Strategic Momentum

I started this season with the intention of exploring how people get unstuck — how people can overcome the inertia that sets in after a career setback, or a huge life change, or even just a particularly bad day.The world is rapidly changing, faster and faster with every passing year, and that changes how we have to respond and prepare to move forward and thrive. So I hope this season gives you a little inspiration and empowerment that will help you navigate this complex world and take the next step you need to take in your career or life.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Ep 143: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/143-paul-larsen-imposter-syndrome-finding-your-voice Ep 144: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/144-diamond-michael-scott-great-books-great-minds-community-connection-conversation Ep 145: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/145-sheena-yap-chan-tao-of-self-confidence Ep 146: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/146-tammy-gooler-loeb-work-from-inside-out Ep 147: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/147-elaine-lin-hering-unlearning-silence

Today's conversation feels really important, and it's a topic that really struck a chord with me personally.Elaine Lin Hering's book — “Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully” — really gets to the heart of how and why so many of us feel stuck in our careers and life, as well as the internal and external forces that perpetuate this feeling.And perhaps even more importantly, Elaine shares how we can start to move forward by identifying the unconscious actions — or inaction — that drive so many behaviors, both individually and collectively, so that we can start to make conscious choices to change our experiences, careers, and organizations to better empower everyone.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://elainelinhering.com/Read “Unlearning Silence:” https://elainelinhering.com/book/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainelinhering/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elainelinhering/

For a lot of us, when we feel stuck, it's not necessarily because we don't know what we want — it may be that we feel like we've invested too much time and effort to change course now, or we feel scared of stepping into uncertainty, or we feel like the step's just too big to take given our circumstances.We spend so much time convincing ourselves that we're better off feeling safe than feeling happy, but that perception is more in our heads than it is reality.So today, Tammy Gooler Loeb, author of “Work From the Inside Out” and host of a podcast with the same name, shares her expertise on the critical importance of introspection and self-discovery in shaping — and revealing — a meaningful, satisfying and sustainable career path. We'll explore how deep personal understanding can be a powerful driver for professional growth and success, and how we can tap into the people around us as a source of inspiration and knowledge.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Listen to Tammy's Podcast: https://www.tammygoolerloeb.com/podcastlanding Read: https://www.tammygoolerloeb.com/bookLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammygoolerloeb/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammygoolerloeb/

This is an episode that feels very personal to me, and one I feel will be able to connect with so many others.My guest, Sheena Yap Chan, is The Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of “The Tao of Self-Confidence” and an award-winning podcast host who has interviewed hundreds of Asian women about their inner journey to self-confidence, which is all part of her journey to help women overcome their self-limiting beliefs and live a better life.When I read Sheena's book, I appreciated her desire to bring these cultural and historical mindsets to the forefront. Too often, we inherit limiting beliefs and behaviors that hold us back, and I really saw my own experiences reflected in those pages.These barriers of self-confidence, imposter syndrome, trauma — these are universal challenges, and I think it's so valuable that more people are openly talking about their experiences overcoming these roadblocks because, as Sheena shares in this episode, it's so much harder for us to do that without community, without stories to fuel us with inspiration.So I hope you are inspired by Sheena's story, and I'm thrilled that I can support her on her mission to help Asian Women live their authentic selves and create a stronger voice in the world.Resources:Learn more at https://www.sheenayapchan.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenayapchan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena.yap.chan/

It's really easy to get stuck in a rut. We get accustomed to doing the same thing day in and day out. We can close ourselves off to new thinking, perspectives, experiences, and people.So today, I'm sitting down with Michael Scott to talk about the winding turns of his career journey, how his breadth of experiences drove constant personal growth, and how he's now channeling his personal passion for books to create momentum for others on a global scale through Great Books + Great Minds.Resources:Learn more at https://greatbooksgreatminds.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greatbooksgreatminds/

I really wanted to start this season off with a conversation about something that I think has a way of worming its way into almost every area of every person's life: imposter syndrome.And what I love about this conversation with Paul Larsen is that he sees imposter syndrome as an inevitability for people with a growth mindset. If you're not trying to do anything new, if you're not trying to grow, then you're probably not going to hear that little voice in the back of your head talking you down.But when you think about taking a risk, when you start a new season of your life, we start to doubt ourselves — and, really, if I've learned anything after 143 episodes of this show, it's how common this is.When we understand that this is just a natural phenomenon that occurs in the human brain, then we can remind ourselves that we don't need to overcome anything — it's just a little hint that we're growing. And Paul has some great advice for how we can start to reframe that feeling in every area of our lives.Resources:Learn more at https://www.paulnlarsen.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnlarsen/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyourvoiceasaleader/

This season is dedicated to topics related to personal growth and development. It's an exploration of how we can recognize what may be holding us back and navigate the paths to help propel us forward. Life often throws hurdles our way, but understanding those steps to overcome them is the key to unlocking our true potential.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast

I started this season thinking about transitions -- about the big societal changes that we all have to grapple with, about the personal challenges we end up having to navigate individually, about the increasingly frequent career transitions that most of us experience at some point in our lives, and about how organizations can accommodate people who are constantly changing in a world that is changing just as much.And as I talked to our guests, it stuck out to me how much of the advice was about community, about support. We're all walking a unique path, we're all going through something different, we're all navigating a rapidly changing world of increasing complexity — and none of us can do it alone.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast

Dr. Cori Lathan is a neuroscientist, technology pioneer, inventor, social advocate, and the author of “Inventing the Future: Stories from a Techno-Optimist.”Cori has had such an incredible journey to date. She's trying to shape the world into something better, and I think she has a great perspective on how we each, individually, have a role in creating the future — and a responsibility to make that the best future possible.Cori's experiences have also given her some great insight on how to navigate these huge moments of transition, both in our careers and in society, and I can't wait to share it with you.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.corilathan.com/ Read “Inventing the Future: Stories from a Techno-Optimist”LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clathan/

