Future of HR

How can you tell when a promotion, a lateral move, or even a step down is the right career move? Why are careers more like trees than ladders? My guest on this episode is Wanda Wallace, Executive Coach, Leadership Expert and author of “Taking Charge of Your Career: Your Blueprint for Success.” During our conversation Wanda and I discuss: Why careers are better thought of as trees, not ladders Why...

How can you get real commitment, when you don’t have formal authority? Why does real persuasion require a point of view that is loosely held? My guest on this episode is Jay Conger, Leadership Expert and author of “The Persuasive Leader.” During our conversation Jay and I discuss: Why real persuasion is about commitment, not compliance. Why persuasion is a campaign, not a meeting. How to avoid the...

How can we stretch high-potential leaders into big new roles without setting them up to fail? Why does every job matter in building a successful HR career? My guest on this episode is Julie Fuller, EVP & CHRO, Zoetis During our conversation Julie and I discuss: Why judgment is what separates a good HR leader from a great one How to make 70-20-10 work by building a culture that takes real risks...

How can leaders redesign work to be more meaningful, not just more efficient? Why should HR, not IT, own your organization’s AI transformation? My guest on this episode is Kelly Monahan, Future of Work and AI Advisor and Bestselling author of “Reclaim the Plot” During our conversation Kelly and I discuss: Why people vs. business is a false choice for HR How leaders end up rewarding the behaviors t...

How can HR lead organizational design, not just support it? Why does AI make org design more critical, not less? My guest on this episode is Greg Kesler and Amy Kates, org design experts, authors, and practitioners. During our conversation Greg, Amy, and I discuss: The difference between operating models and organization design. The four traits that distinguish great organization designers What CE...

In this solo episode, released on the fourth anniversary of the Future of HR podcast, I make the case that removing transactional work doesn't automatically make HR more strategic. I share the story of two HR business partners who got the same time back after a transformation, why one rose to the moment and the other didn't, and what CHROs and HR leaders must do to turn time back into real busines...

How does investing in people make an organization more agile and resilient? Why is building talent a better bet than buying it, especially in the age of AI? My guest on this episode is Alana Brandes, Chief People Officer at Guild. During our conversation Alana and I discuss: Why "follow your passion" is a trap, and why should follow your energy instead. Why the employee journey should run "to, thr...

How can you apply proven frameworks to increase your impact as a HR leader? Why does understanding the human mind matter more, not less, as AI becomes more capable? My guest on this episode is Caroline Webb, Leadership coach, bestselling author of Leadership Intelligence and How to Have a Good Day. During our conversation Caroline and I discuss: How HR leaders can influence executive decisions wit...

How can you drive a high performance culture with four simple questions? Why is great execution more valuable than strategy? My guest on this episode is Andy De Marco, CHRO, Fujitsu, Americas Region During our conversation Andy and I discuss: Why the best HR leaders focus on adding value in every interaction. How Fujitsu drives a high performance culture with four simple questions. Why execution i...

How can you “chase the butterflies” and take the stretch assignment that scares you? Why do the best HR leaders learn to “porpoise” and flex between strategy and execution? My guest on this episode is Allan Church & Janine Waclawski, Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Maestro Consulting LLC During our conversation Allan, Janine, and I discuss: Why you should never say no to a job you haven’t b...

How can you build teams that have collective confidence? Why does belief matter when it comes to building high performance teams? My guest on this episode is André Martin, Chief Experience Officer at LEAD3R, author of Wrong Fit, Right Fit and Collective Confidence During our conversation André and I discuss: Why capable executive teams play small, even when they should be playing big. How collecti...

How can HR and Finance build the business together? Why can't finance achieve true value creation without HR's knowledge and expertise? My guest on this episode is Christian Wattig, Director of the Wharton FP&A Program and Founder of Inside FP&A During our conversation Christian and I discuss: Why the scorekeeper mindset keeps finance and HR stuck in the back office How challenging assumpt...

