REL Talk – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In today’s episode of RelTalk, Michelle and Maria talk to special guest Valerie Bowden, who is originally from Indiana and has experience working in HR. She shares her insights on sourcing talent internationally and why outsourcing is a smart move for filling critical positions. She also discusses her experience living in Ethiopia and working to help make it an outsourcing hub. Valerie also talks about the benefits of remote work and how it can open up the talent pool to include international workers. She then joins our hosts in a discussion regarding the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives in order to better integrate diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. The Finer Details of this Episode:

• Valerie’s experience living in Ethiopia
• Helping to establish Ethiopia as an outsourcing hub
• The benefits of remote work
• Hiring internationally
• The importance of getting out of your comfort zone 
• Gaining new perspectives for diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Quotes: "When you outsource internationally, you do have the opportunity to tap into a much larger talent pool and find people who have a different skill set or a different perspective." "Living in Ethiopia and being involved in the outsourcing industry there taught me a lot about the value of different perspectives and different ways of thinking." "Remote work can open up the talent pool to include people from all over the world, which is really exciting." "Getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives can help organizations better integrate diversity and inclusion policies." "Diversity and inclusion are important for so many reasons, but one of the key benefits is that it can lead to better decision-making and more creative solutions." Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

In this week’s episode of the RelTalk series, Maria and Michelle once again welcome AJ Vollmoeller. AJ is a tenured recruiter and current staffing agency owner. He’s also a resume writing and career services advisor and the author of ‘How To NOT Get Hired.’ If you’re looking for an insider perspective on recruiting, AJ is your go-to guy. First, AJ starts by shedding some light on what a job recruiter’s role actually is. As he nicely puts it, recruiters are on your side - they want the best possible outcome for both you and the company. So, don’t pretend to be someone you’re not during your first interview. Be yourself and show your personality. Next, AJ shares some valuable tips for acing any first job interview with a company. According to him, you shouldn’t lie to get in for one specific role because the recruiter may have something else that’s even a better fit for your actual skillset. Finally, Maria, Michelle, and AJ address the current market environment and the real reason why companies are losing employees at a rapid pace.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Recruiters are on your side
• The importance of showing your personality
• Tips for the first job interview
• Being honest
• Higher-level positions
• Discussing the new environment in tech

Quotes:

“You never know waking up what you're going to get, what market shift is going to happen, what the new headline or the new trend or the new TikTok trend is going to be.”

“Recruiters, whether they're internal at the company you're applying directly to, or on the staffing agency side, they're on your side.”

“Don't lie. Don't fabricate. Be honest and truthful, especially to the recruiter.”

“It's not polishing a lie at all. It is stating what you're comfortable telling.”

“Sometimes people just don't connect. As long as you connect with that recruiter, you feel they're doing good; you get the warm and fuzzies about them, work with that recruiter and see where it goes from there.”

“When you have a transition like that overnight, there's going to be 5% of your staff, 10% of your staff that is not well versed or just can't grasp working from home.”

“If you're losing workers because you're still what I would consider to be an old-school type of culture, that's on you. The writing has been on the wall.”

Show Links:

REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn AJ Vollmoeller on LinkedIn

In today's episode, joining Michelle and Maria is Keith, who brings up a topic that impacts a broad spectrum of people: influential versus authority power. Together, they look at how we spend a lot of time discussing how leadership is not a position and how anybody can be a leader. But when it comes down to day-to-day operations, sometimes people are fearful about stepping outside the parameters of what's always been done.

They go on to review that one important thing for people moving up their ladder in their career is to remember that the most potent power they're going to have is the power of influence. If somebody is given power based on a title, they don't have to exert much influence on the people reporting to them. Positional or authority power is only going to maintain the status quo. It's not going to help anything grow. So even for those in positions of authority, our panel today clearly advises that the more you develop and flex those skills of influential power, the more impact you will have on your career.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• The difference between authority and influential power
• The value of influential power, even in positions of authority
• What to do when your authority is not respected
• Why you need to focus on influential power over authoritarian/positional power
• The negative impact of authoritarian power
• Influential leadership books and resources

Quotes:

"The stronger your ability to influence others is, the less you will have to rely on the power of authority."

