Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I chat with Thom Qafzezi, the president and CEO at Molto Crescendo, a firm focused on shifting the behavioral dynamics within organizations. Learn more about Thom’s work at https://moltocrescendo.com/.

Thom and I talk about:

• IFS (Internal Family Systems) as a modality to help leaders in corporate operate optimally, from the highest form of Self
• Workplace dynamics wherein triggered parts (of one human's system) are often interacting with another’s triggered parts, and how this contributes to burnout
• Psychedelics and the use of ketamine in human healing

I also mention that I recently did a TEDx talk. You cab view the archived version of the talk here, (It will be loaded to the TED site in coming weeks.)

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I chat with Kevin Judge, the CEO and Founder of iNOBL, a Strategic Advisory Firm that helps executives maximize buy-in, alignment, and execution for their most critical strategic initiatives so they can drive results for their business, their people, and themselves. Kevin works with leaders to define strategy, operationalize plans, and ready their talent so the whole company is effective at executing for success.

Learn more about Kevin’s work at https://inobl.com/

Kevin and I talk about:

• How companies often get in their own way of big goals through challenges around people, process, and technology
• How people are critical to success, and are also messy; how people / we *feel* and our attitudes affect our ability to perform
• The Emotional Culture approach and inventory as a mechanism for improved culture and operationalized values

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I’m chatting with Yennie Rautenberg-Loya. Yennie’s firm offers bilingual (English/Spanish) executive coaching. Her coaching is specialized in developing leaders of diverse backgrounds and in enabling inclusive collaborative work environments. Yennie immigrated to the US as an adult, employed by a Fortune 500 Tech company before turning to coaching full time in 2018. Learn more about Yennie’s work: https://rautenbergcoach.com/

We talk about…

• Yennie’s background, having a German father and a Mexican mother and attending a German school in Mexico
• Navigating corporate workspaces as a person of color
• Common themes within the experience of underrepresented groups in corporate
• What collaboration looks like (and we learn the 3 pillars of Yennie’s coaching framework)
• Perceptions of leadership and what it means to be valued in the workplace

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work.  In this episode, I speak Colleen Hauk, the CEO and Founder of the Corporate Refinery. Colleen is an executive coach and the co-author of two books, including the bestseller, Women Who Ignite. Colleen has delivered her keynotes and trainings to Fortune 500 companies and organizations such as Dell, Merck, Panasonic, and New York Life. Learn more about Colleen’s work: https://thecorporaterefinery.com/

We talk about…

• Colleen’s journey through burnout, how she overcame it, and thrived beyond it
• An egregious situation with a workplace bully - her boss
• How Colleen’s meaning per “being valued” in the workplace has changed over the years

Colleen shares so many tips and insights for how to do work within excellence and integrity, even when environments are challenging.

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work.  In this episode, I speak with Andrea Wenburg who hosts the Voice of Influence podcast and is the author of UNFROZEN: Stop Holding Back and Release the Real You. Andrea works with clients to help them discover and develop their Voice of Influence and helps them apply it in the real world. Learn more about Andrea’s work: www.voiceofinfluence.net

We talk about…

• What it MEANS to be heard in the workplace
• Egregious situations in the workplace
• Mentor as coach - what does this look like?
• That, in fact, Leadership EQUALS relationships
• Agency and knowing what we do and say matters

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I riff on ideas around dopamine and consider if our growing reliance on “quick-hit” events might be impacting us at work.

I talk about:

• Implications around our expectations at work; how do we get through work that is the opposite of "feel good" … and light years from euphoric?
• Implications on our ability to connect with what matters … how to prioritize *worthy* activities vs the opposite: seeking quick hit work activities or distractions over more challenging, long term projects
• Examples of how to pre-pave towards less reliance on "quick hits" for the afternoon slump and managing workflows.... And even the quick hits that come from bitching with co-workers
• Leaning in towards enrichment over quick hits and distracting activities - how do we "suck the marrow out of life" (and work)... engaging in ways that leave us lifted (even if energy depleted - the good kind of energy drain) rather than leaving us spent, empty, or at worst, numb

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I speak with Brent Reinhard who is the current General Manager of the Chase Freedom and Chase Slate credit card portfolios. Brent is passionate about leading as his authentic LGBT self. In our chat, we extend and parallel themes around bringing one’s whole self and leading authentically, to those of Work Dope. 

