Human Capital

This week join Jeff in his engaging conversation with Verne Harnish, an acclaimed author and leadership expert. Verne shares invaluable insights on leadership, values, and change. Drawing from his extensive experience, he emphasizes the necessity of continuous learning and remaining open to change in today's dynamic business landscape. Jeff and Verne delve into the critical role of fostering healthy conflict and open communication within teams to facilitate better decision-making and build trust. They also discuss the significance of core values as guiding principles for both employees and leaders, highlighting their role in shaping organizational culture. This episode offers actionable strategies for driving growth and fostering a culture of innovation within any organization with practical advice and real-world examples.

In this episode, Jeff invites Donna Hamlin, PhD to delve into the transformative journey of the HR department from its origins as primarily compliance-focused to its current role as a strategic advisor within organizations. Donna is CEO of BoardWise and an expert in corporate governance and strategic human capital management. Jeff and Donna highlight the challenges and opportunities faced by HR professionals. Their conversation explores HR leaders' need to develop strategic thinking skills and foster closer collaboration with executive leadership to drive organizational change and deliver high value.

In this illuminating episode, Jeff delves into the crucial interplay between organizational culture and sales strategy with Alice Heiman, a renowned sales leader and consultant. Together, they navigate the intricate landscape of modern business, highlighting the indispensable value of a strong sales mentality that emphasizes customer relationships, strategic market growth, and clear communication. Alice and Jeff bring the need for a clear exit strategy to the vital importance of aligning team strategies with long-term goals, and dynamics of customer relationships, and stress the necessity of multiple touchpoints. Alice advocates for a structured approach where top-tier clients have direct connections not just with sales, but also with product specialists, engineers, and senior executives, ensuring enhanced customer satisfaction and retention.

Join Jeff Hunt in an engaging replay of a previous episode of the Human Capital podcast, featuring Cassandra Goodman, a distinguished figure in the world of business and leadership. Cassandra is known for her impactful roles in companies like GE, Adobe, and Mastercard, bringing a refreshing perspective to leadership with her latest book "Being True."

In this conversation, Jeff and Cassandra delve into the "True Leadership" concept, encouraging us to move away from conventional leadership paradigms. Cassandra discusses the profound impact of understanding our inner nature, embracing all aspects of ourselves, and leading with empathy and effectiveness. They share insights on how cultivating self-awareness and authenticity can lead to not only personal fulfillment but also create a positive ripple effect in organizational culture.

In this enlightening and transformative episode, Jeff welcomes Jeanine Turner as his guest. Jeanine is the author of "Being Present." Jeanine is also a Professor at Georgetown University, and she brings over three decades of research into how we use communication technologies and how they, in turn, shape our interactions at work, at home, and beyond. They start by dissecting the concept of "budgeted presence," where tasks often take precedence over relationships. From the challenges of navigating competitive and entitled presence to the importance of creating invitational spaces, Jeanine provides invaluable insights into how our tech habits impact the depth of our connections.

Jeff and Jeanine uncover the nuances of persuasive communication while keeping the delicate balance between maintaining focus and fostering dialogues that nurture empathy and understanding.

Get Jeanine's book here:

In this episode, Jeff interviews Kelly Ann Doherty the current Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer at the Mr. Cooper Group, overseeing a very large aspect of the company’s people and operations functions. She has nearly 20 years of experience serving some of the nation’s leading organizations in both Communications and People Ops.

Jeff and Kelly Ann delve into corporate communication myths, emphasizing the dual role of both the "little C" in everyday dialogue with employees, and the "big C" of strategic messaging. They highlight the power of authenticity in fostering genuine connections and share innovative approaches like "Cooper Con," a conference with fun segments like "Hot Takes" to engage employees. They discuss how communication can be a strategic and competitive advantage, and how to assess your effectiveness at it, both individually and corporately.

Their conversation also explores storytelling's impact on culture and brand equity, using personal experiences to drive employee engagement. Strategies for bridging generational gaps and practical tips for enhancing communication skills round out this dynamic discussion, as Kelly Ann shares a roadmap for personal and professional growth in corporate communication.

This week Jeff's guest is Shan Cooper. She is the Founder and CEO of Journey Forward Strategies. Shan’s impressive background includes being the first Black Woman to be VP and General Manager of a division of Lockheed Martin, overseeing 8,000 employees. She also served as the executive director for the Atlanta Committee for Progress, and is the former Chief Transformation Officer at West Rock. Shan and Jeff delve into the nuanced challenges of fostering diversity and inclusion while navigating organizational change. Shan's insights underscore the necessity of understanding long-term business cycles and addressing incidents of discrimination head-on. She shares the sobering experience of grappling with racially motivated violence within the company, highlighting the importance of creating a safe environment for dialogue and swift action against discriminatory behavior.

Shan and Jeff underscore the significance of cultural competency in business interactions, emphasizing the need for leaders to invest in understanding diverse perspectives, and the pivotal role of effective leadership alignment and communication in driving organizational transformation. This insightful conversation advocates for clear communication, robust training, and modeling of desired behaviors to facilitate meaningful change within the workplace, ultimately fostering a culture of inclusion and driving organizational success.

In this engaging podcast episode, Jeff returns from his podcast sabbatical to explore the key factors influencing job satisfaction and workplace happiness with his guest Matthew Bidwell. With valuable insights and practical examples, this episode provides leaders and managers with actionable strategies to enhance workplace culture, reduce stress, and foster lasting employee satisfaction. The discussion delves into the surprising occupations where workers are most satisfied, the impact of learning opportunities and variety on employee contentment, the crucial role of relationships with managers and coworkers, effective strategies for stress management, and the significance of extrinsic benefits, including pay, in the overall job satisfaction equation.

This week Jeff returns to his engaging conversation with Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor at UC Irvine. Join Jeff and Gloria as they delve into the intricate relationship between our digital and offline behaviors. They explore the impact of technology on stress, mood, and overall well-being, shedding light on the challenges posed by information overload, especially in the workplace.

Listen in as Jeff and Gloria challenge the myth of multitasking and unveil the advantages of monotasking. They also dissect the four common myths surrounding technology usage in the workplace. Gloria shares valuable insights on how incorporating meditation and mindfulness practices can enhance focus, leading to improved goal achievement, communication, decision-making, efficiency, and safety.

In this replay of Human Capital's episode, Jeff explores the topic of uncertainty with guests Susannah and Nathan Furr, authors of "The Upside of Uncertainty." Nathan is a professor of strategy at NSEAD University in Paris, and Susannah formerly owned an apparel company. Together they explore the difference between risk and uncertainty, how creativity and uncertainty are interwoven, and how reframing, preparing, doing, and sustaining can lead us to the upside of uncertainty. Susannah and Nathan share with Jeff about what uncertainty balancers are, and how to better navigate the emotions that come with uncertainty to produce positive outcomes.