Story Time with Mack!

All of us are experiencing stress in one form or another.  This has probably increased during the past couple of years.  If we don't take action to de-stress, it can have long-term harmful effects.  Our guest today, Margaret Paul, is a life and health coach who helps people develop strategies to conquer stress and develop healthier habits.  I met Margaret years ago when we were stationed together in Long Beach, California and it was great reconnecting and I know her message will resonate with you.

We've heard that mediation is a useful tool to settle disputes among conflicted parties as well as individuals.  It's cheaper and faster than the standard justice system which makes it a viable option.  What's not commonly known is the benefit of using mediation as an HR tool.  Our guest today, Gina Weatherup, is the CEO and Founder of Chantilly Mediation and Facilitation.  Gina and I discussed why and how HR professionals can use mediation as a way to resolve disputes.  She offers a great overview of mediation and a guide on which situations might be better resolved through mediation.

Businesses place a high value on their people and understand that hiring mistakes can prove to be financially costly. They can also disrupt the organization’s culture and relationships with their customers.

To prevent mistakes like these, our guest today, Angelo Valenti, The Company Psychologist,  works with organizations, helping in identifying the right qualities when hiring talent and developing these individuals in an organization.  Angelo and I discuss the biggest mistakes companies use in the hiring process and he gives actionable strategies to improve the recruiting and hiring process.

Raising your game as a communicator is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world, but it takes courage to open up to others and invite others to open up to you. Our guest today, author and coach Michelle Gladieux has discovered four sneaky obstacles that can keep you from becoming the best communicator you can be.  Her new book Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges is what we discussed and Michelle gives us some actionable strategies.

If you're an HR professional, you know the job can be stressful and exhausting.  The challenge is that few of us ever consider self care.  Our guest today, Keri Ohlrich, co-author of the book The Way of the HR Warrior advocates for taking time to recharge your own batteries.  Her company provides assessments, tools, and coaching to help HR professionals reenergize so they can continue to provide great service and support.  

Every once in a while we do episodes that provide help with HR compliance.  The Consolidated Appropriations Act is an annual compliance issue for Plan Sponsors of healthcare plans, in the exact same line vein as Pension Plans and 401K’s.  What our guests Jeff Hughes and Jeff Smith are finding though is that Business Leaders, HR Leaders and Lawyers have very limited if any knowledge in the subject matter, noncompliance is amongst Plan Sponsors is high, and providers aren’t knocking down doors to help Sponsors become compliant.  Awareness is key and Jeff/Jeff do a great job at breaking this down and explaining it AND have the information you need to fully understand and leverage it.

After many years as an executive coach, Michelle Johnston saw many leaders who failed.  One constant among them was their inability to connect: to themselves, their team, or their organization.  Her latest book The Seismic Shift in Leadership gives her remedy for solving this problem. Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert helping leaders achieve results through meaningful connection. She is an award-winning professor studying leadership and business communication, and her research has shown a clear link between a team’s effective communication and its positive financial performance. 

Our guest on this episode is Mark Stephens, author of The Coach Approach:  A Better Way to Lead in Business and Beyond.  Coach Mark's book presents a simple yet impactful book to challenge leaders to a better way to lead. We talk about how to listen actively, explore possibilities, and ask powerful questions. We even came up with a great approach to use in order to cut down on meetings!  Lot's of practical tips in this one and I encourage you to buy this book HERE!

As HR professionals, you know sometimes it feels like you're overwhelmed and under-appreciated.  Maybe you're in a constant mode of firefighting.  Have you taken time to work on your own professional development?  Our guest today, Andrew Bartlow is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of People Leader Accelerator, a program that helps HR professionals and their organizations grow.  Andrew gives us some tips for development and identify some upcoming trends in the world of work.

It's three weeks into the new year and most of you are already progressing in your learning and development initiatives.  Or are you?  If you haven't yet figured out what to focus on for this year, then this episode is for you!  Jessica Prater is a learning and development expert who shares the hot trends and topics in learning and development.  She has a special session coming up on 2/9/23 that you can sign up for now at www.jpraterconsulting.com/hroxygen.