Lead the People

Traci Austin, is a certified coach and HR professional with over two decades of experience bridging the gap between the C-suite and HR leaders in aligning the business strategy to the business results. She is focused on partnering with leaders at all levels to create fulfilling work. This is done by focusing on 4 levers of engagement: Fit to role, Leadership, Team and Cultural alignment to the strategies and core values to meet the business outcomes. Traci uses her coaching, consulting and training expertise to serve organizations through the Leadership Development Program, Team Retention Program and group coaching for HR professionals. She is a highly sought after expert on these topics. She hosts a weekly podcast titled, The People Strategy Podcast with Traci Austin and has been distributed to thousands of HR professionals and business leaders across the globe. She is the Chief Strategy Consultant and owner of Elevated Talent Consulting, a certified women owned business, that partners with leaders in the mid-level manager roles and HR professionals to bridge the gap with both their team and the executive team in exceeding performance expectations while being fulfilled in their work. Top 3 Takeaways Clear is kind. Clear communication of outcomes and priorities is essential for accountability. Leaders should verify alignment with team members on priorities and document meeting outcomes with specific action items and deadlines. Reframe the pain. Complaints are actually unnamed requests. Effective leaders respond with curiosity rather than solutions, which helps team members identify and articulate what they really need. Lead don’t solve. Developing others requires leaders to resist solving problems themselves. Instead, we should use questions to guide our team members through problem-solving so they can build these skills for themselves. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Every complaint truly is just an unnamed request." "So often there's fear in that. So we don't say anything and we keep going in this cycle, which increases stress and that increases burnout and frustration 'cause we're not hitting our goals." "We can't effectively hold somebody accountable if we aren't in agreement on what we're holding them accountable for." "If you find yourself holding back and not wanting to enroll someone and uplevel them in a specific area, I think it's really important to ask yourself, ‘Why don't I want to give up this piece?’" Connect with Traci LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traci-austin The People Strategy podcast: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/podcast-2 Leadership Development program: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/leadership-development

Dr. Alise Cortez is the Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto, Now!, a human and organizational transformation consultancy specializing in unleashing business results by igniting and growing high-performance teams passionate about delivering on the organizational mission. The resulting rewards? Higher engagement, performance, innovation, retention, customer delight, and thus profitability. Dr. Alise is also an organizational psychologist and logotherapist, inspirational speaker, researcher, author, and host of the Working on Purpose podcast, and she is bent on awakening people and organizations to their passion and purpose and inspiring them to make a contribution worthy of their one, precious life. Top 3 Takeaways Do the math. Inspired workers are 225% more productive than merely satisfied workers. This means it’s crucial for businesses to focus on inspiring—not just satisfying—employees. All for one. Every generation brings value to workplace culture. From Boomers' dedication to Gen Z's purpose-driven approach, we each advance how we can work best together. One for all. Companies that prioritize all stakeholders—employees, customers, community, and environment—rather than only shareholders create stronger, more sustainable and more responsible businesses. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "Meaning is our source of fuel... our purpose is really that overarching, compelling directive force that tells us where to put those energies and efforts." "I believe every generation just advances and makes us better... every generation has added to that... that makes us a better version of our species." "If the productivity level of a satisfied worker [is] a level of 100, then... the engaged worker is actually at a level of 144. The inspired worker [is] 225. So it takes two and a quarter of the satisfied people to make one inspired person." "When all of your stakeholders are really firing on the same level, they're really cued into and they buy into your purpose... now you're really cooking with gas." "People became so much more conscious of ‘what did they want’ from their life and their work because for... many of them, the first time in their whole entire lives, they were forced to stop." "I think that increasingly... there is a higher consciousness that people do expect... that we will do our very, very best with and through business. And that means that we treat all of our stakeholders well." Connect with Alise Website: https://alisecortez.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisecortez

As Bonusly's Chief Customer Officer, Debra combines her passion for an exceptional customer experience with her drive to empower companies to connect, motivate, and engage their employees to build winning workplaces. Prior to Bonusly, Debra was the VP of CS at Beamery and the Chief Client Officer at Namely, to name a few. She has over 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles in Human Resources ranging from in-house HR leadership to HR Consulting, Outsourcing, Client Services, and Customer Success working directly with HR teams across a variety of industries. She currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband. Top 3 Takeaways Dial it in. Recognition needs to go beyond generic praise to be specific and meaningful. It should connect individual contributions to company values and business outcomes. Make the connection. In remote work environments in particular, leaders must create opportunities for connection and recognition. There are no hallway conversations online. Frequency counts. Career development should happen in the flow of work through regular coaching conversations and recognition. Aim for a weekly basis if not even more frequent. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "You have to reimagine the traditional top down recognition and rewards as a system that creates culture, a culture of positive recognition and influences the right business outcomes. So moving from just feel good to feel good and do good." "There's a real connectivity to helping the business achieve its objectives by helping people feel valued and recognized for the great work that they're doing." "When we shifted overnight to remote work for everyone... we lost a sense of connectedness and the ability to build real relationships in the workplace... we have to reimagine how we gather around the proverbial water cooler." "Every generation that comes into the workplace gets this pushback on their expectations... but really the greatest value that each generation brings is that they push the envelope. They take what the prior generation did, and they push it further because they see a different possibility." "Generic recognition, like 'great job,' or 'thanks for holding the door open' doesn't cut it. People see right through that... You have to be specific. You need to take the time to say something meaningful about what they did or how they did it." "Recognition and catching people at their best, whether it's living the values or achieving great outcomes is one half of the career development equation... The other piece of it is constructive feedback." "We've made career development this big thing over there that we have to stop everything else to do... That's not how the world works. We move much faster than that. If you're not looking at this on a weekly basis as part of your normal rhythm of how you engage with your team members, then you're missing out on the real opportunity there." Connect with Debra Website: https://www.bonusly.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrasquyres

As CEO, Geng leads a team of passionate change leaders to deliver software for nonprofit organizations that empowers them and their volunteers to more easily serve their communities. Prior to Civic Champs, Geng co-founded and sold two companies which were both based in Pittsburgh! The first, RentJungle.com was an apartment search engine and the second, Community Elf, was a social media management agency. Geng is also a former McKinsey & Company consultant and a graduate of Michigan State University and Harvard Business School. Top 3 Takeaways Shift Value. Social impact companies can attract talent at a 30% discount to market salaries since employees are willing to earn less to work for a mission they believe in. Line it Up. Unlike traditional businesses where growth and impact may diverge, Civic Champs' business model creates direct alignment - as they grow revenue by serving more nonprofits, their social impact automatically increases. Open the Door. While all generations value social impact, Gen Z is more likely to actively push for change and make career decisions based on their values compared to millennials, for example, who may have felt constrained by economic conditions. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source "You can't have impact if you have no money." "You get about a 30% discount... because people are just more willing to work with you because they say, 'Hey, you know, even if it doesn't pay as much, I still want to come here because it does a thing that I really believe in.'" "People aren't dumb. They're not going to buy things that aren't helping them... our ability to charge and to have nonprofits pay right shows that we're actually creating value for them... The bigger we grow, the more impact we have." "As you get older... having some sort of social impact becomes more and more important... when you have a business that is not as perhaps invested in just social impact, it can be less motivating at times, especially when the times are hard." "If you ask the nonprofits... they would feel an obligation [to operate efficiently] too, because when donors give you money... there's sort of an obligation... that you're entrusted with to make the most out of those dollars." "Millennials and Gen Z share very common values. But the main difference is that Gen Z acts on those values a bit more... they're pushing their employers to sort of align to their values." Connect with Geng Website: http://www.civicchamps.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gengwang  

Tom Riggs, CEO of MindWire and a seasoned expert in HR and operations, dives into the art of delegation. He reveals why many leaders struggle to let go, discussing the costs of micromanagement and the benefits of empowering teams. Tom shares tactics to effectively delegate by leveraging people-and-work mapping, ensuring tasks align with team strengths. His practical insights can save leaders several hours a week, allowing them to focus on strategic growth. Ultimately, he emphasizes that true leadership means making time for others and stepping up to higher-level responsibilities.

