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In this podcast episode, we explore the lasting impact of the pandemic on work culture and customer relationships. Jeff's guest Jim Harter, is the Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing at the Gallup Corporation. Jim shares insights from his upcoming book "Culture Shock," offering solutions for a better world of work and life. Jeff and Jim discuss the common challenges organizations are facing coming out of the pandemic, including deteriorating customer relationships and declining employee engagement. Jim reveals the key habits of great managers and the five innate traits that predict managerial success. They dive into the importance of focusing on employee strengths rather than weaknesses, and how to build a diverse, strengths-based culture. Listen to discover how organizations can thrive in the post-pandemic era and create an engaged and productive workforce.

Explore the connection between sports and business with Jeff's guest, Randy Bennett. Randy is the renowned Saint Mary’s Men’s Basketball coach and on this episode he shares his insights and experiences in coaching his team to excellence. Randy shares about the transormation from when he inherited a 2-27 team 20-years ago to one of the top non-Power 5 programs in the US, with a 70.9% win-loss ratio. Together, Jeff and Randy discuss leadership, teamwork, strategy, and culture in both sports and business. Randy shares valuable coaching tips about the importance of adaptability, a positive attitude, and teamwork in achieving success. They discuss the difference between improving personal best personal average, and how to manage systemic turnover in sports and business.

Difficult conversations are commonplace at work, but many people avoid them. Avoiding conflict sometimes feels easier, so we might avoid that tough conversation even though not having it might come at a high cost. In this episode, Jeff speaks to an expert who helps us understand the best strategies for managing difficult conversations and conflicts. Francesca LeBaron is a faculty member at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and she "teaches the class" (literally) on healthy conflict at work. Jeff and Francesca explore why it's important to know the goal of a conversation before engaging, how visioning helps us be proactive with difficult conversations, and the impact role-playing has on our ability to resolve conflict in a healthy way. Francesca also shares practical tips for employees looking to manage conflict when trying to manage up. She also talks about the tangible financial benefits of conflict resolution, including increased engagement, reduced turnover, better productivity, and improved brand equity.

In this episode, Jeff and his guest are diving into the exciting world of HR Tech! To shed some light on this complicated topic, Jeff interviewed Phil Strazzulla, Founder of [SelectSoftware Reviews](https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/), a website dedicated to helping HR teams find and buy the right software. Phil is passionate about HR Tech, remote work, investing, and people operations. Jeff and Phil explore the biggest and most important trends in HR Tech, why they matter, and the hottest categories currently in HR Tech. They also discuss the ROI of different types of HR software and which categories provide the greatest opportunity for business transformation. Additionally, they talk about the cost of not implementing the right HR Tech, how AI is impacting the industry now, and how it will transform the future. Jeff and Phil dive into how we can use AI to eliminate bias and what practices leaders need to deploy before considering installing new tech in the workplace. Finally, they discuss why HR tech will never replace the critical face-to-face conversations we must have in the workplace.

In this episode of the Human Capital podcast, host Jeff Hunt interviews Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston University and board member of 4 Day Week Global, a research non-profit studying the concept of a four-day workweek. Juliet shares her findings on the benefits of a shorter workweek, including better work-life balance, higher employee retention, increased productivity, and decreased burnout rates. She also discusses how companies successfully made the shift to a four-day workweek and whether this change will become a competitive advantage for recruiting and retention. Juliet addresses concerns about measuring productivity and overcoming resistance from leaders who may be skeptical of this paradigm shift. Juliet's research sheds light on why this idea is gaining momentum and why it may become a significant ESG measure for companies in the future.

In this episode, Jeff and his guest Sumeet Salwan dive deep into how to identify and create value in an organization, while building a truly innovative and inclusive organizational culture. Sumeet is a co-founder of CEO Works, and he helps public-company CEOs make better value-creation decisions when leveraging talent. Previously he was Global Head of HR for the Johnson & Johnson consumer and medical device companies. He was also with Unilever for over 20 years, rising from intern to Senior VP, of HR. Sumeet shares how to build cultures that move beyond the numbers when improving diversity. Sumeet and Jeff discuss how to improve diversity awareness, improve decision-making, and why alternate viewpoints can result in improved outcomes.

This week Jeff and his guest talk about something that feels counter-intuitive to many; reducing workplace stress while also achieving higher productivity. Jeff's guest Chris Bailey is a best-selling author and lecturer on both productivity and calm. In their conversation, Chris shares with Jeff about the science behind living a deeper, more intentional life. They discuss the link between calmness and productivity, the impact of dopamine on our ability to be calm, and simple strategies that can not only reduce anxiety and home and work, but lead to a greater sense of peace. Chris helps listeners understand what the six factors are that lead to burnout, how to do a dopamine fast, and how to make better decisions about dividing our time between the digital and analog worlds.

