The Modern People Leader

Abby Brennan joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed the power of ONA as the “shadow org chart,” how it reveals hidden influencers, and why it may be key to building smarter, more connected teams in the age of AI.---- Sponsor Links:

Jessica Zwaan joined us again on The Modern People Leader to unpack how to structure a people ops as a product team. She shared four ways to build an HR squad, how to use a spider diagram for squad design, and why it's smart to pilot just one squad first.---- Sponsor Links:

Bryan Power, Head of People at Nextdoor, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how the company is navigating its “third era” under the return of co-founder Nirav Tolia. We explored “The Founders Mentality”, embracing an owner's mindset, and Nextdoor's AI bootcamp.---- Sponsor Links:

Jessica Zwaan, COO at Talentful and author of Built for People,  joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about “human ops” versus “people ops”, the sprint planning process for her people team, and how nobody gets people ops as a product 100% right (and that's ok).---- Sponsor Links:

Taylor Bradley, VP of Talent Strategy and Success at Turing, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about why every HR team needs to create an AI “prompt pantry”, how Turing “AI'd” their way out of onboarding 800 employees in five days, and how to build AI workflows for HR.---- Sponsor Links:

Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about Atlassian's latest research on the three things the best teams do differently, the power of unleashing collective knowledge, and why distributed teams have a headstart on AI adoption.---- 

Pat Wadors, CHRO at Intuitive, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to find and amplify the golden nuggets of your culture, the three layers of a great employee experience, why you need to “touch the elephant”, and what kids' stories can teach us about leadership.---- 

Jessica Zwaan returned to The Modern People Leader for a deep dive on how her PeopleOps as a Product philosophy came to life. We talked about the early days of the framework, writing her book, and the launch of MPL Build — a new collaboration between MPL and Jessica to bring the methodology to more teams.---- 

Shane Koller joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about adopting a product mindset in HR, how Ancestry's people team built their “product roadmap”, and why even great HR programs fall short when they're not connected.---- 

Michele Bousquet joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her career journey, leading with heart, and why HR shouldn't be so complicated.---- 

Michael Walsh, CEO of Cariloop, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed the caregiving challenges facing employees today, how companies can better support working caregivers, and the data-backed insights from Cariloop's Top Needs Report.---- 

Linda Aiello (CPO, DraftKings), Carmel Galvin (CPO, Klaviyo), and Stacey Richey (Global VP, People, Smartcat), joined us for MPL Live in Boston, Massachusetts.We talked about the current state of HR, how roles are shifting with AI, and how they're moving beyond traditional engagement metrics.---- 

Shlomit Gruman-Navot joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her evolution as a people leader and how Miro is making AI learning a priority for employees. ---- 

Brandon Carson, Chief Learning Officer at Docebo, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about the one thing holding companies back from adopting AI faster, why AI makes learning “scaled to one”, and why the future of work isn't about replacing humans - it's about amplifying them.---- 

Crystal Boysen, Chief People Officer at Sprout Social, joined us for a deep dive into People Debt. We discussed what it is, how to identify it, and specific areas where Sprout Social is focusing its efforts to address it.---- 

Brian Elliott, a leading expert on flexible work, joined us on the show.We talked about whether or not remote work is actually dead (looked at the actual data), the questions to ask when your CEO pushes for a RTO, and why a return to office won't fix bad management.----  Sign up for our upcoming webinar with ChartHop. Get Atlassian's free guide to AI-powered knowledge management Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston.---- (07:36) How Brian became a leading voice on the future of work(13:39) The origins of Slack's Future Forum and key findings(14:56) The media vs. reality: Is remote work really dead?(17:14) CEOs pushing RTO: Data-driven decision or gut feeling?(19:02) The role of real estate, stealth layoffs, and productivity concerns(23:27) The trust factor: Why some leaders struggle with hybrid models(26:35) Politics and workplace decisions: The hidden forces at play(28:34) The shift from central business districts to neighborhood economies(30:37) The future of work isn't fully remote or in-office—it's flexible(34:12) How HR leaders can push back on RTO mandates(38:19) The contradiction: CEOs demanding AI innovation while enforcing RTO(41:50) Performance management in a hybrid world: Why tracking outcomes matters(47:33) How leading companies successfully implement flexible work policies(49:30) The impact of return-to-office policies on women in the workforce(54:23) What cities will look like in a remote-first future(57:57) Five years from now: What will the workplace look like?(01:01:43) The economic realities of remote work and city tax structures---- 

