Cohesion

This episode features an interview with Lisa Colella, Managing Director of Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisory at CRA Admired Leadership. With more than 18 years of professional experience, Lisa has worked with clients across agency, consultancy, and in-house settings. Her portfolio spans multiple industries, including fast-moving consumer goods, financial services, healthcare, and more. Previously, she was the Founder and CEO of a boutique consultancy and Global Head of Talent Communications and Marketing at Philips.In this episode, Simpplr's Vice President of Corporate Communications and Employee Experience Strategy, Carolyn Clark, and Lisa discuss balancing formal and informal communication for effective leadership, the challenges and benefits of integrating AI tools into leadership practices, and how behavioral science and creativity can improve communication strategies.-------------------“ The people that excel at creating meaning, not just transmitting information, they understand that communication isn't about just town halls and emails. But, really how they show up every day and that there is science to say if they show up in a way that is credible, they're highly competent. That they're likable in one way, shape, or form, generally likable and they are consistent. That they have a frequently and predictable drumbeat of presence that people can create what we call parasocial relationships. Which is, everyone feels like they have a relationship with the CEO, even though they might see them in a town hall once a year.” – Lisa Colella-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:33): Getting to know Lisa*(07:27): Lisa's career journey*(12:42): Balancing informal and formal communication*(19:12): How psychology influences communication*(32:24): How CRA is navigating the AI space *(38:29): Blending science and creativity for better communication strategies-------------------Links:Connect with Lisa on LinkedInLearn more about CRA Admired LeadershipSubscribe to Admired Leadership Field Notes NewsletterTry AlexSubscribe to Confluence NewsletterConnect with Carolyn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Matt Rivera, Chief Marketing Officer at Day & Zimmermann and Gary Sevounts, Chief Marketing Officer at Simpplr. Matt has worked for Day & Zimmermann for 34 years, from payroll administrator to the first person in the marketing department. He leads a diverse team of marketers and communications professionals who contribute to a cohesive, professional and high-performing marketing organization. Gary is a veteran CMO with a track record of building high-growth demand and revenue engines, effective marketing teams, differentiated brands, and establishing categories. Previously, he was CMO at Malwarebytes, Socure, and Equifax's Identity and Fraud Division.In this episode, Miriam, Matt, and Gary explore the connection between customer experience and employee experience, the importance of authenticity and transparency in storytelling, and leveraging AI to enhance communication and measurement.-------------------“ With the automation that we have today for the employee experience, you can do that and then transfer it right over into the external marketing. You're tweaking the message. But it's the same types of messaging. It's the same campaigns. We're looking at the same analytics. All of those things really start connecting a lot. I think, in a lot of cases, the employee experience and what you're doing there, if you're doing it right, it's authentic, can really drive some of the marketing stuff too.” – Matt Rivera“ Brand starts internally.  It starts with a mission and starts with the employees believing in why. Why did we start the company? Why are we doing what we're doing all day long? Why are we passionate about it? In the companies that I worked with and I dealt with, when there is that connection and it's genuine, employees become ambassadors. In the companies where that connection doesn't exist, people don't believe it and it's just words, then it can take a negative turn really quickly.” – Gary Sevounts-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:51): Matt and Gary's career journeys*(07:01): Getting to know Matt and Gary*(08:41): Exploring the connection between CX and EX*(12:56): The art of great storytelling *(24:15): Marketing strategies for Internal Communications*(35:36): Leveraging technology for employee engagement-------------------Links:Connect with Matt on LinkedInLearn more about Day & ZimmermannConnect with Gary on LinkedInConnect with Miriam on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Pat Wadors, Chief Human Resources Officer at Intuitive, where she leads a global organization responsible for all aspects of the company's employee experience. Prior to joining Intuitive, Pat was the Chief People Officer at UKG and Procore Technologies. She also held multiple leadership roles at ServiceNow, LinkedIn, and Yahoo!In this episode, Miriam sits down with Pat to discuss her book Unlock Your Leadership Story, the evolution of DEI in the workplace, and the importance of storytelling for fostering connection among employees.-------------------“ Words may change, but the intent of creating a high-performing, healthy company that can do their thing, be it a service, a product development, innovate, requires diversity of thought. You look at the past and say, ‘If I hire from this school or from this industry, chances of failure of that candidate are reduced.' But are you hiring the best? Maybe not. You're de-risking, you're not optimizing. If you slow your neurological roll, if you look at exactly what you need in the future, not just for today, you can create a healthier company.” – Pat Wadors-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:55): Getting to know Pat*(06:31): Pat discusses her book Unlock Your Leadership Story*(19:42): Pat breaks down personal scorecards *(24:12): The evolution of DEI in the workplace *(28:59): The importance of storytelling in creating connection*(35:56): A lesson Pat learned in her career-------------------Links:Connect with Pat on LinkedInEmail PatVisit Pat's websiteOrder Pat's Book Unlock Your Leadership StoryConnect with Miriam on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Keri-Lynn Pajer, Vice President of HR Business Partnerships and Change Initiatives at Agero. Keri-Lynn is a Strategy and Planning Executive with expertise in aligning organizational needs to the delivery of complex business solutions and expanded capabilities. At Agero, she previously served as the Senior Director of Internal Communications and Change Initiatives, and was the Director of Transformation Strategy at Staples. In this episode, Miriam and Keri-Lynn discuss the importance of listening to employees, the balancing act of integrating AI while maintaining human connections, and the continuous effort to maintain a culture of trust and engagement.-------------------“ I think the secret sauce is the employee. It's ensuring that you have a really structured, intentional employee listening program. What we like to say here is that we don't ever ask a question that we don't plan on or don't have the ability to make changes to. It's this one small act of change. Understanding what the employee needs and wants and really taking that information and trying to take one small step forward every time you hear something. Communication is a huge part of that.” – Keri-Lynn Pajer-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:07): Getting to know Keri-Lynn*(07:00): Defining and enhancing employee engagement*(09:06): The secret sauce to high engagement*(16:57): Building connectivity and trust*(27:26): Adapting to hybrid and remote work*(35:35): The role of AI in connectivity-------------------Links:Connect with Keri-Lynn on LinkedInLearn more about AgeroConnect with Miriam on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Laura Wall Klieves, Head of People at Malwarebytes. Laura's career began in automotive advertising before she pivoted to Learning & Development. At Malwarebytes, Laura leads L&D and drives internal communications initiatives by weaving together her knowledge of visual storytelling and learning to elevate the organization's leadership and management teams. In this episode, Simpplr's Chief People Officer, Miriam Connaughton and Laura discuss HR trends for 2025. They explore strategies for improving employee engagement post-pandemic, the balance between remote work and return-to-office mandates, and the responsible integration of AI in HR processes.-------------------“ There is something intangible about being next to another human being, whether they're on your team or on a cross-functional team. There's something about being able to say to, as I call a 3D person, live and in-person, ‘Hey, how are you?' Those spontaneous connections. We're not dictating five days a week, but we do want to encourage, at least, our managers and our senior leaders to get back into the office a little bit more. The other thing that I think we see, but also I would imagine a lot of companies are seeing, is especially for new employees, that learning about the company, making those initial connections when you first are hired doesn't happen when we're all sitting at home.” – Laura Wall Klieves-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(04:19): Getting to know Laura*(04:27): Laura's priorities for 2025*(07:06): How Laura is approaching return-to-office mandates*(12:46): Strategies for enhancing employee engagement*(24:16): The role of AI in HR*(33:57): Future HR trends and predictions-------------------Links:Connect with Laura on LinkedInConnect with Miriam on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Donald Knight, Venture Partner at Valor Ventures and Miriam Connaughton, Chief People and Experience Officer at Simpplr. Donald's expertise is in creating a culture where employees thrive and has a proven track record of constructing scalable global strategies that support international expansion. Miriam utilizes her three decades of HR consulting experience to shape and deliver a great employee experience, through dynamic HR strategies and AI-powered technology.In this episode, Shawn, Donald, and Miriam discuss the concept of high-performance cultures, how fostering human connection and empathy in the workplace can combat loneliness, and the impact of AI on workplace dynamics.-------------------“Historically, our profession has been rooted on five major time periods. It started because of being administrative in nature. Then from administration, we went into compliance. From compliance, we went into employee satisfaction. From satisfaction, you got companies that are focused on how do they engage their employees, mainly through this lens of productivity. Last, I think the best companies understand that they want people to be fulfilled. If you want people to be fulfilled, you got to recognize that there's plenty of talent at your organization that just isn't. There is a large sentiment of loneliness.” – Donald Knight“If you have lots of people with similar habits, that becomes the culture. It's habit-creating. If managers in general are good at creating psychological safety in an organization and they have a habit of practicing that, then people will generally report that's a cultural trait here. I feel really included and I feel like I can be my authentic self because it's very psychologically safe here. It doesn't just happen because you say it, it happens because people have healthy habits around that on a daily, moment-to-moment basis.” – Miriam Connaughton-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:35): Getting to know Donald and Miriam*(08:46): Being an intentional leader*(17:56): High-Performance Index and the ripple effect*(27:28): Loneliness in the workplace*(46:56): Incentivizing human-centric leadership*(53:29): The role of AI in enhancing employee experience-------------------Links:Connect with Donald on LinkedInFollow Donald on InstagramFollow Donald on ThreadsEmail DonaldConnect with Miriam on LinkedInEmail MiriamConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Britt Byers, Executive Vice President of Human Resources North America at Kyowa Kirin. With three decades of experience, Britt has held senior roles in Pharmaceuticals like Sanofi and Novartis, as well as in financial services at Bank of America. She has deep expertise in R&D and global functions as well as Shared Service leadership with oversight for HR Operations.In this episode, Shawn and Britt discuss the importance of authentic and inclusive leadership, strategies for easing employee anxieties, and the power of showing kindness in the workplace.