As educators, we are pretty good at handling conflict between students, but what happens when we experience conflict with other adults? That’s a lot more challenging. Luckily, we have conflict resolution coach Jerry Fu with us today to give us tips on how to handle conflict in the workplace.

Jerry is a conflict resolution coach for Asian-American leaders. He started coaching in 2017 to help other Asian-American professionals deal with the challenges they encounter at work, with their families, and within themselves.

Prior to starting his coaching business, Jerry worked as a pharmacist and began facilitating leadership workshops in 2012. Today, Jerry offers a range of coaching services, which includes individual coaching, group workshops, and keynote presentations.

To contact him, visit his coaching website at https://www.adaptingleaders.com. In his free time, Jerry enjoys travel, trying new restaurants, and lots and lots of salsa dancing.

Also, to sign up for the free Classroom Management webinar “3 Simple Classroom Management Strategies That Will Work NOW”, visit https://michaelajedele.easywebinar.live/event-registration or https://www.drkeeganjedele.com

I had so much fun interviewing Identity Archaeologist Josh Zepess. I think this episode was just what we needed right now. Josh takes us through his own journey as a learner, high performing professional in the corporate world and how he discovered what led him to say, "this isn't what I do; it's who I am."

In a world where dreams are crushed, souls are forgotten, and rust never sleeps, Josh Zepess (the Identity Archaeologist) is on a mission to ensure talented solopreneurs turn every business first impression into a second impression (where the sale happens!) by raising their ROC - Return on Conversation - so they can profit more without grinding more.

After decades on the corporate farm as a shy, introverted engineer, he realized that the cubicle could no longer contain him. So he escaped. It was a rocky road through entrepreneurship in the financial and gym industries until he finally stopped ignoring his genius. Now he plays in it, profitably, every day.

When he's not digging for business gold, he flies airplanes, brews beer, runs long-distance obstacle course races, and is a semi-pro comedian (not the funny kind!)

Check Josh out at https://joshzepess.com/

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and former colleague posted on social media that she had a student who had a lot to say about the systemic challenges in our education system and what needed to change. I was surprised that no one had responded back, since student voice is THE most prominent and relevant voice in education. Well, fast forward 2 weeks and I was able to talk with Antonia, a junior student-athlete at a high school in Providence, RI. This is a conversation everyone needs to hear.

You can follow Antonia on Twitter @blackinppsd

Wow! What a wild 6 months! Not only because we have a growing podcast (sweet!) but because…education in the post-not post pandemic reality. Everyone uses this break in different ways: disconnect completely (good for you!), planning for January (don’t go too wild with that!) and holistically visualizing what they want January through May/June to look like (this is always me). If you’re in major prep mode, let me recommend Season 1, Episodes 2-4, lol. Here are the top 5 most downloaded episodes:

S1 Ep 2: Burnout: Not our badge of honor

S2 Ep 3: Superintendent and Chief Problem Solver, Mr. Cloyd Garth, Jr. on prioritizing the mental, physical and spiritual needs of his entire staff

S1 EP 3: Workplace Burnout pt. 2: Roundtable with educators, administrators and business leaders

S1 Ep 4: Workplace Burnout pt. 3: Roundtable Conclusion

S1 Ep 5: Career Coach Jackie Ross on Career Development, Dealing with Overwhelm and Job Crafting to Improve our Job Satisfaction

Here is an episode guide based on what you might be reflecting on and planning for:

Season 1 focuses on saying “no” to things that cause burnout, unpacking how specifically to prevent it, how to deal with overwhelm once it sets in, how to take care of our health when it feels impossible to focus on it and how we can actually CREATE job satisfaction for ourselves.

Season 2 focuses on the specific challenges and needs of teachers and school leaders this school year (this can be validating if you’re experiencing it). It also hones in on the specific leadership practices that are essential to meeting the needs of educators. If you’re a leader hoping to better meet those needs during the 2nd half of this school year, then these episodes are a must-listen, because there are leaders out there doing it, and they share very practical and useful strategies to do this.

Thank you for tuning in as we kicked off DissectEd Podcast, and here’s to continued growth and impact in 2022!

I'm worried. Not for myself but for our teachers and principals. I know you're reading the headlines. So why does it feel like no one is listening?

Today, I cover:

• What teachers and principals need more and less of (hint: meetings fall into the "less of" category)

• Ask you to put me in contact with policy and decision makers

Reach me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.drkeeganjedele.com

Season 2 Episode 6: The critical leadership (and other) skills we needed to learn but weren’t taught, with Mark Herschberg, author of “The Career Toolkit”

Leadership. Communication. Networking. Team building. These are all skills needed in the 21st century workforce. It’s 2021, so why aren’t these skills being taught and meaningfully assessed in our nation’s high schools and colleges? Dr. Mark Herschberg, author of The Career Toolkit, discusses the need for these skills and explains why we must start teaching them and what it will take for high schools and colleges to take this need seriously. He says, “We need to ask ourselves what do we really need even if we can’t measure it as well? I would take a so so measure for the right thing than a great measure for the wrong thing.”