Lucia Guillory, Chief People Officer at Virta Health, joined us on the show.We discussed how HR teams can adopt a product-driven mindset, the importance of leadership self-awareness, and how Virta Health fosters connection in a fully remote work environment.---- Submit the craziest request you've ever gotten in HR.Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston.---- (07:24) Lucia's career journey from psychology to HR leadership(08:52) The importance of authenticity and self-awareness in leadership(13:39) The process of unlearning leadership habits and self-doubt(21:05) What Virta Health does and its mission to reverse diabetes(23:57) Can you build community on a fully remote team(26:30) The challenges and successes of transitioning to remote-first(28:14) How remote work impacts employee meaning and connection(30:31) The role of culture in a distributed workforce(35:39) How Virta Health structures onboarding for remote employees(38:54) HR as a product: Building an employee experience life cycle(43:26) Why job leveling is the foundation of a strong HR function(47:01) How to identify when compensation structures aren't working(49:30) Rapid fire questions----

We talked about the growing backlash against DEI initiatives and why companies are scaling back their commitment, the potential hidden agendas behind RTO mandates, and the current frustrations with HR tech. ----  Submit the craziest request you've ever gotten in HR. Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston. ----  Timestamps: (08:11) The anti-DEI movement (14:23) Did DEI programs scale too quickly post-2020? (18:29) The role of activists in influencing corporate DEI rollbacks (26:07) Are RTO mandates being used to justify workforce reductions? (29:25) The impact of return-to-office policies (36:58) The growing frustration with HR tech—why is it failing? (45:42) Has AI-driven HR tech delivered on its promises? (50:17) Are legacy HR systems holding companies back? (57:00) The college admissions debate and perceptions of fairness in hiring (01:05:44) One-word close ---- 

Dave Scott, Chief People and Administration Officer at ADT, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed ADT's evolution from a services to tech company, Dave's journey from Walmart to leading HR at ADT, and how to cut costs in HR without cutting value. ----  Submit the craziest request you've ever gotten in HR. Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston. ----  Timestamps: 06:39) Dave's professional journey: From Walmart to ADT (11:01) Dave's early career as a professional clown (12:33) ADT's mission and transition to a technology company (22:40) ADT's transformation: A product-focused mindset (27:51) Hiring strategies to attract tech talent at ADT (30:39) Transforming the HR function at ADT (35:24) Skills and organizational design for the future workforce (41:34) Cost management strategies for HR in 2024 and beyond (49:55) Rapid-fire questions ---- 

Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the LPGA, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her transition from the San Antonio Spurs to the LPGA, 2025 HR predictions, and the LPGA People Team goals for the year. ----  Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston. ----  Timestamps: (03:21) Sam's journey to the LPGA (14:47) Challenges and learnings from 2024 (17:42) Leadership goals for 2025 (21:25) Mantras for 2025 (23:26) Predictions for HR in 2025: Challenges and opportunities (27:25) AI's role in HR: Optimizing work with tools (29:54) Addressing key challenges in DEI and organizational change (33:45) 2025 HR goals and Sam's strategic planning approach (40:33) The most critical HR goal for the LPGA in 2025 (46:16) HR tech stack considerations and streamlining processes ---- 

This is the 2024 MPL Awards Show. Each of us selected a winner for the four different awards: (8:14) Award #1: The CEO Whisperer (18:27) Award #2: The Best Hang (24:19) Award #3: The Data Hero (39:15) Award #4: The Innovator ----  MPL Links: Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston Fill out this survey to help us improve the podcast ----  Episodes referenced: Episode 148 - Hannah Yardley (Chief People Officer, Achievers) Episode 165 - Brandon Sammut (Chief People Officer, Zapier) Episode 186 - Hebba Youssef (Chief People Officer, Workweek) Episode 193 - Brené Brown Episode 149 - Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian) Episode 187 - Nick Bloom (Stanford Economist & Co-Founder of wfhresearch.com) Episode 167 - David Hanrahan (Chief People Officer, Flare) Episode 194 - Melanie Rosenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox) ----  Interview referenced: Brian Chesky - Founder Mode interview ---- 

