Podcasts about organizational change

In today's episode, Bob shares a list he developed of the conditions that help accelerate cultural change in today's fast-paced environment. The list isn't based on theory or the latest management fad. It's drawn from his experience observing what was present when organizational change moved quickly—and actually stuck. Joyce adds her perspective, and the sparks begin to fly when she admits her instinctive resistance to change happening too quickly. She also argues that Organizational Development carries an important responsibility: setting the thermostat for change by helping create the conditions where meaningful change can take root, grow, and endure. The conversation explores the tension between speed and sustainability. Along the way, Bob and Joyce discover that some surprisingly simple actions can have an outsized impact on successful change. As a teaser, here are a few items from Bob's list: • Be grounded in the business. Understand how work really gets done, not just how it appears on an organization chart. • Have an OD presence where decisions are made. The OD practitioner serves as a trusted thought partner to the CEO and senior leadership team. • Engage a vertical slice of the organization. Involve people from different levels and functions to assess readiness for change and provide feedback as the change unfolds. Join us as we explore what it really takes to accelerate change without sacrificing the conditions that make it sustainable. You may discover that the "secret ingredients" are less about sophisticated change models and more about a handful of practical choices that leaders make every day.

Royce Sin spent a decade at HSBC automating things nobody asked him to automate. He didn't ask for permission. He just did it, showed people the results, and let the time savings speak for itself. That instinct, to question why things are done a certain way and then actually do something about it, is what eventually led him into the AI space.In this episode, Peter and Dave sit down with Royce Sin to talk about what it actually takes for AI to stick inside an organization. Spoiler: it's not about the tools.We get into the tension between flexibility and reliability, why most people are being set up to fail with AI, and what it means to think like a manager when you're not one. Royce also shares his MIND framework, a practical way to think about AI adoption that he developed through hands-on work across enterprise and startup environments.There's also a good conversation about the trades, no-UI as an ideal, and why the most dangerous move in transformation is knocking down fences you don't fully understand.This week's takeaways:Think of AI as a new type of employee. Set it up for success the same way you'd set up your staff. Design roles and processes to match what it's actually good at.Not every rule is a hard rule. Before treating a constraint as a blocker, understand what's behind it. Some fences are load-bearing. Some aren't. Know the difference before you act.Don't just bring in AI. Know what outcome you're after. If you can't tell whether it's working, you don't have a tool problem, you have a clarity problem.Have a thought on any of this? Reach us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Send us a MessageIn this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff explores one of the most common - and costly - mistakes organizations make during change efforts: declaring victory too soon.Drawing from John Kotter's work on organizational change, Sue explains why early improvement is not the same as long-term transformation and why organizations often regress when new behaviors and systems are not fully embedded into the culture.Using a powerful analogy about her own orthodontic experience with braces, Sue illustrates how visible progress can happen relatively quickly - but permanent, sustainable change requires more time, consistency, and structure.We're stepping forward in a bigger way—growing our team of rural healthcare experts, growing our capabilities by adding a strategic planning division … all of this so we can expand our ability to help even more rural hospitals and other small healthcare organizations in 2026. … We'd love to explore how we can support your organization in being the provider- and employer-of-choice so you can keep care local and margins strong! Learn more at CaptoneLeadership.netHi! I'm Sue Tetzlaff. I'm a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.For decades, I've worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I've learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It's the hardest thing, and it determines everything.When you're ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:1. Listen to the Culture Change RX PodcastEvery week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy. 2. Subscribe to our Email NewsletterGet practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won't find on the podcast.

AI in the Workplace: What's Really HappeningWhat is actually happening with AI inside organizations today?In this episode of the People/AI Strategy Forum, Sam Reeve speaks with David Dean, author of The Inbox Between Us, about the hidden workplace dynamics shaping AI adoption and why understanding how work actually gets done may be more important than the technology itself. Many organizations are rushing to implement AI tools and automation. But David argues that before organizations can successfully leverage AI, they need to understand the undocumented work that happens every day through emails, chats, meetings, and human interactions.Drawing from years of experience supporting enterprise transformation initiatives, David explains how workplace behavior, communication patterns, and organizational dynamics influence the success of AI initiatives and business processes.In this episode, we discuss:• The difference between documented work and actual work • Why hidden workplace dynamics matter • How AI can help uncover process bottlenecks • The role of emails, chats, and meetings in organizational intelligence • Why AI should be viewed as a workplace partner • Human judgment, accountability, and decision-making in the AI era • How leaders can improve communication and organizational effectiveness • Practical ways to begin exploring AI opportunities inside your organizationKey TakeawayThe most valuable AI opportunities often exist in places organizations rarely examine: everyday conversations, communication patterns, and the human behaviors that drive work forward.Guest: David DeanBook: The Inbox Between UsLearn more about CompTeam: https://compteam.net/Watch the full video episode: https://www.youtube.com/@PeopleStrategyForumPoweredByCompTeamIf you enjoyed this episode, follow the People/AI Strategy Forum on your preferred podcast platform and join the conversation! About the People/AI Strategy Forum The People/AI Strategy Forum explores how leaders navigate the intersection of people strategy, leadership, and artificial intelligence. Hosted by Sam Reeve, Founder & CEO of CompTeam, the Forum features conversations with executives, practitioners, and experts shaping the future of work.Learn more about CompTeam and the People/AI Strategy Forum at compteam.net.

Gerad's website https://change-rebounded.com/ Gerad's Linkedin=: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerad-collingwood/  4 Corners Episode referenced: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/four-corners/series/2026/video/NC2603H015S00 Bounded rationality - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounded_rationality NIODA https://www.nioda.org.au/

From hands-on training and change management strategies to executive sponsorship and employee engagement, our guests Allison Meadows and Taylor Tagg explore practical lessons from Stratas Foods' successful three-and-a-half-year ERP implementation. Learn how this leading supplier of fats, oils, mayonnaise, dressings and sauces kept their people at the center of the process to transform their business.  Show Notes:Guests Allison Meadows and Taylor Tagg explore how Stratas Foods aligned training, change management, and executive support to implement a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that impacted all 1,200 employees. Change management and L&D must work together. Taylor Tagg explained that while learning and development and change management often operate differently, both rely heavily on listening, communication, and supporting employees through uncertainty.Hands-on learning drives adoption. Stratas Foods discovered that employees learned best by “getting in the sandbox” and practicing in real-world scenarios instead of relying solely on traditional instruction.Employee involvement increases buy-in. Allison Meadows shared how training became more effective when employees helped shape tools and job aids, transforming resistance into collaboration.Executive sponsorship is critical to success. Taylor emphasized that strong support from company leadership—including resources, visibility, and alignment—was essential to completing the transformation on time and under budget.Successful change focuses on people, not just processes. Both guests stressed that organizations can become overly focused on systems and workflows, but lasting change happens when employees feel supported, connected, and included throughout the process.Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com. Follow us on LinkedInLike us on Facebook

What does it actually look like to lead people through a crisis — not just manage operations, but truly show up for the humans involved? In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, host Céline Williams sits down with Tracy Nolan, a Fortune 50 Senior Executive and global Board Leader with deep expertise in regulated industries, including healthcare and telecommunications. Tracy has led through it all: the closure of 27 retail stores as the last executive standing, being on a plane landing at Newark on the morning of 9/11 while working for Verizon, and managing 14,000 Sprint employees through both COVID-19 and a simultaneous merger with T-Mobile. Her philosophy? Jump in (beyond the operational checklist, beyond what the job description says), and treat your people the way you'd want to be treated. In this conversation, Tracy shares: - Why most leaders fail at crisis communication (and what to do instead) - How she ran "no-canned-questions" listening sessions that changed the way her teams trusted her - The "CEO for a day" roundtable method she uses to stay connected to frontline reality - Why feedback is a gift, regardless of your title - A powerful trust exercise every leader should do with their team today If you're a leader, executive, or manager who wants to build an organization that can not only survive a crisis but thrive through one, this episode is essential listening. — Tracy Nolan is a Fortune 50 senior executive and global board leader with deep experience in regulated industries, including healthcare and telecommunications. She has overseen $6B+ in P&L's, led multi-billion dollar revenue transformations, and delivered sustainable value through M&A integrations, operating models redesigns, and risk-managed expansion.  Tracy currently serves as Senior Vice President, where she leads the Insurance sales organization and distribution strategy. Tracy has recently been named to the 50/50 Women to Watch for Boards list and serves as the Board Secretary for Dress for Success Worldwide. She is an advocate dedicated to "Inspiring Leaders to Lift while they Climb." Connect with Tracy: tracynolan.com | LinkedIn: Tracy E. Nolan

Send us Fan MailThis podcast features a deep dive into BDC's sustainability initiatives, focusing on their green IT program and how they integrate sustainability into their organizational culture. Guests Chrystal Healy and Jim Hendrix Gresseau share practical insights, successes, and challenges in scaling green practices within a large financial institution.Thanks for tuning in to The Circular Future. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Interested in joining us as a guest? Reach out to Sanjay Trivedi at strivedi@quantumlifecycle.com.Listen to more episodes at https://quantumlifecycle.com/podcast, and stay connected with us on LinkedIn.

As AI handles more of the foundational work, entry-level engineering roles are disappearing. Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock examine why that trend is short-sighted, what junior developers actually contribute to team growth and AI adoption, and how organizations that skip early-career hiring may be trading long-term capability for short-term convenience.This week's takeaways:Labeling the next generation as lazy or unprepared is as old as recorded history. Don't let that bias drive hiring decisions.Junior engineers accelerate AI adoption on the teams around them, not just in their own output.The questions a new hire asks in their first few weeks are often the most valuable ones your team will hear all year.Subscribe to Definitely Maybe Agile for weekly conversations on Agile, DevOps, and the messy realities of organizational change. And if this episode resonated, send it to a leader who's thinking about cutting their graduate intake.

