Workhuman Radio

Elena Valentine is the CEO and co-founder of Skill Scout, an organization that specializes in talent acquisition and employer branding. She is also the co-founder and Board President of Mezcla Media Collective, whose goal is to elevate women of color and non-binary filmmakers in Chicago. She joins Mike Wood to discuss Skill Scout’s mission and how they have been carrying it out. Skill Scout Elena and her colleague realized that many youths lacked access and exposure to job opportunities, and were hindered from achieving success by their lack of knowledge. They founded Skill Scout to provide youths and the wider community with the opportunity to understand which jobs would be the right fit for them. Skill Scout captures and shares the stories of employees from various industries and brings their jobs to life on video. Humans at Work Elena describes Skill Scout’s latest project: a series called Humans at Work. It tells the raw, authentic and emotional stories of employees who have found their purpose as people first, workers second.  This series stemmed from a need to increase the number of positive stories in the workplace, as they have the power to shift bias and counterbalance and form our brains in new ways. One of the major objectives for filming was to recognize and celebrate employees, she adds. When employees feel appreciated, they are more engaged and loyal to their companies. COVID-19’s Impact We are not working from home; we are working at home during a crisis. In previous generations it was the social norm to have a different persona for the workplace than you do at home, but because of the virtual and mostly remote nature of the global workforce, it is almost impossible to separate your work life from your home life. It is important to have empathy during these uncertain times.  Resources Elena Valentine on LinkedIn Email: elena@skillscout.com SkillScout.com HumansAt.work

Christine Assaf is a content specialist for Peridus Group, a boutique human capital consulting firm dedicated to assisting HR professionals and business leaders during crucial periods of growth and change. She is also the author and owner of HR Tact, a personal blog where Christine shares tips and insights about HR. She joins Mike Wood today to discuss the importance of practicing empathy as leaders.  Job Seeking Christine mentions getting laid off in the beginning of the year, not due to the pandemic, but as a result of bad timing. Mike asks her if she has observed an increase in empathy among hiring managers while searching for a new job. She has received more feedback from companies about the status of her applications recently than in the past, she replies, but empathy is something that should always be practiced in the hiring phase. Too often do people send out applications only to never hear back from the organizations they applied to. Job seekers deserve to know their status, even if they don’t succeed.  Shared Experience More and more companies have been acknowledging the shared experience that the world is going through, and are subsequently more understanding and considerate with their employees. People are not just losing jobs; they are witnessing their loved ones dying at a high rate. There is a global sense of anxiety even as people work and communicate, and these create a cognitive overload. People respond to cognitive overloads in various ways. Though it usually manifests as the fight-flight-freeze response, it can also show up in other deviant behaviors. The shift to the virtual workplace has brought with it a loss of physical proximity, with which it was easier to be more open and check up on people.  HR’s Role HR tends to abdicate the responsibility of mental health to EAP programs. However, the best thing an organization can do right now, Christine says, is to be transparent in their uncertainty and offer support.  Resources Christine Assaf on LinkedIn | Twitter HRTact.com

Dr. Patti Fletcher is a writer and the Vice President of Brand Marketing for Workhuman. She is also a Forbes contributor, a contributing writer for Green Entrepreneur, the producer and creator of Disrupter Productions, and a Workplace Equity and Disruption Futurist for HR.com. Patti is the co-founder and CEO of PSDNetwork. She joins Mike Wood to talk about starting a new job in a pandemic. People  Patti shares how she got into HR. While branching off into business, she realized that the only true competitive differentiator between organizations is their people. Patents run out, Patti says, but the intersection of people, including human capital and employee contacts, is where the magic happens. As industrialization evolved, everyone focused on processes, but forgot the people. Marketing and Brand She defines marketing as helping people with how to think by supplying them with information in ways they would be open to receiving. She describes “brand” as what people say about you when you’re not in the room.  Patti talks about becoming the new VP of Brand Marketing in the middle of a worldwide health and economic crisis. Fortunately, Patti says, she is no stranger to remote working, as she has never worked in a traditional office space before. She and Mike chat about the difficulties of working from home, and the change it has brought on. Resources Dr. Patti Fletcher on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Workhuman.com Disrupters: Success Strategies from Women Who Break the Mold by Dr. Patti Fletcher DrPattiFletcher.com

Anne Fulton is the co-founder and CEO of Fuel50, a career path software that improves employee engagement and supports diversity and inclusion initiatives. She joins Mike Wood today to discuss her company and the emerging trends in the virtual workplace. Fuel50 Years ago, Anne and her co-founder wrote The Career Engagement Game, about the importance of career agility for the future workforce. She says that even they were shocked by how much the need for career agility would surpass their predictions. Fuel50’s mission is to deliver career path transparency and growth opportunities for employees to connect them to their full potential. They work with 60 of the world’s leading organizations and a team of 65 “fuelees.” Mike adds that Fuel50 is effective in providing different pathways for people and helping them identify their strengths and skills, so that they do not feel pigeonholed into a singular career.  What’s Changed Mike asks Anne how the business has changed since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. Six months in, the unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 13%. Prior to the pandemic there was a skills shortage, but currently there is an abundant talent supply. Organizations need to approach their talent pools with a new attitude, Anne urges, and reskill their workers for the future. As hiring is stalled globally, organizations are now looking within themselves for their next talent wave.  Trends Remote workforce management, supply chain reengineering, and cultural competence are among the skills that are currently trending and in demand. Mike believes it will all trend towards the betterment of the global workforce. He asks Anne what her predictions are for HR going forward. Anne talks about emerging roles that weren’t present before.  Recognition Employee recognition has increased during the pandemic, Mike says. Companies understand that current times are stressful for everyone in their daily lives outside of work, and should seek to recognize and appreciate their employees for their effort. Resources Anne Fulton on LinkedIn | Twitter Fuel.com The Career Engagement Game