Aoife O’Brien is the founder of Happier at Work, with the mission to solve the problem that 85% of employees are disengaged at work. Using her research-based Happier at Work framework, she partners with leaders to focus on: workplace culture; cultivating balance; and empowering leaders. Her work supports employees to thrive and to reach their full potential, and while supporting organisations increase their bottom line. Aoife is the creator of the award-winning Imposter to Empowered® programme. She is a self-professed data nerd, with a 20+ year career in market research in the fast-moving consumer goods industry working with clients like Coca Cola, Unilever and Heinz to solve marketing problems using data analytics. Aoife has been featured by several national media platforms and public speaking events talking about imposter syndrome, fit, employee engagement, productivity, and remote working. Her award-winning podcast, Happier at Work®, features a combination of interview-based episodes as well as solo podcasting, and has a global audience of over 100k. She has lived and worked in Dublin, London, Perth, and Sydney and has a MSc in Work and Organisational Behaviour, a Diploma in Executive and Life Coaching and a Certificate in Career Coaching. Top 3 Takeaways Find the fit. Aoife’s experiences led her to the conclusion that fit is what’s needed to be happy at work. This led her to identify her Happier at Work framework. Meet their needs. As leaders, we want to put our people in a position to succeed. We need to give autonomy, share clear expectations and help others discover and utilize their strengths. Happiness is possible. We spend a lot of time at work, so we need to take steps to make it enjoyable. Whenever work feels like a struggle, it’s a sign that we need to discover what’s not working. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source “I became obsessed with this idea of fit. I did my entire dissertation on this concept of fit.” “As studies from various different global organizations will show that most people are not actually that happy at work, and probably people think that you can't be. But to me, there is this framework to it that if you follow, then that will drive your happiness at work.” “There's people talking about values, there's people talking about strengths, but the needs piece is something that we need to address.” “The interesting thing with these needs is it's not just about making sure that the needs are satisfied. It's about finding that balance.” “All of this needs to be underpinned by psychological safety. We need to feel able to share what's going on for us. We need to be able to speak up, to challenge the status quo.” “A lot of the time people feel like they're not reaching their full potential. So they feel like they have so much more to offer, but they don't necessarily have that opportunity there.” “Sometimes people just think, ‘Well, that's just how work is. That's how it's supposed to be.’ And maybe they don't even realize that they have that issue until they uncover all of these things, until they start talking about what's going on for them.” “The only people that leave are the people who are not aligned with the organization and that's okay because actually, they could be draining other people, they could be bringing morale down. They're not a good fit to be working in your organization anyway.” “Most organizations these days are very clear about the values that they have. I'm not sure that they're very clear in terms of stating what behaviors are expected and what behaviors are not expected around each of those values. And then even beyond that, I think there's a lot of companies that might be great at saying, ‘This is what the values are' but then not holding people to account.” Connect with Aoife Website: https://happieratwork.ie Assessment: https://happieratwork.scoreapp.com Happier at Work Podcast: https://happieratwork.ie/happier-at-work-podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