Brené Brown, professor, author, and podcast host, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed her experience as a leader, the concept of metacognition, and the leadership skill of creating space between stimulus and response. ----  (1:35) Good news stories (3:45) Brené's story (19:49) Every day is leg day as a leader (25:47) Metacognition (28:25) Creating the space between stimulus and response (44:08) The challenges of implementing a four-day workweek (47:00) Rapid fire questions exploring leadership and the future of work ---- 

Colin Mincy, Chief People & Culture Officer at Centering Healthcare Institute, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We dove deep into his personal transformation, how his leadership style has evolved, and the tough truths HR professionals face today. Colin shared his journey of progress over perfection, emphasizing small wins, accountability, and momentum to create lasting change—both personally (losing 68 pounds and reclaiming his energy) and professionally. ---- 

Robert H. Johnson Jr., author of Safe, Seen, Heard, and Valued and TEDx speaker, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We explored the power of "little L" leadership and how organizations can harness the potential of unsung heroes within their teams. ----  Timestamps: (09:24) Robert's origin story and early leadership journey (15:00) The concept of psychological safety and Robert's book Safe, Seen, Heard, and Valued (17:37) Robert's TEDx talk: The Power of the Little L (18:55) Differentiating between big L and little L leadership (24:14) Stories of little L leaders making an impact (27:10) Why companies should invest in little L leaders (30:44) Three E's framework: Education, Experience, and Exposure (38:03) Building cultural giants vs. empowering everyday leaders (43:07) Characteristics of a little L leader and their impact (49:47) Living in a big L world and the shift needed (52:55) Lessons from the pandemic and employee engagement whiplash (56:52) Words of encouragement for little L leaders (59:46) The Three C's of Community: Curiosity, Commonality, Connection (01:06:44) Rapid fire questions ---- 

This episode was originally released on 1/22/2024. Annie Dean, VP of Team Anywhere at Atlassian, joined us on The Modern People Leader.  She shared Atlassian's learnings after 1,000 days of distributed work: their calendar redesign experiment, the impact of in-person gatherings on team connection levels, and the ROI of real estate at Atlassian.

Michelle Kay, VP of Learning & Development at Albertsons Companies, joined us on The Modern People Leader.  We discussed the need to rethink our approach to work, whether generational gaps are real or simply a sign of being out of touch, and two major shifts on the horizon for L&D. ----  Grab your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠. ----  Timestamps: (8:01) Michelle's transition from teaching to corporate America, and her journey in L&D. (14:10) Discussion on the need for rapid adaptation in workplace policies and practices. (17:20) Exploring the potential shift towards a four-day work week and its implications. (27:06) Delving into generational impacts on the workplace from Millennials to Gen Z. (33:34) The challenges and transformations in learning and development in today's corporate environment. (42:10) The role of generational differences in evolving workplace dynamics. (51:37) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier, and Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at Lattice, joined us for an emergency pod following last week's presidential election.  We discussed how the election results might impact the workplace over the coming months, the importance of having a sociopolitical response approach, and why we should all be microdosing on hope. ----  Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠. ---- 

Frank Congui, EVP at Randstad Enterprise, joined us on The Modern People Leader.  We talked about the magic of intentional gatherings, leading with generosity, and why we should be doing less chest-pumping in the HR space. ----  Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠. ----  (0:13) Announcement: MPL Live Miami event on December 10th (7:04) Frank's journey from Goldman Sachs to Randstad (9:58) Building executive communities: The beginning of the CHRO dinners (12:08) Evolution of executive dinners and blending roles (19:00) Intentional traditions in leadership gatherings (24:31) Vulnerability and creating moments of connection (28:00) The power of service and being generous in leadership (38:30) The state of HR: Burnout, DEI challenges, and AI adoption (42:11) Balancing optimism and skepticism in the HR industry (47:13) Civil conversations in divisive times: Creating supportive policies (54:03) Magic wand HR fix: Pay equity for all (56:08) The future of work: AI and human partnership (59:27) Rapid fire questions: ---- 