Part of the reason I share this podcast is because I think there's a lot of value and inspiration in hearing people share their stories. Sometimes we get that from authors, sometimes we get that from mentors, and sometimes we get that from friends. And today's guest is a friend who I'm proud to say has been an inspiration on my own journey.Sara Conde is a sales coach and the Director of New Business at Collective, an online back office platform designed for Businesses-of-One. She has a journey that reminds us it's never too late to try something new, and I think it'll be inspiring for anyone who has ever felt a little stuck in an uncomfortable point in their life. Because even if something is a little uncomfortable, the familiarity can feel safer than taking a leap into the unknown. But if you sit in that discomfort and discontent for too long, it can really add up.

We all know change is hard. It makes us feel uncomfortable. It can be a little scary. But change can also be a good thing. Change can be growth. And in the end, we don't always get to choose when things change.So what does it take to navigate all of the transitions that life throws at us when they seem to be coming more rapidly than ever before? How do we embrace change, develop, and grow?Our guest today is Jordan Gross, an author and Mental Health Therapist on a mission to re-imagine personal development — and make it more accessible to everyone.

“No one pays the fee for the agency for one person. No one person is the answer to everything.” This is a piece of advice that Beth Freedman, CEO of the media agency Dentsu X, received earlier in her career. It's the power of a team — the great people that support an organization — that fuels a business' success. It served her well then, but it was invaluable as a leader navigating COVID-19 and the changes in the workplace that came with it.In a world in constant transition, Beth believes that figuring out how to best navigate those changes takes a village of people who are there to guide and advise you through the learning curve. Whether you're navigating your career or leading an organization through a global pandemic, it's important to acknowledge what you don't know, practice humility, and be unafraid to ask questions. No one person has all the answers. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Connect with Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethfreedman/ Learn more about Dentsu X: https://www.dentsu.com/uk/en

We now live in a world where “the workplace” can mean a lot of different things — and that has a huge impact on the workforce. The transition to hybrid and remote work environments can come with a host of benefits, like time freedom and location flexibility, but it also comes with its own unique challenges. In particular, how do you foster a strong culture that supports people when everyone is distributed? How can you create a sense of connection with others when you haven't met them in person? And how do you make sure your company's values are constantly aligned with your people's values?Ken Babcock is Co-Founder and CEO of Tango, a business productivity software company that improves how organizations capture and transfer knowledge through their documentation solution. He is joined by Allie Klun, Head of Brand Strategy at Tango, to talk about creating an environment that is focused on helping people be their best at work no matter where they are. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Connect with Ken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbabcock/ Connect with Allie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allieklun/ Tango's Team Building Questions: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AuzvEOMsYTTf08GM-wXCRGkZUMQGN23npL3ScUBYZ3o/edit#gid=0 End of Week Reflections: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-p5FhmE1gU3Q6P48zpx4DNP4bG2xuU-2-ftqXg6phpRi9FQ/viewform

A daily commute to a job where you do the same thing every day. A workplace filled with coworkers who do the same. A long career in one industry. We've all heard this before. These are the old definitions of work, or at least the stories most of us were told about it. But this isn't really the way things work, is it?There are new rules of work. And a critical aspect that we all need to understand is that there will be another new set of rules tomorrow because we're in a constant state of transition — so understanding and preparing for what's next requires more than just learning a new set of definitions.Gary Bolles shares what we need to know about The Next Rules of Work — and the next ones after that. Gary is the author of “The Next Rules of Work,” Chair for the Future of Work for Singularity University, and co-founder of eParachute.com, which builds on the insight from his father's hit book, “What Color is Your Parachute?”Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.gbolles.com/Read “The Next Rules of Work:” https://www.amazon.com/Next-Rules-Work-Organization-Uncertainty/dp/1398601632

Life transitions, work, workplace, and career transitions — we have to adapt to so much these days. And I think a lot of people are starting to feel that lately. So I hope you'll join me as we explore perspectives and stories about navigating these changes, and learning to evolve as organizations and people throughout the Fall.Learn more at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast

I write a column for Shared Services Online titled “The Future is Human: Understanding & Shaping the Future of Work.” You can find the column at SSOnetwork.com and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. This is the column for July 2023.Resources:Read the column: https://www.ssonetwork.com/index.php/contributor/connie-steele Learn more about Building the Business of You: http://www.conniewsteele.com/book

My goal with this season was to examine our roles, as both business leaders and people who work, in shaping the future of work.So I started the season by sharing some definitions of the future of work that thought leaders and workforce organizations have come up with. They all share a lot in common, but in general, these definitions are passive; they imagine the future of work as a thing that is going to happen to work, workers, and organizations that we need to figure out how to respond to.I didn't agree with that then, and after having these conversations, I'm even more confident; The future of work will be a result of the choices and decisions that people, organizations, and governments make today.I think it is critical to acknowledge that we are not passive participants in this process — both individuals and organizations are co-creating the future of work.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast

Kate Roberts is a global social entrepreneur and champion for women's leadership through business, philanthropy, sexual health, and art.Kate has had a 30-year career of championing women's leadership through non and for-profit ventures, with a focus on women's sexual reproductive health, sexual wellness and exponential philanthropy. She co-founded Maverick Collective together with Melinda Gates and The Crown Princess of Norway, and more recently, founded The Body Agency, a global fem tech and e-commerce company, and its foundation.Doing the inner work to figure out the alignment of what you are good at, what you love, what the world needs, and what you can be paid to do is important and illuminating — but few people are able to articulate how you take that alignment and put it into action in the real world like Kate.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.kateroberts.org and https://www.thebodyagency.comListen to Sex, Body, and Soul: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sex-body-and-soul/id1578534520