Send us Fan MailSix years ago, ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® started with a simple idea: create the kind of conversation you might have over coffee with a colleague about the challenges—and opportunities—facing engineering and other STEM organizations.In this season finale, my co-producer Quincy joins me behind the mic as we look back on six seasons of the podcast, the lessons  learned along the way, and what might be next for ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®. We discuss why I shifted to a solo format for Season 5, how the companion ebook Engineering for Society influenced the season's content, the realities of producing a podcast while balancing a demanding professional life, and why some of this season's most difficult conversations were also the most important.We also explore how the podcast has evolved from a focus on engineering education to broader conversations about organizational systems, leadership, culture, technology, and change—and why listeners both inside and outside STEM continue to connect with these topics.In this episode, we discuss:The origins of "Grab a Latte and Listen"How ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® has evolved over six seasonsWhy Season 5 shifted to a solo formatLessons learned about balancing impact, perfectionism, and self-careThe emotional story behind What Systems Lose When Fear LeadsWhy systemic challenges often appear in different forms but share common rootsHow the Engineering for Society ebook helped shape Season 5Possibilities for Season 6, including guest interviews, panel discussions, and research-to-practice conversationsWhy your feedback will help shape the future of the podcastI'd Love to Hear From YouWhat topics, guests, challenges, or conversations would be most valuable to you in Season 6?Use the fan mail link in the show notes and let me know. Your feedback will help shape the next chapter of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®.ResourcesRequest your FREE copy of the ebook, Engineering for Society at EngineeringChangePodcast.comSupport the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

Send us Fan MailWhen resources are limited, nonprofits often assume they need more funding. But what if scarcity is actually the catalyst for stronger partnerships? In this episode, Van Ton-Quinlivan, Founder and CEO of Futuro Health, shares how nonprofits, employers, educators, and community organizations can align around common goals to solve workforce challenges and create lasting social impact.If you're searching for nonprofit partnership strategies that create measurable impact, this conversation delivers a powerful framework for building coalitions, aligning stakeholders, and solving complex workforce challenges.Organizations can achieve more by working together rather than operating in isolation. As healthcare systems across the country face critical workforce shortages, Futuro Health has built a nationally recognized model that brings employers, educational institutions, and community organizations together to develop credentialed healthcare workers at scale.Throughout the discussion, Van explains why "workforce development is a team sport, not an individual sport" and how successful collaborations depend on every partner contributing what they do best. Rather than attempting to solve every problem internally, organizations can "braid" resources, expertise, funding, and relationships to create outcomes that no single organization could achieve alone.The conversation explores the demographic realities driving workforce shortages, including Van's memorable "12-7-4" framework that illustrates the shrinking ratio of working-age adults supporting an aging population. For nonprofit leaders, this serves as a powerful example of how to communicate complex challenges in a way that inspires action.Viewers will also learn how leaders can create urgency, build coalition support, establish common ground among diverse stakeholders, and guide organizations through change. Van shares lessons from leading major workforce initiatives, growing public investment, and helping Futuro Health achieve nearly 90% program completion rates while serving adult learners across multiple states.One of the most compelling insights comes when Van explains: "The role of a leader is really to figure out where the common grounds are when you're building cross-sector collaboration."Whether you're building community partnerships, launching workforce programs, leading organizational change, or seeking innovative ways to expand impact despite limited resources, this episode offers valuable leadership lessons for the business of nonprofits.  00:00:00 Introduction to Futuro Health 00:01:41 Solving the Healthcare Workforce Crisis 00:06:37 The 12-7-4 Demographic Reality 00:09:27 Why Scarcity Creates Better Partnerships 00:10:31 The Three-Legged Stool of Workforce Development 00:12:30 Braiding Resources Instead of Working Alone 00:15:25 Building Cross-Sector Collaboration 00:16:42 Creating Context for Organizational Change 00:18:59 Why Coalitions Accelerate Progress 00:20:24 Turning Long-Term Funding Into Innovation 00:23:56 What a Win-Win-Win Partnership Looks Like 00:26:27 Finding Common Ground to Solve Big Problems #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitPartnerships #PartnershipStrategyFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan MailSend us Fan MailIn this thought-provoking episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we sit down with Norman Leach, a dynamic leader, educator, and author who has navigated the complexities of various industries while embracing lifelong learning and reinvention. Norman shares the wisdom imparted by his grandfather, emphasizing the importance of education and experience as tools that cannot be taken away. His adventurous spirit has led him to engage in business across 37 countries, speak multiple languages, and thrive in the eye of the storm during periods of change.Listeners will gain insight into Norman's journey, including his decision to step away from traditional corporate paths in search of fulfillment and joy in his work. He reflects on the significance of teamwork, the value of leading from the front, and the importance of embracing challenges rather than shying away from them. Norman's candid experiences in teaching reveal the diverse perspectives of learners and the joy of nurturing their growth.As he discusses the evolving landscape of AI and marketing, Norman highlights both the excitement and the concerns surrounding this transformative technology. He urges listeners to adapt and innovate, reminding us that the future belongs to those who are willing to let go of old paradigms and embrace new possibilities.Join us for an inspiring conversation filled with practical advice and encouragement for anyone looking to pursue their dreams and navigate the uncertainties of life.What You'll Learn in This Episode:- The impact of lifelong learning on personal and professional growth- Insights into leading through uncertainty and building effective teams- The role of teaching in understanding diverse perspectives- The opportunities and challenges presented by AI in marketing- The importance of letting go of old ways to embrace new possibilitiesFor more information on Norman Leach and his work, connect with him on LinkedIn as @Norman Leach, the Chaos Navigator. Don't miss out on this engaging episode that will inspire you to take bold steps towards your own dreams.Support the show

Most people don't fear change itself — they fear the moment before they know if they're going to be okay. And according to Dr. Jimmie Williamson, that gap between uncertainty and clarity is where organizations either hold their people together or quietly lose them. In this episode of Your Health University, Jamie sits down with Dr. Jimmie Williamson, Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Your Health, in the middle of a real organizational merger — making this conversation as timely and personal as it gets. Dr. Williamson draws on decades of clinical experience, behavioral health expertise, and his own career pivots (including leaving a 28-year career to step into healthcare) to walk us through what change actually does to the human brain and body — and what it takes to move through it well. Key topics include: Why even positive change triggers a physiological threat response — and what science says is actually happening in your brain The five stages of change people move through (shock, resistance, exploration, and beyond) and why getting stuck isn't a character flaw Dr. David Rock's SCARF model — the five psychological domains (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness) that determine whether people feel safe or threatened during transitions What leaders most commonly get wrong when communicating change — and the one mistake that always creates a narrative vacuum Why insecurity in leadership is more dangerous than the change itself The one self-care practice you can start today if you're feeling the weight of uncertainty Change is positive. It is good. And it is inevitable. This episode will help you believe that — and act like it. www.YourHealth.Org

What does it actually cost when a doctor writes a verbal order over the phone instead of seeing the patient? Scott Middleton has the receipts — and the answer is going to make you rethink everything about how American healthcare spends its money. In this episode of The Disrupted Podcast, Scott announces a landmark three-way merger bringing Your Health together with Transitional Care Professionals of America (TCPA) out of Georgia and Providence Care, a hospice organization in South Carolina. The combined organization will serve approximately 55,000 active patients — not patients on a list, but people being seen regularly — and Scott lays out exactly how he's going to run it. What you'll hear in this episode: Why Scott's family owning 80% of the merged company changes everything about how decisions get made — and who they get made for The difference between fee-for-service and value-based care, and why the ACO model means every unnecessary hospitalization literally comes out of Your Health's pocket How Your Health's risk-adjustment-based visit model (16 visits per year per risk point) was independently validated by a new government study — and why it works The three things Scott is asking every new employee to do in the first weeks: align with a nurse practitioner, track every minute of care management, and recruit like their livelihood depends on it — because it does Why Scott's new management philosophy is six words: "Keep them out of the hospital and see your damn patients" This isn't a corporate announcement. It's a playbook for how healthcare can actually work when operators run the company, providers see their patients, and every minute of care gets counted. www.YourHealth.Org

PMP Exam Mindset - Business Domain Task 4_ Support Organizational Change

Conference season is back, and so are the real conversations. In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock catch up after a busy stretch of travel and dig into something Dave has been road-testing at conferences: why most people given access to AI tools freeze up, and what actually helps them move past that.Dave ran a workshop at the Global Scrum Gathering in Vancouver for non-technical roles - product managers, Scrum Masters, agile coaches - people who've been told "use AI" but have no clear picture of where to start. What he found is that the problem isn't motivation or technical ability. It's the lack of scaffolding. Give people the right structure and the right room to experiment, and things shift pretty quickly.The conversation then moves into multi-agent systems - how Dave's team built a group of agents that continuously refresh the workshop itself based on current thinking. Peter adds his own take on testing these systems with personas and automated quality evaluation. It gets a bit technical, but in the best way.This is a good episode if you're thinking about how to help your organization actually use AI, not just adopt it on paper.Key Takeaways:Context beats generic. Prompts work when they're specific to your role and your actual problems. A product manager needs product management context, not a one-size-fits-all example.Think in teams, not steps. Multi-agent systems work best when you treat them like a team reviewing an artifact, each agent checking for something different, rather than a linear build process.Don't assume everyone gets it. The gap between people who use AI daily and people who tried it once and gave up is wider than most of us realize. Getting both groups in the same room is where the real learning happens, for everyone.Have a question or something to add? Reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or find us at definitelymaybeagile.com. And if you're finding the show useful, subscribing and leaving a review goes a long way.

City leaders are eager to deploy AI, but the real opportunity lies in preparation: building the right organizational structures, expertise, and culture first. Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Teddy Svoronos, senior lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, about how to structure your city government for Agentic AI, why small, empowered teams work better than broad rollouts, and what mental models and skills leaders actually need to manage this new relationship with AI tools. In this episode, you'll learn: Why creating a data-driven culture before AI deployment is the critical first step How to start with a small, driven team to stress-test AI capabilities in your organization What "cognitive debt" means and why managing it prevents costly AI mistakes Why domain-specific expertise becomes more important, not less, as AI gets more powerful How to balance the tension between AI utility and maintaining organizational control What guardrails, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms cities need in place from the start Guest: Teddy Svoronos – Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School Listener Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpod Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Smart City Solutions Data-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Lily Zheng to unpack why traditional DEI efforts keep falling flat. Lily and Erin discuss what leaders can do instead to create workplaces that are actually fair, inclusive, and built to last.If you've ever wondered why diversity trainings, performative culture initiatives, and “quick fix” belonging strategies rarely create real change, this episode is your invitation to rethink workplace equity through a practical, people-first lens.Inside This Episode:Why DEI Efforts Keep Missing the Mark: Despite decades of workplace initiatives, discrimination rates remain shockingly high, and many solutions are still surface-level.The FAIR Framework Changes the Conversation: Lily shares a practical, problem-solving approach to building inclusion that focuses on fixing real workplace barriers.Belonging Is Measurable: Learn how employee experience connects directly to retention, engagement, performance, and long-term business success.Middle Managers Have More Power Than They Think: Practical ways to influence leadership, advocate for change, and create safer workplaces from any level.Human-Centered Leadership Creates Lasting Change: Why authentic leadership, psychological safety, and consistent action outperform performative workplace culture efforts every time.What to Do Now:Audit Your Workplace Culture: Ask whether your organization is solving real employee problems or simply signaling values externally.Translate Human Issues Into Business Metrics: Use turnover, burnout, retention, and engagement data to advocate for meaningful workplace change.Create One Honest Conversation This Week: Invite feedback without defensiveness and focus on listening before fixing.Your FreebieWhat's your leadership style and next business move? Find out by taking a fun little quiz here.And thank you to our sponsors Intuit Quickbooks Payroll.To learn more visit:   https://quickbooks.intuit.com/workforce/About the Guest:Lily Zheng is a DEI strategist, consultant, speaker, and the author of Fixing Fairness: A Framework for Equity and Organizational Change. Lily works with organizations to move beyond performative diversity efforts and build measurable, sustainable systems for fairness, inclusion, and accountability. Their work focuses on practical, problem-solving approaches that help leaders create healthier workplace cultures rooted in trust, transparency, and real human impact.Connect with Lily ZhengLily's LinkedInLily's websiteLily's book Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for AllConnect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin's websiteErin's InstagramErin's TikTokErin's LinkedInimprove it!'s websiteimprove it!'s InstagramFor more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I take a systems-centered look at one of the biggest conversations happening across engineering organizations and society right now: AI.While many organizations are focused on AI models, tools, productivity, and technical readiness, this episode explores a deeper question:What happens when AI is introduced into systems that already struggle with communication gaps, lack of trust, inequitable processes, or flawed decision-making?Drawing on examples from industry and recent research, we'll discuss:• The disconnects AI adoption is exposing between leaders and employees• How AI acts as an amplifier within organizational systems• Why “human in the loop” must involve accountability, not just oversight• How people-centered organizational systems shape AI outcomes• Systems-level questions leaders should be asking before scaling AI adoptionI also introduce MESA® (Measure, Evaluate, Strategize, Act), a framework we use at The PEER Group to help organizations navigate change and continuous improvement.If you've been thinking about AI primarily as a technology issue, this episode invites you to consider the organizational systems shaping what AI will ultimately produce.Grab a latte and listen.Request your free copy of the ebook Engineering for Society at engineeringchangepodcast.com.If this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

The most surprising leadership insights may not be found where you'd expect… In this episode, Céline sits down with Philip Atkinson, an organizational coach and beekeeper who has spent his career helping leaders around the world become better humans with better skills. Philip is also the author of Bee Wise: 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Beehive, a beautifully written book structured across the four seasons, blending the science of bees with the very human challenges of leading an organization. Philip and Céline explore why leadership is still so often rooted in command-and-control thinking – a model built for industrial-era machines, not the living, breathing organizations of today. They dig into what it really means to lead without having all the answers, why "busy" has become a dangerous badge of honor, and how slowing down to sense your environment (the way a beekeeper reads a hive before lifting the lid) can change the quality of every conversation and decision you make. They also get into the often-broken world of feedback: why so many leaders give it wrong, why the simple question "is now a good time?" is a game-changer, and how the bees' famous waggle dance is actually a masterclass in clear, consistent, repeated communication inside a noisy system.  If you're navigating constant change, holding your team together, and trying to lead well without pretending you have all the answers, this conversation is for you. Philip's message is simple and grounding: everyone deserves to be led well, and being a good leader starts with being a good human. Bee Wise is available wherever you purchase books, with all proceeds going to Bees for Development, a charity supporting families in developing countries through sustainable beekeeping businesses. Learn more at beewisebook.com. Connect with Philip on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/philipatkinsonhivelogic.

Most organizations think they're doing AI. They've bought the licenses, rolled out the tools, and told the team to start using Copilot. But adding AI on top of a 40-year-old process isn't transformation. It's decoration. Andre Kaminski, Director of Advanced Technology Solutions at WorkSafeBC and author of "The AI-Native Software Development Lifecycle," joins Peter and Dave to talk about what it actually means to rebuild your delivery process around AI, not just bolt it on. They get into why optimizing code generation alone is the wrong focus, what the six phases of an AI-native SDLC look like in practice, and why the biggest challenge isn't the technology at all. It's the identity shift that comes with it. If your organization is asking "which AI tool should we use?" this episode will help you realize that's probably the wrong question.In this episode:Why AI-augmented and AI-native are very different thingsThe compounding learning effect and why early adopters are pulling further ahead every monthWhat prompt architecture actually means and why it matters more than codeHow to think about governance when prompts become your new source of truth Want to keep the conversation going? Drop us a line at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or find us at definitelymaybeagile.com. If this episode got you thinking, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Marcus East has spent his career inside some of the world's most recognized organizations, including Apple, Google, IBM, National Geographic, and Marks & Spencer. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, he joins Mahan Tavakoli to discuss the ideas behind his book, Working with Dinosaurs: How to Lead Technological Evolution from the C-Suite. The conversation goes far beyond technology. It gets to the heart of why successful organizations often struggle to adapt even when smart leaders can clearly see change coming.Marcus shares lessons from leading large-scale transformations across both technology-native companies and legacy institutions. Drawing on experiences ranging from National Geographic's digital reinvention to the resistance he encountered at Marks & Spencer, he explains why organizational inertia is rarely caused by a lack of intelligence or strategy. More often, the barriers come from success itself. The systems, incentives, habits, and leadership behaviors that once created growth can quietly become the very things preventing change.The discussion also challenges much of the current AI hype. Marcus argues that AI will not magically fix broken organizations. In fact, organizations with weak data foundations, fragmented operating models, and outdated leadership structures may find their problems exposed even faster. The conversation explores why some companies accelerate through disruption while others become trapped defending processes, structures, and metrics that no longer fit the future they are entering.Mahan and Marcus also explore the human side of transformation. They discuss why executives often resist the very changes they publicly support, how “legacy thinking” shapes decision making, and why many transformation efforts fail between the CEO's vision and frontline execution. Marcus offers a candid look at what distinguishes organizations that adapt successfully, including the operating models, collaboration patterns, and leadership mindsets he observed inside companies like Apple and Google.For CEOs and senior executives facing pressure to modernize while still delivering results today, this episode offers practical insight into the realities of organizational change, leadership alignment, and technological evolution. It is a thoughtful conversation about how leaders can avoid becoming trapped by the systems and successes of the past while preparing their organizations for what comes next.Actionable Takeaways:• You'll learn why some of the biggest barriers to transformation come from leaders who were highly successful under the previous model.• Hear why Marcus believes many AI investments will fail and what separates organizations that will actually benefit from AI adoption.• You'll hear the striking contrast between how National Geographic approached innovation versus the resistance Marcus encountered at Marks & Spencer.• Learn why many organizations struggle not because the CEO lacks vision, but because execution breaks down deep inside the organization.• Hear how legacy systems become emotional and political issues, not just technology problems.• You'll discover why leaders cannot take everyone along on a transformation journey and what it means to build a “coalition of the willing.”• Learn the difference between organizations obsessed with process and those obsessed with customer outcomes.• Hear why companies like Apple and Google organize engineers, designers, marketers, and business leaders differently from most traditional organizations.• You'll learn why many leadership teams measure activConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

