Professionals Unplugged

Communication is such a crucial tool and skill in our everyday lives as well as at work! Why? Well, because that's how we convey our messages, express our thoughts, and interpret the world. So getting it 'right' is so important if we don't want to get our wires crossed. Although we all communicate from birth, we all think we're experts. But is that really the case? Think about it - how many times have you ended up frustrated because someone said something which rubbed you the wrong way, and it turns out it was meant completely different but simply not well communicated. And that's just one example. I find it fascinating what can go wrong when we're communicating with our fellow human beings, and so I got together with Patricia Selmo, Meredith Bell, and Richard Perry to chat about what good and bad communication is and how we create a sustainable change in our communication skills.

We faced some technical issues but didn't let that faze us, and I hope you'll enjoy listening and if you'd like to connect, you can find us here:

Patricia Selmo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciaselmo/

Meredith Bell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithmbell/

Richard Perry - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-perry42/

Inga Hebdon (your host) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon/ or https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon/

Jetzt auch in deutsch!

Zusammen mit einer guten Freundin, Stephanie Apel, habe ich beschlossen einen deutschen Ableger von Professionals Unplugged zu starten. Aber Stephanie ist nicht nur meine Freundin, sondern sie ist auch eine HR - Managerin und hat somit berufsbedingt mit allen Facetten des Berufsalltags zu tun, denn bei HR landen fast alle positiven und negativen Geschichten des beruflichen Lebens auf dem Tisch.

In dieser Pilotfolge tauchen wir in das Thema "remote working“ ein und beleuchten insbesondere Deutschland und die Entwicklung von remote working seit Corona und danach.

Zu Gast sind Jonas Janktus und Stephanie Fischer. Beide sind als HR-Manager tätig und für die Belange rund um den Employee Life Cycle verantwortlich. Während Jonas in einem Technologie-Innovations-Unternehmen arbeitet, ist Stephanie im produzierenden Gewerbe unterwegs. Wir sprechen über die leider rückläufige Bereitschaft von Unternehmen in Deutschland, remote working zu ermöglichen, woran das liegt und was es benötigt, damit Firmen hier wieder mehr Vertrauen in die Mitarbeiter haben und ob die Frage „remote working ja oder nein" eine Generationen-Frage ist.

Hoffentlich gefällt euch was ihr hier so hört. Und findet uns doch auf LinkedIn und vernetzt euch mit uns.

Unsere zwei ersten, tapferen Seelen:

Stephanie Fischer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-stephanie-fischer/

Jonas Janktus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonasjankus/

Gastgeber

Inga Hebdon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon AND https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon

Stephanie Apel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieapel/

In this episode of Professionals Unplugged, I delved into the mind of a seasoned CEO, fortunately having the opportunity to pick the brain of Max Lambright, a remarkable individual who has served as a serial CEO for medium-sized businesses a staggering seven times. Currently, Max mentors aspiring CEOs, preparing them for the challenges and responsibilities of occupying the corner office.

With a career spanning over five decades, Max generously shared invaluable lessons he has learned along the way. He shared with me captivating anecdotes that shed light on the potential pitfalls and unforeseen obstacles that can arise, while also candidly acknowledging the loneliness and demanding nature of the CEO role. Yet, when asked why he chose to pursue this path, Max's response was simple yet profound: "Because it's extremely rewarding… it's the best job in the world."

Hopefully, you listening to this episode promises to be as fascinating as my conversation with Max itself, offering insights into the multifaceted world of leadership and the dedication required to navigate its complexities successfully.

It is crucial to note that if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse, there is help available. One of them is the SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Or talk to your local doctor. Seeking assistance is a courageous step towards healing and creating a better path forward.

And if you'd like to connect, you can find us here:

Max Lambright - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxlambright/

Inga Hebdon (your host) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon/ or https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon/

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Robin Odegaard, a fellow coach whom I greatly admire. We discussed various leadership trends and the importance of authenticity when building one's personal brand. We concluded that effective leadership requires the ability to lead oneself, along with genuine care for others and authenticity. I also shared a humorous anecdote from my past to illustrate the concept of a poor leader/manager. Transitioning from authenticity, we highlighted its significance for personal branding, emphasizing the need to avoid creating a facade or trying to mould oneself into someone they're not.

And if you'd like to connect, you can find us here:

Dr Robyn Odegaard - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Inga Hebdon (your host) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon/ or https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon/

Building trust and rapport in a team is easier said than done as Katja, Jason, Calvin and I agreed. One fundamental thing is that one must care enough about fellow human beings in the first place. Because if we fake interest, people easily spot it and the chance of ever creating some form of trusted relationships goes out of the window. And so sincere interest in the people around us goes hand in hand with caring about them hence being interested in them as a person, what drives them, what do they want to achieve , what environment do they need to flourish, etc. Because guess what, about 80% of the people leave their jobs because of their manager and so the leader is key to creating that trustful environment where people feel psychological safe. Of course there is so much more to say and to explore, and some of which we also touched on in this episode. So, have a listen for more.

Connect with the three brave souls who joined me in this adventure:

Katja Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katjamartin/

Jason Emmons: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonemmons/

Calvin Niles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-niles/

Your host:

Inga Hebdon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon AND https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon

Erin Spencer, Jennifer Jones, Andrew Lamb, and I got together to talk about what we think are the most important skills one needs in order to succeed in business. Googling the topic as part of my own reflection and preparation, the skills I found were very different from what we ended up discussing and agreeing on as the most important ones. In a nutshell, we think that being passionate about the type of work we do is critical, but also having a good level of awareness when it comes to understanding what we're good at and what we should outsource. Additionally, we've also discussed the importance of understanding and inspiring others, especially as leaders, and that leaders need to create space for people to fail safely. Paraphrasing the great Michael Jordan, 'failure is learning'.

Connect with the three brave souls who joined me in this adventure:

Jennifer Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjnia/

Erin Spencer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erincspencer/

Andrew Lamb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjlamb/

Your host:

Inga Hebdon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon AND https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon

As it was Valentine's Day when Mikey Newton, Bill Haase, Jorge Pilay, and I got together for another candid conversation about work, we thought it would be fun to chat about workplace romances. We have all experienced them in one way or another, either by meeting our spouses or simply having awkward moments after dates didn't work out. But we also discussed some of the more serious implications, such as the impact on work performance, or laughed about some stories of when things got too far at work parties.

Connect with the three brave souls who joined me in this adventure:

Mikey Newton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikey-newton

Bill Haase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-haase-a506299

Jorge Pilay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgepilay

Your host:

Inga Hebdon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hebdon AND https://www.instagram.com/ingahebdon

In this episode I talked with Clayton Hicks, Andrew Lamb and Simon Hebdon about the idea of knowing our "why" at work (inspired by Simon Sinek). Understanding why you do what you do is crucial for motivation and happiness.

I loved my conversation about finding passion and purpose, Mikey Newton, Simon Hebdon and Jennifer Johnson.

All of us discovered that we all had more or less a trial-and-error approach to finding our passion and purpose.

Simon stumbled into learning and development after a long stint in sales, Mikey found satisfaction in educating stakeholders during his medical sales career, and Jennifer transitioned from real estate to her passion for networking.

The advice for our younger selves includes exploring, prioritizing personal happiness, and leveraging networks. But we also looked at valuing purpose and family over status in different generations and agreed on the importance of early exploration to align career paths with passion.