Punk Rock HR

Would it surprise you if we said that a large number of female leaders in America were Girl Scouts? Sylvia is a Rocket Scientist, STEM Leader, and Tech Founder, and she’s also the Girl Scouts of America's CEO. Join Laurie and Sylvia as they unravel the GSUSA vital role in the development of next-gen leaders and how they sustain their programs. Dynamic leadership programs, time-tested methods, and supportive learning environments: this is what separates the GSoA from other institutions. And how can we ever forget their famous cookies? Amazing products aside, do you know what their finest contribution to society is? It’s their active role in developing the next generation of leaders, innovators and impact makers. But how do they do it? The industrial age is almost over. Job opportunities have become reliant on technology. But in our attempt to move forward and develop new technology, today’s workforce is struggling to keep up with the changes. Very few women are in the technology industry’s talent pipeline and this often diminishes the female perspective in the workforce equation. So how can the GSoA and other institutions impact the current state of the workforce? They invest in building core leadership skills in young girls. This enables them to become functional key members in their organizations. They cultivate entrepreneurial skills from selling cookies, and as simple as it sounds, the effect is profound. They also empower girls to be action takers and decision makers in a supportive environment. They even have a STEM program that develops their skill and confidence to take part in the science and technology industries. With that said, would it be much of a surprise to know that Sylvia was once a girl scout too?! Sylvia traces the development of her leadership skills back to when she was reciting the Girl Scout pledge. GSoA was the type of environment that nurtured her transformative ideas, drive, and compassion. Now she is as an esteemed entrepreneur, rocket scientist, and thought leader. As the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America, Sylvia has done a lot to improve existing programs. She’s a staunch supporter of implementing STEM programs to spark the girls’ curiosity. She believed that there was a way to make the learning experience fun and relevant. They’ve even released new badges reflecting the latest programs. Needless to say, Sylvia is very progressive and optimistic that it will improve in the future. How can their positive impact be measured? What is the evidence that they are successful in their pursuit of excellence? The Girl Scouts Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are granted to girls who have developed potentially world-changing projects with promising long-term positive effects in their respective communities. We hope you have learned how these institutions play a crucial part in improving the work cycle. It's not just about Thin Mints and Samoas. The bottom line is that empowering women will radically change the workforce AND the world.The DIY HR HandbookWouldn’t you love to get your hands on Laurie’s no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Sylvia AcevedoWebsiteGirl Scouts of AmericaLinkedInTwitterPath to the Stars

Did you know that a business has many of the same dynamics as a marriage? Everything that happens in a marriage (the good and the bad) is no different from what you can expect when running a business. Now, if you think keeping your business/marriage afloat is tough, just wait until you come face to face with toxic masculinity in the workplace. There’s never a dull moment in today’s podcast as Laurie invites President of RecruitingDaily.com, William Tincup, to dive into the art and science of entrepreneurship — and how we have to do better to end toxic male behavior in the workplace. Laurie has known William Tincup for years and regards him as a friend and a mentor, a man of many talents who has always given her sound advice based on his many years of experience as an entrepreneur. Today, William and Laurie share their experiences and take a critical look at startups, entrepreneurship, and how to address and amend toxic masculinity in the workplace. They also talk a little about art! A business is a vehicle for relationships where people exchange services for monetary gain. But before you dive into creating a business, you always have to START somewhere first. There are several things to consider before starting a business and, contrary to popular belief, you do not make it as an entrepreneur with sheer passion alone. You can’t give what you don’t have, so if you only have the passion to run your business, it’s going to fall short on other aspects. Critical considerations that are required before creating your own startup: What do you name your company? Do you take the realistic route, where your website name spells out what services you provide? Or do you go for the more abstract approach and come up with a witty made-up word that tells a good story about what your company does? Well, of course, the name of your business is important, but it's not nearly