People Business w/ O'Brien McMahon – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Ben Eubanks is a writer, speaker, and researcher living in Huntsville, Alabama. His work has been featured in numerous industry publications and his books have been cited by some of the world’s most prestigious universities as a method for instructing the next generation of HR professional. Ben spends his days as the Chief Research Officer for Lighthouse Research & Advisory, a firm that examines and delivers groundbreaking insights on the HR technology market as well as workforce trends in hiring, training, retention, and more.

Mentioned on the Show

• Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beneubanks 
• Talent Scarcity: How to Hire and Retain a Shrinking Workforce by Ben Eubanks: https://a.co/d/akBprGP
• Lighthouse Research Advisory: https://lhra.io/
• Listen to Loran Nordgren’s return interview on People Business: https://peoplebusinesspodcast.com/lorannordgren2/

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• Connect with O’Brien McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrienmcmahon/
• Learn more about O’Brien: https://obrienmcmahon.com/

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Timestamps

(6:10) - Why did you write Talent Scarcity?
(10:31) - Can you explain what has been happening with the birth rate in America?
(14:59) - What’s the difference between a scarcity and a shortage?
(17:56) - How are companies approaching the people/talent scarcity dilemma?
(26:04) - Where does the gig economy play into the scarcity discussion?
(33:01) - How do you see companies shifting hiring to remain competitive in the coming market?
(37:10) - What is the hidden labor market?
(48:34) - How do you see organizations embracing this as part of the culture?
(51:46) - Leading is reminding/the Forgetting Curve
(56:10) - Do you see organizations doing anything different in how they market themselves to attract qualified applicants?
(1:00:08) - Final thoughts: AI, the creativity killer? 

Rachel Hanson is a Builder with Built to Lead, a band of personal and leadership coaches helping individuals and teams awaken and transform. Prior to joining BTL, Rachel spent 12 years as a Division I Women's Softball head coach at Stanford and Dartmouth.

Mentioned on the Show

• Learn more about Build to Lead: https://builttolead.com/
• Rachel’s profile on the Build to Lead site: https://builttolead.com/rachel-hanson/
• Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-hanson-48121817
• Meru (film): https://www.merufilm.com/
• Listen to Chet Scott’s interview on People Business: https://peoplebusinesspodcast.com/chetscott/

Timestamps
(2:14) - Welcoming Rachel.
(3:01) - How do you describe Built to Lead and the work you do?
(4:43) - How did you get introduced to Built to Lead in the first place?
(5:37) - How has your coaching changed since starting? 
(13:01) - How do we see clearly the stories we are telling ourselves?
(14:38) - What does discovery look like with a new client? 
(16:16) - What are your favorite discovery questions?
(17:55) - What does the work in those first practices look like?
(19:44) - How can you tell if someone lacks clarity? 
(23:35) - How do we change our beliefs once we’ve discovered them?
(37:23) - Is there anything else we haven’t covered on the concept of changing the stories we tell ourselves?
(46:03) - Where do you recommend people start with the writing/journaling?
(48:55) - How do you help people who won't be honest with themselves because they are scared it will mean having to make a drastic change?
(55:02) - How do you coach your clients when it comes to defining their purpose?
(59:50) - What elements of this work have most influenced your life?
(1:01:15) - What is a story that you changed about yourself?

Elizabeth Lotardo returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, Leading Yourself. Elizabeth is a consultant, writer, and online instructor who helps organizations drive emotional engagement. Leading Yourself has been called a "refreshingly candid playbook that helps you create a work experience worth loving, right now".

Mentioned on the Show

• Elizabeth Lotardo’s website: https://www.elizabethlotardo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethlotardo
• Get Elizabeth’s latest book, Leading Yourself: https://a.co/d/0mJLHzO
• Performance research by Morten Hansen: https://www.mortenhansen.com/book/great-at-work/
• The Long Game by Dorie Clark (book): https://a.co/d/5FmlHzI

Timestamps
(2:22) - Welcoming Elizabeth
(4:24) - What does it mean to lead yourself?
(8:09) - Do you see commonalities with Stoicism?
(9:29) - Can you talk about why it’s ok not to be passionate about what we’re doing all the time?
(11:29) - How can we define purpose for ourselves in a more productive way?
(15:14) - Please explain why most goals depend on consistency, not intensity.
(21:25) - Can you explain why success is not as gratifying as we think it will be?
(24:39) - How do we set goals and succeed but manage our energy better?
(29:13) - Can you give an example of not focusing on success only but the process along the way?
(33:04) - How can we reframe our thoughts about working with others?
(37:18) - Can you talk about how to know when a situation is repairable vs when it’s not?
(38:48) - Can you expand on ‘intent’ and how to navigate that?
(42:34) - What does "disagree and commit" mean?
(49:27) - How do you think about "team"?
(53:56) - How do we protect ourselves from all the noise coming at us?
(58:54) - How has self-leadership shown up in your world since writing the book?
(1:01:39) - Anything you’d like to close with?

Ryan McCrea is passionate about helping others own their career. He is currently the Head of Career Development at Atlassian, leading development and mobility programs for a growing global technology company with more than 7,000 employees. Prior to Atlassian, Ryan was Vice President and Manager of Talent Development at Commerce Bank where he built their corporate-wide professional development program from scratch.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson
• Dare to Lead Hub with Brené Brown

Time Codes:
(2:49) - How does one become a Learning & Development Leader?
(4:16) - What drew you to this aspect within HR?
(4:59) - How have you developed your knowledge base?
(6:38) - Where does a company start to develop its internal training?
(10:10) - How do you get buy-in from organizational leaders?
(12:13) - What skills have you developed to have an impact in your role?
(14:06) - What do you see as the staples of being a good marketer?
(17:28) - How do you structure learning environments?
(21:26) - What are you seeing when it comes to attention spans in employees?
(24:56) - Do you consider yourself a niche expert or a jack-of-all-trades?
(31:41) - Do you have an example of using the Agile framework for building programs?
(36:42) - What is a Scrum Master?
(37:53) - Is part of Agile breaking the entire process down into micro-steps?
(39:27) - How do you build recovery into your processes?
(41:52) - What’s the right way to roll out a Pilot?
(45:28) - How do you test and demonstrate ROI?
(48:54) - Where do you see leadership changing?
(56:53) - What is the purpose of business?
(58:13) - Where can people connect with you?

David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local communities. He has 25 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and before that, President of Seeking Alpha. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, teaching strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He is the author of Decide & Conquer: 44 Decisions That Make or Break All Leaders and hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• WeCrashed Series on Apple+
• Built to Lead
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
• In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters

Time Codes:

(4:02) - When did your core principles become clear to you?
(9:44) - Have you done anything since writing the book to apply your values day-to-day?
(12:35) - Writing and reflecting on your career journey to help you grow.
(14:54) - Interviewing for a leadership role.
(19:23) - How do you deal with the fear that comes with a new leadership role?
(21:56) - What is a process plan versus a business plan?
(25:42) - What are the different frameworks you use and why are they important?
(30:19) - Why was moving fast so important to you?
(37:28) - WarTime & PeaceTime CEOs.
(45:55) - How do you create luck?
(49:01) - What are some examples of decisions you’ve made that led to doors opening or doors closing?
(57:38) - How do you create a successful community?
(1:04:08) - What is the purpose of business?

For our 100th episode, we have a special guest. Chris McMahon is the owner of McMahon Ford in Norwalk, CT. He was O'Brien's first boss, his first sales leader, and has been a lifelong mentor. He's also O'Brien's father. He joins the show to talk about the lessons he's learned over his career as a salesperson, manager, and business owner.

Time Codes:

(0:58) - Introducing Episode #100
(2:22) - Chris’ background and career beginnings.
(6:21) - Have car dealers always had a bad reputation?
(8:18) - What did you learn about sales in your first job with a dealership?
(16:36) - What was your experience like as a sales/general manager?
(24:35) - How did you become an owner?
(26:21) - What did you learn from your business mentors?
(30:40) - What led you to leave a great opportunity to chase a riskier one?
(34:59) - Did your mentors ever discuss their business philosophies?
(37:00) - Taking over one of the worst-performing dealerships in the state.
(38:12) - What was your experience like venturing out on your own?
(42:06) - How did you lead through tough times in the business?
(51:31) - What did you hope to teach your children by having them work at the dealership?
(1:02:03) - What is the purpose of business?

Rebecca Ryan is a noted futurist, economist, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of NEXT Generation Consulting through which she partners with private and public sector leaders across the country. Looking a generation ahead, she outlines strategies in urban planning, economic development, and workforce development to ensure communities are well equipped for future trends and challenges. Rebecca is a graduate of Drake University with a certificate in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston. She is on the Executive Committee of the global Association of Professional Futurists.

Links:

• RebeccaRyan.com
• Rebecca’s Newsletter
• The Association of Professional Futurists
• Strategic Foresight at the University of Houston
• Horizon Scanning
• Think Like A Futurist by Cecily Sommers
• The Good Judgment Project
• Superforecasting by Phillip Tetlock
• Long Bets: The Arena for Accountable Predictions
• 1968 Fall edition of Whole Earth Catalog
• How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand
• Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
• Black Swan by Nassim Taleb
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 
• Deep Work by Cal Newport

Time Codes:

(3:00) - What is a futurist, and what does your work look like?
(6:30) - Are there any other ways you try to simplify your work?
(10:38) - How do you know which weak signals to pay attention to?
(12:58) - What is your process for scanning all of this data and information in your futurist work?
(16:35) - What are the mechanics for predicting the future?
(21:35) - What does a project look like that a business might bring you in for?
(27:09) - Do you have an example of a project that you’ve done?
(29:29) - How do you sit with a group to help them shake up their point of view?
(34:35) - What are some of the common biases you see getting in the way of corporate decision-making?
(37:47) - What’s the best way for people to practice breaking their biases?
(42:32) - A real-world example from O'Brien's life.
(50:26) - How do you advise people to think about Black Swans?
(57:37) - The Strategy Paradox.
(1:01:01) - What trends are you paying attention to when it comes to human resources?
(1:04:46) - What is the purpose of business?
(1:06:04) - How can people find and engage with you online?