I write a column for Shared Services Online titled “The Future is Human: Understanding & Shaping the Future of Work.” You can find the column at SSOnetwork.com and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. This is the column for May 2023.I share a lot of research in this episode, and if you're interested in checking out those links, you can find them in the show notes below or in the article on Shared Services Online.Resources:Read the column: https://www.ssonetwork.com/index.php/contributor/connie-steele State of Work & Career Success 2023: https://www.conniewsteele.com/research COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/02/16/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america/How Many Americans Work Remotely?: https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/publications/how-many-americans-work-remotely/ “Another Truth About Remote Work:” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/09/work-from-home-numbers/620107/ “CEOs Are Blaming The Need For Mentorship to Justify The Forced Return of All Employees. Reality Calls For a Very Different Approach.:” https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/forcing-your-employees-back-to-the-office-full-time-for/450275 Future Of Work Part 2: Stop Forcing Employees Back To The Office: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/01/27/future-of-work-part-2-stop-forcing-employees-back-to-the-office/?sh=7dab2c3e3ad4 eLearning Industry Future of Work Study: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/01/27/future-of-work-part-2-stop-forcing-employees-back-to-the-office/?sh=7dab2c3e3ad4 “Employees forced back to the office twice as likely to quit than those with choice says new survey:” https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/employee-engagement/employees-forced-back-to-the-office-twice-as-likely-to-quit-than-those-with-choice-says-new-survey/416519 The Rise of the Whole Employee: 20 Years of Change in Employer-Employee Dynamics: https://www.metlife.com/content/dam/metlifecom/us/noindex/pdf/ebts-2022/MetLife_EBTS_2022.pdf “US...

Audrey Wisch is co-founder and CEO of Curious Cardinals, a global mentorship community that connects K-12 students with passionate college mentors. And Audrey is the kind of person who makes me excited about the future.People spend a lot of time talking about Millennials and Gen-Z. And if we're being honest, a lot of the time people are talking about the younger generations, they're complaining about how they just don't make ‘em like they used to.And it's true — Gen-Z is different. Some have different priorities. Some approach their work and career differently. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing. We're in the process of co-creating the future of work, and that process is only going to be improved by embracing these differences and including Gen-Z in that conversation.After hearing from Audrey, I think you'll agree that Gen-Z has a lot to add to the future of work.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.curiouscardinals.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-micay-wisch-39a95a1b2/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AudreyWisch

I am thrilled to bring you a conversation with prolific author and renowned management trainer Bruce Tulgan.Bruce has been one of the leading experts in management for decades now, working with some of the largest organizations in the world to create data-driven systems and practices that nurture more cohesive organizations, and he created RainmakerLearning to help individuals develop their relationship management skills.He's learned a lot about the skills required to succeed, and he wrote a book about what skills will be necessary if you want to be indispensable in a post-pandemic world: “The Art of Being Indispensable at Work: Win Influence, Beat Overcommitment, and Get the Right Things Done.”Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:“The Art of Being Indispensable at Work: Win Influence, Beat Overcommitment, and Get the Right Things Done”: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Being-Indispensable-Work-Overcommitment/dp/1633698491

Sher Downing, PhD, is an EdTech Strategist who guides companies and professionals in the business of digital transformation. I've had the pleasure of working with Sher personally and I think she just brings so much insight on the intersection of learning, technology, and careers.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.downingedtech.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherdowning/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherdowning/

We can see a shift in our relationship with work over the last few years. All of these articles and Twitter threads about things like The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, Career Cushioning... There is this collective desire to be better, to do better, and to feel better, and everyone is scrambling for the right information and language to better understand these phenomena.That's why I partner with Rockbridge Associates to survey workers in the United States every year. I want to help people having these conversations understand how people are feeling about work and life right now, track how they are progressing over time, and offer context for why they feel this way.So, today I'm talking with two of my research partners to break down the key takeaways from The State of Work and Career Success 2023: Gina Woodall and Scott Vanderbilt.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Read the full report at http://whatworkerswant.com/Learn more about Rockbridge at https://rockresearch.com/

For the last 10 years, Brandon Peele, founder of Unity Labs and author of “Purpose Work Nation,” has been developing scalable approaches to activate purpose for the authentic self at work so that organizations win, individuals win, and our democracy wins.Brandon sees discovering your purpose as a Civil Right that everyone deserves — and now he's endeavoring to change the very institutions that shape society to better nurture everyone in this journey, beginning by shaping the organizations we spend most of our time within.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:http://www.brandonpeele.com/The Science of Purpose: http://scienceofpurpose.org/ Read “Purpose Work Nation:” http://purposework.us/

This season, we're talking to futurists and future-forward thinkers about what the future of work will look like. We spent the last episode considering how technology might shape our lives and careers 10, 20, 50 plus years down the road. Today, we're looking at the skills that will be necessary to navigate and lead in the future that's just over the horizon, if not the present.Drew Fortin thinks the employee-employer relationship is fundamentally broken. But he also thinks, for the first time in a long time, there's an opportunity for us to change that and shift the power dynamic between people and the organizations they work within.We talk about what that looks like for leaders, as well as what skills it takes for an individual to navigate an uncertain and winding career.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpfortin/Learn more about Leverage Talent: https://levertalent.com/

Steve Hoffman, AKA Captain Hoff, takes us on a voyage to better understand the radical innovation and transformation that new technologies are likely to cause during many of our lifetimes. He is the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world's leading incubators and accelerators, and the author of “The Five Forces that Change Everything: How Technology is Changing Our Future.”Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more about The Five Forces: https://www.foundersspace.com/five-forces/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/foundersspace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/foundersspace