Kim Scott is the author of Radical Respect and Radical Candor and co-host of the Radical Candor Podcast. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a faculty member at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. In 2017, she co-founded Radical Candor, the company, to deliver digital courses and in-person and virtual keynotes and workshops around the world. Learn more at RadicalCandor.com. Top 3 Takeaways Stay timeless. When Kim introduced Radical Candor, the world was a different place. Her advice, however, is just as relevant as ever so continue to learn and apply her lessons. Sort them out. Interpersonal issues may look and feel similar, but there are important differences between bias, prejudice and bullying. Respond in kind. The right technique for one situation won’t produce the best outcome in another. Learn when to use I, it and you statements for full effect. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com.  From the Source “Every new generation is a little different, but the one thing that is always true is that it is the job of the younger generation to tell the older generation how we've screwed up.“ “It's pretty clear that coercion does not get the best out of people.” “We—as human beings—our superpower is collaboration, and when we try to tell people what to do or force them to do something, then we lose the benefit of collaboration and we don't get great results.” “It's so tempting when you have power to hang on to it. That is also a very old human instinct and a dangerous one.” “I think most people recognize that they want to honor individuality and that they expect their own individuality to be honored.” “There are two very different meanings of respect. One is something I have to earn. I have to earn your respect for me as a writer by writing a good book. But I'm not talking about the kind of respect that we have to earn. I'm talking about the other definition of respect which is the kind of unconditional regard that we owe each other for our shared humanity. And it's that kind of unconditional respect that I'm talking about with Radical Respect.” “The way that I earn the right to share whatever wisdom I've gotten by having had more years on the planet than the young people who I work with—or the one young people who I live with, teenagers at home—is by soliciting feedback from them by really rewarding their candor when they give it to me because I'm going to get it whether I want it or not.” “There's a million things that get in the way of Radical Respect but bias, prejudice, and bullying are the big three in my experience.” “Leaders have got to address bias, prejudice and bullying, and they've got to not just address it, but their real job is actually to prevent it from happening.” “Bias is a pattern and we as human beings, we’re pattern makers. We’re either going to make good patterns or bad patterns.” “It's also really important to make sure as a leader that you're creating consequences for bullying, because if there's one thing that's going to get in the way of a team's ability to work together well, it's someone who bullies others.” Connect with Kim Website: http://www.radicalcandor.com The Radical Candor Podcast: https://www.radicalcandor.com/candor-podcast  

Douglas Scherer is a dedicated father, speaker, author, professor, and researcher. His personal journey through the challenges of overcoming chronic pain from surgery complications and managing a global outage team led him to discover the transformative power of combining mindfulness with strategic decision-making. He speaks to leaders on ways to improve their mental well-being to tackle high-stakes decisions with clarity and purpose. His engaging talks and workshops help leaders embrace flexibility and agency through interactive practices and heartfelt stories. He is the author of the bestselling book, F.O.R.G.E.D.: Six Practices of Great Leaders in Volatile Times, which distills wisdom from leaders across various sectors into actionable practices. As a professor he teaches courses on strategic advocacy and leadership. Top 3 Takeaways Think fast. In so many ways, our world of work is spinning faster than ever. Whenever you feel pressed to make decisions despite not having all the information you’d like, you’re in The Forge. Fight the fear. It can be tempting to embrace incrementalism and to protect short term results. This turns out to be more risky than having the courage to be flexible and invite growth and uncertainty. Go with your gut. Despite the rise of data and analytics, human intuition continues to play an important role in our leadership. Use the tools and the evidence, but don’t hesitate to complement these with what simply feels most natural. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source “The Forge is really anywhere where you have to make a high stakes decision where there is not enough information to make that decision.” “What's unique about this time is that things are now moving more and more rapidly and there's an exponential growth in the velocity of how these things happen.” “Unfortunately, I have a long history of dealing with illnesses that have been either mistreated or couldn't be diagnosed, and some of them are very painful for long periods of time. I see that as very similar to the leadership experience when they're trying to do something like strategic thinking, but the board and the stakeholders are like, ‘Come on, make it happen, make it happen. And by the way, just do what you did last time, because that worked and we don't want to take any chances.’” “People, once they reach a state that they clamor for, they do not want to leave it. Why? Because it's cushy there. It's nice there. We're happy there. That stable state is what really kills you because you don't move, you don't change, but you're happy there.” “The ownership piece is extremely important. You have to own the failures and own the successes as a leader. You have to not micromanage and allow those people to own the unexpected, own the successes on the failures.” “The flexibility piece, I relate a lot to overcoming perfection—this desire for perfection.” “One of the biggest questions I get when I'm talking about intuition is ‘What about data?’ We're in a predictive, analytic world at this point.” Connect with Douglas Website: http://www.douglasscherer.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-douglas-scherer/

