Punk Rock HR

Robert Sutton is a Professor of Management Science and Engineering and a Professor of Organizational Behavior (by courtesy) at Stanford University. He co-founded the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (which everyone calls “the d.school”). He’s also a Ph. D., but he doesn’t like to be called Doctor, or even Robert. His latest book is called The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal With People Who Treat You Like Dirt, and that’s what he and Laurie talk about on today’s episode. Bob and Laurie both think the management landscape is broken, and according to Bob, managers tend to make two major mistakes. First, they overestimate their own value. In practice, this means that the more they micromanage employees, the more highly they'll rate their employees’ performance, whether they actually perform better or not. Second, managers don't know when to back off. It’s true: when an authority figure is in the room, it has a stifling effect – and Bob reveals why leaving the room is often the better move. What’s the solution? Bob argues that we do need some management, but we need as little as we can get away with. Think about it: nowhere in the animal kingdom or in human society does there exist a group without some sort of pecking order. Google tried to get rid of it in the early days, but that blew up in their faces. Bob shares another story about GitHub’s dysfunctional lack of management adhocracy which led to every business owner’s worst nightmares and a founder getting forced out. Want some quick and dirty advice on how to deal with assholes when you’re stuck in your job and you can't get out? Bob’s got some tips for you. In fact, he’s the expert on how to deal with assholes; he even wrote the book on it. But the answer is probably going to shock you, and he shares a story of someone who worked at Apple for 25 years and how he avoided Steve Jobs’ wrath. You also don’t want to miss the technique another of Bob’s colleagues uses on assholes – he deals with this problem like a research scientist would! Bob’s latest passion project is spearheaded by his podcast, Friction. What is organizational friction? Bob’s learned a lot about it – he and his co-host have tracked organizations as they scale, and how great ideas and excellence can spread, but the big obstacle is continuing to do the great things they’ve been doing all along. Friction, frustration, and fatigue – they bring everyone down. But in his research, Bob has also found good things about friction, such as when friction was a result of a problem that could be fixed. When is friction good or bad? Are there times when you should embrace the friction or you should change the system to eliminate it? Bob shares a wealth of insights on how to deal with friction in the workplace. One of these is ‘the cone of friction.’ It’s a person who, wherever they go, cause friction around them. He also draws in the legendary George Carlin’s saying: “Your stuff is shit; my shit is stuff.” Some of the worst managers and leaders act like children and lick the cookie. Rebecca Hinds was a guest on Bob’s podcast, and he shares the DIY sabotage that creates bottlenecks and breakpoints within a company. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Bob SuttonWebsiteTwitterLinkedInFriction PodcastAsshole VideosBooksPodcast AppearancesBob’s Favorite Friction Podcast Episodes Don’t Sugar Coat Your Culture with Patty McCord Friction’s Antidote: Radical Candor with Kim Scott DIY Sabotage: Lick the Cookie with Rebecca Hinds of Dropbox

Sam Weston is attempting the impossible: trying to educate our lawmakers about technology and its effect on the workforce. Okay, maybe it’s not impossible, but so far, it’s been an uphill battle as automation and artificial intelligence have continued to take jobs from people who need them. There’s no support for those people, and Sam’s mission is not just to raise awareness; he aims to help those lawmakers by giving them context with awareness, and a plan to make things better. Sam was born in New Zealand and began his career in politics there, but it wasn’t long before he came to the US to become a political consultant. From there, he stepped into PR and then into an Internet agency where he participated in the early days of the Internet and saw its impact on business. The Internet has been great for business. We all know this. But there’s a hidden truth that no one wants to talk about. Businesses have been growing but it’s at the expense of employees, and the Internet explosion threw fuel on the fire. Consider: Facebook changed the world, but have all the changes been good? No doubt you’ve seen a million different promises that if you fix THIS ONE THING, you’ll fix work for yourself. It’s the perfect marketing pitch. But according to Sam, fixing one problem won’t fix all of work. In fact, a lot of what people say is broken about work isn’t really broken at all. Case in point: communication. So, if all these problems are just symptoms, then what is the actual problem? It’s simple: no one is fixing work for employees. All the consultants, programs, and courses are trying to fix work for the company instead. Most employers are happy with the way things are and Sam reveals what’s really on their minds when they think of fixing work. If you’re a cynic, you’ll agree. As always, there’s an underlying problem here: the interests of a company are its shareholders. And that interest will always be diametrically opposed to the interest of the employee who asks, ‘how can I get paid what I’m worth?’ A different sort of problem for those who don’t struggle to earn enough to live is finding purpose and meaning in their work. They wonder if they’re wasting their lives. The amount of change rushing toward the workforce is massive. With the advent of AI and technology, more and more jobs will be disappearing. Importantly, this second rush of automation won’t just affect automotive industries and factory workers; it’s the white-collar workers who will bear the brunt of this coming change. Laurie asks a scary question, ‘is the future of work NOT work?’ Sam believes the jury is out on whether the number of jobs AI creates will be more or less than the number of jobs it destroys. But here’s the parallel issue: no one is talking about the jobs it will destroy. According to Sam, we are drowning in awareness of problems, but we aren’t drowning in change. This is what he’s dedicated himself to fixing. If we can present the problems that technology brings, give it context, and make it matter to policymakers, that is a HUGE step forward in heading off the issues before they arise. It might not only be up to policymakers and business owners to create a vision for the future. In the past, families like the Rockefellers and Carnegies have done amazing work, so where are the new millionaires and billionaires who are creating real, positive change in our world? (If that’s you, Sam has some pointed advice that can help you make almost immediate change and why you shouldn’t focus on foundations.) The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Find Sam Online:Sam Weston's Website TwitterLinkedInEssence Global on Facebook

Laurie gets emails all the time with the same question: ‘Should I quit my job?’ She admits right off she might not be the best person to ask; she’s not exactly driven to work. Despite that, she’s been in the HR world for the past 25 years and she’s seen it all. Laurie begins with the first answer she generally gives: Yes. Quit your job. Here’s why. Let’s get one thing straight. You don’t write in asking if you should quit your job for no reason. You’re asking because you WANT to quit your job and you want permission to do it. But in today’s society, we’re expected to ask for advice, to get consensus and validation. Consider this your green light. Stop asking and just go for it. There’s another group of people who actually love what they do but they’re embroiled in wage gaps, #MeToo issues, terrible bosses, and bad work environments in general. It doesn’t seem fair that they have to quit their jobs, but Laurie has some tough love that you need to hear. Maybe your job is craptastic and the only reason you’re in it is that you can’t find another job. Know this: you are not expected to keep yourself in a toxic environment. If you can’t find one job to replace the terrible one, then find two. Do whatever it takes to get yourself out of the toxic situation because it is slowly killing you. It is self-abuse. Stop it! You deserve better. Are you angling toward something more entrepreneurial? Maybe a swim school or frozen yogurt stand? Great! If you’re determined to be your own boss, then bet on yourself. Get a business plan and get to work. But make sure you’re ramping up first. Don’t quite a job and THEN start a company; it’s a recipe for disaster. Are you really struggling with the decision? Then get someone qualified to help you work through it. We’re not talking about some sketchy Internet life coach who is using you to self-soothe their own past. Laurie recommends talking with a psychiatrist or psychologist – no, really! If that’s not an option, check out The Muse. They have certified career coaches to help you take the right steps when you’re ready to quit work. Finally, if you’re determined to quit your job, make sure you take all your paid time off and exhaust every benefit in your employee handbook. Use your health insurance to make sure you’re well; go to the dentist, the eye doctor. While you’re doing this, try to remember why you accepted the job in the first place. What made you say yes? Is it worth leaving? Think through it. Laurie’s final piece of advice is instrumental: expand your network. Talk to smart people. If you truly CAN’T leave your job and it’s a toxic environment, then you need good people around you. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Episodes referenced in this podcast:Eric Barker Episode on being smart about choosing your jobKatrina Kibben Episode on how to ramp up a businessBen Brooks Episode on democratizing coachingScott Stratten Episode on burning down your careerOther links:The MuseUnmarketing podcast with Scott Stratten IF YOU NEED HELP:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline United StatesCall 1-800-273-8255 - Available 24 hours every dayCrisis text line: Text CONNECT to 741741 in the United States.List of international suicide hotline numbersWorkaholics Anonymous The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths of Despair'

Has your company tried to implement leadership training that ended up doing absolutely nothing for the leaders or the employees? If so, you’re not alone, and it’s because they’re missing a key component in what makes a great leader: accountability. Today’s guest, Vince Molinaro is an expert on the subject. In fact, he wrote the book on it, The Leadership Contract. He and Laurie talk about the 5 behaviors of accountable leaders and ways to fix a disengaged, broken workforce.Vince Molinaro is a thought leader and consultant, and author of the fantastic book, The Leadership Contract. We all have our stories about work and the leadership we experienced, some good and some bad. But some of them are just lukewarm. Dead and dull, the daily grind, even in sectors where the work itself is life-changing. Vince shares the story of his time at a company like that, and the heartbreaking reason why the turnaround his mentor and leader spearheaded ended up failing and the toxicity that was behind a curtain. This experience is what set Vince on his path of thought leadership. Vince’s former mentor and boss was the epitome of great leadership. Not only did she have what Vince calls leadership ESP, but she also shielded him and the other employees from the toxicity of upper management. All that Vince does, he does in memory of his mentor. She inspired him to work only with truly great leaders. Is there one, standard definition of what great leadership is, or does it vary from organization to organization? Vince has spent a long time learning and researching that very questions, and what he’s found is that while companies are investing more and more in leadership programs, they aren’t happy with the outcomes. It all comes down to accountability. Vince shares the 5 behaviors that describe a truly accountable leader: holds others to high standards of performance, is excited about the company and shows that enthusiasm every day, has the courage to tackle tough issues and the courage to have difficult conversations, knows how to cascade and communicate strategy, and one who keeps their eyes truly open. Laurie points to the chicken and egg problem with trying to find future leaders in a workforce that is largely disengaged. She and Vince talk about the huge opportunities companies have missed and instead have tried foosball tables and cafeterias to increase engagement. For example, focusing on leader engagement sets off a ripple effect throughout the entire company. Don’t kill the souls of the people who work for you. Please. Do us all a favor and take Vince’s advice on how to get your passion back and become engaged once again in your role as a leader. First of all, you have an obligation to lead. Leadership is a contract (which is why he named his book The Leadership Contract). But you ALSO have an obligation to yourself to fulfill, and that is to ask yourself whether you’re really meant for a leadership role. Vince brings a measure of optimism to Laurie’s normal cynicism, and he shares his thoughts on how you can fix work for yourself. Yes, the robots are coming. There’s AI. There’s employee disengagement all around. But then there’s YOU. You have a wealth of experience in the trenches, and Vince reveals how you can be the change you hope to see at work and the tremendous opportunities that await you. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Links from this episode:The Leadership ContractVince on LinkedIn

