Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

What does it mean to be "mindful"? How can you work toward being more mindful? How does the mindful leader behave, and what impact does he or she have on those with whom they work? We'll get answers to these questions and more in this interview with Michael Bunting . Michael is the author of a number of books, most notably The Mindful Leader . And, as a mindful consultant and trainer, Michael work...

How often do you ask yourself "Who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there?" How do you gain personal awareness? How do you present yourself authentically to others? In this the first of three episodes on Mindfulness, we gain insight on those questions by exploring the concept of "contemplative practices" with educators Dr. Esmilda Abreu  and Rhonda Schaller . We learn how those practices can l...

How does your organization approach change? Where do ideas for change come from? How do you assess for change readiness? How do you develop and maintain a culture where change is seen as a vital part of the organization's focus? How do you hire the right talent for that culture? In this wide-ranging interview, we hear from Tom Parker how the highly respected not-for profit, Make-A-Wish America wre...

Cognitive distortions are self-limiting patterns of thinking that many of us demonstrate in life. These mental biases include "all or nothing thinking," "overgeneralizing," and "no control fallacy." Sound familiar? In this episode, we hear from Courtney Ackerman on how to identify and begin to manage these negative thought patterns. Courtney is the author of My Pocket Positivity, and a researcher...

When have you ever been asked – or been forced – to move out of your comfort zone – the arena in which you've historically operated? What did you discover about yourself and your strength repertoire in the process? What lessons did you learn about life? In this episode, we meet Tom Dietzler who suddenly found himself engaged in two roles that were very different from the one he had heretofore perf...

Who is the best leader with whom you have ever worked? What made them so? Was it their technical knowledge and the application of their experience? Was it how they worked with staff? A combination of these qualities? In this episode, we hear from Pat McHugh , a highly inspirational and successful leader who epitomizes the idea of the "servant leader" – the leader who leads from the "other," and no...

What do we mean by "soft" or "interpersonal" skills? Where do you see them – or the absence of them – in the workplace? Which ones do you consistently demonstrate? In this episode, we're joined by Mary Schaefer , an HR specialist who now works with organizations and leaders on how to bring humanity back to the workplace through interpersonal skills.

What are your experiences with performance appraisals? Useful? A waste of time? Somewhere in the middle? In this episode, Steve Paul , former owner of a construction service company and now a business consultant, offers a proven way to boost their usefulness: "acceleration meetings." Listen for how frequent, but time-limited conversations can bring you closer in tune with your staff's needs and id...

Do you find yourself living your life, or someone else's? Do you routinely invest in yourself to carve out your own identity and solidify your life? Or are you lost in someone else's flashlight beam, a light that is gradually dimming as the batteries fade? Today we meet Hannah Bratterud , now a fulfilled individual, and successful consultant and coach for small business owners. But it wasn't alway...

How can organizations best engage their employees to create real loyalty? What impact does leadership have on employee loyalty and engagement? What do we need to know about employee retention today? In this episode, we get some answers from Heather Younger , best-selling author of The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty . Heather is also a workshop facilitator, motivational speaker, and host of t...

Your life's clock is ticking. What's the trip you can't afford not to take? What's the activity you can't afford not to do? Who is the person you can't afford not to meet? In this episode, we meet septuagenarian Jane Trombley , who manages 3scoreandmore.com, a unique website, which was first intended to support women interested in solo travel. The site has since grown to include people of all ages...

What is the goal of U.S. education in an ever-changing world? What do we want for our students when they walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas? How do we need to look at developing new and current teachers differently? To help answer these questions, we welcome educator Peter McWain . Here, Peter reviews the lack of agreement among key stakeholders on answers to these questio...

In this episode, we interview Joe Kwon who, as he says, "pulls back the curtain" on life in his entertaining and informative "Why it Works" podcast. There he interviews a diverse cohort of guests who speak to the universal principles behind what they do. Joe's other love is Aikido, the Japanese martial art. After gaining a basic understanding of some of the principles underlying it, we asked Joe t...

Our lives are rarely linear. Most of start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this "Transformation Story," we talk with Shelley Brown . Shelley's life took a dramatic turn due to a physical ailment, but that physical challenge soon pushed her into the emotional grip of deep anxiety and fear. She tried numerous ways to get back on a level emotional plain, but nothing seemed t...

How do you view life's changes? As a series of one-off events that are largely disconnected from each other? Or as an ongoing transition? To get a perspective on those question, we listen in on an interview our friend, Sarah Elkins, conducted with Kris Macchiarola on her podcast, "Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will." Kris is a consultant, speaker, leader, coach, and author of #N...

How do you show up as a leader at work (and in life)? What impact do you want and need to have to feel engaged, energized, and accomplished? In this episode, Kirsten and Jeff talk with leadership expert, Kimberly Davis , author of the best seller, Brave Leadership . Here we'll learn how to show up authentically in life and at work, and how to define our "super objective" – our personal impact stat...

Our lives are rarely linear. Most of start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this "Transformation Story," we talk with Becca Bycott . Becca's life began to take a major turn one day riding the Metro in Washington D.C. "Courage" she would later say, "is the willingness to realize that something isn't working and to change it." As she stepped off the train, she began a journe...

How do you view change – as episodic or as a constant? In this episode, which is Part 2 of a two-part series, we'll continue to explore the idea of building a culture of change – a culture of continuous curiosity, experimentation, and learning. We'll focus primarily on leaders and organizations that operate in the absence of that philosophy. We're joined  Amy Sokal. Amy brings almost twenty-years...

How do you view complex changes – as one-offs, or as a constant to support getting desired results? In this episode, which is Part 1 of a two-part series, we'll start to explore the idea of building a culture of change, or as we prefer to call it, a culture of continuous learning and improvement. We'll be joined mid-way through the episode by Edtech innovator, Claire Hollenbeck. Claire will draw o...

OK, you've agreed on a plan for a complex change. Now, what do you need to consider to implement the plan? How do you get staff buy-in? In the first part of this episode, we'll suggest some answers to those questions. Then we'll hear from veteran educator and consultant Margaret Zacchei. With more than 25 years of experience as a school principal and teacher backing her up, Margaret will comment o...

How can organizations and individuals experiment with change in a way that reduces risk and prevents the "fixedness" monster from keeping them stuck? In this episode, we focus on the experimentation phase of change for both organizations and individuals. Midway through, we'll hear from master experimenter, Alyssa Boehm. She describes the various methods she and her team use to prototype, test, and...

New ideas are often met with criticism and concern. In this episode, Kirsten and I review a number of strategies individuals and leaders can employ to overcome obstacles to change. Midway through this episode, we talk to author and leadership expert  Lyle Kirtman  who has worked extensively with business, government, and educational leaders. In this far ranging interview, Lyle explains why change...

Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this series we're calling "Transformation Stories," we interview one individual about how they came to be where they are now – aligned with who they really are and where they want to be in life. In this episode, we talk with Mike Johnson. Mike's work life began in the corporate world, but he exi...

You or your organization are stuck. How do you break free and come up with new ideas to help you move forward? Dr. Esmilda Abreu, Getting Unstuck's producer, interviews hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler to share a few systematic methods for helping teams and individuals generate break-through ideas. Kirsten shares six key steps toward creating an effective Innovation Lab. Jeff closes the show w...

Here, Kirsten is interviewed by Joe Kwon, our friend and host of the uniquely formatted "Why It Works" podcast. We'll learn what motivated Kirsten to give up the relative safety of a full time position and step out on her own as an innovation consultant. Kirsten and Joe will discuss common misconceptions people have around innovation, what holds us back from innovating, and how we can move beyond...