The Indigo Podcast

Today we're trying something slightly different on the podcast. We're going through some of the wonderful feedback we've received from you listeners, and we're going to respond to some of the great questions you've thrown at us. Here are a few things we will cover:

• Leadership styles and corresponding work environments that are conducive to those styles
• Disentangling personal and professional boundaries in the workplace

Today's episode reflects on, Clayton Christensen, who was a Harvard Business School professor and consultant. He is probably best known because of his book, The Innovator's Dilemma, which was published in 1997 and introduced his theory of "disruptive innovation."

Christensen died on January 23, 2020, and it reminded us of one of our favorite works of his, a 2010 article in Harvard Business Review titled, "How Will You Measure Your Life?" So, in this episode we reflect on Clayton and explore the following:

• What does it mean to create a strategy for your life?
• Ethics and integrity matter because people remember.
• Choosing your metrics for success.

In this episode we discuss creating a feedback culture. We hear a lot about how important culture is and many companies are striving to win in the culture wars by offering everything from massages to gourmet free snacks. That's all great on the surface, but let's talk about:

• What is a feedback culture and why does it matter?
• What can an organization do to foster a feedback culture?
• What can individual leaders do to foster a feedback culture?

Our last episode came in response to one of our listeners requests, and this one does too! So, thank you! If YOU want us to do an episode on something near and dear to your heart, or something related to a challenge you're facing, let us know.

Today's episode comes from a recommendation from one of our many amazing listeners. So, this one's for you, Kate! And the topic we're addressing today is mentoring.

• What is mentoring and its types
• Mentoring programs contrasted with coaching and leadership development
• Advice for those who seek mentoring

We are drawing from the great book by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. If you ARE Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, or Sheila Heen, let us know--we'd love to have you on!

In this episode we discuss:

• what is a difficult conversation and when to have them
• the three conversations
• how to prepare for and conduct difficult conversations

There is a lot we can say about why people quit and how you can retain them, hence a "part 2" to this discussion. We cover the following.

• Turnover and retention--what the research says
• Retention management--evidence based guidelines
• Unfolding model of turnover
• Organizational commitment and withdrawal

Most managers know that retaining top talent is key to their success. As such, many companies are offering all sorts of "perks" to attract and keep the best employees. What does the research say? In this episode we cover:

• Turnover and retention--what the research says
• Retention management--evidence based guidelines
• Unfolding model of turnover
• Organizational commitment and withdrawal

It's amazing how difficult it seems to get things done sometimes. In our consulting practice we have an entire curriculum around "Getting to Done" given how many organizations struggle in the area of execution. So in this episode we discuss:

• Queuing theory (you need a damn backlog)
• Sandbagging is bull****
• Definition of done, managing nexus, and broader organizational implications

In todays episode we discuss:

• New year resolutions--should you make them?
• Goal-setting and what works
• How to create new habits

Today we're going to explore a few great topics with Joe Allen, focusing in particular on a cool nexus of organizational psychology and the world of healthcare. Specifically, we will delve into: ● Joe's research on human behavior within healthcare and what we seem to know about how human behavior contributes to patient safety and other meaningful outcomes. ● How Joe's research also helps us understand more about communication and its importance in creating adaptive, resilient teams and organizations. ● What implications these areas of research have for leaders and those around them.

Joe Allen is a Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Utah. He holds a Ph.D. in organizational science from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and he previously held faculty appointments at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Creighton University. He is widely published, and his research primarily focuses on the study of workplace meetings, organizational community engagement, and occupational safety and health. He directs the Center for Meeting Effectiveness housed in the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, and he has provided consulting to numerous nonprofit and for-profit organizations. His research has attracted internal and external grant funding of more than $4 million since 2010.