Podcasts about Employee engagement

Sam Shriver and Suzie Bishop join Larry Olsen from the Center for Leadership Studies, the home of the original Situational Leadership model. Sam brings more than 45 years of experience and has designed and delivered over 200 leadership and coaching programs. Suzie is Vice President of Product Development at the Center and has spent more than a decade adapting the model for today's modern learner. Together they are co-authors of Situational Leadership: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance.   In this conversation, Larry sits down with Sam and Suzie to talk about why one-size-fits-all leadership fails, and how meeting people where they are unlocks trust, performance, and human potential.   What you'll hear: Why "it depends" is the mantra of situational leadership, not a fixed leadership style The behaviors that run from direction to empowerment, and when each one backfires Referent power: why trust outperforms position power or expertise How a leader's presence alone can stifle honest conversation   ABOUT SAM SHRIVER AND SUZIE BISHOP Sam Shriver has more than 45 years of experience in situational leadership and has designed and delivered over 200 leadership and coaching programs. Suzie Bishop is Vice President of Product Development at the Center for Leadership Studies. Together they are co-authors of Situational Leadership: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance. The Center for Leadership Studies is the global home of the original Situational Leadership model.   ABOUT LARRY OLSEN Larry Olsen is a Two-Time Vistage Speaker of the Year and Fortune 50/500 Executive Performance Advisor with 40+ years of client work at Toyota, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Harley-Davidson, Honda, American Airlines, State Farm, Frito Lay, Lexus, and Tropicana. He is the author of Get a Vision and Live It! and the founder of Performance Driven Neurology.   IF THIS LANDED FOR YOU Leadership isn't one style forced onto every person, it's reading the person in front of you and adjusting from there. That's exactly how Larry thinks through every leadership conversation he has.   How Leaders Think:  https://larry-olsen.kit.com/how-leaders-think   CONNECT WITH LARRY Email: success@larryolsen.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/larry-r-olsen   CONNECT WITH SAM SHRIVER AND SUZIE BISHOP Website: situational.com LinkedIn: Sam Shriver and Suzie Bishop Book: Situational Leadership: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance (Amazon and other major retailers)   SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE New episodes of the Brain Vault Podcast publish every other Wednesday.

Episode Summary Employee engagement and mental health are often treated as separate line items on an HR dashboard, but they are actually two sides of the same coin. With global engagement falling to just one in five employees and stress levels rising, CEOs must recognize that disengagement is frequently a symptom of unaddressed psychological strain. In this episode, we dive into why traditional "wellness perks" aren't enough and how structural changes—from manager workload to AI deployment—are the real keys to a high-performing, healthy workforce.   Key Topics Discussed The Hidden Link Between Engagement and Mental Health: Why disengagement is often a symptom of chronic stress rather than a lack of motivation. The Manager Factor: How manager burnout and excessive "span of control" (more than 10-12 direct reports) act as a systems failure that erodes team health. Psychological Safety as a Foundation: Drawing on Harvard Business School research, we discuss why interpersonal risk-taking is the strongest predictor of both engagement and well-being. The "AI Factor": How deploying AI without clear communication about job security and new skill paths creates deep-seated anxiety and trust issues. Leadership and AI Deployment: Insights into Michael Levitt's approach to a "LeadershipOS," where technology change management is treated as a mental health intervention. Moving the Needle: Why organizations that pair mental health investment with structural changes like flexible scheduling and manageable workloads see significantly higher retention. Actionable Insights for CEOs Audit Manager Workload: Treat manager capacity like a production line; reduce the number of direct reports and give them the authority to adjust workloads without red tape. Cross-Reference Your Data: Pull your engagement surveys and layer them over absenteeism and turnover data to find exactly where your organization needs the most help Structural Safety: Build psychological safety by rewarding managers who surface problems early and creating forums where employees can raise concerns safely. The 90-Day Pilot: Commit to one structural change—whether it's a new AI communication protocol or reducing span of control—with a designated owner and a clear measurement data Resources Mentioned 3 Ways To Boost Employee Engagement In Your Workplace 6 Ways To Embrace Mental Health In Your Company Employee Retention: Calculating The True Costs Of Burnout And Turnover Research References: Gallup State of the Global Workplace, SHRM Workplace Research, and McKinsey workforce data https://BreakfastLeadership.com/

In this episode of our 3-part series exploring the foundations of positive leadership, I speak with Kevin Ford, the award-winning, past CEO of Calian Group, about how to effectively connect with others. In a world grappling with AI, remote work, and breakneck change, we examine explore what meaningful connection looks like in practice. Starting with candor and transparency, our discussion explores why authentic openness isn't just a nice-to-have, but a business essential. Kevin shares some real-life examples from leading a global, publicly traded company to amplify the conversation from theory to tangible action.Our journey continues with a deep dive into respect, which is not a formality rooted in title, but rather the lived foundation of innovative, resilient culture. Empathy emerges as our final, essential ingredient, with stories illustrating how courageous listening and presence lead organizations through uncertainty and drive sustainable results. Key moments include revealing the inner workings of boardroom transparency, the contagious effects of a leader's sincerity, and the simple yet radical act of asking, “How are you really doing?” Insights on how accountability and compassion coexist provide leaders with a nuanced blueprint for addressing hard truths without losing humanity.Listeners will come away with a wealth of practical strategies, from how to tune into team energy, to acting on feedback with genuine care. For anyone looking to elevate their leadership and transform team dynamics, this episode delivers both the why and the how.What You'll Learn- The Importance of Candor and Transparency in Leadership.- How Transparency Builds Trust and Followership.- Cultivating a Culture of Respect.- Navigating Difficult Conversations With Respect.- Demonstrating and Developing Empathy: A Leadership Superpower.- Positive energy matters, especially in tough times.- Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Performance. Podcast Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction to Part 2: Connecting with Others(01:59) - The Challenge of Connection in a Tech-Driven World(02:36) - Candor and Transparency in Leadership(07:36) - Transparency Across Stakeholders(13:09) - The Foundation of Respect(19:59) - (25:03) - Respect in Difficult Conversations and Layoffs(29:01) - Empathy as a Leadership Imperative(36:29) - Empathy in Action and Leading Through Crisis(47:03) - The Courage to Embrace Raw Emotions(55:07) - Reflecting on the Leadership JourneyKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Candor, Transparency, Authenticity, Self-Leadership, Respect, Empathy, Leadership Culture, Company Values, Accountability, Performance Management, Giving Feedback, Employee Engagement, Emotional Intelligence, Human-Centered Leadership, Difficult Conversations, Building Trust, Stakeholder Communication, Navigating Change, Remote Work, CEO Success

Organizations invest significant time, money, and resources into new technologies, processes, and inclusion initiatives, but successful implementation doesn't guarantee successful adoption.In this episode of Changing Minds & Changing Lives, host Julie Sowash sits down with Julie Gawle, Senior Change Advisor at Meaningful Change Consulting, to explore the critical difference between project management and change management. Together, they discuss why so many well-intentioned workplace initiatives struggle to gain traction, the pivotal role managers play in driving adoption, and how organizations can create lasting change by focusing on people, not just processes.The conversation covers manager enablement, stakeholder engagement, emotional intelligence, diverse hiring initiatives, and practical strategies leaders can use to build support, trust, and long-term success across their organizations.In this Episode: The difference between project management and change management Why successful implementation does not guarantee successful outcomes Common warning signs that workplace initiatives are failing to gain adoption How inclusion and disability employment programs benefit from strong change strategies The critical role managers play as gatekeepers of organizational change Why emotional intelligence and empathy are essential leadership skills How organizations can measure adoption beyond traditional metrics The importance of leadership alignment and prioritization in times of constant change Practical ways to better prepare and support managers during transformation effortsResources & Links: Meaningful Change Consulting Prosci Change Management Research Workday transformation and adoption strategies Disability employment and inclusive hiring initiatives through Disability Solutions

