Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell

IN THIS EPISODE: We're going to start 2023 with Hope, specifically Valerie Hope. Valerie brings a truly global approach to leadership and building diverse, inclusive and equal work cultures. For Valerie it starts with curiosity and she shares how her early life as a self-proclaimed “military brat” and global traveller taught her the skills she now. shares with her clients. The conversation is wide ranging just like her perspectives and has a little something for everyone. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Being a curious and creative learner has set Valerie Hope apart as an accomplished leadership coach and professional speaker. Since having traveled to more than 30 countries and having lived with more than 400 host families, she learned that life is the best teacher and the human being living it, as the star pupil. For the past 25 years, Valerie has been called to inspire and activate global leaders to become more conscious, connected, and creative. As her coaching clients and audience members gain clarity of purpose, become bold and authentic in their self-expression, they tout fulfilling careers, more meaningful relationships, and experience a sense of aliveness. Her group workshops and one-on-one sessions are designed to go beyond concepts and data points, to shine a light on what has heart and meaning. She's honed her coaching and speaking craft throughout the Americas and Europe through work in and for major companies and organizations such asHyatt Hotels and Resorts, Up With People, Etsy, Salesforce, University of California at Berkeley, and Anheuser Busch.  In 2018, she stumbled into entrepreneurship and is now the CEO of her company, Connect to Joy, LLC.Valerie received her executive coaching certification from UC Berkeley and holds a B.A. in Public Relations and Spanish from the University of Alabama. She is a native Spanish speaker from the Republic of Panama. These days, you can find Valerie expressing her playful side on the tennis court, on the improv stage, and singing in a community choir. This former military brat calls Dallas home and she has the cowboy boots to prove it. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Valerie on:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/valeriehope  Twitter: ValerieVHope her website:  valeriehope.com or on YouTube: youtube.com/c/ConnecttoJoy INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com, follow him on Facebook at Ken Blackwell, Speaker and  connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/ (make sure to mention you listen to the podcast).

Today is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Today is also a turning point. In this short "Insight Bite" episode, Ken shares a thought for using these dark hours to begin a transformation that will spark our growth in the year to come.

IN THIS EPISODE: In the US, it's the time of the year when we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and are grateful for the many blessings of the past year. Ken suggests a particular focus for this year's reflections in this short, “Insight Bite” episode. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com, follow him on Facebook at Ken Blackwell, Speaker and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/ (make sure to mention you listen to the podcast).

N THIS EPISODE: On the podcast, we tend to focus on our present-day goals for work, but what about our goals for post-work? What kind of life do we want to live after we leave the workplace? Today's guest, Tara Nolan, builds on her background as a pilot and logistics officer for the US Air Force to help people see the whole picture of both their work, and post-work, lives and build a financial plan that makes sense. The key is “understanding the mission” and putting goals ahead of tools. While the topic is money, there's also some great insights about problem-solving, connecting and finding clarity that have universal application.  ABOUT OUR GUEST: Tara Nolan Tara Nolan is a money strategist who supports entrepreneurs and professionals, who have limited time due to business and family demands, achieve and retain the lifestyles they want.  Since starting her company, she has been obsessed with helping people feel good about their finances. It's hard when they are stressed about money, and she loves helping people find that good feeling in their belly when they are in control of their money situation. Tara combines finance, her background in strategic military planning and a focus personal development to create transformational financial plans.  She shares her philosophy and approach to money in her book, “Money Moves: Change where your money lives and change how your financial world grows”. SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Tara on the web at: www.nolanfinancialpartners.com Find Tara's book on Amazon: “Money Moves: Change Where Your Money Lives, Change How Your Financial World Grows” INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com, follow him on Facebook at Ken Blackwell, Speaker and  connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/ (make sure to mention you listen to the podcast).

IN THIS EPISODE: Many of us are aware of Google's Project Aristotle which discovered a key characteristic of high performing teams was a climate of  “psychological safety” - that team members could speak up and share opinions without fear of any kind of reprisal or repercussion. Neuroscience backs this up - we do our best thinking when we feel safe and are working in an environment of trust. But feeling safe goes beyond just the ability to express thoughts and opinions, it extends to other aspects of our lives such as culture and identity.  Today's guest, Tim Mousseau, has spent the last 10 years researching what makes people feel unsafe and how to create frameworks and boundaries that lead to safe work cultures. This is a deeper and more personal conversation than we've had in while and Tim shares some great insights that will change how you think about the workplace. ABOUT OUR GUEST: As a male survivor of sexual violence and harassment, Tim Mousseau has spent the last ten years studying prevention to create frameworks that help communities overcome sexual assault and individuals set boundaries to maintain feelings of safety. As an HR speaker and researcher, Tim is studying how managers and employees define safe work cultures. This research builds off his past work on how different generations define feelings of safety and how to prevent workplace harassment. Tim has spoken in over five counties to over 450 organizations, including Fortune 1000 companies, professional sports teams, and Congressional offices. SHOW NOTES: Find Tim on the web at: timmousseau.com INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com, follow him on Facebook at Ken Blackwell, Speaker and  connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/ (make sure to mention you listen to the podcast).

N THIS EPISODE: We often think about burnout from an overwhelmed, overworked, and stressed out perspective. Today's guest, Cait Donovan, suggests we also look at another source - boundaries, and the resentments caused when those boundaries are violated. She walks us through her own journey of burnout and boundaries and shares helpful lessons for all of us to have more resilient, balanced and healthy lives. Our conversation also touches on some eastern philosophy and neuroscience and how they impact our experience and responses to burnout. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Cait Donovan is one of New York City's leading burnout experts, host of “Fried – The Burnout Podcast,” and author of the book "The Bouncebackability Factor". Cait offers 1:1 coaching, corporate workshops, and keynotes - all with a focus on ending burnout culture. She has been featured on podcasts and online magazines such as “Forbes”, “NPR,” “Thrive Global,” “The New York Post”, as well as quoted in Oprah Magazine. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Cait and learn more on her website.  Get a copy of her book, The Bouncebackability Factor. Listen to the latest episode of Fried: The Burnout Podcast with Cait Donovan. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com, follow him on Facebook at Ken Blackwell, Speaker and  connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/ (make sure to mention you listen to the podcast).

IN THIS EPISODE: For many, the topic of finances can feel confining and burdensome, certainly not freeing and uplifting. Today's guest, Mackey McNeil, helps us break through some of the limiting thoughts about finances that can hold us back and limit our ability to not only become more prosperous but get more enjoyment out of life. Mackey will share how to achieve success and abundance utilizing the 3 Freedoms of Prosperity: Money freedom, Time Freedom, and Freedom from Worry. She is the author of several award-winning books, including “The Intersection of Joy and Money” and “The Prosperity Handbook”. ABOUT OUR GUEST: MACKEY McNEILL, CPA, PFS is the founder of MACKEY, a family business financial coaching firm that helps business owners achieve the three freedoms of prosperity:  money freedom,  time freedom  and freedom from worry.  Mackey is the author of several award-winning books, including, The Intersection of Joy and Money and The Prosperity Playbook.  She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Money,USA Today as well other major media. In addition to helping business owners prosper, her passions include sustainable living, gardening, cooking, fly fishing and adventuring. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Mackey on the web: Mackey Advisors and on LInkedIn. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