-------------------“Before you react to something in a meeting or a conversation, or if someone's upset, just be there in the moment. You might have a difference of opinion, but you're just creating a space for the conversation. But it is on leaders, I think, to create the tone that you're not numb to what's happening. You can't not mention something. Otherwise, you just don't look genuine. You don't look like there's a leader you can trust who's just not acknowledging something that could be an awful environment.” – Britt Byers-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:54): Getting to know Britt*(14:34): The shift from financial services to pharmaceuticals*(18:10): The importance of meaningful work *(23:01): Leadership themes and enterprise leadership*(27:51): The importance of being kind in the workplace-------------------Links:Connect with Britt on LinkedInLearn more about Kyowa KirinFollow Kyowa Kirin on LinkedInConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Ellen Maier, Human Resources Director at Zignaly. Ellen is an experienced HR leader committed to enhancing remote work settings and empowering employees. With a strong background in HR and organizational psychology, she fosters an inclusive and growth-focused culture for the Zignaly team.In this episode, Shawn and Ellen discuss creating trust within a remote team, the importance of personal connections in the workplace, and benefits and practices of being an email-free organization.-------------------“When you say email-free, it's equal to clutter-free. When you consider you're wasting so much valuable time because, time is money and you also have an amount of energy. The crazy thing is that everyone that works with email, they start reading, checking everything in the morning. Once they finish that, they have no other energy to do anything else. You can miss important information, important updates.” – Ellen Maier-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:12): Getting to know Ellen*(06:39): Building a trusting remote culture at Zignaly *(22:14): How Zignaly manages an email-free work environment *(28:51): Strategies for global team management*(37:11): AI in human resources*(41:47): What's next for Zignaly and Ellen-------------------Links:Connect with Ellen on LinkedInFollow Ellen on XLearn more about ZignalyFollow Zignaly on XConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Sarah Lovelace, Vice President of People at Airbase. Prior to this role, Sarah served as VP of People at Plenty, held various roles at Box, and was a Recruiting Coordinator at Google.In this episode, Shawn sits down with Sarah to discuss adapting leadership to different organizational stages, realistic and meaningful leadership development programs, and challenges and trends in global workforce management.-------------------“You have to go through all of the seasons and you have to go through the reviews, you have to go through having a first hard conversation with an employee. Sometimes there's just not a time limit on that. I think, ultimately, those L&D programs sometimes aim to fast track that. But, I have truly found the best value is again, getting to know managers.” – Sarah Lovelace-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:58): Getting to know Sarah*(07:52): Sarah's leadership style at Airbase *(24:17): Strategies for measuring organizational trust *(31:23): Values that drive the People team at Airbase *(35:56): How Airbase develops leaders *(42:28): Future challenges for People teams-------------------Links:Connect with Sarah on LinkedInConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Brady Pyle, Chief HR & Inclusion Officer at Space Center Houston. Over a 30-year federal career, Brady held various HR leadership roles at NASA, including HR Director for the Johnson Space Center and Director of HR Services, earning two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals. In 2013, Brady created his leadership blog, OutOfThisWorldLeadership.com, which now ranks among Feedspot's Top 100 Leadership Blogs.In this episode, Shawn and Brady discuss how space exploration's unique challenges shape forward-thinking organizational strategies, strategies for cultivating internal talent and establishing robust leadership pipelines, and utilizing AI in leadership and employee development.-------------------“When leaders are moving from individual contributors to leadership roles, a lot of times they were selected because they're the technical expert. They're the smartest person in the room. We had to teach them as you move into that role, you've got to train yourself to use coaching skills, to ask questions. Because if you're constantly giving answers, you're not going to grow the capacity of the team. You're the team's lid. If you want to grow technical expertise in your function and in your field, those are the people we want in our management and leadership positions. You're asking questions, you're developing those creative solutions from your team. The role becomes more of coaching and facilitation and less of giving the answer.” – Brady Pyle-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:56): Getting to know Brady*(16:21): Leadership development strategies *(27:02): Implementing effective recognition programs*(32:35): Building trust in leadership *(42:44): Differences between NASA and Space Center Houston*(45:43): The role of AI in leadership development-------------------Links:Connect with Brady on LinkedInFollow Brady on XLearn more about Space Center HoustonRead Brady's blogConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion PodcastAbout Simpplr

This episode features an interview with Athena Aktipis, author of A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, director of the Cooperation and Conflict Lab and co-director of the Human Generosity Project, the first large-scale collaborative project to investigate the interrelationship between biological and cultural influences on human generosity. Athena also created and co-hosts the Zombified Podcast.In this episode, Shawn sits down with Athena to discuss the dynamics of need-based transfers in societies, the study of zombification, and strategies for building trust in communities.-------------------“Oftentimes in more corporate settings, it's easy to forget how important feelings of autonomy are for building anything lasting. You can make somebody do something in the short-term because you're like, ‘This is part of your job. You won't get paid if you don't do this, et cetera.' But if you want to create trust, create a bond, create a foundation for long-term or even medium-term future productivity and innovation and all of that, people have to feel, I think, individually empowered and autonomous in how they're associating with the people who they are working with.” – Athena Aktipis-------------------Episode Timetamps:*(02:52): Getting to know Athena*(09:21): Athena dives into cooperation*(18:36): What inspired Athena to study zombification and write A Field Guide to the Apocalypse*(32:51): How the idea of cooperation translates the workplace*(35:13): Athena's recommendations for building trust *(41:14): Other takeaways from Athena's book-------------------Links:Connect with Athena on LinkedInRead A Field Guide to the ApocalypseListen to Zombified podcastLearn more about The Apocalypse RoadshowLearn more about Zombified MediaLearn more about the Zombie Apocalypse Medicine MeetingVisit Athena's websiteRead The Cheating CellFollow Athena on InstagramFollow The Apocalypse Roadshow on InstagramConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast 

This episode features an interview with Shaun Randol, Founder of Mister Editorial, a mixternal communications newsletter. Shaun has spent a large portion of his career piloting communications for international companies such as Bloomberg and BlackRock.In this episode, Shawn and Shaun discuss the myth of planning in storytelling, the importance of adapting to new technologies, and maintaining a strategic perspective on the evolution of communications work.-------------------“I think those of us who have 10 to 15 years left in their career, can't ignore [AI]. They should embrace it, learn to use it. Dial in to one or two tools or use cases and become deeply expert at it immediately. Change comms, multimedia, photography, graphics, storytelling, whatever it is. Pick one or two because there's many of them out there and just get known for it as soon as possible, because that expertise will be needed.” – Shaun Randol-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:26): Getting to know Shaun*(09:12): Where Shaun stands today on AI replacing people*(14:19): How technology changes the way we communicate*(18:45): Shaun's opinion on slowing down generative AI*(29:36): Shaun's advice for comms professionals using AI*(35:44): Other ways comms professionals can embrace AI-------------------Links:Connect with Shaun on LinkedInConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust and Co-founder of FranklinCovey's Global Trust Practice. He is a sought-after international speaker, who has taught trust and leadership to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities. As the former President and CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, Stephen increased shareholder value by 67 times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. In this episode, Shawn sits down with Stephen to discuss the foundational concepts of trust and leadership, practical strategies for enabling authenticity, and the importance of having a growth mindset.Hear more from Stephen when he participates in the World Business Forum this October!-------------------“The style of leadership that maybe has taken us to where we are today in a different world, is not going to be where we need to go tomorrow in a new world of remote work and hybrid work and intentionally flexible work with younger generations. Gen Z have a completely different expectation of how they want to be engaged and led. With work becoming far more collaborative and interdependent and with technology changing, disrupting everything with AI, with all these things happening, we need a new way to lead in a new world of work. Maybe command and control got us to where we are today, but trust and inspire is what's going to take us to where we need to go tomorrow.” – Stephen M.R. Covey-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:32): Getting to know Stephen*(13:14): The reciprocity of trust *(26:37): Building stewardship agreements *(31:22): Trust and inspire vs. command and control *(41:49): Authenticity and vulnerability in leadership*(54:06): The need for a growth mindset-------------------Links:Learn more about FranklinCovey's Global Trust PracticeConnect with Stephen on LinkedInFollow Stephen on XFollow Stephen on InstagramConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Rachel Happe, Founder and Digital Workplace, Organization, and Community Strategist at Engaged Organizations. She started Engaged Organizations to focus on helping organizations adapt to new technologies and accelerate knowledge supply chains while improving trust, transparency, and agility. She is a sought after speaker and expert on the impact of technology on engagement, relationships, and culture and has keynoted at several digital workplace conferences.In this episode, Shawn and Rachel discuss treating employees as assets rather than machines, rewarding human contributions, and valuing emotional and social aspects in the workplace.