In this episode, Ray explores the uncomfortable truth: firm culture is revealed through what leaders reward, tolerate, and ignore on a typical Monday morning. For advisory firm owners, understanding your actual culture, not your aspirational values, has direct business impact.Ray makes the connection concrete: research from SHRM shows that employee experience and engagement account for 42% of turnover intent. Regrettable attrition is expensive. More importantly, in relational advisory businesses, internal culture becomes external client experience. Clients feel when teams are aligned, communication is clear, and people are supported. They also feel when turnover disrupts continuity and people are burned out.This episode is built around an immediately actionable framework: the culture evidence review. Rather than running another employee survey, Ray walks you through five practical questions that move culture from sentiment to evidence. You'll learn what to examine, what it means when certain behaviors are tolerated, and how to use stay interviews to listen early before exit interviews teach expensive lessons.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODEWhy culture is revealed through behavior, not proclamation, and how to examine evidence instead of languageHow employee experience and engagement directly correlate with turnover intent (and the research that proves it)The five-question culture evidence review framework that translates culture into measurable leadership decisionsWhy tolerated behaviors become permission and what behaviors are costing your firm stability and client continuityHow to use stay interviews to listen early and understand what your best people need to stay engagedTHE FIVE-QUESTION CULTURE EVIDENCE REVIEWWhat behaviors are rewarded around here? Look past the value statement. Who gets promoted, praised, paid, invited to important conversations? Do you reward people who develop others or only those who generate revenue? Do you reward collaboration or information control? Do you reward system improvement or crisis heroics?What behaviors are tolerated? Every firm tolerates something. Poor follow-through, weak meetings, avoided feedback, disrespectful communication, hoarded clients, undermining peers, not using the CRM, treating staff as support instead of colleagues. When leaders tolerate these behaviors, tolerance becomes permission.What do employees fear saying out loud? Your team may know where the firm is stuck before leaders admit it. They know which processes are broken, which client segments drain the team, which advisors are difficult. A healthy culture gives truth a place to go.What are stay interviews telling us? Ask why people stay, what might cause them to leave, where they feel underutilized or unsupported, and what would help them grow. Listen early.What is AI anxiety doing to the culture? Employees may not directly name AI fear. They hesitate to use tools, fear being replaced, or assume productivity gains mean more work. Leaders need to surface this conversation.COACHING QUESTIONS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAMWhat behaviors are shaping your culture more than your stated values do?Where is the firm tolerating behavior that undermines trust or performance?What would your employees say the culture rewards most in your firm?What are stay interviews telling you before exit interviews make the lesson costly?How is AI anxiety manifesting in the culture, even if people are not naming it directly?Building the Billion Dollar Business is hosted by Ray Sclafani, Founder and CEO of ClientWise, the financial services industry's leading executive coaching and team development firm for elite advisors and wealth management teams.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Today I'm joined by Scott McInnes, founder of Inspiring Change, a Dublin-based culture and internal communication consultancy. Scott helps senior leadership teams close the gap between the culture they have and the one they actually need to deliver their strategy.  In this episode, we explore why communication is far more than simply sharing information. Scott explains how great leaders connect people to purpose, why clarity without emotion rarely inspires action, and how frontline managers play a critical role in translating organizational strategy into meaningful conversations. We also discuss hybrid work, employee engagement, storytelling, communication confidence, and why self-awareness may be one of the most important communication skills any leader can develop. Whether you lead a team, communicate change, or simply want your messages to create more impact, this conversation is full of practical insights you can apply immediately. Let's dive in. Additional Resources: ► Follow Communispond on LinkedIn for more communication skills tips: https://www.linkedin.com/company/communispond ► Connect with Scott D'Amico on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdamico/ ► Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwmcinnes/ ► Learn more about Inspiring Change: https://www.inspiringchange.ie/comms ► Subscribe to Communicast: https://communicast.simplecast.com/ ► Learn more about Communispond: https://www.communispond.com

How much trust should employers place in psychometric assessments?In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham is joined by Paula Baetu, Psychometric Specialist, Business Psychologist, and Executive Coach at Awemetrics / Pawsometrics, to demystify workplace assessments and explore how HR leaders can make better, more evidence-based talent decisions.With extensive experience evaluating and implementing psychometric assessments for recruitment, leadership development, internal mobility, and organizational development, Paula explains what psychometric assessments really measure—and why they're about far more than personality tests.Together, Bill and Paula discuss why HR and talent acquisition teams are increasingly turning to assessments to improve hiring quality and objectivity, while also highlighting the risks of relying on tools that lack independent validation or transparency. Paula explains why every HR professional should ask vendors for a technical manual, how to determine whether an assessment is fit for purpose, and why organizations often continue using legacy tools simply because "that's what we've always used."The conversation also explores some of the most common mistakes organizations make—from hiring based on a single assessment score to benchmarking against outdated norm groups—and why psychometric results should always inform decisions rather than make them.Finally, Bill and Paula examine the growing impact of artificial intelligence on workplace assessments. They discuss AI-generated tests, candidates using AI during assessments, skills-based hiring, and the practical steps employers are taking to AI-proof recruitment processes while maintaining fairness and validity.Whether you're an HR leader, recruiter, talent acquisition specialist, people manager, or organizational psychologist, this episode offers practical guidance for selecting better assessment tools and making smarter hiring decisions.In this episode, you'll learn about:What psychometric assessments really measure—and why they're more than personality testsWhy independent validation and technical documentation matter when selecting assessment toolsHow to evaluate psychometric vendors and choose assessments that are fit for purposeCommon mistakes organizations make when interpreting assessment resultsWhy skills-based hiring is changing assessment strategiesHow AI is transforming candidate assessment and recruitmentPractical ways to improve fairness, validity, and transparency in hiring decisionsBest practices for using psychometrics in recruitment, promotion, and leadership developmentIf you enjoy this episode, subscribe to the HRchat Podcast, leave a review, and share it with colleagues working in HR, talent acquisition, leadership development, and organizational psychology.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events

