Transform Your Workplace

According to the Department of Labor, 70% of mothers with children under the age of 18 participated in the workforce in 2018. In 1975, that number was just 47%. With more mothers in the workplace today, there are more and more families in which both parents are employed. As a result, many of today’s parents struggle to accomplish those household tasks that would have been completed during the day decades ago by a stay-at-home parent. So, to lure (and retain) working parents, many employers are finding creative ways to accommodate their busy schedules.  As working parents themselves, Lacey Partipilo and Brandon Laws can relate. In this episode, they discuss the demographic trends of parents in the workplace, the specific needs of working parents, and ways employers can make life a bit easier on them. Sign up for the What People Want from Work survey Enroll in Xenium's e-Learning Courses   Connect with Us: What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. 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.

⁠”The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”— Albert Einstein Do you ever hear people say “Sunday nights are the worst because Monday is coming up”? If you’re showing up to work but you’re not giving your 100%, that may be a sign that you’re not on the right path. If you don’t like who you’re becoming because you’re on the wrong path, then maybe it’s time to move on to the next chapter. Josh Schneider, the founder of Millennial & Employee Engagement Institute, joins us to discuss his book - 5 Days to Your Best Work Yet: A Human Like Approach to Better Work. In this book, he shares a 5-day guide to finding your path to unleash your best work. Becoming who you want to be is an iterative process, in order to achieve your desired result, you have to go through a cycle of trial and error. But as long as you take the initiative to do your best in the path that you choose then you’re all good! In this episode, you will learn about: Josh’s learnings from his career as a CPA that led him to write a book The “tingly feeling” and how to get more of it Taking actions for change to happen Work-life balance: How do you balance everything that’s on your plate Setting and achieving your goals The frustration of goals Josh’s thoughts on doing what you love and what you’re best at What day 5 looks like Meraki - This is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love   Connect with Us: What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. 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. About Josh Schneider: Josh Schneider is the founder of The Millennial & Employee Engagement Institute - a company that aims to curate and develop research to help unlock people performance and consult businesses to transfer leadership to the next generation. From labor studies and engagement work with Sikorsky Aircraft, to working with the small business owner down the street Josh truly understands the future of the workforce and how to engage it. He has been featured on Under30CEO and the CEOhour talking about business and people performance with strategies for reaching the next level. From the stage Josh brings a passion that is contagious, an energy that’s undeniable, and innovative ideas that work in today’s new business climate. He is the author of Generation NEXTLEVEL and 5 Days to Your Best Work Yet. Josh Schneider’s website LinkedIn Resources Mentioned: 5 Days to Your Best Work Yet: A Human Like Approach to Better Work Gary Vee American Express Black Card

“Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” ⁠— Amy Edmondson  Have you ever had a question you’ve been dying to ask in a meeting but couldn’t because when you look around, everyone is simply nodding their heads, agreeing to everything the boss says?  No one wants to look incompetent or ignorant, especially at work. We prefer to look smart, helpful, and that we go everything covered. To avoid being labeled as ignorant or incompetent, people choose not to ask questions or admit to their mistakes.  Sadly, innovations are delayed, and great ideas don’t come to light every time this happens.  In this episode, Amy Edmondson will be joining me to discuss her book, The Fearless Organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. We talk about how organizations go wrong because people lack psychological safety and never speak up due to the fear that they might never get that promotion or worse lose their job.  Giveaway! Fearless Organization is an incredible book and I’ll be giving away 3 books to the first 3 who tweets out this podcast highlighting Amy’s work with the hashtag #fearlessorganization and tags @worktransformed @AmyCEdmondson @brandonlaws  Example Tweet:  I loved the @worktransformed podcast with @AmyCEdmondson and host @brandonlaws discussing the #fearlessorganization. Listen here: http://bit.ly/2Fz4kCb  In this episode, you will learn about: Amy’s thoughts on her book Teaming and why she wrote it What is psychological safety and why is it vital in the workplace Why teams are more effective in a psychologically stable workplace The lack of psychological safety in a hospital setting Why better teams have higher error rates Open communication transparency What went wrong with Volkswagen and Wells Fargo and how could such incident be avoided How dangerous fear at work is Nokia and their challenges being in a competitive environment How to build psychological safety in the workplace What makes up a really good question  Resources Mentioned: Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy Edmonson The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy Edmonson Amy Edmonson’s list of written articles and books Amy Edmonson’s TED talk Brands and companies mentioned - Volkswagen, Wells Fargo, Nokia, Google, Apple, Pixar, Uber