N THIS EPISODE: Can we make stress a friend, or at least keep it from being a foe or an enemy?  Today's guest, Deb Lewis would like to challenge our thinking about stress and encourage us to look at it from a different perspective. Deb is no stranger to stress. As one of the first female candidates to graduate from West Point and then as a leader in combat, Deb understands the impact of stress on performance. In this episode, she shares her experiences, perspective, and several tools so we can pivot and instead of being crushed by stress, we can actually use it to our advantage. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Colonel Deb Lewis is a West Point graduate from its first class with women. A retired Army Colonel and Harvard MBA, Deb commanded three US Army Corps of Engineer Districts, including a $2.1B reconstruction program in combat. She survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack while serving on the Joint Staff antiterrorism team. Colonel Deb's experiences leading while under fire inspired her unique 'Mentally Tough Women' (MTW) program to help women (and enlightened men!) handle more stress - not de-stress - and put it to work for them. Set in Hawai'i, her latest book titled "Why is Pono not Pono Today?” helps kids of all ages make better choices by using fun cartoons and characters to reveal the secret to handling stress. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Deb on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MentallyToughWomen/ Deb's Author Page on Amazon: amazon.com/author/deblewis Go to her website and check out her 2 free stress courses: www.mentallytoughwomen.com Read about Deb in Hawaii's Star Advertiser Magazine:  https://lnkd.in/geB_rPb9 INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

N THIS EPISODE: While “Me Too” and other movements had done tremendous good in amplifying the stories and voices of women who have not been treated fairly in the workplace, there may be a hidden cost. Researcher Kori Reed explores gender equality in the workplace and as she surveyed male leaders across the country she began to notice a trend.  Many men, while wanting an inclusive workplace culture where men and women can both thrive, were nonetheless so uncertain about crossing the line from an innocent comment to a harassment complaint that they would avoid any conversation on gender equity altogether. These would be champions, men in power who could make a difference in leveling the playing field, are instead silencing themselves and essentially taking themselves out of the game. Kori and I discuss her findings, explore the state of the gender conversation in the human workplace, how to create safe spaces for dialogue and how we can collectively move toward the ultimate goal of “better together”. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Driven by a purpose to align people to see things in new and creative ways for good, Kori thrives at the intersection of people, insights, and organizational goals. An agile and relatable communicator, she values authentic dialog that enables people to find clarity in the chaos, connect with others, and change the world in meaningful ways. With more than 25 years of experience working in large, complex, Fortune 500 organizations, Kori has navigated large-scale change management communication; created an integrated, award-winning signature companywide program; and built communication strategies to align stakeholders on challenging issues.   In the process, she earned progressive management duties at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, and Conagra Brands -- where she became a Vice President, working across the company in employee and community engagement under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. Driven by a passion for the people side of process, management and culture, Kori also worked in Human Resources at Compass Minerals, a salt mining company, as Director Employee Experience and progressed to the Senior Director of Talent and Organizational Development.  A lifelong learner, Kori is certified in Change Management, Human Resources, DISC Communication Styles and DISC Teams, and more. Adept amid chaos, Kori also wrote a book on the wisdom and humor of work, life, and family balance. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Kori: on LinkedIn, Twitter and on her Amazon author page. Ken and Kori discussed Akira Kurosawa's 1950 Classic Rashomon INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Almost all of us see the wisdom in having a diversified financial portfolio, it's smart investing not to have all your eggs in one basket. But what about the portfolio of our lives? Rarely do we think about the value in diversifying our lives and careers - not only to minimize risk, but also to create opportunities. The upside potential isn't just monetary, there are mental wellness and life experience benefits as well. Today's guest Carl Seidman applied his financial acumen to his career and began diversifying his life by retiring at age 32! There's more to the story of course - Carl and I discuss that and the current state of career and life management. It's another great conversation, listen in! ABOUT OUR GUEST: Carl Seidman is a trusted business advisor specializing in financial planning & analysis (FP&A), business strategy, and finance transformation. He works with Fortune 500 corporations and middle-market companies, helping establish effective FP&A practices, processes, and teams. At the same time, he brings finance professionals greater control over their careers by helping them build their competence and confidence while eliminating time-wasting activities and mistakes. Carl's FP&A development methodologies and curriculums have been implemented by many leading companies as part of their financial leadership development programs (FLDPs) for top talent and emerging leaders. Carl also serves as a CFO advisor and management consultant to entrepreneurial businesses throughout North America and Europe and assists them with strategic financial planning, value enhancement, and revitalization.  Carl is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) has earned other professional credentials including the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), CIRA, CFF, CFE, CGMA, and AM (Accredited Member in business valuation), and was a 2020 National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) 40 Under Forty honoree.  He lives in Chicago with his wife and twin sons. SHOW NOTES: You can learn more about Carl on his website: https://seidmanfinancial.com INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: As we move closer towards a more human workplace, leadership will need to evolve along side it. The days of a distant and disconnected leader are fading away. Today, leaders need to be in touch with their people and understand what is impacting them in, and out, of the workplace. That means leaders will need to take their interpersonal communication and awareness of human dynamics to a much deeper level.  To understand how leaders can adapt to this changing landscape, I've asked today's guest, Patricia Bravo, to speak with us about Empathic Leadership. Patricia is a consultant who has worked with many Fortune 500 companies in the Bio/Pharma, Energy, Technology and Financial Services industries. She equips everyone from emerging leaders to seasoned executives with targeted approaches, techniques and tools to accelerate their performance as Empathetic Leaders.  In our conversation, we'll talk about some of those approaches and techniques and discuss how small changes and investments as small as 10 minutes of time can transform the relationship between leader and team member and remove obstacles to performance. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Patricia Bravo equips leaders with targeted approaches, techniques and tools to accelerate their performance as Empathetic Leaders. Leveraging her strength in facilitation, she develops and facilitates leadership programs for leaders ranging from emerging leaders to seasoned executives.  The programs Patricia designs and facilitates accelerate leader capability in the areas of leading with empathy, team development and resilience.  Patricia enjoys using her talent management experiences gleaned at Fortune 500 companies such as Starbucks Coffee, to shape the leadership landscape of the future. While working at Starbucks, Patricia designed a leadership academy program, led multiple organizational design projects and led a team that managed talent management activities for the West Coast store development business unit. She also led a portfolio of large projects including: executive immersion, performance management and succession planning. Patricia's consulting work has included many Fortune 500 clients in the Bio/Pharma, Energy, Technology and Financial Services industries.  She has successfully worked with leaders holding titles from Manager to Senior Vice President. She teaches undergraduate courses in Managing Teams and Human Resources at University of Washington, Bothell and leadership courses for professionals at UCLA Extension. She frequently speaks on the topic of Empathetic Leadership and is author of a chapter on Empathy as a Vehicle to Authentic Leadership and Followership in Latin America in Authentic Leadership and Followership: International Perspectives. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Patricia: check out her website: https://bravoforyou.com  You can also connect with her on LinkedIn. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Throughout history, organizations have had to adapt to survive. That is especially true in these challenging times. Often it is the ability of leaders to adapt, to change, to pivot – that enables these organizations to not only navigate distruption but to thrive in it. Today's guest, Marcia Daszko, works with leaders to challenge their thinking so they can realize results they've never before achieved. For more than 25 years, she has passionately been guiding strategic innovation and transformation in Fortune 500 corporations and private start-ups; school districts, government agencies; and non-profits. She is a best selling author of Pivot, Disrupt, Transform: How Leaders Beat the Odds and Surviveand the co-author of Turning Ideas into Impact: Insights from 16 Silicon Valley Consultants.  In our conversation, we discuss the traits pivotal leaders need to create the environments for their people to contribute and be their most creative. These pivotal leaders focus on not just problem solving, but asking the questions that will take their organizations into the future so they can create new products, new solutions, new services and new markets.  We'll also discuss the importance of knowing the “why” behind your organization's reason for existence. It's a robust conversation so let's get to it.  ABOUT OUR GUEST: Marcia is an inspiring speaker who will provoke your thinking and elevate it for bold action. She is a Catalyst for Strategic Leadership, Transformation and Innovation. She speaks to and works with leaders to challenge their thinking to realize results never before achieved. For more than 25 years, she has passionately been guiding strategic innovation and transformation in Fortune 500 corporations and private start-ups; school districts, government agencies; and non-profits. Marcia has taught Graduate management and marketing classes at six universities across the U.S. She is a best selling author of Pivot, Disrupt, Transform: How Leaders Beat the Odds and Survive and the co-author of Turning Ideas into Impact: Insights from 16 Silicon Valley Consultants. She was invited to write a chapter about leadership in the book: Organizational Project Management. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Marcia: Web: https://www.mdaszko.com/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciadaszko  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marciadaszkoassociates/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarciaDaszko  INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: In Today's conversation, we'll be talking about creating inclusive cultures with my guest Bernadette Smith. Bernadette is CEO of Equality Institute and an award-winning author of three books. Her fourth book, Inclusive 360 – Proven Solutions for an Equitable Organization, has just been released and is available through your favorite bookseller. We'll follow her journey into activism, understand that Inclusion is for everyone and the importance of creating spaces where everyone can feel safe, not only inside of the organization but on the client side as well. Bernadette shares how to overcome DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) overwhelm by learning to ask better questions, becoming better listeners and maintaining a solutions-focused approach.  She also shares her “ARC” methodology (Ask, Respect, and Connect) for gaining clarity and building more inclusive cultures and organizations. It's a great conversation with a lot of thoughtful take-aways, I hope you get as much out of it as I did. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Bernadette Smith is CEO of Equality Institute and an award-winning author of three books. Her fourth book, Inclusive 360, has just been released. Her work has been featured in USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Fast Company. She's appeared on CNN, the Today Show, the BBC, and National Public Radio. Bernadette was named one of Chicago's Notable LGBTQ Executives by Crain's Chicago Business. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Bernadette: Website: www.theequalityinstitute.com  On LinkedIn If you'd like a copy of her new book: Inclusive 360 To get a copy of the ARC Method tip sheet go to: www.theequalityinstitute.com/arc INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Technology is an inextricable part of our modern life. While it can often be a help, it can sometimes be a hinderance.  Today's guest, Terry Brock, brings a passion for technology, that he combines with a sense of history, and real-world business strategies.  Terry is more than a technology trends expert. He's a speaker, virtual presenter, interviewer, published author, and coach who packs everything he touches with solid business strategies meant to build relationships and improve the bottom line. In today's episode, Terry and I discuss: The critical factor in adopting technology the right way  The best approach to learn new tools and applications Using technology to more effectively communicate with broader and more diverse audiences, and to how better leverage your presentation skills As well as some new trends in technology that you'll want to have on your radar I'm excited to have Terry here today as my guest. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Terry Brock brings a passion for technology, a sense of history, and real-world business strategies for success to your event, whether it is in-person or virtual. Terry Brock is more than a technology trends expert. He's a speaker, virtual presenter, interviewer, published author, and coach who packs everything he touches with solid business strategies meant to build relationships and improve the bottom line. Terry continues to bring this knowledge to his audiences when speaking and sharing state-of-the-art ideas applied with fun, entertainment, and powerful applications. Terry earned an MBA in marketing and is focused on real-world business applications. He leverages his background in journalism and education in live presentations all over the world including the United States of America, Mexico, England, Australia, Russia, Ireland, China, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria, Singapore, Bermuda, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, and even Texas! As a virtual presentation expert, Terry is able to break the bonds of distance and time to serve clients in a way that makes them feel as though they are in the room with him. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Terry: TerryBrock.com Terry's free 5K course for creating compelling content: 5K course   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: The workplace is a focus here on the Insight at Work podcast. So it's especially thrilling have an expert on the workplace as a guest. Simone Fenton Jarvis is a colleague from the UK, she is a Workplace Consultancy Director, formerly with Ricoh now with Relogix. Simone's work hones in on the employee experience and its impact on organizational performance.  Simone is passionate about creating human-centric workplaces that can drive a world where the organization becomes the vehicle for people and societies to flourish; resulting in us all leaving the planet in a better place than when we arrived.  She is an active speaker, blogger and the author of the new book: “The Human-Centric Workplace: Enabling people, communities and our planet to thrive”. In today's conversation we cover a lot of ground, including: ·      Bringing your “full self” to work ·      The changing nature and configuration of the workplace and how personalizing workspaces can help maximize effectiveness ·      The changing relationship between employees and organizations – what are the new expectations? The new balance between work and life? The evolution from a parent-child relationship to an adult to adult one. ·      The shift to people over profits ·      And the move from focusing on “culture fit” to “culture add” ABOUT OUR GUEST: Simone is passionate about creating human-centric workplaces to drive a world where the organisation becomes the vehicle for people and societies to flourish; resulting in us all leaving the planet in a better place than when we arrived. Simone's work hones in on employee experience and the impact on organisational performance, data gathering and delivering change and business improvement in relation to culture, space, process and technology. Waking up every day on a mission to make a difference she is a fellow of IWFM and the Chair of the IWFM Workspace Special Interest Group, she sits on the editorial committee for Facilitate Magazine and Facilities Management Journal. An active speaker and blogger in key areas: Human Centric Workplaces - Mental Health - Leadership - Culture - Technology - Ways of Working - Diversity and Inclusion. She's the author of the new book: “The Human-Centric Workplace: Enabling people, communities and our planet to thrive”. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Simone: Twitter - Simone Fenton-Jarvis (@ChiefWorkplace) LinkedIn - Simone Fenton-Jarvis BSc MBA FIWFM You can find Simone's book at: The The Human-Centric Workplace: Enabling people, communities and our planet to thrive INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.  

