Human Capital Lab

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab Podcast , host Rich Douglas interviews Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek , a service aimed at improving public speaking and presentation skills among technical professionals. Neil shares his personal journey from struggling with presentations as a product development engineer to creating Teach the Geek to help other technical experts enhance their co...

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast, host Rich Douglas is joined by guest Tricia Beck, an expert in mentoring with a focus on mentoring women. They discuss the multifaceted nature of mentoring, its distinctions from coaching, and the profound impact it can have on both mentors and proteges. Tricia shares insights from her book 'Mentoring Lifts and Inspires Women Empowering,' which pro...

In this Human Capital Lab podcast episode, we sit down with Ana Dirksen, Chief Growth Officer and co-founder of Better Work Media Group (BMG). Ana discusses BMG's legacy programs, new ventures, and the transformation of talent development post-pandemic.     She highlights their renowned CLO Symposium, new virtual CXO practitioner membership, and upcoming initiatives like the CXO Aca...

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast, host Rich Douglas welcomes Heath Mello, President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Heath discusses his background in public service, higher education, and economic development, emphasizing the key issues and strategies in talent development, retention, and organizational culture.   The conversation covers the importance o...

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab  podcast , host Rich Douglas converses with Jess Almlie, an experienced talent developer and the founder of Learning Business Advisory Consulting. Jess shares her professional journey, highlighting her transition from various roles in talent development to leading her own consulting business. She emphasizes the importance of being a proactive business...

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast, Rich is joined by Dorie Clark, an acclaimed author and speaker known for helping individuals build their professional reputations. The discussion delves into the importance of being recognized for your expertise, especially in a crowded and noisy environment. Dorie emphasizes the need for content creation, social proof, and networking to establish...

In this episode of the Human Capital Lab Podcast , host Rich Douglas introduces Kimberli Jeter, head of River Wolf Group Consulting. Together, they explore the pivotal role of networking in professional success, the formation and benefit of communities of practice, and the transition from traditional employment to consulting.    Jeter shares her extensive background in international deve...

This episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast features a recap of conversations with Dr. Eli Bendet-Taicher, CLO head of global learning and development at Wix.com, and Teri Hart, author of Hardwired to Learn: Leveraging the Self-Sustaining Power of Lifelong Learning . Dr. Eli shares his journey from an engineering background to leading L&D in the tech world, emphasizing the importance of crea...

This episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast features our very first episode, Adele Cook, the CLO for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, discussing the evolution of her agency's learning and development approach, and the significance of empathy in leadership. With over 25 years of experience, Cook leads a team of 155 learning professionals dedicated to staff engagement and knowledge. Sh...

This Human Capital Lab bonus episode features Jennifer Budveit from episode 9, the Director of Global Learning and Development at Tiffany Company, and Nick Allen from episode 12, Director of HR Business Partner for CNA Insurance. Jennifer shares her journey from being a professional ballerina to an HR and Talent Development professional. She highlights the importance of teaching the value of learn...

We're back for Season 2! And excited to present a new host. Rich Douglas, a seasoned scholar-practitioner, shares his journey from the military to academia, emphasizing the pivotal role of bridging real-world experience with scholarly insights in the Human Capital Lab. Joined by Jason, they explore the evolution of the Lab and its critical role in advancing talent development. Big Takeaways: 1. In...

Life after COVID has gone for zero to 100 in no time at all, forcing employers and talent to adapt to this new pace. Now more than ever, we must all develop a better connection to empathy. We know that the stress level among our teammates has sky-rocketed in the past few years - leading to decreasing emotional intelligence and for many, resignations. Leaders need to show empathy for their tea...

Last season, our two "Straight from the CEO" episodes were hugely popular so we made a special episode highlighting meaningful clips from those conversations featuring CEO guests Avi Kahn and Mike Cassling. Avi started his career with construction company Hilti in 2004. He was promoted several times until 2017 when he became CEO of Hilti North America. In 2020, he joined the Group Executive Board...

Global leadership competency is essential in today's knowledge economy. Unlike physical goods, the trade of information requires a level of human interpretation to translate, analyze and apply the data making cultural competence and global perspective skills for today's leaders. It is also crucial to look to your organization's priorities in order to align your L&D initiatives to them. Michell...

Diversity does not look the same in every culture. A company like Wix operates in 190 countries and has to go the extra mile in order to implement and measure their DE&I efforts. Michelle's guest is Dr. Eli Bendet-Taicher,  Global Head of Learning & Development at Wix to discuss how diversity, equity & inclusion strategies are embedded into everything they do at Wix...

Learning Leaders want to understand how to interface with senior leadership better and secure a voice in future planning.  But perhaps, as important, they want to know how senior leaders think about Learning & Development - and how they can better align what they do with the highest priorities of the business.  In Part 2 of the Straight from the CEO series, Michelle speaks with Mike...

Companies spend a considerable amount of money on learning and development (L&D). With recent SEC reporting requirements and the intense competition for employees and retaining them, companies need to understand the impact of their L&D spending more than ever before. Michelle is joined by Jennifer Budveit, Director of Global Learning & Development with Tiffany & Company to discuss...

With 2.8 million fewer Americans working today compared to February of 2020, L&D leaders in every industry are re-examining educational benefits and how to use them more strategically to combat challenges in recruitment, retention, and employee productivity. To turn their TA benefits into more robust "education as a benefit" offerings, some companies and organizations are seeking out partners...

Researchers have identified that learning is positive for health and that longevity and education are linked. Our guest today is the perfect person to help us unravel this topic that's relevant to us all today, and as we age. When you think about an L & D leader’s aspirations to build cultures of learning and gain a firm understanding about how lifelong learning can be harnessed to move our bu...

How do Learning Leaders earn the ability to impact their organization more effectively? Avi Kahn, CEO of Hilti North America, sat down with Michelle to discuss how senior leaders think about Learning & Development - and how they can better align what they do with the highest priorities of the business.   Avi started his career with Hilti in 2004. He was promoted several times until 2017 w...

As learning leaders seek to earn and keep a seat at the strategy table, they must be able to accurately measure people effectiveness and process efficiencies. The ability to predict or forecast human performance requires an understanding of the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of human performance. For today's episode, Dave Gregory and Jay Delling, co-founders of Conatus3 , will share stories of measuring peopl...

It's clear that Leadership skills evolve over time to fit the workforce climate and needs. Today we want to explore this evolution and get to what the hot topics and approaches for leadership development are, with guest Trisha Greguras.  Trisha Greguras is the director of continuing education for Bellevue University's college of continuing and professional education. Learn why leadership deve...

Decades of research have shown reinforcing culture is an effective way to improve business outcomes, increase growth, and support employee engagement. There are so many ways to approach reinforcing culture, but one that is truly effective is putting learning and leadership budgets directly towards it.   In this episode, Michelle is joined by Tomissa Smittendorf, the Director of North Ame...

As businesses are experiencing "The Great Resignation", companies need to understand the impact of their L&D spending more than ever before. Joining us to dive into this really relevant topic is David Vance, Executive Director for the Center for Talent Reporting which helps Learning Officers understand learning impact measurement. David is also the former President of Caterpillar University, w...

When we consider our current state of affairs in terms of workforce wellness and productivity, one of the most under-emphasized behaviors among leaders maybe empathy. We know that the stress level among our teammates has sky-rocketed in the past two years - leading to decreasing emotional intelligence and for many, resignations. Leaders need to show empathy for their teams; while also assuring pro...