Jenna Eichberg, Chief People Officer at AlertMedia, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the state of HR, why CHROs are rethinking their roles, and AlertMedia's leadership programs. ----  Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠. ----  (0:13) Announcement: MPL Live Miami event on December 10th (5:01) Jenna's story (10:06) Navigating industries and career growth (17:07) Transition to AlertMedia – finding a dream job (29:03) The state of HR today and managing change (32:09) The “Manager Dilemma” and leadership development (37:55) The launch of the Emerging Leaders Program (45:14) Executive and people team offsites: Key insights (47:52) HR burnout and the light at the end of the tunnel (54:47) A positive outlook for the future of HR (59:28) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Tracy Avin, Founder of TroopHR, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how TroopHR was born, the importance of community in HR, the challenges HR professionals face in today's business climate, and the need for support networks. ----  Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. Buy Tickets Here. ----  Timestamps: (6:57) Tracy's journey to founding TroopHR (10:57) What a day in Tracy's life looks like (12:59) The meaning of community for HR leaders (16:33) How the needs of the HR community have evolved (18:36) Challenges and conflicts faced by HR professionals (25:47) Handling difficult conversations in a professional setting (28:44) Why boundaries are crucial in discussions (30:06) Politicization of HR topics in the workplace (36:00) Doing more with less: The pressures of shrinking HR teams (42:06) HR burnout and its impact (44:56) The influence of economic situations on HR strategy (47:37) The importance of community in challenging times (51:23) Open sourcing HR ideas: A positive shift post-COVID (52:49) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Ray Martinelli, Chief People Officer at Contentful, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about his career journey, the art & science that goes into compensation, and aligning HR goals with business strategy. ----  Timestamps: (5:05) Ray's career story: From finance to Chief People Officer (7:44) Why Ray joined Contentful and key takeaways (10:32) AI's impact on content management and HR (12:44) The state of HR in 2024: Leadership and navigating change (18:40) Addressing politics in the workplace and leadership responsibilities (22:13) What Ray had to unlearn as an HR leader (26:25) Ray's approach to building a people strategy at Contentful (32:09) Aligning HR strategy with CEO vision and business goals (36:41) Ray's vision for his first year at Contentful (42:38) Ray's CPO dashboard: Key metrics on engagement, rewards, and promotions (46:39) Differentiating rewards and compensation strategies (52:52) The importance of transparent conversations in performance management (57:50) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Sandra Schwarzer, Board & Talent Insights leader at Index Ventures, joined us on The Modern People Leader.  We talked about Index Ventures' experience helping founders “scale through chaos”, how much time founders spend on HR-related tasks, their 14-point framework for running executive searches, and how investors evaluate founders' view on talent. ----  Timestamps: (3:54) Sandra's career story: From East Germany to Index Ventures (10:42) Defining 'Scaling through Chaos' and key takeaways (13:56) Founders spending 50% of their time on HR-related tasks (17:44) Challenges in hiring engineering talent and how Index Ventures supports founders (20:07) Structuring time for hiring and talent-related tasks (27:05) AI adoption in the people function: Early challenges and insights (38:48) The 14-point executive search framework for successful hires (44:06) How to balance speed and cultural fit when hiring (50:26) Common mistakes in executive hiring and learning from them (54:11) The importance of organizational design and a CEO's view of the people function (56:53) Index Ventures' tool for optimizing team planning and scaling ---- 

David Hanrahan, Chief People Officer at Flare, and Jessica Zwaan, Author of Built for People & COO at Talentful, joined us live in Austin, Texas.  We talked about how performance management is stuck in the past, the idea of team-based assessments, how to run a data-driven performance calibration, and the evolving role of compensation in driving performance. ----  This episode was brought to you by Kunik. Sign up for their exclusive roundtable on October 30th. ----  3:11: Reflections on outdated performance management practices 5:07: Thoughts on why companies are holding onto legacy review systems 6:46: The impact of AI on performance management and synthesizing feedback 9:40: Team dynamics in performance management and HR's evolving role 12:24: Real-time tools for performance feedback and privacy concerns 14:27: Shifts in company values post-pandemic and how that affects performance reviews 17:09: Measuring team performance over individual performance 20:12: Calibration, feedback, and team assessments 23:02: Linking performance management and compensation strategies 29:03: The role of procedural and distributive fairness in compensation 32:11: Challenges of tying performance to compensation 36:02: Discussion on bonus allocation based on performance 40:12: Team performance assessments and executive decision-making 44:48: Questions from the audience on coaching and team dynamics 50:22: Closing thoughts on changing traditional HR practices ---- 