Holly Hazelton is the Senior Digital Media Specialist at Workhuman and the founder of their first working-parent employee resource group, Parenthuman. Sarah Payne is the Managing Editor at Workhuman and a member of Parenthuman. They join Mike Wood this week to discuss the challenges the pandemic has brought to parenting. Remote Working Working from home is easier in some aspects, but as a parent of two young children, Holly says, it leaves you with even less time for yourself. Sarah adds that she is taking extra precautions due to her pregnancy. They share how they have been juggling working and parenting, as well as the compromises they have negotiated with their spouses and the help they have been receiving. What COVID-19 Has Done Mike hopes that the pandemic has revealed a fundamental flaw in the system of the working world: parents need more support if they are to be efficient and productive. They have time to get tactical work done, but not work that requires thinking and extensive mental energy as their minds are occupied with parenting their children. Additionally, Holly claims, COVID-19 has highlighted the inequities within the system with regard to women. Women drop out of the workforce because it usually falls on them to be the primary caretaker and bear the majority of domestic duties, due to a lack of resources available to them.  COVID-19 has also revealed which companies are the most empathetic and understanding in light of the challenges everyone is currently facing with regards to working from home, Sarah says. Mike believes that seeing coworkers in their homes with their children will give everyone a better sense of what people are going through when they return to the office. Parenthuman COVID-19 is almost forcing companies to work more humanly, Holly says. The types of organizations and companies that will come out on top post-COVID-19 are the ones who will adapt to the new ways of working. She shares the origins of Workhuman’s first ever working-parent employee resource group, Parenthuman, as well as what they have been up to.  Resources Holly Hazelton on LinkedIn Sarah Payne on LinkedIn  Workhuman.com

Tamara Fields is the Office Managing Director for Accenture in Austin, Texas. She is on the board of numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Texas Conference for Women. A business veteran with over two decades of experience in management, she joins Steve Pemberton to discuss the working African-American’s experience, and the power of allies. Don’t Be Silent Tamara shares how Accenture is navigating the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion. African-Americans have been taught generationally to not bring up taboo topics in the workplace such as racism, keep their heads down, and not make people uncomfortable. One of her biggest mistakes, she laments, is not sharing her own professional and personal experiences with regards to racial injustice. Remaining silent makes it harder for unconscious biases and microaggressions to be addressed.  We Are Not Immune The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, Steve quotes. People often assume that because Black employees don’t speak about the injustices they occur in the workplace, that they don’t experience them. Multigenerational educated African-Americans are assumed to be immune from racial injustices due to their presentation and articulation, but it is their excellence that becomes a threat and makes them a target, he adds.  Isolation Led to Connection Tamara talks about her experiences of feeling like the odd one out. She was left out of lunches and gatherings, which isolated her from the rest of her colleagues. This led to her developing strong relationships with her clients out of a personal need for human connection, and it worked out in her favor as her business was successful because of it.  What Happens Next It is good that conversations are happening, but what is important is what is done with the information shared. Don’t confuse conversation with accomplishment, Steve says. The purpose of conversation is to study direction and then follow that direction with accountability and transparency. He and Tamara share recommended material for discovering more about the Black experience. Resources Tamara Fields on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Accenture.com

Sarah Morgan is the Founder and Chief Excellence Officer of BuzzARooney, LLC and the Corporate Director of Human Resources at Rosewood Family of Companies. She joins Steve Pemberton to discuss microaggressions and a leader’s and bystander’s role in dismantling them.  They Foster Discrimination Microaggressions are the foundation for bullying, harassment and discrimination in the workplace. These major issues normally start off as offhand jokes or comments about someone’s appearance that go unaddressed, which incites the aggressor to become emboldened until it snowballs into a larger problem. An important thing to note however, Sarah says, is that they are often unintentional, and that contributes to it being tricky to deal with from an HR perspective especially.  Three Levels of Microaggressions There are three levels of microaggressions: microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. Microassaults include slurs and displays of symbols with problematic histories or derogatory meanings. Microinsults involve implications of negative attributes about someone because they belong to a certain group. Microinvalidations occur when someone expresses that they have experienced one of the aforementioned microaggressions and are overlooked or told that they are wrong. Leaders must recognize that their people know right from wrong and should hold them accountable to be their best selves, Sarah urges. Additionally, they must address it when it happens or else it will get worse over time, Steve warns. The Leader’s Role Sometimes aggressors are aware that their leader is watching them, and will look to them as if they are asking for permission to commit a microaggression. If you say nothing, you have given your permission, Steve says. When such situations escalate and people wonder how the offender thought the rules didn’t apply to them, the blame lies with the leader or colleague for not addressing the issue. If you witness a microaggression, it is your responsibility as a bystander to confront it right away, before the offender believes they can get away with such behavior. Sarah highlights the importance of rest and self-care during these difficult times, and shares her practices to ensure her physical and mental well-being. Resources Sarah Morgan on LinkedIn BuzzARooneyLLC.com

