Leadership Human-Style

“DEI work is deep work.  You can’t create systemic change unless people have adequate time for self-reflection and self-awareness and behavioural change.”  - Carrie Burd DEI training is more and more commonly available, and this is a good thing!   It can, however, be daunting in terms of figuring out what credential to pursue as a Talent Leader, and how to go beyond one-off DEI training sessions a...

“Fit is not static.”  - Jan van der Hoop   Talent Acquisition is a critical part of a company’s ability to function effectively.  The idea of screening or interviewing for job and company fit is not new - we can all agree this is an important factor in the whole process. But where does it belong in the process itself?   In this episode, your ideas about where this factor should fit into the proces...

“What does this person bring or add to our company?” - Heidi Hauver Traditionally, companies talk about cultural fit, and may look for linear, progressive career paths.  Today’s interview suggests we turn those traditions on their head and look at what people (including ourselves) can ADD to a particular context, vs. how they fit.  We also discuss what moving from transactional to transformational...

“We can help people through this journey…of uncertainty and negativity.” - Shelagh Ell In programs that teach Adult Education and Workplace Learning, the first module is typically Needs Assessment - for good reason! Needs assessment is a skillset that goes beyond interviews and checklists - it requires a healthy dose of EQ and an ability to speak your customer's language (and not throw them o...

“If you made widgets, then you would take the time to upgrade your machines…so that the widgets they produce become better and better. But we don’t have machines. We have people.”  - Gillian Kufsky How can we truly support high-potential talent in organizations?  What do they struggle with most and what can we do about it?   Tune into this episode to learn about the people-centered program design...

“When you want to make TRANSFORMATION happen - your own, or your organizational culture’s, you can’t simply WING it!”  - Lisa Mitchell  Are you struggling to schedule and spend ENOUGH deliberate time on strategy, innovation, creativity - the long-term big stuff that truly matters?   Organizations move fast.  That’s the reality.  It can be so easy to get swept up in the VORTEX, the place where less...

 “Engagement in and of itself isn’t good enough.  Are we focused on the right things, and are we organized around what matters?” -Tara Lockyer   Employee Engagement is a key indicator of success for most organizations and is a critical component for retention in a hot labour market. And yet, what if you have ultra-high engagement scores that don’t correlate to customer satisfaction and the bottom...

“As a Talent Management practitioner, we can get a bit tied up in what we see, and the latest buzzword or what we think we know from our seat of expertise. But the reality is, our experience is not the same as that of our many employees.” -Allyson Whiteley    As we head into the third year of the pandemic, the world is exhausted and there has been a massive disruption to our lives.  Life and work...

“If I’m not visibly inclusive, I’m not inclusive.” -Cheryl Bardouille One of the most important focus areas for Talent Leaders is DEI - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  In recent years, organizations have been investing more and more in supporting DEI and creating truly inclusive cultures. It’s a continuous journey of learning and growth for all, taking place against a backdrop of local and globa...

“Commit to dedicated check-ins with yourself, and treat them as though they are meetings with your biggest VIP client, that you’d never dream of cancelling.” -Lisa Mitchell Are you contemplating some big, scary goals at work or at home this year?  Maybe you haven’t started them yet, or you have - and then got stuck and put them by the wayside.    Well, if those goals are still important to you, yo...

“Make sure that whatever you create is scalable, whether up or down.” -Krista Clark Have you ever implemented a wonderful program that you worked incredibly hard on - and then were dismayed later on (after months? years?) when it became apparent that it was no longer making the grade?   It’s easy to let things be as they are, and yet that’s how opportunities get missed. Listen to this episode for...

When it comes to succession planning], one of the most important things is to learn to walk before you run.” -Melissa Law Succession planning is often a core responsibility for Talent Leaders. So much so, I decided to dedicate an entire episode to the topic.  From ideas for how to do 9-box right, to whether it’s time to move on from the 9-box, we cover it here.  This episode is your chance to hear...

