204: Being HUMAN at Work with Louonna Kachur

Have you ever caught yourself thinking your coworkers or employees are the same people they were last year, last quarter, or even just last week? What if I told you that's not only untrue, it's hurting your leadership, your culture, and your team's potential? Your people are NOT machines. They're growing, changing, and evolving—shaped by experiences both in and out of the office. Why does this matter for YOU? Leading with this awareness is the key to unlocking real growth, keeping your best people, and ensuring your team feels truly seen and valued, especially during times of change or crisis. If you want to work in a place where everyone gets the care and understanding they deserve, you're in the right spot. In this conversation, you'll hear Louonna Kachur, Global Director of Human Resources at EnerSys, share personal stories and surprising insights about "freezing" people in place—in our minds and our workplaces. We'll talk about how to unstick those old stories, have better conversations, and genuinely support one another in moments of vulnerability, grief, and growth. By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with practical tools for seeing your people as they are NOW, and help create a culture that's alive, agile, and full of heart. Chapter Highlights (00:00) Why assuming people don't change is dangerous for leaders (02:08) The grocery store moment that changed her view on people (05:41) How "freezing" employees limits growth and impacts retention (08:04) Why we assume others never evolve, when we know we do (12:22) Developing empathy at work (14:25) A new way to journal that fuels future growth (20:52) Questions leaders can ask to see the whole person, not just the "employee" (29:16) What Louonna would tell her younger self about being "enough" Connect with Louonna Kachur https://www.linkedin.com/in/louonnakachur/ About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023). Connect with Andrea https://www.abundantempowerment.com/ Connect with Andrea Butcher on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/