is and some different forms of it - Why toxic positivity can be harmful - Implications for all of us Links and Other Information There’s a dark side to looking on the bright side. Here’s a healthier antidote. Article by Laura Gallaher in Fast Company What is Toxic Positivi...
Feb 24, 2021•44 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Everywhere we turn, it seems, there are amazing solutions to all of our modern problems. But when things sound too good to be true, they often are. In this episode, we unpack the problem of seemingly novel ideas in management. Specifically, we discuss: - What are management fads and how to spot them - Novelty bias: what is it and how does it play out - Better decision making for individuals, leaders, and organizations Links and Other Information Miller, D., & Hartwick, J. (2002). Spotting manage...
Feb 17, 2021•51 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Amid the chaos and many challenges we face in society, what can we do so that we don’t fall apart? We explore in this episode, including: - Why it might feel like the world is falling apart - What institutions are and why they matter - How we can strengthen human institutions and move forward with hope Links and Other Information All episodes of The Indigo Podcast Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Institutional strengthening: Guidance from Catholic Relief Services What can you do about th...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast Lists of trends abound. Yet this list--the Top 10 Work Trends for 2021--come from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, so it reflects the views of workplace experts from that field. In this episode, we provide: - An intro to the top 10 work trends for 2021 as reported by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - A discussion of the actual trends - Implications and further considerations regarding the state of the world of work in 2021 Links and Other Informa...
Feb 04, 2021•55 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast The COVID pandemic continues on, yet it will end someday. And it’s a good idea for leaders everywhere to be thoughtful about preparing for the future--starting TODAY. In this episode, we discuss what the post-pandemic environment might look like for leaders and organizations, specifically: - What practices might stay in place - What might change - What leaders can do now Links and Other Information Yuan, Z., Ye, Z., & Zhong, M. (2021). Plug back into work, safely: Job reattachment, leader safety...
Jan 27, 2021•45 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Conspiracy theories hijack the minds of people from all walks of life. They affect families, friends, coworkers, and leaders. Dealing with conspiracy theories can feel helpless, but there’s hope--and there are evidence-based approaches that we can use to make society better and win back those lost to falsehoods. In this episode, we talk about conspiracy theories; in particular: - What is a conspiracy theory? - Why do conspiracy theories matter and why should we care as leaders in our communities...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast Outrage sells. Division is rampant. And sometimes it might feel like our world is falling apart. But there's hope, and we all can make a big difference. We explore in this episode, discussing in particular: Finding your purpose What we all can do right now How we can all have a broader influence Links and Other Information All episodes of The Indigo Podcast Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter...
Jan 14, 2021•58 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast Scott Tannenbaum is the co-author of Teams That Work: The Seven Drivers of Team Effectiveness , which we discuss in this episode. Tannenbaum, who wrote Teams That Work with Eduardo Salas, has spent more than 25 years working with, providing evidence-based advice to, and conducting highly cited research on teams across a vast array of settings and challenges. As the President of the Group for Organizational Effectiveness, he has advised hundreds of organizations globally, including more than 75 F...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast This year has been such a challenge for you, us, and the rest of the world. But there is hope. We discuss in this episode, specifically: How 2020 was tremendously challenging Why we should have hope going into 2021 Ways in which we can position ourselves for flourishing this year Happy New Year to you and yours! SUBSCRIBE TODAY. Links and Other Information COVID-19 data from Johns Hopkins University: click here COVID vs the Flu: article How Science Beat the Virus: article in The Atlantic All epi...
Dec 30, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast We are taking a pause. Please listen as to why. More about Vincent William Baran's life, including the eulogy that Ben delivered for him, is online at www.MightyVincent.org
Nov 17, 2020•2 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Do veterans make good civilian employees? How do veterans and civilians avoid talking past each other in corporate settings? We discuss this and more with Kristin Saboe who leads employee listening, research, and talent strategy at The Boeing Company. She is responsible for authoring and leading Boeing’s Enterprise Veterans and Military Spouses Strategy. She also sits on several national level advisory councils related to veteran employment. Prior to Boeing, Kristin served in the U.S. Army. We'l...
Nov 10, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast John Kroger, a vice president at the Aspen Institute, previously served as the inaugural Chief Learning Officer of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, providing oversight for all education institutions and programs for more than 900,000 civilian and military personnel, with a budget of more than $1.7 billion. Before that, he served as the president of Reed College, the Attorney General of Oregon, Assistant US Attorney, and in several roles as a policy analyst and legislative assistant. He a...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast If you want to motivate people, you need to understand the nature of rewards in the workplace. Otherwise, you might be really missing the mark. You might actually be demotivating your employees. In this episode, we unpack the basics of rewarding employees, including the following: Extrinsic versus intrinsic rewards Fundamental ideas about employee motivation Implications for people, leaders, and organizations Links and Other Information Related episodes: Cort Rudolph on Generational Differences ...
Oct 29, 2020•50 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast One way to tilt the odds in your favor is to use evidence when making decisions and choices. But our typical use of evidence isn’t optimal. We can do better. In this episode, we talk with one of the world’s leading voices regarding evidence-based practice, Rob Briner. He is a professor of organizational psychology at Queen Mary, University of London and the co-founder and scientific director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management. He has received several awards for his work in this area inc...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast What can managers do to make work more satisfying and more motivational? Does it matter if people find their jobs satisfying? Why or why not? We explore these and related topics in this episode, including: What job satisfaction is and why it matters Five different facets of job satisfaction The job characteristics model and how managers can make work more satisfying and motivating Links and Other Information Man’s Search for Meaning: book The Chimp Paradox: book Judge, T. A., Thoresen, C. J., Bo...
