Leadership Human-Style

“You have to be trusted to be a really great HR partner.” - Nicole Stuart What is YOUR story of the best support you ever received from HR as an employee yourself?  What’s the MOST important element of the HR partnering relationship?    In today’s episode, I share a story of an HRBP that helped me with a tough situation and my guest breaks down what helps drive confidence in HR leaders. My guest i...

“HR leaders have a skillset that is difficult for others:  difficult conversations, radical candor. So I also see us as teachers.” - Sandra Cunha Has your L&D team ever been asked to pretty up a PowerPoint?  Eek! HR can fall into the police/administrator role very easily - if we let it.  In today’s episode, my guest makes a passionate case for how Talent and HR teams can and must add value bey...

“No matter how good you are, without the business context, it’s challenging.” - Nathan Deily How well do you and your team understand your client’s business?  How much importance do you place on business acumen as a core HR and Talent professional competency?    In today’s episode, my guest makes the case for ensuring that business acumen is a fundamental skill amongst people professionals. My gue...

“It’s very important for organizations to define growth for their companies” - Diljot Kaur What type of growth does your organization celebrate? How do you personalize growth and development for your employees?   Listen to this episode for some alternative and thought-provoking ideas around how to navigate the age-old problem of having fewer roles for people to move into  the higher you go in an o...

“We plant some seeds that get watered and grown in the flow of work.” - Neil Hunter How can an organization truly tap into the potential of its people - especially as the new Chat GPT-type tools give rise to fear and uncertainty around the future of work?  Listen into this episode for some inspiration and practical ideas from a best-in-class organization and leader. My guest is Neil Hunter. With o...

“The more we can co-create together [with our HRBPs], the better our end product is.” -Kerri Cartwright Whether you lead a COE or work directly with the business as an HR Business Partner or Leader, you will relate to today’s guest.  Tune in for some reflections on how important it is to co-create solutions vs coming up with them all yourself.   My guest is Kerri Cartwright. Kerri is a strategic,...

“It’s important that [HR/Talent] understands what I’m thinking about.” Rana Ghosh What do your internal stakeholders REALLY value about you, your team and the services you provide?  What works from their perspective - and what doesn’t?  Tune in today to hear from someone who has been that internal client to many HR teams over the years. My guest is Rana Ghosh. Rana is VP, Omnichannel, Loyalty and...

“I adjusted my expectations so that I wasn't crushed if one experiment didn’t pay off.” - Lisa Mitchell This is the second of a 2-part series about CREATING what you want. And how do I know what you want?  Because I want it too. And so do my clients - whether we work together 1:1, or in the Talent Trust.   Talent leaders all want to create: Results and Momentum (Episode 71) Habits and Follow-...

“Most people are not specific enough and realistic enough about the outcome they are wanting to achieve.”  - Lisa Mitchell This is the first of a 2-part series about CREATING what you want. And how do I know what you want?  Because I want it too. And so do my clients - whether we work together 1:1, or in the Talent Trust.   Talent leaders all want to create: Results and Momentum (Episode 71) Habit...

“Compassion is not conditional.  It matters the most when you don’t have a natural connection with somebody.” - Georgina Boulineau Ten years ago, we weren’t talking much about vulnerability and compassion at work. Today, it’s part and parcel - especially when organizations and the people that make them work are all navigating huge waves of ongoing change such as mergers and acquisitions or technol...

“Influence doesn’t just lie in the C-suite.”  - Lisa Mitchell For many leaders, becoming more influential sounds scary or impossible.   And yet it’s an essential skill for all of us!   Listen to this episode to challenge some unconscious beliefs you may be harbouring about influence.  In this episode of Talent Management Truths, you’ll discover: 🍏 Some common myths about influence 🍏 The differen...

“Be fiercely curious.”   - Shannon Hamilton What do business stakeholders really want from HR and Talent - and what do they NOT want?   So much of the work I do with my Talent leader clients is to help them figure out how to build or improve stakeholder relationships.   In this second year of the show, I’m expanding my guest list to include some amazing leaders from other areas of business - leade...

“At the heart of sustainability for me, it’s about recognizing that we as individuals have a responsibility and an accountability to take care of our environment and our fellow man.” - Rishma Nathoo How does your organization embrace sustainability - or not?  What does sustainability look like in action anyways?  Listen into this discussion for important insights! My guest is Rishma Nathoo. Rishma...