Stacia Garr is the co-founder and Principal Analyst of RedThread Research and a guest lecturer at the Haas School of Business of the University of California. She joins Mike Wood to discuss RedThread’s timely research into women’s performance management during the current pandemic. The Report The initial report was done before the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, and there were doubts about whether the time was appropriate to publish it, Stacia shares. However, they decided to collect additional data with regards to the influence of the pandemic on performance and reframed the report.  The Research Several findings were discovered while investigating the differences in performance management between men and women. One such finding is that managers were much less effective at having difficult conversations with women, and the frequency of those conversations were low. Additionally, studies have shown that due to COVID-19, women are more likely to be removed from the workforce, and more likely to be juggling the equivalent of a part-time job with additional household responsibilities than men. If we are expected to perform at the same level we did before the pandemic, we will burn out, Mike says. A Systems Issue Research reveals that the issue lies within the systems, according to Stacia. Performance management is a key component in compensation, so it contributes to the gender pay gap. One systemic change that should be made in order for men and women to have equal footing is the quality and frequency of feedback that women are getting. Stacia shares a study about rating scales and how their structure impacted the feedback women received.  Performance assessments should be an ongoing conversation instead of something that’s done once or twice a year, Stacia says. According to research, it removes stress from the employees, which can impact their performance, and less bias will influence feedback if these conversations are happening continuously throughout the year. Resources Stacia Garr on LinkedIn | Twitter Women, Performance Management and COVID-19 Report | Infographic

Kate Bischoff is an attorney and HR consultant at tHRive Law & Consulting LLC and an HR Compliance Adjunct Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Wendy Berry is a Senior HR Generalist at Just Us Health and a councilperson for West St. Paul City. They join Mike Wood to discuss fostering inclusivity in the workplace for members of the LGBTQ community. Hope Mike asks Kate and Wendy how things have been in Minneapolis regarding the current civil unrest. The best takeaway from all of it is the feeling of community, Wendy says. Kate adds that seeing people cleaning up their communities and providing meals for those in need makes her hopeful for a better future where there is a change in the way policing is done.  The Supreme Court’s Landmark Decision Mike asks Kate to explain the recent LGBTQ rights ruling by the Supreme Court. In Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, sex is one of the protected classes against discrimination. The argument was that one cannot describe the orientation of a member of the LGBTQ community without using sexual terms like gender identity, which therefore puts sexual orientation and gender identity in the list of protected classes, Kate clarifies. Wendy expresses her satisfaction with the Court’s decision, though she wishes it was a 9-0 verdict instead of 6-3. It’s all summed up to be basic human decency, Mike says. Wendy describes her experiences with workplace discriminition as an openly lesbian individual. Kate and Wendy discuss the impact of representation in the media.  HR’s Input Wendy shares suggestions of small but impactful things organizations can do to be more inclusive towards their LGBTQ members, such as having gender neutral bathrooms and encouraging employees to introduce themselves with their pronouns if they so desire. Mike talks about WorkHuman’s culture of treating their employees with the human decency and respect they deserve. Resources  Kate Bischoff on LinkedIn | Twitter tHRiveLawConsulting.com | Twitter Wendy Berry on LinkedIn WendyBerry.com

Gill Barr is a professional hairstylist and owner of the Gill Barr Freelance hair salon in Dublin, Ireland. She joins Steve Pemberton to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her business as well as the impacts it may leave on the industry in the future. How She’s Coping Gill stopped working on March 14th and hasn’t been back since, as the nature of her job does not allow social distancing. She expresses her relief about salons reopening on July 29th, and gives a brief report on the decreasing number of cases in Ireland and the government’s response with regards to those affected. Gill shares how she’s been taking advantage of free online education, and posting tutorials on social media for styling and taking care of one’s hair.  The Impact Steve asks Gill if she thinks the pandemic will have a long-term effect on the industry. People will fall back into the habit of getting their hair done regularly, she replies, and they will remember how good it makes them feel. She discusses the new guidelines salons will have to follow when they reopen, as well as the illegal practices of those who continued working quietly during the lockdown and the effect it has had on the participants. Steve believes that returning to the salons entails more than just wanting to look good, and asks Gill for her thoughts. Gill says that it’s about self-esteem and taking a mental break. Additionally, it is somewhat of a therapy appointment, especially for Gill’s regulars with whom she has built friendships with over the years. Resources Gill Barr on Facebook | Instagram GillBarr.com

Leeatt Rothschild is the founder and CEO of Packed with Purpose, an organization dedicated to curating gifts with meaningful impact. She is an expert in employee engagement and an advocate for building human connections in business settings. She joins Steve Pemberton to talk about her company’s objectives and share tips for businesses on how they can express gratitude to their employees. The Mission Packed with Purpose is a corporate gifting company on a social mission to create impact by helping organizations and individuals give meaningful gifts to their employees, clients, partners, etc. Each product in their gift boxes comes from a purpose-driven company or social enterprise. Leatt launched Packed with Purpose when she realized that they could impact numerous different communities by sourcing products primarily from the US. Also, recipients of gifts curated by Packed with Purpose are impacted by receiving a gift. COVID-19’s Impact Steve asks Leeatt how her company has been affected by the pandemic. Business has increased exponentially during COVID, she reports. More and more companies are seeing the need to express their gratitude to their employees for their continued hard work and productivity despite the challenging circumstances. The silver lining in the pandemic for her company, she says, is being part of an opportunity to do good and connect with other people. Moving Forward Steve and Leeatt discuss tips and things for companies to consider when moving forward during and post-pandemic. Due to COVID, people have been forced to work remotely, something previously thought impossible. Leeatt shares ways for employers to keep employee engagement up as well as convey gratitude to employees: part of doing so is expression and the other part is action. The pandemic has also provided a great opportunity for companies and employees to think about their work culture and decide whether it’s a right fit.  Resources Leeatt Rothschild on LinkedIn PackedwithPurpose.gifts

