Unlocking High Performance

Join Jason for a provocative episode as he welcomes Jessica Winder, Senior Vice President of People, Colab Software. She brings a fresh, no-nonsense perspective to employee experience and workplace culture.   Jason and Jessica explore what it means to lead with fairness. Together, they unpack why fairness isn’t about treating everyone the same, how transparency fits into the equation, and wha...

Join Jason for a dynamic conversation with Carolina Terrazas, Vice President of Talent Management and Development at Schneider Electric, global HR leader, and host of the “Leading Yourself” podcast.   Carolina provides an illuminating view into the organization’s innovative group mentoring program. Moving beyond traditional one-to-one mentorship, their approach leverages small group mentorshi...

Join Jason for a thoughtful and deeply moving conversation with Dr. Jenna Sage, Director of Organizational Wellness and Well Being, Ultimate Medical Academy, and executive coach, author, and passionate advocate for whole-person employee support. Jenna discusses how organizations can truly support employees navigating grief, loss, and caregiving. Having walked alongside a loved one through terminal...

Join Jason to learn about building an award-winning culture through storytelling in this episode with John McHugh, Vice President of External Affairs at Kwik Trip.   John shares how Kwik Trip has harnessed the power of storytelling to create low turnover, high morale, and exceptional customer experiences, all in an industry notorious for high attrition. He shares practices for how they have s...

In this mini-episode, Jason announces the launch of the Human Connection Study, a new research initiative created in partnership with Ingenuity Design. This ambitious project aims to understand how people today are experiencing connection and disconnection at work and in everyday life. Jason shares why he feels this study is both necessary and vitally important. And, he asks for your help. In the...

Join Jason for a powerful conversation with Wendy Rummler, Chief People Officer at Credit Acceptance. Wendy shares the inside story of how their organization transformed from a conventional, in-office workplace to a high-performing, remote-first organization, while earning multiple workplace awards year after year. The secret, she says, is fostering a culture where listening leads to meaningful ac...

Join Jason for an enlightening conversation with Mike Ferone, Vice President of Organizational Development and Performance Excellence at Benchmark Gensuite, as they explore how his company has created a “culture of opportunity”—one where promotions are based on demonstrated competencies and potential, not rigid timelines. Together, they examined how this approach shapes engagement, enables rapid d...

Join Jason for a deeply engaging conversation featuring Karen Rieck, the Vice President of Human Resources at Farm Bureau Financial Services, as she shares her journey on building “presence with a purpose” work. Karen’s inspiring approach to employee connection, especially through their innovative “Real Stories” internal podcast, offers real-world lessons every manager should consider. They talked...

Join Jason for an enlightening conversation with Jessica Jones, Executive Vice President of People and Culture at Emprise Bank. Jessica reflects on her evolution from being a strong advocate for remote-first work to recognizing how hybrid and in-person work, when grounded in intention and clarity, can enhance belonging, innovation, and team trust.   Together, they explore the risks of reactiv...

Join Jason for an insightful episode with Halai Shukran, Chief Operating Officer of Pluribus Digital. Known for her strong background in HR leadership and people strategy, Halai offers an engaging, real-world perspective on how HR can become a true driver of business value. In this episode, Halai shares her extraordinary journey from HR and corporate training to the C-suite, breaking down how empa...

Join Jason for a thought-provoking conversation with Ben Brooks, Founder and CEO of Pilot, an award-winning culture and leadership development firm. In our discussion, we challenged traditional definitions of leadership and unpacked why organizations often get leadership development wrong. Jason and Ben explored how making leadership accessible to everyone—not just a select few—can positively impa...

Join Jason for an insightful conversation with Chrisanne Christ, Senior Partner, Human Resource Development at Centier Bank, as they discuss what it means to foster a "servant heart" culture to create a truly associate-first organization. In this episode, Chrisanne shares her journey into HR, driven by a background that equipped her with empathy and care from a young age. Together with Jason, they...

