The Psychology of Work: Why People Do What They Do

What does it take to design high-performing, deeply connected teams in today’s ever-evolving workplace? Join Dr. Bobbi Wegner and talent expert Matt Massucci as they pull back the curtain on the messy realities, unexpected lessons, and game-changing strategies behind successful hiring, team cohesion, and the future of work complete with candid stories you won’t hear anywhere else.Matt Massucci is the founder of Hirewell - Global Talent Solutions, with over 24 years of experience helping tech and fintech companies build high-performing teams. Formerly a consultant at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte, Matt combines search expertise with a consultative, advisory approach to hiring, integrating AI technology and a focus on inclusive workforce development. Based in Chicago, he partners closely with founders and executives to design teams that drive growth and create positive work environments.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Talent Strategy Must Evolve: Building great teams isn’t just about hiring—it’s about adjusting your approach as your company grows and scales.Alignment Matters: Success comes from aligning organizational and individual goals, with team cohesion and connection as fundamental drivers.Data Builds Confidence: Using market data and real-time insights makes recruiting decisions more transparent and trustworthy for companies.Scaling Brings Challenges: Even experts face setbacks growing their own companies; learning from mistakes and staying adaptable are essential.AI Supports, Doesn’t Replace Humans: While AI enhances efficiency in recruiting, human judgment and relational skills remain irreplaceable in hiring.Todays guest, Matt Massucci, can be found online at:Website: https://hirewell.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmassucci/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

What if designing a thriving workplace culture isn’t about mandates from the top but about intentionally shaping the conditions for people to come alive at work? In this episode, organizational design expert Hannah Rosenfeld reveals the six powerful levers that can transform teams and unlock lasting change from within.Hannah Rosenfeld is an Executive Design Director at IDEO, renowned for her expertise in designing systems and interventions that organically shape organizational culture. With a background in design research and a passion for systems thinking, Hannah helps organizations foster meaningful behavioral shifts, favoring intentional design over top-down mandates. Her work challenges traditional notions of culture-building by focusing on creating the conditions for innovation, collaboration, and resilience to emerge and thrive. At IDEO, she leads multidisciplinary teams, leveraging real-world prototyping to drive lasting, transformative change within organizations.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Culture Can’t Be Dictated: Real culture is an emergent property formed by everyday behaviors and mindsets, not direct top-down control.Six Levers Guide Change: Hannah Rosenfeld highlights six organizational levers strategy, structure, infrastructure, process, incentives, and talent as key points for shaping culture.Alignment Drives Motivation: Connecting individual roles to the organization’s broader strategy and purpose boosts engagement and fulfillment.Incentives Must Match Goals: Lasting change requires incentive structures that truly support the behaviors and outcomes the organization values.Change is Gradual: Transforming culture is complex and takes time; successful change comes from prototyping, patience, and a willingness to experiment.Todays guest, Hannah Rosenfeld, can be found online at:Website: https://www.ideo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-rosenfeld-86805940/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

Building Human-Centered Cultures in Fast-Growth Startups with Amy CampbellEpisode Title OptionsBuilding Human-Centered Cultures in Fast-Growth Startups with Amy CampbellStrengths-Based Leadership and the Science of Team PerformanceCulture, Burnout, and Balance: Amy Campbell’s Guide for Modern LeadersHow Psychology Powers High-Performing Teams with Dr. Amy CampbellShow NotesWhat happens when a mental health expert steps into the high-stakes world of tech startups? In this episode, Dr. Amy Campbell shares the unexpected lessons she learned building a thriving people-first culture from scratch—revealing how psychology isn’t just “nice to have,” but a true superpower for high-performing, resilient teams.Dr. Amy Campbell is the Chief People Officer at Overhaul, where she draws on her unique background in mental health, education, and corporate leadership to build people-first cultures in the fast-paced tech world. With a PhD in counseling psychology, Amy began her career as a counselor, educator, and creator of mental health programs, before moving into tech where she helped Overhaul grow from a team of five to a global organization of nearly 700 employees. She is passionate about integrating evidence-based psychology and human-centered leadership to drive both well-being and business performance, championing environments where people feel supported, engaged, and empowered to thrive.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Psychology is a business driver: Applying psychological principles and human-centered leadership leads to higher engagement, cohesion, and company success.Self-awareness matters: Effective leadership starts with leaders prioritizing their own well-being and modeling healthy behaviors.Strengths-based approaches work: Emphasizing team and individual strengths, as seen at Overhaul, boosts morale, engagement, and even profitability.Openness to experimentation and vulnerability: Great leaders aren’t afraid to experiment, show vulnerability, and foster psychological safety for their teams.Simple connections build culture: Small, fun activities like virtual water cooler moments create genuine team connection and help support a healthy, positive culture.Todays guest, Amy Campbell, can be found online at:Website: https://over-haul.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-campbell-phd-962850116/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