When we think of innovation, we tend to think about new products, new technologies. But Ken Tencer believes that human ingenuity is the spark that will ignite the future.And Ken really is a passionate student of human ingenuity. He's currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration focused on human ingenuity and innovation, as well as serving as Curator of “Say Hi to the Future,” which is ‘part podcast, part activation, part ingenuity lab and part quantitative assessment.' He is also CEO of SpyderWorks, co-author of two books on innovation, and an adjunct professor at the International School of Management.Ken is dedicated to bringing people together to find solutions for ‘wicked problems' — and he has some critical insight and experience to share on how we can start doing this in our organizations and our own lives.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Say Hi to the FutureLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spyderworksdesign/

I like to start each season by sharing what I'm thinking about and what you can expect in the coming weeks. And in season 9, we'll be examining our roles in shaping the future of work.What comes next will, of course, be the confluence of many changes — shifts in who does the work, how the work is done, when we work, and where we work — but we all have a role to play in shaping those changes. We aren't passive participants in this transformation.Historically, technology has dominated conversations about the future of work. We're not going to do that. When we talk about the future of work, we're going to talk about the future of life — and how people, first and foremost, will shape how, when, where, and why we work.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast

This is my December Column for Shared Services Online, titled “The Faces of the U.S. Workforce.” You can find the column at https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele and you can find the research mentioned in the episode at https://www.conniewsteele.com/research

I said in the first episode of this season that I wanted to double down on inspiring stories as a reminder that we aren't helpless or alone against the unrelenting pace of change and have the power to create positive change for ourselves and the people around us. And I'm proud to say that I think we succeeded.But in listening back to these stories again, it's become crystal clear to me that what Karen Mangia said in episode 119 is correct: we currently have a real opportunity to create change, to change the rules to work and life, because we're all standing at the precipice gazing into the unknown together.Decisions are being made now that will shape our lives for years, possibly even decades, to come. And we can all be a part of that.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastListen to full episodes from this season:Ep. 115 - Getting Along with Difficult People to Build Better Relationships - with Amy GalloEp. 116 - What is Success on Your Terms?: From Poverty to “The Pitch Queen” - with Precious WilliamsEp. 117 - Unlock Your Success, Unlock Yourself - with Samhita JayantiEp. 118 - A Recipe for Success: Curiosity, Community, & Grit - with Kathryn RoseEp. 119 - Changing the Game to Create Success From Anywhere - with Karen MangiaEp. 120 - The Future of Work, Life, & Inclusion - with Giselle MotaEp. 121 - Beautiful Country & The Path to Being Your Whole Self - with Qian Julie Wang

Qian Julie Wang is the author of New York Times Bestseller “Beautiful Country,” a memoir that details her life as an undocumented immigrant living in poverty in the richest country in the world, and managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, a firm dedicated to advancing education, disability, and civil rights on behalf of marginalized communities.And her awe-inspiring story has clearly resonated with a lot of people. After publishing her first book — a nearly 300-page memoir, “Beautiful Country,” written on her phone — she received incredible accolades: an instant NYT best seller, one of President Obama's favorite books of 2021, NPR's best book of 2021, a Today Show Read with Jenna, and more. And I think it's receiving this much attention because it's really important.So, I was thrilled to talk to Qian Julie about her early childhood, how the struggle helped her find fulfillment, and finding the path to being your whole self.Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.qianjuliewang.com/Read: “Beautiful Country”Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qianjuliewang/Twitter: https://twitter.com/QianJulieWangLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qianjuliewang/

Giselle Mota is a futurist and thought leader focused on enabling inclusion as it relates to product design, the future of work, and all things emerging tech, including web3 and the metaverse. Giselle is the Chief of Product Inclusion at ADP, a role that was created specifically so she could bring her background and perspective to impact the full range of ADP's products. As the Chief of Product Inclusion at ADP, she leads DE&I throughout the 200+ product portfolio, defining strategy and supporting product capabilities to ensure the organization designs with an inclusive mindset. This mission towards greater inclusivity comes from her own experiences and identity. Giselle is Afro-Latina, the child of immigrants, and suffers from dyslexia, so she knows all too well what it's like to be “othered.” Her life experience informs her belief that diversity of thought, experience, and opinion is a powerful driver of innovation that ultimately leads to better outcomes. She channels her passion for inclusivity into projects outside of her role at ADP, such as NFTY Collective, a service that helps ensure that people with disabilities are included and represented in web3 and the metaverse. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imgisellemota/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmota/

Karen Mangia is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, VP of Customer & Market Insights at Salesforce, and strategist who focuses on the Future of Work, the Voice of the Customer, and nurturing a sense of Belonging within organizations.  Like so many of us during the pandemic, Karen recognized that we weren't going back to the way things were. She sees an opportunity to change the rules and create the future — but we're holding ourselves and our organizations back by defaulting back to the way we used to do things. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: https://www.readsuccessfromanywhere.com/ (https://www.readsuccessfromanywhere.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmangia/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmangia/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenmangia (https://twitter.com/karenmangia)

This is my October Column for https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele (Shared Services Online), titled “Burnout, Stress, & The Need to Redefine Success.” You can find the column at https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed.