In this episode, Jeff and his guest help us unpack how we can approach uncertainty through a lens of opportunity. This week's guest is Chris Scalia, he is Senior Vice President and CHRO at The Hershey Company, overseeing 16,000 employees. Chris is a C-suite executive with a rare combination of HR expertise, commercial business acumen and experience practicing HR law. Jeff and Chris show us how HR can play a pivotal business role in converting VUCA to opportunity. They talk about how leaders can not only plan better during times of uncertainty, but make better strategic decisions that benefit employees, customers, and stakeholders when things seem to be volatile and complex. Jeff and Chris talk about how to avoid overcorrection when managing in the face of risk and economic pressure, and the power of empathy when connecting with others.

Jeff is back from his short sabbatical to welcome Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor at UC Irvine. Jeff and Gloria discuss the relationship between our digital and offline behavior. They talk about technology at work, and how stress and mood are affected by our computer usage. Gloria shares research on how we are easily overloaded with information, and as a result get overwhelmed — especially in the workplace. Jeff and Gloria debunk the fallacy of multitasking and reveal the benefits of monotasking. They talk about the 4 myths of using technology at work. Gloria shares how meditation and mindfulness can improve our ability to focus, helping us to achieve goals, communicate better, make better decisions, and dramatically improve efficiency and safety. Gloria's New Book: [Attention Span](https://www.amazon.com/Attention-Span-Groundbreaking-Happiness-Productivity/dp/B0BF18MYL9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=attention+span+gloria+mark&qid=1675459755&sprefix=attention+span%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1)

This week Jeff revisits his interview with Dr. Amer Kaissi. Amer is an author of several books, an executive coach, a keynote speaker, and a professor at Trinity University. Jeff and Amer discuss the meaning of humility in a leadership context, including knowing and reflecting on your own strengths and weaknesses. During this insightful interview, Amer shares how humility comes from a place of strength, not weakness. He shares how he arrived at combining the terms humble and ambitious in the title of his new book “Humbitious.” Jeff and Amer discuss the relationship between competency and humility and they talk about whether it's possible to learn to be humble. Amer reviews the benefits of mindfulness at work, reveals three blocks to humility in leaders, and shares how to apply this knowledge everyday.

Jeff kicks off the new year with some tips on goal-setting, including how to ensure your vision and values are aligned to goals, and reviewing common goal-setting mistakes. As he takes a pause on producing new episodes for 6-weeks, Jeff revisits his interview with Xavier Naville, Author of “The Lettuce Diaries: How A Frenchman Found Gold Growing Vegetables in China.” Xavier is the Principal at Vision Management Consultants, and was CEO of the Creative Food Group, a key supplier to major restaurant chains in China, like McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks. Xavier grew the company to one that now has nine factories serving 6,500 restaurants a day and over $150MM in revenue. Jeff and Xavier discuss how his business experiences in China were vastly different than what is typical in most western companies. They talk about which leadership principles are universal, regardless of the country or industry. Xavier shares his personal stories about managing a Chinese team as a foreigner, trying to work with Chinese farmers to improve how they conducted agriculture, all while navigating investor demands. He and Jeff discuss the five ingredients that make up the “Complete Leader.” Xavier shares vulnerably from his leadership journey, which included some nail-biting experiences of being an expatriate in China, almost failing at his business, and his eventual successful exit.

On this episode Jeff revisits his interview with Ginger Lapid-Bogda, PhD, she is an expert in using the Enneagram personality typing system in business. Jeff & Ginger discuss how 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests to assess employees and potential candidates. Ginger shares how the Enneagram, with its 9 types is inexpensive or free, and can help people not by putting them "in a box," but helping them "get out of the box." Together they explore her book “Transform your Team with the Enneagram. Build trust, decrease stress, and increase productivity.” Ginger helps us take a pragmatic look at team dynamics and shows us how the different Enneagram types relate to the “forming, storming, norming, and performing" model. Jeff and Ginger discuss the difference between a group and a team, and why impatience is the greatest enemy of becoming a high-performing team. Ginger shares with Jeff the benefits of using assessment tools which include improved self-awareness, understanding candidates better, shortening the recruitment cycle, reducing bias, spotting dark personality traits, and learning to work better together. And they also talk about the other side, the problems, that include inaccuracies, unintended recruitment bias, and interpretation problems.