I had the pleasure of meeting Emily Scherberth when we were in an Organizational Change & Transformation class in our Master's in Organizational Leadership program. I knew right away that Emily was whip smart and someone I wanted to geek out with and learn more from. When Emily shared her recent research on feedback, vulnerability, and leadership - and the glaring gender differences, I knew I wanted to do a deep dive with her. This conversation is that deep dive. I'm so grateful to Emily for doing this important work and bravely sharing it with the world.  Emily Scherberth is the Founder and CEO of Turas Leadership Consulting, Inc.  She serves as a partner and strategist for executives, teams, and organizations that are ready to transform their cultures and lead with purpose. With nearly 30 years of experience in corporate strategy, communications, leadership, qualitative research, and facilitation, Emily created Turas Leadership to realign more intentionally with her own purpose: to help actualize the potential in others.   As the creator of the Leader-First Transformation™ model and a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths® coach, Emily synthesizes decades of direct leadership experience with forward-thinking research and evidence-based methods to help clients increase performance and find meaning in their work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Loyola Marymount University, a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge, and is completing a second Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Listen in to hear Emily share: How she made a pivot from a 30-year communications career into leadership consulting How to assess and develop your leadership capacity by identifying connectedness within yourself and within the systems in which you lead Her recent research on the vulnerability of receiving feedback and being challenged The surprising data on leaders wanting to be challenged  The dramatic gender differences in her data, and how to account for these differences  How current organizational systems are limited in their capacity to provide psychological safety on a systemic level, and the problem with only addressing psychological safety on the team or department level What capacity building means in leadership, and why leadership development needs to focus more specifically on capacity building How you can own and honor your leadership capacity while also challenging yourself to advance your current capacity Links Mentioned: Connect with Emily and Turas Leadership: https://turasleadership.com/ Follow Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyscherberth/ Turas Leadership Article and Research: The Leadership Paradox: Leaders Want Feedback but Fear the Cost of Asking for It Emily on Medium: The Leadership Journey: https://medium.com/the-leadership-journey Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Win Make Give podcast, hosted by Ben Kinney with co-hosts Chad Hymes and Bob Stewart, explores the top leadership books to elevate your influence and effectiveness. Featuring insights from renowned authors like Andrew Grove, Joe Calloway, Ben Horowitz, John Maxwell, Sam Walker, and Clint Swindoll, this episode dives into essential reads such as "High Output Management," "Work Like You're Showing Off," "Five Levels of Leadership," and "Engaged Leadership." Discover strategies for developing leadership qualities, creating winning teams, and cultivating a culture of engagement and growth. Resources: High Output Management by Andrew Grove Work Like You're Showing Off by Joe Calloway The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz The Five Levels of Leadership by John Maxwell The Captain Class by Sam Walker Engaged Leadership by Clint Swindall ---------- Connect with the hosts: •    Ben Kinney: https://www.BenKinney.com/ •    Bob Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob •    Chad Hyams: https://ChadHyams.com/ •    Book one of our co-hosts for your next event: https://WinMakeGive.com/speakers/   More ways to connect: •    Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/winmakegive •     Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://WinMakeGive.com/sign-up •     Explore the Win Make Give Podcast Network: https://WinMakeGive.com/   Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network 00:00 Exploring Leadership Through Books and Unique Reading Strategies 05:28 Andrew Grove's Impact on Leadership and Management Literature 09:40 Embracing Boldness and Innovation for Future Success 14:22 The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz 18:14 Exploring Leadership Levels and Influential Leaders 24:50 The Unseen Leaders Behind History's Greatest Sports Teams 33:00 Engaged Leadership and the Importance of Organizational Change

Agreeing on an idea doesn't mean you both understood the same thing. Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison dig into why shared context breaks down in practice, and how AI makes that problem harder to ignore.This week's takeaways:Intent is always imperfect. Define how you'll validate it, not just what it is.Ambiguity in context isn't a bug. It's necessary. Validation is how you confirm you're aligned.Drive down the cost of validation, not just the cost of building.If this landed, share it with someone navigating the same tension. And reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com - we read everything.

What if the greatest risk in the AI era is not moving too slowly, but moving too quickly without sufficient reflection?In this episode of the People/AI Strategy Forum, Sam Reeve speaks with Dr. Xavier Pavie, Business Philosopher, Professor, and Founder of The Imagination Center, to examine why responsible innovation is becoming a defining factor in both leadership effectiveness and long-term retention.As artificial intelligence accelerates decision-making and organizational change, many companies are prioritizing speed and efficiency. However, without thoughtful reflection, this pace can lead to misalignment, weakened culture, and the erosion of trust among top performers.Dr. Pavie offers a different perspective.Retention in the AI era is not solely driven by compensation or technology adoption. It is shaped by how leaders think, how they make decisions, and how they balance innovation with responsibility.For organizations navigating rapid transformation, this conversation provides a more grounded and strategic framework for leading through complexity.In this episode, we discuss:• Why innovation extends beyond technology into human systems and behavior• The distinction between responsibility, accountability, and liability in leadership• The risks associated with prioritizing speed over thoughtful execution• How responsible innovation influences retention and organizational trust• The role of philosophical thinking in modern business leadership• Why stepping away from immediate challenges often leads to better decisions• How shared purpose enables alignment across diverse teams• The importance of creating space for strategic reflectionKey takeawayRetention is not only a function of incentives or policy.It is a reflection of leadership judgment.When innovation is guided by responsibility, clarity, and human awareness, organizations do not simply move faster.They move with greater intention and long-term effectiveness.Mont Blanc Massif Executive RetreatDr. Xavier Pavie also leads an exclusive executive retreat in the Mont Blanc Massif, designed for senior leaders seeking clarity and perspective in a rapidly evolving environment.This is not a traditional seminar. It is a structured, immersive experience that combines physical challenge with strategic reflection.The five-day program includes:• Guided alpine hiking across glaciers with experienced mountain professionals• Small, curated groups of senior executives• Practical exercises in shared responsibility and leadership under pressure• Direct exposure to environmental change and long-term impact considerations• Evening workshops grounded in philosophy and leadership reflection• A deliberate separation from daily routines and digital distractionsThe objective is to provide leaders with the space to reassess priorities, refine judgment, and approach innovation with greater clarity.This experience is best suited for:CEOs and senior executivesLeaders navigating complex, high-stakes decisionsIndividuals seeking a broader perspective on leadership, AI, and organizational changeTo learn more or inquire about participation:If you enjoyed this episode, follow the People/AI Strategy Forum on your preferred podcast platform and join the conversation! About the People/AI Strategy Forum The People/AI Strategy Forum explores how leaders navigate the intersection of people strategy, leadership, and artificial intelligence. Hosted by Sam Reeve, Founder & CEO of CompTeam, the Forum features conversations with executives, practitioners, and experts shaping the future of work.Learn more about CompTeam and the People/AI Strategy Forum at compteam.net.

Anna Parker-Naples discusses the profound impact of breathing on stress management, decision-making, and performance, especially in high-pressure environments like the corporate world. She shares personal experiences with burnout, explains the science behind breathwork, and offers practical tips for using breathing techniques to enhance well-being and leadership effectiveness. Interviewed by Oliver ThompsonImpact of breathing on decision-making and stress responsePersonal story of burnout and recovery through breathworkThe science of the nervous system and how breathing influences itPractical breathing techniques for high-stress situationsThe evolution of human breathing and modern stress challengesChapters00:00 Introduction00:29 Breathing's Role in Corporate and Personal Well-being01:20 Stress in Modern Life and Its Impact02:07 Breathing and Its Effect on Mental and Physical Health03:05 Technology, Stress, and the Need for Breath Control04:08 Anna's Personal Burnout Experience05:39 Signals of Burnout and Body Awareness07:28 The Nervous System and Stress Response09:19 Breathing and the Fight-or-Flight Response10:47 Evolution of Human Breathing and Modern Challenges12:52 Practical Breathing Tips for High-Stress Situations16:40 The Importance of Nose Breathing and Carbon Dioxide20:43 Breathing Techniques to Calm the Nervous System22:13 Daily Routine for Better Breathing and Stress Management23:39 Breathing and Leadership Presence25:01 Breathwork in Organizational Change and Neurodiversity26:44 Breathing as a Tool for Mental Health and Well-being28:49 Key Takeaway: Changing Your Breath Changes Your LifeFollow Anna Parker-Napleson Instagram:⁠  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/healingafterthehardstuff⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/annaparkernaples⁠⁠LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaparkernaples⁠⁠Follow Oliver Thompson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ottraining/www.oliverthompsontraining.co.ukwww.smartworkingrevolution.com 