“We rally around a purpose larger than ourselves.” - Sarah Icely Hill If you’re like most Talent Leaders, you think a lot about engagement and passionate purpose.  Maybe you have a tired engagement survey and are thinking of refreshing the questions to get better data.  Perhaps you are dreaming of how you could infuse passion into the commercial aspect of your work and your organization’s culture....

“Do I even WANT that?”  - LIsa Mitchell Do you ever experience a pang of envy when scrolling through social media? Or perhaps when you’re tired or run down,  you’ve noticed you tend to feel a bit “woe is me?”  Like you don’t have enough?  ARE not enough? Listen to this very quick episode for some helpful reframing. In this episode of Talent Management Truths, you’ll discover: 🍏  What rolls throug...

“Everyone has a story.” - Magdalena Duleba-Lapensee Whether you use search firms in your organization or are interested in working with one for your own career, this episode is a must-listen.  Today’s war for talent is real.   It’s critical to be strategic about your talent acquisition practices and not settle for status quo.   My guest is Magdalena Duleba-Lapensee.   Magdalena has spent her caree...

“Flexibility is inclusivity.”  - Clare Kumar In this time of talent shortages and so-called “quiet quitting,” organizations are working to switch up their approaches to hiring and developing and retaining their people.  That’s why being inclusive in the design and offering of programs that support employees is essential.  When it comes to how YOU lead and how you design organizational programs, ho...

“We are all in the people business.”  - Shelagh Cummins Have you ever mused about starting your own business? Or perhaps you have, and then returned to the job world. The two worlds are different, yes - and they share many similarities when it comes to what effective team leadership looks like. Today’s guest shares some clear examples of language and approach you can use when setting clear expecta...

“Given the pace and volume of work these days, it’s critical that Talent leaders take the time to identify their most essential productivity-boosting activity.” Lisa Mitchell Do you sometimes wonder at the end of the day where all the time went?  Do you ever write down a task you’ve already done on your agenda just so you can check it off?  Me too.  And it bugs me!    I enjoy being productive.  It...

“I was surprised - it doesn’t matter what experience you have [as a newcomer].” - Nadiia Lagutina  Can you imagine packing up your whole life and your child and leaving your home because staying in a basement with bombs raining down outside is simply not an option?  Can you imagine not being able to find a comparable position and salary in your new country?  For some of you listening, you CAN imag...

“The [employment] landscape is going to change. It never stays the same.” - Sandra Sears  Are you responsible for Talent Acquisition?  Do you collaborate with search and staffing firms? Have you noticed some interesting new trends showing up in terms of candidate behaviour and the broader labour market?  Then this episode is for you! My guest is Sandra Sears. Sandra began in the staffing industry...

“Instructional design [skills] are really powerful as a business person.”  - Caitlyn Beattie   Thinking about a career move?  Or perhaps you want to shift - now or later - from generalist to specialist or the other way around?  Listen into this discussion to spark your thinking! My guest is Caitlyn Beattie. Caitlyn is an established Human Resources leader, specializing as a Certified Training and...

“Now, there’s no shame in making mistakes.  It’s how we learn a lot of the time.  But what if you could AVOID some of the most common mistakes in the first place?” - Lisa Mitchell Today I'm revealing 3 of the most common mistakes I’ve observed Talent leaders make - or that I’ve made myself.   In this episode of Talent Management Truths, you’ll discover: 🍏 Three of the most common mistakes I’...

“Where can I get things for free and where can I get discounts?”  - Tracey Bissett Are you taking full advantage of all your benefits?  Or are you leaving money on the table?    Today’s episode is a bit of a departure for the show.  Instead of focusing on Talent Management and HR, we are focusing on YOUR financial fitness, both personally and at work!      My guest is Tracey Bissett.  As Chief Fin...

“How do we make it so that [people] SEE themselves in the process?”  - Suzannah Kelly There’s nothing more disheartening than designing or implementing a program or process and seeing it land with a thud.  That’s why it’s critical to involve your stakeholders early and often!  Listen to this episode to be inspired around how to help people see themselves in the processes and programs you implement...