Dear Workplace

After interviewing innovators from across the world in countless industries and in countless roles, one thing stuck out - we all have the power to design the life we want. It takes courage, intentionality, and trial and error but it's so key to have that protagonist mindset. And again, thank you so much again for joining us on this journey together. So are you ready for it? Here let's dive into the key insights from our guests from Season 2!  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

In these past years, while some of us were furloughed or let go, many others have also transitioned, got promoted, or resigned to start their dream jobs. In this episode, I want to dive deeper into the stories of people who have created their own jobs and opportunities both in organizations, and outside on their own, to see what we can learn as we continue to build our own careers and growth opportunities. I sat down with two friends - Ellie Kim and Youngmoo Kim - who carved their own path professionally and explored what challenges and “aha” moments they encountered, as well as what made them do what they did. Their stories and insights are valuable whether you're looking to start a new career, build a new opportunity where you are, or even want to build something of your own on the side! Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Designing for inclusion - whether it's technology, a workflow, a product - is incredibly important as we move into the new normal of working. Creating a workplace for all is not an overnight journey, which is why constant care and development is there, but so is our workflow. In this episode, I dive deeper into the aspects of inclusive design with inclusivity experts Richard Reiman and Margaret Park. How do we design a workplace for all in what we create, how we serve, and what we do each day? Well, it doesn't happen overnight, but doing so will help you attract incredible customers, team members, and more that could've been overlooked.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here. Below are some helpful resources in your journey of inclusive design: Inclusive Design Toolkit  Video: RSA Short: Empathy  Rethinking Inclusive Design Beyond Technology  Disability Inclusion In the Digital Workspace, An Actionable Guide Imagination Video Books

Did you get a full night's rest last night? Are you eating well? When was the last time you took a true break away from your work? As we reach the end of the year and two years of working in the pandemic, these questions on wellbeing at the workplace are becoming even more important and timely. But it's one thing to know about how we take care of ourselves, it's another to think about our team. Our team has multiple people with different feelings, interests, communication styles, and needs. Where do you start with how you support them? How do we know what will work well? In this episode, I asked key leaders, Jacqueline Leeker and Bonnie Kim, how they take care of themselves and their team. And they reminded me how important the intention is, and gave some incredible, actionable tips on how to do better for ourselves and our team.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here. Some Resources: https://blog.innovatorsbox.com/rethink-series/ https://blog.innovatorsbox.com/how-to-get-deep-sleep-and-recharge-as-an-innovator/

No matter where you work, learning how to manage your time, projects, and workflows is such a key skill. I often attributed my early success in my business, InnovatorsBox, to having strong project management skills. And no, I'm not just talking about the PMP - project management professional certifications - as a way to manage projects. And yes, organization and project management skills are crucial even as an executive - probably even more so as an executive. In today's episode, I am not speaking with all certified project managers, but rather with a group of friends who have developed their own strategies around learning how to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities effectively - Meet Saleema Vellani, Dr. Bob Nelson, and Jerry Won.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Imagine a good leader. What do you think of? Has that changed over time? For me growing up, it was the person who was the loudest, tallest, boldest, and oftentimes the most “masculine.” But this view of leadership is changing, and it's changing for the better. What does good leadership look like now? What is working and what isn't working in leadership culture? And how can anyone work towards being a better leader? In this episode I chat with Zina B. Sutch Ph.D and Patrick Malone Ph.D together about their research into leadership development and how it is changing for the better of ourselves and our employees. I also got a chance to talk with Phil Jung, who manages hundreds of employees, about how being a leader can take on several forms. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Are you happy? How often are you genuinely happy at work? What makes us really happy at work and why is understanding the science of happiness at work important for us as individuals and for organizations? Turns out not a lot of people can't quite put their finger on what happiness is, but it's because it's different for everyone. And research shows that happiness is not only great for team wellbeing, but leads to higher company success. In this episode I talk to Dr. Kathryn Owler and Amani Roberts about their journey to workplace happiness, but how you can harness happiness for yourself. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Hybrid connection is the name of the game lately. As I start to attend my first in-person friends' gathering and speaking events in two years, I'm having butterflies. While I love the ease that remote experiences have to offer, I do miss in-person connection. Hybrid and remote are here to stay so how do we use this time to really rethink about how we connect and share experiences together in a more meaningful way? In this episode, I speak with Amanda Ma and Mo Hamizan who are experts in connection to discuss how we can rethink hybrid events.  Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

Authenticity at work - We want to be our 100% true selves but we also want to respectfully blend in and hear how this room and community work and engage before we do so. What's the right balance of being respectful to the environment versus feeling like I can't show who I am because of the environment? In this episode, we want to navigate these questions as we think about how we bring our full selves to work. Meet Mike Canter and Kristina Francis who share incredible insight into authenticity at work from both a leadership and team member perspective. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

People have said it! Enough is enough! We want to work at a workplace where we feel heard, appreciated, and understood. But why do we really leave or stay in jobs? What can both leaders and team members learn from these experiences? In this episode, I invited a few leaders and friends to get to the root of why they decided to stay in jobs despite challenges and why they left other jobs despite loving them. Thank you for your support in Season 1! Learn more about Colleen Beres, Marina Illari, Julian Saipe, and Cydni Burnett. Subscribe today. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Find summary notes here.

