Transform Your Workplace

In today’s workplace, filled with countless distractions, it's easy to leave learning and development initiatives on the back burner. But our most recent guest, Ted Blosser, reminds us that employees need learning, skill, and career development now more than ever. If you’re wondering whether you need to prioritize employee development, listen in on a discussion about learning management systems and how you can help your people do more with less.    A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

Listen in on a recent conversation with Nick Sonnenberg, founder and CEO of Leverage, and the author of the book Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning at Work. He and host Brandon Laws discuss asynchronous and synchronous communication methods, planning and project management, and how companies can best use tools at their disposal to avoid having their employees feel like they're drowning at work.    A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

Sit down with Scott Ballard, founder of Confidence Coach, to discuss the ever-present issue of employee engagement. Learn why a staggering 80% of employees are disengaged and how to partner with your people and invest in their dreams, visions, and goals. Ultimately, building your successful business starts with tapping into your greatest resource: your people.   TAKEAWAYS To boost engagement, leaders must address the root cause of the issue: the gap between the vision, goal, or dream for the company and the employee’s vision, goal, or dream for their life. Leaders must invest in helping employees build their lives while building the company. Happiness at work comes not when we reach our destination but as we progress toward the realization of a goal. When companies focus solely on business goals and neglect their people, they unknowingly cut themselves off from all the valuable energy, drive, and resilience of their employees. A business’s employees are its first customers — they have more knowledge of the business, more impact on the bottom line, and bigger influence than any consumer.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

Listen in on a recent conversation with returning guest Mark Mohammadpour, owner and Chief Well-Being Officer at Chasing the Sun. He and host Brandon Laws discuss the role managers play in talent retention and overall well-being and how new managers can lead with self-awareness and empathy.   TAKEAWAYS A large determiner of attrition comes back to the immediate managers and whether they advocate for those they lead. The first step in taking on a management position is recognizing the role you have. People want to grow and evolve in their careers, and part of that is following those who lead you. Companies must take a broader holistic look at employee well-being. Data shows that companies are offering exceptional well-being benefits, but employees don’t take advantage of them due to a lack of communication.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Read More Quick LinksGet Embed PlayerShare on SocialDownload Audio File

Get a fresh take on developing and retaining talent in this eye-opening conversation with Natalie Miller, Regional Director of Apprenti. She and host Brandon Laws discuss a new perspective on the age-old concept of apprenticeships but with an unexpected twist. Listen in to learn how your business could take advantage of this innovative employee development initiative.   TAKEAWAYS When we think of apprenticeships, we often think of those for trade jobs, but apprenticeships can also be used for what we call “non-trades,” essentially career paths that we don’t commonly associate with apprenticeships. Among the current talent coming into the workplace, only 30% have four-year degrees. Apprentices allow employees to get on-the-job training — working with managers and a mentor, understanding what works and what doesn't, and eventually being hired into an entry-level role. Organizations that focus on career mobility tend to show increased employee retention. Think about the purpose and functionality of the four-year degree requirement and consider other pathways for those who might not have been included in your talent acquisition process.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

In this bonus episode, guest host Al Nodarse chats with Drake Snodgrass, the CEO of Drake's Seven Dees, a family-owned business that has been around for over 60 years and has been passed down through three generations of the family. During the pandemic, the company was affected like many others, but Drake made a commitment to keep all of his employees on staff. Since then, the company has actually been growing! Listen in on this intimate conversation with CEO Drake Snodgrass.  Sponsor: Gresham Chamber of Commerce WorkReady A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

It’s time to bust the myth about what makes a strong leader. Can leaders really show their emotions without appearing weak in the workplace? According to guest Carolyn Stern, author of The Emotionally Strong Leader, when leaders learn to make friends with their emotions and communicate their feelings clearly, they set the stage for real transformation, not only in themselves but in their teams and workplace culture.     TAKEAWAYS The expression of emotion and strength of leadership aren’t mutually exclusive. Our emotions impact our decisions, communication, and stress level, so we need to be mindful that our emotions matter.  Emotional intelligence is being intelligent about our emotions, using mental skills and cognitive strategies to think smarter about why we are feeling what we’re feeling. Many organizations would rather deal with unproductive behaviors or disrespectful communication than get to the heart of the issue.  Businesses can have more innovation, more productivity, and more workplace happiness if they start talking about what's going on instead of sweeping conflicting emotions under the rug.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com

In this bonus episode of Transform Your Workplace, Suzi Wear takes over hosting duties and interviews Gina Riley about what's important to understand about the younger generation of employees, specifically those in Gen Z (born after 1990) and Gen Y (ages 26-41). The discussion touches on the concept of a "latchkey workforce" and the importance of understanding the needs and expectations of younger employees in the workplace. Watch the full episode on YouTube A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com

Listen in on a timely discussion with Marcus Sawyerr, a veteran in the recruiting industry and Founder and CEO of EQ Community. We’ll discuss recent changes in recruiting, address blind spots, and get a glimpse into how technology affects diversity and inclusion during this evolving process.    TAKEAWAYS The recruiting process is evolving, taking the lead from consumer products. Employers need to review job descriptions to make sure that they are accurate in reflecting the true end goal. Sometimes, we can complicate things as time goes on, and we forget the essence of finding the right talent. Diversity has been seen as a box-ticking exercise — “the right thing to do” — rather than the superpower that it is. Magic takes place when people, who otherwise wouldn’t, are placed in a room together to connect with one another.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com

Growth can be painful, but it’s necessary when it comes to becoming an effective leader. In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, host Brandon Laws sits down with Dr. Richard Winters, ER physician and author of You’re the Leader: Now What?: Leadership Lessons from Mayo Clinic. The two discuss Dr. Winters’ approach to leadership collaboration, decision-making, and growth.   TAKEAWAYS The best leaders know when to make a decision based on their experience and when to do so by bringing together people with varied perspectives.  Effective leaders approach complex issues as a facilitator, with a clear mind focused on finding the best way forward. If we move forward based on a single perspective, we risk making serious errors. Burnout is an organizational vital sign, and leaders must address it in strategic decision-making. Doing nothing — not innovating or not moving forward — is actually more risky than taking action.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com