Human Resources For Small Business

Are your communication efforts moving you forward and or are they keeping you stuck in a negative loop? Find out in this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, where Brandon Laws interviews Cheri Torres and Jackie Stavros, coauthors of Conversations Worth Having. The three discuss eye-opening tips for recognizing negative communication patterns and having meaningful conversations that move you and your team forward. TAKEAWAYS Everything we do revolves around conversation either with others or ourselves. The conversations we have either move us in the direction we want to go or keep us stuck in a loop of negativity. Our conversations affect our wellbeing, our productivity, and our engagement. Appreciative Inquiry engages us around what we want to see and where we want to go; it’s about the outcome rather than traditional problem-solving centered around fixing the root of the issue. When we come from a place of destructive, depreciative conversations, we put people in protect-mode and hinder effectiv

As leaders, we must evolve with the world around us, or we risk being left behind. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, we dive into a discussion about leading well in an ever-changing workplace. Hear from Michelle Ray — author, speaker, and entrepreneur — about her new book, Leading in Real Time, and get tips about how to embrace change as you lead your team. TAKEAWAYS If we want to see success in our businesses, our teams, and our own professional lives, we can’t lead in the same way we did even two or three years ago. Leaders must be transparent and acknowledge the feelings and passions that their employees express. Positioning yourself for success means connecting with your people, listening to them, and being open to what they have to say. If you can demonstrate to your people that the part they play has relevance and meaning, then they feel good about making a contribution and, consequently, good about themselves. Leaders must build their credibility so that their people see them as

How can leaders engender respect, empathy, and appreciation in the culture of their businesses? And is it possible to slow or stop the Great Resignation that is dismantling businesses left and right? According to Sarah McVanel, author of Forever Recognize Others' Greatness, it all starts with leaders who are willing to make intentional changes when it comes to noticing and showing appreciation for those around them. The result? A workplace culture with recognition at the forefront and a staff who won’t look elsewhere for purposeful employment.  TAKEAWAYS If people see that a new job can potentially “feed their souls” while feeding their bank accounts, then they are much more likely to look elsewhere for employment. When we give validation and verification that our employees matter, they're more likely to stay. Recognizing greatness is that unwavering belief that every one of us possesses greatness that deserves to be acknowledged. If we can create an ecosystem of appreciation, it filters out into every facet

Dive deep into a transformative discussion of emotions with Karla McLaren — author, researcher, and workplace consultant. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws interviews Karla about her lifelong research focusing on emotions in the workplace. Listen and learn how leaders can foster emotional intelligence, strong communication, and empathy in the workplace. TAKEAWAYS   Employee motivation hinges on their sense of autonomy within the organization. It is common for workplaces to hinder discussion of emotion despite the immense need for open dialogue. Each emotion has a specific purpose in cognition, decision-making, and action. The emotions that drain us do so for a purpose: so that we’ll pay attention to them and ask ourselves what's wrong. You can have emotional skills that are focused on yourself, but empathy is where you bring your emotional skills out into the world. GUEST AT A GLANCE Karla McLaren has spent her career delving into the undeniable power of emotions. An acco

Conflict, obstacles, differences. In the working world, leaders and their teams face no shortage of challenges. Fortunately, according to Adam Kahane, facilitating effective collaboration is possible. If you and your team find yourself running into dead-ends when it comes to working together, listen in and learn about a fresh approach for removing the obstacles that hinder forward progression. TAKEAWAYS Leaders of all types — managers, team members, coaches, consultants, and more — can benefit from learning how to facilitate breakthrough. Both vertical and horizontal facilitation miss the mark when it comes to facilitating effective collaboration. Like inhaling and exhaling, both vertical and horizontal facilitation must be used alternately.  Effective facilitation is about removing obstacles to equitable connection and contribution. GUEST AT A GLANCE Adam Kahane is a Director of Reos Partners, passionate process facilitator, and author of Facilitating Breakthrough: How to Remove Obstacles, Bridge Differenc