Katie Burke, CPO & Board Member at Paycor, and Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at Lattice, joined us for our inaugural MPL Live in Austin, Texas. We talked about the current state of HR, generational differences in the workforce, and how AI is impacting organizations.  ----  This episode was brought to you by CandorIQ. Get your free 30 minute comp consultation.  ----  2:58: Good news stories from Gianna and Katie 5:05: Celebrating episode 200 6:46: State of HR and workplace changes in 2024 8:14: Katie and Gianna's insights on doing more with less and AI adoption 9:28: Greater focus on how HR supports the business 10:42: The impact of AI on HR functions 14:25: How Lattice integrates AI into their HR processes 17:19: Challenges of managing AI adoption and workforce expectations 22:12: Strategies for managing cross-generational workforce 31:02: Balancing DEI efforts with workforce realities 35:22: Handling politics in the workplace during election years 49:00: Audience Q&A on navigating difficult topics in HR 54:46: Closing thoughts and one-word reflections ---- 

Vanessa Monsequeira, VP of People at Gorilla, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed Vanessa's path to leadership, how to navigate hyper-growth in organizations, and the importance of mindset and unlearning for today's people leaders. ----  (0:02) Introduction and good news stories (5:28) Vanessa's career journey and lessons from hyper-growth (10:21) The role of mindset and resilience in leadership (14:32) Navigating fast vs. slow decision-making during hyper-growth (18:47) Gorilla's core business and the impact of real-time data in energy utilities (27:53) The challenges of scaling people operations in a tech company (32:30) Identifying and addressing blind spots in HR leadership (40:48) The role of unlearning and relearning in leadership transitions (46:31) OKRs and the process of aligning with business goals (49:06) Advice for people leaders navigating today's tough job market (57:42) Rapid fire questions and career advice (1:02:17) One word close ---- 

Jeff Schmitz, Chief People Officer at Zebra Technologies, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about Jeff's transition from marketing to HR, why Zebra is reinventing their purpose statement and values, and their cultural training programs. ----  Go get your tickets for MPL Live using our 50% off discount code, MPL-LIVE-50. Don't miss out—⁠⁠get your ⁠⁠ticket⁠⁠ now⁠⁠!  ----  (0:39) Good news stories (5:12) Jeff's career journey (6:15) Jeff's background from engineering to CMO and CPO (9:48) Biggest surprises transitioning from marketing to HR (12:16) Explanation of Zebra Technologies' core business (14:41) Why Jeff loves working at Zebra (16:28) Launching Zebra's new purpose statement and values (22:48) How Zebra involves employees in cultural transformation (24:31) Impact of culture on smaller acquisitions (27:01) Cultural integration from Zebra's acquisition of Motorola (34:33) Cultural training programs at Zebra (38:13) Advice for HR leaders about getting buy-in for cultural transformations (42:15) Rapid-fire questions ---- 

Nicole Hughey, the former DEIB leader at SiriusXM, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the evolution of DEIB language, the recent SHRM debate on equity, and the critical importance of heart in driving meaningful change within organizations. ----  Go get your tickets for MPL Live using our 50% off discount code, MPL-LIVE-50. Don't miss out—⁠⁠get your ⁠⁠ticket⁠⁠ now⁠⁠!  ----  (0:44) Good news stories (9:57) Big update on the September 17th event in Austin, Texas (11:04) Nicole's career journey and transition into DEI (21:07) Moments that shaped Nicole's approach to DEI (26:00) State of the Union for DEI (27:18) Nicole on the misconception that DEI is going away (29:33) Discussion on SHRM's decision to remove the “E” from DEI (34:19) The importance of maintaining rigor and responsibility in DEI work (39:00) Courage and accountability in DEI efforts (49:41) Courage as a key element in the evolution of DEI (53:22) What's next for Nicole's career in DEI (54:38) Rapid fire questions: Career advice, HR challenges, and future guests ---- 

Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work®, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed what the data reveals about the best leaders, why DEIB is the key to achieving massive success, and why Gen Z will choose jobs based on leaders rather than companies. ----  Go get your tickets for MPL Live using our 50% off discount code, MPL-LIVE-50. Don't miss out—⁠get your ⁠⁠ticket⁠⁠ now⁠!  ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place To Work. Download their latest research on ⁠Employee Retention here. ----  Timestamps: (0:53) Good news stories (7:44) Michael's career journey and his path to Great Place to Work (21:19) The importance of DEIB for business success (29:32) The impact of leadership on employee experience (32:06) Challenges and opportunities in enhancing leadership quality (41:07) Examples of companies successfully implementing DEIB initiatives (51:00) Discussion on DEIB and its connection to making “octillions” (59:45) The role of AI in the future of work and DEIB (1:19:57) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Polly Barnes, Operating Partner, Talent at EQT Ventures, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the qualities of high-performing founders, the emerging founder profile, and why HR leaders need to have more focus than ever right now. ----  Go get your tickets for MPL Live using our 50% off discount code, MPL-LIVE-50. Don't miss out—get your ⁠⁠ticket⁠⁠ now!  ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place To Work®. Download their latest research on ⁠⁠Return-to-Office Mandates here⁠⁠. ----  (0:48) Good news stories (7:23) Announcement: First ever live podcast event in Austin, Texas (7:25) Polly's career journey from marketing to VC (13:53) Discussing EQT's 20 unique indicators of high-performing founders (16:04) The importance of resilience in founders (19:00) Balancing resilience with self-reflection (21:05) Leadership and decision-making in founders (26:32) The evolving profile of tech founders with AI advancements (29:59) The role of psychological support in founder success (34:53) Operating systems and frameworks for startup success (40:09) The importance of prioritization in HR leadership (45:05) Challenges and future of DEI initiatives in startups (49:18) Opportunities and advice for modern HR leaders in VC-backed startups (52:01) Building personal brands and communities within HR (54:19) Rapid fire questions ---- 

Melanie Rosenwasser, Chief People Officer at Dropbox, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed Dropbox's virtual-first model, how they measure its success, and the three types of in-person gatherings they organize. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Learn more at http://greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ----  (0:41) Good news stories (6:00) Melanie's career journey (9:18) What Dropbox does and why it's a great place to work (12:04) The importance of flexibility in Dropbox's virtual-first model (13:11) Key elements for success in a virtual first environment (19:39) The role of data and research in shaping Dropbox's work model (23:05) Insights from Dropbox's research on remote work (24:00) Building trust and culture in a remote-first environment (27:01) Challenges and learnings from remote work at Dropbox (30:30) The importance of in-person gatherings for remote teams (37:52) Offsite modalities and their impact on team collaboration (41:02) Experimenting with AI and its impact on the future of work (46:15) Predictions for the future of work (52:01) Rapid fire questions (55:11) One word or phrase close ---- 

Brené Brown, professor, author, and podcast host, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed her experience as a leader, the concept of metacognition, and the leadership skill of creating space between stimulus and response. ----  Go get your tickets for MPL Live using our 50% off discount code, MPL-LIVE-50. Don't miss out—get your ticket now!  ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Learn more at http://greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ----  (1:35) Good news stories (3:45) Brené's story (19:49) Every day is leg day as a leader (25:47) Metacognition (28:25) Creating the space between stimulus and response (44:08) The challenges of implementing a four-day workweek (47:00) Rapid fire questions exploring leadership and the future of work ---- 

Tracy Letzerich, Vice President of People at Wheel, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed why feedback is the lifeblood of organizational progress, why Wheel is ditching the annual performance review, and why every manager should start keeping feedback journals with their team. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Learn more at http://greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ----  (0:45) Good news stories (3:52) Great Place to Work's research on RTO mandates. (5:05) Tracy's story: Nontraditional HR path and becoming VP of People at Wheel. (9:00) Why do some business solutions work and others fail? It boils down to the people. (13:42) What does Wheel do? (15:39) Tracy's passion for feedback in organizations. (17:23) What does it mean to have a culture of feedback? (18:29) Was there something in the data or personal observation that led to the focus on feedback? (19:52) Tracy's journey at Wheel and the need for a new feedback model. (21:59) Feedback culture is an ongoing journey. (24:16) Balancing informal and formal feedback. (25:16) Building relationships in a remote world. (27:48) Role modeling feedback behaviors. (29:23) Rethinking the one on one: The Feedback journal. (31:32) Direct reports should own the one on one. (33:01) The challenges of being a manager today. (35:57) The journey to pay transparency at Wheel. (38:18) Resistance to change around the annual review. (39:30) Replacing the annual review with continuous feedback. (41:04) The importance of training and ongoing support for feedback. (43:09) Accountability in feedback culture. (44:22) Performance map as an alternative to the annual review. (45:01) Integrating feedback and compensation. (47:45) Rapid fire questions. ---- 