We talk about:

• Brent’s (very non-traditional) path to his position, allyship, and “enjoyable” work
• The unintended (positive) consequences of raising one's hand and having zero fear of failure or embarrassment
• A specific framework to apply with regard to the question: what does it mean to be valued at work?
• How do we bring our whole selves / what are the benefits? Can we go too far?

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode I flesh out a process for improved human to human connection at work in order to harness and reverse engineer the areas we have control: our actions, our reactions, and our mindset

I talk about:

• The feedback wheel framework of Pia Mellody 
• A cool creativity assessment to help ground you in your value
• A “drains” tool to help you get clear on what you really want…
• How to wrap this all together to either use as self reflection and / or have a conversation that allows for more evolved outcomes

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode I speak with Amanda Laden, a consultant and an advocate - at work and beyond. Amanda is the CEO and founder of the Fire Brand Institute and Period to Pause (https://firebrandinstitute.com/).

We talk about:

• Amanda’s journey from what she thought would be a profession in law, to the wine industry, to corporate strategy work, and her work in advocacy
• Self esteem, values, and respect in the workplace
• Egregious experiences at work, direct from Amanda’s history, and how she might handle the same situation today
• What it means to serve and excellence in leadership
• Quality of life and joy - at work, and beyond

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode I speak with Marlene Chism, (marlenechism.com), a consultant and author who shares insights and tools for humans interacting, communicating, avoiding, and dramatizing - at work.

We talk about:

• How Marlene transitioned from factory job to become a sought after leadership expert and author (and the related discomfort required for risk and growth)
• Better leadership “training” / how to become a great leader
• What to do as a subordinate when your leaderships isn’t that great
• How micromanagement becomes the MO / where it comes from
• Being able to ask for what you want
• How to give feedback - (NOT the shi* sandwich version)
  • Marlene models her “performance conversation model”
• Navigating the workplace when you're just starting out

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. This is a solo episode where I talk about self-esteem and not valuing ourselves interferes with relationships at work. Does there always have to be a less than (worth-less) or a better than mentality when humans interact, at work?

I talk about:

• How our one up, one down mentality plays into our self-concept
• My own experiences in grade school, in restaurant jobs, at college, and now, in corporate… how others’ one up / one down has been experienced
• How our value is set at birth; no one human is better than another
• How our differences are a source for learning, growing, and possibly connecting (and don’t  have to be sources for separation)
• How we might be getting in our own way and how we can mitigate to get more of what we want
• And so, so much more…

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode I speak with relational life experts and therapists, Kristy Gaisford and Jerry Sander who host the podcast, LoveWork - skills for relational life.  (You can also find Jerry at Kristy at https://loveworkrelationships.com/.) The therapy Jerry and Kristy practice holds one of the same tenets as Work Dope - that relationships, (and specifically, the strife they bring), hold the greatest potential for human growth. I was eager to speak with Jerry and Kristy about what we can learn from couples’ therapy “best practices” and apply to the world of work.

We talk about:

• What is means, essentially, to be valued as a human
• How getting curious is the best elixir for any move towards growth
• Advice for folks who struggle to really listen
• What happens when humans try to control people
• How to really set the tone in an environment
• What self esteem is and how low self esteem is likely the number one contributor to relational problems
• And so, so much more…

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. This is a solo mini episode on the topic of what it means to be valued in the workplace. 

Some of the ideas explored in this episode:

• What does it mean to be valued in the workplace?
• How do our notions of being valued change over the course of our careers?
• What can we do to increase the potential of being seen as a valuable contributor?
• How do we elevate the sense of value experienced by our co-workers?
• What is the role of individuals’ personal values in the context of being valued?