What makes great executives stand out? I'm thrilled to share Part 1 of a 3-part series that will explore the foundations of positive leadership. Throughout this special set of episodes, I will be sharing the stage with Kevin Ford, the award-winning CEO of Calian who recently stepped down. In this episode, Kevin and I start the conversation by taking an honest look at why leading yourself matters most. We unpack the critical role of self-awareness, sharing a powerful personal journey that moved Kevin from early-career overconfidence to the life-changing benefits of welcoming tough feedback.We also discuss insightful research, amplified with real-life examples that makes the case that self-awareness isn't soft. Our discussion touches on structured approaches (like 360 reviews) and everyday, observational cues that help leaders read the room and adjust in real time. We reframe humility as a leadership strength, curiosity as the operational side of great leadership, and positivity as the superpower needed to weather today's challenges.If you're searching for ways to advance your leadership, build resilience, and foster authentic relationships, this episode provides an actionable roadmap to transform self-awareness from a buzzword into your most valuable asset.What You'll Learn- Self-Awareness is foundational- Feedback is a gift: Receive it well- Embracing (tough) feedback, can be transformative.- Make time for self-reflection.- Curiosity is operationalized humility.- Positive energy matters, especially in tough times.- Legacy is about the journey. Podcast Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction to the 3-Part Series(00:42) - Guest Introduction: Kevin Ford's Leadership Journey(03:26) - The Importance of Leading Yourself(04:11) – The Role of Self-Awareness in Executive Success(06:08) - Transformative Feedback: The Value of Tough Conversations(09:46) - Processing Feedback and Humility in Leadership(12:12) - Creating Upward Feedback Culture(14:24) - Reading the Room: Observational Self-Awareness(16:43) - Internal and External Self-Awareness(17:56) - Addressing Time Constraints and Feedback Reluctance(22:18) - Curiosity as a Driver of Self-Awareness(24:21) - Humility, Curiosity, and Leadership Legacy(29:04) - Self-Awareness and Decisive Leadership(32:59) - Positive Energy and Well-being in Leadership(37:48) - Practical Steps for Sustaining Positive Energy(41:45) - Final Reflections on Self-AwarenessKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Self-Awareness, Leadership Development, Executive Feedback, 360 Assessments, Upward Feedback, Humility in Leadership, Curiosity, Culture, Authenticity, Positive Energy, Well-Being, Mental Health, Physical Health, Energy Management, Legacy, Organizational Culture, Coaching, Empathy, Constructive Criticism, Personal Growth, Employee Engagement, Resilience, Performance Review, Self-Reflection, Emotional Intelligence, CEO Success

In this episode, host Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and author of "Be Yourself At Work." Together, they explore the power of authentic leadership, building resilient workplace cultures, and the importance of empathy and self-awareness in professional growth. Episode Highlights: [0:49] Introduction to Claude Silver and her role as Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX [13:14] Claude discusses fear, insecurity, and authenticity in the workplace [13:72] Shifting leadership paradigms: trust, vulnerability, and communication [14:26] Building resilience through adversity and the value of transparent feedback About Claude Silver:Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, where she partners with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to cultivate a people-first culture. With over a decade in her unique role, Claude is recognized for pioneering empathetic leadership and fostering environments where individuals can thrive by being their authentic selves. She is the author of "Be Yourself At Work," a book dedicated to empowering individuals and teams to lead with heart, courage, and vulnerability. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, part of the "Rewards that work" webcast series, panelists examine how leading organizations can move from offering financial wellness programs to actively encouraging meaningful employee engagement. Drawing on external research and real-world client experience, they introduce a practical framework to help organizations increase engagement across the full employee lifecycle, from initial awareness to sustained usage.

In this interview, UC Today's Kristian McCann speaks with Stephen Baer, leadership advisor and author, about one of the most stubborn paradoxes in modern business: organizations that say people are their greatest asset, then manage them on spreadsheets.With Gallup reporting that 79% of employees worldwide are disengaged in 2025, Stephen makes a compelling argument that the way most companies measure engagement is actively undermining it — and that the fix starts not with better tools, but with better leaders.Topics include:The invisible drag is costing more than you think. Disengagement is estimated to cost the global economy $8.8 trillion annually — equivalent to 9% of global GDP. Meanwhile, companies that genuinely invest in their people see a third of average staff turnover and eight times more revenue per employee.Quiet quitting has a tell. When employees stop saying "what if we tried this?" and start saying "just tell me the deadline," ownership, creativity, and innovation have already left the building. Compliance is what remains.Metrics should lag, not lead. The right question isn't "what's our engagement score?" — it's "where are we losing people emotionally?" Tools and platforms work best as early warning systems for broken human experiences, not surveillance dashboards.Train coaches, not managers. Stephen's framework — greet them, know them, grow them — gives middle managers a practical way to build the kind of relationships where people feel seen, understood, and clear on how their work connects to something bigger.Next Steps For more leadership and workplace insights, visit UC Today and explore related stories and interviews. Join the UC Today LinkedIn community at linkedin.com/groups/9551264 and subscribe to the newsletter at uctoday.com/register.

Employee engagement is key to a successful organization, and getting team members engaged should begin even before their first day of work as a new hire. New hires naturally feel a mix of excitement and anxiety, but leaders must capitalize on the excitement while minimizing the anxiety to stimulate employee engagement from the outset. According to Lana Fontenot, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and External Relations for South Louisiana Community College, effective pre-boarding and onboarding programs are effective ways to not only stimulate excitement and reduce anxiety but to build engagement and increase retention rates. Listen to the first part of Dr. Janet Pilcher's two-part interview with Ms. Fontenot as they discuss her model for pre-boarding and onboarding and her personal experience as a new hire that instilled within her the passion for effective onboarding and employee engagement. Recommended Resources:  Focus on Employee Engagement, Increase Employee Engagement with RecognitionFollow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/ 

What does it really take to thrive in the future of work?In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham is joined by Kevin Empey, founder of Work Matters and author of Thrive in the Future of Work, to explore how AI, hybrid work, digital transformation, and changing employee expectations are reshaping organizations around the world.Together, Bill and Kevin examine how the workplace has evolved over the past decade—from hyper-digitalization and the lasting impact of COVID-19 to the rapid adoption of generative AI and the changing relationship between employers and employees. They discuss why many organizations are focusing on employee engagement when the real challenge may be a growing alignment gap between business priorities and workforce expectations.The conversation also explores the future of hybrid work, the return-to-office debate, AI's impact on job design, and why HR leaders must rethink early careers if they want to create opportunities for the next generation of talent.Whether you're a CHRO, HR leader, people manager, talent professional, or business executive, this episode offers practical insights into building more adaptable organizations and preparing employees for an increasingly uncertain future.In this episode, you'll learn about:Why AI is accelerating change faster than previous workplace transformationsThe long-term impact of hybrid work and evolving employee expectationsWhy employee engagement may be the wrong problem to solveClosing the alignment gap between organizational strategy and employee experienceRethinking the employment relationship in the age of AIPreparing graduates and early-career professionals for an AI-enabled workplaceWhy career agility and continuous learning are becoming essential workplace skillsIf you enjoy the episode, please subscribe to the HRchat Podcast, leave a review, and share it with colleagues who are shaping the future of work.Connect with Kevin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-empey-4968731b/Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

