Leadership Human-Style

“We all know the best people don’t apply.”   Lou Adler Have you ever been frustrated by a small talent pool, a lack of qualified candidates, or by hiring managers fixated on candidates having certain degrees or credentials?   If yes, this episode is for you. My guest is Lou Adler.  Lou is the CEO and founder of Performance-based Hiring Learning Systems – a consulting and training firm helping recr...

“Openness, humility and curiosity are hallmarks of people in Talent Management roles.” - Lisa Mitchell What’s the best way to celebrate a key accomplishment milestone - such as the one-year anniversary of your podcast?   Why, with family!   My 16-year-old son Patrick is the interviewer in this conversation where he helps me reflect on the challenges and learning I’ve experienced over the last year...

“People need to realize that that [performance] conversation is a right, not a privilege.”  - Lynda Keating Have you ever filled out a survey or attended a focus group - providing lots of ideas and feedback - only to notice that nothing ever came of it?  Me, too. :)  In this discussion, my guest and I discuss how to use feedback data to move from a performance management culture that feels like so...

“It’s learning in real time, really. Because you can read about swimming and watch videos, but you don’t know how to swim.  There’s information out there, courses and learning, but applying it - we’re doing that right away.” - Candace Brereton This episode is the SECOND of a 2-part series covering my panel interview with several members of The Talent Trust, my 6-month Mentoring and Peer Learning C...

“[The practice of reflection] has been such a powerful takeaway personally, and also the learning for me and my work groups, to make sure that we’re building in that reflection opportunity for my people and for myself.” Susan Salomone     This episode is the FIRST of a 2-part series covering my panel interview with several members of The Talent Trust, my 6-month Mentoring and Peer Learning Communi...

“Be vocal about what you need from an organizational space.” Sheila Austin   Balancing parenthood and career can be challenging - especially when a senior leader tells you that your maternity leave erases all your previous experience!  Tune into this episode to learn how my guest learned to advocate for herself and how this contributes to how she leads today. My guest is Sheila Austin. Sheila is t...

“The employee voice is instrumental in how you shape your programs.”  - Kristy Jones   So what makes an employee’s experience memorable and meaningful?  A sense of belonging is at the heart of it.  In this discussion, my guest walks us through the 5 components of the Belonging Model that they leverage in her organization. LIsten in for reflections on how belonging and being heard drive employee su...

“[In creating our EVP]...there was a real opportunity for us to own the human side.”  - Keri Fraser   It seems like so many Talent Leaders I work with right now are charged with leading the creation of their organization’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and employer branding.   The EVP is often a major undertaking, even in smaller organizations.  So - how do you start?  How do you roll it out?  ...

“Policies have a tone of voice.”  - Lewis Eisen    Policies have a tone of voice.  Getting that tone right is key in influencing people to actually follow the policies.    Unfortunately, the tone of written policies in many organizations has not kept up with the shift in how leaders actually speak with their employees in modern times (ie., respectfully). Most of us were brought up to think that ru...

“Reflection is the path to a calm and intentional state.”  - Lisa Mitchell   Today I’m musing about the role of reflection in combating overwhelm and moving us forward.    In this episode of Talent Management Truths, you’ll discover: 🍏 What accelerant and glue have in common :) 🍏 The only thing you need to do when you think you have no time to stop and reflect 🍏 Ideas for moving beyond the “dea...

“People understand [values] when info is transparent and shared.”  - Lynn Ardizzi   At the end of the day, when it comes to where you work, do the values really resonate for you?   This is a question that today’s guest asks regularly - of herself at work and of her adult kids.  Many organizations have a list of values on the wall in various conference rooms - but are they truly living into those v...

“The Talent world is grey, and there are very few things that are black and white. The black and white things are usually legal and ethical. Living in the grey is about possibilities.”  - Helen Ashton   HR can feel like a very black-and-white place sometimes - especially for the people it serves.  People in Talent and HR usually acknowledge that the work is more complex in its many shades of grey....