What if the resistance you're seeing in your organization isn't defiance, it's information? What if the way you're talking about change is the very thing blocking it? Episode Summary In this episode of A World of Difference, host Lori Adams-Brown sits down with Jeff Wetherhold, founder of the Sustainable Change System and MI for Health, to unpack why 88% of organizational changes produce no lasting results, and what evidence-based leaders can do differently. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience and the robust science of motivational interviewing (MI), Jeff offers a radically practical reframe: your team isn't resistant. They're ambivalent. And that ambivalence is something you can actually work with. What You'll Learn Why traditional change management frameworks often fail — and what survey data reveals people actually need How to hear the difference between 'change talk' and 'sustain talk,' and why reflecting the wrong one can derail an entire initiative The evidence behind motivational interviewing: 2,000+ randomized control trials, 200+ meta-analyses, and applications across fields from healthcare to organizational transformation Why resistance is a 'blanket term' that blinds leaders to actionable insight — and what to ask instead The critical difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and why leaders who rely on extrinsic shortcuts exhaust themselves What makes change stick: the role of practice, systems, and sustained organizational support — not just training Guest Bio Jeff Wetherhold is the founder of the Sustainable Change System and MI for Health, where he equips leaders and organizations with evidence-based communication skills for navigating change. He is a faculty member with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), and a Prosci-Certified Change Practitioner, with clients including the State of Illinois, MIT, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction — what if resistance is information? 02:30 Jeff's background: behavioral science, adult learning & change management 04:00 What the data says: 88% of organizational changes produce no lasting results 07:00 The 'why' problem — why leaders think they've communicated, but haven't 09:30 Cross-cultural dimensions of change communication (Erin Meyer, The Culture Map) 11:30 Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation — why shortcuts backfire 14:30 What Jeff does differently: skills + practice vs. frameworks alone 18:00 What is motivational interviewing? Origins, evidence, and applications 21:50 Reframing resistance: change talk, sustain talk, and the 19x rule 28:40 Champions for change — why volunteering someone into a title isn't enough 34:40 Real stories: one manager's shift, and a holiday table breakthrough 38:55 How to work with Jeff + Patreon preview Check out the Patreon exclusive with Jeff on how he would advise a leader on talent strategy here. Connect with Jeff Website: jeffwetherhold.com LinkedIn: Jeff Wetherhold Sustainable Change System + MI for Health: jeffwetherhold.com Connect with the Show Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode with five people who lead people through change. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources. Join our Patreon community of Difference Makers: patreon.com/aworldadifference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She's on the phone with her mother's cardiologist before the 8 am standup. She picks up her kids from school, answers Slack on the drive, starts dinner while reviewing the budget deck, and falls asleep before she reads the bedtime story she promised. She has a performance review next week. Her manager has no idea any of this is happening. In the United States, 53 million people are providing unpaid care to an aging parent, a child with additional needs, or a chronically ill partner. Sixty-one percent of them are women. The average caregiver provides 24.4 hours of care per week — essentially a part-time job on top of everything else. And almost none of it is visible to the organizations they work for. In Episode 2 of the Transitions series, we examine caregiving not as a personal circumstance workers bring to work, but as an organizational change event — one that changes a person's neurological function, their schedule, their capacity, their identity — and that organizations have a responsibility to see, name, and design around. This one is for the woman who hasn't told anyone. And for the organizations that need to understand why. Stacie For more episodes, visit StacieBaird.com.

Stop burning time and money on agile theater! In this podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Consultant Om Patel strip business agility back to its absolute basics: no buzzwords, no frameworks - just the organizational muscles you need to survive. Listen or watch as we introduce and explain the five non-negotiable capabilities: Sensing and Responding (market feedback loops), Speed to Decision Making (decision velocity), Structural Flexibility (reorganizing without chaos), Distributed Authority (decentralizing command and control), and Learning Orientation (continuous evolution).Then stick around as we tear down the agile industrial complex, discuss why one study claims 47% of companies are operating purely under an "illusion" of agility, and discuss how the introduction of AI can amplify and exposes company's bureaucracy.Other topics we discuss are:• How to explain business agility to anyone from CEO to new hire• Why "scaling" agility is a big lie sold to enterprises• Typical bottlenecks to the five core capabilities• Why vanity metrics sabotage competitive advantages• Time to market, cost of delay, customer adoption, and much more...Whether you're in product management, leadership, agile coaching, or team development, this episode helps you truly understand business agility and can give you the confidence to push back or ask critical questions when teams and leadership claim they don't need help.#BusinessAgility #ProductManagement #AgileLeadership["Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin", "Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais", "Turn the Ship Around by L David Marquet", "The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson", "The Lean Startup by Eric Ries", "BCG Study: Why Companies Get Agile Right and Wrong (2024)", "Business Agility Institute 2025 Report", "Organizational Agility: Ill-defined and Somewhat Confusing by Anna Teresa Walter (2020)", "John Boyd's OODA Loop", "Jeff Bezos's One-Way Door vs Two-Way Door Decisions", "Block (Jack Dorsey)", "Arguing Agile Episode 83: Agile Doesn't Work Here"]LINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arguingagileSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596INTRO MUSICToronto Is My BeatBy Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

In this episode, we speak with Selina Millstam, who reflects on her career journey from social work to senior HR leadership, driven by a deep curiosity about human behavior. She explores leadership as a “human relating” challenge, the importance of transparency, inclusion, and managing biases, and shares practical insights on well-being, career transitions, and legacy. The conversation also looks ahead to generative AI, emphasizing the need to balance technological progress with a deeply human approach to leadership and organizations.Selina Millstam is an experienced Human Resources and Talent Management executive with a strong track record across the information technology, science and technology, and consulting industries. She specializes in executive and career development, HR consulting, and coaching, helping leaders and organizations navigate growth and transformation. With a Master's degree in Organizational Change from Ashridge Business School, she brings a practical, business-driven approach to developing talent and building effective, future-ready organizations. She is also co-host of the podcast Plain Speaking, alongside Burak Bakkaloglu.Links from the episode: Selina's LinkedIn profileSelina's podcast ‘Plain Speaking by Selina and Burak'Thanks for listening!Visit our homepage at https://disrupt-your-career.comIf you like the podcast, please take a moment to rate it and leave a review in Apple Podcast

Melissa Cheals leads Smartly, a payroll and people management platform serving 24,000 small and medium businesses in New Zealand. In this conversation, she shares how AI is reshaping product development, leadership, and how organizations operate. A key moment comes when her team estimates new features will take 12 months and $1M to build. Instead of accepting it, Melissa pushes back, using AI to better understand her team's perspective and communicate the need for change more effectively. This becomes a broader shift in how she approaches leadership, using AI to think more clearly and navigate conversations with less friction. The discussion expands into strategy. Companies now face a fundamental choice: become AI-native or continue building on existing systems. As AI adoption increases, it also exposes silos and bottlenecks. Melissa shares why cross-functional collaboration—and leaders actively engaging with AI themselves—is critical to navigating this shift. Key Takeaways:  Becoming AI-native is a defining decision It's not just a technology shift. Leaders need to decide whether to rebuild around AI or continue layering it onto existing systems, and that choice shapes how the company operates. AI shifts us from scarcity to abundance Many organizations still think in terms of limited time and resources, but AI changes what's possible and forces leaders to rethink how big they can think and what they can achieve. AI is a leadership amplifier Beyond productivity, AI helps leaders think more clearly, reframe conversations, and communicate change in a way that is both effective and respectful. Leaders can't delegate AI Without hands-on experience, it becomes difficult to challenge assumptions, guide teams, or make informed decisions about what's possible. Smartly: smartly.co.nz LinkedIn Melissa: linkedin.com/melissa-cheals LinkedIn Smartly: linkedin.com/company/smartlynz/ 00:00 Intro: Challenging AI Assumptions00:28 Meet Melissa Cheals01:17 The Spark For Change02:36 Vision And Early Signals03:48 Hiring For Transformation06:12 Unlocking Data With AI08:27 Breaking Silos Across Teams10:39 Why Leaders Must Learn AI13:42 Leading With AI And Clarity17:05 The AI-Native Decision21:45 Thinking Bigger With AI25:23 Less Meetings More Writing26:33 The Self-Disruption Imperative29:11 Breaking Silos With Value Streams31:28 Managing Fear And Change32:50 Learning And Shipping Faster34:58 Debrief

Beth Ley, Chief People Officer at Kendra Scott, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to build the number one workplace for women, the “Great Talent Transfer” and Beth's vision for internal talent mobility, and what it's like to work with a visionary founder.---- Sponsor Links:

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Project Management Masterclass, we break down one of the most widely used change management frameworks, the ADKAR model.More importantly, we look at how change actually happens in real-world environments and why it often fails.If organizations don't change and people do, then understanding how individual change happens is critical to delivering successful projects and real business outcomes.In this episode, you'll learn:What the ADKAR model is and how it worksWhy awareness alone is not enough to drive changeThe difference between understanding change and wanting itHow gaps in desire create execution frictionWhy training and knowledge do not guarantee adoptionThe difference between knowing and doingHow to better align the people side and business side of changeThis episode also includes a real example from an ERP implementation to show how change can break down when desire is not established.If you are leading projects, managing change, or trying to improve execution within your organization, this episode will give you a framework you can apply immediately.But understanding change is only one part of it.Leading change requires strong power skills. How you communicate, influence, align teams, and drive execution under pressure.If you want to go deeper and strengthen those skills, you can explore the Power Skills course here:https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page Support the showWhere Project Managers Become Project Leadershttps://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page

Greg Shove describes a growing gap between individual and organizational AI adoption. A small group of employees are already using AI effectively, while most companies are still early. AI is generating real productivity gains, but those gains are not being captured at the company level. Instead, they are absorbed by individuals who use AI to work faster, often without changing team outputs or structures — raising a central question: if AI creates time, where does that time go? The conversation explores why enterprise AI adoption remains uneven. Many organizations lack a clear point of view on AI, and workflows take time to adapt, making it difficult to turn individual gains into coordinated results. At the same time, AI is breaking capability boundaries, allowing people to take on work across roles while companies remain structured around existing ways of operating. From a leadership perspective, Greg emphasizes that the challenge is not just efficiency. AI creates capacity, but without clear direction on how to use it, that capacity disappears. Leaders must decide how to reinvest the time AI creates if they want to capture real business value.Key Takeaways:  AI's ROI is leaking, not missing Companies are generating value from AI, but it's being captured by employees rather than the organization. A small group drives most of the impact Roughly 10–15% of employees adopt AI early and use it effectively, creating an uneven distribution of gains. AI is breaking capability boundaries Individuals can now take on work across roles, but organizations are still structured around fixed responsibilities. Most companies lack a clear point of view on AI Without direction from leadership, adoption becomes fragmented and employees are left to figure it out themselves. Leaders must decide what to do with the time AI creates Efficiency gains alone don't create value. Organizations need to define new, higher-value work or the gains disappear. Greg's LinkedIn: linkedin/gregshove Section LinkedIn: linkedin/company/sectionai Section AI: sectionai.com Prof AI: prof.ai 00:00 Intro: Entering the Era of AI Chaos00:31 Meet Greg Shove01:32 Enterprise AI Is a C Minus01:51 AI's ROI Is “Leaking” to Employees03:04 When Individuals Outrun the Organization05:44 When AI Breaks Workflows06:47 Disposable Software and New Ways of Building09:10 Cut vs Create12:01 Using the Calendar as a Lever16:24 Why Enterprises Don't Move17:32 When Customers Force Change21:31 AI Breaks Capability Boundaries25:44 The Productivity Firehose27:49 Who Actually Captures the Value28:45 Why Everyone Needs Good AI32:00 Adoption Beats Buying More Tools40:17 Teaching the 90 Percent43:48 Where Humans Still Matter48:09 The Debrief