What separates organizations that simply function from those that truly thrive? The answer often lies in the strength of their culture. In this episode of Let's Have This Conversation, Kevin McShan sits down with transformational culture executive Billy Bonaparte to explore why organizational culture is far more than an HR initiative—it's one of the most powerful strategic advantages a business can possess. With more than 15 years of experience helping Fortune 500 organizations accelerate growth through talent, innovation, and human performance, Billy shares how leaders can create cultures where purpose, performance, and belonging work together to drive sustainable success. The conversation examines the critical role of cultural alignment, ensuring employees' values, behaviors, and beliefs are connected to an organization's mission and vision, while also discussing why clear organizational priorities help businesses focus their people, resources, and energy where they matter most. Throughout the discussion, Billy explains how authentic leadership, meaningful communication, and intentional employee engagement create workplaces where people feel valued, trusted, and empowered to contribute at their highest level. Rather than treating culture as a standalone initiative, he demonstrates why today's most successful organizations embed culture into every business decision, leadership conversation, and strategic objective. Whether you're a CEO, HR executive, people leader, manager, entrepreneur, or someone passionate about building high-performing teams, this episode offers practical insights into creating transformational workplaces where people and performance flourish together. In this episode, you'll discover: If you're looking to build a resilient, people-first organization where employees are engaged, aligned, and inspired to do their best work, this conversation is one you won't want to miss. LinkedIn : @BillyBonaparte,MBA   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are your organization's wellbeing initiatives making a real difference—or simply creating the appearance of caring?In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham sits down with Dr. Paul Jones, Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education and Student Experience at Aston Business School and upcoming DisruptHR Birmingham speaker, to explore the difference between genuine workplace wellbeing and what Paul calls "well branding"—highly visible wellbeing initiatives that fail to address the root causes of employee stress, burnout, and disengagement.The conversation then shifts to evidence-based recruitment, where Paul explains why better hiring decisions don't come from adding more interviews or assessments, but from collecting the right evidence. He shares practical insights into structured interviews, psychometric assessments, ability testing, and why many hiring processes unknowingly measure the same qualities multiple times while overlooking the capabilities that truly predict success.Bill and Paul also discuss bias in recruitment and the growing role of AI in hiring. They explore why bias begins long before interviews take place, how AI can unintentionally reinforce poor decision-making, and why human judgment remains essential throughout the recruitment process.Whether you're an HR leader, recruiter, hiring manager, or organizational psychologist, this episode offers practical strategies to improve employee wellbeing and make smarter, more evidence-based hiring decisions.In this episode, you'll learn about:Why workplace wellbeing initiatives sometimes become "well branding"Addressing the root causes of burnout instead of treating symptomsThe value of structured interviews and evidence-based recruitmentHow psychometric and ability assessments improve hiring qualityWhy more recruitment stages don't always produce better hiring decisionsThe "bananas, raspberries and strawberries" framework for evaluating recruitment evidenceRecognizing and reducing bias throughout the hiring processUsing AI responsibly to support—not replace—human decision-makingIf you enjoy this episode, subscribe to the HRchat Podcast, leave us a review, and share it with colleagues working in HR, talent acquisition, and people leadership.Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmjones/Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events

Hey there Voices of the Bench community, this is Trish Jones with Ivoclar. If you've been curious about fast-firing zirconia to improve efficiency but aren't convinced it can deliver predictable, high-quality results, I'd encourage you to connect with us. Our new IPS Emax Zirconia offers multiple fast-fire protocols designed to help save you valuable production time while maintaining consistent results. Time is money in every lab. Don't wait. Reach out to your local Ivoclar rep today and discover how IPS Emax Zirconia can help streamline your workflow. As full-arch dentistry continues to grow, so do the demands on today's dental laboratories. That's why Knight Dental recently launched SimplyARCH Studio, a dedicated production environment built exclusively for full-arch restorations. To support this specialized workflow, Knight invested in an XTCERA milling system and carefully evaluated multiple CAM software solutions before choosing hyperDENT. The decision came down to exceptional milling quality, minimal hand finishing, and impressive production efficiency. But what truly set hyperDENT apart was the implementation process. From the very beginning, the team provided more than software training—they shared the knowledge and experience needed to build an optimized workflow for complex full-arch cases. With proven expertise in advanced milling strategies and laboratory production, hyperDENT helped ensure SimplyARCH Studio was designed for long-term success from day one.Matt Everatt joins Elvis and Barb for a fascinating conversation that takes a deep dive into his journey through the dental laboratory industry and the story behind his book, The Invisible Profession. From discovering dental technology at 16 and specializing in maxillofacial prosthetics and orthodontics to working in hospitals, developing early sleep-apnea appliances, and nearly leaving the profession altogether, Matt's career has taken some seriously interesting turns. Eventually, he helped co-found S4S, building a successful business around sleep-apnea appliances, occlusal splints, orthodontics, and more before eventually stepping away from ownership. Matt Everatt joins Elvis and Barb for a fascinating conversation that takes a deep dive into his journey through the dental laboratory industry and the story behind his book, The Invisible Profession. From discovering dental technology at 16 and specializing in maxillofacial prosthetics and orthodontics to working in hospitals, developing early sleep-apnea appliances, and nearly leaving the profession altogether, Matt's career has taken some seriously interesting turns. Eventually, he helped co-found S4S, building a successful business around sleep-apnea appliances, occlusal splints, orthodontics, and more before eventually stepping away from ownership. But this conversation goes far beyond Matt's career. His book, The Invisible Profession, explores how the dental laboratory industry arrived at a place where technicians and laboratories are often undervalued, pushed into price competition, and expected to simply keep their heads down and produce. Matt shares his thoughts on the "million little things" that shaped the industry, the danger of becoming a "busy fool," and why laboratories need to stop competing solely on price and start becoming known for the value, expertise, and partnership they bring to the dental team. Elvis, Barb, and Matt also talk about the changing landscape of digital dentistry, AI, 3D printing, speed, service, and why the labs that embrace change and remain agile will be the ones positioned for the future. It's an honest, thought-provoking, and ultimately optimistic conversation about where the dental laboratory profession has been, where it is today, and where it can go next.Special Guest: Matt Everatt.

What if the biggest driver of a good patient experience has nothing to do with the patient at all — at least not at first? In this episode, Jamie sits down with four leaders behind Your Health's new Ambassador program: Rebecca Dillard (Chief Patient Experience Officer), Eddie Caldwell (VP of Talent & Workforce Strategy), Stephanie Martin (Executive Director of Employee Performance), and Whitney Myers (Executive Field Director of Patient Experience).  Together they built a 36-person volunteer network designed to move Your Health's values off the wall and into everyday conversations. •  Why colleague experience has to come before patient experience — not after it •  The five-part Ambassador framework — Observe, Encourage, Celebrate, Listen, Connect — and which piece each guest personally underestimated •  How Eddie has changed what he listens for in job interviews to hire for culture fit, not just skill •  The simple three-word question — “tell me more” — that's changing how the team listens to understand instead of listening to respond •  Why Purpose Partners, a peer-support network launched at the Ambassador retreat, is built to outlast the excitement of any single training day This is a conversation about what culture change actually requires — not slogans, but sustained, person-to-person influence. Press play to hear what a good “ordinary Tuesday” looks like when a culture initiative actually works. www.YourHealth.Org

Send us Fan MailSend us Fan MailIn this dynamic episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we sit down with Chris Hallberg, affectionately known as the Business Sergeant. Chris is a renowned leadership expert and business strategist who has transformed organizations through his practical, no-nonsense approach to leadership and culture. With a wealth of experience guiding over 100 leadership teams, he shares his insights on building high-performing cultures and the unique strengths veterans bring to the business world.Chris recounts his journey from a military career as a National Guard military police sergeant to becoming a successful entrepreneur who built an award-winning energy-efficient remodeling company during the Great Recession. He emphasizes the importance of accountability, clear communication, and the necessity of having the right people in the right roles to foster organizational success.Listeners will learn about:- The common blind spots that hold leaders back from greatness- Strategies for creating a culture that employees genuinely want to be a part of- How to increase employee engagement without a budget increase- The hidden value of hiring veterans and the leadership skills they possess- Insights into Chris's upcoming projects, including the innovative Go Expand software and his veteran-powered recruiting initiativeJoin us for an insightful conversation that challenges conventional leadership wisdom and inspires you to elevate your organizational practices. For more information on Chris Hallberg and his work, visit businesssargent.com and connect with him on LinkedIn for ongoing updates and resources.Support the show

