Internal Customer Handbook: A Work Culture Podcast for People Leaders

52 weeks, 86 episodes, 2 birthdays, and a bunch of bloopers.

Evolution, Magic, and Truth What do these have to do with our workplaces? Reflection questions included!

Do we listen to what our bodies are telling us? How does if feel to ask for help? How does the community perspective factor in? And what does this all have to do with our workplaces? Today we talk about it. Resources and mentions: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Week 48: Individualism vs Community

Just when you thought we were done talking about the work from home debate, here we are reacting to yet another article on the subject. And I’m about to get spicy about it! Sources and Resources: Subject Article on Yahoo BONUS article reaction episode from March 10, 2023 BONUS episode To Remote or Not from May 2022 BONUS Dear Remote Workers from October 2022

Today we talk about individualism and community in our workplaces. Definitions of individuality vs individualism, and community vs collectivism are discussed, along with an offering of some reflection questions to help imagine and create something different in our workplaces. Sources and mentions: Article: Why Community Matters in the Workplace Article: Individualist vs Collectivist Workplace Cultures Bonus: The Black and White of Binary Thinking Bonus: We Are (Not) Family

Today's bonus episode is the podcast version of my newsletter that went out this week in the aftermath of the school shooting in Nashville. Sources and Mentions: LinkedIn Post by Lily Zheng re: organizational change Leading cause of death for children and teens, source Number of mass shootings to date stats Permit-less carry in Florida Florida Book Bans RKA YouTube video re: marketing guns to kids RKA Podcast episode re: the history of gun marketing in the U.S. All About Love by bell hooks News is Traumatic

I talk a lot about brain science in my work and here on the podcast. I’ve realized that I’ve been doing it wrong. Today we talk about neurodiversity in the workplace, and how being inclusive benefits everyone. Today's episode was inspired by a conversation with a friend. You know who you are (wink wink.) Sources and mentions: More about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria on WebMD Mental Health First Aid Certification Article: Neurodiversity in the Workplace on PsychCentral Article on Harvard Business Review 2017 Article on Business Insider: How Neurodivergence Can Be an Asset

BONUS GUEST Josephine Kalipeni, Executive Director at Family Values at Work, joins today to talk about family leave, workplace policy change, activism in the workplace, and the future of work. This is a must listen, y'all. CLICK HERE to learn more about Family Values at Work. CLICK HERE to check out my live interview with Josie on Instagram, "The Racist & Sexist History of Caregiving" Week 11: Business as Activism and Artistry, pt 1 Article: Should Political Conversations Be Banned in the Workplace?

You may have heard of exit interviews, but do you know about stay interviews? Today we talk about it...

Why do we continue to worship at the altar of busyness? Today I react to the HBR article, "Beware a Culture of Busyness" sent to me by my friend, Sarah. A shocking experiment (literally), Mark Zuckerberg, and how the US sucks at family leave are all discussed on today's bonus episode, along with tips from the article to help us reverse course from the culture of busy.  Sources and Mentions: Article on HBR.org More on Effort Justification Shocking Experiment Family Leave rankings and stats Workplace Boundaries episode Corporate Social Responsibility episode

What does changing our minds look like in leadership? Why is it important? And WHY do we sometimes resist admitting to it SO HARD? Sources: Psychology Today article

Why are CEOs and business owners resisting the evolution of work? Why do they want to go back to the office so badly? Today we talk about it as I react to another article. Sources and Mentions: Inspiration Article on Yahoo Week 7: Beehives in the Workplace?  Article about viral photo of Twitter employee, Esther Crawford The History of Work documentary trailer If you're still wondering where you and your team should land when it comes to remote work, check out the Bonus episode from May of 2022, To Remote or Not to Remote.

How are our work cultures like orchids? And are we preventing them from blooming? Let's talk about it!