as vital as your business’s brand being memorable. Both choices have their merits, as long as you create a memorable business, service and brand. Likeability + Compelling = Memorable… and then convert “memorable” into revenue. You’ll need to find the perfect balance between the art and the science of a startup. Think of it this way: the “Science” aspect is product development, the “Art” aspect is marketing and delivering the product – both need to be in sync with each other for the coherent whole to work. Great communication is where most companies struggle. William Tincup forwards one reason for this poor communication: that men are not exactly the best communicators. It is difficult for them to learn to apologize, and sometimes even give a proper compliment when it is merited. So, what can men do to change for the better? Tincup has one crucial strategy to begin: men need to STOP interrupting, talking over, and ignoring women when they are sharing their ideas and opinions. No more mansplaining, guys! And it’s up to other men to call it out in their peers. There’s nothing easy about being an entrepreneur. You need to put in your best effort to service your customers and treat your employees well. The hustle never stops and the decisions don’t come easy. If you’re launching a startup because you think it’s going to be easy, consider this your first warning! There is so much work left ahead of us to make work a better place for all. It can be discouraging, which is why it’s extremely important to remember that nothing worth doing is ever easy. Keep fighting the good entrepreneurial fight — it’s never too late to do your part to fix work for everyone.William TincupRecruiting Daily WebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookThe DIY HR HandbookWouldn’t you love to get your hands on Laurie’s no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!  

Sometimes we get so bogged down hyper-analyzing the simplest questions, that we miss the obvious answers. “Do you love your job?” Your answer determines whether or not you’ve found the right place to cultivate your ever-evolving career, and it’s time to talk about it. Join our host/resident HR nerd and her guest, the former head of talent at Netflix (back when it was a mail-order DVD company — years before “Netflix and chill”) Patty McCord as they dive deep into understanding the world of work now, its future, and why you have to take charge of your career. So, who is Patty McCord and why is she a big deal? For starters, she created the Netflix Culture Deck, which is a PowerPoint deck on culture that went viral years ago and is downright legendary in the business world. She is the HR equivalent of Margaret Mead, with her cultural anthropologist approach to the wonderful (if sometimes nasty) world of work. Since leaving to forge her own path in 2012, Patty has been working hard to change the infrastructure of corporate culture at several high-level companies to create the positive change she wanted to see in society. Patty is a feminist, thought leader, author, and an advocate of practicing radical honesty to move past the fundamentally broken way we manage people at work. Her book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, which is pretty much the hitchhiker’s guide to understanding Netflix’s work culture has been (as the title suggests) a powerful tool in transforming companies into high performing and high earning organizations. Laurie and Patty share a conversation full of wisdom bombs — often touching upon the kinds of lessons you probably already know but all too often forget to pay much attention to. The way we manage people is an HR nightmare. How are workers even expected to stay and love their jobs when they’re not treated like professionals? Seriously, these folks aren’t children, they deserve a better working environment where they are free to own their career and commit to their work. Those times when employees went home saying: “Work was great today!” There is a way to replicate that. It’s called: “Let your professionals do the work they’re GREAT at!” If they’re not doing a great job, then they’re not a good fit, and that’s on you. Hiring the right person for the job boils down to finding fully-formed adults. Since the world of work is always changing, you have to get people who are already whole and are ready to evolve with the company. What’s the future of work and how does automation fit in all this? Don’t fear the future, don’t fear the unknown. Learn to say, “Things are changing. Is it better? How can we make it better?” There’s always room for improvement and that should be the goal of any scaling company. The key takeaway from this episode is the more we learn to adapt and grow, the better off we’ll be as employers and employees. There’s really no point in subjecting yourself to the sheer torture of working for an organization that doesn’t treat you right. When you’re not being treated right, then you’re not in the right place. Laurie and Patty are firm believers in owning your career and calling the shots, so get on with it — you’re a professional, own your career.The DIY HR HandbookWouldn’t you love to get your hands on Laurie’s no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Patty McCordWebsiteLinkedInTwitterBookResourcesLet's Fix Work - PatreonBob SuttonJennifer McClureOne Stone Creative

