Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

This episode is about authentic leadership, self-awareness, and the quiet ways competition undermines collaboration in the workplace. Traci sits down with Archana Mohan, Chief Operations and Technology Officer in the finance sector and author of The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead.Archana holds a BA from Brown, an MA from Columbia, and an MBA from Yale, but her most formative credential might be what she's carried from classrooms and boardrooms alike: the experience of not quite feeling like she belonged, and choosing to build something different because of it.What We Cover:Why authentic leadership starts from the inside, not from a titleThe two types of self-awareness and why most leaders only develop one of themListening as the most undervalued skill in the workplaceHow school conditioned us to chase the right answer instead of ask better questionsWhy group impact is exponential, not just additiveWhat collaboration actually looks like versus what leaders often mistake for itThe key difference between competing with someone and competing against themWhy not having the answer is just as valuable as having oneHow creating space for others to be seen fully changes what a team can achieveConnect with Archana Mohan: Archanamo.net | LinkedIn | The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead.Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci sits down with Rob Gallaher, Entrepreneur and Founder of ProfitX, to dig into how profit sharing actually works, why most businesses aren't doing it, and what it takes to build a program that genuinely transforms how a team operates.What We Cover:What profit sharing actually is and why no real how-to guide existed before Rob wrote oneWhy his first program was a complete disaster and what he rebuilt from scratchThe difference between profit sharing and employee stock ownership plansWhy monthly payouts change daily employee behavior in ways quarterly or annual bonuses simply cannotHow a profit sharing culture helps teams self-identify and resolve underperformanceThe retention math that makes profit sharing employees effectively earn above market rateWhy Christmas bonuses and annual payouts are financially inefficient for growing businessesHow companies like Procter and Gamble and Southwest Airlines approach shared success modelsThe "gas tank" analogy that explains why payout timing is everythingWhen this strategy becomes critical and why most business owners don't discover it until it's overdueConnect with Rob Gallaher: Profit Sharing, The Power of Shared Success | Website and course: https://profitx.co | Instagram and Facebook: @RobGallaher | LinkedInConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This episode closes out the layoff series with a look at what employees are rarely told about severance, separation agreements, and their rights when a job ends.This week, Traci sits down with Dan Goodman, founder of Dan Goodman Employment Advisory (DGEA), a firm that has helped nearly 1,800 employees navigate some of the most high-stakes moments of their careers.What We Cover:Why severance exists and who it actually benefitsThe negotiation most employees don't know they're allowed to haveThe "pip or resign" trap and how employers use it to void unemployment eligibilityWhat to document if you suspect your termination is retaliatory or discriminatoryReview period protections based on age and layoff typeWhy at-will employment doesn't mean employers can terminate anyone for any reasonThe cost of blindsiding employees versus treating them with transparency on the way outHow former employees can become a company's greatest advocates or its most vocal criticsConnect with Dan Goodman: dangoodmanea.com | Dan Goodman Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week's episode is part three of the layoff series, and it's focused entirely on the employee side of the experience: what to actually do when you or someone you know is the one getting laid off.Spoiler alert: Over 40% of Americans have been laid off at least once in their careers. Statistically, this conversation is more relevant than most of us want to admit.This is a greatest hits episode worth another listen because the layoff conversation almost always centers on the company executing it. Traci flips the lens and walks through what employees actually need to know in the aftermath, from the immediate questions that surface in that first conversation to negotiating your severance, protecting your intellectual property, and separating your sense of self from your employer.What We Cover:That initial shock and what it might actually be telling youThe questions you should absolutely ask in that roomSeparation agreements and why everything is negotiableThe age 40 rule that changes your review timelineHealthcare continuation and what to ask for before COBRA ever enters the pictureWhat your former employer can and can't say about why you leftThe intellectual property clause you might have already signedWhy your resume should never be an emergencyUntangling your identity from your job titleFinancial resources and moves worth having on your radarConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.