Etiquette rules in the business world differ largely from standard social settings. And many people end up making fools of themselves because they don’t understand how things flow in such situations. Mindy Lockard, a Leadership and Etiquette expert who helps people feel confident in their skin and connect with other people, talks about business and workplace etiquette. She also teaches workshops on dining, personal branding, and networking to colleges and universities, government agencies and private companies. We’ll be touching on the topic of growth mindset and the importance of people skills to achieve success in any job and any business endeavor. Mindy also shares essential tips one must remember when going to formal/business dining. Live graciously as you learn more about etiquette in today’s episode of Transform your Workplace! In this episode, you will learn about: How Mindy got into the field of etiquette Misconceptions surrounding etiquette Etiquette, manners, and the growth mindset Proper and improper etiquette practiced in the workplace How to avoid arrogance What it means to speak openly and honestly Things you should know about etiquette Corporate etiquette and culture Dining etiquette workshop   Resources Mentioned: Choosing Civility Mindy Lockard’s Program & Shop The Gracious Girl Guide   What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. 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.   Connect with Mindy: MindyLockard.com Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

White-collar jobs are just as stressful as blue-collar jobs. Long work hours and work-life balance, to name a few are toxic to employees and destroys their health physically and emotionally. In this episode, we talk about the book - Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance and What We Can Do About It with Anna Meiners. Learn about the infuriating truth about modern work-life balance, the systematic impact of the workplace on employees’ health and on how managers, employers, HRs and anyone who works can create a healthier and better workplace. In this episode, you will learn about: How employer decisions in the workplace actually affect human health The impact of working long hours Busyness as a status symbol Why people prefer to stay in harmful work environments What employers can do to really make the shift from a toxic work environment to a healthy and better one Resources Mentioned: Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance and What We Can Do About It by Jeffrey Pfeffer Brené Brown Brené Brown: The Call to Courage Cascade Centers       What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. 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.

Here’s a stat for you: 65% of employees would forego a raise to see their leader fired. According to Adam Brantley, executive coach at Building Champions, those employees need leaders that coach their people—rather than just telling them what to do. Listen in as we discuss how coaching leadership can change companies for the better, how to bring coaching culture into your own company and the communication tactics that keep employees engaged. In this episode, you will learn about: How Adam became an executive coach Hierarchy in the workplace Building the coaching culture What makes an effective coaching atmosphere The four components that drive engagement What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com More about Adam: Adam's work history, along with experience as a father to young boys and husband to an accomplished leader, has made him highly effective at priority management and work-life balance.  Before Building Champions, Adam owned and operated a Chick-fil-A restaurant where he was successful at engaging the team around his vision and developing leaders in the organization to effectively grow the top and bottom lines. Adam loved increasing sales, but where he found his greatest passion was engaging and coaching individuals both inside and outside the walls of the restaurant. Know more about Adam here. Resources Mentioned: Building Champions Guide to Building a Coaching Culture ebook Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. By Brad Lomenick Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt

The workplace is always evolving and companies should think of ways to keep their employee benefits aligned with what their people really want. Benefits offered by companies are crucial for talent attraction and retention. How can companies keep up with the fast-paced, changing needs, and demands of their employees while staying competitive in today’s growing marketplace? In this episode with Paige Tamlyn, we’re going to discuss and debate about the 2018 AFLAC Workforce Report: 10 Trends Influencing the Future of Workplace Benefits.  This employer survey overview, reviews and examines the top 10 trends that fall into these areas:  Business growth and objectives The rising cost of health care Benefits selections and advisors Supplemental insurance Aligning your benefits to the workforce’s shifting attitude, interest, needs, and demands are essential for a company’s growth and profitability. In this episode, you will learn about: The 10 trends influencing the future of workplace benefits The ever-increasing healthcare insurance cost and why it’s becoming the norm How businesses get creative in offering their benefits to attract strong talent while remaining competitive in the marketplace The continually rising cost of benefits as a challenge for small business owners Becoming the vehicle for transforming the workplace and contributing to help the community Focusing on your workforce wellbeing by focusing on the root cause The concept of employers giving high pay and letting their employees buy their own healthcare plan  Resources Mentioned: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink 401K Insurance Employee Assistance Program (EAP) -- What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com  

This episode features a crossover show with Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey of the HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast. We discuss how they built such a collaborative HR community on Twitter, which HR conferences they love to attend, and trends they are paying attention to that are impacting workplaces all over. Resources Mentioned in the Show: HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast Jon & Wendy talk to our international SHRM18 Blogger pals part 1 HR Social Hour Wonder Women  Episode 31 - Jon & Wendy talk to Mary Faulkner   What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com    

Where do you stand on mandatory paternity leave? What about publishing everyone’s salary at the office? For this special debate-style episode, Xenium’s Angela Perkins and Brandon Laws randomly selected hot button HR topics and then picked a side to debate the issue. Listen in as they argue for and against mandatory paid maternity and paternity leave, whether in-house HR or HR outsourcing is best, and the pros and cons of radical pay transparency. What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com

What do baseball and business have in common? According to Mark Greenburg, author of Elevated Leadership - A Pitch by Pitch Guide to Business, Life and Baseball, the answer is...pretty much everything. Listen in as we discuss the parallels he finds in leadership, coaching, even risk-taking, and how that can translate to business. We’ll cover what makes a good leader, real-life examples and lessons you can bring to your own workplace. Resources mentioned: The Xenium Promise   What did you think of this episode? Share a review on Apple Podcasts or take our survey. Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com