Explore every episode of the podcast Human Capital

In this episode, Jeff interviews Kelly Ann Doherty the current Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer at the Mr. Cooper Group, overseeing a very large aspect of the company’s people and operations functions. She has nearly 20 years of experience serving some of the nation’s leading organizations in both Communications and People Ops. Jeff and Kelly Ann delve into corporate communication myths, emphasizing the dual role of both the "little C" in everyday dialogue with employees, and the "big C" of strategic messaging. They highlight the power of authenticity in fostering genuine connections and share innovative approaches like "Cooper Con," a conference with fun segments like "Hot Takes" to engage employees. They discuss how communication can be a strategic and competitive advantage, and how to assess your effectiveness at it, both individually and corporately. Their conversation also explores storytelling's impact on culture and brand equity, using personal experiences to drive employee engagement. Strategies for bridging generational gaps and practical tips for enhancing communication skills round out this dynamic discussion, as Kelly Ann shares a roadmap for personal and professional growth in corporate communication.

Jeff Hunt & Jody Bagno-Dill, CEO of Jazz Business Consulting discuss hosting difficult performance conversations, using virtual reality to combat racism/foster diversity, how to promote clarity, competency, and chemistry to achieve organizational vibe.

Join GoalSpan CEO and longtime business consultant Jeff Hunt as he interviews guests who help us learn to embrace the value of human capital in new ways.

This week Jeff's guest is Shan Cooper. She is the Founder and CEO of Journey Forward Strategies. Shan’s impressive background includes being the first Black Woman to be VP and General Manager of a division of Lockheed Martin, overseeing 8,000 employees. She also served as the executive director for the Atlanta Committee for Progress, and is the former Chief Transformation Officer at West Rock. Shan and Jeff delve into the nuanced challenges of fostering diversity and inclusion while navigating organizational change. Shan's insights underscore the necessity of understanding long-term business cycles and addressing incidents of discrimination head-on. She shares the sobering experience of grappling with racially motivated violence within the company, highlighting the importance of creating a safe environment for dialogue and swift action against discriminatory behavior. Shan and Jeff underscore the significance of cultural competency in business interactions, emphasizing the need for leaders to invest in understanding diverse perspectives, and the pivotal role of effective leadership alignment and communication in driving organizational transformation. This insightful conversation advocates for clear communication, robust training, and modeling of desired behaviors to facilitate meaningful change within the workplace, ultimately fostering a culture of inclusion and driving organizational success.

This week Jeff returns to his engaging conversation with Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor at UC Irvine. Join Jeff and Gloria as they delve into the intricate relationship between our digital and offline behaviors. They explore the impact of technology on stress, mood, and overall well-being, shedding light on the challenges posed by information overload, especially in the workplace. Listen in as Jeff and Gloria challenge the myth of multitasking and unveil the advantages of monotasking. They also dissect the four common myths surrounding technology usage in the workplace. Gloria shares valuable insights on how incorporating meditation and mindfulness practices can enhance focus, leading to improved goal achievement, communication, decision-making, efficiency, and safety.

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

In this replay of a captivating podcast episode, Jeff sits down with Jim Harter, Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing at the Gallup Corporation. They explore the enduring impact of the pandemic on work culture and customer relationships, drawing insights from Jim's book, "Culture Shock." Together, they tackle the challenges organizations are facing post-pandemic, from strained customer relationships to declining employee engagement, offering solutions for a better world of work. Jeff and Jim discuss common challenges organizations are facing, including deteriorating customer relationships and declining employee engagement. Jim reveals the key habits of great managers and the five innate traits that predict managerial success. They dive into the importance of focusing on employee strengths rather than weaknesses, and how to build a diverse, strengths-based culture.

Revitalize your workplace culture, step into this special replay episode where Jeff invites you to rediscover the profound insights shared by Ginger Hardage, former C-Suite Executive at Southwest Airlines. Ginger is known for her expertise in culture-building. Join as Jeff and Ginger emphasize the importance of putting employees first, transparency, and storytelling to connect employees with the company's values and purpose. Ginger highlights the importance of involving employees in decision-making and measuring leaders' contributions to the culture during performance evaluations. They stress the pivotal role of culture in organizational success and the role of leaders in modeling healthy conflict behavior while creating a safe work environment for open discussions and diverse perspectives.