Kathyrn Rose is the Founder of getWise and the wiseHer Foundation. getWise is an expert advice platform that curates a range of business specialists, and small businesses and people who are seeking help can schedule time with the person whose expertise best matches their needs. It's not free, but it's very affordable, and Kathryn shares how this value exchange that getWise delivers benefits everyone. In full disclosure, it's a platform that I am proud to be a part of. And in my experience, this structure is really rewarding because you are able to pay it forward to others who are seeking it out and committed to learning. The wiseHer Foundation, then, is a non-profit organization designed to support women and small businesses around the globe with advisory services, education, and resources on-demand. This is a similar platform specifically for women, and proceeds go towards funding grants for women-owned businesses. What Kathryn has done with her career (her forced second career, as you'll learn about in a few moments) is incredible. But I think what I appreciate most about this episode is that Kathryn shares with us the grit, curiosity, community, and years of hard work that are really necessary to become successful — stories that I don't think we can ever hear too much of in the era of curated lives on social media. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: getWise: https://getwiseconnect.com/ wiseHer: https://wiseher.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamkatrose/

Samhita Jayanti is the Founder and CEO of Ideamix, a coaching company that matches both individuals and organizations with coaches that are best suited to their needs. Sam is also a person who truly understands the uncertainty of modern life — the good and the bad — but few people have developed better tools and techniques for taking it all on. And luckily, she's willing to share what worked with her, while providing us with a better understanding of what coaching really is and how it can play an important role in unlocking our success, which will look different for everyone. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: Learn more at https://www.theideamix.com/ (https://www.theideamix.com/) Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samhita-jayanti/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samhita-jayanti/)

Precious Williams, AKA The Killer Pitch Master, is a 13-time national elevator pitch champion and four time best-selling author. She has also been featured on "Shark Tank," CNN, WSJ, Forbes Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, Essence Magazine, and the movie "LEAP." And her new book — "The Pitch Queen: A Woman's Journey From Poverty To Purpose & Profits" — is a memoir that shares how she rose from the poverty-stricken streets of St. Louis to the global stage of influence. This is one of the most fun, powerful, and poignant conversations I've had the pleasure of recording and I am so happy to be able to share it today. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: Read “The Pitch Queen”: https://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Queen-Journey-Poverty-Purpose/dp/B0B7SJD9XL/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (https://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Queen-Journey-Poverty-Purpose/dp/B0B7SJD9XL/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) Learn more at https://www.perfectpitchesbyprecious.com/ (https://www.perfectpitchesbyprecious.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-l-williams/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-l-williams/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectpitchesp/ (https://www.instagram.com/perfectpitchesp/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerfectPitchP (https://twitter.com/PerfectPitchP)

This is my September Column for https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele (Shared Services Online), titled “Quiet Quitting & Quiet Firing: Don't Forget We're Talking About People.” You can find the column at https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. Shared Services Online: https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele

I wish I had been able to read http://www.amyegallo.com/writing-1 (“Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)”) when I was entering the workforce. Releasing on September 13, 2022, “Getting Along” is a research-based, practical guide for how to handle difficult people at work. Not always feeling equipped to best deal with the kind of people described in this book — and keeping my sanity — was one of the major drivers behind my unhappiness in my past roles. It was even a reason why I made a professional and personal pivot. So I was thrilled to sit down and talk to the author, Amy Gallo, about why she wrote the book and how the framework is used in practice. Amy is also an expert in conflict communication and workplace dynamics, a contributing editor to Harvard Business Review, and a co-host of HBR's https://hbr.org/2018/01/podcast-women-at-work (Women at Work) podcast. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: Learn more at http://www.amyegallo.com/ (http://www.amyegallo.com/) Read “Getting Along:” http://www.amyegallo.com/writing-1 (http://www.amyegallo.com/writing-1) Listen to Women at Work: https://hbr.org/2018/01/podcast-women-at-work (https://hbr.org/2018/01/podcast-women-at-work)

The theme of this past year, both on and off this show, has been adapting to radical change and bridging the gaps to create forward progress. In our lives, in our jobs, in the economy... it's honestly been pretty unrelenting. And, as a result, I think a lot of us are feeling less happy and more than a little stuck. A lot of people are talking about the future of work and they talk about remote work, hybrid teams, the work environment... but those aren't the stories you hear from people who are thriving in the future of work. It's just the power of people. The power of people to help you move, the power of people to help you think differently, the power of people to help you spot the trends. So this season, we're really doubling down on inspiring stories; a reminder that we aren't helpless or alone against the unrelenting pace of change and have the power to create positive change for ourselves and the people around us. Hearing stories from people who have already been there is so helpful for me because it reminds me what I'm capable of, what we're all capable of, so my hope is that this season will help you bring your whole self to every area of your life. Resources: Connect with Connie: https://linktr.ee/conniesteele (https://linktr.ee/conniesteele) Subscribe to the Strategic Momentum podcast: On https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/strategic-momentum/id1261436986?mt=2 (Apple Podcasts) On the https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ime3k7finzrap7xqdhtewtqogk4 (Google Play Store) On https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/music-evo-review/strategic-momentum?refid=stpr (Stitcher Radio) On https://open.spotify.com/show/37gZozvPDvEaQwSs3fqvKl?si=gU8O7_UFScWfkFUf3x1Tmw (Spotify)

This is my July Column for https://my.captivate.fm/SSOnetwork.com (Shared Services Online), titled “Managing for the Future of Work: Human-Centered Management & The Employee Experience.” You can find the column at https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. Shared Services Online: https://www.ssonetwork.com/contributor/connie-steele Strategic Momentum Episode 112: https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/112

I just started a column over at Shared Services Online titled “The Future is Human: Understanding & Shaping the Future of Work.” You can find the column at SSOnetwork.com and I'll also be sharing audio versions of each article as bonus episodes in the podcast feed. Shared Services Online: https://www.ssonetwork.com/