Let’s face it. Engagement is critical to productivity. But in the post-pandemic workplace, are managers too busy fighting fires to focus on keeping employees engaged? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Pamela Hackett, author of Manage to Engage: How Great Managers Create Remarkable Results, to discuss the ins and outs of employee engagement. Whether the team is working in the office, from home, or a combination of the two, learn how managers can better motivate and connect with their teams. TAKEAWAYS The pandemic taught us about the under-engaged, disengaged, and those resistant to change. The direct boss has the greatest impact on employee engagement. To engage, managers must be intentional about connecting with employees on a routine basis. Managers must seek to engender confidence in their teams which ultimately leads to a greater sense of purpose and engagement. GUEST AT A GLANCE Pamela Hackett is the CEO of Proudfoot, an international operations consult

Our most recent guest, Greg Slamowitz, may have released his book back in 2013, but it’s still just as relevant in today’s ever-changing workplace. Listen in on Brandon Laws’ discussion with Greg as they delve into his 2013 book, Flip the Pyramid: How Any Organization Can Create a Workforce That is Engaged, Aligned, Empowered, and On Fire, and get some insight on building a framework for company stability and success. TAKEAWAYS   There are proven business strategies and tactics available for those who seek them, so there is no need for original thinking to build an outlined organization that can scale. When you have a growth-oriented company, you need employees who bring their left brain and their right brain to work every single day.  The senior leadership team is responsible for setting three to five objective, measurable goals that the whole company can understand and work toward. Communication of company goals is critical to success. Employees should see them everywhere and discuss them daily. GUEST AT

Is happiness fleeting? Is it possible to find fulfillment? According to guest Beverly Jones, getting “unstuck” is as simple as taking small steps toward your happiness goals. Listen as Brandon Laws and Beverly Jones discuss some simple strategies from her new book, 50 Ways to Get Unstuck, and start on the path to happiness and fulfillment today. TAKEAWAYS   The way we treat people matters, and it can have lasting effects on their career and their future as a whole. Serving a purpose and connecting with others in the workplace contributes to employees’ happiness. If we're disconnected from people, it's hard to be happy at work or anywhere else. When you experience gratitude, it’s hard to be anxious at the same time. Taking a step, no matter how small, is a catalyst for motivation. GUEST AT A GLANCE Beverly Jones — coach, consultant, and speaker — is also the author of Find Your Happy at Work: 50 Ways to Get Unstuck, Move Past Boredom, and Discover Fulfillment. She is passionate about helping leaders thrive i

Ready to inject a little more humanity into your workplace? To progress toward a workplace filled with “better humans,” guests Debbie Cohen and Kate Roeske Zummer say it’s all about becoming conscious of what no longer serves you and having the courage to try something different. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, the authors of Humanity Works Better: Five Practices to Lead with Awareness, Choice, and the Courage to Change expose the systemic roadblocks that hinder humanity in the workplace and provide practical strategies for becoming “better humans.” TAKEAWAYS   In a culture of humanity, employees need to feel like they matter and that they are part of something big, exciting, and fulfilling. When you start to change, the people around you will start to change; if something isn't right in your workforce, you can start choosing to show up differently. In the book, Debbie and Kate walk readers through five different practices that start with creating safety, working together, claiming v

A hard-hitting pandemic spurred an initial, unexpected rise in kindness. But before long, we settled back into our old ways. Could your business use a lesson in ramping up kindness? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Linda Cohen — expert, author, and speaker — brings kindness back to the forefront of the workplace conversation. Listen in as Linda Cohen shares touching stories and drives home the idea that kindness affects everyone and everything it touches, even a business’s bottom line. TAKEAWAYS If a business’s reputation is affected by unkindness, it inevitably affects the bottom line. Creating a culture of kindness is an opportunity for you and your organization to think about what would elevate your level of inclusivity. When asked what holds them back from being kind, people tend to answer the same way: stress, fatigue, and time. Communication from leadership needs to be supportive and open so that employees feel encouraged to share their thoughts and concerns. GUEST AT A GLANCE