  Greater inclusion in the workplace won't happen by itself. It will require strong, dedicated leaders with focus and persistence to shift organizational cultures and create more human workplaces.  To understand how leaders can begin this journey towards greater inclusion, I've invited Gena Cox to the podcast. Gena is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and professional speaker. She is the author of the forthcoming book, “Leading Inclusion” which provides a roadmap for leaders who want to build inclusive organizations.  In this episode, we discuss the importance of how leaders show up in the workplace and the messages they consciously, and sometimes unconsciously, send to their people. We look at how organizational leadership impacts inclusion as well as how leadership is itself impacted in return by an inclusive workplace. We also explore how we can measure progress and the steps each one of us need to take to move towards more inclusive cultures within our organizations. Gena Cox, Ph.D., is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and professional speaker. She is the author of the forthcoming book, “Leading Inclusion” which provides a roadmap for leaders who want to build inclusive organizations. For 25+ years, Gena has advised corporate executives in some of the world's most successful and admired companies, including Mastercard, Hitachi, Scotiabank, NYULangone, American Express, Tech Data, Hershey, The Rock Family of Companies (including Quicken Loans), and Raymond James Financial. Gena has helped hundreds of leaders build more positive organizational cultures and become more effective in their leadership interactions with employees, regardless of their human variations. Gena knows her clients are making progress when ALL their employees say they feel respected at work. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Gena: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genacox Web: www.feelshuman.com Read her recent Harvard Business Review article on inclusion: https://hbr.org/2021/05/5-strategies-to-infuse-di-into-your-organization INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: This episode I speak with Susan Fitzell, an expert in neuro-diversity about the challenges of incorporating and accommodating a neuro-diverse workforce into the modern workplace. The reality is that neuro-divergent workers have always existed but we're only now gaining an awareness and appreciation of their impact – and the need to adapt the way that we lead and manage. Susan shares some tips and strategies to support neuro-divergent thinkers and help bring out their best work. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Susan Fitzell For over 30 years, international speaker, author, coach, Susan Fitzell has worked closely with educators, students, and high performing employees to discover their personal learning preferences so they can learn fast and achieve more. She zeros in on what motivates employees so they can get their job done and break through self-imposed limitations. She inspires and motivates audiences with her practical, productive, and efficient learning strategies as well as her positive, uplifting approach. Her philosophy is, “Can't is a four-letter word!” Believe you CAN and do GREAT things by using your talents and strengths. She's a black belt in kickboxing and a student of kung fu. Her family prides themselves in being geeks and her two adult children have both earned degrees in mechanical engineering using the strategies that she shares with her clients. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Susan: On the Web at:  susanfitzell.com  and  LearnFastAchieveMore.com On Twitter at: @susanfitzell On LInkedIn at: in/susanfitzell/ INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: In a more Human workplace, it's critical to be an effective communicator and be able to connect with your audience whether that's one person or many.  Today we get an international perspective from Christine Morley. Christine is an expert in presentation and negotiation skills and learning how to influence others. For over 30 years, Christine has helped hundreds of senior executives from Fortune 500 companies be more memorable and have greater impact on their audiences. She is one of only four, and the first woman, in France to earn the CSP or (Certified Speaking Professional) designation.  Christine is direct and outspoken, and gets right to the heart of an issue. In our conversation, we talk about the keys to effective communication.  How to connect with your audience, by speaking with the brain in mind. And how to shape a message so that it's easily understood and digested. She also gives us some tips on building our personal brand and how to create an effective 7 Second Pitch so others can quickly know who we are, what we do, and who we help. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Christine Morlet, CSP is a Professional Keynote Speaker and keynote speaking coach, member of the Global Speakers Federation. She is one of four, and the first female, speaker to earns the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation in France. Her experience includes 30 years of success in international influencing skills: negotiations, public speaking and leaders' coaching of fortune 500 companies, (among others) Peugeot, Millipore-Merck, Mars Chocolates, Capsugel, Pfizer Inc … Christine has helped hundreds of senior executives to improve their presentation & negotiation skills to create much better impact and become memorable. Her customers say that she can transform average communicators into uncontested leaders and basic negotiators into top earning superstars! SHOW NOTES: To connect with Christine on her website and learn more about her here. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: When I came up for the title for the “Insight at Work” podcast I had two ideas in mind: 1)    That we would be able to explore various insights about work and the ways in which people approach problems and challenges in the workplace. - and - 2)    To also examine how insight might be at work within us.  To explore how we approach living and working and the personal decisions that we make throughout this journey we call Life.   Today's episode is in that second category.  My guest Tom McManimon had a life that was on a particular trajectory. And then a series of events from 9/11 to losing his job, and a life threatening medical emergency, led him to reassess his life, his priorities and the direction of his career.  Tom talks frankly and straightforwardly about his experiences and sometimes in stark detail.  That might bother some but I think it gives a visceral realness and impact to his story.  It's a very candid conversation about true work-life balance: about what's important in life, how to maintain perspective and one's belief in oneself. And the important need for the time and space to be able to make the decisions that are right for us. It demonstrates that for all our planning and all our intentions, sometimes life pushes us onto a new path. Tom has had an incredible journey. And is incredibly gracious in sharing it with us. I think you're going to get a lot out of this conversation, perhaps you'll even stop for a moment and think about your life's journey with some new insight. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Tom is an award-winning art director/creative director, writer, positioning strategist, musician, and veteran creative director. Tom has led award-winning statewide and national campaigns, created re-branding efforts for large multi-national companies, and led countless company start-ups to ongoing success. His work has been recognized with CLIO, ANDY,TELLY, PRINT Magazine, and various Advertising and Design show awards. Tom is a nationally recognized branding expert whose background reflects extensive experience in strategic brand identity, project management and creative development across b-to-b and consumer marketing landscapes. He brings experience and skill across all media including Logo & Identity, Print and Broadcast Advertising, Display, Collateral Design, Direct Mail and Web, Digital & Interactive Development. Tom has managed creative campaign development, talent, photo shoots, web, TV film & video productions of all size and scope —supporting the marketing and branding needs of Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Prudential Mortgage Capital Company, Brown & Brown, The US Department of Agriculture, Talksoft, Inc., American Reinsurance, Westinghouse, Cushman & Wakefield, StewartXerox, and many other B2B and Professional services companies in Education, Financial Services, Science &Technology, Law Firms, Healthcare, and more. Tom's current gig splits time between running STIMULUSBRAND COMMUNICATIONS, the branding and advertising firm he founded in 2002 and speaking appearances. "My agency reflects my passion. It's in my DNA. My speaking is about changing the way people think, feel and act in ways that can change their lives." Tom McManimon (TMac) is a published author and professional speaker delivering keynotes and professional presentations to companies and business organizations. Recent talks were titled: "The Position Player" and "To rebrand or not to rebrand. How to know." He recently published two books: one on personal branding (The Stuff That Sticks) and Brand Positioning, (The Position Player), both available on Amazon.com. Tom's also delivers motivational talks entitled: Winning Through Crisis, Addiction: Going To The Well, and On Purpose. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Tom visit him on the web: www.StimulusBrand.com  and  www.TMacSpeaks.com  INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: If like me, you'd like to be a little more productive, a bit more focused, and maybe a little less overwhelmed - this episode is for you.  My guest today is Don Khouri. Don is a speaker, author, and executive coach with advanced degrees in Human Development, Organizational Behavior, and Human and Organizational Systems.  He's written a book for people who struggle with too much to do and not enough time titled, “When to Say Yes, The Five Steps to Protect Your Time”. In this episode we discuss why we say Yes more often than we should. The importance of intentionality, priorities and values. The problem with to-do lists, and my favorite, the Myth of Multitasking. We also talk about the power of delegation and what happens to our time when accountability falls short. It's a jam-packed episode with lots of great tips and ideas. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Don Khouri is a speaker, author, and executive coach.  He is a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems.  He holds a Master's Degree in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University and an MBA in Organizational Behavior from Boston University.  His Bachelor's degree is from Babson College, voted the top school in the U.S. in entrepreneurship. He is writing a book for people who struggle with too much to do and not enough time. It will be released in Fall 2021 and is titled, When to Say Yes, The Five Steps to Protect Your Time.   SHOW NOTES: To connect with Don check out his websites:  www.khouricc.com www.donkhouri.com www.whentosayyes.com   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_   ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Today we discuss the challenges of being human at work with two of my favorite humans – Amanda & Simon Cookson. The three of us have a passion for helping leaders and organizations build more human workplaces and shift away from the commoditization of employees that has created stifling, unproductive and dehumanizing work environments. We talk about the power that humans have to innovate and succeed in times of disruption. We also talk about future trends in the workplace and the necessity for trust, vulnerability, and honesty, and a flexible, more person-centric workforce. Amanda and Simon are partners in both their personal and professional lives. They're married with two children and they are also the cofounders of the UK-based consulting firm, Northern Value Creators. Some of you might recognize Amanda from the “Leaders in Conversation” web series that she and I cohost. I think Amanda and Simon are both brilliant and as we move through the conversation I'm sure you'll see why. ABOUT OUR GUESTS (in their own words): Amanda: “I've always been drawn to rebellious ideas and their potential to change the world.   Following years in senior roles, building award winning teams I realised that my approach and ideas were often at odds with conventional management thinking. Treating people like resources, controlling them through bureaucracy didn't feel right. I knew there were better ways.   After my organisation went through a merger, radically shifting the culture; I began to feel like an outsider. My approach was not welcome and I felt under attack. Leaving this bruising experience behind me, I began my exploration into coaching and human leadership.   I was fascinated by how my experiences had impacted me, leading me to study the neuroscience of conversations and how our brains react in the workplace. This deep work allowed me to do what I love today – making business better by making them more human.” Simon: “It started back in the DotCom Boom when I was part of the team changing the way we do banking. For the past 20 years I've been involved in digital start ups, technical consultancies and big IT firms. All trying to bring about change with technology.   Stopping to reflect I realised most projects had failed, or at least failed to deliver what they promised. I wanted to know why. This investigation led to the founding of Northern Value Creators 4 years ago and shapes everything we do and believe today.   We can't afford to keep getting it wrong. There are no more excuses.   We can get the people piece right.” SHOW NOTES: To connect with Simon on LinkedIn and Twitter. To connect with Amanda on LInkedIn and Twitter. Check them both out at: http://www.northernvaluecreators.com/ and https://peopleprimer.co.uk . INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: OK, just between you and me: have you ever done something that you knew you shouldn't, but you did it anyway? Even if you knew that doing it would get in the way of accomplishing something else that you really wanted? If we're being honest with ourselves, we've all probably done something that wasn't in our best interest, even though we knew better. That my friend, is self-sabotage.   Self sabotage is defined as unwanted behavior that undermines one's goals. That unwanted behavior can range from common things like procrastination (one I'm guilty of) to more extreme behavior like excessive drinking, risky sex or worse.  To try and understand why we sometimes behave in this counterproductive way, I reached out to today's guest, Dr. Howard Farkas. Howard's work with self-sabotage began when he observed repeated behavior patterns while working as a health psychologist in a hospital-based, medical weight-management program. He discovered that there was an internal conflict that was the source of these self-defeating behaviors. However, these insights on self-sabotage extend far beyond that experience and into other areas such as workplace culture, productivity, motivation, habit creation, and goal setting. This was a really an eye-opening conversation for me and I think you're going to get a lot out of it as well.  ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. Howard Farkas is a clinical psychologist based in Chicago. He is the founder and president of Chicago Behavioral Health, which in the past year has become a telehealth psychotherapy practice called Equipoise Teletherapy. He is also on the faculty of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, where he teaches a course on Motivation and Self-control in Health Behavior. And he's the author of the book, 8 Keys to End Emotional Eating. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Howard: www.equipoiseteletherapy.com h-farkas@northwestern.edu https://www.linkedin.com/in/chicagobehavioralhealth/  Foundations for a Science of Personality by Andreas Angyal Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: I think it's fair to say that we would all like to have as much joy in our lives as we possibly can. But Life is full of highs and lows – there are events that bring us joy, and unfortunately, ones that can take it away. That's unavoidable. The question is - once we've lost joy, how do we get it back?  And what role do we play? Can we influence how much joy is in our lives? Today's guest, Linda Shively, discovered how to bounce back from loss and how to begin to restore the joy in her life. She did it by identifying and avoiding what she calls Joy Stealing Dragons. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Linda Shively has been in the Wall Street Journal, is a best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and neuroscience and mindset expert.  She has presented across the country at places like the Harvard Club of Boston, the New York City Bar Association, Walmart, and Carnegie Hall.  Linda has been a multiple-time guest and a host on cable television, featured in a feature-film with Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels, and even performed at the Rose Bowl for over 90,000 people.  After healing from an abusive marriage, and navigating the diagnosis and eventual death of her 3-year-old daughter, Linda found her way to bounce back and reclaim her joy in life. Today she helps successful women defeat the dragons in their life and elevate their joy to new levels.  Linda has studied brain and mind function for over 30 years, earning a psychobiology degree from UCLA, is a certified Master Life and Executive Coach, a Master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), a Master Hypnotherapist, and a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Linda, check out her website: https://lindashively.com To identify which Joy-Stealing Dragon is most active right now go to: JoyStealingDragons.com  A gift to help you de-stress now: MyPeacefulMeditation.com INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: A recent Gallup report titled “Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures”, says that: “employee burnout is a symptom of modern workplaces that are increasingly fast-paced, complex and demanding.” The World Health Organization has recognized burnout as an illness defined as “an occupational syndrome caused by chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The impact of this unmanaged stress is reduced productivity, disengaged workers, and increased absenteeism. And it's been well-documented that  stress  can  cost  businesses  billions  each year in healthcare costs. How do we avoid becoming burned out? Today's guest, Janice Litvin, has some answers. Janice is the author of “Banish Burnout” and she is on a mission to help leaders and teams to lower stress and eliminate burnout in their organizations, so their employees can be healthy, happy, and ready to work. In this episode, we discuss:  Recognizing signs of burnout so you can head it off. Some powerful strategies for managing stress for work & life. How to Set healthy boundaries to prevent burnout and ultimately, how to go from stressed out & negative to happy & healthy ABOUT OUR GUEST: Janice Litvin is on a mission to help leaders and teams banish burnout in their organizations. She does this through keynote speeches, workshops, and accountability groups. As an award-winning speaker, certified virtual presenter, and official SHRM Recertification Provider, she wants to help as many people as possible take care of their physical and mental health, including teaching them to manage stress to prevent burnout, fall in love with fitness, and eat healthier. In these ways, she is helping people change their lives. She has developed unique strategies to maximize engagement in workplace wellness and has also developed a stress management methodology available through her workbook, Banish Burnout Toolkit™. What makes Janice unique is that in addition to 20 years as a technology recruiter, 10 years of IT experience, and her studies of psychology, she has overcome all the challenges she talks about in her presentations. She went from being overweight and sedentary with a critical, negative attitude to a lighter, fitter, happier person who now teaches Zumba Fitness and leads stress management and healthy eating workshops and accountability groups. She is certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. After forming Micro Search in 1983 to help clients learn how to manage their business using a desktop computer, she became a human resource executive technology recruiter in response to her Fortune 500 clients' needs for technology talent. Over the next twenty years, clients included Charles Schwab, Oracle, The Gap, Computer Partners, Network Appliance, QuinStreet, Symantec, Vodafone, Chiron, TheraSense, Nokia, Borland, United States Army, Pacific Gas & Electric and Pacific Bell. Janice has served on the Workplace Wellness Committee of the American Heart Association and spoken on their behalf to San Francisco Bay Area organizations. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, WELCOA (Wellness Council of America), and SHRM Northern California (Society for Human Resource Management). In 2017 she formed the Bay Area Wellness Association. In addition to SHRM Nor Cal, Janice has worked with a range of other clients to present wellness workshops and programs, including PIHRA (Professionals in Human Resources Association), CAL SAE (California Society of Association Executives), Coral Reef Alliance, San Mateo Unified High School District, WellRight, Minnesota State SHRM Council, NCHRA (Next Concept Human Resources Association), First Republic Bank, Robert Half, Cities of Walnut Creek and Sunnyvale, and US HHS. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Janice at: www.JaniceLitvin.com To get your free copy of the “Banish Burnout Toolkit” go to: www.JaniceLitvin.com/resources For more on “Morning Pages” check out “The Artist's Way” by Julia Cameron. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/. XxwvaVSfT1PbUOTm1Kt6