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

In this episode, Jeff delves into the complex but crucial topic of trust, both business and personal relationships. Trust serves as the adhesive that binds individuals, organizations, and societies together, playing a pivotal role in determining the success of a company and its relationships with its employees and customers. Jeff's guest for this insightful interview is Dr. Henry Cloud, a renowned leadership expert, clinical psychologist, and bestselling author with extensive experience in executive coaching and leadership consulting. Dr. Cloud shares his vast knowledge and insights on trust and its impact on various aspects of performance, culture, and relationships. Jeff and Henry explore the key components of trust, which break down into five essential elements: understanding, motive, ability, character, and track record. These are the essential components for fostering trust within organizations, ensuring that teams and leaders can work together effectively. This episode will help you learn how to actively cultivate and maintain trust within your organization.

On this episode, Jeff welcomes Rob Seamans, PhD, an Associate Professor at the NYU Stern School of Business. Rob is also the director of the Center for the Future of Management, and was previously the Senior Economist for technology and innovation on President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Rob’s research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions with each other, and the economic consequences of AI, robotics, and other advanced technologies. Rob and Jeff explore the rapid adoption of AI, its economic implications, and the challenges it poses to organizations. Rob shares key findings on AI's impact, discusses cultural aspects, and addresses productivity gains, industry benefits, and how to foster inclusive AI-driven cultures. Listen in to discover strategies for addressing AI-related job-security concerns, reskilling the workforce, and ensuring ethical AI implementation with a focus on responsible design and policymaker involvement.

Join Jeff for an eye-opening conversation with Candice Smith as she shares her incredible journey growing up in apartheid South Africa. Candice discusses challenging a system that marginalized voices based on skin color, and how she discovered the power of the thinking environment. Candice and Jeff discuss horizontal vs. vertical leadership development & the importance of developing cognitive, emotional, and ethical capacities for more inclusive and effective leadership. Candice introduces the concept of a thinking environment, emphasizing the critical role of attention, equality, ease, and appreciation in fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation. They discuss what some actionable steps are to creating a workplace where everyone's voice is valued, denial is dismantled, and courageous conversations lead to positive change.

In this episode of the Human Capital podcast, Jeff welcomes a special guest from Australia, Cassandra Goodman, who introduces her latest book titled "Being True." What makes Cassie stand out is her wealth of experience in the business world and her extensive time as a senior executive and an external consultant. She has made a significant impact on renowned companies like GE, Adobe, and Mastercard, but what really sets Cassie apart is her mission to help leaders embrace their authentic selves, quirks and all. She's not just a fountain of innovative ideas, but also a fantastic role model for genuine self-expression. During their conversation, Jeff and Cassie dive into the intriguing concept of "True Leadership." They chat about how this approach requires us to let go of the traditional norms of leadership we're accustomed to. They dig deep into the significance of getting back in touch with our inner essence, understanding the different aspects of ourselves, and how being true to who we are can profoundly enhance our leadership with empathy and effectiveness. Cassie calls upon the well known therapeudic modality of Internal Family Systems (IFS), founded by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. and leverages this to boast healthier "internal" and "external" leadership.

In this week's episode, Jeff interviews David Salyers, a former C-Suite Marketing Executive at Chick-fil-A. David played a pivotal role in creating Chick-fil-A's exceptional culture, resulting in remarkable achievements like 10 times revenue per location of the average competitor, and a 97% employee retention rate. David shares how a focus on building a strong culture and prioritizing service over profits led to Chick-fil-A's success. Jeff and David explore the relationship between brand, culture, and customer experience, emphasizing the importance of aligning employee and customer values. David's insights shed light on how to create a thriving business and a culture that people genuinely want to be a part of.

In this exciting episode, Jeff interviews Todd Westra, a successful entrepreneur. Todd shares about his journey which began as an eight-year-old with a paper route and ultimately allowed him to scale and successfully exit from several successful companies. Todd explains that in life, you can turn almost anything you love doing into a business if you can solve a problem. He also highlights the importance of setting clear values and a company culture that aligns with your goals. Todd and Jeff discuss the power of delegation and how founders must learn to trust their team members to handle tasks by giving them the freedom to find their own solutions. They also talk about knowing your business's purpose and long-term vision. Todd advises entrepreneurs to understand what problems their business solves and to be specific about their goals and targets and the importance of having an exit strategy.