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

“Managing emotions—yours and your audience's—is hard enough, but it's even harder when you're under pressure to respond."High-pressure communication doesn't have to derail your message. In this Think Fast, Talk Smart Ask Matt Anything episode, Matt Abrahams answers real-world questions from members of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Learning Community, sharing practical advice for communicating with confidence when the stakes are high. From managing cognitive load and regulating anxiety to leading uncertain conversations and running more engaging meetings, Matt offers actionable strategies for staying focused, connecting with your audience, and communicating with clarity under pressureKey Takeaways:Manage your emotions to manage your message. Reducing cognitive load through preparation and emotional regulation helps you think and communicate more clearly under pressure.Lead with your audience in mind. Whether navigating uncertainty or running meetings, acknowledging emotions, setting clear expectations, and tailoring your message helps people stay engaged and take action.Activity:Stress-test your message. Before your next high-stakes conversation or presentation, rehearse it once under mild pressure—set a timer, record yourself, or practice with a colleague. Notice where you lose clarity, then refine those moments before the real conversation.Episode Reference Links:Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (01:07) - Speaking Under Pressure (04:01) - Calming an Anxious Audience (07:45) - More Engaging Meetings (12:33) - Communicating Change Without Fear (16:30) - Conclusion

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

What if one of the most effective ways to improve employee engagement, workplace culture, and business performance costs nothing more than a thoughtful thank you?In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, Robin Bailey and Al McDonald sit down with Kristian Gaetano, Chief Operating Officer at Achievers, to explore why employee recognition is far more powerful than an annual award or expensive incentive.Since joining Achievers nearly 15 years ago, Kristian has progressed from customer success into the C-suite by volunteering to solve the complex problems others avoided. He shares how leaning into his strengths, embracing challenges before he felt fully qualified, and becoming known as a dependable problem-solver shaped his leadership journey.The conversation also explores how leaders can balance data with instinct, why information requires human context, and how Kristian uses a “worry list” and trusted truth tellers to manage high-stakes decisions. As AI reshapes the workplace, he offers an important reminder that technology remains a tool. Critical thinking, community, empathy, and human connection are still what move organizations forward.Whether you are a CEO, founder, people leader, customer success professional, or executive navigating the future of work, this episode offers a human-centred approach to building stronger teams, customer relationships, and organizations.You'll hear about:How Kristian grew from customer success into the COO role Why tackling difficult problems can accelerate leadership growth How customer success has become a strategic partnership Balancing data, instinct, empathy, and human context Why senior leaders need trusted truth tellers How to stop late-night worries from controlling your thinking The biggest misconception about employee recognition Why everyday recognition can influence workplace behaviour The connection between employee engagement and customer experience Why AI must support people, not replace critical thinking How organizations can remain human during workplace transformation Helping other people recognize and reach their potentialWe talk about:00:00 Welcome and introduction to Kristian Gaetano 03:02 Growing from customer success into the COO role 04:00 Solving the problems nobody else wants 06:13 Leaning into your strengths as a leader 12:00 Why the customer is not always right, but is never wrong 13:19 Using empathy and constructive tension with customers 15:17 Balancing data with instinct and experience 18:09 The weight of making high-stakes leadership decisions 19:19 Kristian's late-night “worry list” strategy 20:14 Why leaders need trusted truth tellers 22:15 Adding human context to data and AI 25:53 The biggest misconceptions about employee recognition 27:20 Recognizing everyday behaviours, not only major achievements 29:00 How employee engagement affects business performance 30:53 When AI transformation makes employees feel disposable 32:52 Attracting, engaging, and retaining talent in the future 34:20 Why the future of work requires community and humanity 36:24 Planting trees by helping people reach their potentialConnect with KristianLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiangaetano/ Website: https://www.achievers.com/ Connect with UsLinkedIn: Robin Bailey and Al McDonald Website: Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

It's a strange time: the economy and capital markets are booming, yet worker engagement is as low as it was during the pandemic. It's a strange combination of events: stock market at all time highs while affordability and trust are at all time lows. Have we over-inflated our economy or is it something more systemic. As I discuss in my latest article, some of the challenges we face have been building for many years, while others are very recent. We live in a world of growing automation, fear of job loss, yet an extraordinary world of new health, business, and creative opportunities. And young people are the most pessimistic of all. Is it just the “chaos of change” that's causing the issue? In today's podcast I explain the factors and give you, as a business or HR leader, some advice on what to do. Additional Background Affordability Is Not Just Inflation: It's Time For A Historic Shift In Wages. Worker engagement just hit a decade low — and new data from 88 million employees shows why managers are the problem AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI Conflicts are on the rise globally, at the highest level since WWII, data shows There's Another Reason Gen Z Can't Find Work Chapters (00:00:00) - Employee Engagement and Trust in Companies(00:06:07) - Wage stagnation and what can we do about it(00:11:08) - Employee Experience in the AI Era(00:12:28) - IBM's Core(00:18:17) - More Focus on Frontline Work

In this episode of The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast, host Seth Serxner welcomes Neal Sofian - public health innovator and behavioral change expert - to examine the future of workforce health literacy and what it takes to truly activate, engage, and empower people on their health journeys.Neal Sofian is the CEO emeritus of Tuzag and a pioneer in population health. Neal's passion lies in transforming research into scalable practice, harnessing human storytelling, personalization, and cross-disciplinary insights to drive meaningful change in health and wellbeing at scale.Seth and Neal also discuss:Personalization at Scale: Effective health engagement starts by focusing on the individual's passions, vulnerabilities, and life circumstances—not just their risk factors or diagnoses.Engagement vs. Activation: Engagement is only the first step; real value happens when people are activated—taking concrete actions to improve their health.Rethinking ROI: Neal advocates for a blended cost-effectiveness approach—matching the right intervention to the right person and tracking real-world outcomes across programs.The Role of Employers: Employers are uniquely positioned to benefit from an engaged, healthy, and productive workforce, but need to think beyond short-term cost containment.AI as a Tool, Not a Silver Bullet: AI is well-suited to ask better questions, identify journeys, and support expert systems, but must remain grounded in behavioral models and always point back to person-to-person connection when appropriate.Health Literacy as Relevance: Making information truly relevant through story, metaphor, and context unlocks complex understanding—even for sophisticated topics.Trust as the Foundation: Building trust, even in small ways, is essential to nudge individuals from passive engagement to active participation in their health.Neal's core message: Start with people - see their humanity first, build trust, and everything else, from engagement to activation to measurable outcomes, will follow.Want to discover how EdLogics empowers organizations to boost health literacy, activate healthier behaviors, and cultivate real engagement across your workforce? Visit the EdLogics website for more.Learn About EdLogicsWant to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?Visit the EdLogics website: www.edlogics.com.Get Seth's BookCheck out The Wellbeing Effect by Seth Serxner.