When kindred spirits come together in a community, ideas and dreams blossom, passion gets amplified, accountability and empowerment surges, and the problems? Well, they become less daunting. In this episode, Laurie has a great conversation with a dear friend, a cult legend in the online-community building world, Ryan Paugh. Laurie and Ryan share how they met, what Ryan’s role is as a community builder, and why communities are essential in fixing the broken wheel that is work. After a few years of working for corporate America, Ryan dove into the startup arena where he felt his passion for helping others would contribute more - this was his first step in his epic entrepreneurial journey. He created Brazen Careerist, which started out as a community for young professionals looking to find their place in the corporate world, where they can find answers and support from peers and other like-minded individuals. Long story short, Brazen was a success but eventually rebranded into an SAS technology product, which now serves as a peer-to-peer speed networking platform. As the product shifted away from its community-based roots, Ryan decided to walk a different path, but kept the burning passion to create better communities to support the next generation of highly driven leaders. He eventually became the co-founder and COO of The Community Company. Along with his business partner and co-author of Superconnector, Scott Gerber, they went on to build several outstanding communities for different organizations like business executives, youth leaders, and entrepreneurs such as YEC and the Forbes Council which includes the Forbes Human Resources Council, where members are encouraged to support, engage, and pick each other’s brains. Why did Ryan focus on community building? Well, everyone is part of a community in some way or another. We are social beings after all. Ryan believes that in being part of a community, we are given the opportunity to learn and impart vital lessons and experiences that nurture us into the people we are now. He says, “Give,” because he believes that there’s so much more to living than just getting something. Work is broken because it has been reduced to a means to an end; a paycheck for hours, nothing more than a simple transaction of, “if you do this, you get this.” Laurie shares Ryan’s sentiment that there’s more to work than just earning the money. That by limiting someone’s identity to a mere “bringer of bacon” a.k.a “corporate zombie” they have subsequently limited that individual’s potential to contribute to the organization’s greater cause. You see, when people see past the money and embrace purpose, when they are allowed to invest in things that they truly value, there’s a greater opportunity to create a positive and lasting legacy for others to follow or replicate. As a veteran community builder, Ryan believes that a good community must have an element of trust from the top-down. Ask anyone who knows Ryan and they’ll immediately say how helpful and encouraging he is despite his being a company co-founder. More than developing the products, organizations should look into nurturing its workers on a deeper level. People at the bottom makes the most impact, so it is important that they are set up for success throughout their stay in the company and, hopefully, even when they transition into something else. He dives deep into this “building relationships that matter” philosophy in his book, Superconnector. Ryan and Laurie are aware though that most people are still stuck in the old ways and find processes to be difficult to build - and even harder to implement - but it doesn’t have to be that way and we can all to do better. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn’t you love to get your hands on Laurie’s no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Ryan PaughSuperconnectorLearn more about their bookTwitterLinkedInThe Community Company

We get it. You aren’t a tube of toothpaste. But you still need a personal brand. In fact, you already have one whether you realize it or not. The question is, are you going to take charge of it? Today, Laurie talks with personal brand expert, Jennifer McClure, about what a personal brand is, why you need to develop yours, and how it can help you excel in your professional career. Jennifer will be the first to tell you that she doesn’t like the term, personal brand, but it’s the best one she’s got. You can also think of it as your reputation, and when you consider it as your professional reputation, that makes it a lot more important, doesn’t it? We’re talking about people wanting to work with or for you, getting clients, being promoted, and more. It’s your career advancement, plain and simple. So how do you develop your personal brand? Think about Oprah Winfrey. She’s got one of the strongest personal brands in the world. Her message, live your best life, is known around the world. But her story hasn’t all been cake and roses; there are some negative things associated with her brand, and Jennifer explains how Oprah has dealt with it. She also shares how you can be as intentional as Oprah when you are defining your own personal brand. One big mistake people make is that they try to copy someone else’s personal brand. As you can imagine, that comes off as terribly inauthentic. With that said, you CAN take inspiration from other people. See what they’re doing well, what parts of their message resonates with you. What can you adopt while still keeping your uniqueness at the forefront? Laurie and Jennifer discuss, and Jennifer also reveals who she considered her mentor and sought to emulate. There are another few traps you’ll need to avoid in developing your personal brand: don’t overthink it or force it, and make sure your actions and words line up. A good way to tell is whether you’re getting the opportunities you want. Do people describe you the way you intended them to? How do your colleagues introduce you? Jennifer talks about what to do if your personal brand isn’t working for you. Laurie shares the story of trying to be the buttoned-up, serious HR lady for the book she’s writing, and how she couldn’t even finish it until she did what came naturally, and that was to be herself. Jennifer chimes in with some very insightful thoughts on Laurie’s personal brand and what makes it so strong. The tables are turned, and Laurie asks Jennifer what her own personal brand is. The response is humbling, and it’s exactly how YOU should think about how to live with your own brand. More importantly, how to take control of it. One of the key takeaways is that sometimes your brand needs to be audience-specific. Sometimes we don’t like the reputations we have. It’s a challenge to change them; once another person has formed their idea of you, it’s a mental shortcut they’ll use repeatedly because it’s easier. So how do you go about changing your own personal brand if you don’t like it? Laurie digs in with a tough question, and Jennifer steps up to answer it without hesitation, and it’s an answer you need to hear if the attention you’re getting isn’t the attention you want. Finally, we need to broach the topic of negative feedback that isn’t deserved. Jennifer shares the story of her first major keynote speech and the one comment afterward that has haunted her to this day. Laurie has her own story to share, too, and they talk about what to do when people try to label you in ways that hurt. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Jennifer McClureFREE DOWNLOAD: Personal Brand WorkbookImpact Makers PodcastWebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagramResourcesMichael HyattSteve Brown

Robin Schooling is ‘America’s HR Lady’ and has been Laurie’s dear friend for quite some time. Despite that, Laurie has been putting off the HR episode because, frankly, HR has a bad reputation for fixing work. It took someone like Robin, who is breaking stereotypes around the globe, to make this episode possible. In today’s episode, Laurie and Robin talk about a slew of HR-related issues, from discrimination to whether HR is really needed. What does it take to get the title, ‘America’s HR Lady,’ from Laurie? Robin has been in the HR profession for a long time. During her two decades of HR experience, she worked across many fields: healthcare, academia, banking, gaming, and that’s just to name a few. In other words, she’s pretty much done it all. And when asked how to fix work, Robin’s first question was how we would fix HR. Robin has a fantastic analogy on the state of work – it’s a hemophiliac who has fallen down too often and gotten too many bruises. Work might be broken, but it’s in the ER and needs urgent care if it’s going to be saved. Robin shares how she thinks we got there, based on her wide breadth of experience. She also dives into the power shift happening between job seekers, employees, and employers. The day of reckoning is at hand. Robin admits that HR is certainly part of the problem of work being broken, and the reason she gives is that HR as a department isn’t really sure where to place itself in the conversation. It started out as being very insular, and over the years, things have improved. But not enough. While HR departments have come to understand business, the next step is for them to understand the world. And what does that mean exactly? Robin explains. You’ve heard it many times – employees are fighting HR to get something they need. So why should anyone care about HR? Robin reminds us all that HR isn’t a faceless mass out to get you. They are your co-workers and they are people, too. In fact, Robin’s experience with other HR people is that they got into it for the right reasons and with a good heart. Recruiting is a huge part of human resources; it’s one of the happiest times for both HR and employee. But according to Robin, those good feelings don’t carry over. She offers the great idea of doing the same with employees as they navigate within the company, whether it’s handling health care, mediating