HR Office Hours

Most performance issues aren't people problems. They are process problems in disguise. In this episode of HR Office Hours, host Maddie Hollis sits down with Grant Harris, speaker, consultant, and author, to unpack "Fix Your Process, Not Your People."

Grant shares how organizations routinely mislabel capable employees as disengaged or difficult when the real issue is unclear expectations, broken handoffs, and poor process design; not a lack of talent.

Grant also shares his personal journey as a late-diagnosed autistic professional, and how it shaped his neuroinclusive lens on workplace friction.

Connect with Grant Harris on LinkedIn and subscribe to his newsletter, The Friction Brief.

Grant Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantharris5/

The Friction Brief Newsletter link:

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-friction-brief-7491623818424238080/

DisruptHR link: https://vimeo.com/1196803973

Join host Maddie Hollis and returning guests David Gaspin Vanna Winland,  Meredyth Ring, Cindy Lynch, and Ben Cruz as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of HR Office Hours! In this special live episode, we reflect on memorable moments from the past year, revisit fan-favorite topics, and look ahead to what's coming next.

In this episode: 

🔹 How the podcast got started — the origin story with Dave 

🔹 Vanna on AI then & now: has the conversation aged like milk or fine wine? 

🔹 Meredyth announces her new video series partially inspired by the podcast 

🔹 Dave's catchphrase "Suck it up and say the thing" — and why it still resonates 

🔹 The compliment sandwich debate: why it doesn't work (and what to do instead) 

🔹 Cindy's unforgettable line: "Leadership is one long conversation" 

🔹 Ben's legendary chair story 

🔹 The knowing-doing gap in leadership development — and how to close it 

🔹 What's coming in October 2026 and beyond

In this episode of HR Office Hours, host Maddie Hollis sits down with sales expert Beth McClary-Wolford, founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Superpower Strategies, to reframe what "selling" really means. Beth shares her philosophy that everyone sells, including HR professionals, and that true influence comes from solving problems, not manipulating people.

Whether you're in HR, recruiting, another leadership position or just want to get better at pitching ideas and asking for what you need, this conversation offers practical, human-centered strategies for persuasion that builds relationships instead of burning them.

Connect with Beth-

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelizabethmcclary/

Superpower Strategies: https://superpowerstrategies.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/superpower-strategies/

Behind the Business (prior event info): https://superpowerstrategies.zohobackstage.com/BehindtheBusinessTheStoriesStrategyRelationshipsBehindGrowingaCompany#/

Link to Melanie Silva's episode:

https://open.spotify.com/show/7AHYwlcTJa06jCHUp1j4kO

Article about the comeback of landlines:

https://www.parents.com/parents-are-bringing-back-landlines-11996760

AI is everywhere right now, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the noise. In this episode of HR Office Hours, host Maddie Hollis sits down with Vanna Winland, an AI Advocate at IBM's technical content team, to unpack the fears, myths, and realities around AI in the workplace.

Vanna brings a unique perspective: an English degree turned tech career, and shares why "tools amplify intent, they don't replace it." Together, Maddie and Vanna dig into:

- Why AI backlash is an old creative argument in new clothes

- The "garbage in, garbage out" principle and why critical thinking still matters

- Collective intelligence vs. crowdsourcing — and why this isn't a new idea

- Spotting AI-generated scams, deepfakes, and fraudulent content online

- What AI can't replace: human creativity, judgment, and connection

- The truth behind AI-blamed layoffs and the real upskilling gap in organizations

- How individuals and companies can move forward thoughtfully with AI adoption

Whether you're anxious about AI taking over your job or curious how to use it responsibly, this conversation offers a grounded, human perspective on where the technology fits, and where it doesn't.

🔗 Connect with Vanna Winland: personal blog, Hacker Noon, IBM Think, and LinkedIn (links below)

👍 Like, subscribe, and follow HR Office Hours for more conversations on navigating the future of work.

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwinland/

A24’s AI Backlash Is an Old Creative Argument in New Clothes

https://hackernoon.com/a24s-ai-backlash-is-an-old-creative-argument-in-new-clothes

All Vanna’s articles on Hackernoon

https://hackernoon.com/u/vanna-w

Github

https://github.com/vwinland vwinland.github.io

IBM Think

https://www.ibm.com/think/author/vanna-winland

New York Times The Daily Episode “What is AI Actually Doing to the Economy?”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/podcasts/the-daily/ai-economy.html

#careers #AI #HR #FutureOfWork #Upskilling #ArtificialIntelligence #aitools

In this episode, host Maddie Hollis sits down with Melanie Silva, Executive Director of the UNFoundation, founder of Rad Work, and fractional COO for Hinton & Company, to rethink how organizations build genuine employee engagement.

They dig into why generic perks like pizza parties often fall flat, and why asking employees what they actually want (not assuming) is the real key to retention and culture. Melanie shares how giving circles, like the UNFoundation, can connect employees to causes they care about while strengthening workplace culture. They also cover charitable giving matches, volunteer days, local vendor partnerships, and practical ways employees can advocate for these benefits at their own companies.

