Steering Honesty as a Policy + Awkward Flattery No-Nos

In this episode of Workplace Weirdness, host Maya Kadar Kovalsky sits down with Karen Borchert, founder and CEO of Alpaca, an edtech company dedicated to supporting educators. They dive into the often-overlooked challenges teachers face—especially when it comes to engagement and recognition. Karen shares how Alpaca started with simple care packages and evolved into offering pulse surveys to help schools better understand and support their teachers.   But it’s not all serious—Karen lightens the conversation with a hilarious office story involving an unexpected possum visitor.   Maya and Karen also tackle some tough listener questions. One employee shares their frustration after feeling a lack of compassion from their manager following a car accident, sparking a discussion on the role of empathy in leadership. Another listener, a male employee, opens up about his discomfort with appearance-related compliments from a senior male colleague, leading to an important conversation about professionalism and setting workplace boundaries.   Through it all, Maya and Karen offer practical advice on fostering a workplace culture built on communication, respect, and genuine support. Let’s dive in! Key Takeaways Unique challenges faced by teachers in the workplace Importance of employee engagement and recognition in education Development of care packages for teachers to support their needs Use of pulse surveys to gauge teacher sentiment and well-being Differences in workplace dynamics between schools and other sectors The concept of "audacious autonomy" in employee development Role of managers in fostering open communication and understanding Addressing burnout and the need for compassion in leadership Significance of recognizing and rewarding educators' contributions Advantages of entrepreneurship in the Midwest and nurturing local talent Use of structured frameworks for discussing workplace issues (e.g., Situation-Behavior-Impact model) In This Episode: [00:00] Introduction to Karen Borchert [09:37] Karen's weird workplace moment   [12:20] Week in Work: Entrepreneurs in the Midwest   [22:20] Listener question on honesty in the workplace [29:24] Listener question on compassion [37:59] Workplace weirdness: Cringeworthy compliments   [46:19] Conclusion and thanks Notable Quotes “I just love the fact that you're basically embracing the idea of if you're brave enough to try, we're brave enough to give you that support to allow you to try.” — Maya “People always ask us, ‘Where are you finding all these software engineers in the Midwest?’ And we were like, ‘We grow them.’” — Karen “People quit their managers, not their jobs.” — Karen “Learning should be seamless and there should be no barriers to it.” — Karen “Honesty is the best policy. Full stop. The end. On both sides of the equation having a conversation about work, and how you’re doing with work, is a good idea.” — Karen "It’s okay to say that you feel really supported and cared for, but also that you feel really underwater." — Karen Resources and Links Karen Borchert Alpaca LinkedIn Maya Kadar Kovalsky Website LinkedIn Workplace Weirdness Email: [email protected] SpeakPipe Website Instagram Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.