Transform Your Workplace

Great teams are at the heart of every successful business and organization. But what makes a great team? Is it the presence of a star player, or is it a dynamic leader who knows how to empower and bring out the best in their team? Find out the answer today as former pro athlete Mike Robbins teaches us how to create a team culture of high performance, authenticity, trust, and belonging! Mike is a sought-after motivational keynote speaker, seminar leader, and the author of five books, including his latest, We’re All in This Together. Robbins spent the past 15 years researching and speaking about essential human experiences in the workplace. Robbins' work is centered around emotional intelligence, leadership, teamwork, authenticity, appreciation, compassion, and vulnerability at work and in life.  Make sure you don’t skip this episode, as Mike provides essential tips on how to create a strong culture of empowerment, trust, and performance and how to sustain it to accomplish exceptional results! Grab a copy of Mike’s We’re All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and belonging 👉 here!   In this episode, you will learn about: Lessons that Mike learned from his sports playing days on what makes a great team Team chemistry in sports The challenges of moving from team to team Lessons on how the Golden State Warriors and their psychologically safe organization were able to turn things around in a difficult match Creating an environment where people feel safe to share their ideas and thoughts without feeling shamed Authenticity continuum and bringing your whole self to work The Authenticity Equation How the “If you really knew” exercise helps with vulnerability issues The difference between diversity and inclusion The importance of inclusion and belonging The “Trash can exercise” and how you can best use your education to help others who don’t have the same privilege as you do Embracing the sweaty palm conversation The appreciation seat exercise Connect with Mike: Mike Robbins - website LinkedIn Instagram @mikedrobbins Twitter @mikedrobins Facebook Mentioned in this episode: Amy Edmondson on Creating Better Organizations by Building Psychological Safety in the Workplace Bring your whole self to work | Mike Robbins | TEDxBerkeley Mike’s books: Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation Bring Your Whole Self To Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance Nothing Changes Until You Do Bring Your Whole Self To Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken: Transform Your Life with the Power of Authenticity What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Our work environment heavily impacts our health more than we ever know. When we are not taking care of ourselves, we are more prone to burn out, stress, and sickness.  If you are not in your top condition, you’re more absent and disengaged at work. But when you’re in a space that empowers you to be healthy and happy, it’ll reflect on your work! Join me in this episode as we talk about how to create safe spaces and build accountability connections within your organizations with Emily Elrod! She is an experienced corporate consultant and the President of Workzbe, a company with a mission to creating environments where people can have accountability, long-lasting connections, and favorable results. Find out how you can create wise work that your people need as Emily shares her knowledge and expertise so you have a culture that empowers people to show up, contribute, collaborate, and have fun in what they do! In this episode, you will learn about: Creating safe spaces or accountability connection Building through trust Implementing programs and processes that’ll make your people’s lives better Why information is not always power Why it’s important to have a conversation about stress The ideal work environment Why you should help yourself first to help others Why you should strive to know your people first before you start allocating your resources Connect with Emily: Workzbe LinkedIn Instagram @emmyelrod Facebook Mentioned in this episode: Watch Brandon's guest appearance on Emily's podcast How to Say Anything to Anyone: A Guide to Building Business Relationships That Really Work by Shari Harley Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Many people go into leadership roles without understanding the fundamentals of how to lead effectively and succeed at it. As a leader, your job is and will always be to serve. But many aren’t aware of that. They just simply don’t understand what leadership is supposed to be and what it is not.  If you’re serious about developing organizational leadership skills, then make sure you listen to today’s episode! Our guest today, Alain Hunkins, is a sought-after speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach, who is passionate about building influential leaders. He wrote the book Cracking the Leadership Code: 3 Secrets to Building Strong Leaders, where he shares valuable principles and practices that he developed and refined over 20 years working with leaders.  