What happens when you combine intuition, the science of wellness, and the ripple effect of female empowerment? Join Dr. Bobbi Wegner and entrepreneur Annie Ripp as they share personal stories, surprising career pivots, and the overlooked warning signs that might be holding you and your team back from feeling and performing your best. This episode will make you rethink what it really means to thrive at work and in life.Annie Ripp is the founder of Let’s Feel Good, a lifestyle implementation coach, and an early-stage investor with Wildwood Ventures, where she supports purpose-driven founders as they grow companies from the ground up. With a rich background spanning private equity, venture capital, entrepreneurship, and wellness curation, Annie brings a unique, human-centered perspective to building careers and businesses that feel good to lead. Her work draws deeply from her own personal health journey and her passion for making preventative health accessible, empowering teams and individuals—especially women—to thrive by aligning intuition, well-being, and professional purpose.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Personal Wellness Drives Purpose: Annie Ripp’s own health challenges inspired her to create Let’s Feel Good, focusing on practical lifestyle changes that help others feel their best.Empathetic Leadership Matters: Honoring individual strengths and supporting team members’ unique needs leads to higher engagement, creativity, and performance.Female Empowerment Has a Ripple Effect: Support and encouragement from other women can boost confidence, promote risk-taking, and help women align with their true purpose.Positive Culture Equals Better Results: Respectful, psychologically safe team environments not only improve wellbeing, but also benefit business outcomes like retention and profitability.Alignment Fuels Wellbeing: True wellness and authenticity come when your actions, thoughts, feelings, and environment are in sync—with powerful effects at work and beyond.Todays guest, Annie Ripp, can be found online at:Website: https://letsfeelgood.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-ripp-07308113b/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

Curious how a company can grow at lightning speed without losing its soul? In this episode, Dr. Bobbi Wegner sits down with Courtney King, SVP of People and Culture at Beatbox Beverages, to reveal the unconventional secrets behind building a fun, high-performing workplace where people actually want to stay and how measuring “fun” could be your next game-changer.Courtney King is the Senior Vice President of People and Culture at BeatBox Beverages, where she built the people function from the ground up, helping the company grow from under 40 to over 270 employees during hypergrowth. Renowned for her human-centered and innovative approach, Courtney creates high-engagement cultures that drive business results without sacrificing authenticity. She is also a speaker and advisor, known for her insights on building connected, enduring workplace cultures where employees thrive.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Scaling Culture With Intention: Courtney King emphasizes the importance of building people-first systems that maintain a company’s soul and identity, even during rapid growth.Employee Experience Drives Success: BeatBox’s low turnover and high engagement scores illustrate how investing in employee well-being leads to improved business results.Making Fun a Metric: The company actively measures workplace fun and hosts events like cultural summits, reinforcing connection and making work enjoyable.Curiosity and Vulnerability Build Trust: Leaders who ask questions, listen, and show vulnerability foster psychological safety and strong team cohesion.Impact Over Optics: Courtney advises building practices based on real feedback and genuine care, rather than simply following trends or appearances.Todays guest, Courtney King, can be found online at:Website: https://beatboxbeverages.com/en-gbLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneykingms/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

Ever wondered how high-performing teams are really built from the inside out? In this episode, Dr. Bobbi Wegner sits down with Amy Bouque, Chief People Officer at Kelly Services, to unpack the real power of vulnerability, trust, and authentic connection at work. Amy reveals the surprising leadership practices that transformed a legacy company’s culture from the ground up. Don’t miss these actionable insights for creating teams where people actually thrive.Amy Bouque is the Chief People Officer at Kelly Services, where she champions a purpose-driven, human-centered approach to workplace culture. With over 30 years of HR experience spanning labor relations, transformation, and leadership development, Amy is known for fostering connection, belonging, and psychological safety within organizations. She is also an HR Venture Advisor with SemperVirens Venture Capital and is passionate about operationalizing practices that help both individuals and teams truly thrive.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Positive Policy Shifts: Amy Bouque emphasizes rewriting HR policies to assume positive intent and trust, moving away from rigid, rule-based systems.Vulnerability as Strength: Leaders can foster high-performing teams by practicing self-awareness and vulnerability—not by oversharing, but by modeling openness and curiosity.Making “Thriving People” Actionable: At Kelly Services, “thriving people” is a core business priority, turned into concrete goals and everyday leadership behaviors.Connection Fuels Team Cohesion: Rituals like starting meetings with personal check-ins help build trust, psychological safety, and strong team cohesion.Compassionate Leadership During Change: Amy advocates handling layoffs and tough transitions with humanity and transparency, ensuring ongoing support and “repair” for remaining team members.Todays guest, Amy Bouque, can be found online at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybouque/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