-------------------“We still have this mechanistic system and the human system, and we're still treating humans like machines. I wrote a post a while back, because I was getting really annoyed reading about how AI could help employees. It was all like, ‘It can do these 10 tasks for you.' And I'm like, ‘If that's all we are, we should go home.' It's the mindset of what we think employees or people's  value is. The example I use in presentations is diamonds. Why are diamonds valuable? They're rocks. De Beers made them mean something. You know who can't make something mean something to somebody else? AI. The value of people is activating other people. And value is meaning.” – Rachel Happe-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:20): Getting to know Rachel*(10:27): Rachel's career background*(15:42): Employees are not machines*(21:50): How to calculate the value of community*(32:21): The role of AI in community *(42:39): The current and future state of valuing humans-------------------Links:Connect with Rachel on LinkedInLearn more about Engaged OrganizationsEmail RachelRead Ed Zitron's They're Looting The InternetConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Sandy Gould, Chief People Officer at Pinwheel. Sandy has nearly three decades of experience in human resources and talent acquisition. He has worked for companies like Disney and Yahoo where he led recruitment and diversity efforts. Sandy's mission in life is to help people unleash their super powers and lead with authenticity. In this episode, Shawn sits down with Sandy to discuss strategies for building company culture, insights into building trust and fostering psychological safety, and injecting humanity into HR.-------------------“There is one mission for HR, and I can state it in three words. Amplify everything human. That's our job. If it's helping the CEO understand and have empathy with their employees, if it's helping the employees decode the CEO and executives, yes, we should do that. Helping to amplify and enhance your relationship skills, your communication skills, your connection, your problem solving, anything. How you think, training, learning, resources, strategy, you name it, we should be amplifying every part of it that's human. But, we are not there to be a substitute. There is no substitute for direct relationships and direct communication and direct feedback.” – Sandy Gould-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:32): Getting to know Sandy*(09:02): Building company culture *(14:41): Sandy's take on superpowers*(26:55): Creating trust and authenticity*(34:10): The challenges of authenticity *(47:23): How to scale authenticity in an organization-------------------Links:Connect with Sandy on LinkedInConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Kosheno Moore, Vice President and Digital Community Leader for Regional Center Satellite at Fidelity Investments. Prior to joining Fidelity, she served as the Manager of CX Communications at Workday, Head of Communities at Aurea Software, Principal of Employee Communications at Jive Software, and spent 7 years at Agilent Technologies in various roles.In this episode, Shawn and Kosheno discuss strategies for creating meaningful digital connections, the future of D&I within corporate culture, and how to foster a sense of belonging among employees.-------------------“In order to create a sense of community in a digital environment, you have to not just think about the technology itself, like anyone can deploy any technology. It's almost moot point what technology you use, but it's about the strategy piece of it. It's about the bringing people together piece of it. Which means like, what's going to motivate people to come together? Can we organize people around certain themes? In order to do that, you need to be able to create communication messaging, and you need to do that in so many different forms of media, and you need to tap into different audience source. Community management, I think, really forces you to be omnichannel. And yes, communication is a big component of it, but it really challenges us to think cross-disciplinary, like you want to be strategic, you also want to be tactical, you also want to be multimedia savvy, and a great communicator, too. I think that's the beauty of it. I think when it's done well, community management strategy and technology, a robust technology platform, I think those could be win-win.” – Kosheno Moore-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:26): Getting to know Kosheno*(07:37): Kosheno's career journey *(19:39): The challenges of building digital communities*(31:35): The impact of community size*(41:58): Kosheno's thoughts on D&I strategies*(46:22): The future of human connections at work-------------------Links:Connect with Kosheno on LinkedInConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Elizabeth Baskin, CEO of Tribe, Inc., an internal communications boutique working with global brands. Before launching Tribe, she was the CEO of consumer branding agency MATCH, and held management and creative positions at several other ad agencies.In this episode, Shawn sits down with Elizabeth to discuss the effectiveness of editorial boards and content training for global communications, strategies for maintaining employee engagement and motivation, and the need for honest communications during times of change and uncertainty.-------------------“The very most important best practice for internal comms is to recognize that employees do not have to read, watch, listen to anything you do. They don't have to. There's this expectation that they will read it because they're an employee and you're talking for corporate. No. You're competing with Instagram and Hulu and whatever else. You can't write a 700 word wall of text and email it and think everybody's going to find that call to action somewhere in the 17th paragraph. You have to realize that you are not talking to employees in a vacuum. You're talking to them in this world of distractions and media onslaught.” – Elizabeth Baskin-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:39): Rapid fire questions*(06:42): Elizabeth dives into Tribe, Inc. *(16:04): The challenges of communicating with a deskless workforce *(27:44): How comms can affect culture *(32:07): The importance of honest communications *(41:44): Future internal communications trends-------------------Links:Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedInLearn more about Tribe, Inc.Visit Elizabeth's blogConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Steven T. Hunt Ph.D., Work Techno-Psychologist & Author of Talent Tectonics. Steve is an industry expert who has had a pivotal role in developing systems that have improved productivity and engagement of millions of employees around the globe. He is a well-known speaker, author, and thought leader on strategic human resources.In this episode, Shawn and Steve discuss how the nature of work is evolving, the cause of burnout, and how we should be using AI to make work better.-------------------“You cannot provide excellent customer service, you cannot be creative, collaborative, all the things companies want people to do if you feel exploited, burned out, or exhausted. Yet, the pace of change people are facing is making them feel exhausted and burned out. This is why I wrote this book, Talent Tectonics. It talks about how do we need to manage work differently? Where we need to provide people an experience where they view change as, ‘Yeah, this growth opportunity.' As opposed to just burned out and exhausted.” – Steven T. Hunt Ph.D.-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:16): Rapid fire questions*(08:31): Talent Tectonics and how the nature of work is changing*(20:03): Steve's take on burnout*(28:32): How external factors play into burnout*(42:40): How we should be using technology to make work better-------------------Links:Connect with Steve on LinkedInRead Talent TectonicsVisit Steve's websiteConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Aniisu K. Verghese, Founder of Intraskope, a boutique internal communications and personal branding consultancy serving global markets. Aniisu is an award-winning internal communications expert with over two decades of experience in change and transformation initiatives. He started India's first blog on internal communications in 2006 and is now the author of three books.In this episode, Shawn and Aniisu discuss inclusive internal communications, strategies for building organizational trust, and how AI is streamlining employee experience.-------------------“I think the traditional model of doing these surveys six months, one year, doesn't really work. You need to get into more real-time sentiment analysis and managers need to be empowered because the data is available if you're doing it through such platforms where you can access the information in real-time. Then, you make the managers accountable saying, ‘Your team's sentiment is negative and what are you doing about it? When did you have your last conversation and what are some of the issues that are coming up?' Then, match it with what they're saying to see whether that's the right way to go. I think going forward, it has to be only that, because you can't really wait for a six month window to start changing things.” – Aniisu K. Verghese-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:00): Rapid fire questions*(08:14): Aniisu discusses Intraskope*(17:46): Inclusive internal communications and employee experience*(23:33): How to build trust in an organization*(34:18): What AI looks like in employee experience*(45:55): What the future of internal communications looks like-------------------Links:Connect with Aniisu on LinkedInFollow Aniisu on TwitterAniisu's LinktreeAniisu's blogInstraskope ConsultingGlobal Commtrepreneurs NetworkInternational Communication ProfessionalsConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Mike Robbins, motivational speaker and author. As an expert in teamwork, leadership, and emotional intelligence, Mike delivers keynotes and seminars that empower people, leaders, and teams to engage in their work, collaborate, and perform at their best. He teaches important techniques that allow individuals and organizations to be more appreciative, authentic, and effective.In this episode, Shawn and Mike discuss the limits of authenticity, how AI is affecting teams, and the difference between recognition and appreciation.