Changing With Heart: Kerry Bunker

The sacred contract between employer and employee. 0:01 Melanie introduces her guest for this episode, Kerry Bunker. The power of vulnerability and contemporary leadership. The sacred contract between an employer and an employee. The psychological contract between employer and employee.Mental Health in the Workplace. 4:16 Mental health in the 70's and 80's. Total life stress and its impact on people. Stress was being studied at a surface level. Ideal relationship between employer and employee.Cultivating the ability to learn. 9:58 Cultivating the ability to learn and balancing the six paradoxes. Lessons learned from the 80's. Diversity and inclusion are hot buttons right now. The false idol of change. The same lesson over and over again. The role of masking in leadership.Vulnerability and how it affects relationships. 18:11 People with the cleanest houses have the messiest divorces. Change can be a distraction. The year-long experience.The emotional fallout of downsizing in the 90's. 23:21 The Canadian government asked for help with downsizing. The emotional fallout from downsizing in the 90's. Leaders don't understand what it feels like to be on the other side. Downsizing by a third.How to get people to share their stories. 29:23 Releasing a secret that was kept for years. A week-long program with questions. What it feels like to be you right now. The first session with the clients. Listening to and choosing learning partners for the week. Leveraging connections to connect with the group.Reactions from groups when they were told no. 37:50 Making changes in the group. Decide independently who will leave the group in 20 minutes. Sacred contract with the employer. Reactions when groups had to execute tasks.The emotional fallout of not following through. 42:59 A wide range of emotions, from anger to complacency. The process of debriefing. The emotional fallout of not speaking up. The three-star general in the army.The importance of trust in leadership. 49:17 The agreement could be very different for different people. Expectation and violation is extremely powerful. Becoming bonded for life after the program. Why the program was created. What was learned from the experience. 80% of change management failed because they underestimated the human side.The power of human connection. 56:53 The power of the pyramid in the program. The open invitation to dinner. Human connection is a potent medicine. The paradox of in-person vs remote work.Balancing paradox and the end of the week. 1:02:58 Balancing paradox, under-do and over-do anything. Parker Palmer's personal paradox of overdoing it. The paradox of being rejected and adored at the same time. A stress-related heart attack.Managing the mental health of the patients. 1:08:24 Huge wake up call. All powerful learning experiences have both positive and potentially negative downsides. Balancing self-care and taking care of others. The importance of supporting each other. How to get more information about Kerry and his work. How to contact Kerry.Listen on Spotify  | Listen on Apple Podcasts