“Evaluate what things technology can be used to enhance, and what are those things where we still need a personalized touch.”  Christopher Garnett The health care sector is complex.   It’s especially so during a global pandemic!  How do you deal with the annual, repetitive mandatory trainings - on top of development programs?   How can you better leverage technology - without losing the personal t...

“When I support Talent Leaders, they in turn are better positioned to support the thousands of people relying on them for essential programs and tools.” - Lisa Mitchell Today I’m taking you behind the scenes here at Green Apple Consulting - a bit of a sneak peek into our world and the work that we do.  I’m going to answer questions that people ask me when I’m first getting to know them :)  In this...

“Inclusion first.”  - Naomi Mercer   What do DEI efforts in the Military and in the American Banking world have in common?  They have both benefited from the expertise and support of today’s guest!  Listen to this episode for her fascinating career story, insightful examples of inclusion and compelling stories of how she has helped many teams embrace DEI with head AND heart.  My guest is Naomi Mer...

“The vision to bring HR and Marketing together is a good one because it allows us to leverage our strengths.” Sherri Evans How do you help employees understand your brand promise - and align their performance and engagement to it?  Sometimes, organizational silos can make alignment difficult.   In this episode, we get a peek behind the curtains at an organization that chose to align 3 essential an...

“Culture is the accumulation of smaller moments.”  - Keira Torkko   What IS organizational culture?  What are all the components and how do you create the culture you want?  These are complex questions - and yet they are critical to the work of Talent Leaders.  Listen to this episode for insights on building and sustaining culture. My guest is Keira Torkko who is Chief People Officer at Assent in...

“What’s the point?”  - Paul Eisen   What’s an example of an online system, process or tool you’ve used that has caused you frustration?  Perhaps it was a bank machine, or an online purchase website, or a work process with a million hand-offs and approvals. Chances are, my guest did not work on the User Experience (UX) design aspect of those projects!     My guest is Paul Eisen, a User Experience e...

“HOW are you creative?”  - Lisa Mitchell   What does creativity mean to you? Creativity is the theme of the month in my mastermind program for Talent Leaders, The Talent Trust -  and so I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and how this quality is often misunderstood. For many of us, we think that if we do not know how to draw or paint, that we somehow lack creativity.   What if we accepted th...

“Leave any judgments and any assumptions or jumping to conclusions at the door.”  - Melissa Law  All of us share the experience of being new into a role or organization - at least once!   It can be uncomfortable AND exciting.  And yet it can be easy to forget that mix of emotion when it comes to designing or sustaining onboarding programs and processes for other people.  There are important learni...

“The individual employee must drive the individual career path…they are in the car as the driver and we will help navigate.”  - Pete Needham  Are you intrigued by the idea of employee-led development?  Of truly partnering with employees related to their performance and development? Then you are in for a treat with this episode. Learn the role of empathy and design thinking in creating talent syste...

“From a leadership standpoint, [the DEI journey] takes humility, it takes curiosity, it takes grit, it takes boldness, and it takes stamina.”  -Rachel Baptiste   If you’ve been feeling a bit at sea about how to begin - or go deeper with - your organization’s DEI efforts, this is a must-listen episode.  You’ll hear insights about working with leaders and CEOs who have good intentions yet need pract...

“While you may KNOW that different choices are in order, it's another thing altogether to actually follow through.” - Lisa Mitchell How blurred has the line between life and work become for you since the pandemic began?  How easy or difficult is it for you to disconnect and refuel so you can focus on your most important priorities?  Many of the people I talk to daily KNOW they need to make di...

“This is where the ball is. This is where I’m going to spend some time.”  - Luc Beaudry Asking the right questions is an art form.  Sometimes these questions can create discomfort so it’s important to be intentional about how you create psychological safety in your approach to allow for the right questions to surface.  Good question-asking ensures that you are gathering perspectives and getting th...

“Find ways for people to participate.”  - Jenny do Forno How do YOU listen to your employees?  How do you find ways for them to participate in change and the company’s success?  Tune into this episode to refresh your passion for listening to the people you serve and for treating them as fully-formed adults.  My guest is Jenny do Forno who is the Talent Director at OMERS Ventures where she is part...