IN THIS EPISODE: When we talk about creating a more human workplace we often focus on bringing your whole self to work. In this episode, we bring that idea to the world of innovation by looking at it through the lens of both masculine and feminine energy. Slight spoiler here, to be successful at innovation you need to use both but unfortunately, many individuals and many organizations, only focus on just one of those. Today's guest, Fabienne Jacquet, embodies the duality and contradictions of the masculine and the feminine. At a time when the sciences were dominated by men, she graduated from the Institut National Polytechnique in Toulouse, France with a Docteur d'Etat (or PhD) in Organic Chemistry. She had a long and successful career as a scientist, working with prestigious companies such as Colgate-Palmolive. She has also been able to bring her femininity, and her passion for disruptive innovation, to help her clients discover creative and sustainable solutions to their business problems. Fabienne has just authored a book, “Venus Genius – The female prescription for innovation” to shine a light on, and to celebrate, the duality of the feminine and the masculine in everyone. And she dares us to activate both energies so that we can create meaningful innovation that brings true value to the world. So, get ready for an exciting and fresh take on the topic of innovation with today's guest: Fabienne Jacquet. ABOUT OUR GUEST: While she was by no means predestined for the sciences, Fabienne Jacquet, a natural born rebel, graduated as Docteur d'Etat (PhD) in Organic Chemistry from Institut National Polytechnique in Toulouse, France. Fabienne has a successful career as a scientist and innovator who has worked with prestigious companies including Colgate-Palmolive. She brings her fearlessness and resilience to all that she sets her mind to, including her own company, INNOVEVE®, dedicated to bringing feminine DNA to the progression of innovation. She is always dreaming up fresh, fun and dynamic ideas in the name of celebrating female empowerment and the evolution of innovative thought. SHOW NOTES: For more information about Fabienne and her company, you can visit: www.innoveve.com. Her book: Venus Genius: the Female Prescription for Innovation, is now available! Check it out on Amazon and other platforms (Kobo, Barnes & Noble). And if you like it, please post a review on Amazon or on Goodreads. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_  ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.  