Oct 22, 2020•47 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast In this eye-opening episode, Cort Rudolph of St. Louis University pulls back the curtain on generational differences at work. Simply put, they don’t exist. And it’s tough to even make the claim that generations themselves exist. We discuss these topics, drawing upon Cort’s recently published article on the topic in the Journal of Business and Psychology. Specifically, we explore: What are generations, do they even exist, and do they matter? Myths about generations and generational differences Im...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast First impressions, in some research studies, are measured in milliseconds. Let that sink in. In fractions of a second, we make judgments about each other. In fractions of a second, people make judgments about us. In this episode, we explore impression management. Specifically, we discuss: What is impression management How do we shape impressions and can we change them Implications for people, leaders, organizations We may or may not also discuss Greek yogurt. Links and Other Information Bar, M.,...
Oct 15, 2020•42 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast Decisions are fascinating, and Neil Shortland is an expert on them. He’s an assistant professor of Criminology and Justice Studies and the director of the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In this episode, we explore decisions and decision-making, including details about: Making hard decisions Decision-making in policing and business How the research on decision-making can apply to all of our lives Links and Other Information More about Neil Sho...
Oct 13, 2020•2 hr 33 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast Is the boss always watching you? With the proliferation of employee monitoring technologies, it’s becoming increasingly likely. But employee surveillance--electronic or otherwise--must be handled with care. In this episode, we discuss: What is employee surveillance Forms and negative reactions to employee surveillance Implications for people, leaders and organizations Links and Other Information News about H&M and employee surveillance: BBC and NY Post Yost, A. B., Behrend, T. S., Howardson, G.,...
Oct 08, 2020•36 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast What is humor? Why does it matter with regard to the workplace? How can it help organizations and leaders? In this episode, we talk with comedian and speaker David Horning about the changing nature of work and how humor fits into it all. Specifically, we discuss: The work landscape Why humor helps How to--how NOT to--incorporate humor into the workplace and leadership Links and Other Information David Horning’s website David’s organization, Water Cooler Comedy David's podcast, You Can't Laugh at...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Dealing with bad news is a fundamental part of being a leader or a manager. Focusing on how to deal with bad news within the organization, we discuss the research on delivering bad news and distill some actionable insights. Specifically, we explore: How sharing bad news is hard and painful, but it’s necessary Why and how fairness matters with regard to sharing bad news Implications for people, leaders, and organizations Links and Other Information Bies, R. J. (2013). The delivery of bad news in ...
Oct 01, 2020•42 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast What is talent management, anyway? And what does it have to do with how the workplace is changing? We explore these questions and more in this phenomenal episode with Marisa Carson, Ph.D. Specifically, we discuss: How an organizational psychologist ended up working in talent management How the workplace is changing amid COVID and other social shifts Implications for talent management in the future Links and Other Information Related episode: Enrica Ruggs on Race, Organizations, and the Role of L...
Sep 29, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Training at work is often terrible--but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, we unpack some of the basic--yet essential--ideas behind creating training that has a real and sustained impact. Specifically, we address: What is training and why does it matter Ways to design training so that it helps people learn Key takeaways for people, leaders, organizations Links and Other Information Association for Talent Development: website and state of the industry The International Society for Performanc...
Sep 24, 2020•53 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Being ostracized is painful, regardless of whether it occurs in our non-work or work lives. We explore workplace ostracism in this episode with Josh Cogswell, an assistant professor of management at Nicholls State University who recently published a meta-analysis on workplace ostracism in the Journal of Applied Psychology . Specifically, we discuss: What is ostracism and why does it matter in the workplace Outcomes of ostracism What leads to ostracism and implications for people, leaders, and or...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast To develop as a leader, stretch assignments or “crucibles” are critical. We discuss in more detail, using Mormon missionary experiences and the Hells Angels motorcycle runs as examples. Specifically, we explore: Why people need “crucibles” to grow and develop What is a stretch assignment Implications for people, leaders, and organizations Links and Other Information Thomas, R. J. (2008). Crucibles of leadership development. MIT Sloan Management Review , 49 (3), 15. Click here Fernández-Aráoz, C....
Sep 17, 2020•50 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Dave Schramm is a no-kidding family and relationships scholar--but he also does tremendous work bringing that research-based knowledge to the general public. He's an expert on what makes good relationships and good families, and he has great ideas on how those concepts can apply in the workplace. In this episode, we discuss: Promoting happy and healthy relationships The marriage and family help landscape and Dave's assessment of it How families and organizations can benefit from this field of kn...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast Drawing upon decades of research, we describe what science suggests regarding how leaders actually develop. Specifically, we explore: What is leader development and why does it matter What do we know about leader development and how does it happen Implications for people and organizations Links and Other Information McCall Jr, M. W. (2010). Recasting leadership development. Industrial and Organizational Psychology , 3 (1), 3-19. Click here Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E....
Sep 10, 2020•50 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast Justin Trudeau, Jair Bolsonaro, Angela Merkel: three distinct leaders with three distinct approaches toward the COVID pandemic. We unpack their charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic approaches with Matt Crayne of the University at Albany and Kelsey Medeiros of the University of Nebraska Omaha. Specifically, we discuss: Three ways to think about leadership Profiles of three world leaders during COVID Implications for people and organizations Links and Other Information Matt Crayne: website and ...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast 