Connect with Melanie Silva:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-silva-a809056a/

The UNFoundation: https://theunfoundation.org/

Rad Work: https://radwrk.com/

Hinton & Company: https://hintonandco.com/

Krantzsy Boursiquot Episode:

https://open.spotify.com/show/7AHYwlcTJa06jCHUp1j4kO

Resources Mentioned:

The UNFoundation: https://theunfoundation.org/

The Alice Fund : https://www.thealicefund.org/

Grapevine: https://www.grapevine.org/

The Awesome Foundation: https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en

#hr #nonprofit #leadership #givingback #employeeengagement

In this episode, host Maddie Hollis sits down with longtime Predictive Index partner and leadership consultant, Cindy Lynch, to explore why so many workplace problems come down to a lack of clarity, not conflict. They dig into how HR professionals can move beyond reactive, day-to-day firefighting to become true strategic partners to leadership.

Cindy shares her framework for delegation without guilt, how to give feedback without sandwiching it in fluff, why the "feedback sandwich" needs to retire, and her simple but powerful approach to one-on-ones that actually build trust and accountability. They also cover buy-in strategies for leading change, the "front of T-shirt / back of T-shirt" self-awareness exercise, and why self-awareness, not knowledge, is the real differentiator for leaders who want to grow.

Whether you're an HR department of one or leading a larger team, or a leader outside of HR, this conversation offers practical, conversation-based tools for building a healthier, more transparent workplace.

Connect with Cindy at six20partners.com or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/cindymlynch

#hr #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #clarity #training

In this episode, host Maddie Hollis sits down with leadership development consultant and founder of Guiding Light Leadership, Meredyth Ring, for a candid conversation about authenticity, self-awareness, and what it really takes to grow as a leader.

They dig into how personal expression can coexist with professionalism, the real difference between training and leadership development, and why so many leadership programs fail because they focus on concepts over practical application. Meredyth shares the origin story of her business, her rules for facilitating with curiosity instead of judgment, and how her Resilience in Real Life LinkedIn series (including a surprisingly viral post about the Charlotte Airport) connects individual resilience to organizational culture. Maddie also shares two feel-good airline customer service stories that spark a discussion on how employee culture directly shapes customer experience.

Connect with Meredyth:

https://www.guidinglightleadership.com/

Book mentioned in podcast:

Resilience That Works: Eight Practices for Leadership and Life

https://shop.ccl.org/usa/resilience-that-works.html

#hr #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #growthmindset #resilience

In this episode, host Maddie Hollis sits down with poet, writer, and creative Krantzsy Boursiquot to explore the intersection of work, identity, and creativity. Krantzsy shares his journey: from taking a buyout to pursue creativity full-time, to returning to a "9-to-5" while continuing to build his passion on the side, and opens up about self-publishing his poetry book, running poetry-focused workshops on burnout, and staying involved with the global Creative Mornings community.

Together, they dig into big questions: How much of our identity is tied to our job title? Can you bring your authentic, creative self to work without it clashing with professionalism? And what does it really mean to build an "epic story" with your life and career?

Connect with Krantzsy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krantzsy/

Links from episode:

Creative Mornings: https://creativemornings.com/cities/cha

Krantzsy's book "Let Me Love You" - https://tinyurl.com/375f8jp3

#hr #leadership #creative #poetry #storytelling #creativity #careers

Host Maddie Hollis sits down with Chris Adamson, an HR consultant and leadership trainer based in the Pennsylvania wilds, to talk about what it really takes to do HR in rural, tight-knit communities.

Chris shares stories from his 20+ years in manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution HR, including navigating a painful plant shutdown, the unique challenges of promoting frontline workers into supervisor roles when "these are your people," and how to develop supervisors who might never have had formal training. Maddie and Chris swap real-world stories about recruitment mishaps, judging candidates by first impressions (hint: don't), building authentic connections with employees, and why HR professionals need to earn real influence within their organizations rather than just pushing paperwork.

Chris also shares an exciting first look at Rural Rising, his new business accelerator program helping small-town entrepreneurs build the skills.

Connect with Chris Adamson at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccadamson/

#hr #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

Host Maddie Hollis sits down with Kassandra Stephens, Market Center Administrator at Keller Williams Legacy Group, for a candid conversation about HR, training, and community-building in a business built on independent contractors.

Kassandra shares her journey from call center collections and quality management to overseeing operations for 300+ real estate agents. She and Maddie dig into why "it's a training issue" is rarely the real problem (hint: it's usually a retention gap), how to handle sensitive situations like harassment claims and social media policies with 1099 contractors, and the balance between flexibility and fairness when managing a team.

They also talk community-building: from dessert auctions raising money for agents in need, to the power of a personal invite, to why "we're like family" might be the wrong pitch (community, not family, is the healthier framing). Plus: hiring honestly, owning mistakes to build trust, and why earnestness matters more than experience.

Connect with Kassandra on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassandra-stephens-mba-1816b51b2/

#hr #leadership #1099 #1099contractor #training