In the midst of texting and cell phones, online websites and GPS, it can be difficult to remember an era when almost all communication took place by landline or snail mail, as it's now called, and driving depended on the ability to read a printed map. But April Howells's debut novel vividly recaptures that world. The Unforgettable Mailman (Alcove Press, 2026) opens in Chicago in October 1966. The post office, overwhelmed with unsolicited mail in the days before the ZIP code, has shut down temporarily, and an elderly resident named Henry Walton decides that someone must deliver the mail. People depend on letters, after all, and without them, connections with their nearest and dearest will fade. Henry himself suffers from a bad leg leftover from World War I and an increasingly dicey memory. But despite these obstacles, he succeeds in breaking into the post office and leaving with approximately 300 letters, destined for places as far apart as Canada and the Dakotas. Throughout the story we see Henry's interactions with the recipients of the letters as well as the letters themselves, and through the exchanges Henry's own past becomes ever clearer. After a while, his journey intersects with that of Roger, a high-school student in search of the father who left home, and the two of them pursue the delivery of the letters as we learn more about what makes each of them tick. This haunting novel, which came out a couple of months ago, captivated me from the very beginning. Henry is beautifully portrayed and sympathetic, and so are all the people with whom he interacts along the road—including, of course, Roger. April is a storyteller who finds heartwarming inspiration in little-known pieces of history. With a background in magazine publishing, she's spent the last decade leading Global Internal Communications and Employee Engagement for premium apparel brand lululemon. The Unforgettable Mailman is her debut novel. C. P. Lesley is the author of two historical fiction series set during the childhood of Ivan the Terrible and four other novels, including one co-written with P.K. Adams. Her next book, Song of the Silk Weaver, will appear in September 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the midst of texting and cell phones, online websites and GPS, it can be difficult to remember an era when almost all communication took place by landline or snail mail, as it's now called, and driving depended on the ability to read a printed map. But April Howells's debut novel vividly recaptures that world. The Unforgettable Mailman (Alcove Press, 2026) opens in Chicago in October 1966. The post office, overwhelmed with unsolicited mail in the days before the ZIP code, has shut down temporarily, and an elderly resident named Henry Walton decides that someone must deliver the mail. People depend on letters, after all, and without them, connections with their nearest and dearest will fade. Henry himself suffers from a bad leg leftover from World War I and an increasingly dicey memory. But despite these obstacles, he succeeds in breaking into the post office and leaving with approximately 300 letters, destined for places as far apart as Canada and the Dakotas. Throughout the story we see Henry's interactions with the recipients of the letters as well as the letters themselves, and through the exchanges Henry's own past becomes ever clearer. After a while, his journey intersects with that of Roger, a high-school student in search of the father who left home, and the two of them pursue the delivery of the letters as we learn more about what makes each of them tick. This haunting novel, which came out a couple of months ago, captivated me from the very beginning. Henry is beautifully portrayed and sympathetic, and so are all the people with whom he interacts along the road—including, of course, Roger. April is a storyteller who finds heartwarming inspiration in little-known pieces of history. With a background in magazine publishing, she's spent the last decade leading Global Internal Communications and Employee Engagement for premium apparel brand lululemon. The Unforgettable Mailman is her debut novel. C. P. Lesley is the author of two historical fiction series set during the childhood of Ivan the Terrible and four other novels, including one co-written with P.K. Adams. Her next book, Song of the Silk Weaver, will appear in September 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Is it ever too late to reinvent your career?In this episode of the HRchat Podcast's Next Chapter series, guest host Pauline James speaks with three inspiring professionals who prove that meaningful career transitions don't have an expiry date.Actor, writer, and producer Renée Hackett shares her journey of creating opportunities instead of waiting for them, discusses building confidence later in life, and opens up about balancing career growth with the realities of perimenopause and menopause.Former financial services marketing executive Diane Loveys explains how she successfully returned to paid employment after years focused on family and community, offering practical advice on workforce re-entry, transferable skills, flexible working, networking, and rebuilding confidence.Leadership coach and podcaster Audley Stephenson discusses developing a purposeful portfolio career while maintaining a full-time role, embracing experimentation, and building a legacy-focused future beyond traditional retirement.Whether you're planning a career pivot, returning to work after a break, exploring a portfolio career, or supporting experienced employees in your organisation, this episode offers practical advice and inspiring perspectives on what comes next.In this episode: Why careers don't have to follow a linear path  Building confidence during midlife career transitions  Creating your own opportunities instead of waiting for permission  Menopause, perimenopause, and supporting experienced professionals  Returning to work after caregiving or a career break  Recognising transferable skills gained outside traditional employment  Flexible work and second-career opportunities  Networking tips for career changers  Building a portfolio career alongside full-time work  Planning a purpose-driven retirement and lasting legacy  Redefining success in the second half of your career Guests Renée Hackett – Actor, writer and producer  Diane Loveys – Former financial services marketing executive and travel professional  Audley Stephenson – Leadership coach, podcaster and founder of The Audacious Living PodcastSupport the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events

Our topic today is about how to improve employee engagement at your company and we are continuing a two part series that we started last week. If you recall, last week, I mentioned that most HR directors and executives know engagement is a problem. They just are not sure what is actually causing it or what to do about it. So, in the last episode, I shared with you a bunch of studies and statistics about what the experts are saying is the real problem. And as it turns, most companies are spending their workforce engagement budgets on things that aren't the real problem. Today we cover the two root causes that most companies never address along with a few steps that you can implement to actually solve the problems -- or at the very least, minimize the destructiveness of the behaviors. And then, at the end of the episode, I included a list of widely circulated FAKE employee engagement statistics! During our research, we kept coming across these same statistics over and over. Apparently, other posts keep reprinting them because they never actually checked the original source. Once you see the list that we compiled, you'll begin to realize WHY HR executives are spending so much for activities and processes that don't move the needle at all. So, stick around until the end of the episode for that.Show Notes: Most Employee Engagement Activities Aren't Engaging Employees(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/most-employee-engagement-activities-arent-engaging-employees/)

In this not-to-miss episode of Do Good to Lead Well, I am joined by Marcus Buckingham—the world's foremost expert on human strengths and engagement—for a candid, data-rich conversation about bringing love into leadership. Drawing on his latest book, Marcus redefines love for the modern workplace: not as romance, but as an intentional design for human flourishing and extraordinary results.Our conversation begins with the deeply personal, as Marcus shares the vulnerability and lessons he learned after selling his beloved company, sparking a compelling case for why “designing love in” must be at the core of modern organizations.He also directly challenges the widespread myths that love makes organizations weak or leaders soft. Instead, tough love emerges as a vital force; sometimes the most loving thing a leader can do is share hard truths or make difficult calls. This episode dives into the real-world consequences of unloving practices like inefficient handoffs or unmanageable spans of control, offering concrete strategies for leaders to build truly vibrant, trust-filled cultures.Whether you're a CEO who wants to transform your organization a team leader wanting to create an environment where you people flourish, this episode provides an evidence-based blueprint. Discover why love is the ultimate performance driver and how you can start designing it into how you lead today.What You'll Learn- The power of love at work.- Redefining love in organizations.- From 'OK' to 'I Love It': The J-Curve of Experience.- Tough love: The role of accountability.- What are loving and unloving practices at work?- The ABCs of leading with love (Authenticity, Beliefs, Customs)Podcast Timestamps(00:02) - Introduction and Origin Story(02:17) - Vulnerability and Lessons from Selling a Business(06:00) - The Business Case for Designing Love In(11:22) - Defining Love in Organizations(17:11) - The Critical Importance of “Fives”(23:18) - Loving and Unloving Workplace Practices(32:11) - Tough Love and Accountability(36:17) - The ABCs of Leading with Love(44:02) - Rebuilding Trust and The Five Feelings of Love(51:07) - The Future of Designing Loving ExperiencesKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Human Performance, Gallup, StrengthsFinder, Business Case for Love, Organizational Culture, Employee Engagement, Workplace Love, Trust, Team Building, Positive Experiences, Spans of Control, Loving Handoffs in Customer Service, Customer Loyalty, Authenticity, Tough Love, Human Flourishing, Loving and Unloving Practices, CEO Success