We like to think every season of Strategic Momentum has a story. We don't necessarily plan the narrative, but one of the best parts of making the season is watching the story unfold as our guests touch on similar themes and concepts. So we end every season with one of these compilation episodes to highlight the way our experts' insights, tactics, and strategies compliment each other — and to save you a little time if you aren't able to listen to every episode but want to better prepare yourself for the future of work. And in this season, I think we were really able to see how the world of work has been changing in real time as we all adapt to new levels of uncertainty. And we got a lot of great advice for how individuals can navigate the unique challenges that present themselves today — and, perhaps more critically, why organizations need to change to adapt to this new human-centric era of work and how they can start. Key Takeaways for Individuals Give yourself permission to pause, reevaluate, recalibrate, and re-imagine your life. Success is about playing where you fit best so that you can be your best self. If you have a long-game mindset, there is no finite destination. But that doesn't mean there's no success — it's this mindset that allows you to say, “I'm winning today,” every single day. “There's no one who can force you to be less than who you are, but it puts the onus on you to figure out what you can be and go after it.” —Elaine Pofeldt Want to find your purpose? Do the continuous work of trying to assess what you're interested in, what the market wants, and what you're good at. It will take some testing and learning to find the sweet spot. The journey is not a straight path. Go all-in on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses. Of course, you have to figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are, first. To understand what you can truly delegate, document what you do everyday over a two week period. Once you have that written down, then you can identify who the right people are to help you with these various tasks/initiatives  based on this information.  You are doing yourself a disservice if you're not “info sponging,” or taking what you learn in one area of your life and applying that to other areas of your life. Learning to connect these dots, even when things may not seem related, has a compounding effect. Remember the 3 components of the Free Time framework: Align - should you be doing this in the first place? And if something about the work is not aligned, how can you realign it and recalibrate. Think about how you are systematizing the spirit of your business and remember there's no point in optimizing something that no longer needs to be done. Design - Get clarity and be intentional in designing how you're going to tackle the work before you start. Assign - Ensure you can stay really focused on the work that you're uniquely gifted to do by delegating everything else that you can.  Your calendar should reflect your values, including things such as taking care of yourself and ensuring quality friendships. This requires thinking in advance about how you want to spend your time because the difference between traction and distraction is forethought. You can think of your values as attributes that reflect the person you want to become. You can also break them into the three life domains of you, your relationships, and your work. Being strategic and intentional with your time is a skill like anything else. Don't expect to know exactly what direction you want to go in for the rest of your life right now. Just start by getting into the mindset and habits of a person who is strategic. Things start to get easier from there. As an employee, you can help create a better employee experience by assuming positive intent and providing the feedback that can make their organization better because every employee can be a leader too. This way you can also help bridge the experience gap...

The world of work has fundamentally changed from one that is siloed, sequential, rigid, and conformist to one that's much more fluid, collaborative, multimodal, and individual. People are truly recognizing the importance of being able to bring their whole self to work — and, for the first time for many of us, feeling like they should be empowered to bring their whole self to work. And today, we're talking all about the employee experience in a post-COVID world with Jill Popelka.  Jill is the author of the new book “Experience, Inc: Why Companies That Uncover Purpose, Create Connection, and Celebrate Their People Will Triumph.” She's also the President of SAP SuccessFactors and a sincere believer that purpose drives people, and people drive business performance to help the world run better and improve people's lives. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillpopelka/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillpopelka/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillPopelka (https://twitter.com/JillPopelka) Read: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60308614-experience-inc

Tiffany Pham is the Founder & CEO of Mogul, the largest platform for diverse talent worldwide. Mogul has impacted over 430,000,000 people across 195 countries and 30,470 cities, and it all started with a desire to create a place where women and minority talent could come together to find opportunities, information, and resources to help their career journeys. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur who is changing the game when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she's also a TV personality, an award-winning film producer, and the bestselling Author of “You Are a Mogul” and “Girl Mogul.” This episode shares so much of what I want to spotlight on this show: what it looks like when you relentlessly pursue purpose, how that passion can help build a portfolio career and a company that focuses on bringing positive change in the world, and the winding path filled with constant growth that we have to walk down to flourish. Plus, a really lovely story about how her grandmother inspired it all. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: Learn more about Mogul: https://onmogul.com/ (https://onmogul.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tifftpham/ (https://www.instagram.com/tifftpham/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tifftpham/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tifftpham/)

Nir Eyal's latest book (“https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/ (Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life)”) is an indispensable resource in our uncertain world. Nir goes beyond just providing good time management tips — although he has quite a few of those — by helping us get to the root of why we get distracted in the first place so that we can actively shift from being distractible to being indistractable. And the best part is that these strategies are surprisingly simple. They help you take a big problem — planning your work AND life — and break it down into manageable, solvable situations. And while you're focusing on what you can do tomorrow, you'll end up building habits that make everything easier in the future. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: https://www.nirandfar.com/ (nirandfar.com) Twitter: https://twitter.com/nireyal (https://twitter.com/nireyal) Read "Indistractable:" https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/ (https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/)