IN THIS EPISODE: Elaine and I explore building more diverse, inclusive, and productive organizations by improving our communication, making conscious choices, and through the power of curiosity. We also discuss the impact of assumptions and unconscious bias on our perspectives and the need to have the difficult conversations that lead to growth and transformation. ABOUT OUR GUEST: A 6’5″ 250-pound man once looked at Elaine Pasqua standing at 5’3″ and said: “You are the biggest little thing I’ve ever seen!” For 25 years this funny, passionate, and energetic woman has been traversing the country, helping her clients obtain peak performance through positive relationships and choices. She has worked with countless businesses and associations, 31 professional sports teams across the NFL, NBA, and MLB, hundreds of college campuses, our military leaders, and high schools and parent groups. Elaine has been featured in USA Today, NY 1 News, Time Warner TV, NPR, NBC Sports Radio, CBS Sports, and Knight Ridder News Service. She is an author, columnist, and producer and director of public service videos. Her passion lies in transforming people to create stronger, innovative teams to increase business profits. When Elaine is not traveling for fun, or singing with friends, you can find her home in her gardens with plenty of dirt under her fingernails! SHOW NOTES: To connect with Elaine, check out her website: ElainePasqua.com, You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: They say it’s a wise person that learns from their own mistakes and it’s an even wiser person who is able to learn from the mistakes of others. Of course, all of this wisdom comes easier if you have someone willing to share the mistakes they’ve made and what they’ve learned from them.  Today’s guest, Ed Rigsbee, is going to do just that: share the wisdom he’s gained over a nearly 4 decade long career. For many years now, Ed has been amassing many universal truths about business and life and he’s collected these bits of wisdom into a project he’s calling Life’s Little Blue Playbook. Ed’s going to share some those hard earned lessons with us today, including: That there’s something more important to success than being right How to get the best (and avoid the worst) from your people The value of Relationship Bank Deposits What he learned at the sunglasses display at the Park Pharmacy in Paso Robles, CA And we end with the 3 great words that will change your life.   SHOW NOTES: To connect with Ed, go to his website: https://rigsbee.com/, on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edrigsbee/ , check on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/edrigsbee or to sign up on his mailing list, email him at: edrigsbee@gmail.com INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Today’s guest is a friend and colleague, Anne Archer.  Anne is based in the UK and is Director of Anne Archer Associates Limited.  She has over 20 years’ of experience in coaching and holds a number of degrees and certifications in coaching and mental health including approval to deliver Adult Mental Health First Aid. It’s Anne’s most recent work in the mental health field that is the focus of today’s conversation.  We spoke about:  The necessity of understanding the whole person and the interrelatedness of mental, emotional and physical health  How we can use the 5 Fundamental Building Blocks of Mental Health to maintain a healthy mental state How to manage the drains and negative impacts that can reduce our mental health capacity The impact of COVID and working virtually over the long term As well as the power of listening in being able to help others with their mental health and wellness Anne has a lot of really valuable insights that can help you, a co-worker or perhaps someone you love and I’m excited for her to be able to share them with you today. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Anne & learn more about her work, go to her website: https://annearcherassociates.com INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Today were going to discuss one of my favorite topics which is neuroscience and the study of the brain!  About 20 years ago I was introduced to neuroscience through the lens of how it applied to coaching, training and leadership development. This understanding of neuroscience instantly gave me a context for why a particular development approach worked well and why another didn’t. I found that when the approach sync’d with how the brain works it was successful, when it ran counter it almost always failed. It changed the way I trained and coached. And ever since, I’m always on the lookout to increase my knowledge and understanding of neuroscience.  Needless to say, I was really intrigued when I heard a friend use the phrase “brain myths” during a conversation. Ooh, tell me more!  So let me step back a bit for a minute and tell you about my friend. Jess Walcott is an assistant professor at Bucks County Community College where she teaches neuroscience and biology. Her undergraduate work at Bryn Mawr College was in chemistry and psychology but she then went on to complete a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, Jess began a career as a medical writer working on regulatory submissions for new drugs and writing publications in scientific journals which she found more gratifying that running her own experiments. On a lark, she began teaching biology at Bucks and realized this was WAY more engaging than sitting at a computer analyzing patient data. These days her focus is completely on teaching where she concentrates on boosting scientific literacy and getting messy doing real experiments.  Back to brain myths.   As as a fun and  interesting way of pulling together the learning for her students at the end of the semester, Jess challenges them to identify a myth about the brain and then explain why it’s not true. There are many beliefs about the brain that we commonly believe are true, when in fact they’re not. What are we talking about here? You know things like there are left-brained and right-brained people. That the brain works like a computer. Another one is very common is the belief that we only use 10% of our brains. Of course a favorite of mine, and apparently of Jess’ students is the myth that drinking alcohol can kill brain cells.  Jess and I sat down to discuss these brain myths and others and to get into some of the science that underlies these fallacies and if there are parts of them that might in fact be a little bit true. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Jess is an adjunct professor at Bucks County Community College where she gets to learn along with her students in neuroscience and biology. Although she majored in chemistry and psychology for her undergraduate work at Bryn Mawr College, she studied neurodegeneration in an inherited form of muscular atrophy to complete her Ph.D. in neuropharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, Jess began a career as a medical writer working on regulatory submissions for new drugs and writing publications in scientific journals which she found more gratifying that running her own experiments. On a lark, she began teaching biology at Bucks and realized this was WAY more engaging than sitting at a computer analyzing patient data. These days her focus is completely on teaching where she concentrates on boosting scientific literacy and getting messy doing real experiments. Outside of the classroom, Jess serves on the board of directors for a residential summer camp and volunteers at an organic farm. Jess also has two boys who provide her with countless opportunities to marvel at the wonders of the developing brain. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work at: http://chrisluccamusic.comand find him on Twitter:@Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: Bias. You may think you’re immune to it - but you’re not. We all have biases and they come from a multitude of sources which accumulate over the course of our lives. These biases impact how each of us view the world, our decision making processes and how we interact with others. The impact of bias is felt everywhere - in the workplace, the classroom, and in our larger society. Unfortunately, we’re often unaware of our biases, hence the term “unconscious bias”.  But what can we do about unconscious bias - after all, it’s unconscious, right? On the surface it might seem hopeless but luckily, there are strategies to manage unconscious bias and its impacts. To explore the options and opportunities, I asked an expert in unconscious bias to join us on today’s podcast. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Glenda Gracia-Rivera is the Director of Professional Development and Training at the Center for Women & Work, Rutgers University. Glenda’s work focuses on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in education and corporate industries through professional development, leadership training, curriculum development, student programming, and provision of technical assistance. In addition to this, she also has an extensive background in program development and management. Prior to coming to the Center for Women & Work, Glenda was with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families in their Office of Education. She has also worked for the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey in Trenton, and FOCUS Hispanic Community Center in Newark, where she was responsible for implementing various human service and youth development programs. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, and a Master of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University.  Outside of her responsibilities at Rutgers, Glenda is also engaged in various volunteer efforts that focus on women/girls, education, and underserved communities. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Mercer Street Friends in Trenton and serves as the Chairperson for their Governance Committee. For the past 28 years she has also proudly served in various leadership roles for her sorority Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. whose mission is to “Educate, Elevate, and Empower” all women.  SHOW NOTES: To connect with Glenda or learn more about her work go to: https://smlr.rutgers.edu/faculty-staff/glenda-gracia-rivera.  INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