What if growth—personal or organizational—is not about fixing what's broken, but remembering what we were meant to become? In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, hosted by Yusuf, we explore leadership, purpose, and the deeper systems that shape how organizations and people evolve. Joining the conversation is Rev. Dr. B. Keith Haney, who shares insights from decades of ministry and organizational leadership. This episode is for leaders, team builders, and anyone navigating change in complex systems. You'll hear why relationships matter more than strategy alone, how fear quietly blocks transformation, and how aligning values with daily actions creates meaningful, sustainable growth. About the Guest: Rev. Dr. B. Keith Haney is a ministry leader with over three decades of experience working with churches and organizations on leadership, systems thinking, and organizational transformation. His work focuses on helping leaders align purpose, people, and structure for healthier communities. Episode Chapters: 00:06 – Rethinking growth and leadership 03:05 – From computer science to systems leadership 06:40 – Why relationships matter more than strategy 09:10 – Fear and resistance inside organizations 12:30 – When values and reality stop aligning 15:20 – Burnout and the search for meaningful work 18:05 – Finding purpose as a leader's true north Key Takeaways: Organizations function like systems; when one part fails, the whole structure feels it. Leadership begins with relationships—people follow leaders who genuinely care. Fear of loss or uncertainty is often the hidden force behind resistance to change. Misalignment between stated values and real behavior creates burnout and disengagement. Teams thrive when people work in roles that energize them rather than drain them. How to Connect With the Guest: Website: becomingbridgebuilders.org Instagram: @bkeithhaney Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate. With over 6000+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.

In this timely and important episode, Craig sits down with Lily Zheng, one of today's leading voices on workplace transformation, to tackle the challenges and evolution of DEI. Lily brings both research-backed frameworks and real-world pragmatism, reflecting on how shifting from DEI to FAIR offers a practical way through current backlash and confusion.Lily's refreshing candor provides a thought-provoking and valuable frame to the conversation. They don't shy from complexity, but treat hesitancy, fear, and failure as necessary parts of meaningful progress.The episode is filled with practical advice, including tying every initiative to a real business problem, focusing on behaviors not buzzwords, and the need for every leader to own the responsibility for inclusion. Technology's double-edged role is candidly discussed, warning leaders that AI will multiply both strengths and flaws.At its core, this episode asks: how do we actually do better? Lily urges leaders to focus on “atomic units” of behavioral change, reminding us that real progress is messy, ongoing, and built one intentional action at a time.What You'll Learn- The power and pitfalls of language in DEI work.- Navigating the politicization of inclusion.- Let data—not dogma—drive your priorities- Move beyond ‘admiring the problem': Replacing performative acts with real progress.- Redefining representation: Beyond the numbers.- Technology & AI: A double-edged sword.- The power of atomic units of change.Podcast Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction to Lily Zheng and the Origin of the Book(08:00) - Reframing DEI: Why Focus on Fairness?(14:41) – Lessons in Leadership: DEI Backlash(20:34) - From Performative to Problem-Solving DEI(25:15) - Systemic Change & Diversity Leadership(35:55) - Representation vs. Quotas and Building Trust(43:04) - Technology, AI & Fairness Risks(48:38) - FOFO: Fear of Finding Out and Organizational Reality(56:14) - The Atomic Unit: Driving Change Through BehaviorsKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Fairness, DEI, Inclusion, Equity, Representation, Organizational Change, Systemic Change, Workplace Culture, Diversity, Performative DEI, Accountability, Unconscious Bias Training, Artificial Intelligence, Politics, Cultural Transformation, CEO Success

Send us a MessageIn this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Ben Davis discuss the transformative journey, “The Experience Initiative,” of Glencoe Regional Health. They explore the importance of leadership development, establishing a goal cycle, empowering employee-driven teams, and navigating change in a healthcare organization. The conversation emphasizes the need for proactive leadership and the significance of self-care in fostering an agile and resilient organizational culture. The Experience Initiative supports the organization's aims to be the provider and employer of choice, to keep care local and margins strong.Establishing a goal cycle aligns organizational efforts with strategic priorities.Employee-driven teams foster ownership and engagement in initiatives.Navigating change requires commitment and resilience from leadership.Slowing down and shifting from reactive to proactive can enhance effectiveness and reduce burnout.We're stepping forward in a bigger way—growing our team of rural healthcare experts, growing our capabilities by adding a strategic planning division … all of this so we can expand our ability to help even more rural hospitals and other small healthcare organizations in 2026. … We'd love to explore how we can support your organization in being the provider- and employer-of-choice so you can keep care local and margins strong! Learn more at CaptoneLeadership.net Learn more and register for the 2026 Healthcare Executive Forum - We look forward to seeing you on June 17-18 in Madison, Wisconsin!Hi! I'm Sue Tetzlaff. I'm a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.For decades, I've worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I've learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It's the hardest thing, and it determines everything.When you're ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:1. Listen to the Culture Change RX PodcastEvery week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy. 2. Subscribe to our Email NewsletterGet practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won't find on the podcast.

What if the very programs designed to make workplaces fairer are actually making the problem worse? In this episode, we begin with the famous "Cobra Effect"—a colonial-era policy that unintentionally increased the problem it was meant to solve—and explore how the same dynamic shows up in modern diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Our guest, Lily Zhang, argues that many corporate DEI initiatives fail not because the goals are wrong, but because the strategies are. Drawing on decades of research, Lily breaks down why performative programs, surface-level solutions, and "band-aid" workplace initiatives rarely create real change—and what leaders, employees, and communities can do instead to build truly fair organizations for human beings who deserve better. What to listen for:  The fabulous cobra story, helping set the stage for unintended consequences that can enable or even worsen the original problem  The best condensed explanation of the history of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that we've heard The contrasting stats about how many people want DEI, but say they don't see any perceived benefits – and why that is problematic.  So how do we build more humane workplaces? Enter the FAIR framework of outcomes we want to see in the workplace - fairness, access, inclusion, representation - and what it takes to transform the diversity backlash into real change: outcomes, systems, coalitions, and win-win. How Lily guards against burnout, personally About Lily:    LILY ZHENG (they/them) is a no-nonsense strategist, consultant, and author who helps leaders and practitioners build workplaces that work for everyone. They are the creator of the FAIR Framework, an evidence-based approach giving guidance to those driving the next evolution of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lily's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and NPR, and their bestselling books, DEI Deconstructed, Reconstructing DEI, and Fixing Fairness, lay out the practical skills and knowledge anyone can use to create the healthy workplaces we all deserve. They live with their wife in the San Francisco Bay Area and can frequently be found indoor rock climbing and putting together yet another all-black outfit. Buy Fixing Fairness here.

