Inspiring the next generation of HR Leaders

Why should all HR leaders be “systems thinkers” How are processes, practices, and behaviors the building blocks of culture change? My guest on this episode is with Melissa Daimler, Chief Learning Officer at Udemy and Author of ReCulturing: Design Your Company Culture to Connect with Strategy and Purpose for Lasting Success” During our conversation Melissa and I discuss: Why she is so passionate about building great cultures?Why “systems thinking” is so important for HR leadersWhy a shift in business strategy likely means you need to make a shift in your cultureWhy you should look for four common gaps when diagnosing cultureWhy behaviors, processes, and practices all must work together to drive culture changeWhy she believes culture change is not an HR initiative Connecting with Melissa Daimler Connect with Melissa Daimler on LinkedIn Learn more about Melissa and ReCulturing

What makes an HR leader successful in a PE backed company? What are the key differences between PE backed and public companies? My guest on this episode is with Randy Patterson, Managing Director of Human Capital, Portfolio Operations Group at Blackstone During our conversation Randy and I discuss: What early career experiences were most helpful in preparing him to become a CHROThe differences between being a CHRO at a private equity backed company versus a public companyHow he assess potential candidates experiences, capabilities and fit for the CHRO roleWhat makes a 1st time CHRO successful in a private equity backed companyHow Blackstone's innovative Career Pathways program is supporting the advancement of underrepresented talent Connecting with Randy Patterson Connect with Randy Patterson on LinkedIn Learn more about Blackstone’s Career Pathways program

What does it mean to have “career agility” and how can you build this important skill? My guests on this episode are Antoine Tirard and Claire Harbour who co-authored the book “Disrupt Your Career: How to Navigate Uncharted Career Transitions and Thrive” and co-host their popular “Disrupt Your Career" podcast. During our conversation Antoine, Claire and I discuss: The three key trends that are driving a new career paradigmWhat they have learned in researching successful career transitionsHow to leverage their 4E career framework to find the right role for youWhy “career agility” is so important and how to build this important skillWhy career management is both an art and a science.What companies and HR can do to better support career development Connecting with Claire and Antoine Connect with Claire Harbour on LinkedIn Connect with Antoine Tirard on LinkedIn Learn more about their “Disrupt Your Career” book Listen or subscribe to their “Disrupt Your Career” podcast

How can HR use people analytics insights to drive business results? How will AI impact not only people analytics, but HR? My guest on this episode is with Cole Napper, Vice President, People Analytics & Chief Evangelist, Orgnostic During our conversation Cole and I discuss: Why people analytics is much more than just dashboardsWhy he believes people analytics is team sportWhat “organizational network analysis” is and how it can diagnose breakdowns in collaboration and communication within teamsThe potential value and use cases of Generative AI tools in HR How AI will impact the future of people analytics Connecting with Cole Napper Connect with Cole Napper on LinkedIn Check out his podcast “Directionally Correct” or subscribe to his Substack to read his articles

Why is talent the ultimate value creator? How can you unlock the capacity of your people and a high performance culture? My guest on this episode is Chris Scalia, Chief Human Resources Officer, The Hershey Company During our conversation Chris and I discuss: Why he believes talent is the ultimate value creator Why it is important that your organization have a strategic narrative that drives clarity and purpose for your workforceWhy the most effective employee listening capabilities give team members a direct voice in shaping strategies and how the business operatesWhy he believes every high performing team is composed of visionaries, pragmatists, and geeksWhy he believes a strong employee value proposition can build trust, increase organizational agility and foster inclusion.His advice for future CHROs on how to be successful in the role Connecting with Chris Scalia Connect with Chris Scalia on LinkedIn Learn more about the Milton Hershey School

Why is it important that all new leaders have a learning plan to help them navigate and onboard successfully? What is HR’s role in accelerating the successful transition of new leaders into their organization?My guest on this episode is Michael Watkins, Leadership Transition Expert and Best-Selling Author of “The First 90 Days” During our conversation Michael and I discuss:How organizations can accelerate the transition of new leaders into their roles How remote and hybrid work has impacted leadership transitionsWhy it is critical that new leaders come in with a “learning plan” and how to create oneWhy he believes “integration” is more important than “orientation”Why organization’s need to be more clear on who owns leadership transitionsWhy he believes that people can develop “strategic thinking” skillsConnecting with Michael WatkinsConnect with Michael Watkins on LinkedInLearn more about Michael’s consulting company, Genesis

In this episode, we flip the script as I am become the guest and I turn over the hosting duties to two past guests, Mel Steinbach, Chief People Officer at MasterClass and Justin Hirsch, CEO and HR Executive Search Lead at JobPlex, a DHR company.During our conversation Mel, Justin and I discuss:Why differentiating your skills, a variety of experiences, and building deep relationships are critical to career successHow and why I started the Future of HR podcastWhat I have learned after interviewing over 50+ HR leaders and experts in our fieldHow CEOs can better leverage their HR leadersThe key phrase that I believe will define the Future of HRConnecting with JP Elliott Connect with JP Elliott on LinkedIn

How can you build an authentic and trusting relationship with your business leaders? Why is it important that we see our role as helping our leaders live out their own intentions?My guest on this episode is Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting and Partner at Designed LearningDuring our conversation with Peter and I discuss:Why relationships are the delivery systems of how work gets doneHow decisions are often driven by relationships, emotions, and other factors rather than rational thinking Why he believes the feedback is overratedWhy is critical that HR speaks authentically and addresses what is happening in the momentHow HR leaders can handle resistance and why overcoming it is about uncovering a leader’s doubts, not providing more evidenceWhy asking your key stakeholders, “what about our relationship do you find valuable” is one of the most effective ways to builds trustWhy HR needs to stop waiting for a seat at the table and become the tableConnecting with Peter Block Connect with Peter Block on LinkedInLearn more about Peter and his workLearn more about Designed Learning

What makes a Talent Review successful? Why is it important that your talent review be “action oriented” and deliver outcomes for the business My guest on this episode is Anne Gotte, VP Global Talent, General Mills & Joe Garbus, EVP Global Head of Talent, PVH Corp. During our conversation Anne, Joe, and I discuss: Why your talent review needs to be “smart and simple” and how to do itWhy you should think of talent reviews as a diagnostic and planning toolWhy talent reviews should focus on development, not just assessing performance and potentialWhy establishing consistent and shared definitions for evaluating and differentiating talent is critical to a successful talent reviewWhy the best talent reviews are “action-orientated” and result in tangible plans, outcomes, and progress.Connecting with Anne & Joe: Connect with Anne Gotte & Joe Garbus on LinkedIn

How can you best design and optimize your remote or hybrid work practices to increase productivity, collaboration and culture? My guest on this episode is Nick Bloom, WFH expert & Professor of Economics at Stanford UniversityDuring our conversation Nick and I discuss: How he became the expert on “Working From Home” researchThe real reason “work from home” has increased over the past few years (hint: it is not just the pandemic)Why people working from home are more likely to log hours at night or on the weekendsWhat the research really says about productivity and “remote / hybrid work”Why organized hybrid work schedules are becoming more popularWhy he believes a strong performance management system is critical to successful hybrid/remote work workplacesWhy he believes work from home will increase like a Nike swoosh over the next ten yearsConnecting with Nick: Connect with Nick Bloom on LinkedIn