It's been 2 years since the pandemic started. How are you really doing? What do you do if you are tired of all the changes? In the next few weeks, we'll dive deep into how the way we work, lead, and collaborate is changing. And we'll explore what we can do better to navigate these changes as innovators. I am so thrilled to once again welcome you back to Dear Workplace, Season 2. Subscribe today to get the latest updates when we drop another episode about a workplace trend, challenge, or change. Dear Workplace is hosted by Monica H. Kang at InnovatorsBox. Learn more about our podcast at dearworkplace.com. Don't have time to listen? Review the summary notes of all our episodes here.

What helps people thrive at work no matter where they are? In today's special bonus episode, we reflect on all our 90+ interviews in Season 1 to compile a collection of advice for you. How can you find the courage to be your best self in this complex, stressful world? You start one day at a time. Watch the full video at our InnovatorsBox YouTube channel.

What are some questions about the future of work we should be asking more? In this episode, we discuss whether we should plan for the future or not, and why thinking about these questions matter. Thank you for your support in Season 1! Learn more about us at dearworkplace.com and join InnovatorsBox's monthly newsletter here. We'll be back again with another season in October. Stay tuned!

The hunger for productivity and efficiency is always there in business, as time and resources feel finite. Yet, some people seem to always do more with less. How do they do it? In this episode, I speak with four friends who always do a lot, but with ease. How can we rethink optimization, agility and innovation? From marathon to 12-minute flow hacks, you'll want to try a few things after this episode. Thank you to Kendall Ratliffe, Samson Williams, Namju Cho, and David Ricciardi for sharing your stories with us. Learn more about us at dearworkplace.com. Sign up to InnovatorsBox's monthly newsletter here.

We're all asking more questions these days. Should we stay remote? Should we scale now? We speak about how there is no such thing as a stupid question, but are there at least some good questions we should be asking more? In this episode, we talked to three friends to learn about how we can ask better questions. Thanks to Joo-Seuk Maing, Cassandra Lane, and Daniel Friedman for sharing your insights with us. Learn more about us at dearworkplace.com.

The pandemic accelerated the need for reskilling in the workplace, but what skills are really important for us and how do we determine that? What are skills that robots won't take away from us? In today's episode, I visited with eight friends to learn what skills they find important and why I encourage you to expand your learning of this too. Thanks to Kia Weatherspoon, Julie Sciullo, Kevin Felix Chan, Manal Kahi, Simon Shim, Jeff Harry, Laurel Mitchell, and Johnathan Chen for sharing your insights. Check out these conversations on reskilling our workforce and what the future skills will be by World Economic Forums, Mckinsey, and Harvard Business Review. Learn more about us at dearworkplace.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

In the wake of the ‘Great Resignation' where 95% of employees are thinking of quitting or changing their career, how can you build a workplace for all to feel appreciated? All generations want and need something different. How can you design a workplace that makes all five generations feel included? Today, we discuss and explore the nuances of what you can do differently to create a workplace for all. Join us as we speak with Brandi Nicole Johnson, Abraham Kim, Kelly Cunningham, Blair Glencorse, and Van Lai-DuMone. Learn more about our show at dearworkplace.com.  Thanks for your support in advance! You can vote for us at Podcast Awards here until July 31, 2021. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

Innovation is born out of trying something new. It's risky. It can be uncomfortable. And it can be rewarding. How do you find the courage to do something new and innovate something meaningful? In this episode, we study what creativity and innovation is, how innovators from business to academia find the courage to innovate in the workplace, and how you can do it too. Thanks to our guests Brian Gaab, Terri Broussard Williams, Nish Parikh, and Emily Rosado for sharing your insights with us. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.  Thanks for your support in advance! You can vote for us at Podcast Awards here until July 31, 2021. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

In our first bonus episode, we are excited to share our full interview with the Meta Team- the first and only national, certified women-owned commercial roofing company in the United States. Meta was founded by five women who provide over 250 years of combined expertise and experience in the roofing industry. But as you can imagine, their journey both into roofing and now leading roofing was not easy- as diversity and inclusion are still lacking. Here is our full interview Monica Kang had with the five co-founders Candace Klein, Erica Jackson, Alicia Michael, Sherri Miles, and Kelly Braddy Van Winkle. Visit the MetaTeam's website to learn more about their work. Learn more about us at dearworkplace.com. Watch the full video interview at our Youtube channel here. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