“Trying to understand and learn from others is key to continual success.” -Deborah Scott   Ever wonder why certain companies get a spot on those “Top Employers” lists?  Have a listen to this episode for some insider information on how to craft a compelling culture that employees want to be part of.   My guest is Deborah Scott who is VP of HR and Facilities Operations at Panasonic Canada. Deborah i...

“When I choose to do the opposite of what I feel like doing - curling up in a lonely ball for instance - and just reach out a little to my brilliant network of friends and colleagues and clients and acquaintances, I start to come back to myself.”  - Lisa Mitchell   As Covid and the headlines  wear us down even further - it can be easy to retreat inside ourselves - to put a sort of isolation helmet...

“Culture does not happen overnight.” - Morgan Storie Have you ever wanted to make change happen faster?   To create big, meaningful culture shifts sooner rather than later?  This episode will serve as inspiration for patience on the journey and highlights the importance of a transparent, agile and culturally-appropriate approach to getting feedback and buy-in. My guest is Morgan Storie who is the...

“You don’t need to have all the answers. You need to discover the information to help inform what the decision may be. “ -Christina Cleveland Ever wondered what it might be like to lead Learning in a very large company with a senior leadership team that talks regularly about concepts like growth mindset?  Are you curious about what innovative new practices are being adopted by  the more massive or...

“I have the confidence now...to be extremely immediate in my decision-making, as long as I map my decisions to our values.” - Glen Blair How has the pandemic affected you and your organization?   Everyone has been touched in some way or another, and much of the impact has been negative.  It’s also had an interesting flip side - a more positive impact, in many cases.  Today’s guest credits the pand...

“Balance [responding to requests for advice] with creating space for others around me to share their insights and learnings.” - Plezzie Ramirez Strategic partnerships are an essential building block when it comes to making a positive impact and implementing important Talent and HR programs.  They are also tricky to establish sometimes because of the sheer range of people and opinions and perspecti...

“It’s not all about the content they are getting...but the whole experience that they live throughout that process as well.”  - Adrian Martin   It can be tough to be strategic when it comes to learning programs.  Sometimes companies resort to flavour of the month, one-off programming that doesn’t really fit the organization’s true needs and values.  So how do we do strategy better and work in a mo...

“Companies must resist the temptation to roll out too many programs and models, or to add new ones to the mix before earlier ones are fully baked in and having an impact. Patience and persistence are key.” - Lisa Mitchell In today's short solo episode, I’m talking about a very real challenge that I call the 0% ROI dilemma. Companies are spending more on learning and programming for employees...

 “You have to budget your time for the important things.”  - Jennifer Hall   Our work lives are busy.   Jammed with meetings and to-do lists, and it can seem like there’s simply no space to do anything particularly well.  And what are the implications for our relationships at work when we are this busy?  How can we build and sustain trust?   I invite you to listen to this episode for insights that...

 “The approach that you take reflects the culture you have and the culture you aspire to have.”  - Matt Price   What does it take to create the right environment where people can truly thrive at work?   Could you use some inspiration about how to create trust in a post-pandemic, hybrid work environment?   Then hit play on this episode right now! My guest is Matt Price who is VP of HR East Europe f...

 “When you get right down to it, people are people.” - Brian Cyr   Are you and your organization currently spending energy thinking about the post-pandemic work environment?  What does a hybrid workplace look like?   How do we need to shift now that the status quo has been turned upside down?   If so, you need to listen to this episode. My guest is Brian Cyr, a certified coach and coach educator a...

“The trust piece comes when you’re able to say and say it comfortably, I don’t know the answer but I will find it out for you.”   - Julie Farnsworth Ever feel like you simply don’t have time to dream up and implement a fully-realized program to support your employees?  Maybe the solution is actually much simpler.  Listen to this episode to explore how keeping it simple and informal can sometimes b...

“They really don't want to spend their time in training as much as we love training. That's not what they're here to do. They're really here to take care of our patients. So [when naming our department], the word stewardship kept coming up. We have to be great stewards of our people’s time because their time is precious.”  Susan Salomone, VP Talent Stewardship Are you and your...