Unlock your leadership potential and create the best possible results for your team and organization as we crack the leadership code on how to build strong leaders so you can become the effective leader you aspire to be! Grab yourself a copy of Alain’s Cracking the Leadership Code: 3 Secrets to Building Strong Leaders 👉 here! You can also read the first chapter of the book (FREE) 👉 here!  In this episode, you will learn about: The inspiration behind “Cracking The Leadership Code” The importance of having the right mindset to lead better The “aha moment” Influence over authority - understanding what leadership isn’t and what it really is 3 secrets to building a strong leader How poor leaders are developed How access to information causes leaders to grow and lead differently Creating the best possible results when leading Having self-awareness about everything you say and do What Alain learned about empathy How to become an effective communicator Tactical things we can do to create a collaborative environment Connect with Alain: Alain Hunkins Twitter @AlainHunkins   This episode is sponsored by Swanson Health. If you want to try any of Swanson Health’s great products for yourself, use code WORK20 for 20% off on swanson.com. What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Every one of us is capable of dishonesty. The reason why many companies and organizations in the past failed is that they simply didn’t practice integrity and wasn’t committed enough to follow ethical principles and values. When companies don’t talk about integrity, it creates an air of ambiguity about right and wrong. In this episode, we are joined by Airbnb Chief Ethics Officer, Rob Chesnut to discuss the crucial element of the corporate culture - integrity! He is the author of "Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution," where he offers a 6 step process for leaders to foster and manage a culture of integrity at work. He previously led eBay’s North America legal team, where he founded the Internet’s first e-commerce person to person platform Trust and Safety team. Transform how your business gets done the right way as Robert talks about intentional integrity, common issues relating to integrity and ethics, and how we can guide our people to encourage integrity in the workplace! Grab yourself a copy of Robert’s Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution 👉 here! In this episode, you will learn about: Why Robert wrote Intentional Integrity Robert’s definition of stakeholder and what’s essential for the longevity of a company Code of ethics, principles, and rules to protect the company, employees and its customers How silence about integrity creates ambiguities The issue with Donald Sterling and other workplaces ethical issues Most common integrity issues Guiding employees on what they should and shouldn’t post on social media  Connect with Robert LinkedIn Resources: Intentional Integrity | Official Website Xenium Webinars DEI Resource Center COVID Resource Center  

Everyone wants respect. From your assistant to the youngest member of your team, to the janitor of the company building, everyone yearns to be treated fairly and politely. But sadly, in reality, not many are willing to give others back the respect they want to be given. Just as the platinum rule suggests, to be respected, you must first give respect. Join me in this episode as we learn what respectful leadership is all about with the guru of respect, Gregg Ward! Gregg is a thought leader, speaker, author, consultant, trainer, executive coach, and entrepreneur. He wrote the book The Respectful Leader: Seven Ways to Influence Without Intimidation presented in a true-to-life business fable where he shares how to build and show respect to all people on all levels regardless of ranks. If you want to create a winning culture based on leading with respect, then make sure you listen to this episode as Gregg talks about his book and explains the respectful do’s so that you can avoid mediocrity and serve your people and company better! Grab yourself a copy of Gregg Ward’s The Respectful Leader: Seven Ways to Influence Without Intimidation by Gregg Ward 👉 here!   In this episode, you will learn about: What made Gregg decide to write a non-fiction business fable Why command & control is not always the best management leadership style The direct and indirect cost of disrespect What is ‘Respectful leadership’? Why you shouldn’t fight disrespect with more disrespect Lessons and helpful practices you’ll learn from The Respectful Leader Connect with Gregg LinkedIn Gregg Ward Group What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Technology has forced us all to adapt to the new world, including workplaces. Employers are scrambling to adapt their technology to meet the needs of their people and keep up with the competition. Unfortunately, Some areas of organizations are slow to change, such as how we train and develop our employees, and Wendy Morgan and Maggie Hubbel, co-founders of Shift Bias, are here to change that. In this episode, Morgan and Hubbel describe how virtual reality training can more effectively train people on diversity, equity, and inclusion. They call it the "empathy machine" because it allows people to walk in others' shoes. Listen in for an engaging conversation about technology, new methods of training, and how they're helping the fight against COVID-19 using their technology. What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

