Teamwork Sandbox ™

In this episode of Teamwork Sandbox , Yolanda sits down with Melissa Dinwiddie to explore the role of creativity in how we connect, communicate, and work together in teams and within our organizations. Melissa shares her perspective on creativity as a tool for fostering stronger relationships and supporting team dynamics. The conversation touches on how curiosity, expression, and experimentation c...

I sat down with executive leader, Utibe Bassey, for a conversation about leadership and the impact we leave on people. Utibe has led in Fortune 500 environments, holds an MBA, and brings a perspective that comes from experience, not just research or theory. Her approach is practical, intentional, and people-centered. Through research, vivid examples, and practical tools, Love as a KPI equips leade...

In this episode of Teamwork Sandbox , I sit down with Dr. Sy Islam. He's an associate professor, consultant, and co-author of Leadership of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Leadership Lessons from The Last Airbender. We unpack how leaders can think more critically about the books and media they consume, and why not everything on the business shelf is backed by real science. From Marvel superheroe...

What are the ethics involved in bringing technology into our teams in a way that still honors our humanity? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Emi Barresi, a passionate leader and founder of the HEART framework, which stands for Human Ethics Approach for Remote and Tech-Hybrid teams. Emi shares insights from her doctoral research on remote work, productivity, AI, and robotics, and how leaders can...

How do teams stay connected and engaged during seasons of change? In this episode, Yolanda speaks with Fred Miller, an experienced consultant in organizational development and author of Safe Enough to Soar . Together, they explore what it takes for leaders to build trust, create psychological safety, and foster a workplace where everyone feels seen and heard. In this conversation, you’ll hear: Why...

In this episode of Teamwork Sandbox, I’m joined by author and industrial-organizational psychologist, Marla Albertie, PhD for a candid conversation on what it really means to lead with intention. We talk about the tension between showing up authentically and staying professional, how data can drive meaningful change (not just reporting), and what it takes to create workplaces where people feel see...

About This Episode: When working with your team, do you find yourself using more statements or questions? Research shows relational versus transactional leaders are far more effective when leading and managing their team. In this episode, I talk with leadership author, Bob Tiede about his book, Leading with Questions. He has been leading teams for decades and shares a wealth of knowledge focusing...

The future of work includes learning how to effectively manage hybrid teams, leading multi-generational employees and competing with other organizations for top talent. In this episode, I sit down with executive coach and consultant, Yanika Daniels to talk about best practices in leading teams, talent management, talent development, and recruitment. About Our Special Guest: Yanika S. Daniels is an...

In this episode of Teamwork Sandbox , we dive into the evolving role of AI in the workplace with Jeff, an educator and AI researcher whose journey began with GPT-3. Jeff unpacks how leaders, team managers and anyone in the workplace can benefit from understanding AI's disruptive potential in both education and industry. He stresses the importance of mastering large language models, such as ChatGPT...

About this Episode: In this episode, you will hear from Nick Heap, Ph. D., an experienced organization development consultant, as he shares insights into his newly developed strengths-based coaching model. He explains how this approach helps teams identify and leverage their strengths, envision future success, recognize opportunities, and develop actionable plans for improvement. Nick also discuss...

Welcome to Teamwork Sandbox ! I’m Yolanda Fraction, and I’m excited to bring you my rebranded show focused on one of my passions—teamwork. Drawing on over 20 years of experience across industries like education, nonprofit, and corporate environments, I’ll be sharing insights on what it takes to build high-performing teams that thrive in today's hybrid and virtual workplaces. You’ll hear real stori...

The holiday season is upon us, and it offers many an opportunity to reflect and enjoy time with loved ones, before starting the New Year. Are you unemployed? Are you underemployed? Are you simply seeking continuous improvement? This episode is for you! Our careers are constantly in need of reflection and retrospection. This episode encourages those who are unemployed while offering useful tips to...