-------------------“We seek and fear change at the same time. That's part of what makes change exciting and challenging. I feel both excited and scared about AI, personally. Is it going to eliminate certain jobs and certain things and certain people? It most likely will, just like any kind of new technology and automation. Think of what the internet did. It got rid of a lot of industries and jobs. At the same time, it created way more than it got rid of. At the end of the day, we still have to believe in ourselves and the importance of humanity and human connection. That's never going away and I think it's just going to be that much more of a premium.” – Mike Robbins-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:24): Rapid fire questions*(07:27): Mike reflects on his 2015 TED talk and how it's relevant today*(21:41): How organizations create psychological safety *(28:38): The difference between recognition and appreciation*(38:12): How AI will affect teams in the workplace-------------------Links:Connect with Mike on LinkedInVisit Mike's websiteConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Monique Zytnik. Monique is an award-winning, global internal communication leader who presents on best-practice communication at world conferences and guest lectures at universities. Her campaigns have been recognized by Gartner and the Digital Communication Awards. In this episode, Shawn sits down with Monique to discuss the misconception of authenticity, the challenge of creating culture, and why AI will never replace human creativity and connection.-------------------“I don't have a car anymore, but when I did, that little blind spot that you have when you're trying to go around the corner and you've always got to make sure you check it. It's the same in an organization. There's always these little spots that you can't really see very well what's going on. You need to take care that your employees in that area are also reflecting your values and that there isn't little fiefdoms happening with particular leaders who don't wish to communicate, and putting employees off or people are leaving because of unsavorable working conditions.” – Monique Zytnik-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:07): Rapid fire questions*(06:37): Monique dives into her book *(10:51): AI's influence on communication*(35:09): The role of leaders during difficult times*(46:34): How AI, leadership, and active listening come together-------------------Links:Connect with Monique on LinkedInRead Internal Communication in the Age of Artificial IntelligenceConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Christina Kucek, Executive Director of Intelligent Automation at CAI. She has over 15 years of consulting experience in delivering cutting-edge implementations in Conversational AI, natural language processing, and robotics process automation. At CAI, Christina guides clients through their automation journeys while delivering innovative solutions.In this episode, Shawn and Christina discuss the impact of AI on employee experience: from onboarding to accelerating workflows to building in ethics.-------------------“Employee retention a lot of times can be impacted by their first week or two of employment. They get their machine, their access to all the systems that they need. They get their email, it's already set up. They show up on day one and they're ready to go. That impression that you make as a company on their new employee will help us retain our best talent. That reduces our cost overall for trying to recruit people and train people. That retention piece is really valuable.” – Christina Kucek-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:44): Rapid fire questions*(07:13): Christina breaks down CAI and her role*(15:57): How AI impacts employee experience*(28:22): How AI will affect the amount of work for employees*(36:43): The future of augmented intelligence*(45:23): What's next for Christina and CAI-------------------Links:Connect with Christina on LinkedInLearn more about CAIConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Hamza Khan, Future of Work and Leadership Expert. He is the best-selling author of Leadership Reinvented and The Burnout Gamble and is a two-time TEDx Speaker. Hamza challenges organizations to rehumanize their workplaces to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. His clients include Microsoft, Deloitte, and TikTok.In this episode, Shawn sits down with Hamza to discuss why work is not working, how to make employees owners, and the no day work week.-------------------“If you invest in employee engagement and well-being, then it turns all the other priorities into guaranteed outcomes. That's where the work needs to be done. We actually need to do this work, at the individual level with every single leader in the world. We have to just overhaul our education system to produce more human-centric, values-driven, change-friendly, self-disrupting leaders. But, we also have to make connecting with other human beings an organizational imperative. That should be the only priority that leaders pursue at every level. The welfare, the well-being, the engagement, and actually, just summarize all that into the thriving of their employees.” – Hamza Khan-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(05:09): Rapid fire questions*(11:48): Hamza discusses his 2016 TEDx Talk and if it holds up today *(21:43): The history and influence of The Haymarket Affair on work today*(26:57): Giving employees more say over their work*(38:48): Will AI increase the amount of work for employees *(45:14): What Hamza is hopeful about-------------------Links:Connect with Hamza on LinkedInVisit Hamza's websiteRead Hamza's booksConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Jordan Katz, Chief Insights Officer at Simpplr. Jordan advises organizations on the influential use of data and analytics to develop strategies that predict outcomes and increase performance. Prior to Simpplr, he was one of the Heads of Employee Experience Strategy at Qualtrics and has consulted hundreds of SaaS companies and global organizations.In this episode, Shawn and Jordan dive into Simpplr's Future of Employee Experience Report. They discuss the importance of personalized and efficient communication platforms, analyzing diverse data sources to create a seamless employee experience, and taking a human-centered approach to AI.-------------------“87% of professionals are passionate about their current jobs, but 64% of them frequently feel stressed or frustrated at work. We have a primed and ready to go race car with rocket fuel in the tank. We load up a bunch of sandbags in the trunk that represent crappy tools and inefficient processes. There's no reason for that. The more we study employee experience, the more we learn how critical it is to think holistically about the work people do, the task distribution they have, and how we can operationalize great efficiency. Using systems and AI to free up people to do the strategic work that will catapult our organizations into the next level from a performance perspective.” – Jordan Katz-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:11): Jordan defines employee experience *(05:00): Rapid fire questions*(14:36): What the report says about frontline workers *(22:54): Creating a personalized employee experience*(34:11): What prevents companies from implementing an HR stack *(41:05): How AI impacts employee experience*(51:49): Jordan's golden rule for work-------------------Links:Connect with Jordan on LinkedInRead Simpplr's Future of Employee Experience ReportConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Jordan Katz, Chief Insights Officer at Simpplr. Jordan advises organizations on the influential use of data and analytics to develop strategies that predict outcomes and increase performance. Prior to Simpplr, he was one of the Heads of Employee Experience Strategy at Qualtrics and has consulted hundreds of SaaS companies and global organizations.In this episode, Shawn and Jordan dig into Simpplr's 2024 State of Internal Communications Report. They discuss the most surprising results, creating highly effective teams, and using AI to tailor messages.-------------------“We're creating not a time machine, like go back in time machine, but a save you time, reduce friction. Where everything is served up at your fingertips in a way that not only helps you get your job done, helps you be more productive, reduces cycle time on search and access to information. And by the way, can help you eliminate some of the administrative tasks or recognize your peers or any of the things that you want to do on a day-to-day basis that are not the high value stuff that drives crazy impact at your job. But instead, helps lift you up so you can do the best work that you can possibly do in the most efficient manner possible.” – Jordan Katz-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(03:45): Rapid fire questions*(10:43): Surprising results from the State of IC Report *(18:59): How AI can improve IC messaging*(30:12): Jordan's advice for implementing an intranet*(35:17): What makes highly effective IC teams*(46:56): What's next for IC in 2025-------------------Links:Connect with Jordan on LinkedInRead Simpplr's State of Internal Communications ReportConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

This episode features an interview with Josh Bersin, Founder and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company. Josh is an analyst, author, educator, and thought leader focusing on the global talent market and the challenges and trends impacting business workforces. He studies the world of work, HR and leadership practices, and is often cited as one of the leading HR and workplace industry analysts in the world. In this episode, Shawn and Josh discuss the post-industrial workforce, building dynamic organizations, and creating superpowered HR through AI.-------------------“AI is not magic. It's not going to do everything perfectly out of the box. Just like every other technology we've ever implemented, we're going to have to take care of it. We're going to have to make sure it has good data, we're going to have to train it, we're going to have to optimize it. I think the big thing is this is a high-powered, highly capable technology that needs your help. You need to tune it. You need to have IT involved. You need to look at data management, data security.” – Josh Bersin-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:26): Josh answers rapid fire questions *(05:31): Josh explains The Josh Bersin Company*(08:56): Josh explains the Post-Industrial workforce*(15:24): The importance of employee activation*(23:43): Creating dynamic organizations*(32:27): The role of AI in revolutionizing HR*(38:23): Pitfalls of AI-------------------Links:Connect with Josh on LinkedInLearn more about The Josh Bersin CompanyLearn more about The Josh Bersin AcademyLearn more about Irresistible ConferenceRead Josh's bookLearn more about Dynamic OrganizationsConnect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

The Cohesion podcast is back with more exciting episodes! Shawn Pfunder, Communications and Employee Engagement Director extraordinaire is taking over the role of host.Previously this season, we had some amazing guests including CEOs, Founders, and Chief People Officers. They shared valuable tips on creating a world-class employee experience, transforming culture, rebuilding trust after layoffs, and empowering every employee to be a leader.In the second half of the season, we're bringing new voices into the mix! We'll be talking to consultants, motivational speakers, and future of work experts. We'll dive deep into the intersection of AI and HR, discuss how to organize people effectively for sustainable growth, and explore the relationship between technology, employee experience, and communications.Stay tuned for more episodes of Cohesion! Check out previous episodes wherever you get your podcasts.-------------------Links:Connect with Shawn on LinkedInCohesion Podcast