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode I speak with speaking expert, Stuart Pink (lastminutespeaking.com) who’s been a courtroom barrister in the UK, a Corporate Lawyer in the UK and New York, and now helps folks speak well – in public – and be excited about it!

We talk about:

• How the dreamy, imagined glamor of a profession doesn’t always match reality
• The importance of being appreciated in any role
• How finding what you *really* love can sometimes take a *lifetime*
• How does Stuart define the best days at work … (past and present)
• And much more

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this 6th episode I speak with career coach, Kathy Vines (kathyvines.com) who comes with 20 years of corporate experience in Human Resources.

We talk about:

• How to know when a job is no longer the right versus when to stay and make it work
• What it really means for an environment to be “toxic”
• How you can experiment with new roles and skill development .. while staying in current job
• Feedback - what are common blindspots and how the right feedback can be the greatest gift for development
• And much more

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this 5th episode I speak with retired dermatologist and professional speaker, Steve Shama (steveshama.com) on topics related to living as curious, open humans within all aspects of life.

We talk about:

• “How to deal with difficult people and looking forward to it” (one of Steve’s speaking topics)
• What it means to Live Out Loud - in Corporate environments
• The importance of maintaining a “growing edge” - no matter what your professions 
• Staying curious outside of judgement
• And much more

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this 4th episode I share a few tracks that describe how our emotional reactions might get in the way at work… and then later, why being your own boss is the best approach for quality of work-life.

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this 3rd episode we cover one of the three tenets of Self Leadership and that is, Self Management (or productivity) at work.

Being able to keep your shizza together when work days are becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, is a differentiator in today’s workforce.

• We discuss:
  • Why it’s important to ensure your biological needs are met (have you eaten, do you have the right gear…? Don’t wear yourself out on things that can be mitigated)
  • Techniques to beat procrastination
  • Morning and evening routines - they don’t have to be complex or long, but they will keep you in the seat of control
  • The power of using a calendar really well
  • Knowing how to approach projects that seem nebulous and scary
  • The power of knowing what success looks like

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is about Humanity at work and to some degree, social justice at work. In this second episode I continue to lay some of premises upon which Work Dope will build, explore, and communicate.

As a foundational aspect of Work Dope, we get into the second pillar of Self Leadership which is Self-Awareness. Since reactions are one of the 3 things any human has control of (the other being actions and mindset) we use real examples of how people react at work as a basis from which to reflect and build self-awareness.

We discuss:

• Why it’s important to have good models at work, and how it can be a problem when there isn’t someone to emulate
• The power of visualization
• Whether mindset change comes before actions, or the opposite (or both!)
• What agency is and how the ability to pause, evaluate and act within challenging situations will improve your professionalism, effectiveness, and quality of experience
• What is happening internally and externally, for humans, when unwritten rules are being violated 
• Two tools/processes to reframe your experience and navigate towards improved results -- for you, your team, and your organization

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is about Humanity at work and to some degree, social justice at work. In this inaugural episode I lay out a number of premises upon which future episodes of Work Dope will build, explore, and communicate.

• From the concept of at work guidance counselor to the notion of finding meaning and feeling value in our work, we'll consider our expectations around how we make a living 
• I give two examples of egregious behavior in the workplace
• I describe the potential of learning to elevate no matter our role or environment
• We discuss: 
  • Victim-state on the part of employees and fear-state on the part of bosses
  • The evolution "below-the-line" thinking around being stuck, reactive, creating excuses, holding a lot of judgement, procrastination...  to "above-the-line" thinking around abundance mindset, clarity, choice, taking responsibility, acceptance, results-orientation
  • Why language is important
  • Why business is cool
  • Why the status quo needs to change
  • The intention to lean towards high energy states of growth, creativity, human potential realized, fulfillment, and satisfaction

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. This is a solo episode on the topic of fear-based bosses and how to navigate if you have one. 

