HR Oxygen

What do WWII, AIDS, COVID, The Great Recession, and Operation Desert Storm have in common?  We all have a view of the events in the light of hindsight.  How accurate is this?  Listen to this week's episode to find out.

The long-awaited book review is here, but actually, I thought framing it around my personal journey would be more effective.  So if you ever wanted to know how I got started, this is the episode.  AND, I'll tell you why I recommend Martha Beck's Finding Your Own North Star.

It's a jungle in here! Are you working in the cubicle next to a slob? Or dealing with a boss that everyone, except senior management, knows is deranged? With bosses and coworkers like this, the workplace can be a jungle! Human Resources professionals and company owners beat their way and trek t chop a path through the compliance foliage and undergrowth on any given day. For all of you who suffer, know that you're not alone! In this episode we reconnect with our friend Norma Shirk to review her other book Psycho Bosses and Obnoxious Co-workers!  Take a ride through the funny side of workplaces. It's like a safari without the real animals just the ones in your office.

Companies fix things after they break or go wrong. In this episode, author and business owner Norma Shirk takes you on a journey through the often hilarious world of mishaps, where the best lessons come from other people's blunders. Things Go Wrong lets you laugh, learn, and steer clear of common pitfalls as you explore, along with Ms. Camila "Cam" Flowers, Norma's fictional assistant, the roller-coaster adventures of small business ownership - a true embodiment of the book's valuable insights and everyday mishaps. Don't wait for things to break or go wrong; be prepared, be entertained, and be inspired with "Things Go Wrong!"

Fun one for this week.  If you have a pet, what would they sound like if they could talk.  Our readers respond!

Have you thought of trying it again?  Listen in as listeners tell us their favorite activity and why.

The latest edition of the Burning Question. Enjoy!

Some thoughts on success in the New Year from Mack and a few listeners.

Join our listeners for another Burning Question!  Join the conversation at TheBossBuilders.com/INNERCIRCLE!

We are pleased to welcome back our friend Margi Bush!  Margi takes us on an enlightening journey into the therapeutic world of Forest Bathing where she introduces us and explores the art of immersing oneself in nature, discussing its myriad benefits for mental and physical well-being. Margi helps us discover the transformative power of connecting with the natural world and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.

Another one of our Burning Questions.  These are designed for self-reflection and increased self-awareness.  Plus I think it's kind of fun!

Our next burning question.  Our listeners gave their choices!

On this episode with our special guest Margi Bush, we explore the profound impact of Health and Well-Being Coaches on our lives. Margi, an expert in the field, guides us through the compelling reasons why having a coach is crucial for personal growth and vitality. From navigating lifestyle changes to fostering resilience, learn how these coaches provide invaluable support. Join us as we unravel the layers of well-being and discover practical insights that could redefine your approach to health. 

Here is another set of responses to our weekly INNER CIRCLE email BURNING QUESTIONS.  Are you following us? Go to TheBossBuilders.com/INNERCIRCLE!

Every October we solicit nominations for the Boss Builders Boss of the Year which cooincides with National Bosses Day in October.  This year's winner, Edwynna Freeman, was selected from 8 nominations.  By TWO individuals which has never happened before.  You will understand why when you hear this interview.  Be sure to share it with emerging leaders and anyone who wants to know what a great boss acts like!

This was a fun one.  From some icebreaker cards I have.  This is a great way to build rapport with people you don't know.  Ask a Burning Question!  

In this episode, we welcome  Beth Vosmeier as our special guest. Join us as Beth delves into the fascinating world of entrepreneurship and the transformative power of networking. Beth explains why taking the entrepreneurial plunge can be your ticket to a life of purpose and impact. She also imparts invaluable advice for budding business owners, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and resilience. Discover the secrets to effective networking as Beth shares her wisdom, emphasizing authenticity, relationship-building, and mutual support. This conversation that will empower you to unlock the potential of networking in your entrepreneurial journey.

Another episode of Burning Questions.  Which book has been the one that's changed your life.  Our readers respond!  We read them on this episode.  Join our INNER CIRCLE HERE!

The first of some solo episodes.  We have a "Burning Question" every week and our readers respond.  We read them here.  Join our INNER CIRCLE HERE!

Organizations often have core values.  They are the standards by which employees are expected to work within.  Individuals have personal values.  If those align with an organization's values, that's harmony.  But if not, then it's misery.  Do you know your personal values?  I thought I did, until I did a values exploration with our guest today, Rachel Mohr.  Rachel is the owner of Rachel Mohr Consulting.  In this episode, we discuss the importance of values and I'll share some of the insights I learned through my values exploration.  Listen to the very end as Rachel has a special offer for listeners.  I would encourage you to do this exploration!  