In this Episode: Even for experienced job-seekers the process of recruiting, and what recruiters actually do, can be a mystery. One that can often lead to confusion, anxiety and unmet expectations. To provide some clarity and guidance, I spoke with experienced recruiter Ed Han about what recruiters actually do, how job requirements come together and some tips for job-seekers to improve their chances of landing the job. About our Guest: Ed Han is a recruiter and job seeker ally with a passion for networking and helping professionals return to the workforce. As a veteran of several industries, including publishing, financial services and software, Ed has a keen understanding of, and appreciation for, the skills and traits valued in a wide range of environments, regulated and otherwise. Although he came to recruiting six years and change ago, Ed finds fulfillment professionally as a recruiter, and that the diversity of his prior work experience is a great boon in connecting with people from a broad range of industries and experience. Active in his community, Ed helps facilitate the job search group NJ JobSeekers in Princeton NJ, has previously served as the Executive Chair of the PSG of Mercer County, and as the online community manager for the HR networking group Whine & Dine. Since autumn 2017 he is also an adjunct instructor at Princeton Adult School where he leads a course about LinkedIn. Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Albright College (Reading, PA) awarded in 1993. Ed is also an avid social media fiend. Show Notes: To connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmhan/  Insight at Work Podcast theme music: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. About the Host: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

