Relationships at Work - the leadership podcast helping you build workplace connection, improve culture, and avoid blind spots.
Relationships at Work - the leadership podcast helping you build workplace connection, improve culture, and avoid blind spots. A relatable and honest show on leadership, organizational culture and soft skills, focusing on improving employee engagement and company culture to inspire people to apply, stay and thrive. Because no one wants leadership that fosters toxic environments at work, nor should they.Host, speaker and communications leader Russel Lolacher shares his experience and insights, discussing the leadership and corporate culture topics that matter with global experts help us with the success of our organizations (regardless of industry). This show will give you the information, education, strategies and tips you need to avoid leadership blind spots, better connect with all levels of our organization, and develop the necessary soft skills that are essential to every organization.From leadership development and training to employee satisfaction to diversity, inclusivity, equity and belonging to personalization and engagement... there are so many aspects and opportunities to build great relationships at workThis is THE place to start and nurture our leadership journey and create an amazing workplace.
Latest episodes
Jun 13, 2024 • 10min
How Leadership Can Stop Investing in Cultural Debt
In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher discusses the causes and answers to cultural debt.Technical debt is a common term in software development to explain growing issues caused by not properly addressing problems. By only implementing "band-aid" solutions, the root problems only continue to grow and fester. Cultural debt is the same in that organizational issues unaddressed or avoided, will just poison the company little by little over time until it's not something that can be fixed anymore. Russel provides examples of how we invest in cultural debt and the areas we can pay attention to to avoid it. Join us as we discuss. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
Jun 11, 2024 • 35min
Why Reality-Based Leadership Is The Path To Accountability w/ Cy Wakeman
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with best-selling author, drama researcher and headline speaker Cy Wakeman on focusing on a reality-based leadership approach to improve accountability at work.Cy shares her insights and experience in:Why we need to self-reflect and be personally accountable.Reality-based leadership practices.Cultivating curiosity and compassion to understand different perspectives.Collective Genius for reducing risks and driving innovation.Achieving post-traumatic growth.Co-creation and simplification for the greater organizational good.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
Jun 6, 2024 • 9min
Hypocrisy in Hiring Feedback and How to Fix It
In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the hypocrisy of organizations not asking applicants for feedback and why they should. Leadership often talks about the importance of feedback, including for applicants (successful or not) to ask for debriefs after their hiring experience. So why don't organizations take their own advice? There are so many benefits to listening to applicants to improve the hiring process. Russel provides real-world examples of what we can applicants are asking for and experiencing and spotlights the benefits of taking a development approach to hiring. Join us as we discuss. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
Jun 4, 2024 • 49min
How To Connect Value to Employee Experience w/ Dr. Randy Ross
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author, speaker and Chief Enthusiasm Officer Dr. Randy Ross on the importance of connecting values to employee retention.Randy shares his insights and experience in:Holistic employee experienceValues and behaviour alignment.Ethical and aesthetic components of values.Alignment and authenticity of values.Continuous feedback and self-reflection to operationalize values.Culture by design vs default.Value creation vs extraction.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
May 30, 2024 • 9min
Megaphone Your Values, To Really Create Connection
The podcast discusses the importance of sharing personal values in the workplace to build deeper connections and enhance self-awareness. It highlights how aligning values across different aspects of life can strengthen relationships, build trust, and foster collaboration. The episode also explores how sharing values openly can increase passion, commitment, and aid in conflict resolution, with a focus on leaders modeling this behavior.
May 28, 2024 • 49min
Surprising Ways Employees Can Impact Company Culture w/ Nancy Lyons
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author and Clockwork founder Nancy Lyons on the positive and negative impacts employees can have on company culture.Nancy shares her insights and experience in:The power of microcultures and employee influence.Leadership's role in shaping culture.What an authentic work culture is and is not.The agency of employees.Unlearning traditional norms.Evaluating organizational fit before influencing.Constructive use of technology to support work culture.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
May 23, 2024 • 10min
Big Leadership Moments Must Be Earned Through Small Gestures
In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the importance of prioritizing small gestures before big moments at work. Big events at work are great. It's an opportunity to bring everyone together, connect in new ways, hear from leadership, have presenters sharing new ideas. They're awesome. But without a foundation built through small gestures and regular connection, these efforts will ring hollow. And further hurt the workplace culture. Russel provides real-world examples of why that effort matters and the benefit it can have on the entire organization. Join us as we discuss. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others.For more, go to relationshipsatwork.ca And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
May 21, 2024 • 47min
What Leaders Need to Know About Managing Subcultures w/ Beverly Hathorn
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with HR professional and consultant Beverly Hathorn on managing and aligning subcultures in the workplace.She shares her thoughts, stories and experiences with...Subculture dynamics.Executive engagement with various work cultures.The importance of customizing engagement.Alignment and adaptability of subcultures.How mentorship can help with rigid subcultures.Effective and personalized communication benefitsAnd connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
May 16, 2024 • 8min
Great Leaders Know Change Does Not End Great Relationships
In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher asks us to maintain relationships even through significant change.Change is a part of the work world, whether it's as big as a merger or reorganization of a company or as traditional as moving teams or getting a new job. Great leaders understand that relationships are integral to the employee experience so we have to keep nurturing those connections even if our environments change. Russel provides real-world examples of what we can do to ensure our relationships at work remain strong and resilient in the workplace. Join us as we discuss. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others.For more, go to relationshipsatwork.ca And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
May 14, 2024 • 54min
How AI will Impact the Employee Experience w/ Alex Schwartz and Nate Thompson
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with speakers and workforce consultants Alex Schwartz and Nate Thompson on the impact AI will have on the employee experience.They share their thoughts, stories and experiences with...AI's role and adoption in work environments.AI as a tool, not a threat.The need for continuous adaption and learning.Cultural readiness and leadership mindset.Early adoption and experimentation.AI and diversity, ethics and privacy concerns.Defining human and AI work roles.And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime
