Leadership Human-Style

“We have a responsibility to show vulnerability.” -Preet Makkar How comfortable are you with being vulnerable at work?  I’m not talking about over-sharing, but rather sharing your humanity and sometimes painful learnings with others so that they don’t feel so alone.   In today’s episode, my guest makes the case for being transparent about our own struggles. Preet Makkar is a Human Resource leader...

“I’m an island.” -Mary Meston  (embedded internal Coach) Do you have a coaching roster in your organization?  Or do you have internal coaches embedded internally?  Perhaps you're listening to this, saying “I only wish I had either one!”  No matter your situation or opinion on the best structure, you will find this conversation thought-provoking. My guest is Mary Meston. Mary has extensive exp...

“Our health and safety program has become more than just a traditional safety program…[it] looks at the whole person whether that is physical or psychological.” -Manisha Mistry How well does your organization support employee mental health?   How well do employees avail themselves of existing resources?  Tune in today to learn about mental health first aid training and how to help people take adva...

“You don’t have to move in one particular direction.” -Kate McKinnon How does your succession planning strategy work?  Is it more focused on moving people UP or does it include moving people ACROSS?     In today’s episode, my guest gives us a peek into how to ensure that there are multiple avenues for people’s development and talent cross-population which develops breadth and depth. My guest is Ka...

The traditional name of] HR becomes really non-connected and what you’re doing is looking at people as objects. - Anita Bhandari The HR Department. A common department name in countless organizations. Yes is it the right one for this period in time?  Was it ever the right one? In today’s episode, my guest makes the case for shifting this department’s title to “People and Culture” which is a shift...

“We know who our employees are and what drives them.” - Jeannie Ambler  How do you support employees who happen to work inside people’s homes instead of in a corporate office?  Today’s guest comes from the seniors living industry, which is the industry I supported in my last corporate role. Tune in for some unique insights into this purpose-driven world and ideas on how to support employees who do...

“All leaders need to be constantly looking at their own growth.” - Lisa Mitchell In today’s episode, we’re flipping things around!    I’m sharing an episode where I was the guest and not the host. In May 2023, I was invited to appear on the Who Are You to Lead Anyway? Podcast hosted by the wonderful Cynthia Jamieson.    And what a great experience!  Cynthia is a skilled host who asks great questio...

“It’s really important for HR and Talent folks to work in different organizations to get a feel for different business units and industries because you get a well-rounded perspective on how the profession is perceived and valued.” - Matt Chapelsky What parts of your Talent or HR career do you value the most in retrospect?  What did these parts give you and how do they help you today?   In today’s...

“How can we take [what the COE has created for us] and stay true to the spirit and core of it and offer it in a way that is credible for our leaders and team members?”’ - Vanessa Hinkle Have you ever felt irritated with your own HR colleagues - the ones that are experts in a related but different domain from your own?  For instance, HR Business Partners and Centres of Excellence groups can often e...

“What is going to bring the BIGGEST impact to the organization and how do we do it in the most efficient way possible?” - Katrina McFadden How do you build strategy into your work?  Does strategy work occur annually?  At the end of each week?  During quarterly all team meetings?  Or is it baked into the day to day?  Today’s guest has a helpful philosophy around how to keep strategy top of mind eve...

“As you continue to show up for your employees in the way that you want someone to show up for you, you feel good about yourself…and you get hooked. - Ginette Battikha How do you operationalize values in an organization? In today’s episode, my guest shares what she and her team have put in place to help the values come to life. My guest is Ginette Battikha. Ginette is Vice President of People and...

“[New leaders] need so much help and guidance and are often overlooked.” -Cynthia Jamieson There are different levels of leaders.  Historically, the higher levels get the most support when it comes to training - and coaching.  While that is changing, in many organizations, the new/early leader layer is often overlooked and under-supported.  Today’s guest is a fellow coach who focuses specifically...

“A huge aspect of unlearning is being clear with yourself about what you are carrying forward and what you are not.” -Madhavi Kulkarni In Talent and HR, we take care of people.  We support people.  Have you ever had to support people at work who are experiencing the same personal challenges that you yourself are experiencing?  In today’s episode, my guest describes her experience with a situation...