Want to improve employee retention and build a culture of trust in your organization? This episode breaks down how one construction company uses talent optimization to keep its people engaged, growing, and loyal.In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer sits down with Jonathan Ribskis, Director of Talent Optimization at Builtech Services, to explore how transparency, career development, and behavioral insight combine to lower turnover and build a genuinely vibrant workplace.This conversation dives into key topics like employee retention, talent optimization, organizational culture, leadership and business strategy, and effective management practices. You will learn how to build trust through transparency, develop career paths that keep good people engaged, and use behavioral tools to improve team communication.In this episode, you will learn:How to build employee trust through open communication and transparency A better approach to career development that keeps top talent engaged What most leaders get wrong about retention and turnover Practical strategies to create a Best Place to Work culture How behavioral assessments improve team collaborationThis episode is for leaders, managers, business owners, and HR professionals who want to improve employee retention, strengthen organizational culture, and build stronger teams.Connect with Jonathan at builtechllc.comThe Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights. Click here to view the episode transcript. Learn more about training, coaching, and courses at https://vibrantculture.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/Want to be a guest? Send your request to podcast@vibrantculture.com

Send us Fan MailAre you leading every person on your team the exact same way and wondering why it's stopped working? In this episode, I sit down with Sam Shriver and Suzie Bishop of the Center for Leadership Studies, co-authors of a new book applying the situational leadership model to today's fast-changing workplace. Sam brings 45+ years of research into this framework; Suzie leads product innovation at CLS after 15 years of turning research into real-world training. Together, we unpack why one-size-fits-all leadership breaks down during constant change, how the situational leadership model gives you a repeatable way to diagnose exactly what each person needs task by task, and why trust erodes the moment you skip that step. We also dig into Gallup's engagement data and why adaptability, not just intelligence, is becoming the defining leadership skill in the AI era. If you've ever felt like you're leading in the dark, this conversation hands you the lens to lead with clarity again.Books MentionedSituational Leadership®: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance by Sam Shriver and Suzie BishopManagement of Organizational Behavior by Paul HerseyConnect with Sam Shriver and Suzie Bishop on LinkedIn, explore their work at situational.com, and pick up their new book on the situational leadership model at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or your favorite retailer.I want to invite you to check out the Committed Mastermind, a community I help lead along with world-class leaders like JC and Karen Hite, Vinnie Fisher, and Jonathan Mast, plus incredible mentors like Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, and many others.This is for entrepreneurs who want to build a thriving business without sacrificing their faith, their family, or their health.Check out the Committed Mastermind at https://committedmastermind.com/---- Check out Dr. William Attaway's new show, The Appreciation at Work Podcast!  Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

If you want to know how to improve employee engagement at your company, you are not alone. Most HR directors and executives know engagement is a problem. They just are not sure what is actually causing it or what to do about it. The good news is that experts around the world have researched this topic extensively. As a result, we know what drives engagement and what kills it. We know what moves the numbers in a positive direction. And we also know what does not work — which turns out to be what most companies are spending their workforce engagement budgets on. This episode is a summary of some of the most compelling data related to Workforce Engagement. Below are 35 interesting employee engagement statistics for 2026 that every HR leader needs to know. (We also linked to all of our primary sources.) Below the statistics, our experts will give you the seven things worth actually measuring, the two root causes most companies never address. And finally — perhaps most usefully — we included a list of widely circulated FAKE employee engagement statistics! During our research, we kept coming across these same statistics over and over. Apparently, other posts keep reprinting them because they never actually checked the original source. We did. Show Notes: Most Employee Engagement Activities Aren't Engaging Employees(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/most-employee-engagement-activities-arent-engaging-employees/)

Sunaina Lobo, Chief People Officer at Omnissa, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why the HR-IT partnership is becoming critical in the AI era, how Omnissa is approaching AI transformation with a small but mighty team, and what it takes to build an AI-first culture while maintaining trust and engagement.----  Sponsor Links:

What if training your employees and leaders together was the fastest path to better performance and results? In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer sits down with manufacturing leader and executive coach Luca Romano to discuss how training with Nicole and using the TILT assessment and SHINE Methodology gave him a structure for developing his team without making it personal or emotional.This conversation dives into key topics such as work culture, leadership, business strategy, team communication, and effective management practices, including how SHINE and TILT worked alongside EOS and Traction to help Luca's team increase on-time delivery from 51 percent to 91 percent in under two years.In this episode, you'll learn:How to train employees and leaders to improve performance and resultsHow the TILT assessment gives teams a shared language for behavior changeHow the SHINE methodology builds self-assessment into everyday leadershipWhat most leaders get wrong about training time and team developmentThis episode is for leaders, managers, business owners, and professionals who want to improve communication, strengthen organizational culture, and grow in their careers.Learn more about Vibrant Culture & how Nicole Greer can help your team succeed (like she did with Luca)

Why Your Team Stops Telling You the Truth As companies grow, leaders often face an invisible challenge: they hear less of what's really happening. This isn't because employees are dishonest. It's because people naturally filter information when speaking to someone who holds authority over their career, compensation, and future opportunities. In this episode, Allison explores: How growth changes a leader's information environment Why teams begin filtering information The role power plays in workplace communication How leadership blind spots are created Why people stop raising concerns The hidden cost of operating on incomplete information Why asking for honesty isn't enough How to create psychological safety inside organizations The importance of trusted peers outside your business Key Question: When your team gives you an update, do you believe you're getting the full picture? If not, what have you done to make honesty truly safe? Resources: Think First: Stop Being the Bottleneck, Start Building Thinkers Deliberate Directions Leadership Development & Executive Coaching Think First

What You'll Learn in This Episode:In this episode of the Lean Solutions Podcast, Catherine McDonald sits down with Kathy Miller to explore why successful transformations are driven by people, not just processes.You'll learn how trust, meaningful work, optimism, and strong relationships create lasting cultural change, why consistency is essential for leaders, and how simple daily leadership habits can increase engagement and continuous improvement across any organization.Whether you're leading a Lean transformation, managing a manufacturing team, or looking to build a stronger workplace culture, this episode offers practical insights for creating lasting change through people-first leadership.Key Takeaways:1. Great transformations begin with trust2. People need purpose—not just processes3. Culture changes through consistent leadership4. Positive psychology strengthens LeanLinks:https://more4leaders.com/linkedin.com/in/kathy-miller-mapp-mba-acchttps://www.findleansolutions.com/https://www.findleansolutions.com/lean-summit/

Terri Lonowski, Soulful Listening®, on Deep Listening, Employee Disengagement, and the Five Elements of Soulful Listening (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 966) In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Terri Lonowski, Founder of Soulful Listening®, to discuss one of the most costly and underestimated problems in business today: workplace disengagement. A […]

Leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about building trust, creating accountability, and bringing people with you. In this episode of The Beacon Way Podcast, Adrienne Wilkerson sits down with executive leader, board director, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Victoria Pelletier to discuss her remarkable leadership journey—from overcoming a traumatic childhood and becoming an executive at just 24 years old to leading organizations through mergers, acquisitions, corporate transformations, and cultural change. Victoria shares how years of being one of the only women in leadership shaped her approach, why she was once known as "The Iron Maiden," and how embracing authenticity transformed both her leadership style and the impact she has on the people around her. The conversation explores human-centered leadership, accountability, workplace culture, navigating difficult conversations, leading through change, and creating environments where people can thrive while still achieving high performance. If you're a business owner, executive, manager, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights into building stronger teams and becoming the kind of leader people genuinely want to follow. In This Episode:Victoria's journey from adversity to executive leadership  Being the only woman in the room  Why authenticity matters in leadership  The dangers of leadership masks and personas  Building trust through vulnerability  Human-centered leadership vs. command-and-control leadership  Accountability without sacrificing empathy  Leading through mergers, acquisitions, and organizational change  Creating followership instead of compliance  How to know when it's time to leave an organization  Connect With Victoria Pelletier Website https://victoria-pelletier.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriapelletier YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@UCpps5pAsPd83Bbn0YnofHRQ Books, Speaking & Leadership Resources https://victoria-pelletier.com 