Who we surround ourselves with at work matters. Not just because we could get new jobs, business opportunities, or recognition but because they could lead to friendships, innovation, partnerships, and finding new meaning in how you thrive. In this episode we study how to build more meaningful relationships at work, when relationships continue to change at work. Thanks to our guests: Meg Ugenti, Leo Chan, Alice Hu, Derrin Slack, and Meta Team, for sharing your insights. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

If the way we work is changing so much, would how we lead change too? COVID has taught us a lot of new lessons and what we expect of leaders and how we lead has been impacted too. In this episode, we dive into what makes a good leader and how good leaders are made today and will be needed for the future workforce. Thank you, Brandi Nicole Johnson, Abraham Kim, Jadayah Spencer, Jennifer Shinkai, Monica Maglaris, and Blair Glencorse for your insights. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Join our newsletter from InnovatorsBox here.

How do you handle ambiguity and uncertainty? Change is inevitable yet getting comfortable with uncertainty takes practice. How can I get better with it and why does this matter as we think about the future of work? In this episode, we untangle why understanding how we feel about ambiguity may help us get comfortable with it. I spoke with some friends to learn more. Thank you to Sudebi Thakurata, Andrew Ngui, Alana Karen, and the Complexity Weekend Team (Daniel, JP, and Shaun) for sharing your insights. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

The importance of being authentic is limitless - it's liberating, truthful, and a key foundation of building trust. But showing up authentically at work is not always easy. How much sharing is oversharing? What makes certain workplaces emotionally safe or not? In this episode, we untangle what it means to be authentic, why it's hard, and what we can do differently to still show up authentically with courage. Hint: Self-reflection is a key element.  Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Learn more about our guests: Thank you, Dr. Stephanie Han, Probal Banerjee, Heather Murphy, and Eli Murphy for sharing your insights.

Where do you start? Yes, gender pay gaps, overlooked harassment incidents, or lack of representation across industries are all still crucial problems we should change. But it's also incredible to see more female youth programs, female entrepreneurs, and female leaders such as the U.S. Vice President. In this episode, we untangle the goods, bads, and unknown questions to reimagine how we can have a workplace that works for women too. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Thank you to Coonoor Behal, Alana Karen, Michelle Sttecase, Meg Ugenti, Cassandra Lane, and Natashia Deón for sharing your insights.

Let's be honest. All of us want to be successful - professionally, personally, and in everything we do. Yet it's worth wondering if what we define as success is the very barrier to us succeeding? In this episode, we'll study how we redefine success may open up new doors of possibilities and growth both at work and in life that we may not have foreseen. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Thank you to Coonoor Behal, Kevin Felix Chan, Ariana Gomez, Jeff Harry, and Luke Helder for sharing your insights.

A year of working from home forced us to ask some new questions about the purpose of a physical office - do we need it? and if so, what is the purpose of it if we can work from home? In this episode, we'll study how the purpose of the office space is changing and what will remain. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Thank you to Andrew Ngui, Kendall Ratliffe, Jan Wong, and Kia Weatherspoon for sharing your insights.  

Getting comfortable with uncertainty is hard. How can you get better at it when everything is always changing? Welcome to our Rethink series where Monica H. Kang shares bitesize power insights and actionable tips for innovators. In this first Rethink episode, she shares insights on how to rethink ambiguity by shifting the way you think and process information. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

Why does it feel so hard to create something we all want - an inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace? In this episode, we'll study the top challenges and opportunities associated with DEI, examine how we can build a workplace where everyone feels like they belong, and explore why all this is really important. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Learn more about our guests: Thank you, Corey Ponder, Daniel Parra, Heather Hiscox, Abadesi Osunsade, Van Lai-DuMone, and Anne T. Griffin for sharing your insights.

Why do you buy what you buy? The pandemic not only shifted us online, but it has also caused us to pay more attention, and care more, about who we buy from. The question is: Why are we caring more now? In this episode, we study how conscious consumers are impacting global supply chains, supplier diversity, sustainability, and society in a way we've never seen before. Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Learn more about our guests: Heather Cox and Denise Naguib. 

We've seen an increase in burnout since the pandemic and an increase in workplace happiness. How can we reimagine well-being at work? We spoke with Avani Parekh, Smiley Poswolsky, and Claire Kennedy to examine this contradiction. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.

It's been a year since the pandemic turned our lives upside down. Where are we now? How has this year changed the way we think about the normalcy of the workplace? Learn more at dearworkplace.com. Learn more about our guests: Jeanie Chang, Derrin Slack, Jennifer Shinkai, Heather Cox, Liz Whitehead, Diego Rhoger, Manal Kahi, Ivy Kwong, and Blair Glencorse.

Reimagine how you thrive at work by asking the questions you want to uncover. Subscribe now. Hosted by Monica H. Kang and InnovatorsBox. Learn more at dearworkplace.com.