“It’s your [leadership] job to make sure your people can do their job.” -Jared Taylor Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be part of an employee-owned organization?  Today’s guest pulls back the curtain of one such company, and insight into the world of education publishing. My guest is Jared Taylor, who is Publisher and Chief People Officer at Gibbs Smith Education and Gibbs Smith.  J...

“Leadership is critical because it shapes the culture.” -Anahita Cameron Have you ever been tapped on the shoulder for a new opportunity?  Have YOU tapped someone else on the shoulder?  We don’t see ourselves the way others do, and we can all benefit from people seeing potential in us that we don’t see.  Today’s guest has benefited from being “tapped” throughout her career, and this experience inf...

“We have to define what good looks like.” - Joe Dunlap Do you have a clear set of competencies in your organization?  Many do. And many have older competency models that may no longer be providing all the benefits they could.  Today’s guest shares his experience using a competency model in his manufacturing environment and practical examples of how to build it correctly. My guest is Joe Dunlap. He...

“Once you start asking questions, you generally find that training is probably less than half the solution.” - Richard “Bo” Bodo How often have you been asked by internal clients to “fix” a team or performance problem through training?   And how often has training only been part of the solution?  Today’s guest highlights how important it is to ensure that L&D is helping its clients understand...

“Uncertainty is life.” -Melissa Law How many times have your life and career thrown you some curveballs?  If you’re like me and today’s guest, it’s a big number!  So, how do you LEAD while acknowledging that all of us are experiencing change almost constantly? In this episode, we start to dig into what this looks like from a practical perspective. My guest is Melissa Law. Melissa has 25+ years of...

“The power of understanding the Dreaded Drama Triangle roles is so that you can choose to shift out of them, because when we stay in them, we are unhappy and stuck and not able to live up to our potential. “ - Lisa Mitchell Over the last quarter, I’ve shared the concept of Karpman’s Dreaded Drama Triangle and Emerald’s T.E.D. The Empowerment Dynamic with several clients, both individuals and large...

“I’m fascinated by the idea of finding the greatness in others.” - Michael Salamey Where do you find the best talent for your organization?   How do you identify the best people?  How well do people in different roles work cohesively together, in a complementary manner?  Did you hire for that cohesion? My guest is Michael Salamey. He began his career working dispatch on midnight shift for a trucki...

“I know that I am here to help people feel and be better as a result of their interaction with me..and that ties into Talent Management.” - Anjana Moitra-Ohri How do you view your purpose in life and how does that align - or not - with your work?   Today’s guest is very clear that Talent Management is in full alignment with her purpose to help people be better.  My guest is Anjana Moitra-Ohri. Anj...

“Out of every lesson with the 4-day work week, communication is key.” - Ryan-Mae McAvoy Dreaming of a 3-day weekend, every week?  Already living the dream?   You’ll be intrigued by this episode where my guest pulls back the curtain on how her organization has implemented a 4-day work week, and the learnings along the way. My guest is Ryan-Mae McAvoy. Ryan-Mae considers herself a nontraditional &qu...

“We need to be delivering learning at the speed of culture.” - Alexandra Hyland Are you a collector of knowledge, skills and experiences?  Well, my guest definitely is!   Tune in to hear about her non-linear career journey and her thoughts about the seasonality of life and career. My guest is Alexandra Hyland. Alexandra is Head of Capabilities & Culture – Global Senior Director of Learning &am...

“One of the biggest opportunities as a team of one, is that you get to closely work with ALL those business partners…there isn’t that siloed disconnect.” - Jewel von Kemp Are you an HR or Talent department of ONE in a smaller organization?  Have you ever been? Or maybe you are considering a move that would give you this experience?   Regardless, today’s episode will give you food for thought and s...

“I’ve always considered HR to be an integral part of the organization.  Both HR and myself, I feel, are jointly responsible for managing a company’s most valuable asset, which is of course its people.” - Colin Morris In our continued series of discussions with stakeholder leaders (outside of HR/Talent), today’s episode explores the role of HR and Talent from the perspective of a seasoned senior le...