IN THIS EPISODE: It can be hard to make tough decisions even in the best of circumstances. It’s even more challenging in times of crisis when you or a loved one are suffering with a chronic or potentially life-threatening illness or injury.  It can be overwhelming and it’s easy to feel lost. It's the job of hospital chaplains to support patients and family members in navigating these trying times and helping them make what can be some of the most difficult decisions they will ever face. Today’s guest, Ted Taylor, is a chaplain and Director of Pastoral Care & Training at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.  Ted supervises the spiritual and emotional care provided by the hospital’s more than twenty volunteer and intern chaplains.  He also supervises a clinical pastoral education training program affiliated with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP).  Ted is a liaison to nearby religious communities and partners with area congregations to provide compassionate support to neighbors in need.  He also is a clinical resource for bioethical and end-of-life dilemmas. In today’s episode Ted and I discuss: what a chaplain does in their everyday work life; using “reverent listening” to discover, understand and clarify what’s most important; making sense of complex and/or vague situations; defining hopes instead of outcomes; and how to maintain a sense of resiliency and calm when the world around you is chaotic and tumultuous. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Chaplain Tedford J. Taylor, MDiv, BCCC, FHPC, Dip. CPS, Director, Pastoral Care & Training Ted joined Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in 2007 as the Director of Pastoral Care & Training. Prior to joining RWJ Hamilton, Ted spent five years as Manager of Spiritual & Complimentary Care for Samaritan Hospice, Marlton, NJ.  Prior to this, Ted served as the executive director of the New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (now Learning Ally) in Princeton, NJ.  Ted also has parish ministry experience as a lay pastor in the United Methodist Church and business administration experience as a community banking officer in the Baltimore, MD region.   Engaged in the life of our greater community, Ted has served on the Board of Trustees for Mercer Street Friends (a local human services agency). Ted is also a founding member of the NJ Goals of Care Coalition.  He is active as a member and treasurer of the Princeton Chapter of the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (CPSP) and serves on the Medical Society of New Jersey Bioethics Committee.  On a national level, Ted is a member of the Certification Committee for CPSP, and also recently chaired the steering committee for Quakers in Pastoral Care & Counseling. Ted holds a diplomate in pastoral supervision through CPSP, and is board certified as a clinical chaplain with CPSP, with a clinical fellowship in hospice & palliative care.  Ted is also a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains, the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, and the American Society for Bioethics & Humanities. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, a graduate certificate in Healthcare Law & Policy from Union Graduate College, and a Bachelor of Arts from The College of William & Mary. He has attended the theological studies programs at Regent's Park College at Oxford University, Oxford, England; and The Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore, MD.  Ted completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training through Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia and Cooper Hospital / University Medical Center, Camden, NJ.  He completed his CPE Supervisory training at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ.  Ted resides in Ewing Township, Mercer County, NJ with his husband Kevin Hulbirt.  He is a recorded minister in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and an active member of the Yardley Monthly Meeting in Yardley, PA, who endorse his pastoral care ministry.  SHOW NOTES: Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom, on Amazon at https://amzn.to/31kplJi. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.

In this Episode: So you might ask: “Where does a coach go when they need coaching?” The answer is to go to another coach: one they trust, one who has wisdom, and one who can help them see things from different perspectives. But most importantly, one who can foster the insights that can help solve the dilemmas they’re confronting. In my case, that person is Linda Sepe. She’s has been a dependable and wise source of counsel and clarity for nearly 30 years.  She’s helped me navigate my way through some tough and challenging times, keeping me both focused and grounded. She does so with a strength and purpose that is always bounded by both hope and humor. Today Linda and I explore the nature of insight, how to get it, how to validate it, and what to do with it once you’ve got it. About our Guest: Linda Sepe was born and raised in northern New York State and is a graduate of Syracuse University.   Most of her early work life focused on teaching and learning.  She was especially interested in the measurement of learning. She is the co-creator of the New York State Adult External High School Diploma program - an applied performance test mechanism which certifies learning and awards adults with a high school diploma when they demonstrate required skills.   Innovation has been a constant focus throughout her career.  In 1995, she completed the Coaches Training Institute's coaching course, concentrating her work on the innovative energies of entrepreneurs, creatives and individuals with ADHD.   Show Notes: You can reach Linda at lsepecoach@aol.com, please put “Insight” in the subject line. Insight at work Podcast theme Music: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. About the Host: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.  

IN THIS EPISODE: Employee engagement is always a challenge. The most recent Gallup survey shows 34% of US workers are engaged, tying the highest results in the survey's history, while “actively disengaged” is down to 13%, a new low. However, it still means 66% of US workers are not engaged at some level. We know engagement is highly correlated with positive business outcomes so even though the numbers are up, there's still a lot of work to be done. To explore the topic of engagement, I invited a professional colleague of mine, Rich McLaughlin, to join us on the podcast. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Rich has been an observer and practitioner of innovation and employee engagement processes for over 20 years. He has over 13,000 hours designing and facilitating leadership and interpersonal skills workshops, and innovation explorations with teams to help them jump start their change and innovation efforts. He has helped teams as small as 8 and departments as large as 100 learn how to blend external developments (to understand where customer needs are moving) with internal employee engagement processes (to show how to stimulate internal experiments and capitalize on those opportunities). Rich also enjoys helping leaders grow by focusing more on people skills and less on technical ones. He brings an experiential approach in his work with client teams. His client's value the engaging way he works with their people whether facilitating a leadership workshop, working with a specific team, or challenging employees to be more accountable for the whole. Rich spent time learning about instructional design and change management at Accenture, helped Square D Company develop and implement their TQM programs and processes and developed the leadership curriculum and internal consulting practice at Baxter Healthcare during his time as an internal OD practitioner. The last 8 years of his practice he has been following the intersection of Innovation and Design Thinking. Rich received his M.A. in Training and Development for Business from Ohio State University, and has been consulting faculty for the University of Notre Dame's College of Business since 2000. He is author of, Rules of Engagement: A Story About How Leaders Can More Effectively Engage Employees. And he co-authored The Experience-Based Learning Guide: Consulting Tools and Exercises that Facilitate team Performance and Learning Through Action. He is also certified in EQi 2.0, Rummler-Brache process mapping methodology, MBTI, TMI, CCL's 360 Benchmarks, the Hermann Brain Dominance Index, the Matrix Management Institute's Project Management Methodology, the Experience Innovation simulation and Barrett Values assessment tools. Presentations: -  Emotional Intelligence: Key to Sustaining Employee Engagement -  The Leadership Challenge: Compliance or Commitment? -  Team Genius: Simple Ways to Enable Team Innovation - “Oh No, It’s the Millennials!” Leveraging Generational Differences   SHOW NOTES: Connect with Rich on: LinkedIn and at www.McLaughlinCommunity.com  2019 Gallup Employee Engagement Survey: click here   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris's work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca.   ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.

IN THIS EPISODE: Let’s say you have some questions on mentoring: What if you could ask a football player, a wrestler, a coach, a ship captain, a teacher, a physics historian, a published author, a person who lost most of their eyesight, a cancer survivor, and a director on several nonprofit boards, for their perspectives. You’d have a rich and diverse collection of opinions and advice, but getting a hold of all those people might be a bit difficult.  We are lucky that today's guest, Dr. Terry M. Christensen, is all of those things. There are few people who have had careers with the wide ranging and multidisciplinary experiences that Terry has had. From his life-long love of football and wrestling both as a player and a coach, his time as a merchant marine captain, the loss of eyesight that reignited his academic career, his non-profit board service and his battle with cancer. Terry has done it all. And it’s given him some unique perspectives on the topic of mentoring and the value of passing wisdom along to the next generation.   ABOUT OUR GUEST: From an early background in commercial fishing, Terry transitioned to the ocean-towing industry. In 1981, he earned a Merchant Marine Deck Officers License and continued his professional advancement with the vast majority of his merchant sea service being spent in Alaskan waters.   From 1985-1988, Terry served as Chief Instructor of the U.S. Department of Labor Seamanship training program at Tongue Point Job Corps Center in Astoria, Oregon. He also served as Master of the Training Vessels INLAND CHIEFand BIG ED. In 1988, he returned to sea as a deck officer in the ocean towing and salvage trade. In 1990, Terry joined the Maritime Science Department at Clatsop Community College and became one of a select group of maritime instructors across the nation, who were authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard to prepare and administer professional examinations for Merchant Marine personnel.   In 1994, Terry developed a degenerative disease of the optic nerve. The consequent loss of functional vision precipitated a change in career and he began the process of establishing the academic credentials that would allow him to return to teaching.  He earned MS and PhD degrees in the History of Science from Oregon State University and has published several academic papers. Terry continues to volunteer as a coach in the wrestling and football programs at The George School in Newtown, PA. He also has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations including: The Peace Center, the Alumni Association of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Yardley Friends Meeting, and Friends Home and Village.   SHOW NOTES: To connect with Terry on LinkedIn: click here   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca.   ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.

IN THIS EPISODE: Networking is a misunderstood activity, and is often associated only with job search. But it’s much more than that.   Done well, networking can of course help you land a job, but it can also expand your circle of professional contacts, be a source of referrals, or perhaps allow you to find a mentor or even a friend. However, done wrong, it can be a painful and awkward series of one-way interactions that not only won’t help you succeed but may cause people to run in the opposite direction. Today’s guest is Jerome Laday, a master networker who has been successfully networking for over 25 years. In that time he’s learned a lot about how to do things right and how to avoid the pitfalls that can derail your efforts.  He’ll share a simple plan of how to get started networking including: How to begin with the right approach & mindset Key Do’s and Don’ts Steps for effective follow-up after the first interaction How to avoid “dive bomb” networking Building relationships instead of having a transactional approach How to handle the emotional roller-coaster when you’re networking and also in job search mode Understanding the spirit of how to network – that it is more about giving than receiving. And most important guiding principle of all: “Networking is not just for Not-working” ABOUT OUR GUEST: Of course, Jerome's done a lot more than just network over the last 25 years. He has worked as an Human Resources professional for some of the top companies in manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. He is a holder of both SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications, which are the highest possible in the world of human resources. He has been active in several professional associations and is one of the founding members of the Whine & Dine Networking Group. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris's work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.

IN THIS EPISODE: What happens when success isn't enough, when you want to stop climbing the corporate ladder? What are the consequences of not listening to that inner voice? In Amanda Michelle Eschevarria's case, it took a diagnosis of cancer to begin an inner conversation and start asking herself some deeper questions. In this episode of Insight at Work, "Mish" (as she is known to friends and clients alike) takes us on her journey of self-discovery and shares some of the key questions she used to discover her aspirations, reprioritize her life and career, and find a new definition of happiness. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Amanda Michelle Echevarria, known to clients and friends as “Mish”, is a Fulbright Alumna, specialized business consultant, coach, and mentor who assists Fortune 500 companies in the Latin American region in achieving their business goals and improving their corporate culture and stewardship. Before launching her coaching firm, Mish worked for over 15 years in the corporate world as Regional Senior Human Resources Manager and Organizational Development Culture Leader. She had a successful career in helping high profile managers, and members of the C-Suite in turning toxic environments into high-performance organizations.  She now advises and coaches senior leaders on how to maintain a culture that nurtures well-being while delivering high-value results.  Mish has established two coaching scholarships: the WBECS Executive Coaching Scholarship for newly appointed executives who otherwise could not afford a full coaching engagement to improve their careers. the Judith E. Glaser Wellbeing Coaching Scholarship for people who have been diagnosed with chronic diseases and who could benefit from a life & well-being coaching engagement. SHOW NOTES: To connect with Mish on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amechevarria   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca.   ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.

IN THIS EPISODE: Ken Blackwell welcomes you to the inaugural episode of the Insight at Work podcast and lays out his vision for the episodes to follow: "On this podcast I talk with top performers in diverse fields of work to uncover their secrets to success. We explore the insights and breakthroughs that have changed the way they work and, at times, how those insights that have transformed the way they live their lives. Along the way, we’ll also delve into topics like: leadership, teamwork, communication, managing time and stress, mentoring & coaching, and conversational intelligence.  And just generally, how to make work, and life, more productive, engaging and rewarding."   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris's work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca. ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.