Revisit Jeff's interview with Sean Fahey. He is the Founder and CEO of VidCruiter, a company specializing in video interviewing and recruiting technology. Sean and Jeff discuss specifically how employers can find passionate people who are great at their jobs. Sean shares the challenges of having too many or not enough candidates in the pool, and the need to apply consistent structure, processes, and workflows to the recruiting methodology. Sean shares how he pulled off hiring 200 people in 30 days and how this became a catalyst for starting his company. They talk about weeding out bias in recruiting and what methods can improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sean shares his thoughts on the lack of readiness of artificial intelligence to be embedded into recruiting technologies and the associated pitfalls to be aware of.

This week Jeff revisits his interview with Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at HubSpot for a discussion about the HubSpot Culture Code. Katie shares how to make inclusivity part of your organization’s DNA through transparency, measurement, integrity, and authenticity. Jeff and Katie discuss ways to leverage both the head and heart to make the case for diversity improvement, and why these elements must be a business priority. Katie talks about the importance of treating employees well even when things are not going well at your organization. She shares the importance of vulnerability and how therapy can help reduce defensiveness and reactivity while leading to improved self-awareness.

In this engaging episode of the Human Capital Podcast, Jeff Hunt returns from a break with his batteries recharged and dives into a profound discussion with Sam Horn, a renowned communication strategist and author of "Talking on Eggshells." Sam shares her career journey, emphasizing the pivotal moments that shaped her expertise in effective communication and leadership. She highlights the significance of her "power three" – close family and friends, meaningful work, and daily nature walks – as the foundation of her gratitude and fulfillment. Sam recounts a critical leadership lesson where self-doubt led her to decline a major managerial role, later realizing her capability to succeed in that position. The conversation explores the vital role of language in fostering a positive workplace environment and the power of listening and situational awareness. Sam and Jeff provide practical strategies for leaders to enhance communication, reduce workplace resistance, and promote genuine collaboration. By shifting from authoritative commands to collaborative asks, they illustrate how leaders can create more dynamic and cooperative workspaces.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this solo episode, Jeff delves into the evolving landscape of leadership as we approach the midpoint of 2024. He highlights five key trends that are reshaping how leaders can effectively guide their teams with empathy and purpose. From finding purpose beyond profits, to leveraging AI, and building trust through transparency, Jeff provides practical insights and real-world examples to help leaders navigate the complexities of today's business environment. Tune in to discover how you can lead with heart and inspire your team in the year ahead. Thank you for listening to Human Capital. We will be pausing new episodes for another 8-weeks, but please stay tuned for a great lineup of inspiring and insightful guests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week join Jeff in his engaging conversation with Verne Harnish, an acclaimed author and leadership expert. Verne shares invaluable insights on leadership, values, and change. Drawing from his extensive experience, he emphasizes the necessity of continuous learning and remaining open to change in today's dynamic business landscape. Jeff and Verne delve into the critical role of fostering healthy conflict and open communication within teams to facilitate better decision-making and build trust. They also discuss the significance of core values as guiding principles for both employees and leaders, highlighting their role in shaping organizational culture. This episode offers actionable strategies for driving growth and fostering a culture of innovation within any organization with practical advice and real-world examples.

Jeff returns to the topic of meetings with this replay of a favorite episode. Jeff and his guest Dr. Steven Rogelberg discuss Steven’s book “The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance.” Steven is an organizational psychologist who holds the esteemed title of Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte for distinguished national, international, and interdisciplinary contributions. Steven shares best practices for meeting well – before, during, and after meetings. Jeff and Steven talk about how effective meetings can be engaging, productive, build trust, and can be enjoyable. He shares tips for meeting well virtually and why hybrid meetings don’t work. Steven talks about “social loafing” and what it looks like to be a good steward of people’s time.

Christy Pruitt-Haynes and Jeff explore the topic of continuous performance management. Christy heads the Performance Practice at the NeuroLeadership Institute. She and Jeff talk about the evolution of traditional performance management processes, and the definition of continuous performance management. They discuss how critical it is for managers to be properly trained in continuous performance management. Christy shares the best strategies for working with managers and employees that don’t have the skillset to give and receive feedback in a healthy way. Jeff and Christy talk about the makeup of quality one-to-one meetings, the downsides of numerical ratings, and how organizations can move away from them.