"If somebody is challenging your power as an authority figure, there's a problem with your influential power because that means people are not willingly following."

"The only time that you're going to be followed for your authoritarian or positional power is when you're being followed out of fear, when people are fearing losing their position, when they're fearful of being reprimanded."

"Influential power leaves the choice up to the employee whether or not they're going to follow you, whereas authoritarian power is you are not giving them any choice; you're giving them an ultimatum."

"If the only tool in your bag is a hammer, you will treat everything like a nail."

"My style is more of an influential style, where I want people to follow me because they believe in the message. They believe in the value of our organization."

"The best leaders can positively influence the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others that promote growth. If you were to look up a psychological definition of love, it is thoughts, feelings, and actions that promote growth."

"The influential leader genuinely cares about the people following them."

Show Links & Resources:

REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack  AuthorityLeaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

Welcome to the third installment of the ‘I Hate My F*n Job’ series where Maria and Michelle not only delve into some of the reasons that people can come to hate their jobs, but also offer some sage advice about what can be done to help rectify the situation. While the first two installments dealt with the topic of working with toxic bosses, this week, the focus is on the issue of dealing with toxic co-workers.

Our hosts begin by identifying the different types of these co-workers, finding out whom you can and cannot trust, and why Michelle feels it’s easier to deal with a toxic co-worker than a toxic people leader. Michelle continues by reviewing her experience with Kinko’s peer accountability culture, Brene Brown’s ‘It’s okay…not okay’ advice, and the necessity for tough conversations, complete with examples from her own past. She and Maria continue by sharing how to identify a lack of teamwork and/or signs of volatility, and also how HR professionals and companies such as REL Talent can help remedy such situations. Throughout their conversation, the need to take action and the dangers of not addressing such situations is emphasized. Whether you are an employee, employer, or people leader, today’s podcast offers valuable information and advice to assist you in working through the ubiquitous issue of dealing with toxic co-workers.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• The different types of toxic co-workers
• Finding out whom you can and cannot trust
• Why it’s easier to deal with toxic co-workers than toxic leaders
• Michelle’s experience with Kinko’s peer to peer accountability culture
• Brene Brown’s “It’s okay…not okay’ advice
• Having tough conversations and some examples of them
• The need to take some action
• How to identify a lack of teamwork and engagement, and signs of volatility
• How HR or companies like REL Talent can help
• The dangers of not addressing the ‘bad apple’

Quotes:

“I literally personally left an organization because of an abusive co-worker.”

“I do tend to plant seeds to find who I can trust.”

“If I’m not willing to say what I need to say, I’m going to get run over.”

“I need you to show up different in the future than you’re showing up right now.”

“Nothing’s going to change if you do nothing.”

“They don’t have to be buddies…but they do have to work together effectively.”

“There’s a lot of stuff we can do from a team perspective, but, frankly, sometimes it is just coaching a person.”

“Our only goal is to get you what you need so that your work becomes a great place to be.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

Today’s episode is the second installment in the ‘I Hate My F*n Job’ series, and Maria and Michelle continue their dialogue from last week’s episode all about working for horrible bosses. While there is so much to cover under this topic, today our hosts focus on managing the ups and downs of the abusive boss cycle.

They begin by looking at the possibility that you may have set expectations for your boss that are unrealistic and impossible for them to achieve, and then they analyze the different types of bosses and their own experiences with them. They emphasize the importance of communication between yourself and your boss, and share some of the services that REL Talent offer that may prove beneficial to you. Given that finding a new job may be a possibility, they also share their advice on the steps to follow in this search. Terrible bosses are a fact of life – how you respond to working with such a person is where Maria and Michelle’s expertise can provide support and guidance, and that’s precisely what they do in this episode today.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Setting the bar too high for a leader
• The different types of leaders and Maria and Michelle’s experiences with each type
• The reasons behind micro-managing
• Communicating between leaders and employees
• Looking at yourself and your expectations first
• Maria and Michelle’s advice on the steps to finding a new job
• Some of the services that REL Talent offers
• How to push yourself out of your comfort zone

Quotes:

“People don’t leave companies, people leave poor leadership.”