Greg Hill, Chief People Officer at Exos, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed Exos' Readiness Culture Code, how they measured the success of their four-day workweek experiment, and the difference between productivity and effectiveness. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Learn more at http://greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ----  (7:32) From Upstate New York to Chief People Officer at Exos (11:44) The Readiness Culture Code Explained (16:13) Flexibility and Recovery: The Four-Day Work Week (24:45) Discussing CEO Meetings and Competitive Talent Challenges (25:01) Tech Industry Challenges Post-COVID (25:41) Discussion with Nick Bloom on the Four-Day Work Week (27:24) Sales Performance and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) During the Pilot (29:13) Positive Outcomes of the Pilot (32:05) Tailoring Hybrid Work Solutions to Different Organizations (34:03) Tie-Ins with Return-to-Office or Hybrid Programs (36:19) Advice for Smaller Companies and Designing Structured Experiments (43:17) Future Study on Quiet Quitting (45:00) Measuring Performance and Productivity (47:24) Talent Management in a Changing World (51:36) Regional Directors and Cultural Norms (52:26) Accountability at the Peer Level (53:15) High-Performance Culture and Its Articulation (56:00) Output Expectations Across Teams (57:04) Generative AI: Enhancing vs. Replacing Human Input (1:01:02) Call to Action for HR Leaders (1:03:07) Personal Engagement in Workplace Transformation (1:05:01) Magic Wand Fix for HR Problems (1:06:33) Guest Recommendation: Todd McCarty ---- 

Vanesa Cotlar (VP, People & Culture, PolicyMe) and Melanie Naranjo (VP, People, Ethena) joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed the three questions every manager should be asking themselves about their direct reports, why setting expectations with new hires can go a long way in improving performance, and how to create a common language for employees around performance. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place To Work®. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ---- (1:29) Good news stories (8:43) What's new with Vanesa and Melanie (12:55) Why performance management is a hot topic right now (19:43) The 3 questions Ethena managers ask themselves about direct reports (21:40) Expectation setting with new hires during the first 90 days (31:47) Handling performance conversations (36:18) Create a common language for employees around performance (39:30) The percentage of managers effectively managing performance (45:39) What happens when your current team isn't the right team to get you to the next level (51:18) Great Place To Work's research on RTO mandates ----

Larry McCalister, Head of Digital Transformation at Nutanix, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed what transformation looks like, the importance of defining it for your organization, and the difference between mere tinkering and true transformation. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place To Work®. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ---- (1:22) Good news stories (4:03) Great Place To Work's research on RTO mandates (5:41) Going from CHRO roles to the Head of Digital Transformation  (9:02) What he does as a Head of Digital Transformation (10:20) What Nutanix does (10:59) Why we should be jealous he gets to work at Nutanix (13:45) What is transformation? (16:04) You need an enablement strategy for new HR tech (18:00) Get very specific about what transformation means to your company (20:00) Tinkering versus transformation (23:07) Tell people the truth about the change that's coming (27:20) Generative AI & Microsoft Co-Pilot (38:55) The only reason there's still humans in Talent Acquisition (42:50) Why he wrote The Power to Transform (45:13) You are a technologist (46:56) Rapid fire questions ----

What happens when you combine two of the best HR podcasts? You are about to find out as the Modern People Leader podcast and the Future of HR podcast have come together for a special episode to share their insights from over 270 interviews.  ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ---- We interviewed JP on The Modern People Leader: (1:08) Good news stories (3:25) Curious whether you're a Great Place to Work? (4:53) JP's story (9:03) JP's biggest surprise since starting a podcast (11:30) Elevating the next generation of HR (13:50) What a next generation HR leader looks like (16:13) The limiting beliefs holding HR leaders back (18:02) The guests JP has learned the most from ---- JP interviewed us on The Future of HR: (22:00) What inspired us to start The Modern People Leader (29:55) What it means to be a Modern People Leader (35:58) What it's like to be a Chief People Officer at a startup versus a Fortune 500 company (41:24) What we would put in an HR time capsule to be opened in 2050. (43:50) Team performance reviews ---- Connecting with Future of HR: Connect with JP Elliott on LinkedIn. Visit the Future of HR website. ----