disagreements, or even changing positions within the company. Ultimately, this little-by-little change is fueled by people caring for one another. And equally as important, HR people need to bring the stories of employee realities to leaders. What is the future of HR? Robin sees it splitting into two separate departments or having two divisions within the same department: administration and people. The administration side deals with compliance, payroll, PTO, and the other dry things, while the people department works with employees to help them understand what’s happening, as well as growth and development. Are businesses and their HR departments ready for the reckoning that is coming? In fact, Robin believes that HR, at least, is poised for the shift. So what positions are in danger? Is the generalist here to stay? What about the firefighter? Robin shares her thoughts on who had better be ready to adapt to new roles and dive into specialties in the near future. So what does the future of HR look like? Robin has settled on a phrase: she is an advocate of the workplace revolution. It’s time to change – not only should you be an advocate and ally of the people who hired you, you should also be an advocate and ally to those who come to you with their work-related issues. It sounds simple, right? Robin reveals what it actually entails. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Robin SchoolingWebsiteLinkedInTwitterCarnival of HR

Don MacPherson is an entrepreneur who built a company called Modern Survey, which he successfully sold without laying people off or taking on debt. That's the American Dream. But Don’s not resting on his laurels. Growing up in a mining community, Don learned the value of work early and isn’t interested in status symbols like cars and clothes. He’s soon launching a new venture called 12 Geniuses focused on fixing the future of work for everybody. He’s here to talk about his journey in tech, how to be ruthlessly pragmatic with your finances, and how you can set yourself up financially for success. Ultimately, it's about enjoying your work. Don has a unique view of the world that you need to hear, especially if you want to retire early.  First things first: Don isn’t a Millennial tech bro. He’s close to 50 with a wealth of experience in customer service, technology, healthcare, employee engagement, and even truck driving. Don will tell you he isn’t a natural entrepreneur, but he is a risk taker. So much so he decided to move to Germany and only bought a one-way ticket. Don shares the story of living in an attic. When he returned from Germany, he took a job with American Express, and that was when Don met his future business partner, a contractor who was living the dream. Don wanted that dream life, so together, he and his partner founded an online survey company, Modern Survey, in 1999. Their startup money was $1,000 each. He took this company through to a successful exit, the American dream. One of Don’s guiding principles is that he pays himself first. It’s enabled him to do everything that he’s wanted. Interestingly, the thought was planted by a commercial he saw as a teenager. It was a simple commercial and the gist of it was to get started and begin saving early. Don reveals how he applied this to his life from a young age, and what "you pay you first" really means. For Don, money is freedom. He doesn't come from a family of savers, though, and what he understood from his younger years was that you took the job that paid the most money. It was essential to have an incredible work ethic, too. But taking a job that pays the most cash is how you survived. Don realized, though, that work could be so much more. It can be fulfilling, and having money allowed him to experiment and do things he couldn’t have otherwise. There came a time when Don’s business almost failed, and he tells the story of how he had to abandon his "you pay you first" philosophy for a time. He and his partners had to each put in a hundred grand to save the company, and it was only because he had been so disciplined in his savings that he was able to do it. And that was how the company pulled through the tough time. If you take Don’s advice, he believes you will never have to work at a job you don’t like. And that is powerful, especially in this era of work being broken. He talks about how we can do our best work when we have a sense of security and freedom that being financially responsible brings. You might be wondering if it’s too late for you. The answer is no, and Don explains why. Have you heard the concept of being a prisoner in a workplace? You’re stuck in a job you can’t leave because you have so many bills to pay. Don says that as many as 1 in 12 workers are prisoners. They’re financially stuck, and they don’t believe they can make more money elsewhere. Most of us agree that work is broken, so you can imagine what happens with work prisoners and how they contribute to that. Equally as important, their home life is also negatively affected. Don MacPhersonLinkedIn12 Geniuses — COMING SOONWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!