In this short episode, Amanda Berry has a special message for the Cohesion Podcast audience. After two years and speaking with over 50 employee experience experts, Amanda is moving on from the host position. For now, Cohesion is taking a short break to prep for Season 3 of the show. Thank you for listening to and watching the Cohesion Podcast! Take care and we'll see you soon!-------------------Links:Connect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with William Tincup, President and Editor-at-Large of RecruitingDaily.com. William is a writer, speaker, consultant, and investor at the intersection of HR and technology. He has spent the last 20 years studying all aspects of HR and talent acquisition, including practitioners and the tech that serves them.In this episode, Amanda sits down with William to discuss the excessive amount of tech in HR, user satisfaction versus adoption, and why the ROI of tech is flawed.-------------------“What I learned when I was studying user adoption years ago, is the game isn't adoption. We think it is, it's a false signal though. The game is user satisfaction. How do we get users to actually fall into love with software? So on the way, we have to get people to use it, check. We've got to communicate, we've got to do all the things we've talked about. We've got to get them to use it. Once they use it and they consume it, and they're utilizing it, they're going to have questions. But, there's this moment in which they come over and they love the software.  And it doesn't have to be perfect software. People think when I talk like that, they're like, ‘Oh, well there's no software that's perfect.' I'm like, ‘It isn't about being perfect.' It's about them understanding how to use the software in such a way that they know that this software helps them be successful and they can't imagine life or their job without it. And it's user satisfaction. You're beyond adoption at that point. You've crossed over into real, true user satisfaction, user love.” – William Tincup-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:07): William explains why there's too much tech in HR*(13:22): How to drive tech adoption through training*(20:02): How long it takes to successfully roll out new tech*(30:45): William explains RecruitingDaily.com and his role there*(44:11): Segment: Getting Tactical*(44:49): William explains why ROI of tech is flawed *(55:59): Amanda and William dive into mergers and acquisitions*(01:10:03): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(01:10:21): What the future of HR tech will look like-------------------Links:Connect with William on LinkedInListen to The RecruitingDaily PodcastListen to The Use Case PodcastConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Shawnee Irmen-De Anda, Chief People Officer at Thriveworks. Shawnee has two decades of experience serving as a human resources strategic business partner for growing and well-established healthcare organizations. At Thriveworks, Shawnee leads a first-class people strategy, focusing on expanding team potential and empowering sustainable growth.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Shawnee to discuss creating brand awareness while recruiting, incorporating tech into the employee experience, and fighting burnout during times of crisis.-------------------“I think in healthcare, technology should always enhance but not replace that human-to-human connection. It's really easy to leverage technology to save money at times, but that human-to-human connection is critically important. It's the same principle that we adhere to when we're looking at providing therapeutic care. Technology should also make the day-to-day functions of our teams easier, not harder or longer. At times if technology isn't working, we know the frustrations and added gray hair that that can have also. Having an intranet or centralized resource repositories, things like that for employees, is really important. Healthcare is one where you're either extremely advanced, and I think more hospital systems, things like that tend to have more up-to-date technology, or you're extremely outdated with the technology that you have. We're really lucky to have a tech and product team here that their sole purpose and what they really and truly want to do every day is make sure that our clinicians can do what they're here to do. And that's see clients, not have to battle technology challenges.” – Shawnee Irmen-De Anda-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(04:27): Shawnee's role at Thriveworks*(09:22): Segment: Getting Tactical*(09:39): How Shawnee creates brand awareness while recruiting*(11:28): The relationship between employee experience and retention *(17:50): How to incorporate tech into the employee experience*(20:25): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(24:10): How Thriveworks uses tech to fight employee burnout*(27:34): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Learn more about ThriveworksConnect with Shawnee on LinkedInEmail ShawneeConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Betsy Leatherman, Global President of Consulting Services at Leadership Circle. Betsy has 10 years of experience transforming executives and middle managers into exceptional leaders. In her current role, Betsy helps clients become more effective leaders so they can make decisions that engage and motivate members of their organizations and customers they serve. In this episode, Amanda and Betsy discuss leadership development, common mistakes leaders make during layoffs, and the two leadership orientations.-------------------“The rubber meets the road at the middle manager. Because, even if you've got a great leadership team that's highly developed, if they do not translate that through the way in which a middle manager shows up to a frontline employee, it doesn't matter. If you've got a great set of senior leaders, let's say, and then a set of middle managers that haven't been developed, it can actually be really, really challenging for the frontline employee. Because, they see one thing and they experience something so different, and immediately they'll lose trust. My perspective is if you start at a customer and then you move backwards in terms of importance, frontline employees are very important to be extraordinarily well-resourced. Their managers also have to be even better resourced, personally, to help them handle their complexities. When that occurs, all of a sudden it's at scale. You, as a leader, a senior leader in the organization, you're at scale because you're helping them to be better and you're getting their perspective and vantage point that you might otherwise not be offered.” – Betsy Leatherman-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:59): Betsy dives into leadership development *(08:35): Segment: Story Time*(10:23): Why Betsy created a career in leadership development *(17:17): Segment: Getting Tactical*(25:16): Betsy explains the two leadership orientations *(34:24): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(34:54): Common mistakes leaders make during layoffs *(40:46): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Learn more about Leadership CircleEmail BetsyConnect with Betsy on LinkedInFollow Betsy on X (formerly Twitter)Connect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Brian Brockman, VP of Communications, US & Canada at Nissan Motor Corporation. At Nissan, Brian is responsible for telling the brand's transformation story, protecting company reputation, and promoting strong product messages to both internal and external audiences. Previously, he served as the Director of Communications where he led efforts around new vehicle launches, product lifecycle, and regional operations. In this episode, Amanda sits down with Brian to discuss transforming work culture, crafting an equitable employee experience, and how internal and external communications can flow together.-------------------“Once you get people moving with you, they will work, they will get things done side by side. When you see things that work, keep leaning into it, keep using that, keep trying to use that to motivate people. The other thing is it's very easy to get caught up in the challenges that are there, the little setbacks. Things that happen that don't go as well as you plan. Recognize that. Celebrate failures for what they are. And when you do acknowledge it, learn from it, and then move forward, and then celebrate your wins. Celebrate what you learn and use that to rally people. Use that for recognition. While you're doing this transformation, don't lose track of having a culture of recognition and understanding that it's people that are going to drive the success. It's people who are going to drive the transformation.” – Brian Brockman-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:12): Brian explains Nissan Next *(10:19): Segment: Story Time*(12:21): How Brian makes internal and external communications work together *(16:06): Segment: Getting Tactical*(16:26): How to successfully transform culture *(25:25): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(28:20): How to get skeptics to buy-in on culture transformation-------------------Links:Connect with Brian on LinkedInCheck out Nissan's Media SiteConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Preston Lewis, Founder and CEO of Intactic, a modern communications company focused on creating human-centric experiences for people at work. Over the last 20 years, Preston has partnered with respected companies to develop and implement communication and behavior change campaigns. He is a sought after employee engagement, internal communications, and enterprise transformation expert and can often be found speaking about the future of work.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Preston to discuss the modern employee experience, investing in technology and upskilling teams, and how to create a human-centric work experience.-------------------“We think of [employee experience technology] as a three-legged stool. And of those legs, there's one typically owned by IT, there's another typically owned by People or the HR function. And then a third, we can frame it as Communication, sometimes we frame it as Change. What we do know to be true is that if any of those legs are a little bit shorter than any of the others, that seat isn't flat. And that seat is where employees sit. We as employees are customers, if you will, for using that technology. When we think about employee experience, that's a nice visual we like to have. Not only in terms of one leg being shorter, but if one doesn't exist, then we can't do the right work the right way. What we've seen is organizations that subscribe to a modern employee experience philosophy, it just makes sense. There is a role for different functions to have and we're constantly tuning into which of those legs is as effective as it needs to be to balance out that experience for people.” – Preston Lewis-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:33): Preston explains the modern employee experience*(11:35): Segment: Story Time*(12:19): How Intactic is creating a human-centric experience at work *(19:54): Segment: Getting Tactical*(24:57): Key partnerships of employee experience technology *(31:15): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(36:18): AI use cases in employee experience*(42:21): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(42:36): What internal comms technology will look like in the future-------------------Links:Connect with Preston on LinkedInLearn more about IntacticListen to TechVerified podcastListen to New State of Work podcastConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Julia Christenson, U.S. Employee Experience Chair at Edelman. Julia has over 15 years of experience helping clients design employee engagement programs to drive stability and connection. She has developed employee sentiment dashboards, manager trainings, go-to-market message plans, and culture roadmaps. Prior to joining Edelman, Julia led the People Advisory Services at EY and organizational change management at IBM.In this episode, Amanda and Julia discuss the sticky factor of employee experience, the power of employee recognition, and how to establish trust in difficult times.