Join Jason Lauritsen for an enlightening conversation with KeyAnna Schmiedl, the Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman. KeyAnna is a wealth of knowledge about creating inclusive, human-centered workplaces that thrive in today's dynamic environment. In this episode, Jason and KeyAnna dive deep into the transformative potential of AI in HR and explore its implications for enhancing workplace c...

Join Jason for a solo episode on the power of active listening in leadership. He shares four practical tips to help leaders build trust, improve communication, and foster connections with their people. Jason explores why active listening is often overlooked in leadership and how it impacts team dynamics and workplace culture. He dives into the common barriers that get in the way of truly listening...

In this solo episode, Jason shares the five best check-in questions for leaders, offering invaluable advice on fostering more meaningful and impactful conversations with your team. He reminds you that an effective check-in starts with a great question. He then shares how to use these questions to create conversations that matter with your people. Key highlights from the episode include: 👉 An over...

Join Jason Lauritsen for a captivating conversation with Josh Allan Dykstra, a Future of Work keynote speaker and CEO of The Work Revolution, as they demystify the interplay between artificial intelligence and the human workplace. In this episode, Jason and Josh explore the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace, uncovering its impact on organizational culture and HR practices. They also discus...

Join Jason for an enlightening episode as he sits down with Maggie Gough, Chief Operating Officer at Bright Arrow. In this episode, Jason and Maggie discuss the evolving challenges of leadership in today's uncertain landscape. Maggie shares some of the challenges their CEO clients are facing today and how they are coaching them to cultivate clarity, stability, and resilience within their organizat...

Join Jason in an insightful conversation with Erin Corr Miller, the Chief People Officer at Terra Dotta. In this episode, Erin shares her approach to taking on an under-developed HR function in need of reputation repair and how she's rebuilt trust with the organization. This episode delves into practical strategies for creating effective HR processes that employees accept and embrace, which emphas...

Join Jason for an inspiring conversation with Greg Pryor, the Co-founder at Connected Commons. In this episode, Greg explains the powerful applications of social network science to fuel organizational success and employee engagement. Greg shares strategies for leveraging Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) to improve onboarding, accelerate career growth, and enhance overall workplace culture. Ke...

Join Jason for an enlightening conversation with Steph Ryter, Creative Culture Leader at Arity, as they discuss how to intentionally build a culture of connection. In this episode, Steph shares her journey from television news to shaping organizational culture at Arity. With her unique perspective, Steph has used innovative methods for building employee engagement and human connections, especially...

Join Jason in an insightful conversation with Sarika Lamont, the Vice President of People and Culture at Vidyard. Sarika delves deep into the nuances of career growth, management challenges, and the critical role HR plays in shaping today's workforce. Sarika also highlights the concept of job architecture and emphasizes how structuring roles and career paths is crucial for organizational success a...

Join Jason for an inspiring conversation with Rebecca Weaver, the founder and CEO at HRuprise and a seasoned veteran of multiple HR leadership roles throughout her career. Rebecca delved into innovative workplace practices and the quest for meaningful work. Rebecca also shares her unique experiences from her time with the Downtown Project and the challenges encountered in implementing Holacracy. R...

Join Jason and his daughter, Bailey, as they reflect on work experiences, generational perspectives, and tips for starting the new year right. In this special holiday episode of Check-In with Jason Lauritsen, Bailey reflects on her experiences as a working teenager and explores how she thinks her generation might impact the future workforce. She also underscores the significance of tapping into a...

Join Jason and his son, Colton, for an inspiring and fun conversation exploring how work looks through the eyes of a teenager. In the special holiday episode of Check-In with Jason Lauritsen, Colton shares what it means to him—and potentially his peers—to start their careers and the aspects he believes will characterize the future workforce. As a 15-year-old about to embark on his first job, Colto...

Join Jason for this inspiring conversation with Sheryl Battles, the recently retired Vice President of Global Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement at Pitney Bowes Sheryl delved into the transformative power of storytelling, particularly in times of crisis, and how it acts as a bridge to connect diverse perspectives within an organization. Sheryl shares her extensive experience in leveraging stori...