According to JT O’Donnell, we’re pretty bad at job searching. After all, we aren’t in the business of finding jobs; our skills sets are DOING them. So, if and when you need to change employers, outside advice is invaluable. Today, Laurie and JT talk about why the old way of job searching is obsolete and how you can compete with other job seekers in a very crowded environment. Have you seen the George Clooney movie, Up in the Air, where his job was to lay people off? That was JT’s last corporate career. She laid off hundreds of people before leaving corporate America to start her own career coaching practice. JT saw the recession coming, so she was proactive and started a blog in 2008. When the recession hit, people needed an edge in finding jobs, and JT was there to deliver. Laurie has seen a lot of discrimination when it comes to landing jobs: ageism, sexism, racism. While it’s a common belief that work is broken, JT also believes that the job search is broken. People are going about it the wrong way because the rules changed and they didn’t catch on. It’s all related to a branding problem for both those hiring and those looking for jobs. Do you really need to work through recruiters to find a job? JT has a fresh take on what has happened in the land of recruitment. It’s all become very regimented, and often, recruiters get pushed around by their employers to make certain numbers that are next to impossible. And here’s the result of that: if you’re a job seeker who is doing your part right, you don’t NEED a recruiter to land your dream job. In fact, you might want to AVOID recruiters altogether and JT explains why. How do you get past the gatekeepers and talk to the hiring managers? It’s not really sneaky, but it IS easy. JT shares two of her favorite resources. The first is net. It’s a simple search engine for LinkedIn that allows you to search for hiring managers and other titles. The other is Hunter.io, which allows you to search for up to 100 email addresses every month so you can connect. As you listen, you might feel like everything has changed. It has, fundamentally. Step one to getting YOUR ‘bucket list’ job is to forget everything you think you know about job searching. JT shares the story of someone who reached out to her – they thought what she said about cover letters was the ‘hokiest’ thing ever… until it worked. Finding a dream job shouldn’t be like shopping a used car lot for your dream car. JT shares a great strategy for how to begin your search. Start with 20 companies you’d love to work for and figure out WHY you want to work for them. We aren’t talking benefits – what about what they do is so compelling to you? That’s how you target your job search. She shares the next few steps on your path to getting a bucket list job. Community is incredibly important. It’s how you network, find new opportunities and help others do the same. But it’s not always easy to ask for help, especially when free communities tend to be negative. JT shares why her Work it Daily community is so very different – it’s an uplifting place for career coaching, even with generational divides. Coaching isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s the path to greatness. If robots and AI are the future of work, where does that leave job seekers? Make no mistake: there is yet another shift coming in the workforce and you need to be prepared for it. And with all the discrimination that exists now, more is on the way in the form of globalization. JT and Laurie discuss what this future looks like for job seekers and what you can do to be ready for the next set of fundamental shifts. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!JT O’DonnellLinkedInWork it Daily WebsiteWork it Daily YouTubeJob Search ToolsRecruitIn.netHunter.io

Cy Wakeman is an international keynote speaker, business consultant, New York Times best-selling author, and psychologist. She helps people around the world ditch the drama and turn excuses into results. Naturally, Laurie is a total fangirl. Today, Cy and Laurie talk about how to get the best out of people, whether or not you really NEED leaders, and what the future of work looks like for all of us. Cy has a great strategy for getting clients in the door and to help them take all the negative energy at work and turn it around to positive results based on new actions: she gives her stuff away for free. The individuals who learn from her content then turn around and put the pressure on their leaders to bring her in to do work, and she gets great results. Cy has an interesting take on work NOT being broken. Work, she says, is our reality, and whether or not we succeed in it is up to us. Cy explains the parts of work that are lacking, from leadership to HR, and it all has to do with the people, not the construct. If you’re keen on learning about leadership, you’ve probably noticed there are a million different people speaking and teaching about it. But have you stopped to actually listen to their messages? Sounds a lot like pop psychology, feel-good stuff that, unfortunately, doesn’t really address the problems. Cy shares her take on the current trend of ‘best practices’ and why understanding the human condition is the most important thing you can do, leader or not. You’ve probably heard people talking about the