People Talk with Angela Hall

Angela introduces the concept of trauma-informed DEI and previews the upcoming MSU ANDIE lab webinar on April 21, 2023 from 12pm to 1pm Eastern.

In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses the current trend of quiet quitting, what it means for customer service, and what to do if you are thinking of quitting quietly

In this episode, Angela gives a preview of the free two-day virtual conference on Leadership Accountability in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that will be held on April 7-8, 2022. Keynote speakers will include Jenny Yang (current Director of the OFFCP and former Chair of the EEOC) and Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi (Professor, Astrophysicist, STEM educator and star of numerous programs on the Discovery Channel Networks). This conference is being presented by Angela's research lab (MSU ANDIE lab). Your can find the full conference agenda and registration information at the following link:  https://hrlr.msu.edu/news/leadership-accountability-in-dei.html

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has many people - including your employees - on edge. Employees are concerned about possible war, rising oil prices, and the overall impact these events will have on their day-to-day lives. There have also been reports of discrimination against Russian-born employees. In this episode, Angela offers advice on how to both maintain an inclusive workplace and allay employees' fears during these uncertain times.

In this first episode of 2022, Angela gives advice for employees and managers for advancing in their careers while promoting their well being.

Many commentators have labeled the decision made by many workers to leave employment during this pandemic as "The Great Resignation." As the labor pool contracts, employers must be more creative in terms of getting and keeping the best talent. In this episode, Barb Runyon, Gentherm, discusses best practices and innovative ideas surrounding attracting and retaining talent during a worker shortage.

The old saying, "the customer is always right" isn't true. Sometimes an organization can and should disagree with a customer, and there are times when the relationship with a customer needs to be severed, particularly when that customer is creating a toxic environment for your employees. In this episode, Angela discusses when and how to fire a customer (and why you shouldn't feel bad about doing so).

Organizations, and the employees within them, all need accountability. But, accountability is not the cure-all for all workplace issues. Moreover, employees in the same role often interpret their accountabilities differently. In this episode, Angela discusses employee accountability, how it can be both a stressor and a motivator, and why managers need to find the "sweet spot" when it comes to assigning accountability.

Minorities and people from other historically marginalized groups often engage in "code switching," which involves changing the way they speak or act when they are not around members of their own demographic groups as a way to fit in. However, shifting identities creates an additional emotional and cognitive burden, often leading to higher stress and burnout. In this episode, Angela discusses code switching and how to provide a climate in which employees can feel comfortable and included at work while still being their authentic selves.

As COVID-19 restrictions are eased, employees are reluctant to come back to work and customers are looking for new ways to engage with organizations. In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses how to reconnect customers and employees as we transition to our new normal.

Now that offices are reopening, many employees have decided that they no longer want to return to work. Some employees have quit rather than return to work; others are trying to convince their bosses to let them work, at least partially, from home. In this episode, Angela discusses what to do when your employees don't want to come back to the office.

With the recent passage of legislation in several states, the topic of protection against hair discrimination for African Americans is an emerging issue to be addressed in the workplace. In this episode, Angela discusses the legal and practical implications of policies relating to hair in the workplace, and other topics related to appearances such as piercings and tattoos.  

Most of us (unfortunately) have had to deal with bad bosses. In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses how to manage your bad boss and how to tell when it's time to exit a bad boss situation.

This week, Angela discusses the trend of positive organizational behavor (POB). POB takes an optimistic view of work and workers. Angela uses the POB framework to discuss best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. That is, rather than looking at historically underrepresented workers in terms of the challenges they have faced, organizations should start looking at them in terms of the opportunities and unique perspectives they bring.

Most of us are guilty of proscratinating. It is a big part of human nature. In this episode, Angela discusses why we proscrastinate and what we can do to make ourselves and others more accountable for getting things started and completed on time.

In this episode, Angela discusses her recent interview that has been cited in Yahoo News and the Detroit Free Press on Ford Motor Company's recent decision to allow many employees the option to elect a hybrid work-from-home model. Angela discusses how remote work should be a key consideration for most employers during this era of rapid changes within the workplace.

Dogs, and many other animals, are now considered important members of many people's families. Emotional support animals and companion animals are now seen in many workplaces. Moreover, as people work from home, many employees have new four-legged "coworkers." In this episode, Angela discusses issues surrounding working with pets and her upcoming research project involving colleagues from MSU College of Veterinary Medicinee.

Harvard University Professor and internationally renowned scholar, Frank Dobbin, joins Angela to discuss why organizational diversity training programs often fail, and what are some empirically-driven techniques employers can utilize to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses why we keep watching ourselves during virtual meetings and what you can do to make virtual meetings less draining for yourself and your employees.

We have all heard the old adage, "the only thing constant in lfie is change." In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses strategies for preparing yourself for change and guiding your employees through both proactive (planned) and reactive (unplanned) changes.

In this episode, Dr. Wayne Hochwarter (Florida State University), joins Angela to discuss why leaders fail and the future of leadership.

Angela is joined this week by Dr. Wayne Hochwarter (Florida State University). Wayne is a leading management scholar and speaker (and just a really fun guy!). In this episode, Angela and Wayne discuss how strong relationships between leaders and subordinates are at the crux of robust organizations and how managers can become successful leaders. (Part 1 of 2)

We have all heard the expression that you need to "pay your dues at work", but for how long? In this episode, Angela discusses how long you should be expected to pay your dues, how to develop your employees as they pay their own dues, and when it is appropriate to tell your boss that you think that you should done paying your dues.

In this provocative episode, Angela chats with Dr. Andrew Mason, head of the Human Augmentation Technologies (HAT) Lab at Michigan State University, about whether universities are training enough STEM graduates to fill the future needs of the workforce, the importance of social skills development for STEM workers, how technology can enhance the performance and lives of humans, and whether we should fear or welcome the rise of artificial intelligence.

Angela talks about whether the price of college and graduate school is worth it, federal student loan forgiveness plans, and why employers should offer tuition reimbursement and student loan forgiveness benefits in order to recruit and retain top talent.

It's a new year....Out with the old, in with the new. In keeping with the new year, Angela discusses both decluttering your physical space at work, but she also suggests "decluttering" as a way to both shape your career path and to rid yourself of toxic work relationships. 

We all need to face battles at work. Although most people generally avoid conflict, sometimes it is necessary to bring about necessary change. In this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses how to successfully pick which battles to fight, and she discusses tactics that have been supported by research to help you win your battles.

We always hear "happy workers are productive workers," but is that true? We all want to be happy, but can you be too happy? How do you achieve happiness at work and in life. To find the answers to these questions, listen to this week of People Talk with Angela Hall.

The holidays can be stressful under normal circumstances.... but add in a pandemic and you create the perfect recipe for stressed out workers. On this episode of People Talk, Angela discusses how to keep your workers and yourself mentally healthy during the holidays. Angela also discusses how to start the New Year in the workplace on a good note.

Employers have a legal, and many would say, an ethical duty to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities so that they can thrive in the workplace. Providing these accommodations is made even more challenging during a pandemic. Angela is joined by national workplace accommodations expert, Professor Stacy Hickox (Michigan State University), who discusses employee accommodations during the current COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Are you down? Feeling unmotivated? Want to change careers? You might have the "COVID-19 Blues." Living under the chronic stress of the pandemic can make us feel depressed, demotivated, and needing a change. On this episode, we talk about how to keep yourself mentally healthy, physically healthy, and energized during the pandemic.

Angela is joined by Artie Miller, former VP of HR for Medtronic and now Principal, Lexington Legacy HR Consulting, to discuss employee sponsorship. Angela and Artie discuss how sponsorship is different from mentorship, what is needed for a successful sponsorship program, and how sponsorship can improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations.

The recent presidential election has caused politics to be a hot topic of conversation. However, as the election results show, the U.S. is very polarized. This episode talks about how to not infringe on employee free speech rights while also maintaining a positive workplace environment for all.

Darryl Robinson, Chief HR Officer and Executive VP of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation's largest health systems with over 140 hospitals, speaks about leadership, persistence, and how to excel in your career.

With the events of 2020, increasingly more organizations are having conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations are requiring that their employees participate in mandatory DEI training (including implicit bias training). However, some studies have found that this type of training can actually do more harm than good. Angela Hall begins this People Talk podcast series with a frank discussion on DEI training.