How can you build business acumen without owning a P&L? Why is developing your business acumen within your control? My guest on this episode is Rose Velez-Smith, CHRO, DoubleVerify During our conversation Rose and I discuss: Why stepping out of HR to be in the business can be the single best thing you do for your career. How to start every executive conversation with business priorities first,...

How can you create an HR Business Partner Center of Excellence? Why does HR need to shift from owning programs to owning business outcomes? My guest on this episode is Christina Schelling, SVP, Human Resources, Verizon During our conversation Christina and I discuss: Why naming the HRBP group a Center of Excellence gives partners community, shared goals, and focused development. How the HR busines...

Why is the single biggest barrier to having power…ourselves? How can you, as an HR professional step into your power? My guest on this episode is Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University and Author of 16 books including his latest one the “7 Rules of Power”: During our conversation Jeffrey and I discuss: Why he believes the singl...

How can you turn HR data into insights that drive decisions? Why do leaders make decisions based on their experience and instinct, not just data? My guest on this episode is Morgan Depenbusch, Data Storytelling & Influence Expert During our conversation Morgan and I discuss: How to tell what data is interesting from what data is decision relevant Why one reason to say no can beat twenty reason...

How can HR transform meetings into a competitive advantage? Why is the one-on-one the one meeting that leaders should never cancel? My guest on this episode is Steven Rogelberg, author of “The Surprising Science of Meetings” and “Glad We Met: The Art & Science of 1:1 Meetings” During our conversation Steven and I discuss: Why a world without meetings is worse than a world with them Why the per...

How does human capital create value in private equity? What does it take to be a successful HR leader in private equity? My guest on this episode is David Cohen, Partner, Human Capital at Kelso During our conversation David and I discuss: Why the role of the human capital partner in private equity is to unlock value through people, not to run HR for the firm itself. What is takes to be successful...

In this solo episode, I make the case that being a strategic business partner is no longer enough. I share the shift I believe is coming next, from business partner to business builder, and the three mindset shifts and behaviors that separate the two. Here are a few key takeaways from the episode: Why being a strategic business partner is no longer enough, and what the next evolution of HR asks of...

Why is organizational design much more than org charts and who reports to whom? How can HR guide, facilitate and drive effective an organizational design process? My guest on this episode is Amy Kates who is organizational design expert and author of five books on the subject. During our conversation Amy and I discuss: Why the purpose of organizational design is to design human behavior at scale W...

How can workforce readiness become mission readiness? Why is a people strategy not the same thing as a business strategy? My guest on this episode is Kathleen McCarthy, EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, SAIC During our conversation Kathleen and I discuss the following: Why a people strategy is not a business strategy Why "progress over perfection" beats waiting for the perfect plan How CHROs...

How can you think and communicate like an executive? Why is your strategy only as good as your ability to communicate it? My guest on this episode is Vicky Zhao, Founder, School of Human Intellect and Speaking With Frameworks. During our conversation Vicky and I discuss the following: Why the clearest idea, not the best idea, is the one that wins How the GPS framework (Goal, Problem, Solution) ele...

How can HR use data to drive change? Why is being “data driven” no longer a nice to have, but rather an expectation for HR leaders My guest on this episode is Sebastian Wernicke, author of “Data Inspired” During our conversation Sebastian and I discuss the following: How the best data work starts by trying to prove yourself wrong Why HR leaders must become critical consumers of data How to start w...

Why should HR think of themselves as the business instead of supporting the business? How can AI amplify human potential and performance? My guest on this episode is Vicki Walia, Chief People and Experience Officer at Prudential Financial During our conversation Vicki and I discuss the following: Why HR leaders need to see themselves as part of the business, not partners to it. How AI can amplify...

How can the power of the pause make you an even more effective HR leader? Why do HR leaders need to have a point of view and the courage to share it? My guest on this episode is Michael Fraccaro, Former CPO at Mastercard, Senior Advisor at Egon Zehnder During our conversation Michael and I discuss the following: Why your credibility as a CHRO is built on your understanding of the business, not HR...