Transform Your Workplace

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

As an HR professional, how do you jump into conversations about the business side of your organization, particularly when it's about finance, marketing and operations? How do you learn what's truly keeping your CEO up at night, and how you can become an even greater asset to the organization in your HR role? Lori Kleiman, author of Taking Your Seat at the Table – Being a Strategic Executive Creating Actionable Plans and Embracing Technology joins us to discuss the keys to developing a career in HR and gaining a strategic role within an organization on the executive team. Learn more about the book Taking Your Seat at the Table Follow Brandon Laws on Twitter | LinkedIn Follow Lori on Twitter | LinkedIn Visit the HR Topics website

Picture a workplace free of micromanagement—where responsibility in the hands of many and everyone is empowered to do their best. That's the goal of holacracy. But how do you go from a traditional structure to this self-management model? Megan Leatherman, HR consultant and author of The Integrated Workplace, joins us to discuss the benefits and challenges of holacracy. We'll talk through the thinking behind the movement, how it works, and how it can change your organization for the better. --- Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Megan Leatherman | The Integrated Workplace Blog

Today we're talking brand promise, that elusive but essential vision that affects every element of a business—from customer experience to employee attitudes to HR practices. Rick Thomas, business advisor at Pilot Wealth Management, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of brand promise. We'll cover everything from what exactly a brand promise is and how to develop one, to how you can use it to make solid business decisions and ensure the long-term success of your organization. -- Follow Brandon Laws on Twitter | LinkedIn Follow Rick on LinkedIn Visit the Pilot Wealth Management website

What does a baby boomer do when he finds himself the fish-out-of-water at a tech startup? Well, if you're Dan Lyons, you write about it and expose a side of startup culture that we don't usually see in the news. Xenium's Brandon Laws leads a discussion with Tyler Meuwissen of Lyon's latest book, Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble. We'll touch on all the hot topics, from "unicorns" and Silicon Valley culture to the free candy and flip flops, and offer our HR perspective on Lyons' most interesting insights.

When it comes to business, great leaders aren't born, they're made. So how do we ensure we're doing what we can to empower our employees? Deb Calvert, bestselling author and president of People First Productivity Solutions, joins us to discuss the importance of leadership development in your business. We'll cover all the latest trends in training and development—from engagement to productivity to the best tactics for developing the millennial workforce into the leaders of tomorrow. -- Articles & Resources Get the free Emerging Leaders training course: http://bit.ly/20O8iJC Link to the BrightTALK on how to build the business case for leadership development: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/13989/195203 Article on Youth Leadership Development: http://bit.ly/1Wq4OO -- Follow Brandon Laws on Twitter @BrandonLaws Follow Deb Calvert on Twitter @PeopleFirstPS Visit the People First Productivity Solutions website

How can asking questions lead to being an effective leader? Let's find out. Michael Bungay Stanier, author and founder of Box of Crayons, joins us to discuss his latest book, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever. Known for his coaching programs that help time-crunched managers develop their coaching skills in 10 minutes or less, Michael breaks down his coaching methodology, the best ways to jumpstart deep conversation and the smart habits that effective leaders embrace. Buy The Coaching Habit for $0.99 May 23rd through June 1st. Buy the audiobook for $10 May 23rd - 25th. -- Have feedback for us? Please review us on iTunes or take our survey. -- Email Brandon or Follow on Twitter Learn about Michael and Box of Crayons

The Department of Labor has officially updated the overtime regulations of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, or the FLSA. These updates are going to affect over 4 million workers in the United States—and by extension, their employers. Molly Kelley, Sr. HR Business Partner of Xenium, is our resident expert on the subject. She joins us to explain the current guidelines, break down the new language and its effects and offers next steps for employers and HR professionals to ensure compliance with the new regulations. Have feedback for us? Please review us on iTunes or take our survey. -- Email Brandon or Follow on Twitter Learn about Molly Kelley Supporting Resources: Final Overtime Rule - DOL