Randy is a coach, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, vintner, and philanthropist who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. He coaches CEOs around the country and was a former lead coach with Vistage, where he built and led a group of 16 CEOs. In 2013, Randy founded the philanthropic venture The Gratitude Network, a leadership development organization supporting the world’s most dynamic and innovative nonprofit leaders and organizations impacting the lives of children in the areas of Education, Health and Well-Being, and Children’s Rights.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Gratitude Network
• Entrepreneur Wines 
• The Leadership Circle Profile
• StrengthFinders
• DiSC
• The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
• The Highest Goal by Michael Ray
• Embarc Chicago
• Wishcraft by Barbara Sher
• Ikigai by Hector Garcia

Time Codes:

(3:30) - Randy’s backstory on becoming a coach for CEOs.
(5:07) - When you think of a CEO, what image comes to your mind?
(7:12) - What percent of CEOs would you say are self-reflective individuals?
(10:00) - What are the common challenges you see CEO’s facing today?
(13:42) - Are CEOs really bought in and committed to DE&I rather than just seeing it as a trend to keep up with?
(16:26) - Where do you start when you begin working with a CEO?
(20:16) - How do you walk someone through goal setting?
(28:04) - Do you see the people you work with naturally understanding and gravitating to your methods?
(32:39) - Could you outline your 4 C’s framework?
(37:14) - How did you set up The Gratitude Network?
(42:36) - The value of doing a Cohort group.
(48:30) - Why did you choose the word Gratitude?
(51:36) - What advice do you have for people to craft something meaningful in their lives?
(56:17) - How do you do a good job when you have a lot of jobs?
(1:00:38) - Wrap up

Dr. Amy Beacom is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership. She and Sue Campbell, along with the rest of their team, are on a mission to improve parental leave in America by coaching companies on how best to navigate this trying time. In a time when workplaces are adapting to a more human-centered approach, they offer relevant lessons on co-authorship and servant leadership.

Links:

• The Parental Leave Playbook
• Amy@Cplleadership.com
• Sue@cplleadership.com
• FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act)
• Sparrow Leave Management Software
• Parental Leave Insurance - Parento 
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

Time Codes:

(4:26) - Why would you choose parental leave as a career path?
(9:54) - O’Brien’s interest in Parental Leave.
(15:39) - The history of Parental Leave
(19:42) - Where are we today with Parental Leave?
(27:12) - How do you advise companies on improving their PL policies?
(33:48) - If managers had really strong soft-skill training, how much would parental leave training be needed?
(38:40) - How do you help build empathy in managers?
(46:49) - What are best practices for touch points while someone is out on leave?
(51:37) - What are you sick of talking about?
(53:38) - What is the purpose of business?
(57:54) - Where can people find and engage with you?

Amanda Greenberg is the CEO and Co-Founder of Balloon, a platform that unlocks ideas, insights, and feedback by eliminating groupthink and amplifying unheard voices. Prior to founding Balloon, she served as a public health researcher in Washington, D.C., where she developed behavior change campaigns for the EPA and CDC under then-Vice President Joe Biden. Amanda is an expert in the barriers to true collaboration and how groups can get past them to make better decisions.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Amanda on Twitter
• Balloon on Twitter
• Get in touch with Amanda: Amanda@getballoon.com

Time Codes:

(2:42) - Why are groups making worse decisions than they think?
(4:57) - What is the standard group decision-making process?
(7:26) - What is Balloon?
(10:10) - Can you define how you run a flight asynchronously?
(11:46) - Are these flights just for brainstorming or is there a longer use case?
(15:36) - Is there an option for anonymity in the feedback that goes to leaders?
(17:33) - What are some of the most frequent or most impactful biases you see?
(22:46) - What are your thoughts on the power of gut feeling vs. group collaboration? 
(26:33) - How does the extra “question clarification” part of sessions get built into a flight?
(28:36) - How have you built out templates for starting conversations?
(32:54) - Do you have examples of what this new way of working looks like?
(35:40) - Is there a certain personality type that doesn’t do well with Balloon?
(38:29) - What have you learned about creativity from your research?
(43:46) - When do we get to come together and for what purpose as remote workers?
(48:25) - Is there anything Balloon offers to help people test out ideas or pilots?
(50:58) - What are you sick of talking about?
(52:52) - What interests you the most within your work?
(54:19) - What is the purpose of business?
(55:05) - How can people learn more about Balloon?