“I set the bar so low that if they slightly exceed my expectations, it’s actually a win for me…that way I never get let down.”

“When you are micro-managing at the right time, people don’t actually call it ‘micro-managing’, they call it ‘support’.

“When you have someone who isn’t quick, who is waiting…for that alignment with everyone…those Type A’s in the world get really frustrated by that.”

“If your full time job isn’t the place that you should be, then you should make looking for a new job your full time job.”

“What people are looking for now is your experience and your ability to talk through those experiences.”

“Make sure that social footprint mirrors what you are trying to brand yourself as.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

Today marks the 11th episode of the podcast and begins the new series, ‘I Hate My F*n Job!’, a logical progression from the previous series, ‘Shut the Culture Up’. Joining Michelle and Maria for her third episode is their special guest, Olivia, and together they look at one of the top reasons people hate their job – abusive leaders.

In their discussion, they explore some effective questions to ask prospective leaders during interviews, share some of their own experiences with poor leaders and the lessons these experiences can 0ffer, and look at the notion of leadership as manipulation. Communication styles, leadership training and HR’s role within that, advice for those working with abusive leaders and the importance of acting on feedback are also covered in this enlightening episode. If you have ever dealt with poor leadership in your job – and, let’s face it, everyone has – today’s frank and insightful discussion is a ‘must listen’.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Effective questions to use when interviewing leadership candidates
• Experiences with poor leaders and the lessons learned
• Leadership as manipulation
• Communication styles
• Franchise leader and corporate leader training
• HR’s role in leadership and training
• Advice for employees and organizations with abusive leaders
• The importance of acting on feedback

Quotes:

“My leadership style really depends on the person that I’m talking to.”

“Everyone has had a bad boss – I guarantee it.”

“I literally left a company because of a shitty leader and a shitty feeling.”

“It was either, she would give you the silent treatment, or she would yell at you and throw things at you in front of customers.”

“It’s not the intention, it’s the perception.”

“Abusive bosses probably get snappy with their kids.”

“You have to be able to adapt to your team’s style.”

“HR is there to recommend, not require…we are here to be a partner to make sure lawsuits don’t happen.”

“Eventually I found the greener grass.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

Special guest, Olivia, rejoins Michelle and Maria today to finish their ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series by taking a look at a letter from one of their listeners, and responding to it in the ‘Dear Abby’ style. The letter asks our hosts for their advice in improving a toxic work culture which includes the HR team, and they definitely rise to the challenge.

Olivia begins by offering her suggestions to help with this issue, and then all 3 hosts share their experiences working in toxic work environments. They also explore ways that leaders can help in these situations, before coming back around to share more ideas for the employee themself. This episode of ‘Dear Rel Talk’ provides the straightforward advice the listener’s letter requests – advice that will undoubtedly prove beneficial to all listeners at some point in their careers.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Suggestions for improving a toxic environment that involves HR
• Maria, Michelle and Olivia’s experiences with toxic work cultures
• What leaders can do to help
• More possible solutions for the listener who wrote into the show

Quotes:

“It’s really more analyzing and asking those ‘whys’ of what is happening to really understand it.”

“I don’t know if managers are always aware of what’s going on amongst their team, or the toxicity.”

“These changes keep happening, and these stories become part of the fabric of who you are as an organization.”

“They’re playing you like you’re a chess piece, and then they want that loyalty at the end of the day?”

“I’m not going to be a fucking number!”

“Assess, coach, re-evaluate…the last step would be…find some opportunities elsewhere.”

“It’s okay that this bothers you, it is never okay that you talk to me like that again.”

“Finish the bottle.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

Today’s installment of the ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series focuses upon a topic which is a sensitive and possibly uncomfortable one, and which contributes to your culture in ways you can’t even quantify. How an organization responds to events or movements in society - the stand that they take and how they approach it – is of critical importance, rendering it a vital topic for today’s episode.