Chances are you’ve already seen the Gender Equity Iceberg, and today, Laurie talks with Adrienne Murphy, Ph.D., of Dimitry|Murphy & Associates. Adrienne is a wicked smart psychologist, business leader, and consultant who works with professional women to align their jobs with their values. But what’s more is that Adrienne helps these women find their voice, develop their careers, and break through glass ceilings. Even so, her common-sense approach to careers and life can help men, too. Adrienne doesn’t just believe that work is broken. She has proof. She held a focus group filled with professional women who have opted out of the workforce and instead, spent their time doing ‘meaning-making’ work. These are the types of women, along with first-time professionals, are the focus of Adrienne’s work. When Adrienne works with these women, she has two primary things to teach. First, your career is an asset, just like your portfolio. Second, if you want to be something more than a director, you need to know yourself. Adrienne explains what she means and gives some great examples of how to do both. Laurie and Adrienne dig into the layer beneath opting out of the workforce by asking why these women choose to follow a different path, and the reason might surprise you. Naturally, there’s the money, the hierarchy, the inequality, the glass ceiling, but that’s not all. Adrienne believes that it’s also values that clash with one other within a single woman. It’s not always easy to use your voice when you don’t have words to describe the problems you experience. Adrienne has some powerful advice for you that includes sitting with your feelings for enough time to give them words, and then being mindful of how you communicate them to others. Have you seen the Gender Equity Iceberg infographic in your social media feeds? (If not, find it here!) Laurie and Adrienne take a closer look at the iceberg theory, from legal to cultural issues, and what to do about them. In addition, the illegal actions that occur won’t go away until the cultural behaviors, those below the waterline on the iceberg, are dealt with as well. Would you believe that some companies are actually recognizing fathers and their role in parenting by giving them paternity leave? It’s this and a few other heartwarming things Adrienne shares that gives her hope about the future of work. Speaking of the future of work, Adrienne has an interesting viewpoint of how technology will help people map out their career path. But what is REALLY fascinating is how she believes that women have influenced the workforce in such a way that the traditional hierarchy will give way to project-based organization. Adrienne has some beautiful words to share around #itdoesnthavetobethisway. You might not be able to make change in your life immediately, but with a plan and an open mind, your life doesn’t have to be this way. Links from this episode:Adrienne MurphyTwitterFacebookWebsite The Gender Equity Iceberg (Download)Other links:Jane Harmon

Katrina has a unique way of fixing work. She’s blazed a trail into nearly uncharted territory with an audacious goal: to take high volume, low retention jobs and make them not suck. She’s not afraid of a challenge; one of her clients hires people for split-shifts to work with small children. We love kids, don’t get us wrong. But it’s not always easy to work with a group of someone else’s kids. So, Katrina wants to help people find the right job, not just any job. It’s not all on the employee to find the right job, which is why Katrina focuses on teaching the employers what that phrase means. Katrina rounds out her list of places that suffer from high turnover rates. Have you ever held one of these jobs? And if you’re the one hiring for these positions, well. You’ll want to take notes. How does Katrina help these employers? She explains some of the first things she does when she comes in to consult with a company. First among them is taking a psychological profile of the top, most successful, employees in the role. Katrina draws on her own personal experience when working with her clients, and she makes an ‘on the nose’ observation about how she felt in her various roles. She was needed but not valued. Take a moment and let that sink in. Needed but not valued. Katrina has a unique combination of skills which has landed her in a strange array of jobs, and she shares how, no matter the size of the company, no matter the job title, the day-to-day experience rarely changed. And that’s why she started her own company. Laurie makes an interesting assertion that employees rarely grow within a company. Instead, they grow by going from one job to another. This is especially true for Katrina; as a consultant, she hops from one situation to another, and in doing so, she’s fixed work for herself. It wasn’t an easy road for her; she was conditioned to the stability of a guaranteed paycheck every month. Her first stint as an entrepreneur didn’t end well, and it wasn’t because of lack of clients. It was because of fear. Katrina was much more focused for Round 2 of being an entrepreneur. She reveals her mindset and what she did differently this time around, a lesson you can take if you’re ready to break out of your own job and fix work for yourself. Even if your parents were strict military. If you’re currently struggling in YOUR role, Katrina has some fantastic advice. But to start, you have to answer one question. Are you going to stay or are you ready to leave? Staying at a company where you’re unhappy IS a valid choice, but there’s a very important consideration. If