Curious how AI is reshaping the high-stakes world of law? Join Dr. Bobbi Wegner and Chief People Officer Eowynne Noble as they dive into the psychology of collaboration, disrupting tradition, and what it takes to help even the most skeptical teams thrive in the age of rapid change. This episode explores the human stories behind technological transformation and why adaptability may be a lawyer’s greatest asset.Eowynne Noble is the Chief People Officer at Fasken, one of Canada’s leading law firms, where she leads people strategy, DEI, and mentorship. With over 30 years of experience in employment law, HR leadership, and organizational development, Eowynne brings a people-centered perspective to high-performance environments. Having started her career in the nonprofit sector before moving into law and leadership, she is passionate about sustainable, collaborative workplaces and thoughtful adoption of AI within the legal industry.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Career Growth Is Nonlinear: Eowynne Noble’s path from nonprofit policy to law and then to Chief People Officer shows the value of both intention and being open to new opportunities.AI’s Dual Role in Law: AI can transform legal work by improving client service and reducing admin tasks, but it also raises important privacy and security concerns that demand careful oversight.Risk Aversion and Adoption: Lawyers tend to be cautious with new tech, so successful AI adoption requires building trust, setting clear guidelines, and focusing on real-world benefits.Personalized Change Management: Change initiatives work best when tailored to team or individual readiness, using targeted training and support rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.AI for Sustainable High Performance: When implemented thoughtfully, AI can free up time for more meaningful work, promote well-being, and support ongoing performance in high-pressure environments.Todays guest, Eowynne Noble, can be found online at:Bio: https://www.fasken.com/en/eowynne-noble#sort=%40fclientworksortdate75392 descendingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eowynnenoble/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

What does it really take to build trust and connection in one of America’s toughest industries? In this episode, leadership coach Eli Embleton shares his powerful personal story, from crisis and survival instincts to the transformative power of vulnerability in high-stress environments. Tune in to find out why connection isn’t just good for culture, it’s a true lifeline.Eli Embleton is the Leadership Development Coach at Zachry Construction Corporation, where he champions trust, dialogue, and psychological safety across large, distributed teams. A dedicated mental health advocate and former safety trainer, Eli is the co-author of the forthcoming book The Instinct Beyond Instinct and is actively involved in a documentary project focused on suicide prevention in high-risk industries. His work centers on building deeper connections and supporting mental well-being in the workplace and beyond.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Connection is Essential: Building genuine connections at work isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s crucial for well-being and high team performance, especially in high-risk, high-stress industries.Time, Space, and Language Barriers Exist: Major obstacles to team cohesion include time pressure, physical distance across distributed sites, and language/cultural divides (like a largely Spanish-speaking workforce).Move Beyond Instinct: Eli’s framework encourages moving past basic survival instincts (fight, flight, etc.) to intentionally choose empathy, collaboration, and vulnerability for better outcomes.Vulnerability Strengthens Teams: Openness, especially among men and in male-dominated industries enables deeper connections, trust, and ultimately, stronger, more effective teams.Frequent, Simple Check-Ins Matter: Brief, regular “connects” (not just standard one-on-ones) significantly improve engagement and connection, sometimes all it takes is a sincere, two-minute check-in.Todays guest, Eli Embleton, can be found online at:Website: https://eliembleton.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliembleton/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/

Join Kyle Forrest, a leader at Deloitte focused on HR innovation and reimagining employee experiences. He discusses the critical importance of putting humans back at the center of work, balancing business success with employee well-being. Learn how AI can enhance creativity while requiring empathy and transparency to ease worker anxieties. Kyle also highlights strategies for leveraging technology to eliminate waste and foster collaboration, paving the way for a more dynamic and engaged workforce.

What if being “nice” at work is actually holding your team back? In this thought-provoking episode, Amira Barger unpacks the hidden costs of workplace niceness and reveals why embracing discomfort and honest conversation might just be the secret to authentic connection and breakthrough innovation.Amira Barger is an award-winning Executive Vice President at Edelman, where she leads global DEI advisory and communication strategy, supporting renowned clients like CVS Health, Pfizer, and the CDC. With over 20 years of experience, Amira is also a respected professor at California State University, East Bay, teaching marketing, communication, and change management. A passionate advocate for honest, transformative workplace communication, she is the author of the forthcoming book "The Price of Nice," which challenges traditional notions of niceness in professional environments. Beyond her professional achievements, Amira is a dedicated mother, partner, and devoted dog mom, bringing curiosity, compassion, and real-world wisdom to every conversation.Below are the key takeaways from this episode:Niceness Isn’t Always Positive: Excessive niceness at work can suppress honest conversations, stifle innovation, and punish those who challenge the norm.Embrace Strategic Nerve: Having the courage to engage in honest, sometimes difficult discussions leads to more authentic relationships and meaningful change.Conflict Avoidance Has Consequences: Skirting conflict for the sake of harmony often breeds resentment and dysfunction within teams.Self-Awareness Matters: Understanding how personal conditioning shapes workplace behavior is crucial for authentic communication and leadership.Direct Communication Drives Results: Open, direct communication isn’t just good for relationships—it’s a proven strategy for building high-performing, connected teams.Todays guest, Amira Barger, can be found online at:Website: https://amirabarger.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirabarger/Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-puLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/