Brain Chatter

Dr. Ken Chapman discusses the imperative of accurate self-reflection in organizational leadership and success. In fact, at the heart of almost every leadership issue in an organization, is the lack of accurate self-reflection on the individual level.  What is practical self-reflection? Why is it important?  What are best practices? What tools and strategies are helpful? How do you self-reflect acc...

Kyle Roed is Global HR Manager for CPM Holdings, based in Waterloo, Iowa. He discusses the massive costs of team member turnover. How can you start to measure these often unrecognized, un-reported, and siloed costs, both financial and cultural? How can you minimize them? What are some top strategies to retain top human capital talent? Are you asking the basic questions? Do you conduct 'stay i...

Dr. Isabel Scarinci, Vice Chair for Global and Rural Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UAB, psychologist, and polio survivor, discusses The Power of Thankfulness . How powerful is a genuine sense of thankfulness in our daily lives with co-workers, friends, and family? How does expressing thankfulness change our relationships with others? How can we make authentic thankfulnes...

Nate Pizzini, Asst GM of Kennedy Valve Co. in Elmira, New York has spent 2020 leading a manufacturing plant through an unprecedented modern pandemic. What has he learned along the way? Where did he have to pivot?  What did he do right from the start? Who have been his partners along the way? What changes made during the pandemic will likely be permanent? Which leadership skills  has he leaned on m...

Debra Miller examines why change implemented in the workplace is often difficult, resisted, and costly. She provides a clear 7-step process for leading change management effectively, replete with examples. Where must a leader start? What must be done along the way? Deb is the Managing Principal and Chair of the Board of Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. She has managed numerous large change initi...

Kelly Caruso, the first CEO of Shipt under Target, wants constructive disagreement on her team. How does disagreement lead to better outcomes? How can true diversity of thought be cultivated? What is the most important question she asks? What happens when a leader prevents or quashes constructive disagreement?  How do you show others that constructive feedback is safe and appreciated? What's...

Bari Watson Beasley, CEO of The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County (Franklin, TN) explores the impacts of her grandfather's example of active service to others.  A simple question changes everything when there is follow through. "How can I help you?"  How does his example impact how she leads herself, her team, and her organization today?  Listen as she discusses his fascinati...

Grace Shim is at the beginning of the wave of Generation Z's joining the workforce. Gen Z's now replace Millennials as the newest generation in the workforce. How can an organization attract the best Gen Z talent and then retain them? What does a Gen Z look for in an employer? What do they value? How can a Gen Z offer an organization a competitive advantage with their likely fluency in t...

Cherri Lee, Director of Human Resources at Automation Personnel Services, Inc., shares takeaways from years of working with and leading remote teams. Automation is an industrial staffing company with thousands of team members based out of over 30 locations across the US from the Atlantic to the Pacific. How directly accessible should a director or manager be to team members on the front lines, rem...

Anthony Orlowski, is the Executive Vice President, Plumbing Group of McWane, Inc. In this role he has overall responsibility of the AB&I Foundry and Anaco-Husky facilities in California, Texas-based Tyler Pipe & Coupling plants, and the Sri City, India, Coupling plant, which combined account for more than 1,400 team members manufacturing drainage, waste and venting products for the commerc...

8 Questions That Build Trust & Engagement is approximately 14 minutes long and is an episode that explores eight key questions that any of us can actively ask to build engagement and earn trust.  In the episode, the case is made for each question, and examples are given and background information. The questions are: What do you think? Can you tell me more? Will you share your ideas? How can I...

Whitney Tate tackles the perplexing myth that leaders are born, and not developed. She takes a look at all the negative and damaging implications for individuals and for organizations who operate under the assumption that people are either 'naturally born leaders' or 'not.' Where does this come from? When people are asked to identify a leader they admire, why is a distant celeb...