If you're an HR department of one, you know the stress and loneliness that can overwhelm you.  Fortunately, you're NOT alone. Our guest on this episode is Aidan Farrish.  Aidan is an HR Writer and Marketing Strategist at BerniePortal, a company dedicated to providing HR solutions for employers and individuals. The marketing team at Bernard Health develops premier human resources materials, like the BerniePortal blog posts, HR Party of One YouTube series, and BernieU continuing education courses.  Aidan talks us through some of the common challenges and shares important resources with us.    

Join us on this episode as Shane Bone, a skilled professional organizer, and Owner of Simple Steps Consulting as she shares her expertise in transforming chaotic spaces into efficient and harmonious environments. In this episode, she delves into the art of decluttering, providing practical tips and step-by-step guidance to help you regain control of your homes and workplaces. Discover the secrets to maximizing productivity, reducing stress, and achieving a sense of tranquility through organization. 

Language access is a civil right about which there is little understanding.  Fortunately, our guest today, Diana Sanchez-Vega is a leading voice in improving access. Diana is a twice nationally certified Spanish medical interpreter. She holds a Master of Arts in Psychological Studies, and a Bachelor's of Science in International Business. In addition to her native Spanish and near-native command of English, Diana is also versed in Portuguese and French. As the Owner of Sanchez-Vega Communications, Diana's skillset has developed over the last 30+ years to include training of bilingual individuals to maximize the value of their language skills, career coaching, and being an expert of thought- provoking subjects in speaking engagements. Diana excels at facilitating interpersonal bright connections, learning processes, and program development. Her focus is to empower others to have effective, accurate, and complete communications. 

Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast, where we delve into the fascinating world of instructional design with the incredible Stacie Randle. In this episode, Stacie takes us on an enlightening journey, sharing her expertise and insights on how to become an instructional designer.   As a renowned expert in the field, Stacie demystifies the role of an instructional designer, shedding light on the multifaceted responsibilities they undertake. She explains the crucial role instructional designers play in developing effective learning experiences and creating engaging educational materials.   During the conversation, Stacie emphasizes the importance of collaboration between instructional designers and subject matter experts. She provides practical advice on how instructional designers can work alongside subject matter experts to achieve success, emphasizing the power of synergy and shared knowledge.   With Stacie's wealth of knowledge and experience, listeners gain valuable insights into the intricacies of instructional design. Whether you're considering a career in instructional design or seeking to enhance your existing skills, this episode is a must-listen.   Tune in to this captivating discussion with Stacie Randle and discover the secrets to becoming a skilled instructional designer, the essence of the role, and the key ingredients for a fruitful collaboration between instructional designers and subject matter experts.

We try to celebrate HR every day, but international HR professionals have a dedicated day too.  Since it's in May, we decided to interview an international HR professional. I've known Helen Peng since the the mid-2000s.  Her international HR journey currently has her as CHRO and Communications Officer at Sun Life in Hong Kong.  Helen tells us about her journey and how she overcame challenges of learning new languages and cultures.  We discuss the "Bamboo Ceiling" and she gives us advice on how to navigate international travel as well.  It was great reconnecting with Helen and I know you'll enjoy this episode.

When we started this podcast, we wanted a blend between the informational and the inspirational.  Today's episode fits both.  Dorothy Enriquez is a member of the Ellevate Collective where her team provides leadership development.  She is also the author of Be Accountable & Be Fabulous.  Dorothy's journey is the inspirational part and this is the perfect episode for a Monday morning when you don't feel like dragging your ass out of bed.  Enjoy!

Don't you wish there was a book you could give managers that contains all the information they need to be successful?  Well, the closest book I can find to that is The Decisive Manager by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem.  This is the third book we've reviewed by these two wonderful authors and it's a winner!  In this interview, we go through the six sections addressing the most common challenges managers face when hiring, developing, and letting go of employees.  Great information in the interview and the book is a must-read.  

In my opinion, if you want to implement an organizational change and make it stick, don't start at the top.  Start instead with the administrative professionals.  They are the most business-savvy individuals I know, with a knack for getting things done and the ability to push forward your initiatives to exactly where they need to go.  And that's all while doing their job of helping keep executives organized and successful.   In honor of Administrative Professionals Day, I am interviewing Betsy Fantle, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Total Wine & More.  I met Betsy years ago and reconnected with her again recently.  She was a lot of fun to chat with and I know you'll enjoy hearing about her journey. 

For most of us, we walk through life on a path we may or may not have chosen for ourselves.  In some instances though, something happens that changes the complete trajectory of our lives.  Our guest today, Dr. Gary Crotaz, calls these the "unlock moments."  Dr. Gary is a coach, author, and the host of The Unlock Moment podcast.  He talks to us about what an unlock moment is and how we can set ourselves up to experience it.  This was one of my favorite episodes to record and I personally took a lot from it.  I know you will too!

The post-COVID era begins with lots of uncertainty about the future and ways of work.  On top of that, organizations are doing their best to develop inclusive cultures and attract the best talent.  Our guest today, Marcus Sawyerr, works at providing the required access to empower capable & diverse talent to thrive as Founder & CEO of EQ.Community, a private members community for multicultural professionals interested in tech. This was a fun, wide-ranging interview that will give you new considerations as you develop and staff your organization.

All of us are experiencing stress in one form or another.  This has probably increased during the past couple of years.  If we don't take action to de-stress, it can have long-term harmful effects.  Our guest today, Margaret Paul, is a life and health coach who helps people develop strategies to conquer stress and develop healthier habits.  I met Margaret years ago when we were stationed together in Long Beach, California and it was great reconnecting and I know her message will resonate with you.

We've heard that mediation is a useful tool to settle disputes among conflicted parties as well as individuals.  It's cheaper and faster than the standard justice system which makes it a viable option.  What's not commonly known is the benefit of using mediation as an HR tool.  Our guest today, Gina Weatherup, is the CEO and Founder of Chantilly Mediation and Facilitation.  Gina and I discussed why and how HR professionals can use mediation as a way to resolve disputes.  She offers a great overview of mediation and a guide on which situations might be better resolved through mediation.    

Businesses place a high value on their people and understand that hiring mistakes can prove to be financially costly. They can also disrupt the organization's culture and relationships with their customers. To prevent mistakes like these, our guest today, Angelo Valenti, The Company Psychologist,  works with organizations, helping in identifying the right qualities when hiring talent and developing these individuals in an organization.  Angelo and I discuss the biggest mistakes companies use in the hiring process and he gives actionable strategies to improve the recruiting and hiring process.

Raising your game as a communicator is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world, but it takes courage to open up to others and invite others to open up to you. Our guest today, author and coach Michelle Gladieux has discovered four sneaky obstacles that can keep you from becoming the best communicator you can be.  Her new book Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges is what we discussed and Michelle gives us some actionable strategies.

If you're an HR professional, you know the job can be stressful and exhausting.  The challenge is that few of us ever consider self care.  Our guest today, Keri Ohlrich, co-author of the book The Way of the HR Warrior advocates for taking time to recharge your own batteries.  Her company provides assessments, tools, and coaching to help HR professionals reenergize so they can continue to provide great service and support.  

Every once in a while we do episodes that provide help with HR compliance.  The Consolidated Appropriations Act is an annual compliance issue for Plan Sponsors of healthcare plans, in the exact same line vein as Pension Plans and 401K's.  What our guests Jeff Hughes and Jeff Smith are finding though is that Business Leaders, HR Leaders and Lawyers have very limited if any knowledge in the subject matter, noncompliance is amongst Plan Sponsors is high, and providers aren't knocking down doors to help Sponsors become compliant.  Awareness is key and Jeff/Jeff do a great job at breaking this down and explaining it AND have the information you need to fully understand and leverage it.    

After many years as an executive coach, Michelle Johnston saw many leaders who failed.  One constant among them was their inability to connect: to themselves, their team, or their organization.  Her latest book The Seismic Shift in Leadership gives her remedy for solving this problem. Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert helping leaders achieve results through meaningful connection. She is an award-winning professor studying leadership and business communication, and her research has shown a clear link between a team's effective communication and its positive financial performance. 

Our guest on this episode is Mark Stephens, author of The Coach Approach:  A Better Way to Lead in Business and Beyond.  Coach Mark's book presents a simple yet impactful book to challenge leaders to a better way to lead. We talk about how to listen actively, explore possibilities, and ask powerful questions. We even came up with a great approach to use in order to cut down on meetings!  Lot's of practical tips in this one and I encourage you to buy this book HERE!

As HR professionals, you know sometimes it feels like you're overwhelmed and under-appreciated.  Maybe you're in a constant mode of firefighting.  Have you taken time to work on your own professional development?  Our guest today, Andrew Bartlow is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of People Leader Accelerator, a program that helps HR professionals and their organizations grow.  Andrew gives us some tips for development and identify some upcoming trends in the world of work.