-------------------“I think one of the other things is when there's just a lack of communications until all decisions are final. Bring us to the seat at the table, even if you don't know the decision yet. Even if you don't know if we're going to switch our benefits or IT platforms, or if we don't know how the branding's going to change, bring us in and have it be a part of the discussion. I do think where it's challenging is where there is just a vacuum until all decisions are final. Without communications, that's where rumors start, misinformation, distrust is because we don't understand what's being decided or even what the process looks like.” – Julia Christenson-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:21): How Julia defines employee experience *(09:30): Segment: Story Time*(14:19): Julia dives into the Edelman Trust Barometer *(20:08): Segment: Getting Tactical*(20:55): Why employee recognition is important*(28:20): How leaders can establish transparency during difficult times*(35:44): How to rebuild trust after a layoff*(44:49): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Julia on LinkedInCheck out the 2023 Edelman Trust BarometerConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Rajamma Krishnamurthy, Senior Director and Leader of Enterprise AI Strategy at Microsoft. Rajamma has over two decades of experience empowering human resources through technology at Fortune 100 companies. She has led large scale digital transformations and has managed teams across the globe.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Rajamma to discuss enabling HR through AI, tackling biases, and improving the employee lifecycle with AI.-------------------“Think of AI as your caddie that's going to walk in with all of your golf clubs. They will even tell you which iron to take out and hit the golf ball with. But, you are the one that needs to decide which iron and where, how fast and how big you hit, and you need to make that hole in one. AI is going to be of tremendous help in all the burdensome aspects of your work. But, you have to take whatever AI gives, you have to judge it and you have to make a good judgment call based on that. And you have to then implement it in your area. I feel like there will always be humans in the middle of everything that we do.” – Rajamma Krishnamurthy-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:09): Rajamma explains her new role at Microsoft*(04:04): Segment: Story Time*(06:43): Segment: Getting Tactical*(07:03): How AI enables the HR space*(13:09): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(13:35): Rajamma's stance on AI taking away jobs*(17:07): How to deal with biases in AI*(24:39): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(27:03): How employees feel about AI in HR-------------------Links:Data & SocietyAI Now InstitutePartnership on AIData & Trust AllianceDownload the Algorithmic Bias Safeguards for WorkforceConnect with Rajamma on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Ann Melinger, CEO and Owner of Brilliant Ink, an agency dedicated to designing meaningful employee experiences. Ann has spent the last two decades counseling organizations on improving business results and employee engagement. In this episode, Amanda and Ann discuss refreshing company values, engaging with hands-on employees, and how language factors into inclusivity.-------------------“Typically, we see companies refresh their values every five to 10 years. But, what we really encourage is that companies should revisit their values, intentionally, at least once a year. Sit back, take a look at them, ask yourselves, ‘Does this value represent where we are today? Does this value highlight what makes us different? Is it something that we do better than most other companies out there? Is it something that we expect people to demonstrate the moment that they walk in the door?' And if the answer to any of those questions is, ‘No', then it's probably time to think about a refresh.” – Ann Melinger-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:33): Why keeping company values fresh is important  *(14:12): Segment: Story Time*(20:10): Segment: Getting Tactical*(24:55): Why hands-on employees are at higher risk for burnout*(31:15): How language factors into inclusivity*(38:40): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Visit Brilliant InkConnect with Ann on LinkedInFollow Brilliant Ink on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Nell Derick Debevoise, Founder of 3D Performance. She has spent her career helping purpose-driven leaders expand their impact, grow their businesses, and build powerful legacies. Nell is also a Partner at PurposeFused, author of Going First, and a Senior Contributor for Forbes.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Nell to discuss purposeful leadership, implementing a growth mindset, and the Me, We, and World dimensions of employee experience.-------------------“There has to be a willingness and investment in self-awareness and reflection as a starting block. But without the leader and a leadership team and eventually all of your managers, all of your people managers, having the support and the expectation to do that self-reflection and self-awareness, to really get clear and honest about what they care about and what they're good at, it's just not going to stick. Without doing that individual change from the top and all the way down and through, there is no organizational change.” – Nell Derick Debevoise-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:41): Nell explains the Me, We, and World dimensions of employee experience*(13:44): How leaders can speak up without alienating employees*(21:59): Segment: Story Time*(22:16): Nell explains PurposeFused, Purposeful Growth Institute, and Inspiring Cowgirl (now known as 3D Performance)*(31:08): Nell gives a preview of her book Going First*(37:55): Segment: Getting Tactical*(39:36): Nell explains what a growth mindset is *(44:41): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(45:20): Responsibilities of leaders when handling layoffs*(54:36): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(54:51): Mistakes HR makes in personal and career development-------------------Links:Visit Nell's WebsiteConnect with Nell on LinkedInLearn more about Going FirstHow Your Organization Can Navigate Layoffs With HumanityInvesting in middle managers pays off—literallyTopgrading Interview Guide: How to Evaluate TalentConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Marla J. Albertie, Owner and Founder of Truth Speaks Group, a multimedia coaching company that helps women create strategies for work-life integration. She is also the Founder and President of I/O for Teens, a program that teaches adolescents transferable life and career skills. Marla is a certified life, career, and executive coach and has authored several books on work-life harmony.In this episode, Amanda and Marla discuss why cultural fit is a myth, how to brag about yourself, and what we're getting wrong about DE&I.-------------------“The reason I call myself the work-life harmonizer is because there's no such thing as balance. You're never going to be perfect. You've got to learn to harmonize. I say you have to integrate work and life because guess what? It is your life. Work is a part of your life. It is not separate. It is a part of what you do. You're a human being. Let's start there. Then we can talk about being a spouse, parent, mother, all those roles come later. You've got to first realize you're a human being.” – Marla J. Albertie-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:14): Marla dives into her book The Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself*(12:38): Segment: Story Time*(19:21): Marla explains Truth Speaks Group and I/O for Teens*(29:42): Segment: Getting Tactical*(34:06): Why DE&I progress has slowed down and how to solve it*(48:20): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(48:37): Marla's opinion on returning to work for the sake of culture *(54:47): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Marla on LinkedInVisit Truth Speaks GroupFollow Truth Speaks Group on InstagramVisit I/O for TeensFollow I/O for Teens on InstagramSubscribe to I/O for Teens on YouTubeRead Marla's booksEmail MarlaConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Tan Le, Founder and CEO of EMOTIV. Tan is an innovator, entrepreneur, speaker, and award-winning industry leader. Founded in 2011, EMOTIV is a bioinformatics company that uses electroencephalography (EEG) to better understand the human brain and accelerate brain research globally. EMOTIV's braintech is cited by more than 19,000 research papers, representing breakthroughs in research for a range of diseases, brain impairments, and educational modalities.In this episode, Amanda and Tan discuss using science to improve employee experience, personalizing wellbeing, and the cost of task switching.-------------------“The nice thing about technology like this is that you don't have that single moment bias that's skewed towards the moment in which you were surveyed. You actually get to see the ebb and flow of a person's emotion, their cognitive state throughout an entirety of a week or whenever you are actually using the technology. This takes away that bias that intrinsically happens with surveys and you really start to understand different types of work, different types of environments, different types of tasks, and its effect on your brain.” – Tan Le-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:44): Tan explains EMOTIV *(11:52): Segment: Story Time*(15:11): Tan's background *(17:51): Segment: Getting Tactical*(18:18): What data and science can tell us that employee surveys can't*(31:06): The cost of task switching*(34:42): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(37:48): Tan's advice for implementing EEGs-------------------Links:Connect with Tan on LinkedInLearn more about EMOTIVAlzheimer's and Dementia StudyBCI4Kids ProgramWatch @brainpaintbyjohn paint while wearing EMOTIV's EPOC headsetConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Carolyn Clark and Shaun Randol. Carolyn is the VP of Employee Experience Strategy and Transformation at Simpplr, where she elevates the employee experience by driving innovation and revitalizing how employee communication is delivered. Prior to Simpplr, she led internal and HR communication at companies like Yahoo, Pandora, and GoDaddy. Shaun is the Editor-in-Chief of Digital Publications at Lam Research and the Founder of Mister Editorial, a mixternal communications newsletter. Previously, he spent 13 years leading communications at Bloomberg, BlackRock, and Splunk.In this episode, Amanda, Carolyn, and Shaun take on the vast world of AI. They discuss how they use tools like ChatGPT in their everyday lives, the role AI plays in internal communications, and security and ethics concerns in this new landscape.