Today I'll be reacting to an article titled "The Myth of the Socially Conscious Corporation" that is reacting to a new book titled "For Profit: A History of Corporations." Confused yet? Perfect! Let's dive in... Sources and Mentions: Inspiration article on New Republic.com Ford Hunger March of 1932 Upstream podcast with guest Hadas Thier History's Horrible Bosses- Henry Ford episode The History of Work documentary trailer

What is negativity bias? How can we counteract it in our workplaces? We explore those questions in today's episode. 

Why does the language we use matter? What words and phrases are we using that have their origins in war and violence? Today we talk about it. Sources and mentions: Masood Boomgaard deadline tiktok Origins of "Deadline" Article on APA (quote source) War Words in the Workplace (source article)

This is not a repeat. I repeat, this is NOT a repeat.  Mission and purpose are crucial to healthy work cultures, so we are talking about it again as a result of a recent conversation with a fried. Mentions: Week 14: The Power of Purpose Week 22: Power of Purpose 2.0 Wanna hire me to deliver Connecting the Whys? CLICK HERE for more info.

Are workplace boundaries a foreign concept in your organization? Let's talk about it. Today's episode was inspired by a book I am currently reading, The Sugar Jar, by Yasmine Cheyenne. Mentions: Binary Thinking bonus episode Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey Laziness Does Not Exist by Dr. Devon Price

Today we talk about fault vs responsibility, self reflection, and curiosity. This episode originally appeared as an article on LinkedIn in April 2022, which you can read HERE. 

Why should we be experimenting in our work cultures? Today we talk about it while laughing like a genius scientist!

Today I am practicing what I preach. In this bonus episode we talk about grief, vulnerability, purpose, life questions, and how all of that can and does relate to our workplaces and leadership practice. Not mentioned in this episode but should have been: My friend Zoha from The Ownership Method whose IG post inspired this episode. 

What is your response to discomfort and conflict, and does that affect our work cultures? Today we talk about it!

Today we talk about what I think is the number one challenge when building and maintaining healthy work cultures. Mentions: Lakrisha Davis, LinkedIn Expert Seinfeld Scene LinkedIn Post My Gif Library

On this bonus episode I react to a recent article called "Four Leadership Trends to Watch in 2023." Mentions and Sources: Kim Crowder LinkedIn post Article on Leadership Trends

When people leave the organization for something else, it can sting. Shifting our perspective and doing this one thing can help.

Is your work culture... working? Who is it working for? Let's talk about it.

What would you like to leave behind in 2022? What do you want to introduce or strengthen in 2023? In this bonus episode we talk about 8 things that may exist in our workplaces that we want to leave behind in 2022, and 8 things we may want to introduce into our workplaces in 2023. It's a 2022 podcast roundup of sorts. Gold star for you if you can name the appliance that is making sound in the background while I recorded this episode :)

Are you afraid to ask questions you may not want the answers to? Today we talk about what this looks like in our workplaces.

Hey, superstar, you're doing great work! Here's more of it! Are you doing this to your team members? Today we talk about performance punishment: what is it, why it's bad, and what leaders can do instead. Resources and mentions: The Anti-HR Lady on Instagram Article on Neuroleadership.com

How do you respond when someone you work with is grieving? Today I'm going to give you THE 5 TIPS! Just kidding, those don't exist. But I will give you some questions to ask and share my experiences with grief at work. Mentioned: Medium Article on Pet Grief

What is binary thinking, how does it affect our workplaces, and what can we practice instead? Let's talk about it! Sources and Mentions: LifeHack article Forbes Interview with Andrew Hartz re: Splitting More about Dunning-Kruger Effect

We've talked alot about intentional joy, but what is organizational joy, and how can we foster it in our workplaces? 

On this third and final part of the Intentional Joy series we talk about the challenges of being intentional with our joy for ourselves and in our workplaces.  How can we make more space for joy?

How can we be intentional with joy in our workplaces if we are not prioritizing it for ourselves?  The conversation about intentional joy continues...

Many of us struggle with intentional joy. How can we create this in our workplaces? Why do we resist the idea of joy at work? Today we talk about it, along with a few reflection questions.