In this episode, you’ll get to learn more about the Latino culture as Carolina Castañeda del Río, the COO at Hacienda CDC, educates us about the Latino community and culture. She will help us better understand your Latino employees, and ultimately create an inclusive workplace.   Carolina shares her experience as a Mexican working in the US and talks about the differences in culture as well as the cultural aspect of being a Mexican and coming into America to work. She also talks about the common misconceptions and biases that surround the Latino community. Moreover, we cover the topic of diversity and implicit bias and how we can make our workplace more inclusive and less biased. In this episode, you will learn about: Migrating from Mexico to the US Carolina’s working experience in the US Common themes of the Latino community The common biases and misconceptions when it comes to the Latino population Diversity and implicit bias Connect with Carolina Castañeda del Río LinkedIn Resources Harvard Implicit Bias Test What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Happiness matters. When we’re happy, we are more productive. But when a person is generally unhappy, that person will bring it into other areas of their lives. In the workplace, happier employees translate to increased productivity, better team coordination, and it creates a more positive workplace and culture.  In this episode, happiness researcher, Nic Marks, joins us to talk about happiness! Nic is the CEO and founder of Friday Pulse, a firm that aims to improve the world of work so that every day, all of us can work happier.  Find out how you can have a happier workplace as Nic will explain how he measures happiness, it’s drivers, and how leaders/managers can contribute to their people’s happiness. Nic also shares the five ways you need to know to increase happiness at work! In this episode, you will learn about: The state of happiness in light of what’s happening today What drives happiness What led Nic to study the subject of happiness and how he made it his profession The policy side of happiness How Nic measures happiness Drivers of happiness at work Five ways to increase and experience happiness at work Connect with Nic LinkedIn nicmarks.org Friday Pulse   Resources: The Happy Planet Index Nic Marks TEDx talk What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Stress is our response when we feel pressured or upset. When we are stressed, we become both mentally and physically unstable. Though we can’t live without stress, we can learn how to keep it at bay. Is stress getting to you lately? Or most of the time? Worry no more because today, we will talk about effective stress management tips to help you live a balanced life.  In this episode, Genella Macintyre, the author of “5 Steps to Reducing Stress: Recognizing What Works”, joins the show to talk about essential strategies on understanding stress and how to reduce it. She is a corporate trainer, a psychology expert, and the President of Partners in Discovery Ltd., she is on a mission to improve people’s quality of living by teaching them how to manage and reduce their stress. Discover what your stress triggers are and recognize what works for you as Genella offers practical advice on relaxation and lowering your stress levels that can calm your mind and body. Grab a copy of 5 Steps to Reducing Stress: Recognizing What Works 👉 here.  In this episode, you will learn about: How much is too much stress How stress is similar to carrying a luggage Identifying what triggers stress The impact of stress when we don’t manage it Stress cycles How can we help people who are under stress Steps to reducing stress The role of leaders in reducing their people’s stress levels   Connect with Genella LinkedIn Partners in Discovery   What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Giving and receiving constructive criticism is a regular part of work. When done well, it can help someone understand strengths and weaknesses, and it guides them to improve in specific areas. Feedback is a valuable tool in the workplace. In this episode, we’re going to talk about the value and benefits of constructive feedback in the workplace and how to do it right with Sarah Torres-Ferrick! Sarah is a human resources officer and the creator of the FUN Feedback Framework. She has worked over a decade with executives at government agencies on growing and sustaining high performing workforces. Find out how you can give constructive feedback without having to worry about being awkward or feeling unpleasant as Sarah shares her process as well as the mistakes we need to avoid. In this episode, you will learn about: How to get better at giving feedback to other people Practicing constructive criticism More listening and less talking Roleplay about constructive criticism and feedback How Sarah does follow-ups Mistakes people tend to make about giving constructive feedback Connect with Sarah LinkedIn What did you think of this episode? Give us a 5-star rating and write a review on Apple Podcasts, or take our survey. Contact Brandon: Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.