you can’t be honest and transparent about your unhappiness, then you need to leave. As a manager, keeping your employees motivated and engaged is a constant battle. So is keeping yourself motivated and engaged. Katrina shares WHY retail jobs are so challenging and it all comes down to one thing: the more humans you have to encounter in one day increases the ratio of assholes you deal with. You might think that good jobs don’t exist in retail jobs. But Katrina says that isn’t true, at least for all people. There is one problem at work that Katrina is currently obsessing over that no one else is even thinking about. It’s the Fallacies of Work, a rote list of do’s and do not’s that somehow still exist from a totally different age, and Katrina smashes every single one of them. The DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!Katrina Kibben:Three Ears Media BlogThree Ears Media WebsiteLinkedInTwitter

So far no one has challenged Laurie on her premise that work is broken. Until today. Eric Barker is the author of the bestselling book, Barking Up The Wrong Tree, and he believes that issues with managing people and organizing them to accomplish things is a perennial challenge. In fact, he doesn’t believe work is broken because it was never fixed in the first place. Dive in with Laurie and Eric in this stimulating conversation about the state of work. Eric explains why he doesn’t think work is broken, and it’s because he believes it was never fixed in the first place. From technology changes to cultural changes, work is a perennial problem, and you might be inclined to agree with him on this point. Aside from loving the title of his book, it was also Laurie's favorite non-fiction book of 2017. She asks him a pointed question about success. There are many misconceptions, so you might want to check your own beliefs about what success at works really means. Is it the quality of work? Is it the quantity? Does success in one department look the same as success in another? What about from one manager to the next, and personality conflicts? Eric tackles these tough topics and more. Eric shares something EVERY job-searcher should know when they go into an interview. You see, peer pressure isn’t just something that affects teenagers. It affects us at every age, and the most insidious part of it according to Eric is that we don’t even realize it. What is ‘learned helplessness’ at work? It’s when employees don’t have a sense of agency and felt like they actually could make choices, even exercise a single choice. It turns employees into victims, and Eric gives some very solid steps you can take today to pull yourself up from that position. Volunteering can change your life. It’s true, but why? Eric and Laurie talk about the different thing you can do, and it’s not just about helping others. It’s about changing your sense of worth and identity. You aren’t your job. You are a person and we, as people, can easily get caught in destructive loops. And don’t worry; you don’t need to volunteer for 50 hours a week. You can do it for as little as 2 hours and feel the effects. The Venn Diagram of happiness and success definitely overlap, but not completely. Eric and Laurie investigate what it really means when the two overlap, and the tricky areas where they don’t. Does your work environment allow you to do what you do best? Or what if you’re happy with your job but not successful? What’s in store for you when you’re outside of Venn’s sweet spot? Let’s get one thing straight – if you’re going to fix work, you’ll have to start by fixing yourself. This concept can get VERY woo-woo when you listen to some of the inspirational speakers out there. They think they can make change by ‘whispering a few words’ in your ears. Laurie isn’t big on that. Mindfulness and meditation are good, no doubt, but she and Eric have a deep discussion about what kind of self-help is really needed. By the way… it’s your fault. You can’t underestimate the importance of relationships in work and life. So much of the unhappiness in the world is caused by loneliness. Eric lays out some scenarios. Do any of these sound familiar to you in your life? If you’re going to invest in anything, invest in relationships. Find Eric:Website/BlogLinkedIn Barking Up The Wrong Tree BookThe DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!

Katie Augsburger, Founder and Partner of Future Work Design, advocates for equitable workplaces by challenging traditional systems. She shares a humorous yet eye-opening story about discovering urinals in a women’s restroom, highlighting how current work structures often exclude many. Katie introduces her 'curbside' effect theory, urging companies to center the least advantaged in their designs. With a focus on asking deep, impactful questions, she emphasizes that smashing outdated systems can create new pathways for inclusivity and success for all.