Mary Ellen Slayter is a publisher at Managing Editor magazine and the owner of Rep Cap. Robin Schooling is the Managing Partner in HR and People Strategy at Perdius Group. They join Steven Pemberton to discuss how the world of human resources is navigating through these unprecedented times. Their State of Affairs Mary Ellen and Robin describe the minimal impact that the pandemic has had on their businesses. Their companies were already intimately familiar with operating remotely, so there were little to no changes in how they operated. Robin says that her company is still hiring, and Mary Ellen shares that some of her employees have been receiving more work. HR Professionals are Architects Steve asks Mary Ellen and Robin what changes they think HR will need to make. Mary Ellen replies that HR has the power of being the architect of the way a company works, which should be embraced to bring about significant change. We need to rethink the way we treat our frontline workers, she says. Current events have made it clear that they are essential, and she hopes that they will be given the pay, dignity and respect they deserve post-pandemic. In addition, current events have also revealed that more flexible, remote work models are achievable. Robin adds that HR teams have been forced to pay attention to the General Duty Clause, and that there is now a heightened need to maintain a safe work environment. The pandemic has created a greater sense of awareness and understanding about employee well-being; we have learned that the stressors people have in their lives intersect with their work and jobs to a large extent.  Skills Leaders are discussing what specific skills will be necessary to deal with similar emergencies, Steve says. Robin urges leaders to assess their efficacy during the pandemic in order to highlight and improve those skills, and shares that communication is one of them.  COVID-19 has highlighted underlying societal and systemic issues that will hopefully be addressed when things calm down, Robin says. Resources Mary Ellen Slayter on LinkedIn | Twitter RepCapitalMedia.com ManagingEditor.com Robin Schooling on LinkedIn | Twitter RobinSchooling.com

Laurie Ruettimann is the founder of HRBooks and LFR LLC. She is also a podcast host, an instructor at LinkedIn, and an author at Henry Holt & Company. She joins Steve Pemberton to share details about her upcoming book, Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career, and to discuss current events. Working Environments If, more often than not, you don’t find work enjoyable, it impacts your entire life negatively. Laurie sees it as her mission to help you work in a healthy environment or at least create positive work experiences where a healthy environment is absent. Organizations often push for productivity without acknowledging that their employees are humans and should be treated as such, Laurie says.  The Effects of COVID-19 The current pandemic has given us a deeper understanding of where contributions live within organizations. Steve believes that there will be a renewed emphasis on appreciation and gratitude for essential workers who aren’t often labelled heroes, but truly are. He adds that this shift in perspective is a social correction that will pull our focus away from things that aren’t important. Laurie says that COVID-19 has presented us with the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our mutual humanness. Betting on You Steve asks Laurie to give an insight into what her upcoming book will be about. Betting on You is a guide to taking control of your life, putting yourself first, and being your own advocate, Laurie replies. She shares snippets of topics covered in the book, and the stories behind them. She gives advice to aspiring writers, saying that when writing a book, you should start with micro-stories that help communicate who you are and what you believe in. Not everybody can write a book but everyone has a story to tell, Laurie says. By chronicling your journey, you may inspire others to share their experiences and learn from yours. Oftentimes the pain of our past is a present reality for someone else.  Resources Laurie Ruettimann on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram LaurieRuettimann.com Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career

In this Special Edition of Work Human Radio, a long-time friend of WorkHuman, Norm LaViolette of the Improve Assylum in Boston and New York. He talks about the impact of Covid on his business, and different ways we can get through the crisis with a little bit of laughter.

In this special edition of the Work Human Radio Podcast, CHRO Steve Pemberton is speaking with Michelle Bellveu of the Mansfield police department, and to JP Benoit who is a captain and EMT for the Stowe Fire department.

Today, Steve Pemberton speaks with Gordon Wright and Andy Bozagni about being business owners in New York, one of the country's hardest hit areas.

In today's Work Human Radio special edition, Steve Pemberton talks to Aoife McGivney, a nurse from Ireland about the nature of the virus, and what it's like to work as a nurse while the pandemic is going on.

In this Keeping Work Human episode of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton is joined by Chriss French who leads the Work Human Customer efforts about the different ways they are using the product to help keep employees connected and engaged.

In this edition of the Keeping Work Human series, Steve pemberton is talking to the head of the Work Human Data Unit, Jesse Harriot, about theresearch and information that is generated from the WorkHuman rewards and recognition software.

In this special edition of Workhuman Radio, Steve Pemberton is exploring stories of humanity and gratitude with nurse Megan Walsh.

In today's episode of the Keeping Work Human series from Workhuman Radio, Steve Pemberton has a conversation with two people from AtlantiCare about how they're dealing with the Pandemic.