Summary:

• Fear-based environments are everywhere in Corporate America (and beyond)
• Sometimes the fear is in micro-environments (like, maybe just your team or department)
• Some signs you could be in a fear-based workplace include micromanagement, negative value judgement when new ideas are being presented, boss treating employees like children
• Fear-based management styles can lead lead to a "paycheck mentality' among employee, low or passive engagement, and sometimes, rebellion!
• Antidotes to this style of management are described in the video
• Practice the antidotes and things will shift - potentially you'll get better opportunities, or other factors will allow you to move on

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. This is a solo episode on the topic of Distraction (and by extension, interruption and attention). Some themes include:

• The Pyramid of Why’s - i.e. why we engage in any new *thing*
• How modifications in one area life bleed into others
• Human biology, evolution, and history as it relates to our tendency towards distraction
• Why daydreaming and “lack of focus” play important roles are SO important to creativity
• Research / statistics on distraction and interruption at work (how things have gotten “worse” in recent years
• The state of Flow, and how it relates to “knowledge work”
• Multitasking myths and truths, and tips for managing all-the-things [with a full-throttled, high quality of experience (even if messy)]

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. This is a solo, mini episode on the topic of career "stages." We explore what's missing in a workforce where only a few even have a chance to move a "corporate ladder."  How do individuals and corporations ensure there is opportunity for development for all roles. And why is this even important?

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Rubina F. Malik. Rubina is a strategic advisor and a thought leader skilled at helping organizations looking for guidance on how best to engage, develop, retain, and promote the right candidates to move into top leadership roles.

Rubina is also a scholar (who teaches at Morehouse College, Atlanta GA) with a professional background in human resources, training and professional development, coupled with ten years of research, coaching and teaching experience. Learn more about Rubina’s work at https://rubinafmalik.com/ and here in the EBN article referenced in this episode, https://www.benefitnews.com/news/rubina-malik-on-upskilling-and-equity-in-the-workplace.

Rubina and I talk about:

• Corporate sponsorship and the training programs Rubina brings to organizations in order to do two key things
  • Upskill leaders so they understand the power of sponsorship
  • Upskill high potential individual contributors so they can be seen as obvious candidates for sponsorship towards leadership
• Rubina’s background and what brought her to this work… 
• What’s important to Rubina in terms of how she knows she’s valued in her professional environments

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I’m chatting with Jeannie Moravits Smith. Jeannie has over 30 years of combined experience in positions of human resources generalist, manager, director, executive, inspirational speaker, facilitator, coach, and consultant. Learn more about Jeannie’s work at https://www.dynamismleadership.com/

We talk about:

• Jeannie’s roots and climbing the corporate HR ladder, starting at a time when HR was referred to as “personnel management” and the function was seen as opposite of strategic 
• Jeannie's experiences around living her values in the work environment 
• Jeannie’s thoughts around “Mentor as coach”… how to be a better boss and how to be a better (self-lead) contributor
• And so much more!!

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I chat with Danny Ceballos of Unleashed Consulting. Danny has more than 30 years of experience in training and leadership development and has worked with organizations around the world to strengthen their effectiveness in leading and managing people and talent. Danny is deeply committed to social justice, diversity, and engaging the full human spirit and he is on a mission to change the world … one manager at a time. Learn more about Danny’s work: https://unleashedconsult.com 

We talk about…

• The true source of, and integrity around, personal happiness (at work, and beyond)
• The gifts of challenge: knowledge, power, inspiration
• Reframing as a framework for moving past more painful aspects of life
• The workplace “community of complaint” - how to move above and beyond!
• Why and how to build a culture of feedback (with Danny’s feedback framework!)

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.

Work Dope is a podcast on the messiness, and the potential, of humans, at work. In this episode, I speak with Nancy Robets who is The DISC Wizard and owner of iNsights, an organizational development company. Nancy is a Certified Behavioral Analyst and utilizes assessments, coaching and training to help clients “get the right people on the bus; and the right people in the right seats.” Learn more about Nancy’s work: http://discwizardonline.com/

We talk about…

• Command and control “leadership” versus leadership via commitment
• Knowing when your belief system may be getting in the way of a productive conversion - how to navigate through that / leaning towards neutral
• Navigating your career for your personal growth and success

I hope you enjoy this episode and, if you do, please leave a review on iTunes, or whatever platform you use for podcasts.