We aren’t likely to see a slowdown in our online interactions any time soon, so why not adjust to the new virtual normal? In our latest conversation with Lauren Sergy, author of Unmute: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity, we learn how to contend with the greatest seismic shift in business communication since the onset of email: the virtual meeting. GUEST AT A GLANCE Lauren Sergy is a sought-after speaker, coach, and expert in business communication. She is passionate about enabling teams to enjoy effective communication both in the workplace and on the remote front. Her practical insight is evident in her recent book, Unmute: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage It’s time to head back to work. Or… is it? Dive into the in-person vs. remote vs. hybrid discussion with our guest, Gleb Tsipursky, author of Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams. In this episode, he and host Brandon Laws talk about how executives can make strategic, sustainable decisions for the good of their employees and, ultimately, the future of their companies.  TAKEAWAYS When deciding on the right return-to-the-office strategy, the key is a willingness to be flexible. Team leaders must keep in mind that the office environment is best-suited for collaboration and individual assignments can be completed by employees remotely.  Companies that are currently forcing their employees back to the workplace place themselves at a competitive disadvantage. The pandemic has taught employees that time is worth somewhat more than money. We tend to feel that other p

Still focusing all of your resources on recruiting the Millennial Generation? If so, then you might be missing out on the latest group of talent to hit the working world: Generation Z. And according to Melanie Wertzberger — business leader, author, and expert on Gen Z — they have quite a bit to offer. Listen in to learn to recruit and retain top Gen Z talent in the ever-changing world. TAKEAWAYS  By fulfilling their needs to be entrepreneurial and independent, businesses can indeed hope to retain top Gen Z talent. Even if Gen Z is allowed to work fewer hours, they are likely to be more productive in the workplace than other generations. HR leaders and business leaders need to come up with ways of ongoing investment in training and learning so that they can cope with Gen Z’s tendency to company-hop. Gen Z expects their organizations to offer programs that address their health and wellbeing. GUEST AT A GLANCE Melanie Wertzberger is the CEO of Shaka Culture Application, a startup in the HR space. Born on the c

Want to create a culture of belonging? As a leader, do you find yourself falling short when it comes to making your employees feel heard? If so, give this episode a listen. Perrine Farque, author of Inclusion: The Ultimate Secret for an Organization's Success, offers practical tips and inspiring anecdotes for effective, inclusive leadership. TAKEAWAYS   “Belonging” is the ultimate inclusion because an employee’s team members have become their family. The sense of belonging is crucial to an authentic inclusive culture, but leaders must be intentional about it. Business leaders should think of themselves as diversity and inclusion champions. Toxic leadership is contagious, but so is inclusive leadership. Inclusive leaders must create that basic layer of trust so that people feel safe to speak. Be crystal clear on how diversity and inclusion tie into your mission statement and communicate that to all of your employees frequently. GUEST AT A GLANCE Perrine Farque is a best-selling author, speaker, and expert on

Chances are, you’re no stranger to anxiety, but have you been willing to talk about it? Either way, it’s time to break the stigma that surrounds mental health. In today’s episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws interviews Adrian Gostick, co-author of Anxiety at Work: Eight Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done. Together, they discuss the issues burdening employees and how to remove the weight of anxiety in the workplace.    TAKEAWAYS Managers and employees alike are not alone in dealing with the burden of anxiety. Anxiety, even when we remove a stressor, is still present and can interfere with our work and, ultimately, our lives.  Leaders can attract top talent by letting them know they care about developing their careers. Those who suffer from anxiety need to determine what they can control and what is out of their control.   Participate in Xenium's 2021 What People Want from Work Survey: https://xeniumhr.com/wpwfw GUEST AT A GLANCE Adrian G