Today in the Keeping Work Human Series, Steve Pemberton talks to the CEO of Workhuman, Eric Mosely, about a new initiative by Workhuman to show appreciation for healthcare workers. Check out thankyouhealthcare.workhuman.com

In today's special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton is speaking with two mental health experts, about improving mental health and wellness during this time.

In today's special edition of Work Human radio, Steve Pemberton talks to Doug Mason, a scientific group director at Zapto Metrics, all about testing kits that are being developed.

In today's installment of the Keeping Work Human Series on Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton talks to Derek Irvine, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Consulting (and the MC of the WorkHuman Conference!) about the products that Work Human is making available.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton is looking at how restaurants are doing with how they are responding to the crisis, and get some first hand insight from different restaurant employees.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton talks to Johnathan Kaufman, an executive coach, licensed psychotherapist and strategist and former policy advisor to theWhite House.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton speaks with John Baldino and Sabrino about how the current crisis is affecting thier small businesses.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton talks to Hari Date, an adjunct professor California Lutheran University about the challenges of educaiton during this time.

In today's Special Addition with Steve Pemberton, you're going to be able to here a conversation with three wellness, locally-based business owners, and how they're coping with the changes to thier business throughout the crisis.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton is talking to Erica Dhwan a writer who focuses on the power of connectional intelligance.

On tday's special edition of the Work Human Radio Podcast, Steve Pemberton is chatting with Joe Hirsch, the managing director of Semaca Partners, about behavioral science, and what that can tell us about what is going on in HR today.

In this Special Edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton is joined by Jen Miller, a Nurse based out of New York City, about what is happening on the front lines.

In today's special edition, Steve Pemperton speaks with Kevin Martin - the Chief Research Officer at the Institute For Corporate Productivity about how we can remain human, and maintain a healthy culture during these challenging times.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, Steve Pemberton chats with Chief Legal Office Lauren Zajac and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Consulting Derek Irvineabout being productive when you're working from home and there are kids around.

Today's Special Edition of Work Human radio, Steve Pemberton talks to Lars Schmidt, the founder of HR Open Source, about the resource he has created for HR professionals about Covid-19.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio Cy Wakeman and Steve Pemberton talk about trauma and coping with the Covid-19 virus.

In this special edition of Work Human Radio, the CHRO of Work Human, Steve Pemperton speaks with Jen Reimert about the best practices for working from home.

In this Special Edition of Work Human Radio Conversation between Steve Pemberton and Nataly Kogan, a happiness expert who spoke at last year's Work Human event.

There has been a lot happening in the world with Covid-19, and we wanted to share with you what we were doing at Workhuman. We have a tremendous community of wellbeing and HR experts, and over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing content from them daily, starting with our CHRO Steve Pemberton.

Chris French is the Executive Vice President of Customer Strategy at WorkHuman. He joins Mike Wood to discuss parental leave, workplace culture, and recognition. Should I Be Distracted? Chris recalls a performance review he received in a past experience. His wife had given birth to their first child, and he was excited to be a parent. However, in his yearly performance review, he was told he seemed distracted by his responsibilities as a parent. He was offended because he didn’t believe it to be true. Chris says at the time it hadn’t dawned on him that he should have been more offended that his supposed distraction was seen as a bad thing. Two years later, in the same job, a different superior encouraged him to take paternity leave. Different perspectives from different people can have a big impact on what you think a company expects from you, he says. Beyond Just Parental Leave It’s great to work in a workplace where people celebrate that they are happy for you. Companies should create a working environment where people see each other as human beings. It is important that companies allow their workers the flexibility to live their lives in whatever way they see fit, Chris states, and not get in the way when life happens. Work extends into a gray area past 9 AM and 5 PM, Mike adds. A Culture of Recognition Creating a culture of recognition in the workplace builds a social network within the organization that holds things together during life’s challenges. The culture that WorkHuman builds is one where employees are recognized when caught in the act of doing good things. This means that employees are consistently and constantly recognized by everyone, not just the bosses. When they have young children at home, parents are stressed from their different roles and may feel like they are behind in both facets of their lives. Sometimes all they need is someone to tell them they’re doing a good job. Resources Chris French on LinkedIn  WorkHumanLive.com

Rhonda Taylor is the Director of Partnerships at Fuel50 and a former hockey player. In addition to being a founding member of the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWH), Rhonda was the first female to ever sit on Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors. She and Mike Wood discuss her recent book, the women’s hockey program, and the struggles endured to create it. Offside Rhonda wrote her book, Offside, in parallel with the development of women's ice hockey and the women's movement. She is passionate about women moving forward in the sports and business communities. The book is an anecdotal history lesson about the evolution of women’s hockey and the numerous challenges women faced to make ice hockey a socially acceptable sport for females to play in Canada.  A Man’s Game Ice hockey was a male dominated field when Rhonda first started playing, which put her in the spotlight for criticism and discrimination. Luckily, Rhonda was hired for the women’s development program, but although she had a seat on the board she was not given the right to vote. This motivated her to fight for women to obtain the opportunity to play the game. Rhonda comments that today in Canada and the US, the male hockey programs are losing players to other sports, and the women’s programs are driving hockey at the national level.  The Evolution In the early eighties, the evolution of women's sports came along. Rhonda recounts how the women's hockey program came together. She put all her assets on the line, went around knocking on doors for sponsors, and eventually got funding and approval from the administrative bodies. They were not greeted with a warm reception, but they achieved what they set out to do. Resources RhondaLeemanTaylor.com Rhonda Taylor on LinkedIn | Twitter OFFSIDE: - A Memoir - Challenges Faced by Women in Hockey