On this episode Jeff interviews Gena Cox, about how leaders can build inclusion into workplace culture. Gena in an expert in inclusion, and has her PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology. Jeff and Gena discuss her new book, "Leading Inclusion, Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel.” Jeff and Gena explore why is it difficult for many C-Suite executives to understand and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that creates long-lasting change. They discuss the lack of education about black history in the United States among business leaders, and how can leaders can better understand the impact of racial trauma at work. Jeff and Gena explore the concept of REDI and how it is different from DEIB. Gina shares why some commonly used terms are not helpful when referring to disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.

Jeff explores the topic of uncertainty with guests Susannah and Nathan Furr, authors of "The Upside of Uncertainty." Nathan is professor of strategy at NSEAD University in Paris, and Susannah's formerly owned an apparel company. Together they explore the difference between risk and uncertainty, how creativity and uncertainty are interwoven, and how reframing, preparing, doing, and sustaining can lead us to the upside of uncertainty. Susannah and Nathan share with Jeff about what uncertainty balancers are, and how to better navigating the emotions that come with uncertainty to produce positive outcomes.

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday in the U.S., Jeff goes back to an insightful conversation with Chester Elton a top expert in workplace culture and employee wellbeing. Chester is the author of 14 books, including "Anxiety at Work" & "Leading with Gratitude". Jeff and Chester unpack the nuances of anxiety in the workplace and how it affects individuals and organizations. Chester talks about key strategies that lead to work environments with the best chance of reducing workplace anxiety. Jeff and Chester discuss how the strategies companies implement either increase or decrease anxiety at work, and how to create workplace cultures that combine high productivity with psychological safety. Where to find Chester Elton: Anxiety at Work Podcast – [Listen & Subscribe](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anxiety-at-work-with-adrian-gostick-chester-elton/id1549312484) The Culture Works - [Website](https://www.thecultureworks.com/) [WeThrive Together Community](https://www.wethrivetogether.global/)

Jeff interviews Dr. Scott Behson on the show and explores his book “The Whole Person Workplace.” Scott and Jeff discuss how leaders can better understand the needs, wants, passions, and personal situations of employees, and how to create a whole-person workplace to attract the best talent, keep people engaged and ultimately lead them to treat customers better. Scott shares several examples of how the leaders he interviewed applied personalized strategies to create a more integrated approach to work for employees, and how in many cases these initiatives can be inexpensive or free.

In this bonus episode, Jeff takes the role of the guest and is interviewed by Brad Rencher, the CEO of BambooHR in his podcast "The Era Podcast". Jeff and Brad talk about core values and workforce alignment, and they dive deep into the deeply human aspect of work. Jeff shares with us how culture can be a great differentiator for a business and how putting employees first really leads to better business outcomes while bringing some humanity back into the workplace.

On this episode Jeff interviews Rasmus Hougaard, the founder and CEO of Potential Project and the author of "Compassionate Leadership, How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way." Jeff and Rasmus explore how leaders can expect top performance while also being compassionate. They discuss important differences between compassion and empathy, and Rasmus shares some examples of exceptional leaders who are also compassionate. He discusses how mindfulness can be used at work to help prevent burnout. Rasmus talks about his extensive research on the difference between female and male (identifying) leaders, and what that research says about who is the better leader, and how gender is not a limiting factor. Rasmus guides listeners through a short yet powerful mindfulness exercise to reconnect with the present.

Jeff welcomes Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at HubSpot onto the podcast for a discussion about the HubSpot Culture Code. Katie shares about how to make inclusivity part of your organization’s DNA through transparency, measurement, integrity, and authenticity. Jeff and Katie discuss ways to leverage both the head and heart to make the case for diversity improvement, and why these elements must be a business priority. Katie talks about the importance of treating employees well even when things are not going well at your organization. She shares about the importance of vulnerability and how therapy can help reduce defensiveness and reactivity while leading to improved self-awareness. [Katie's Fast Company Article: Why Every Leader Needs a Therapist](https://www.fastcompany.com/90764421/why-every-leader-needs-a-therapist)

On this episode, Jeff welcomes Pat Lencioni, one of the best business authors of our time to explore his new book “The 6 Types of Working Genius.” They discuss the concept of how work happens in three phases: ideation, activation, and implementation. Pat talks about how each of us is created uniquely with two working geniuses that motivate and inspire us and help us reach a state of “flow.” He also shares how we have two competency and two frustration areas. Jeff and Pat talk about how teams must have people that represent these six areas of “Genius” to maximize team effectiveness and personal fulfillment. [The Working Genius - Website](https://www.workinggenius.com/) [The 6 Types of Working Genius - Buy the Book Here](https://www.amazon.com/Types-Working-Genius-Understand-Frustrations/dp/1637743297/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=6+types+of+working+genius+lencioni&qid=1662477492&sprefix=6+types%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1)