Katarina Polonska, a transformational connection coach, discusses the misconceptions surrounding some of the top trending topics in the workplace: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She explains how the language we use can either help or hinder this important conversation. Listen in to get fresh insights into the crucial relationship between effective inclusive practices and engagement among your people.   TAKEAWAYS Inclusion is about having involvement and feeling that you're actually empowered to be involved, which if we distill even further, is really about engagement. To create an inclusive environment, one must create a sense of belonging and psychological safety. The inclusion-engagement equation naturally leads to higher retention, better productivity, greater innovation, and higher revenue. There has to be something around bringing in the very techniques of inclusion and belonging if we want to foster inclusion and belonging, and that means including the people we speak to and the people who are speaking about it.  When it comes to opening up a conversation around D&I, leaders must bring empathy, listen, validate, and try to understand the struggles of their people.   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.”

Join Xenium guests Annie, Director of HR Services, and Lacey, Sr. Director of Client Success, in this week's bonus episode all about employee performance. We discuss mentorship, top performers, and the ripple effect of low performers on your entire workforce.    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.”

Get an eye-opening look into the construction industry with recent guest and Gamut Project Solutions founder Josh Durham. Learn all about Gamut’s Foundational Five series and other timely leadership advice, all taken from Josh’s successes and failures over his many years in construction project management. Tune in for insight into relationships, negotiation strategies, empathy, and the need for inclusivity and psychological safety in the construction industry and beyond.    TAKEAWAYS Gamut Project Solutions offers a program called the Foundational Five, which provides practical tools and focuses on leadership, relationships, and communication. The five guiding principles are agreements, communication, leadership, agency, and relationships. Employees are willing to follow leaders who compromise, value relationships, and communicate effectively. When people feel psychologically safe, distractions decrease, and productivity increases.   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.”

In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Melanie Langsett from Deloitte discusses the company's innovative approach to employee well-being. Unlike traditional one-size-fits-all plans, Deloitte's benefits are tailored to meet individual needs. Tune in and learn how Deloitte gets creative when it comes to benefit offerings and leave programs, and get insight into how listening and supporting your people translates to productivity and retention.   TAKEAWAYS Deloitte offers family leave programs that extend beyond traditional parental leave, recognizing that employees have various caregiving responsibilities. The key to Deloitte's approach is creating space for employees to provide input without fear of repercussions and actively listening to employees when creating their rewards programs and well-being initiatives. Deloitte prioritizes mental well-being, understanding that a stressed or distracted employee cannot perform at his or her best. Every workforce is unique, and organizations should tailor their well-being initiatives to their specific needs and business objectives.  Guest Melanie Langsett stresses the importance of leadership’s commitment to creating a culture of well-being, as it's the foundation upon which all well-being programs are built.   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.”

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Jennifer Watson, a seasoned Human Resources expert, shares her remarkable journey from the classroom to HR. After her time in education, Jennifer's career spans a decade at a Fortune 100 retailer, followed by leading an HR department in a small business during the COVID pandemic. Jennifer emphasizes that, in the ever-changing landscape of HR, understanding what employees truly want and finding ways to support their needs are paramount to real success. Listen in to learn all about the power of saying yes to new opportunities, building strong relationships, and taking a proactive approach to HR.    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.”

In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, host Brandon Laws welcomes Carolyn Swora, a trauma-informed leadership and culture consultant and the author of Evolve: The Path to Trauma-Informed Leadership. The two discuss Carolyn’s personal journey from navigating her husband’s terminal kidney cancer to her eventual path to healing. Listen in to learn the impact of trauma in the workplace and how leaders can adopt more compassionate and human-centered approaches toward their people.   TAKEAWAYS Being attuned to others' experiences and valuing their perspectives is at the core of self-awareness and leadership. The foundation of leadership lies in awareness and the ability to navigate emotional complexities in a noisy world. The terms "care" and "trauma" aren’t often used in the corporate context, but the collective trauma experienced during the pandemic has brought these concepts to the forefront, making it crucial for workplaces to acknowledge and address them. Leaders must understand trauma, its effects, and how they can foster a sense of belonging by honoring the diverse experiences of their team members. Evolved leaders recognize the interconnectedness of safety, authenticity, and consistency.   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.”

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Eimear Marrinan, VP of Culture & ESG at HubSpot, discusses the company’s post-pandemic transition to a successful hybrid work model. Eimear explains data motivated them to give their people the flexibility of choosing whether to work from home, in the office, or a hybrid of the two — an unconventional approach even in today’s changing business landscape. Listen in to learn about their successes, challenges, and Eimear’s vision for the future of hybrid work. Sign up for the What People Want from Work Survey    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.”

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, we tackle the tricky topic of negotiation. According to guest Kelli Thompson, whether you’re negotiating pay, benefits, workplace location, or PTO, “success loves clarity,” both on the side of the employee and the employee. Learn about acceptable pay ranges for your role, the importance of proper negotiation from the outset, and how to present your case.   TAKEAWAYS Proper negotiation from the outset has a lasting impact on the financial landscape of a career.  A common misconception is that it’s unprofessional or rude to ask for more money; however, appropriate pay is beneficial for not only the employee but the employer as well. Since organizations make decisions based on market equity, skills, talents, and experience, employees must base their negotiation approach on these factors. Negotiation isn’t just about pay — employees can negotiate when it comes to PTO, tuition, workplace location, benefits, and more.   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.”

In the white collar world, the skills and lessons that make us professionally successful aren’t designed to help us lead happy, balanced lives. But how can we fill in these learning gaps this late in the game? According to recent guest Charles Price, it’s all about rewiring our minds and staying present. Listen in to some stories and tips about how to rewire your relationship with yourself and your career for authentic balance and contentment.   TAKEAWAYS Not only are there gaps in our professional training, but in many ways, these lessons can steer us away from the things that we need to live contented and balanced lives. Students are taught to analyze the past and strategize for the future but never to live in the present. We tend to minimize all of our wins and successes while, at the same time, we obsess about our defeats and mistakes, so our “bank balance” inevitably becomes radically overdrawn. So many people say that their motivation is money, a promotion, a job, a position, or this recognition, but that doesn’t seem to work like finding a motivation that is “bigger than yourself.” We have power over what our inner voices say to us, but we often don't exercise that power.   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.”

In this episode, we welcome back frequent guest and Xenium Employee Nicole Blevins to discuss HR of 2023. We discuss growing trends of pay transparency, employee benefits, and the rise of remote work or "work from anywhere" culture.   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.”