Summary Welcome to our 500th episode! To celebrate this milestone, Andy talks with Steve Brown, AI futurist, keynote speaker, and author of The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation. Steve brings a rare perspective shaped by years at Intel and Google DeepMind, and today helps organizations navigate two vital questions: what future do you want to build with AI, and what future do you want to avoid? They explore why waiting isn't actually the safe option it feels like, how to think about the different "flavors" of AI beyond just generative tools, and what it really means to orchestrate humans, AI agents, and robots together in the workplace. Steve introduces three types of AI agents—offload, elevate, and extend—and explains the crucial difference between automating tasks and truly transforming how work gets done. You'll also hear his candid take on the fear of being replaced and why doubling down on your humanity is the smartest career move you can make right now. If you're looking for a practical, empowering guide to leading through the AI revolution—without the hype—this episode is for you! Sound Bites "The difference between an AI-enabled or AI-first company and an AI laggard is going to be so great that if you don't get on the train, you may get to the point where you can never catch up." "Your competitors who have embraced AI faster than you are going to be just kicking your butt all over town." "There's a serious cost to inaction in that you can become made irrelevant." "The danger with that is you may automate yourself. It may automate away all of the differentiation you have in your brand and your company." "AI is this sort of amplification technology, and the challenge is to balance cost-cutting and value creation." "Each flavor of AI is useful for solving a different type of business problem." "It feels like a digital employee, right? A digital worker that works for you." "It's taking the suck out of your job." "The real opportunity here, is to transform the way you do work rather than just try and automate away tasks or people." "The workplace of the future is going to be three groups. Humans will still be in the workforce. Great! Go us!" "You won't be replaced by an AI or a robot. You'll be replaced by someone who knows how to use AI better than you do." "Double down on your humanity." "Focus on building the skills that cannot be replaced, or at least won't be replaced by machines anytime soon." "At the end of all of this is going to be lives of abundance, where we have the things that we need." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:45 Start of Interview 01:54 Steve's Career Journey from Intel to DeepMind 05:00 Understanding the AI Ultimatum 08:23 Our First AI Moments 09:32 The Flavors of AI 13:54 Three Pathways to Creating Value with AI 15:11 Automation vs. Transformation 17:10 Orchestrating Humans, AI, and Robots 19:01 Real-World Examples of AI Agents 21:33 Physically Intelligent Robots in the Workplace 24:13 Addressing Fear and Resistance to AI 26:44 Preparing the Next Generation for the AI Age 29:56 Where to Learn More About Steve 31:01 End of Interview 31:38 Andy Comments After the Interview 36:23 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Steve and his work at SteveBrown.ai. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 479 with Matt Mong. It's a discussion about the AI skills you need to stay relevant. Episode 454 with Christie Smith. She talks about how AI is changing leadership, and what we can do about that now. Episode 437 with Nada Sanders. It's a discussion about future-prepping your career in an age of AI. You can also chat directly with PMeLa—the podcast's AI persona—to get episode recommendations and answers to your project management and leadership questions. Visit PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/PMeLa to chat with her. Level Up Your AI Skills Join other listeners from around the world who are taking our AI Made Simple course to prepare for an AI-infused future. Just go to ai.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com. Thanks! Pass the PMP Exam This Year If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year! Join Us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader–that's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, Future of Work, AI Strategy, Digital Transformation, Agentic AI, Automation, Organizational Change, AI Ethics, Competitive Advantage, Human-AI Collaboration, Technology Adoption The following music was used for this episode: Music: Lullaby of Light featuring Cory Friesenhan by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this episode, Adam Torres interviews Richard Carson, CEO at Carson & Associates and author of The Book of Change. Richard shares insights from decades of leadership and consulting experience, discussing why organizational change initiatives fail and how leaders can use practical frameworks to improve performance, empower teams, and successfully manage transformation. About Richard Carson Richard H. Carson's 40-year career includes being a practicing executive manager, organizational consultant, and research university academic. The latter was spent doing doctorate level research at a “Tier One” research university (Washington State University) in organizational psychology. For the first 30 years he worked as a senior executive manager and as a policy analyst, on economic and environmental issues, to three Oregon governors. He then spent the next 10 years as a change management consultant for a national management company. He worked helping both profit and non-profit organizations become more performance efficient and cost-effective. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2026 Winter Olympics are now over, and it was great to watch. As always, there are a lot of compelling stories that happened. There are stories of triumph and disappointment, as it goes with sports. It is hard to imagine putting so many years of your life into something to have it all turn on minutes or seconds.  There were a lot of athletes that were projected to win gold, including Jessie Diggins who is the greatest US cross-country skier ever. However, no US woman or man has ever won a cross-country skiing gold, so there were a lot of hopes that this would be the year. But that didn't come to pass. The men were able to secure two silver medals, and Jessie Diggins won a bronze. To add to this, Jessie Diggins is retiring at the end of this season, marking the end of a remarkable career. So was it a disappointment? Depends on how you measure it. By one metric of success, she failed to achieve the top goal of winning a race and taking home the gold. But other measures, according to Jessie, she did all she could, left it all out there, and represented herself, her friends and family, and her country well. The same could be said for a lot of athletes who ‘failed' to live up to expectations, but nonetheless did what they could to succeed.  In a culture where second place might be referred to as “first loser,” coming back with less than complete victory is a high standard. And maybe it is time for that standard to change, and the culture around metrics to shift.  To talk about the impact of measuring what matters, and more broadly the need for changes in organizational culture and employee experience, I welcome Dr. James Killian to Experience by Design podcast. This is the second Industrial/Organizational Psychologist in two weeks, so that might be a record for any podcast.  James has a new book coming out titled “Obsessed: Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader.” The book describes how to develop customer-focused leadership habits, establish employee-centric cultures, create linkages between employee and customer experience, and establish metrics that really matter to your strategy.  James explains his entry into the field after discovering it during an introductory psychology class at Texas A&M, describing his interest in combining business and psychology. We also talk about his experiences in industry as well as working in the Michigan State University Customer Experience Management Masters program. Finally, there is the familiar theme about needing to create better connections between industry and academia.  Dr. James Killian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-killian-ph-d-859182/ “Obsessed:Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader”: https://the-customer-driven-leader.com/ Pre-order now!: https://books.manuscripts.com/product/obsessed/

Is Amazon's famous leadership principle being weaponized against you? Join Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Consultant Om Patel as we talk about how "disagree and commit" becomes "shut up and obey" in most companies. Watch or listen as we discuss one of tech's most misunderstood management concepts, covering topics such as:Difference between Amazon and Your CompanyRed flag phrasesWhy psychological safety is non-negotiableWhat happens when smart people stop pushing backThe OnE lEaDeRsHiP tRiCk managers hateAdditionally, drawing on research and experience, we build a framework for protecting yourself and your team from toxic decision-makers attempting to lift-and-shift the walls and roof of "disagree and commit" without the foundation. That's right - practical, diagnostic questions and actionable strategies to distinguish legitimate debate from leadership cowardice!#ProductManagement #AgileLeadership #WorkplaceCultureGoogle's Project Aristotle (2012-2014), Organizational Cynicism by James Dean Jr., Pamela Brandes, and Robbie Darwadkar (1998), Understanding and Managing Cynicism about Organizational Change by Rikers, Wanous, and Austin (1997), Arguing Agile Episode 243: How Corporate Turns Good People Bad, Jeff Bezos 2016 Letter to ShareholdersLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arguingagileSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596INTRO MUSICToronto Is My BeatBy Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

Summary In this episode, Andy talks with Richard Carson, author of The Book of Change. If you feel like you barely finish one change before the next one hits, this conversation is for you. Richard shares his deeply researched and battle-tested framework called People Sustained Organizational Change Management, or PSOCM. Unlike many change management books, this is not about certifications or slogans. It is about building a repeatable system to diagnose problems, distinguish adaptive from transformational change, and gain executive traction when support is not automatic. You will hear why so many change efforts fail before they even begin, how to craft a clear problem statement, and what leaders often misunderstand about the type of change they are facing. Richard also explains why he chose the phrase "People Sustained" and how thinking structurally about change can even help at home. If you're looking for practical, grounded insights on leading through continuous change, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "My advice to you is to anticipate change and manage change before it manages you." "Different change models have been introduced in the literature, but there has not been one coherent model for managing organizational change." "PSOCM is driven by defined actions with statistical metrics that produce measurable results." "You get a free book and the next thing you know you're getting the pitch to hire them at an exorbitant amount of money per hour." "Organizations consist of people, and it is the people who are primarily the problem." "Change management is proactive. Emergency management is reactive." "It is not productive to put the organization on the couch and ask, 'Well, what do you think?'" "You can change a process, but you cannot change a person's underlying psychology." "You now own it, or it now owns you." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:40 Start of Interview 01:54 Family Culture and Early Influences 03:58 Criticisms of Change Management Books and Certifications 06:15 Defining Organizational Change Management in Plain Talk 07:44 What Surprised Him in the History of Change 10:57 Adaptive vs. Transformational Change 14:23 Why He Named It People Sustained Organizational Change Management 20:03 Problem Identification and Writing Effective Problem Statements 24:31 Getting Executive Support When Change Is Not Top Down 26:49 When Benefits Do Not Move Leaders 28:21 One More Idea to Anticipate Change Before It Manages You 30:03 Applying Change Lessons at Home as a Parent 31:36 End of Interview 32:38 Andy Comments After the Interview 35:31 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Richard and his work at RichardCarson.org. Make sure to get the free ebook download. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 343 with Gary Lloyd. He has a clever metaphor of thinking about change like a gardener, not a mechanic. It's a great discussion that I think you'll find quite practical. Episode 344 with Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson. Their book is about change, but not at the organizational level. They think you can change other people, which sounds presumptuous at the least. But they back that up in the interview so check out episode 344 for more. Episode 53 with John Kotter. He's one of the most famous names when it comes to change management. Go way back to episode 53 to hear from John directly. Pass the PMP Exam If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year! Join Us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader—that's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Topics: Change Management, Organizational Change, Leadership, Executive Sponsorship, Problem Identification, Adaptive Change, Transformational Change, Strategic Thinking, Organizational Culture, Project Leadership, Continuous Improvement, Stakeholder Engagement The following music was used for this episode: Music: Lullaby of Light feat Cory Friesenhan by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tropical Vibe by WinnieTheMoog License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Summary In this episode, Andy talks with Steve Jaffe, author of The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery. Steve has been laid off four times over the course of his career, and those experiences shaped a thoughtful, practical framework for navigating the emotional and professional aftermath of job loss. Andy and Steve explore why layoffs feel so personal even when we are told they are not, how identity often gets tangled up with job titles, and why the emotional response to a layoff closely mirrors the stages of grief. Steve explains why those stages are not linear, what denial, pain, and negotiation really look like in practice, and why trying to rush straight to acceptance can backfire. You will also hear practical advice for leaders who must conduct layoffs, as well as guidance for professionals who worry they might be laid off in the future. From preserving dignity in difficult conversations to preparing financially, emotionally, and professionally before uncertainty hits, this discussion offers insight for both sides of the table. If you are navigating uncertainty, supporting others through change, or simply want to be better prepared for whatever comes next, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "I wanted to give people a roadmap to process their layoff and the grief of their layoff in months rather than years." "One of the things that makes losing a job difficult is we tie our identity up in what we do." "And then in that period, before you've landed your next job, you're in this messy middle of Who am I?" "Define yourself not by what you do, but by who you are and what you bring to the table." "I've seen people be named Employee of the Year in January, and by June they're getting laid off." "Layoffs don't measure your worth. They measure a company's priorities." "The stages of grief are not linear. You can feel all of them in one day." "Your job title is not who you are." "Acceptance can become a way to skip discomfort instead of dealing with loss." "If you don't process the grief, it shows up later as baggage." "Dignity matters in the first minutes of a layoff conversation." "You want to build your network before you need it." "The person you were before a layoff will not be the same person after." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:45 Start of Interview 02:00 From First Layoff to Fourth: Taking It Personally 02:50 How the Layoff Process Has Changed Over Time 06:52 The Messy Middle Between Job Loss and What's Next 10:40 Why the Stages of Grief Apply to Layoffs 14:07 What Denial Looked Like in Steve's Experience 17:19 Balancing Emotional Honesty and Professional Reputation 22:08 The Quote That Opens the Book 23:00 Can You Jump to Acceptance Too Quickly? 24:58 When Past Layoffs Create Baggage at the Next Job 26:42 Advice for Leaders Who Have to Do Layoffs 28:55 Handling Performance-Based Separations with Integrity 30:40 How to Prepare Now If You Worry About Being Laid Off 32:46 End of Interview 33:33 Andy Comments After the Interview 37:37 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Steve and his work at TheSteveJaffe.com. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 163. A short three-minute video Andy put together about what to do before losing your job. Episode 310 with Jeff Gothelf, about how to let your next job find you. Episode 230 with Scott Belsky. Not specifically about layoffs, but full of insights on careers, growth, and the hiring process. Level Up Your AI Skills In the outtakes, Andy and Steve talk about how AI is changing the workplace. If you want to be better prepared for an AI-infused future, check out our AI Made Simple course. Just go to ai.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com. Thanks! Pass the PMP Exam If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year! Join Us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader. That's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than five minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Topics: Leadership, Layoffs, Career Transitions, Organizational Change, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Identity at Work, Grief, Workforce Planning, Change Management, Professional Development The following music was used for this episode: Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

