Ever jump straight into a meeting without actually checking in with your team? Same. That's exactly why we started The Buzz In... it's the first 15 minutes of our real weekly team meeting, unscripted and unpolished, where we practice starting with the human before the work.

This week's check-in question: What do you need, or need to leave at the door, to be fully present in our meeting today?

Turns out this one hit harder than expected. We talk through what came up for each of us, why this particular check-in requires trust and psychological safety to actually work, and how you'd adapt it for different team dynamics.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why we rate this check-in as "advanced" (not one for brand-new teams)
• How to use energy-level or emotion-based check-ins (sad, glad, mad) when naming feelings feels too vulnerable
• The idea of time-boxing a team venting session before diving into work
• Why putting the check-in question in the agenda ahead of time matters, especially for people who need time to prepare
• Letting your team vote on the check-in format (A, B, or C in Slack) so they have ownership

We want to hear from you. If you have a human check-in technique your team uses, drop it in the comments. We'll try it out live in a future episode and retrospect on how it went.

Like and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Ever wonder what actually happens when two co-founders sit down for their weekly meeting... and nobody's watching?

Now you can find out.

Welcome to Buzz Inside, a new sub-series of The Shift by AltHR Hive. Every week, we hit record on the first 10–15 minutes of our real Tuesday co-founder meeting — Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins, unfiltered and unscripted. No prep. No polish. Just two people who are building something together figuring it out in real time.

In this debut episode, you'll hear how we actually kick things off, and get a window into how we think through priorities, navigate the messy middle of co-founding, and keep each other honest.

In this episode we share the Red, Yellow, Green meeting kick off method.

If you're a founder, a co-founder, or someone who's ever wondered whether other leaders are also making it up as they go... this one's for you. Or, just want to see how you might tighten up your human connection moments and rethink your team meetings.

New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss a Tuesday.

🎙 The Shift by AltHR Hive 🔗 Follow us: linkedin.com/company/althrhive

🔗 Join the community: bit.ly/joinAltHRHive

We’ve gone from not having enough data… to being completely overwhelmed by it.

In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Enpei Lam, people analytics expert and founder of TalentAINow, to unpack why so many HR leaders feel stuck when it comes to data—and what to do about it.

The problem isn’t access. It’s clarity.

Enpei challenges the idea that HR and data are at odds, reframing data as a tool to better care for people—not replace the human element. We explore what it looks like to move beyond surface-level metrics and into true root cause analysis, how to connect people data with real business outcomes, and why the future of HR isn’t more reports—it’s better questions. 

We also get into:

• Why “too much data” is the new excuse holding HR back
  
• How to turn messy, disconnected data into actionable insight
  
• The power of small experiments over big, slow initiatives
  
• How even a team of one can use data to influence business strategy
  
• Why AI and modern tools are making people analytics more accessible than ever
  

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by data—or unsure where to start—this conversation will shift how you think about what’s possible.

Follow Enpei on LinkedIn for more insights:   / enpei-lam  

Managers are being asked to carry more than ever…
and we’re not talking about it enough.

In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Ali Merchant to unpack what’s really happening in the middle of change — where managers are expected to translate strategy, support their teams, and stay confident… often without the clarity or support they need.

This isn’t a conversation about frameworks.
It’s a conversation about what’s actually happening inside organizations right now.

We get into:
• Why managers are becoming the default “solution” for everything (and why that’s a problem)
• What leaders are missing when rolling out change — especially with AI
• The psychological weight managers are carrying right now
• Why “just communicate better” isn’t enough
• How to support managers without over-relying on training
• The shift from mandates → modeling
• A practical way to think about AI transformation (the “T strategy”)

We also explore the real tension behind AI at work — including fear, uncertainty, and what Ali calls the need for better discernment and taste in a world where answers are easy, but judgment matters more than ever.

“Managers are responsible for everything… but who’s taking care of them?”

About Ali

Ali Merchant is the founder of All In Manager, a leadership development firm focused on helping managers become better leaders. He’s trained thousands of managers and coached senior leaders around the world, and is the author of The All In Manager.

⸻

Connect with Ali

Website: https://allinmanager.com
LinkedIn:   / alimerchant  
Substack: https://substack.com/@alimerchant

What if the key to stronger leadership communication isn’t more preparation, but learning how to respond in the moment? In this episode of The SHIFT Podcast, Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins sit down with executive presence trainer Jill Pavlov to explore how improv techniques can help leaders think clearly, communicate with confidence, and energize their teams. You’ll walk away with simple exercises that help teams speak up, build on ideas, and navigate uncertainty together.

HR leaders are being asked to navigate constant change, make high-stakes decisions, and “have a strategy”… often without a team to think things through with.

In this episode of AltHR Hive Live: The Shift, Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins have an honest, unscripted conversation about what’s changing in HR—and why so many Heads of People feel stuck, overwhelmed, or second-guessing themselves.

We introduce a concept we believe more HR leaders need: team meetings outside your company.

Not status updates.
Not webinars.
A real working session where HR leaders bring what they’re dealing with right now, gut-check their thinking, challenge assumptions, and leave with a next step.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why solo HR leaders are expected to bring strategy without support
  
• How traditional meetings and content-heavy communities fall short
  
• What great team meetings actually do (safety, sense-making, momentum)
  
• Why asking for help is often misread as incompetence—and how to change that
  
• How external team meetings help HR leaders grow before they have a team of their own
  

This is a candid, slightly messy conversation—because that’s real life in HR right now.

If you’ve ever thought:

“I wish I had someone to think this through with…”

This conversation is for you.

In this live conversation, we sit down with Laurie Shakur, Fractional Chief People Officer and author of The HR Green Book, to unpack what HR leaders are navigating in today’s evolving workplace.

Key moments from the conversation:

• How Laurie’s early career shaped her conviction around culture and leadership
  
• What courage really looks like in HR (esp. when you’ve been “shushed” in the past)
  
• Why HR must stop giving up too soon when pushing back for the greater good
  
• The importance of mastering your craft (psychology, sociology, change management)
  
• Micro-learning and using AI to build expertise intentionally
  
• Rebuilding trust when it’s been eroded between HR and leadership
  
• Why compassion and connection need to return to the center of workplace culture
  

Laurie shares practical, no-nonsense advice for HR leaders at every stage of their career:

✔ Early career? Master your craft and find a mentor.
✔ Later career? Own your voice and rebuild trust intentionally.

This is a conversation about integrity, courage, and the human side of leadership in a rapidly changing world.

📄 Learn more about Laurie:

Website: https://laurieshakurconsulting.com/
LinkedIn:   / laurieshakur  
Buy The HR Green Book, here: https://www.amazon.com/HR-Green-Book-...