Hooman Radfar is the co-founder and CEO of Collective, the world's first online, back-office platform designed to support businesses-of-one. He's a passionate and purpose-driven leader, and the confidence he has in his purpose is admirable. And I am thrilled to share his journey with all of you today because I think it really speaks to one of my favorite things — the transformative power of learning to redefine success as progress. The Kaizen of it All Because Hooman Radfar has been living with this mindset since he was a kid. Having come from an immigrant family, Hooman developed an extreme work ethic. His parents were also psychiatrists, and he grew up encouraged to be introspective, to reflect on the Why behind things. And then his dad gave him a book called Kaizen, which is about the Japanese principle of continuous self-improvement. When you mix this all together, you get a potent cocktail of personal development and perspective — and there is so much to learn from that. And that perspective came in handy after graduating college, when Hooman had difficulty landing a job after college even with a great educational background. . So he did what he could do while still moving forward: he became an entrepreneur. “I can't be more broke, right?” Continuous Self-Improvement & Ikigai Hooman's path was less about a single choice and more of a combination of many small choices that led to a clear trajectory. But he always had a guiding light, given to him by his father: “Just move in the direction of your dreams.” He made incremental decisions to do so , which started with his interest in building things and fascination with technology. And along the way, it was a process of learning what he was good at and what he wasn't. Hooman sees life as a giant AB test, where we are experimenting to determine the intersection between what you're interested in, what the market wants, and what you're good at. This is the concept of Ikigai, and at that beautiful intersection is where you find a sense of purpose, a reason for being. “And if you could find that and get into a flow state, then you don't feel like work is work. It's just what you do.” Growing to Plant the Seeds for Collective Hooman's first company, AddThis, was a marketing automation platform designed to help website providers drive traffic engagement with these easy plugins. This wasn't just his first company, it was really his first job, and that came with a lot of unknowns. But it ultimately led to a tremendous amount of growth, and it gave him a solid foundation for his next role as a venture capitalist. But venture was a “single-player game.” Hooman missed building and being part of a team. And he saw an opportunity to help small businesses — those businesses like his mom's and dad's — leverage technology so they can focus on their profession and not their paperwork. So he started Collective to be that online back office platform. In hindsight, his current role is a confluence of all these experiences, roles, and interests from his past, culminating in a clear mission and purpose. Building for Purpose, Not Outcome It's those experiences that now give Hooman a lot of perspective on the purpose of a company.  Many entrepreneurs are focused on outcomes. And that singular focus can and does, inevitably, lead to challenging circumstances that can negatively impact people. However, Hooman shares that “a company is just one collection of people who are on a mission to help another set of people.” Subsequently, the job of the CEO is to provide direction to achieve that mission, that “principle that gives them the sense of permanence” as well as the safest path forward. And it's incumbent on businesses to internalize the collective consciousness of its people and not focus on the structure; the culture of your business is more important than the structure of your business. “The real...

As I listened to podcasts, read studies, and talked to the upcoming generation of leaders, I heard the same things over and over again. People were no longer focused solely on money, title, and power. I increasingly started to hear people talking about purpose, passion, and freedom. Right before my eyes, people were shifting from a ‘live to work' mindset to a ‘work to live' mindset. Work isn't just about money anymore, it's about meaning. I became obsessed with studying how others were feeling and what they truly wanted as people. I wanted to understand the “business of work” — the who, what, when, where, and why that makes people and the companies they work for thrive or fail. What holds people back? What gets people stuck? And what does it take to create positive momentum? Making this podcast is part of that. Writing “Building the Business of You” was part of that. But I want my work in the Future of Work space to be built on a foundation of data — and that's why I started the State of Work and Career Success two years ago. We just launched the second annual report, titled What Workers Want, last week. And today, I'm talking to two people who partnered with us to make this possible, Gina Woodall and Scott Vanderbilt. Validating Experiences with Data Ten years ago, I was working as the CMO of a technology company. This was what I spent most of my life working toward up until this point. Being in the C-suite was what I was supposed to do. It's what I thought I wanted to do. But in reality, the role, the environment, they weren't a fit for me at all. I was a mom of two young children. And like many working moms, I felt tremendous stress from trying to juggle my professional and personal lives. You just feel like you're being pulled in so many different directions, but you're not actually able to devote the amount of energy you want to in each place. Achieving this milestone — what I had originally deemed as a marker of success — didn't feel like success. I needed to make a change, for my family, for my life, and for my own health. And over the next ten years, and especially over the last two years, I've seen thousands and thousands of people come to this same realization: what I want and need isn't being served by the organization I work for or the role I'm in now. Scott and Gina fall into this group as well; they don't have traditional career paths and they've ensured flexibility was part of their daily life. As the President of Rockbridge Associates, Gina has also seen the value of empowering everyone on her team to work how and when they work best. And it was encouraging that they were just as excited by the results we got from this year's survey. As Gina says, “For the first time, we had a chance to dive really deeply into understanding American workers in terms of how they achieve personal career success and what they're doing to reach it.” Purpose over Profit Success today is more than about money. What we want, what we need, is spending time with those we love, being fulfilled, and getting the most out of life. And the work we do and the career we have are connected to all of that.  As Gina shared, being successful in your job leads to being successful in your life. But unfortunately, many of us don't feel that way. However, there is something that we can do about it and specifically prioritize so that we can create the traction we are looking for. And that involves having a career plan and recruiting the support system who can get us there.  Getting clarity around what it is you want to do is so important to determine what path to take next. It enables you to determine those people who align to what you will need today and tomorrow.  For organizations, if you have workers who feel successful, they are more likely to be committed to the organization. They'll stay and even recommend you to others because they'll be satisfied with the...