-------------------“I don't think AI will replace you, but somebody using AI will. I also think that the number of jobs in our industry, there will be fewer because one person can do more using these technologies. Or maybe it's the same amount of jobs and people's time is spent more on thoughtful strategic work. Rather than rote, repetitive, junior-level material.” – Shaun Randol-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(06:47): The role AI will play in internal communications*(19:09): Segment: Story Time*(26:40): Segment: Getting Tactical*(27:13): How AI has already improved internal comms and HR*(39:49): The dangers and fears of AI*(01:02:23): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(01:02:41): AI security and ethics resources-------------------Links:Connect with Carolyn on LinkedInVisit Carolyn's websiteVisit Simpplr's blogConnect with Shaun on LinkedInVisit Mister EditorialFollow Sam Altman, Founder of OpenAIRead IBM's AI Ethics GuideVisit Anthropic for more on AI ethicsConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Lexi Clarke, Chief People Officer at Payscale, a leading provider of compensation data, software and services. Lexi leads the company's internal HR strategies for over 600 employees around the world. With over 14 years of experience at companies like Convoy, Redfin, and Boeing, she is an expert in people-first HR leadership, workforce growth strategy, and compensation best practices.  In this episode, Amanda sits down with Lexi to discuss pay transparency, measuring your worth as an employee, and discussing salary in the interview process.-------------------“I think overall, we're starting to see that pay transparency and just transparency in general has been shown to have a positive impact on job satisfaction, on engagement, on overall productivity. And I think that's tied to an inherent trust. When you're a little bit more transparent, there's more trust built with your employees and within the organization. It's so powerful. I just think it is such a powerful concept.” – Lexi Clarke-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:18): The trend of talking openly about salaries*(07:47): How Payscale is helping the shift towards pay transparency *(15:08): Segment: Story Time*(15:37): How to talk about salary in an interview*(20:51): Segment: Getting Tactical*(27:20): How to measure your worth as an employee*(33:23): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(35:49): What Lexi thinks of “quiet quitting”*(40:17): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Lexi on LinkedInVisit PayscaleFollow Payscale on TwitterConnect with Payscale on LinkedInPayscale Retention ReportConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Ephraim “Phrai” Freed, Customer Growth Manager of Reality Labs at Meta. Phrai helps growing companies create impactful experiences through community, productivity, and performance while enriching the lives of employees. His digital strategist and communications expertise has been shaped at companies like Magic Leap and Riot Games.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Phrai to discuss AI's impact on internal communications, the value of cross-functional relationships, and why an equitable employee experience is critical.-------------------“You should be spending time in your stores, in the back room, watching people work, observing what they do, how they do it, seeing the problems they face, seeing how they get the information they get. You should understand in great detail how those people work. Step one is for communicators, IT people, executives to actually be there in the field, in the situations and context of these hands-on workers and observing them so that they can build empathy, build insights, and destroy any assumptions that they have about what those people's lives are actually like.” – Ephraim Freed-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:13): Why Ephraim thinks the employee experience is broken*(05:25): Ephraim's career journey *(06:50): Segment: Story Time*(13:07): Segment: Getting Tactical*(18:03): Creating an equitable employee experience for hands-on and on-screen workers*(32:02): Segment: Seat at the Table*(32:36): How cross-functional relationships improve employee experience *(37:09): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(37:23): The rollercoaster of AI-------------------Links:Connect with Ephraim on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Pratiksha Patel, Chief People Officer at Branch. Pratiksha has more than two decades of experience driving employee engagement in hybrid, office-based, and remote cultures. Prior to Branch, she served as the Senior Vice President of People at CB Insights and as a Talent Expert at McKinsey & Company.In this episode, Amanda and Pratiksha discuss meeting workers' expectations, inclusivity, and upskilling employees.-------------------“To create conditions where a highly diverse company and team works well together, can bring all of their ideas, bring the varied perspective that we so desperately want everyone to bring, takes a special environment. Takes an intentionality around saying, ‘We want to create an environment where you bring your perspectives and you bring your differences in, you don't just suppress them and leave them at home.' Some of the ways we do that is we provide a guide and a micro training on the notion of day-to-day conversations and how to enable Branchers and help them know that we want them to have inclusive conversations with their colleagues about differences. As well as giving them tools on how to share stories on more sensitive topics like social or political challenges in our environment that are around us.” – Pratiksha Patel-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:53): Pratiksha's background*(03:44): Segment: Story Time*(06:20): How Branch is intentional about employee experience*(09:24): Segment: Getting Tactical*(18:04): How inclusivity helps with career development *(21:41): How Branch ensures employees have a good work-life blend *(26:00): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Pratiksha on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Barbara Massa, board member of Simpplr. Barbara has over 25 years of experience as a business operations leader driving workforce strategy and organizational effectiveness. Previously, she served Mandiant as the Executive Vice President and Chief of Business Operations, where she implemented the company's first global HR system. Before joining Mandiant, Barbara led Talent & Diversity at McAfee, Inc. and was recognized for establishing a global talent management organization.In this episode, Amanda sits down with Barbara to discuss leading through turbulent times, advising companies to be more human, and thoughtfully aligning internal partnerships.-------------------“When you do get into having to make these difficult decisions, whether it be a reduction in a layoff or something else, that's a hard place to be. But the only way you can establish a reservoir of trust is with that authentic communication, humane engagement. Go into conversations with empathy, go into conversations seeking to learn and understand. That's where the goodness can happen even in times of duress and turbulence.” – Barbara Massa-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:02): Barbara's background*(13:32): Segment: Story Time*(21:00): Segment: Getting Tactical*(22:01): How Barbara meets desires in turbulent times*(25:40): How leaders should incorporate transparency into strategies*(31:39): Segment: Seat at the Table*(36:56): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(41:20): Barbara discusses recipe versus balance-------------------Links:Connect with Barbara on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Katherine King, Director of Employee Communications at Etsy. She has been with the global ecommerce company since 2018, serving the internal communications function through Etsy's massive growth. Previously, Katherine was a dialogue strategist where she developed brands' customer-facing tone of voice for clients like American Express, Gerber, and Southwest Airlines.In this episode, Amanda and Katherine discuss the spectrum of tone and voice, key business relationships that improve employee communications, and helping leaders develop empathetic messages.-------------------“A reliable tone breeds familiarity, and familiarity is the precursor to trust. The more that we can breed familiarity with leadership and their authentic voice, the greater trust the team will have and the better the business will be. And I know that that seems like a big jump, but there is actual data backing up how trust impacts your business' bottom line, and its employees' trust in their employer. And that's everything from NPS to retention and engagement – these are all things that do affect your bottom line.” – Katherine King-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:17): Katherine's background*(06:31): Segment: Story Time*(11:29): Segment: Getting Tactical*(12:02): Key relationships that help employee comms*(21:18): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(21:46): How Katherine helps leaders build empathy and compassion*(25:23): Why tone of voice matters*(28:01): Katherine explains the spectrum of tone and voice*(38:17): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Katherine on LinkedInEdelman Trust BarometerConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Will Leahy, VP of People Development and Business Partners at Greenhouse; and Layla Kajer, Director of People Experience at Greenhouse. Will leads people development, focusing on optimizing performance, career growth, and driving culture. Layla spearheads people experience where she creates productive, connected, and empowering work environments for employees. In this episode, Amanda sits down with Will and Layla as they dive into psychological safety, vulnerability, and leading by example.-------------------“The power of vulnerability is limitless and it takes bravery and it takes courage. [...] That vulnerability from a leader actually creates a space where someone else is going to model that behavior. That is the cornerstone, in my opinion, of psychological safety is vulnerability. And that can launch into all kinds of other good things and relationship building and team norms and all that good stuff. But it just starts with being human, in my opinion.” – Will Leahy-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:09): Will and Layla's backgrounds*(07:40): Will and Layla explain the mission of Greenhouse*(09:38): Segment: Story Time*(10:11): The importance of psychological safety in the workplace*(22:57): The impact of layoffs on psychological safety*(25:28): Segment: Getting Tactical*(29:32): How Greenhouse is ensuring behaviors are mirrored by leaders and employees*(40:25): How Greenhouse is tackling DE&I*(47:30): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Will on LinkedInConnect with Layla on LinkedInGreenhouse's Inclusive Communications GuidelinesConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Laila Tarraf, author of Strong Like Water. After losing her parents and husband, Laila learned that compassion was essential in her personal and professional life. Prior to writing her book, Laila served as the Chief People Officer for Allbirds and Peet's Coffee, and was the Vice President of HR for Walmart.com. In this episode, Amanda sits down with Laila to discuss leading with love, harmony between company values and felt experience, and psychological safety.