I asked Mark for recommendations for effective procedures for large school districts that need to hire consulting firms to provide services and ensure they are hiring effective consultants. He provides practical recommendations. I also asked him how organizations and school districts can build the leadership, collaboration and communication capacity of their own leaders and managers. If you find yourself needing to hire outside consultants or wanting to build the capacity of your own employees, this episode is a must-listen.

Mark is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

Visit https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/ to find more of Mark’s work and to purchase his book, “The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You.”

Dominique "Dom" Brightmon, DTM is an award-winning speaker and certified member with the John Maxwell Team.

He is the bestselling author of "Going North!: Tips & Techniques to Advance Yourself", "Stay the Course: The Elite Performer's 7 Secret Keys to Sustainable Success" and contributing author for "Crappy to Happy: Sacred Stories of Transformational Joy".

Dom hosts the Going North podcast, a top-rated self-help podcast that interviews authors from all over the world. His mantra is Advance others to advance yourself.

He encourages us to keep gas in our tanks and water in our own cups so we can best serve others.

The Golden Rule still applies - Treat others as you want to be treated. Help those who work for you advance themselves. It builds long lasting relationships. See people as precious and valuable. Your people are already valuable - help them unlock their potential. Treat people as a 10/10 rather than a 1/10.

From Crappy to Happy - Reconnect with your why and then spice it up a bit! Reinvent yourself. Elite performers reinvent themselves constantly. Don’t be afraid to lean into what’s fun. Have fun. Find the fun.

You can find Dom at [email protected] and can follow him @dombrightmon

One of the most frequent challenges I hear teachers talk about this year is their students’ mental health. One of the hardest things for teachers is that they often feel the pain their students feel because they are empathetic. I noticed this myself during the 2nd week of this school year. I was driving home from school and just felt this incredible weight in my head. It seemed like so many of my students didn’t have food and/or housing security - basic needs that need to be met before they can learn optimally. But I also felt many other emotions like astonishment - that they were so open and excited to be back at school. To know what they were carrying around both inspired and saddened me. Today's guest, Whitney, talks about this and what it can mean for high school students who either just are returning to high school or who haven’t been in school since middle school.

Whitney also identifies one thing leaders can do that can help teachers process all of the challenges from this year - and it’s really easy. Create space for conversations such as the one we have on this episode to take place.

Whitney is an art educator who loves art, running, yoga and travel.

Check out the podcast webpage: https://www.drkeeganjedele.com/podcasts/dissected

You can contact me by going there!

Image Credit: Shep Hyken

Hazlehurst, Mississippi Superintendent Cloyd Garth, Jr talks with us about the burnout educators are experiencing right now and how he gets himself and his staff through it. He believes that this burnout is unlike anything he's ever seen before and reminds us that educators actually typically handle stress better than most people (it DOES come with the job), so if they're THIS burnt out now, something must be really wrong.

He doesn't stop at identifying the challenge, though. He has a briefcase full of solutions that he's been using since before the pandemic to meet his staff members' needs so that they can be at their best for their students.

He reminds us that solutions can work in places that are very different because the problems are the same (rural Mississippi and urban North East). And leaders, he has some tips for you, too, to handle the regular and added stress of the job!

He expects excellence. His people are worth it. He is honest. He believes family comes before everything else. His mantra is your time matters. I don’t want to waste your time. He believes we are artisans. We are builders. We have to be at our best capacity in order to build.

Find Superintendent Garth on Twitter @cloyd_garth and email me at [email protected] or visit my website https://www.drkeeganjedele.com

I am thrilled to kick off the season with today’s guest, Beth Pandolpho. She authored an opinion piece in Education Week about a month ago where she identified the unique struggles teachers are facing this school year and outlined some pretty simple solutions school districts could implement now that would make a difference. When facing complex challenges, such as the one that exists in schools right now, especially in regards to staffing and the educator experience, it’s important to be specific and solutions-oriented, and Beth is both those things. I know that if you’re an educator listening, you’ll feel validated by listening to this episode, and if you’re in a leadership position, you’ll definitely want to hear the recommendations we discuss, because most of them are pretty simple to implement. And for the bolder ones that I recommend, I’d argue those are easy to implement, too.

Check out Beth's book and other articles on her website: https://www.bethpandolpho.com

As always, you can reach me at [email protected] and check out the podcast's website: https://www.drkeeganjedele.com/podcasts/dissected