Making Work Better: Employment Law & Workplace Challenges

Christina Hynes Mesco, an amazing litigator, employment law advisor, and lead trainer for our workplace trainings, talks with Kristen about the biggest mistakes employers and employees make most often.

Episode 17 is packed with insights on:

• The dangers of doing nothing
• The "Age of Defensive Employment"
• How the workplace mirrors family life
• Cultivating an engaged, empathetic, productive workforce by modeling positive workplace behavior

Learn more about Christina by visiting The Prinz Law Firm website at https://www.prinz-lawfirm.com/who-we-are/our-team/christina-hynes-mesco/ and by connecting with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinahynesmesco/

Leading researcher, author, and advisor on leadership and inclusion, Dr. Arin Reeves from Nextions is our guest in Episode 16.

Dr. Reeves and Kristen talk about how each organization is its own universe and within the bounds of the law have the freedom to create a work culture of their choosing.

What is the capacity and responsibility of all organizational participants in creating a thriving workplace culture? What are the values behind that culture?

We also discuss:

1. The impact radius of leadership and the cascading effect
2. Ideas on managing inappropriate behavior when you are or aren't in charge
3. The #metoo movement and how to be an ally
4. The intersectionality between positions of power, #metoo, and perspectives of reality

Learn more about Dr. Reeves and Nextions by visiting their website at: https://nextions.com/

In this episode, Kristen Prinz talks with Andrew Sykes, Founder & CEO of Habits at Work. Kristen and Andrew share insights and stories in discussing how workplace habits can create an engaged and successful culture.

What steps are you taking to create healthy and productive workplace habits?

Check out Andrew's company, Habits at Work, to learn more about workplace habits and book a workshop for your team. http://habitsatwork.com/context-design-workshops/

When the stakes are high, companies often know they need to lead and perform differently if they want different results. There comes a time when trying harder is no longer viable; what is needed is a breakthrough to new possibilities. In this episode, ClearSpace experts Thea Polancic and Lee Capps talk about building high performance teams guided by conscious leaders.

Episode highlights: 1. Recommendations for your 2018 "must read" book list 2. How to identify and step away from office drama 3. Uncovering and shifting your management blind spots 4. The importance of creating emotional safety in teams 5. When do you need to hire a leadership or team consultant?

Links: http://clearspace.net/

Francine Bailey, businesswoman, attorney and strategist talks with Kristen about when it is best to grin and bear bad behavior in the workplace and when it's best to walk out the door.

As a career adventurist with perspective on all sides of employment, Francine gives us insight on:

• Taking active steps to create the culture that you want
• Responding with a good plan and strategy vs. speaking out emotionally
• Cultivating good communication sprinkled with compassion
• Preparing for the consequences when calling-out bad behavior

In this episode of "Tales from Around the Water Cooler":

1. Finding your crew
2. Mandatory fun vs. positive company culture
3. The responsibility of having impact and purpose
4. The disingenuous performance review
5. To be, or not to be an entrepreneur

Links:

www.rockandvossbooks.com

rockdotvoss.com

Book Review Quotes:

"One of the 10 Best Business Books of 2016 -- B.S., Incorporated offers a colonoscopy of the contemporary corporate world."

- Wealth Management

​

B.S., Incorporated exposes the crazy, funny underbelly of an institution

and skewers the heck of out it. Be ready to laugh and want more!"

- Jayne J. Jones "Author, Capitol Hell, 2013 USA Best Book of the Year

Kristen Prinz of the Prinz Law Firm talks with Gary Kaplan of XL Group about building trust as a team, the no asshole policy, interviewing tips to filter for team players, Team players and leaders who lack self-awareness.

Gary joined XL Group in May 2010 to build a new business unit dedicated to addressing the risk management needs of the construction industry. In addition to Gary's role as the Construction President, he also served as the Interim Head of the NorthAmerica Distribution & Network team. In this role, Gary was responsible for establishing both the strategy and operational plan for 2014 to meet the needs of the XL business leaders, defining the new roles of the regional D&N leadership and all facets of broker and client strategic relationships.

"We are human beings, not human doings" - Elene Cafasso

On this episode, Kristen Prinz interviews Elene Cafasso, a professionally trained executive coach, and President of Enerpace, Inc. Listen in as Elene touches over horror stories of corporate culture, and "leaders behaving badly". Elene explains how underlining beliefs could be a contributing factor, a few questions to ask yourself along with improvement techniques, such as The Alphabet Model.

Elene Cafasso is a professionally trained executive coach, and President of Enerpace, Inc. Elene's coaching enables leaders to achieve their objectives in the areas most critical to their success: leadership agility, emotional intelligence, team building, professional communication and organizational effectiveness.

To learn more about Elene Cafasso and Enerpace, Inc., please follow the links below.

http://enerpace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/One-Pager-Elene-Cafasso-Executive-Coach.pdf

https://www.enerpace.com/newsletters/

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

Ana Dutra, CEO of the Executive's Club of Chicago and author of Lessons in LeadershiT, Detoxing the Workplace, published in September of 2016. Prior to her role as CEO of the Executives Club, Ana was CEO of Mandala Global Advisors and from 2008 through 2013 she served as head of leadership and talent consulting at executive search firm Korn/Ferry International.

Ana created a $350+ MM new global business through a combination of organic growth, 7 global acquisitions, innovative go-to-market approaches and incorporation of technology and digitalization of products and services. In addition to her corporate and civic leadership roles, Ana is a Director in the Boards of the CME Group (CME-NASDAQ), a fin-tech global futures exchange; Greeley and Hansen, a global engineering and manufacturing company and is a senior advisor for technology firms. She is also a Director in The Committee of 200, International Women Forum, Lurie Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago, Blessings-in-a-Backpack and Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), a top school turnaround organization in the country. Ana is a member of NACD, Women Corporate Directors, Latino Corporate Directors Association, The Commercial Club and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

In this episode of "Tales from Around the Water Cooler":

1. Lessons in Leadership -
2. Detaoxing the Workplace -
3. How to spot—and survive—bad bosses

The Tales from Around the Water Cooler Podcast was inspired by both experience working with employees/employers in a professional capacity as a business law firm as well as our personal experience as entrepreneurs hiring/firing employees. This podcast was designed to be both educational and entertaining. Please leave us feedback or ask questions if you have a employer/employee horror story you would like to share!

Kristen Prinz & Jennifer Kobayashi discus the horror stories and lessons learned about employee benefits, employer benefit options and more!

In this episode of "Tales from Around the Water Cooler":

1. Employee Benefit Plan -
2. Employer Options -
3. Amazon Vs. Google culture -
4. Horror Stories and Lessons Learned

The Tales from Around the Water Cooler Podcast was inspired by both experience working with employees/employers in a professional capacity as a business law firm as well as our personal experience as entrepreneurs hiring/firing employees. This podcast was designed to be both educational and entertaining. Please leave us feedback or ask questions if you have a employer/employee horror story you would like to share!