Are you struggling to engage your employees to consistently deliver customer excellence? Are company silos getting in your way of aligning teams and exceeding business goals? If yes, this episode will be incredibly valuable to you as host Stacy Sherman and renowned HR industry expert and author Josh Bersin unveil the secrets of the world's most enduring employee-focused organizations. You'll gain insights to foster a work environment that attracts and retains top talent. Likewise, you'll learn practical strategies and tactics for building an irresistible brand that starts with creating enjoyable employee experiences that fuel exceptional customer outcomes. Have a question or thoughts to share? Leave a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/StacySherman Learn more at DoingCXRight.com and subscribe to the newsletter for more actionable strategies.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

Ray'n Terry, Chief People Officer at MOO, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss why AI should create more space for humanity at work instead of simply increasing productivity. We talked about balancing business performance with employee wellbeing, rethinking performance management in an AI-powered world, and why leaders must intentionally help people reclaim time, creativity, and connection.----  Sponsor Links:

Promoting a high-producing advisor into a leadership role without teaching them how to lead isn't development, it's a risk transfer. Ray Sclafani has seen this pattern play out across hundreds of advisory firms: the best advisor gets promoted, the firm assumes leadership will follow, and within months the culture quietly starts to fracture. In this episode, Ray makes the case that leadership development is not a soft-skills initiative as it is an operational and economic imperative that directly shapes growth, retention, client experience, and enterprise value.What You Will Learn in This EpisodeWhy promoting high performers without leadership training is one of the most common and costly mistakes in wealth managementThe five direct questions every leadership team should ask to diagnose their management infrastructureHow to define what "meeting," "exceeding," and "far exceeding" expectations looks like for every leadership role in your firmHow to build a leadership scorecard that makes accountability observable, coachable, and measurableWhy leadership depth, not any single rainmaker or founder, is what allows a firm to grow without breakingKey Insight from This Episode"Promoting a high-producing advisor into a manager or leadership role without teaching that person how to lead is not development. That is a risk transfer."Leadership is not a reward for strong performance. It is a distinct skill set that requires training, structure, and ongoing accountability. The firms that invest in building that infrastructure now will have the bench depth, the culture, and the continuity to compete at the highest level — and to scale without depending on any one person.The Five Questions to Diagnose Your Leadership InfrastructureAsk your leadership team right now:Performance Reviews: Do you conduct performance reviews more than once a year?One-on-Ones: Do managers hold one-on-one meetings with their direct reports at least monthly?Feedback: Do employees receive regular, real-time feedback — not just at review time?Defined Standards: Have you defined what meeting, exceeding, and far exceeding expectations looks like for every role in your firm?Manager Accountability: Are managers held accountable for engagement, retention, and the development of the people they lead?If the honest answer to most of those is "no" or "not consistently," you have a leadership development gap and that gap has a direct cost.The Four-Step Framework for Building LeadersStep 1 — Define the Leadership Role Vague expectations produce vague performance. When a person is promoted to manager, their scope must be explicit and written down: What do they own? Which decisions are theirs to make? Which require alignment? Which belong elsewhere? Clarity here is not bureaucratic, because it is the foundation of effective leadership.Step 2 — Define What Strong Performance Looks Like For every leadership role, articulate three levels:Meeting expectations — Holds regular one-on-ones, provides timely feedback, follows through on commitments, keeps the team alignedExceeding expectations — Develops talent ahead of need, strengthens team capacity, reduces confusion, helps others make better decisionsFar exceeding expectations — Develops leaders who develop other leaders, builds scalable systems, improves retention, reduces the firm's dependence on any single personOnce the levels are defined, performance conversations, calibration, comp decisions, and development plans all improve. People stop guessing.Step 3 — Build a Feedback Cadence Annual reviews are too slow. By the time the review occurs, everyone already knows what should have been said months earlier. Managers should hold regular one-on-ones, provide feedback in real time, and ask the questions that matter: What is working? What is unclear? What needs to change? What support is required? What are you learning? Where do you want to grow? Feedback should not be dramatic. It should be normal.Step 4 — Hold Leaders Accountable for the People They Lead A manager should be evaluated not only on their personal performance or technical competence, but on the engagement, retention, development, and performance of their team. If a leader is personally successful but leaves behind confusion, burnout, or turnover, that is not strong leadership. Create a leadership scorecard for every manager in your firm. Include five measures: communication rhythm, feedback quality, talent development, accountability, and team health. Review it quarterly. Coach to it. Compensate it.Coaching Questions for ReflectionWhich leaders in your firm, including you, have been promoted based on production or contribution, but never trained to lead?Where have you clearly defined performance expectations, and where are people still guessing?Which leadership behaviors should be measured because they directly shape culture and retention at your firm?What would change if managers were held accountable for the growth of the people they lead?Why This Matters for Enterprise ValueManagers shape the firm's lived experience. Not the values poster in the break room. Not the retreat agenda. Not the title structure. Managers decide how feedback is delivered, whether accountability is real, whether talent is developed or ignored, whether high performers are challenged, whether underperformance is tolerated, whether meetings are useful, and whether people feel stretched, supported, and included.SHRM research shows that only 44% of managers globally have received formal management training. More than 90% of HR executives say people managers are critically important to organizational success — and job satisfaction nearly doubles among workers with highly effective managers.For advisory firms, this isn't abstract. Leadership development affects growth and retention, client experience, and ultimately the enterprise value of what you are building.The firms that develop leaders will win — because they will not rely on any single founder, rainmaker, or heroic operator. They will build bench depth. And that bench depth is what allows a firm to grow without breaking.Resources & References MentionedSHRM — Global Management Training ResearchKorn Ferry — Workforce 2025 Research ReportBuilding the Billion Dollar Business is hosted by Ray Sclafani, founder and CEO of ClientWise, the financial services industry's leading executive coaching and team development firm for elite advisors and wealth management teams.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeBuilding The Billion Dollar Business

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Heather Younger. Founder and CEO of a leading employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm:

What if educating your people so well that they could leave was exactly the point? At Your Health, that's not a risk to manage — it's the philosophy that built an entire learning ecosystem. In this episode, Jamie talks with Aubrey Wall, who came to Your Health from a background in education and now leads Your Health University, the organization's learning management system and continuous-development engine. Aubrey brings an educator's eye to a fast-evolving healthcare environment, where best practice changes by the day and meeting patients where they are demands that staff never stop learning. Here's what you'll hear: Why a healthcare company runs 12-month, Department of Labor–registered apprenticeships — including programs in management, value-based care, population health, and hospice aide preparation How gamification is being built into nurse instruction (straight from Aubrey's dissertation research) The difference between Your Health University (your classroom) and the Hub (your resource library) How LinkedIn Learning delivered roughly $4.2 million in CEUs to staff last year Meeting Leah — the new AI assistant that helps employees find exactly the right course If you've ever believed growing your people is a cost rather than the whole point, this conversation will change how you think. Press play, then go ask Leah a question. www.YourHealth.Org

What you'll learn in this episode: ● The key difference between leading and managing ● How your words can carry more weight than you realize ● Why great leaders attract people seeking guidance ● How to empower your team through influence, not authority ● The mindset shift that transforms management into leadership