Michael Robb, Senior Manager and Content Producer and recipient of WorkHuman’s Cultural Energizer Award, is this month’s Human of WorkHuman. He joins Mike Wood to talk about his luck, employee appreciation, and his most recent award. Michael is Lucky Mike asks Michael to recall his golfing experience. Michael gives an account of the two hole-in-one’s he managed to score in one day while on holiday, later appearing on national news because of it. In addition, when he and Mike went to Las Vegas, Nevada, he won over $1000 in a Wonder Woman slot machine in one try. The Importance of Appreciation In response to Mike asking him what employee appreciation means to him, Michael says that everyone does a great job and should be recognized for it by both their managers and their peers. If someone works over the weekend they should feel appreciated and acknowledged for the sacrifice of their free time. Part of Michael’s job is showing prospective or existing customers that employee appreciation is beneficial to drive other business objectives. Cultural Energizer Michael is the recipient of WorkHuman’s Cultural Energizer Award, which he says is the most important award he has ever received. He explains that the role of the cultural energizer in WorkHuman is central to promoting positivity and representing the fabric of WorkHuman culture, and that he was shell shocked at the standing ovation he was given when the award was presented to him. Resources Michael Robb on LinkedIn WorkHumanLive.com

Susan Reyburn, Library of Congress curator and contributor to the Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words exhibit, is interviewed by Mike Wood in this week’s episode of WorkHuman Radio. They discuss the contributions Rosa Parks made to the dismantling of segregation laws, including how her stance impacted workplace rights. Living on a Tightrope Susan shares what she discovered about Rosa Parks while putting the exhibit together. Rosa Parks, in her letters, describes living in a segregated society as constantly being on a tightrope: having to do mental and physical gymnastics to work around difficult situations, and never knowing if you might fall. Love in Law Rosa Parks first started using organized methods for civil rights during the Scottsboro Trials. She married Raymond Parks in 1932, with whom she shared similar opinions about racial politics. Raymond was a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch, in Montgomery, Alabama. They worked with others to overturn the accused’s convictions and held secret meetings at their house. Before Rosa, There was Claudette Interestingly, Rosa was not the only one in history who resisted being told to move. What made her experience different was that its timing lined up perfectly with a boycott that Jo Ann Robinson had been planning for years. The fallout of the Bus Boycott inspired by Rosa Parks, in conjunction with the lawsuit filed by another woman, Claudette Colvin, who was forced to give up her seat, were the driving factors behind the abolition of the Jim Crow laws in Montgomery. Workplace Rights According to Susan, Rosa wasn’t treated well after the Bus Boycott. She was soon without a job and no one would hire her. Eventually, she began working for congressman John Conyers, and was credited with ensuring his victory after she campaigned for him. He hired her as his receptionist and as part of his social service committee, which enabled her to intervene in many workplace complaints.  Mother of the Movement Since the early 60’s, the black community has regarded Rosa as the mother of the modern day civil rights movement. “No one is asking for special rights,” Susan says, “they’re only asking for equal rights.” Resources WorkHuman Live 2020

This is part 2 of Mike Wood’s interview with Deborah Tulani Salahu-Din of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In last week’s show, Mike asked her if there was a particular artifact that resonates with her. The story she tells, and the amazing way the artifact came into her possession, is the subject of this week’s show. Matthew Williams and the Rope In the Segregation Era gallery of the museum there is an 8-inch piece of rope. This rope was used in the lynching of a 23-year-old African American man, Matthew Williams, in Salisbury, Michigan in 1931. Deborah’s search for artifacts relating to Paul Henderson led her to the discovery of the rope. Henderson himself was present at the lynching; he secured a piece of the rope, and wrote a note about the event. Deborah comments, “It was almost as if he was speaking from the grave and telling the story of racial violence against Matthew Williams and the broader story of lynching and the spectator sport that it had become.”  Resources Deborah’s article about Matthew Williams and the Rope

In this second installment of WorkHuman Radio’s month long series celebrating Black History Month, Mike Wood visits the National Museum of African American History and Culture and chats with museum specialist Deborah Tulani Salahu-Din about what the museum has in terms of artifacts and objects, as well as the stories behind them. Before joining the museum, Deborah worked in higher education; in her present role she has been able to merge her expertise in African American literature into the exhibitions. The Museum’s Origins The museum was first conceptualized as a way to recognize African Americans who served in the military. The idea evolved into a national edifice to recognize the achievements of African Americans in all fields, and to use the African American experience as a lens through which to examine American history as a whole. Legislation passed in 2003 under the Bush administration gave the mandate for the museum’s creation. Construction began in 2012 and the museum was officially opened in 2016. 6 Floors of History African American history, from pre-slavery days in West Africa to present day is on display in the 6 floors and 11 galleries of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Deborah says that although the exhibitions display America’s tortured past, it is still a celebratory expression of the resilience African Americans had and still have in the face of adversity. In describing the layout of the museum, she mentions that young people will particularly enjoy learning how to step dance on the interactive stepping floor. Two other notable exhibits are the Making A Way Out of No Way Gallery, and the Culture Gallery which showcases how African American culinary arts influenced American cuisine. Roots Mike asks about the family history resource at the museum. Deborah replies that you can come to the museum to discover your lineage and the staff will help you search for at least 30 minutes. She mentions that the museum will be opening a new exhibit on Pauli Murray, author of Proud Shoes, activist and the first woman to serve as a priest in the Episcopalian Church. Resources NMAAHC.si.edu