It's three weeks into the new year and most of you are already progressing in your learning and development initiatives.  Or are you?  If you haven't yet figured out what to focus on for this year, then this episode is for you!  Jessica Prater is a learning and development expert who shares the hot trends and topics in learning and development.  She has a special session coming up on 2/9/23 that you can sign up for now at www.jpraterconsulting.com/hroxygen.  

Feedback is one of the most difficult things to both receive and deliver, but it's absolutely necessary.  Our guest today, Kate Vendemio offers tips and techniques to give better feedback to direct reports, peers, and even your boss.  Be sure to download her Feedback Tip Sheet and get more information on her Feedback Masterclass which you can read about HERE.

Jerry Seinfeld once said that "according to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking.  Number two is death.  This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy." Facetious for sure, but if you dread public speaking, this episode is for you.  Dr. Brian Wade works with folks who want to improve their speaking skills and get over the fear.  We had a great discussion and Dr. Wade gives us actionable strategies to improve our performance on stage, or just in the conference room.

This is the time of year most of us begin gearing up for a new year.  This episode is a good one as you plan your New Year resolutions. Jennifer Watson is a passionate and dynamic speaker & coach with a gift for intuitive & visionary coaching. She is an expert in wellness + leadership development, identity & mental edge enhancement, post trauma growth, & movement + change adaptation. Incorporating her expertise along with her athletic gifts as a former collegiate athlete and All-American, she is ecstatic to share a message of strength, courage, and hope against mountain tops that seem unattainable. With 20 years experience in entrepreneur & leadership management as well as health & wellness advocacy, she inspires those to unleash their potential and performance in all areas of their life.

When you have an important idea or suggestion to pitch, are you using the correct language?  I learned this painful lesson in 11th Grade back in 1980.  In this solo episode I discuss how to properly encode your language to get your point across.  I still don't know what a convoluted syntax is so that question won't be answered in this episode.  Enjoy!

Empathy is often confused with Sympathy, but it's very different.  In this solo episode, I'm talking about what Empathy really means.  

Each year we solicit candidates for our Boss of the Year contest.  This year's winner is Shelly Gasson, Vice President of HR for Airstream.  In this episode we talk about her leadership journey and her suggestions for anyone new to management.  We also discuss the best way to succeed in a career in HR.  Congratulations Shelly!!!

Workplace stress is one that most of us experience.  We share many of the common stressors such as a tough boss, time constraints, traffic, overly-chatty co-workers, etc.  But according to our guest today, the root of our stress might come from a different place.  Judy Kane is a PSYCH-K Facilitator who suggests much of our stress comes from our subconscious beliefs.  She gives us strategies to identify those beliefs and some tips to help conquer or leverage them.  Judy as a bunch of free resources for you too which you can find HERE.

Talent acquisition is a tough job these days. It seems as though candidates have the upper hand, making it challenging for recruiters to attract and land desperately-needed talent.  Our guest today, Thad Price is the CEO of Talroo. He has done quite a bit of work in this area and shares some of his best tips and techniques to take a proactive role in talent acquisition.

As of today, the War for Talent seems to be a losing one for companies and organizations.  Too few applicants for way too many open positions.  But what if there was an undiscovered talent pool that few know about?  Daphne Gomez is CEO and Founder of Teacher Career Coach.  Daphne and her team partner with organizations, introducing them to their massive talent pool of transitioning teachers.  In our interview, Daphne tells us why former teachers make excellent employees who are willing to learn and grow.  Daphne has a special offer for anyone who wants to post a position for FREE, so be sure to listen to the very end.

Mike Shelton is a retired Navy Admiral who had a 40-year career on active duty followed by over a decade of corporate leadership experience.  He is the author of West Point Admiral, which details his journey graduating from West Point (that will make sense in the interview!) through his time in Viet Nam, his later Naval experience, and what he learned in his time in corporate America.  Mike gives us some great leadership lessons and tips on how to get the most from your team.  Be sure to go to his website to order the book and use the codeword you hear in the interview.

Stress takes its toll on our physical and mental health, but what if a deeper part of us is affected too?  Our guest today, Jon Talbert, is the Chief Guide Officer of Paraclete, an organization that provides employees access to on-demand, confidential conversations about work, life, and everything in between.  Jon and I discuss what happens when your soul needs maintenance and what happens when it's taken care off.  Jon and I were boyhood friends and it was a lot of fun reconnecting on this episode.