►► GET MY FREE VIDEO & WORKSHEET - SHATTERPROOF YOURSELF LITE! 7 SMALL STEPS TO A GIANT LEAP IN YOUR CONFIDENCEJoin host Adam Gragg and special guest Dr. Stacy Wince as they crack open the vault of vibrant company cultures and spill the three essential decisions every leader needs to supercharge their team.From ice cream bribes with freshman boys to surprise shoe-shopping sprees for dental staff, this episode isn't your average chat about core values and leadership. It's a rollercoaster of real talk, personal stories, and laugh-out-loud moments. Discover how intentionality, accountability and pure awareness can transform even the busiest, most chaotic office into a place people can't wait to show up to, and yes, even at the dentist!Whether you're a business leader, a team member, or just someone who dreams of loving Mondays, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom to help you build a culture that's healthy, fun, and wildly effective. Don't miss out on fresh insights, heart, humor, and a few family squabbles. Tune in now and learn how to make your workplace the envy of the block!CHAPTERS:00:00 "Building a Healthy Culture"08:47 "Ensuring Cultural and Value Fit"11:43 "Be Intentional About Culture"16:02 "Advice Sticks Better Externally"18:30 Empowering Growth Through Support20:30 "Accountability Drives Personal Growth"24:49 "Teamwork in Dental School"28:06 "Leadership Tone Shapes Morale"30:42 "Strong Values Build Resilience"34:02 "Surprising Team with New Shoes"38:00 "Action Drives Transformation"39:32 "Decide Your Legacy Today"Ready to improve your organization's culture? Tune in now and let's build a legacy worth sharing!Connect with Dr. Stacy Wince: DrWince@wincedental.comLearn more about Decide Your Legacy and Adam Gragg: https://www.decideyourlegacy.com/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE with fellow leaders and friends! Your support helps us keep bringing you valuable content. Be sure to check out Escape Artists Travel and tell them Decide Your Legacy sent you!

Why do 70% of organizational transformations fail? It isn't because of bad strategy, poor funding, or a lack of talent. It is because we have fundamentally misunderstood the psychology of change.In this episode, we sit down with Bree Groff, a Senior Advisor at the global transformation consultancy SYPartners and the former CEO of NOBL Collective, to discuss the counter-intuitive truth about innovation: you cannot build the future until you mourn the past.Bree explains that what leaders often label as "resistance" or "laziness" is actually a form of grief. Drawing on her unique background—which spans cognitive psychology research, a tenure as a high school physics teacher, and over a decade advising C-suite leaders at companies like Google, Pfizer, and Calvin Klein—she breaks down the "Six Types of Loss" employees experience during a pivot.We dive deep into why the "move fast and break things" era is ending and why the most successful modern companies are those that allow teams to "metabolize" the loss of their old identities. Bree also previews insights from her book, Today Was Fun, challenging the toxic positivity of corporate culture and offering a scientific framework for why we need to stop forcing agility and start designing for closure.About Bree Groff: Bree Groff is a renowned expert in organizational psychology and transformation. Currently a Senior Advisor at SYPartners, she previously served as the CEO of NOBL, a global change agency known for pioneering new ways of working. She holds a Master's in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Psychology and Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Before entering the corporate world, Bree explored human behavior from two very different angles: as a psychology researcher studying decision-making and as an actor and math teacher—experiences that shaped her belief that work should be designed for humans, not just efficiency.

What are practical strategies to avoid overload and exhaustion in today's digital world? What norms can organizations create for tool usage, and how can finding offline activities that provide a mental contrast to digital work?Paul Leonardi is the Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara, a consultant and speaker on digital transformation and the future of work, and an author of several works. His latest book is called Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life.Greg and Paul discuss the complementary nature of his two most recent books: the first focuses on harnessing digital tools, and the second on mitigating the overwhelm they can cause. They also explore teaching technology management, including the importance of understanding technology's impact on people and organizational processes. Paul explains the 30% rule, emphasizing the need to understand digital tools well enough to use them effectively. They also explore the concept of digital exhaustion, the subject of his most recent book, its symptoms, and how to manage it, both at work and in daily life. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:How can we reduce exhaustion?41:29: One easy way of reducing our exhaustion is to match the sort of complexity of the task that we are trying to do with the affordances or the capabilities of the technology. And I say match, not over exceed, because we also have the problem where, like me, I am sure you have been in many, many meetings that should have just been an email, that there is not the need. And so what we have done in that situation is we have overstimulated people, right, in a setting with, you know, 15 other folks, and we have taken an hour out of their day and maybe the travel time to get there. And that has created other avenues for exhaustion when, if we had just perceived this information via email, we could not have had the meeting. So you do not want to overmatch, you just want to like match to the complexity of the task. And that is the key to reducing our exhaustion.It's not just distraction that exhausts us18:28: I think we have failed to look at how it is not just being distracted that is a problem, but it is the act of switching itself across all of these different inputs really is a significant source of our exhaustion.Inference is a big driver of exhaustion32:45: Inference is really a big driver of exhaustion. And I would say the place that it most shows up, although not exclusively, is in our social media lives. Because, of course, people are curating their lives in terms of what they post, whether that is LinkedIn or TikTok or Instagram, that does not really matter. And we are constantly not only making inferences of them, but what I find is that we are also very often making inferences about ourselves because we see a past record of all the things that we wrote and all of the things that we posted. And then we are also making inferences of what we think other people think about us based on all the things that we post.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Human MultitaskingTask SwitchingFatigueUnsiloed Podcast Episode 612: Rebecca HindsGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at UC Santa BarbaraPaulLeonardi.comWikipedia ProfileLinkedIn ProfileGuest Work:Amazon Author PageDigital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your LifeThe Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AIExpertise, Communication, and OrganizingMateriality and Organizing: Social Interaction in a Technological WorldCar Crashes without Cars: Lessons About Simulation Technology and Organizational Change from Automotive DesignGoogle Scholar Page Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica shares a powerful shift in perspective inspired by her doctoral studies in Organizational Change. From real-life case studies like Mattel to personal experiences within her own business, Monica uncovers what small business owners often overlook about managing change. You'll learn why change isn't just a strategy—it's an emotional journey for you, your team, and even your customers. Whether you're rolling out a new system or rethinking your brand, this episode will challenge how you approach growth and guide you toward leading change with clarity and confidence.Episode Quote: This is a new year. A new beginning, and things will change. ~Taylor Swift.What you will learn in this episode:How to align your vision and values to support changeHow to communicate change so your team feels included, not blindsidedHow to increase your team's confidence during uncertain transitionsHow to avoid the #1 mistake small business owners make when managing changeHow to use storytelling to bring your vision to lifeHelpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own BossSubscribe to the Level Up Living newsletter. Click on the purple button.KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠Monica FREE ebook⁠Get your⁠ Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠Ways to reach Monica:Instagram: @becomeyourownbosspodcastEmail: monica@monicaallen.comListen now to learn how to lead change before it leads you.Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and sign up for Monica's Level Up Living newsletter at monicaallen.com. Let's grow without burning out—and become the boss you were meant to be.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Mindy Vail about creating a supportive environment for organizational change. Mindy Vail has more than two decades of experience in leadership development, change management, education, and public speaking. Working with emerging leaders to veteran executives, her focus is cultivating a growth mindset and fostering resilience. Her new book, The Mindshift Effect: Where Change Management Is Redefined and Leadership Is Defined (April 16, 2024), provides a wellspring of inspiration for leading meaningful organizational change.  Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!