In honor of Black History Month, Workhuman Radio goes on location to some historical places in Washington D.C. with special guests. This week, Mike Wood visits the Martin Luther King, Jr monument with Tamara Rasberry, HR professional and expert in diversity and inclusion. They talk about what diversity and inclusion means today, and why opportunity and recognition must accompany them. A Struggle for Recognition CHRO at Globoforce, Steve Pemberton, said that recognition is the bridge between diversity and inclusion. Mike comments that at its core, the African American struggle through history has been a struggle for recognition. As she looks at the MLK monument, Tamara muses that African Americans still fight today for so many of the things that MLK fought for. “We still have so much work to do to achieve civil rights and equality for everyone,” she says. “Where can we start, and what can I do?” There’s Always Hope Mike asks if Tamara believes there is hope that things will be different for the younger generation. She responds that we always have to hope. Without hope you don’t have anything, she says. However, change is slow. We have to teach children the history and what their ancestors fought for, so that they understand why it’s important to take a stand and to treat everyone with dignity and respect even if they’re different from you.  Opportunity Must Come With Diversity and Inclusion Tamara says that both her parents were usually one of the only black people at their jobs. As inspiring as their stories are, it points to the fact that opportunities were not the same for persons of color, otherwise there would have been more diversity. Even today, persons of color are not given equal opportunities, and are treated differently. Before someone will listen to you, Tamara points out, they first have to respect you. When you’re not respected because of your race or gender, your struggle to be heard is that much harder.  Mike asks Tamara to describe the difference between diversity and inclusion, and why inclusion should be at the forefront. Without inclusion, diversity means nothing, Tamara responds. Just having different ethnicities, genders and culture in your workplace is not enough, especially if they are not afforded the same opportunities or the same voice. All your employees should feel included, like they belong; they should not feel like they're outsiders because they're different. Resources Tamara Rasberry on LinkedIn

In this week’s show, Dr. Evian Gordon shares important insights about the brain as well as an innovative product that is now being used by corporations across the country. Dr. Gordon is a scientist and medical doctor who specializes in research into the total brain. He set up the world’s first standardized integrative database about how the brain works to try to discover key patterns and how to convert those insights into applications. An Innovative Product Mike asks Dr. Gordon to relate some insights gained from the database and how he applied those insights into his product. Dr. Gordon responds that the brain’s four main capacities are emotion, feeling cognition and self control, and they use three measures for each of them. The essence of the Total Brain product is the online assessment which gives you a snapshot of your total brain, including your mental health, in 20 minutes.  Major Insight The more you know about how the brain actually works, the more impact you can have, Dr. Gordon says. The biggest insight his work has revealed is that emotions drive the show. Emotions pick up on cues, and they have our biases. Emotions shape the way we perceive a situation more than our rational mind. If you don’t have emotional awareness, you’re going to be hijacked by your emotions, Dr. Gordon says. He points out that emotions drive your feelings, which is how you deal with risk and reward. His product offers users 50 ways they can get their total brain working more effectively. One Thing You Can Do Mike comments that WorkHuman’s mission is to make work a better place. However, stress is a major challenge because it follows us. Practices such as mindfulness and unplugging can help us deal with stress. He asks Dr. Gordon to describe some easy practices to help workers increase their productivity and their overall wellbeing. First and foremost, get an insight into how your own emotions and how they lead to your feelings, Dr. Gordon advises. Tune in to your default mode and focus on breath as a supplement to your mindfulness practice. Resources Get the Free TotalBrain.com Assessment

This week’s guest on WorkHuman Radio is Jacob Morgan, TED keynote speaker, four-time bestselling author, and creator of the Future of Work University. Jacob chats with Mike Wood about his soon-to-be-released book, The Future Leader, and how to become the kind of leader the future needs. Leadership in the Future Jacob teamed up with LinkedIn to research the trends shaping future leaders, the greatest challenges that future leaders will have to overcome, and the mindsets and skills that future leaders will need to possess. Some aspects of leadership are timeless and will remain constant. However, the impact of artificial intelligence and technology, globalization and the changing nature of talent are some of the issues that will shape how we conduct business in the future. As such, the future demands that leaders possess what Jacob calls The Notable Nine - a collection of four specific mindsets and 5 skills. What is Leadership? Most of the 140 CEOs that Jacob interviewed found it difficult to define leaders and leadership. Jacob comments that we all assume we know who a good leader is and what good leadership is, but that’s simply not true. He says that we should start by writing down our definition of leadership, because that will determine the filters we put in place. Mike adds that WorkHuman helps its clients tie their vision to their values, and everything trickles down from that. Jacob responds that many organizations have similar values. What’s different is how these values come to life. A Tremendous Opportunity His research showed that more than 50% of leaders believe that they successfully practice leadership skills and mindsets. Interestingly, of the 14,000 employees surveyed, less than 10% rated their leaders as performing very well. Jacob points out that if the people who work for you don’t say that you're doing a good job, then you're not doing a good job. It really doesn't matter what you think about yourself as a leader. This presents a tremendous opportunity to step up and practice these skills and mindsets, and teach others to do the same. Your job as a leader is to build yourself up to become a lighthouse, and also to guide other people. Resources The Future Leader book TheFutureOrganization.com