Jenny Blake is an author and podcaster who helps entrepreneurs move from friction to flow through smarter systems, powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams. Her third book, “Free Time,” launches March 22 — and it's just in time for me! It's easy to get caught up in just getting things done without really stopping to think how it could get done faster or better, or if you're really the right person to be getting it done at all. And "Free Time" is made specifically for people who are struggling with busywork, what Jenny calls the bottleneck in the way of your profit and potential. After reading the book, I've been thinking about my business and what I do in it completely differently, and I'm so excited for the rest of the world to get ahold of this. Anyone who preorders a hardcover or ebook edition prior to 3/22/22 is eligible for the https://itsfreetime.com/bogogo (Buy One, Get One, Give One) bonus. They can submit their receipt to receive instant, early access to the audiobook edition, with instructions on how to gift one early copy of the audiobook to a friend. What is “Free Time?” We talked to Jenny back in https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/76 (episode 76) to discuss career pivoting, a topic that only got more important as the pandemic continued and we saw some huge changes to the workforce. She offers an easy-to-follow framework with The Pivot Method, and that's one of the reasons we really appreciate Jenny as a podcast guest and an author — she always offers concrete systems and tactics that anyone can leverage. “Pivot” was about adapting to change. If change is the only constant, how do we get better at it? And how do we more strategically map what's next, particularly by starting with small pilots and experiments.  “Free Time” is about optimizing what's here now. So within our current role, how can we reduce the level of overwhelm, burnout, and busywork that we typically face in our business?  Many business owners and even leaders of organizations have had this need to control everything where we become the Chief Everything Officer. There is often a fear that if these activities are not within our domain of control, then we're not going to get to the outcome you want. Which then leads to stress and stress is a systems problem.  The ultimate goal of “Free Time” is what Jenny calls High Net Freedom. This is freedom of choice; what we work on, when we work on it, and with whom. You're optimizing for time and energy, not just money. The “Free Time” Framework: Align, Design, Assign The Free Time framework is composed of three stages intended to help you spot important trends in how you work so that you can simplify, streamline, and de-stress.  1. Align. The first stage is about aligning a project or an area of the business to your values, energy, and strengths. The goal is to understand what is giving your energy and what is taking it away. It's about figuring out, should you be doing this in the first place? And if something about the work is not aligned, how can you realign it and recalibrate? Think about how you are systematizing the spirit of your business and remember there's no point in optimizing something that no longer needs to be done. Your values are an important piece of this because they provide the logic for you and your team to make the relevant tradeoffs and decisions when there are tough choices to make. But it's important to communicate that logic to everyone else because they have to understand what those values truly look like in practice. 2. Design. The second stage asks us to be really intentional about the ideal outcomes and impact, and even designing a process for how you want to work on something. This is where you start to think about how to map out what to do and how to do it.   You can't just decide you want to stop doing busywork and drop it all. You have to be intentional and design how...

Kim Scott is all about creating workplace environments where everyone can really be their best selves and reach their growth potential, and her latest book https://kimmalonescott.com/just-work (“Just Work”) offers a valuable framework and set of tools to help address many of the workplace injustices that too many of us have endured over the years.  The book is timely because it reflects how the traditional norms are fundamentally changing. The future of work will center around a workplace that respects everyone's individuality while also enabling them to collaborate effectively so we can ultimately do our best work. Becoming an Upstander at Work To create that ideal workplace, leaders have to understand that it's their responsibility to create a just work environment — and learn how to be what Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo calls an upstander. In my conversation with Dr. Zimbardo in https://www.conniewsteele.com/episodes/18 (episode 18), he talked about the bystander effect. That's when we observe injustice happening, but take no action or even confront it. An upstander is someone who takes action in these situations. And I think being an upstander when you see bias, prejudice, or bullying in the workplace is something that many people have wanted to do but have never felt they had the ability to do. So it's wonderful to now have a framework and a set of tools so that we can all collectively work towards a better workplace. The Why Behind “Just Work” Kim's first book was “Radical Candor: How to Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.” But she had a conversation that helped her realize that being radically candid isn't equally easy for everyone — particularly people of color who already have to navigate bias and stereotypes. Kim realized that she, like almost all business leaders, had played a role in preventing Just Work in the past, both in the sense of justice and in the sense of just getting stuff done.  We aren't usually doing this on purpose. But when we don't use our power to be upstanders and make work a place where everyone feels supported, we are still perpetuating injustice. What are Workplace Injustices? (And How Do We Respond to Them?) Workplace injustice is not a monolithic problem, it has specific parts. And if you can break a big problem down into smaller parts, it becomes easier to solve. Kim identifies the root causes of workplace injustice as bias, prejudice, and bullying, and the way we respond to each problem is different: Bias is unintentional. It's an unconscious thought that we have, but not a conviction or belief.  Kim shares a real story of a situation where two teams were meeting to negotiate a deal. One team was composed of two men and one woman. As the other side filed into the room, they  ended up sitting by the two men leaving the one woman alone at the end. That woman was the one that had the most expertise for her team and was the one who could win the deal. However, the other side was only addressing questions to her colleagues. This is where a male co-worker was able to use an ‘I statement' to be an upstander. When he stood up and said “I think we should switch seats,” it made everyone realize what was happening, made a victim of injustice feel more respected, and allowed them to get back to work. That's often all it takes to address bias; kindly making people aware of it. Prejudice is a conscious, negative belief about another person, usually rooted in cultural stereotypes.  Kim shares an experience that her business partner witnessed. They were hiring and the best candidate was a Black woman with natural hair, yet the hiring manager said they couldn't hire her because of her hair. The best way to deal with prejudice in the moment is with an ‘It statement,' as opposed to  a ‘You statement' or ‘I statement.' A You statement (e.g. You are being racist) can feel accusatory and make...

Justin Lafazan and Dylan Gambardella are Co-Founders and CEOs of NextGen HQ, a mentorship platform dedicated to helping Next Generation Leaders succeed at work and life. And when I first heard about this platform, I knew I had to talk to the people who created it. I had the benefit of wonderful mentors and friends who supported me along my own growth journey, and I really don't think I would have gotten here without that support. So I feel compelled to pay it forward — and it has been really fulfilling talking to and working with Justin and Dylan so far. For other leaders out there, I hope these two are inspiring for you as they were to me — and for the younger listeners, I hope you're able to find the same kind of support I had in learning to “win” at work and life, as Dylan and Justin say. Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast (https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcast) Resources: https://www.nextgenhq.com/ (www.nextgenhq.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextgenhq/ (https://www.instagram.com/nextgenhq/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextgenhq/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextgenhq/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nextgenhqofficial (https://www.facebook.com/nextgenhqofficial) Twitter: https://twitter.com/nextgenhq/ (https://twitter.com/nextgenhq/)