Diagnosing The Workplace: Not Just An HR Podcast

In this episode, we examine psychological injury and the encouraging trend of prioritizing situations that cause Gradual Onset Psychological Injury; particularly Chronic Job Dissatisfaction, Institutional Betrayal, and Toxic Stress.  Our prescription for this episode is to understand the different types of causes of psychological injury: acute event-based causes and chronic environmental-based cau...

In this episode, we examine The 5 Threatening Truths of Business: The Technical Founder Paradox: When the skills, abilities, and mindset of the founders, which were crucial to starting and growing the business, are what stand in the way of the business’ sustainability and scalability. The Fragile Grip Principle: The acknowledgment of how the fragile relationship, between employers and employees, i...

In this episode, we examine the past and current thinking around employee loyalty, digging into old assumptions and the new realities about the relationship and commitments of businesses and employees. Our prescription for this episode: understand the connection between employee loyalty and employee motivation through purpose. How we help employees find a sense of meaning in their everyday lives i...

In this episode, we examine nepotism (the act of granting an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or friends in an occupation or field) in the workplace. The reality of dealing with hiring family is something many businesses do not handle as well as they should. Our prescription for this episode: transparency is key. The intent that you have for hiring relatives is something you need to...

In this episode, we explore 3 questions from listeners and conversations with clients:   1.      What is the difference between Orientation, Onboarding, and Upskilling?   2.      How can we address labor gaps due to retirement?   3.      How can we Generate Buy-in for anything new? Our prescription for this episode: have a more strategic approach to how you implement your staffing initiatives. Whe...

In this episode, we examine workforce planning, specifically for small and medium businesses. This is something all businesses know is very important, but few address it with the right approach. Our prescription for this episode: consider three approaches when looking to build a workforce plan; a Strength-Based Strategy, Temporary Talent, and Succession Planning. These are three practical approach...

In this episode, we examine what it takes to become a better leader and the realities of teaching yourself the needed skills and capabilities with books, webinars, and other self-study materials. Our prescription for this episode: understand that the journey from information to knowledge to wisdom is possible alone, but only in rare situations is it practical. Leadership development is best not ta...

In this episode, we examine the use and misuse of "Fun" in company values, recruitment, and workplace culture. Our prescription for this episode: take the time to understand the complexity of the actions and initiatives you take when building your employee experience and employer brand. Otherwise, you can end up creating chaos solutions that will have negative and unexpected consequences...

In this episode, we examine what we call "The Technical Founder Paradox", which we define as: When the skills, abilities, and mindset of the founders, which were crucial to starting and growing the business, are what stand in the way of the business’ sustainability and scalability. Our prescription for this episode: let's start looking at the skills we need for growth, whether they...

In this episode, we explore 3 questions that came up in a recent Employee Retention event:   1.       Are organizations underutilizing how they build and use policies?   2.      How long do cultural transformations usually take?   3.      Are there industry or generational differences in the value of job security? Our prescription for this episode: develop a broader understanding of these three to...

In this episode, we examine the 4 industry trends that negatively impact the workforce and organizational efficiency. These trends are not necessarily new, but their prevalence is creating greater disruption to organizational success in today's business climate. The 4 trends are:  Primarily family-run businesses not evolving with current business norms. Are our human service sectors humane to...

In this episode, we examine the 4 Faces of HR. These are defined by the company's leadership's expectations and priorities placed on HR professionals. What to the initials of "H" and "R" reflect in how people and culture are managed in your organization? Does HR stand for... Holding Red-tape (primarily a compliance and administration generalist focus) Highly Reactive...

In this episode, we examine 3 psychological principles that can hopefully provide folks with a lens to allow for a better understanding of those we work with. In this conversation, we explore: Affect Intensity  Belief Perseverance (combined with the Backfire Effect) Self Sabotage Our prescription for this episode: many interpersonal and professional conflicts arise from a lack of understanding of...

In this episode, we explore 3 questions posed to us by our listeners:   1.       Why do many recognition programs fall short?   2.       Why do many teams give up on people and culture initiatives?   3.      How can a new manager improve things when they do not have the authority to change them? Our prescription for this episode: understand the complexity of efforts, changes, and programs you want...

In this episode, we examine what it takes to infuse innovation into your workplace culture, and what are the big warning signs of complacency that will hold back innovation. Our prescription for this episode: understand the Warning Signs of a Climate of Complanency (CoC), and look to start including the Indicators of Innovation (IoI) if you want to make innovation sustainable in your organization....

In this episode, we examine "fit" and how we may have been misunderstanding the reality of hiring for fit. Our prescription for this episode: avoid the trap of looking for people who will "fit in" and prioritize finding talent who will add value to your organization and who will "be a good fit". You can reach out to us to talk more about fit at info@roman3.ca or throu...

In this episode, we examine skills and try to bring a fresh perspective to the separation between "soft" or "essential" skills and "hard" or "technical" skills. Our prescription for this episode: let's start looking at skills through the lens of Employability, especially in how we recruit, develop talent, and groom people for leadership You can reach ou...

In this episode, we explore 3 questions posed to us by our listeners:   1.       How do we know when something is AI or just marketed as AI?   2.       How do you handle a toxic employee?   3.      How can I implement wellness accommodations for a team member without burning out everyone else on the team? Our prescription for this episode: never underestimate the negative impact of job dissatisfac...

In this episode, we examine what it means to "do" employee engagement. Our conversation explores the pitfalls that come from not truly understanding employee engagement and the consequences of doing it wrong. Our prescription for this episode: understand that employee engagement is an outcome, not an activity. There are very practical and tangible things you can do that will create motiv...

In this episode, we examine an all-to-common situation in most workplaces - Chaos Solutions. This is the reality of not fully understanding the complexity of workplace challenges or looking for shortcuts to resolve issues, which ultimately creates more harm than good. Our prescription for this episode: we need to think critically about the situations we are trying to resolve and ask ourselves the...

In this episode, we examine what it looks and feels like when a workplace has counterfeited psychological safety, or to put it another way, has made some of the easy steps to merely create the illusion of psychological safety.  Our prescription for this episode: understand the red flags for counterfeit psychological safety, and take the time to learn, measure, and effectively engrain psychological...

In this episode, we examine the important workforce events that happened in 2023, as well as what we should be the fundamental takeaways from this very busy year. We identify 5 main lessons to learn from 2023 that will impact our success in 2024. Our prescription for this episode: realize that things have permanently changed, and if we want to have success going forward, we need to think different...

In this episode, we explore 3 questions posed to us by our listeners:   1.       What are the biggest risks facing small businesses around HR compliance?   2.       How do you make coaching and team building programs have a lasting effect in a workplace?   3.      How do you effectively measure DEI? Our prescription for this episode: pay attention and look for effective ways to evaluate the work e...

In this episode, we examine the realities of artificial intelligence (AI) in our workplaces, specifically looking at its impact on Human Resources. We break down AI into practical terms with the intent to make its use and integration into our workplaces more practical and meaningful. Our prescription for this episode: understand what is and is not AI, as there are a lot of misconceptions out there...

In this episode, we examine the importance of collecting, not just any data, but the right data to inform your People and Culture decisions. We highlight the importance of having targeted diagnostic tools to make smart business decisions that will improve organizational efficiency. Our prescription for this episode: think beyond surveys when collecting data. Many rich sources of data can come from...