They say, "the only thing constant is change." But, how do we operate a world filled with consistent change that never seems to end? How do we lead ourselves and sometimes, a team of people or organization through change? We must foster change champions, become change leaders ourselves and continue to find resilience while acknowledging, change is often immensely uncomfortable. In my new...

It seems like everywhere you look, people are talking about artificial intelligence or AI. Kirk Perry has been teaching people how to implement innovation and technology in infrastructures for the last 20 years. Kirk has worked in advertising, marketing, and product development. How might we learn to leverage AI as a tool or resource? If you use Siri or Alexa, you've already been using generat...

This Fall, Kevin has been a keynote speaker at the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Symposium and LTEN Learning Executive Series, a DevLearn panelist and more, and now, he's gracing us with his presence in this episode! He's a "Learning Detective" and he solves measurement mysteries. But, he's not only measuring impact, he's making an impact (in our global community)! Do you...

Are you in the midst of a career transition or career disruption? Career disruptions include everything from an organizational reorganization to a job layoff. How are you managing this time? In this episode, Amy Petrecick will encourage you to trust yourself and the professional expertise that you bring to the spaces where you show up. We also chat about developing and leveraging your consultative...

Right now, do you feel like your best self, personally and professionally? What's holding you back from becoming your best self yet? What are the barriers to being well? In this episode, we celebrate World Mental Health Day by bringing on a corporate wellness expert and therapist who will discuss some of her personal and professional tips for achieving success. Whether you are a senior leader,...

In this episode with Life Coach,  Tanya Jaklis, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP , we discuss: - Women in transition, and aligning our core values to each season - Redefining what success means to us in each season of our lives - Going after dream opportunities WITHOUT experiencing burnout (overworking, saying yes when we want to say no, incorporating rest and play into our lives) - The mind and body connection -...

In this episode, we sit down with Kate Udalova , co-founder of 7Taps . 7 Taps is a microlearning tool that may be used to design and develop microlearning. We also peek into Kate's journey as an entrepreneur and ed-tech startup co-founder. 

In this episode, I talk with career development expert and learning leader, Kason Morris. He's been in the learning field for over 15 years now, and is passionate about helping fellow learning professionals to drive their own career development journey. We talk about practical ways to get in the driver's seat and find career success. About Kason Morris: Kason [kay-sawn] Morris is a seasoned cultur...

In this episode, Jonathan Carbin and I sit down to discuss the news and information that we absorb, and how it influences our thinking about learning and development, and our overall, worldview. Do you feel like you're in a L&D (learning and development) bubble? Are you only taking in news and information about learning and development? How do we expand our thinking, so that we cultivate diver...

In this episode, I sit down to talk with a Futurist, Rita J. King . We talk about the return to the office, the importance of designing effective meetings and the Imagination Age. Rita created The Imagination Age , a framework to transition from the Industrial Era to the Intelligence Era. About Rita: Rita has been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, TIME, CNN, NPR, and many more medi...

This episode is straight from my heart to yours. After Hours is a new branch of The L&D Lounge podcast that I'll be running, to talk about whatever is on my mind related to learning and development, my career insights, and life itself. This particular episode is for anyone out there who's in transition. I share my story with you of how I've transitioned from being an elementary teacher to bein...

In this fun episode, I sit down with one of my favorite people to talk to, Shannon Tipton, owner of Learning Rebels. She's headed to ATD ICE 2021 and I'm thrilled to be able to give you, the listener, a sneak peek from her upcoming conference session, "Drips, Bots and Blogs". If you're wondering what that unique title is all about, be sure to press that play button! This episode is power-packed wi...

This episode is for anybody out there who is a leader. A leader is simply anyone who influences people, anyone who has followers. We're going to mix things up and give you a fresh, new way to rethink leadership. We're talking about the importance of love in leadership. You might be saying, "Huh, love in leadership?" That's right, love is needed in our workplaces, now more than ever! We're in the m...