ability to bring your ‘whole self’ to work. Cy disagrees; instead, she urges you to bring your ‘most evolved’ self to work. In fact, Cy doesn’t think you should bring your whole self anywhere, and she explains why you need to be fit for duty beyond the tasks you undertake. Leadership has evolved over the years. In modern times, we’re more concerned with purpose and engagement. Cy shares a surprising insight: engagement without accountability creates entitlement. And more importantly, happiness at work isn’t up to leaders. Cy’s years as a therapist come to bear when she says that a relationship like that is co-dependency and isn’t healthy, and you end up losing the best employees. Community has been a buzzword for a while now, whether you’re talking about regionality or groups online. How healthy are the communities in which you find yourself? As a psychologist, Cy has a great message about what makes a healthy community and what makes hers thrive, even with millennials. Cy has a vision for the future of work and what you need to remember is this: it’s not something that’s going to happen TO us. It’s something we need to do for ourselves. It’s where we go beyond ego, salary, title, and all the other things that seem so important to us now. How and why should we do it? Cy shares what drives her to do the work she does. With the future of work being AI and automation, we’re left wondering if the future holds any place for heart and for love. Laurie poses the question to Cy, and she’s got a very heart-centered answer for you. And it all comes back to people and the concept of ego. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Cy WakemanFind her @cywakeman everywhere on the Internet!Reality-Based Leadership: http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/ Life's Messy Live Happy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LifesMessyLiveHappy/No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results https://amzn.to/2uqfPGc Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, and Turn Excuses into Results https://amzn.to/2ul0tTg

You’ve heard the saying, opinions are like… armpits, right? So is advice. Everyone has them and most of them stink, especially when it comes to careers. But Alison Green has some advice about advice for you; you’ve got to separate the good from the bad, and you have to pick your battles. Today, she and Laurie talk about crappy advice, what it takes to be a great leader, and what she wishes all managers knew. Bad advice isn’t limited to careers. It all stems from a much bigger problem: we think we know what’s best for another person and their life. We’ve all had jobs, and as a result, we all have opinions about how they should be. But the truth is, most of us have trouble acting on the advice we give AND receive. Alison even has a folder full of questions asking for her advice on topics where there IS no great answer, including farting at work. Seriously. Not all advice is crappy (pun intended). Every once in a while, we get a gem that can fix a situation or even change the way we think. Alison had one such piece of advice early in her career: pick your battles. Despite it being good advice, Alison had a hard time swallowing it, and she explains why. Twenty-somethings, this is for YOU. Laurie also shares a piece of advice she got that she has patently ignored. Great leaders get where they are by filtering the good advice from the bad, and there are some key aspects they share. Drive and commitment are a given if you want to get results. But some of the other things Alison believes are required for good leadership might be a little difficult for you to embrace. While there are some great leaders, there are plenty who are lacking, and Alison shares her theory on why there are so many of them. Conflict avoidance is one of the most pervasive issues in management. People don’t want to have difficult conversations, and it leads to terrible work cultures. Alison shares a story about a difficult conversation she had to have with an employee, and you should DEFINITELY take notes on how she handled it. Do you have to be a people person to manage people? Ask 10 people and you’ll get 10 different answers because, you guessed it, we all have our own advice to give. But if you want GOOD advice, Alison wrote the book on it, Ask a Manager. She shares whether you really need to be a people person if you want to lead well. Introverts, according to Alison, you CAN be a great manager. As an employee, or even as a manager, you’ve probably come across the sense of secrecy about management. So what do managers wish you knew? Alison has some great thoughts about that, and first among those is that it’s okay for an employee to speak up. She shares when it’s appropriate and how much you should divulge. Alison’s new book, Ask a Manager, isn’t just a collection of blog posts she’s written over the years. Instead, Alison took all she’s learned and created a handbook for managers. Specifically, ‘what to say when,’ and other things that you can actually learn and apply to your daily interactions with employees. Alison gives you the language to use for awkward and cringey conversations. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Alison GreenAsk a Manager WebsiteSlate ArticlesNew York Magazine ArticlesTwitterFacebook