We’re doing something a little different this 2019. Each month, we’re highlighting a specific human from Globoforce and learning all about their stories. Today, we have Laury D'Oliveira, our Office Manager and all-around cultural energizer. She’s sharing what it’s like to be the support system of the company, and will robots be taking over our jobs soon? Early life Laury grew up in Central Massachusetts as the middle child of seven kids, from a family of very strong women. When she was younger, she wanted to be a lawyer because she felt there were injustices in the world that she could help fix. She was always taking care of everybody, and it’s carried through her entire life. In college, she took up Psychology at Fitchburg State University. Family life She met her first husband when she was younger and they had two boys. After they decided to move on from one another, she was a single mom for a while. Laury shares how the support she had from her mother in raising her kids meant never needing a babysitter outside the family. Daniel, her eldest, was a marine. He’s presently a personal trainer and hopes to open a gym where he can help veterans. The youngest, Jordan, is a teacher’s assistant and works with boys from difficult backgrounds.   She met her second husband, Paul, through work, even though she wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time. He never shied away from taking on the responsibility of raising her two boys, and she now introduces him as their father. How did you start working for Globoforce? The engineering firm she was working for was closing, and she came across a listing for a payroll administrator. She threw in her résumé and got the call to interview about the position. The interview began typically, but at one point it had transformed into a warm conversation. It was the best interview she’d ever done. Her interviewer even told someone, “Don’t bother interviewing anyone else. We have who we need.” Two days later, she was offered the job. What does your role here look like? Laury started as the payroll person, but as she became familiar with how the company functioned, what was needed where and who needed what, she was asked if she wanted to be the Office Manager. Naturally, he said yes. At its core, it’s a job that helps people do their jobs better, and that’s just who she is. If someone at the office has something going on in their lives, they can come to her about it. She (and Globoforce) believe that if they can help people in their outside lives, what they do during their time working will be much more productive because they can give so much more of themselves. Helping them deal through life and navigate doctors’ appointments and after-school activities just makes sense. What is your biggest accomplishment? Her children. They love giving back and understand that service to others and supporting each other is important. They’re caring human beings who aren’t afraid to fight for what is right: they’re not going to see someone struggling and say, well, that’s not my problem. It is. It’s all of our problems. What do you see work becoming like in the next couple of years, especially with AI and robots coming in? Globoforce will always have humans. There’s something to be said about eye contact, interacting with one another, and actually caring about each other’s days. A connection with another human being will always make things better, and despite all the negativity in the world today, we can — and must — be the light. Resources Laury D'Oliveira (LinkedIn)

Mike Wood welcomes Erica Dhawan, one of the speakers at WorkHuman Live 2020, to this week’s show. Erica is the world’s leading authority on Connectional Intelligence and the founder and CEO of Cotential. She is a speaker, trainer and consultant, as well as a bestselling author and podcast host. Named the Oprah of Management by the Thinkers 50, Erica is considered one of the management thinkers most likely to shape the future of business. She and Mike chat about digital body language, the topic she will speak on at WorkHuman Live 2020. What is Digital Body Language? A modern dilemma is that while body language makes up 75% of communication, today 70% of our communication is digital. As a result, it’s becoming more difficult to express what you mean in the workplace, and to grasp what others mean. These days we don’t talk the talk, Erica says, we write the talk. She defines digital body language as the cues and signals we send in our messages that truly make up the subtext of what we mean. She says that it is a key skill to help reduce the empathy deficit that strains workplace relationships.  New Signals Mike asks what signals we should look for in digital communications. Erica responds that digital body language shapes every interaction we have now, even face to face ones. Some of the new signals are word choice, response time, medium choice, and email signature. The key thing to keep in mind is how our digital body language signals are received by others. She says that we should first ask ourselves if we've given the other person enough context and if we're being clear, then if we’re using an emotional tone that’s in keeping with our company culture. Practice Patient and Careful Responses Today’s advanced technology, Erica says, has created a culture where we feel that communication has to be instant. One of the most important elements of digital body language is to practice patient and careful responses. Be patient; you shouldn’t panic or get upset if someone doesn’t respond immediately, Erica says. A better approach is to include response time expectations in your messages. When you rush to respond to messages, there’s a high chance that your response will have mistakes and typos. Hasty responses can cause a breakdown in trust, Erica points out. Respond carefully and thoughtfully.  Using Sarcasm and Humor There are times when we can use sarcasm or humor in our digital communications effectively, but it depends on the audience and our relationship with them. Erica describes when sarcasm and humor is appropriate, and when it’s better not to use it. Ultimately, she says, everyone has their own style of sarcasm, and if it can cause misunderstanding, it’s best not to use it at all. Mike adds that there still needs to be a tone of business in your writing. Erica comments that digital body language is a whole new skill set but it’s critical for teamwork and leadership in the modern age. Resources EricaDhawan.com Erica Dhawan on Twitter | LinkedIn  WorkHuman Live 2020