Jeff Sigel is an author, coach, and consultant who is passionate about creating better work environments and more fulfilling careers for middle managers everywhere. After over 20 years of corporate experience at Nabisco, The Hershey Company, grocery retailer Ahold, and the restaurant company Cracker Barrel, Jeff has shifted his focus to coaching mid-level leaders and supporting companies looking to empower their middle management teams. He is currently a consultant and coach focused on turning strategy into action by developing middle management excellence. His book, "The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers" is available on amazon.com. Top 3 Takeaways Keep on Learning. Appointing someone to a manager position doesn’t confer any new skills. Leadership and management take time, practice and reflection. Keep at it! Know the Roles. Leaders wear many proverbial hats. The three roles Jeff describes in his book are Doer, Leader, and Influencer. We need to perform each role well. Focus on Results. Each role produces its own outcome. Jeff did a great job explaining how the Doer, Leader, Influencer roles produce credibility, capacity and commitment when done right. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source “That was when I realized that leading people is not about what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.” “That was when I realized that leading people is not about what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.” “One of the fascinating things as I've been teaching people about this framework of Doer, Leader, Influencer is that sometimes that idea in and of itself is a big aha. Like, ‘Oh, my role isn't just to get things done anymore. I have to do these other things.’” “If you think about any problems that you run into with your boss, it's almost always a problem with credibility.” “Your goal as a leader should be to create a team that you trust to do things even when you're not around and get them right.” Connect with Jeff Website: https://jeffsigel.com The Middle Matters (book): https://amzn.to/3AMcerA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-sigel

Jason Cochran brings a unique blend of business savvy and psychological insight to his work as a business consultant and organizational psychologist with humanworks8. Ranked among the top 10 global thought leaders in HR, culture, and the future of work by Thinkers360, Jason draws on his diverse background and experiences as a psychologist, speaker, and tech co-founder to create healthier connections between people and the work ecosystem. Jason’s unique ability is envisioning new, innovative ways of thinking where he takes complex ideas or strategies and makes them simpler for others to understand, follow through on, and make their best contributions. Frustrated with the shortcomings of failed employee engagement initiatives, Jason created the 4 Principles of Connection®️ framework for employee experience (connecting with self, others, role, and the organization) to create better connected organizations. Top 3 Takeaways Embrace the future. We can’t stop the passage of time, and we shouldn’t try. Rather than fear what comes next, we need to take steps to get comfortable with evolution. Leverage your values. Instead of jumping headlong into the tactical details or mechanics of change, hit the pause button. Take a moment to revisit your organizational and personal values around learning and growth. Adapt or disappear. For a variety of reasons, widesweeping changes are happening faster than ever. Those organizations—and individuals—who resist change will quietly slip away. From Our Sponsor The Predictive Index (PI) is an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. More than 60 years of proven science, software, and a curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, foster engagement, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 clients and 480+ partners use PI—including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels—across 90+ countries. Learn more at predictiveindex.com. From the Source “I was always curious about connections between people and work, but then the future aspect of it really kicked in once I had kids, because now it's not just me thinking about ‘What's work going to look like for me?’. Now I'm thinking about it for them.” “Most leaders are extremely gifted and talented at the tactical—the X's and O's, but I think the important thing that happens that we often skip is we skip over the mindset piece.” “Once we hold on to something and believe it's true, it's really hard to convince us otherwise.” “You have to start with mindset, and you have to start thinking about it from a values level. And so certainly organizational values, I would highly recommend you have something around it there, but also when supporting people around understanding personal values. That there needs to be things around personal values as well that aligns with that in order to lead to more successful outcomes.” “Half of the Fortune 500 are no longer expected to be in the Fortune 500. So 50 percent turnover in the next four years. This is how quickly change is happening, how rapid it is, and what a large level at which it's happening.” Connect with Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/