Fulfilled and engaged employees drive results, but today’s executives are making decisions without leaning into the invaluable employee perspective. In this episode, Brandon Laws interviews Anthony Vaughan: business podcast host, co-founder of the E1B2 Collective, HR aficionado, and expert talent retention. Hear what he has to say about maximizing employee perspective and learn how his victories and defeats have shaped his approach. TAKEAWAYS The employee perspective is vital to executive decision-making and goal-setting. To lead well, one must be willing to listen and learn from leaders who are experiencing measured success. Utilizing employee data, perspectives, nuances, and needs is essential to the long-term success of any business. Participate in Xenium's 2021 What People Want from Work Survey: https://xeniumhr.com/wpwfw GUEST AT A GLANCE Business podcast host, co-founder of the E1B2 Collective, HR aficionado, and expert at talent retention, Anthony Vaughan has a lot to say about what it means to maxim

SHOW NOTES   What are your employees really thinking when it comes to their workplace? Are they ready to jump ship or are they bought in? Clint Pulver, also known as The Undercover Millennial, is all about exposing the gap in perception between executives and their employees. His five years of undercover experience in 181 organizations resulted in his new book, I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations That People Never Want to Leave. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Clint offers practical advice for managers who want to create a work environment that no employee will want to leave. TAKEAWAYS   Employee needs are always changing, so managers must be willing to evolve if they want to keep top talent. There is a direct correlation between management and employee attrition rate. All mentor managers possess these five characteristics: Confidence, Credibility, Competence, Candor, and Caring.  Many employers feel like they know what their employees think and feel, but they've n

In the ever-growing War on Talent, there’s never been more urgency to get it right. To acquire, maintain, and optimize the best talent, leaders have no choice but to dig deep or lose. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index and expert on talent optimization. The two discuss the effects of COVID on the current workforce, the War on Talent, and team-building strategies that really work. TAKEAWAYS Leaders must emphasize the data and analytics if they want a full understanding of what helps and hinders their teams. Leaders must take employee experience or engagement surveys seriously and act upon them, or their top talent will not hesitate to walk out the door. It is up to leaders to create transparency and vulnerability by modeling these attributes themselves.   Participate in Xenium's 2021 What People Want from Work Survey: https://xeniumhr.com/wpwfw GUEST AT A GLANCE Mike Zani is a bestselling author and expert on optimizing

With vast experience at well-known companies such as Apple, Yahoo!, and AstraZeneca, Naz Beheshti is no stranger to workplace intensity and stress. But even though stress seems to be an unavoidable part of our daily lives, we can’t let it control our thoughts and decisions. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws interviews Naz Beheshti, Founder and CEO of Prananaz and author of Pause, Breathe, Choose: Become the CEO of Your Wellbeing. The two discuss mindfulness techniques to deal with stress in the workplace in a healthy way. Of course, these practices aren’t just helpful for the workplace but should be incorporated into every area of our lives. TAKEAWAYS We can never increase the number of hours in the day, but we can optimize our energy and wellbeing so that we can work more efficiently. Senior leadership must lead by example because when communication is coming directly from the CEO or C-level, it helps engage the employees in health and wellness initiatives. When we take t

As a leader, do you find that you’re putting out fires instead of taking intentional steps toward the growth of your organization? If so, this is the podcast for you. While there’s no doubt that the post-pandemic business world has placed increasing demands on the business leader’s time and energy, this episode’s guest says that it’s possible to adapt and rise above the chaos. Listen in and learn from Dave McKeown, author of The Self-Evolved Leader, all about how to approach the faster pace, prioritize what matters, and elevate your focus above what doesn’t. TAKEAWAYS Even after we return to the workplace, the world will continue its rigorous pace, so our leaders need to learn to adapt to this “new normal.” When leaders see new information come in, they feel obligated to respond urgently, a demand placed on them from our clients, the industry as a whole, and the leaders above them. Many leaders end up leading through active heroism which, over time, builds learned helplessness in our people. A self-evolved l