How do you help someone who has a track record of high performance as an individual contributor become the next great leader? Tana Thomson, Xenium HR's VP of Human Resources, joins the podcast to discuss how she believes aspiring leaders and high potential employees can develop their leadership skills, and how you as an employer can identify and encourage those individuals. In the podcast, Tana shares how managers and leaders can work with these high potentials in a coaching relationship to develop leadership skills.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tana on LinkedIn | Learn about Tana    

Mindfulness has been a buzz word these past several years. But what is it in practice and how can it impact the workplace? Will it truly make a difference in productivity? And how might we get started? Pearl Waldorf, licensed professional counselor, joins the podcast to share her own perspectives on the impact of practicing mindfulness and walks us through how we can be mindful.    Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Contact Information: Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Connect with Pearl Woldorf Website | Email   Links and Resources: http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/open-mind-focused-mind https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-true-refuge/201502/the-backward-step Guided Mindful Self-Connection Check: http://pearlwaldorf.com/self-connection-check Workshops: http://pearlwaldorf.com/2016-career-development-group

Resilience, stamina, a determination to continue on against all odds - we've all heard how important this is to achieving our goals, whether personal or professional. But how do we do it? Is the ability to persevere, is grit, innate? Can we grow and develop it in ourselves? How do we establish and structure our goals? Tyler Meuwissen, Xenium’s Compensation & HR Analyst, returns to join Brandon Laws in a discussion of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth and share their personal experiences of grit.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tyler on Twitter | LinkedIn

How do we live our happiest lives, even throughout pain, suffering, and loss? How do we capitalize on the good of life, and achieve and enjoy our happiest lives? Mark Jaffe, a former senior executive at The Walt Disney Company, joins the podcast to discuss his book, Suitcase of Happyness. He shares techniques and pathways to a deeply and broadly happy life, and how to bring those methods and attitudes into your broader community and work life.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Email Brandon at brandon.laws@xeniumhr.com Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Mark Jaffe on Twitter | Buy The Suitecase of Happyness

As technology has shifted a lot of our work to screens, more companies are creating opportunities for employees to work from home. Craig Bryant is a founder of several companies which have nearly transitioned to a fully remote workforce throughout the past five years, with employees spread all across the country. Craig Bryant, Founder of Kin HR and Co-Founder of We Are Mammoth joins the podcast to discuss the realities of remote work: the benefits, the drawbacks, how to implement a remote workforce, and how to navigate all the day to day realities of everything in between.   -- Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Craig Bryant and Kinhr.com

Email has become one of our chief methods of communication in the workplace, yet one of the biggest thorns in our side in terms of productivity. Several companies are experimenting with limiting email usage, or attempting to do away with email altogether. Is this a progressive choice that represents what’s next in the world of work, or would it do more harm than good? Should we view email as either an all or nothing tool, or are there ways to walk the middle line and make changes to our habits to improve our relationship with it? And how could changing our email habits impact our relationships – both personal and professional? Molly Kelley, Senior Human Resource Business Partner at Xenium, talks all things email and productivity and share resources for any employee or business leader to implement in their own work life and organization. -- Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Molly on LinkedIn

Lacey Halpern, Sr. HR Business Partner at Xenium and frequent podcast guest, joins us for a special episode to discuss how she landed in the HR industry after graduating college with a psychology degree, the challenges and rewards of being a working mom, memorable and challenging moments from working in HR with a variety of organizations, her experience working with millennials, and where she finds fulfillment in her career.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Lacey on LinkedIn

How do you approach a coworker or friend with a concern about their body odor? Or negative feedback about their work or attitude? The prospect of an uncomfortable conversation has a tendency to set our heart beating a mile a minute - but it doesn't have to if we take a few simple steps to establish openness and honesty within our relationships, whether professional or personal. Tyler Meuwissen, Xenium's Compensation & HR Analyst and a frequent guest of the podcast, joins Brandon Laws to discuss Shari Harley's book, How to Say Anything to Anyone and share practical advice and examples on getting comfortable with tough communication. Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tyler on Twitter | LinkedIn  

Communication is key in many areas of life, most chiefly the workplace. An office of clashing employees not only makes for unpleasant feelings amongst the employees, but can impact the overall effectiveness and productivity of our employees. But what are some tricks of the conflict resolution trade that can smooth the path to a calm and productive workforce? Laura MacLeod, licensed social worker and creator of the From the Inside Out Project joins us to discuss the most challenging and nuanced aspect of any job – people. Learn simple ways to improve interactions between employees, reduce conflict in your workplace, and know when it’s necessary for a manager to jump in and fix an issue versus when it’s best to let an issue resolve itself.  Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book Take our survey and be entered to win a free book --- Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Laura MacLeod

Worksite wellness programs are often launched with very employee-centric goals in mind. But what about employees’ families, and the benefits that could result from intentionally involving an employee’s family in your wellness & health initiatives? How do you appropriately design your wellness program to be legally compliant and not unlawfully require too much of family members? What are some practical ways you can keep employees engaged while involving families in wellness activities? Benjamin Prinzing, President of local worksite wellness company Kadalyst, returns to the podcast to discuss how to effectively include families in corporate wellness programs.   --- Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Kadalyst Attend the Worksite Wellness Summit