The Indigo Podcast

Today we have the pleasure of learning from Kate Ball.  Kate is the Director of Talent and Leadership Development at a large tech company and she's been an officer in the U.S. Navy since 2002.  Kate is going to share her story about finding what is possible in your life and career.  We'll also discuss the circuitous nature of careers and navigating possibilities.  And, chat about the importance of...

This podcast is about human flourishing at work AND BEYOND. Work and non-work are often intertwined, but if we're to flourish in life, we need to pay attention to the full spectrum of human flourishing. Today's episode is probably a little more on the "beyond" side of the spectrum.  We discuss: What is your identity and why is it important? Work identity and the benefits of a more complex identity...

Today's podcast is on the subject of virtual meetings.  Fun fact:  Zoom has surpassed 300 million daily meeting participants as of April 2020.  To help us present the best evidence on how to run better meetings, we have guest, Lea Williams.  We will discuss: The proliferation of online meetings Pitfalls and opportunities Implications for people and organizations Lea Williams, a proud caretaker of...

Today, we talk with Dr. Warren D. Everett and end up with a moral case for opening the economy in the wake of Covid-19.  Dr. Everett has practiced medicine for over 40 years, is a retired medical school professor from the University of AL, and has specialties in Aerospace Medicine and Family Practice.  He also has a B.S. in Economics from the United States Air Force Academy.  Specifics we address:...

Many of us have worked for someone we suspected might be a narcissist, or maybe have simply wondered, "What's wrong with this person?" Some of you may not be able to get enough of yourself.  In this episode we talk about Narcissism and leadership.   What is narcissism? What do narcissistic leaders do in organizations?  How to spot, avoid, and deal with narcissistic leaders around you. " N arcissis...

This episode is all about the mighty dollar's relationship with humans and work.  We dive deep into: Does money motivate people at work? Your relationship with money and why that matters Implications for organizations and for us as individual people   Show Notes Pfeffer, J. (1998). Six dangerous myths about pay. Harvard Business Review , 76 (3), 109-120. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA2056...

Would you like to go back to high school?  For many, the deciding factor in answering this question would be popularity.  And, for those of us who perhaps despised high school, the "adult" world can be quite disappointing when we realize popularity contests don't go away.  All potential cringing aside, in this episode we discuss: What is popularity and how does it relate to the workplace? How do p...

We couldn't help it....we love Ice Cube.  But alas, today's episode is about managing your emotions.  Once you understand how your mind works you will be able to hack it.  Others' behaviors will likely make more sense as well.  So we dive deep into:  What is self leadership and how is managing one's emotions part of it? How understanding how your mind works is the key to "hacking" your future Usin...

We're talking about working from home, and in particular, how working from home has caused so many of us to have a collision between our personal and professional lives ... a "puncturing" of an illusion of perfection that many of us have created. So we dive deep: ● What is a private vs. professional persona? ● How this is potentially helpful and potentially harmful in the workplace? ● Some tips fo...

The big rift that can emerge between management and employees Aligning the factions  Practical steps to head in the right direction

We hope you laugh listening, as much as we did in prepping for this episode.  Shout out to Jordan J. in Washington D.C. for submitting quite a few ideas on this fun topic.  In a survey by CareerBuilder.com in 2009, 40% of respondents revealed that they have dated a coworker.  Taboo? We're drawing upon a nice summary in the Encyclopedia of Industrial/Organizational Psychology written by Charles Pie...

This is part two in our series on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Manual. Part one explored "Crisis Management Communication: Principles and Pitfalls," check out that one too .  Today we're going to talk about: Four ways people process information during a crisis Mental states in a crisis Behaviors in a crisis Addressing psychology in t...

This is the first of what will likely be a handful of episodes on crises and related topics. We are drawing DIRECTLY from some amazing resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we've included a link to all of these resources in the show notes. What we love about these resources is that it's all evidence-based, drawing upon the relevant social science literature. And it doe...

What the heck is a covidtunist?  Need for differentiation and authenticity Implications for vendors and organizations Don't fall victim to the covidtunist. Have examples of "covidtuning" or "covidtunists"? Share them with us on Twitter using the hashtag #covidtunist and tag us @PodcastIndigo

COVID-19 is kind of like getting hit by a bus.  This time is stressful, chaotic, and anxiety-provoking. How you respond is based on a number of factors.  In this episode we dive deep into sensemaking and leadership in light of current events. What is sensemaking? It is the action or process of making sense of or giving meaning to something, especially new developments and experiences.   The collap...

While #covid-19 (#coronavirus) has us all on lockdown, we are finding that many of us are struggling with the isolation of #socialdistancing.  Whether we live alone or with family, the isolation of having to stay in one's own home and deal with all the stress and changes this virus has brought us is a tall task.  So in this episode we take an #evidencebased look at how to keep your sanity while is...

Scholars often cite naval aircraft carriers as prototypical examples of "high-reliability" organizations. Such organizations, they suggest, are able to engage daily with risky technologies in a remarkably safe manner because of the ways in which people interact, communicate, and adhere to common principles .  In this episode we explore: What is a "high reliability organization?" What can "normal"...

First let us say this episode will leave many unsatisfied -- we can empathize with the desire for definitive answers, but in the real world of leadership and management you have to get comfortable with incomplete information and ambiguity.  We discuss: What is science? How does it work? Misconceptions? When it works, what kind of knowledge does it provide?  What is the nature of scientific explana...

If you are a veteran-- this episode is for you.  If you are not a veteran, you may still find interest in this episode-- particularly if you are hiring veterans.  What we cover: Unrealistic transition preview Geographic inflexibility Sense of entitlement Knowledge and skills gap Additional tips and ideas for both transitioning veterans and employers who want to hire them Additional info here .

Everyone wants to work less with more productivity, right? Many companies have experimented with alternative work schedules, flex hours, and reduced hours.  In the war for talent it is certainly tempting to offer a four hour work week, providing a way for employees to achieve work life balance.  Does it work?  In this episode we discuss: History of the four day workweek and different types of work...

Today we're trying something slightly different on the podcast. We're going through some of the wonderful feedback we've received from you listeners, and we're going to respond to some of the great questions you've thrown at us.  Here are a few things we will cover: Leadership styles and corresponding work environments that are conducive to those styles  Disentangling personal and professional bou...

Today's episode reflects on, Clayton Christensen, who was a Harvard Business School professor and consultant. He is probably best known because of his book, The Innovator's Dilemma , which was published in 1997 and introduced his theory of "disruptive innovation." Christensen died on January 23, 2020, and it reminded us of one of our favorite works of his, a 2010 article in Harvard Business Review...

In this episode we discuss creating a feedback culture. We hear a lot about how important culture is and many companies are striving to win in the culture wars by offering everything from massages to gourmet free snacks. That's all great on the surface, but let's talk about: What is a feedback culture and why does it matter? What can an organization do to foster a feedback culture? What can indivi...

Today's episode comes from a recommendation from one of our many amazing listeners. So, this one's for you, Kate!  And the topic we're addressing today is mentoring . What is mentoring and its types Mentoring programs contrasted with coaching and leadership development Advice for those who seek mentoring

We are drawing from the great book by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most.  If you ARE Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, or Sheila Heen, let us know--we'd love to have you on! In this episode we discuss: what is a difficult conversation and when to have them the three conversations how to prepare for and conduct difficult conversations