-------------------“It matters more that what your stated values are mirror the felt experience, than what those stated values are. There's a cognitive culture, which is what you say your values are and the stated words. And then there's the emotional culture. It's like, ‘Okay, but how does it feel? How are people talking to me? How are we relating to each other?' And the greater the dissonance between those two things, that's where you run into issues because then, employees are like, ‘Well, we say it's this, but what I'm seeing is this.' And that's where trust breaks down. And so it actually hurts you to have these beautifully well-articulated values and the accouterments that come with whatever you think employees are looking for; free lunches or workout rooms, but you're not able to talk to your manager. You're not clear on what your role is. Conflict is swept under the rug, So, it becomes passive aggressive. It's all of those things. It's your felt experience really, that is the true culture and the other things become like window washing and that actually ends up hurting you because then you lose the trust.” – Laila Tarraf-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:52): Laila's background*(05:58): Segment: Story Time*(06:14): Laila discusses her book Strong Like Water*(17:17): Laila's advice for leading with courage and love*(27:49): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(28:29): Skills leaders need to have to guide employees through challenging times*(31:24): Segment: Asking For a Friend*(31:49): What future changes in leadership Laila expects-------------------Links:Visit Laila's WebsiteFollow Laila on InstagramConnect with Laila on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Hannah Bolte, Director of Marketing and Communications at Lozier Corporation. Starting as a print and television reporter, Hannah uses her journalism expertise to craft internal, external, and crisis communications strategies and content.In this episode, Amanda and Hannah discuss Lozier's mobile-first employee experience platform, reaching deskless workers, and intentional communications.-------------------"The bulk of our employees work in a manufacturing facility. They don't have email access and their jobs are in the plant, it's not sitting at a desk. We approached the intranet in finding an intranet that would work for us with a sense of, ‘We can't reach those employees right now,' aside from all those things that you said, like a flier in the break room, providing information to supervisors to say at startup meetings. But, how do you engage them beyond their day-to-day? How do you make them feel like they're part of something bigger? How do you make them realize their impact on the company, on the community? So, mobile-first was a non-negotiable thing for us. We had to make sure that it was accessible by all of our employees at any point in time." – Hannah Bolte-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:47): Hannah's background*(08:09): Segment: Story Time*(09:13): Why Lozier created a mobile-first employee experience platform*(11:58): Segment: Getting Tactical*(12:27): Hannah explains the ins and outs of LozierLink*(29:30): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(32:49): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Hannah on LinkedInConnect with Lozier Corporation on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features highlights of past guests as they open up their playbooks and give advice on employee feedback, building culture through technology, getting a seat at the table, and measuring ROI.In this episode, you'll hear from the following internal communications leaders:Parag Kulkarni, CTO at SimpplrNatalie Ridsdale, Director of Internal Communications at Levi Strauss & CoMichelle Press, Director of Corporate Communications at Envoy SolutionsRajamma Krishnamurthy, Senior Director of HR Technology at MicrosoftWendy Pfeiffer, CIO at NutanixChase Warrington, Head of Remote at DoistKristin Hancock, VP of Community & Engagement at ICologyBeth Collier, Founder of Beth Collier ConsultingVictoria Dew, CEO of Dewpoint CommunicationsTina Hawkins, Senior Director of Internal Communications at NBAParalee Johnson, Senior Manager of Community & Content at SimpplrDebbie Gunning, VP of People at Human InterestBen Matthews, Senior Director of Internal Communications at NVIDIAMary Poppen, Chief Strategy & Customer Officer at involve.aiJason Anthoine, Managing Founder at AudacityPinaki Kathiari, CEO & Owner of Local Wisdom-------------------“I like actually asking people, ‘What did you think? How could we have done better?' I want that feedback because your playbook can be your playbook, but it needs to be somewhat flexible to understand what is hitting and what is missing in terms of the communications. I think getting that feedback is important as a communicator.” – Michelle Press“You're going to see a continued move towards more distribution, more flexibility in the workspace, more control over how you control your workday. Not just where you work, but when you work. As you embrace more asynchronous communication and a focus on outputs and documentation and things like this, sort of the core principles of remote work, you find that it's very easy to make the next leap, which is to something called the non-linear workday. Where you're basically able to choose when you work, not just where you work. And as long as you're delivering, then you're accepted as having done your work well.” – Chase Warrington“For a long time, we've talked about having a seat at the table. And sometimes I think, especially for communications, it's just like, be the table. You be the table. And then you have people come to your table. Stop waiting to get a seat at other people's table. You form the strategic imperative and have people come work in that way with you.” – Victoria Dew“The best piece of advice that I can give somebody just starting out in their career is remembering grace for yourself. I think it's really, really important. To what we spoke about earlier, about beating ourselves up and that pressure to get it right every time. If you can learn to give yourself grace and move on and learn from that, you will find yourself a whole lot happier in this field and able to contribute the awesomeness that you bring and the skillsets and the important value that's needed.” – Paralee Johnson“I think what's important about ROI is that comms does need to take accountability for making business changes. And in order to take accountability for it, we just need to know what that is. [...] I think the key metrics will always net out to, ‘Did we produce the outcome that we wanted? What are we going after? Are we trying to reduce turnover? Are we trying to increase productivity? Are we trying to reduce injury in the workplace? Are we trying to increase employee satisfaction?' Things like that, we want to really hook ourselves onto. And we really need to understand if we do do this, how do we know that we're making a difference? It's important to be able to know that. And it's important to be able to decide how many of these things we're going to tackle within a given period of time. So, the outcome should always be measurable.” – Pinaki Kathiari-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:16): Parag, Natalie, and Michelle discuss using surveys to collect employee feedback*(02:30): Rajamma, Wendy, and Chase discuss building culture through technology*(05:20): Kristin, Beth, Victoria, and Tina discuss getting a seat at the table*(08:08): Paralee and Debbie share internal communications career advice*(09:19): Ben, Mary, Jason, and Pinkai discuss measuring ROI-------------------Links:Connect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Chase Warrington, Head of Remote at Doist, a leading remote-first company. Having worked remotely since 2009, Chase has managed teams across all timezones and is passionate about the future of work. He has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice for Remote Work, a Global Top 50 Remote Enabler by Remote.com, and is a frequent contributor to the world's top remote-work outlets such as Forbes, BBC, and AP.In this episode, Amanda and Chase dive into remote work; discussing challenges, experience, and what companies get wrong.-------------------“What I would love to see those same leaders do though, is to stop saying you can't build team culture in a remote environment, or you can't collaborate, or we can't do good brainstorming sessions, or have good relationships with our employees, or mentor our team because that is not true. And you're seeing it being done at scale now. Companies with tens of thousands of employees going remote. We're a team of 100 and in 35 different countries, and at one time, we were seen to be one of the big ones that were doing fully remote work. And so, it is being done. And I do think those companies will continue to see an exodus of talent if they don't invest in at least trying to make it work on some level.” – Chase Warrington-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:13): Chase's background*(06:20): Segment: Story Time*(09:43): Chase explains the nuances of remote work*(17:53): Segment: Getting Tactical*(18:17): Problems that Chase is solving in remote work*(22:18): Things companies get wrong about remote work*(27:46): Breaking remote experience into subsets*(30:02): Segment: Ripped From The Headlines*(30:22): Chase's thoughts on back to office mandates*(33:05): Segment: Asking For a Friend-------------------Links:Connect with Chase on LinkedInDo You Need a Head of Remote? White PaperFollow Chase on TwitterThe Async Newsletter by TwistConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast

This episode features an interview with Pinaki Kathiari, CEO and owner of Local Wisdom, a digital communications agency. Pinaki's experience spans two decades serving global Fortune companies, startups, and multi-industry agencies. He's also the co-founder of Resource Hero, Vice President of Professional Development for the IABC Tristate Area Chapter, and a Business Mentor for WOMEN Unlimited, Inc. In this episode, Amanda sits down with Pinaki to discuss his communications team maturity model, the ROI of employee recognition, and the value of a digital communications presence.-------------------“If people don't know how they're actually, or really making a difference, then they kind of lose sight of why they're here. So we all do that. It feels like being in a conversation with two other people who are speaking another language. Kind of like, ‘why am I here and how am I even contributing?' [...] I think leaders want to quantify investment into recognition systems and programs. And that I get, because that takes some funds and investment and planning. But I also think that recognition doesn't have to take a large investment. Like I said, simply adding a topic to your leader's speaking points; it's the littlest thing you could do that doesn't cost really anything. Because at the end of the day, we work better as friends and friends show appreciation to each other.” – Pinaki Kathiari-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:12): Pinaki's career journey*(10:02): Segment: Story Time*(10:58): How Pinaki quantifies the ROI of employee recognition*(17:16): How leaders can institute employee recognition*(22:41): Segment: Getting Tactical*(23:07): Pinaki explains his communications team maturity model*(29:37): Must-haves for a good internal comms team*(34:15): Metrics internal communicators can use to show ROI*(38:40): Changes to the communications team maturity model-------------------Links:Connect with Pinaki on LinkedInFollow Pinaki on InstagramFollow Pinaki on TwitterLocal WisdomConnect with Amanda on LinkedInwww.simpplr.com/podcast