How do you address burnout in your business? That might be the wrong question to ask.  What questions can we ask instead? Let's talk about it! Today's episode inspired by: Follow Dr. Kim Hires on Instagram Follow Adam Karpiak on LinkedIn

Taco Tuesdays, PJ Fridays, and ping-pong on their own are not problematic.  When they are used as bandaids or performative perks in our workplaces, that's a problem. Listen for more thoughts and remember, I love tacos and pizza and pajamas. Not no much ping pong.

Using the word "family" to describe our workplaces may seem like just semantics, but language matters. Why is saying our workplaces are "like a family" problematic? Today we talk about it, along with some possible historical explanations why we have the urge to describe our co-workers as "family." Sources and Mentions: Gloria Chan Packer's TEDx Talk "Work is Not Your Family" "We're All Family Here" Spirit Halloween Costume HBR Article: Toxic Effects of Branding Your Workplace a Family

What is your relationship to power in the workplace? Today we talk about it.

Today we get into the history and origins of the 8-hour workday, and no, Henry Ford did not invent it. How many hours a week do you work? Answer in the poll on Anchor or Spotify. Resources and Mentions: Politifact article Tiny Pulse article History's Horrible Bosses, Henry Ford episode Ford's interview in World's Work magazine BBC article (is full time work bad for our brains)

Today I talk about my leadership mistakes, we challenge what we've learned about "being the boss," and we wrap it up with some reflection questions.

Think back to early 2020... how did you feel about work?  How does that differ from how you feel about work now? How should this affect how we lead? Today we talk about our relationship to work.

"Dear Remote Workers: You're the first to go in recession layoffs" This is the article that is the subject of today's BONUS episode; an opinion piece roasting of sorts. We talk about this article specifically, along with the remote work debate in general. Where are you working from these days? (If you're listening on Spotify, check out the poll) Today's mentions, sources, and resources: The article in question The resulting Instagram Reel Article on Neurosignature Diversity at Work The History of Work documentary LinkedIn Article: Remote, In-person, or Both?

How do you feel about disruption in your workplace? Change can't happen without it. AND it might make you and the team uncomfortable. Today we talk about it!

Did you know that multitasking lowers our IQ and really is not getting more done (even though it feels like it)?  Today we talk about the myth of multitasking, what we can do instead, and I'll assign you an experiment to be conducted in your work culture laboratory!

The Power of Purpose was talked about in a past episode, but it's always a good time to strengthen our connection to purpose. Let's talk about it! Power of Purpose Week 14

After a talk I gave last year someone said they like my philosophy. It got me to thinking about that word, and today we talk about philosophy, how it differs from science, and how we can approach change with knowledge.  Reflection questions included!

What do surfing, bullet points, and yesterday's business headlines have in common? They are all part of today's bonus episode, a case study on Patagonia, including a (wait for it!) breaking news update towards the end that I recorded in the middle of the night after reading a different perspective of Patagonia's recent restructuring.  The main subject of this episode is Patagonia's long history of doing business differently, and how that might inspire change in our own workplaces.  And we also touch on the recent re-structuring that everyone is losing their sh!t over for one reason or another. Is it "responsible" capitalism? Or a tax dodging scam? You decide! Sources: Forbes.com Forbes.com (re: commercial) LinkedIn Business Blog Time.com Mentions: The History of Work Documentary

Quiet quitting has been happening for decades so I'm not sure why everyone is losing their sh!t over it!  In this episode I'm finally jumping on the Quiet Quitting train and briefly sharing my thoughts, and wrapping up with some reflection questions.

What is capitalism and how does it inform our workplaces? In today's bonus episode I welcome my very first podcast guest, Lauren Kay Roberts, Anticapitalist Coach & Consultant and co-host of the All The F*ck In podcast. We talk about past toxic workplaces, a community approach to business and activism, what the future of work might look like, and much more. Join us, won't you? Referenced in this episode: Tema Okun's paper on White Supremacy Culture Dan Price in the news  Where you can find Lauren: Website Instagram Podcast