Nick Bloom, Stanford Economist & Co-Founder of wfhresearch.com, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the state of WFH, managing in a hybrid environment, the four versions of the 4-day workweek, and what's coming next for Nick. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Download their latest research on ⁠Return-to-Office Mandates here⁠. ---- (1:13) Good news stories (3:47) Great Place To Work's research on RTO mandates (5:05) Nick's story (7:24) HR is now the center of action (10:15) Work from home data points (16:48) The benefits of being in office (21:04) Is it career limiting to be fully remote when the rest of your team is hybrid? (24:24) Managing in a hybrid environment (29:03) The four versions of the 4-day workweek (31:24) How far away are we from the magic version of the 4-day workweek? (39:30) Nick's predictions for the next 10-15 years (44:40) The weird and wonderful things Nick is researching next (48:16) Rapid fire questions ----

Hebba Youssef, Founder & Creator of I Hate it Here & Chief People Officer at Workweek, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the work they're doing to elevate their managers to the next level, why the CEO and Chief People Officer dynamic is challenging, and whether there has been scope creep for the CPO role. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work®. Download their latest research on Return-to-Office Mandates here. ---- 2:36 Good news stories 10:26 Your thirties 14:04 Hebba's story 21:49 Balancing Dual Roles: CPO and Content Creator 25:42 What Hebba dislikes most about being a creator 27:30 Maturing as a company is painful 31:09 Getting managers to the next level 33:14 Friday manager trainings at Workweek 39:20 Changing the mindset of leaders to want to change 45:45 Why the CEO and Chief People Officer dynamic is difficult 48:53 Your CEO needs a professional coach and a therapist 54:24 Is the scope of the CPO role getting too big? 57:56 The piece of HR that Hebba would give away 59:11 Rapid fire questions ----

Erin Thomas, VP, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Upwork, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how her team is leveraging data in their DEI work, why you need high utility DEI programs, and she shared a couple examples from the last year at Upwork. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com/mpl. ---- 1:11 Good news stories 05:22 Erin's Journey to becoming the VP of DIB at Upwork 07:32 Where DEI efforts can go wrong 14:11 The polarization of DEI 16:50 Key ingredients of DEIB work in 2024 19:09 The Importance of Data in DEI 25:10 The GlowUp community at Upwork 30:00 DIBs programs VS the DEI work that has to be deeply integrated into the business 35:04 Using AI to improve feedback quality for people of color 41:13 Exploring Generative AI in DEI 46:12 Making DEI work fun 51:31 Rapid Fire Questions 55:03 Future of Work and DEI ----

Don Robertson, EVP & CHRO at Northwestern Mutual, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about prioritizing company values over star performers, why the future of work is more about skills and less about job titles, and the real reason change takes so long in the workplace. ----  This episode was brought to you by Great Place to Work. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com/mpl ---- (0:55) Good news stories (5:05) Don's story: Shifting from finance to HR (9:07) Turning HR discussions with your CEO into business outcome discussions (12:07) How working in sales has helped him as a people leader (14:04) Northwestern Mutual (19:40) Managers need to become career coaches and guides (22:33) You can't town hall your way to change (23:46) Incentivizing managers to develop the next generation of talent (27:55) Holding managers accountable (34:03) How Northwestern Mutual thinks about moving people around to different teams throughout the company (39:20) CHROs will need to help design a system that's less about your title and more about what you know (43:20) Change is needed but there's no incentive for those involved in the system to change (46:20) Rapid fire questions ----

Erica Spitale joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the current HR job market, why soft skills should be called power skills instead, and the work-life smoothie. ----  This episode was brought to you by Tilt. Learn more at hellotilt.com/mpl. ---- (2:41) Good news stories (7:28) Erica's journey and what's next for her (11:20) The current job market for HR leaders (14:33) How she's approaching her job search  (18:48) Erica's obsession with leadership (22:54) What it means to be a manager versus a leader (24:30) The hardest things in leadership are the things that make us human (27:12) To be a leader requires you to think of yourself less and others more (30:21) Building an inclusive leadership series (33:15) What great leadership looks like (36:12) Soft skills should be rebranded to “power skills” (39:00) We need to find metrics to measure “power skills” (41:00) Erica's superpower skill (43:30) Making leadership a choice, not a requirement (45:37) The work-life smoothie (48:21) Rapid fire questions ----