Maria and Michelle begin by looking at the necessity of organizations taking such stands using the examples of Black Lives Matter and Nike’s support of Colin Kaepernick. They then offer the best approach for organizations when doing so, and stress the importance of culture and engagement teams, conversations, listening, and resources within this approach. Remaining silent during times of moral dilemma cannot be an option for organizations, and today’s episode offers valuable insight and advice in helping to address such situations with dignity and integrity.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Organizations taking a stand on social movements such as Black Lives Matter
• Nike and Colin Kaepernick
• The best approach for organizations when taking a stand
• The importance of culture and engagement teams, having conversations, listening, and having or generating resources

Quotes:

“Being silent takes the stance.”

“You can’t just take those moral situations and say, ‘I don’t have an opinion’.”

“We need you to acknowledge that there are specific populations in your organization that this is important to.”

“You better be damn well certain that you are making the 1000% correct choice.”

“At the very minimum, teach your leaders to be brave, to have conversations.”

“Pay attention to the silent stuff because it impacts how your employees see your organization.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

The ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series continues today with this third instalment which builds upon the previous two episodes. Having established the importance of culture and followed the steps from last week’s episode in determining your company’s culture, today Maria and Michelle’s lively discussion will outline for you what exactly you need to do next.

Toward this end, they explore the very practical steps necessary to act upon the information uncovered when surveying employees about the state of culture within the organization. For each of these steps, they offer insights and examples which help to clarify them all fully. While each organization is different and will naturally require some variation, these steps provide straightforward and clear direction for those involved in the critical and highly beneficial task of improving company culture.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Establishing a Culture Committee
• Re-creating or creating your mission, vision, and values
• How Fedex established its mission, vision, and values
• Weaving your mission, vision, and values throughout all aspects of your organization
• Making the necessary changes
• Checking in on the changes and their impact
• Wash, rinse, and repeat’
• ‘The Leadership Challenge’
• Working with those exhibiting difficulty with instilling your mission, vision, and values

Quotes:

“It’s okay to not be perfect.”

“I think companies overcomplicate this process of identifying their culture.”

“Having a company picnic is not going to fix your culture problems.”

“When we say ‘Culture Committee’, we really are talking about a cross-functional group of people who are kind of the gatekeepers of all of the actions that you do moving forward.”

“That free meal is not the reason we come to work, and it’s not what we believe our culture is.”

“Change does not happen unless people are uncomfortable.”

“They wove it through everything.”

“Promote those people to be a customer of yours, not a people leader.”

“Keep it simple, keep it real.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

This week Michelle and Maria continue their ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series, and welcome Nicole Metzel back to share her experience and perspective. In this episode, they look at how culture is defined within an organization, how to determine it, and how to make improvements to it.

They begin by exploring how to help upper management understand their organization’s culture, and taking an in-depth look at the varied approaches to transparency within a business, particularly during the current pandemic. The importance of beliefs, the roles and preparation of effective leaders, and the tools to help fix culture issues through such exercises as facilitating feedback sessions, and performing pulse checks are discussed as well. Admittedly, no organization is perfect, but today’s episode is filled with insight and advice on how to make the necessary improvements to the culture of any business that will ultimately benefit all of its stakeholders.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Helping upper management understand their organization’s culture
• Approaches to transparency, particularly during COVID-19
• The importance of an organization’s beliefs
• Leading as ‘a duck, an armadillo, and a chameleon’
• Preparing leaders for their roles
• Tools to ‘fix this shit’
• Facilitating feedback sessions/roundtables
• Pulse checking

Quotes:

“If we sit back as leaders and take no active role in defining what our value system is, it means that we sort of have to accept what we get.”

“No one will ever tell the Emperor that he is naked.”

“Being transparent about your challenges as a company, and allowing people to openly share their transparent challenges with you…that’s how you create that trust relationship.”

“They will make assumptions about your beliefs if you do not take a position…particularly with large issues.”

“There is not a perfect organization on planet Earth – it does not exist.”

“If we were ‘perfect world’ what would it look like…what are the things that are getting in our way of being in that perfect place, and what are the solutions to solve those things?”

“You can’t fix culture overnight.”

“People in your organization are your most valuable asset above anything else.”

Show Links:

REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/

An Everyone Culture: https://www.amazon.ca/Everyone-Culture-Deliberately-Developmental-Organization/dp/1625278624