Ben Brooks was THE guy in HR. He had it all, but then he left it all to became an entrepreneur. Today Ben and Laurie talk about how coaching, whether it’s with a coach or on your own, can help you fix yourself AND your work. Not sure what life coaching is or why it matters? They’ll answer these questions and more in today’s episode. Ben talks about this ‘arranged marriage’ to corporate America, and how it really didn’t fit with his ideas of innovation and making things better. In fact, one of his peers told him point blank: he had outgrown a 50,000-person company. Ben shares what a gift that message was. Ben took a little time before beginning his journey into entrepreneurship, and what finally changed his mind about it was a name tag. Would he choose unemployed, entrepreneur, or employee? After a week among entrepreneurs, Ben realized he’d found his tribe. Ben did what a lot of new entrepreneurs do: he started without a real business plan. He reveals what he learned about business plans, what his first little while was like, and when things finally took a positive turn for him. He shares his thought about generalist advisers, and what he says will surprise you: you don’t absolutely NEED to be in a niche, not in today’s world. Ben talks about what he calls ‘democratizing coaching.’ In a nutshell, it means getting coaching to more people, when they need it, and at prices they can afford. He explains why he was driven to do this rather than set up a $500/hr coaching practice. Ben’s revelation about group coaching surprises Laurie, and it will probably surprise you, too. One of the problems Ben ran into with Pilot, his coaching company, was that people loved it but they believed their company should pay for employment coaching. So he turned to companies, and while many of them won’t invest in it, there is a distinct group of forward-thinking leaders who have, like those at MetLife. Do you need a business coach? Before you answer, listen to what Ben has to say about it. He likens it to marriage counseling. If you’ve ever been fired or left a job, are you able to see past your emotions and understand what really went wrong? Are you able to fix it for yourself? The answer may not be to start your OWN business, because if you aren’t able to fix yourself, entrepreneurship won’t do it for you. According to people smarter than us, one of the biggest factors of happiness at work is self-advocacy. Ben and Laurie discuss what that means and why it seems to be more difficult for women. They also reveal what to do to be a better advocate for yourself. Ben leaves his final message that everyone needs to hear: Take command of your career. It’s the tagline of his business, Pilot. He shares the inspiration behind it, and why it will change your life. Want to know more about Ben? Find him here:Pilot websiteFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInPinterestYouTubeThe DIY HR HandbookWouldn't you love to get your hands on Laurie's no-holds-barred, honest DIY HR Handbook for employees and pros alike? Download it for free!

Have you ever effed something up so badly you’re not sure if anything will get better ever again? Laurie has. In this candid, bonus episode, she shares her biggest failure – a product called GlitchPlan that was supposed to help you do pre-mortem on a situation. What’s that? Laurie explains the concept and talks about how she’d been doing it herself for a lifetime. It was a sure thing, or so she thought. Laurie explains what the concept of pre-mortem is and shares some very painful moments in her past where she was forced to use it to make life-changing decisions. It’s one of her core mantras: if you can see it, you can beat it. Laurie and her partner pulled together a team of 5, all of whom were experts, but all of whom were also employed elsewhere. Except Laurie. That was the first indicator of failure. Laurie talks about what her life was like being a CEO of a company whose employees weren’t engaged. But the employees weren’t the only ones to blame. Laurie talks about how she failed them. One of the next indicators of failure Laurie shares was that, in hindsight, if your tech team won’t even use what they’re building, there’s something wrong. Laurie was using it, though, and her pre-mortem problem lists weren’t being avoided. They were happening right before her eyes. In other words, she used her own product to watch its development fail. Oh, the irony. Laurie ended up firing part of her team, but she wasn’t finished with GlitchPath just yet. After some reflection, she brought together another set of people – and she has great experience as a recruiter. But she said something in her job ad that had people coming out of the woodwork to gripe at her. It was just two little words and it was the best thing she did during the entire GlitchPath experience. Version two of Laurie’s team was amazing. Except for two things. The team wouldn’t use it. Again. Laurie tells the story of development of a product no one wanted to use. The second problem? No one else wanted to use it. Laurie reveals the interesting reason why; it has to do with fear at work. Laurie’s third goal was to integrate GlitchPath into other apps and tools on the market: Slack, Asana, Basecamp, etc. Her two lessons there were 1) most companies use weird project management, and 2) none of those tool companies would every buy her out, which she had hoped for from the beginning. Laurie still loves the pre-mortem concept, but GlitchPath was a dead end. She brought her team together and killed it for the second, and final, time. She shares the big lessons she learned from GlitchPath, personally and professionally. Enjoy this bonus episode? Do you want more like it? We’re thinking about putting together a community where you’ll get all normal content PLUS juicy tidbits, stories, access to Laurie, and an inside look at how she’s fixing work. Let us know! Email us at hello@letsfixwork.com.