The HR Insider: Melanie Naranjo, VP People at Ethena Gets Real
“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies
00:00
Introduction
This chapter explores the importance of setting aside emotions in HR and introduces Melanie, the VP of People at Athena, who discusses performance management practices.
Transcript
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Episode notes
Melanie Naranjo is the VP, People at Ethena and an insightful writer at the forefront of HR thought leadership. In this episode, Melanie, Kelli and Nolan dig into the current sentiment in HR, why the bar is set lower than it should be, why you should abandon PIPs, instilling a culture of feedback among execs, and why EQ isn’t the most important skill to develop in a people leader. If you’re looking for HR software that drives performance, check out Lattice https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics
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SPONSORS: Lattice | Continuum
✅ Discover HR software that drives performance with Lattice: https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics High performance and great culture should never be at odds; they’re better together. With Lattice People Management Platform, companies efficiently run people programs that create enviable cultures where employees want to do their best work. Serving 1000s of customers of all sizes. Learn why companies from Slack to the LA Dodgers choose Lattice. https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics
✅ Hire Fractional Executives with Continuum using this link: https://bit.ly/40hlRa9
Have you ever had a negative experience hiring executives? Continuum connects executives and senior operators to venture-backed tech companies for fractional and full-time roles. You can post any executive-level role to Continuum’s marketplace and search through our database of world-class, vetted leaders. There is no hidden cost, you only pay the person you hire. And you can cancel at any time. Joincontinuum.com
–
RECOMMENDED PODCAST:
Check out Run The Numbers! Kelli and Nolan were guests on the most recent episode: a deep dive into FIRING CEOs and EXECS. This one's hilarious. Listen here, wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/runthenumbers
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KEEP UP WITH MELANIE, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN
Melanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo/
Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/
Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/
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LINKS:
The Cost of Tolerating Underperformance: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cost-tolerating-underperformance-overlooking-your-high-naranjo/
Ethena: https://www.goethena.com/
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Preview
(00:43) Intro
(02:40) Melanie's Ethena Journey
(05:17) Is it fun being in the HR tech space?
(06:19) Biggest learnings for HR leaders
(12:41) Sponsors - Lattice | Continuum
(14:24) Is High EQ the most important quality in a people leader?
(16:50) Emotional maturity and logical problem solving
(20:04) Having support and guidance and intentionality
(27:07) Ego, politics and feedback
(29:00) On meritocracies in tech
(32:48) On handling performance issues
(35:00) Insights on writing "The cost of tolerating underperformance — and overlooking your high performers" - see links
(37:47) Using or abandoning Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)
(40:26) Ethena's selling points
(41:45) Most people suck at giving feedback
(43:08) On growing personal and employer brand awareness on LinkedIn
(46:06) When a CEO and CHRO works together
(48:23) How to find the CEO and leadership team to partner with
(51:20) Assessing for intellectual nimbleness during an interview
(53:16) Why Melanie doesn't backchannel for non-execs
(55:43) The best interview question
(56:40) Melanie's best hire
(57:44) Advice for people leaders going into 2024
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com
–
SPONSORS: Lattice | Continuum
✅ Discover HR software that drives performance with Lattice: https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics High performance and great culture should never be at odds; they’re better together. With Lattice People Management Platform, companies efficiently run people programs that create enviable cultures where employees want to do their best work. Serving 1000s of customers of all sizes. Learn why companies from Slack to the LA Dodgers choose Lattice. https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics
✅ Hire Fractional Executives with Continuum using this link: https://bit.ly/40hlRa9
Have you ever had a negative experience hiring executives? Continuum connects executives and senior operators to venture-backed tech companies for fractional and full-time roles. You can post any executive-level role to Continuum’s marketplace and search through our database of world-class, vetted leaders. There is no hidden cost, you only pay the person you hire. And you can cancel at any time. Joincontinuum.com
–
RECOMMENDED PODCAST:
Check out Run The Numbers! Kelli and Nolan were guests on the most recent episode: a deep dive into FIRING CEOs and EXECS. This one's hilarious. Listen here, wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/runthenumbers
–
KEEP UP WITH MELANIE, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN
Melanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo/
Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/
Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/
–
LINKS:
The Cost of Tolerating Underperformance: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cost-tolerating-underperformance-overlooking-your-high-naranjo/
Ethena: https://www.goethena.com/
–
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Preview
(00:43) Intro
(02:40) Melanie's Ethena Journey
(05:17) Is it fun being in the HR tech space?
(06:19) Biggest learnings for HR leaders
(12:41) Sponsors - Lattice | Continuum
(14:24) Is High EQ the most important quality in a people leader?
(16:50) Emotional maturity and logical problem solving
(20:04) Having support and guidance and intentionality
(27:07) Ego, politics and feedback
(29:00) On meritocracies in tech
(32:48) On handling performance issues
(35:00) Insights on writing "The cost of tolerating underperformance — and overlooking your high performers" - see links
(37:47) Using or abandoning Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)
(40:26) Ethena's selling points
(41:45) Most people suck at giving feedback
(43:08) On growing personal and employer brand awareness on LinkedIn
(46:06) When a CEO and CHRO works together
(48:23) How to find the CEO and leadership team to partner with
(51:20) Assessing for intellectual nimbleness during an interview
(53:16) Why Melanie doesn't backchannel for non-execs
(55:43) The best interview question
(56:40) Melanie's best hire
(57:44) Advice for people leaders going into 2024
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com
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