Brain Chatter Podcast

Episode 11: A Giant Money Pit: Employee Turnover

Kyle Roed is Global HR Manager for CPM Holdings, based in Waterloo, Iowa. He discusses the massive costs of team member turnover. How can you start to measure these often unrecognized, un-reported, and siloed costs, both financial and cultural? How can you minimize them? What are some top strategies to retain top human capital talent? Are you asking the basic questions? Do you conduct ‘stay interviews’ in addition to exit interviews? Does your human resources department have operational and b…

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Episode 10: The Power of Thankfulness

Dr. Isabel Scarinci, Vice Chair for Global and Rural Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UAB, psychologist, and polio survivor, discusses The Power of Thankfulness. How powerful is a genuine sense of thankfulness in our daily lives with co-workers, friends, and family? How does expressing thankfulness change our relationships with others? How can we make authentic thankfulness habitual? What is the science behind gratitude? And how does daily meditation on thankfulness im…

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Episode 9: On-The-Job Crisis Management Lessons of 2020

Nate Pizzini, Asst GM of Kennedy Valve Co. in Elmira, New York has spent 2020 leading a manufacturing plant through an unprecedented modern pandemic. What has he learned along the way? Where did he have to pivot? What did he do right from the start? Who have been his partners along the way? What changes made during the pandemic will likely be permanent? Which leadership skills has he leaned on most heavily? EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Nate on LinkedInRead Nate’s BioKennedy Valv…

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Episode 8: The Challenge of Change in the Workplace

Debra Miller examines why change implemented in the workplace is often difficult, resisted, and costly. She provides a clear 7-step process for leading change management effectively, replete with examples. Where must a leader start? What must be done along the way?Deb is the Managing Principal and Chair of the Board of Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. She has managed numerous large change initiatives throughout her career. She assists and advises clients on how to map and lead thoughtful ch…

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Episode 7: Why I Want Disagreement On My Team

Kelly Caruso, the first CEO of Shipt under Target, wants constructive disagreement on her team. How does disagreement lead to better outcomes? How can true diversity of thought be cultivated? What is the most important question she asks? What happens when a leader prevents or quashes constructive disagreement? How do you show others that constructive feedback is safe and appreciated? What’s the difference between constructive and destructive disagreement? Kelly answers these questions a…

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Episode 6: "How Can I Help You?" – A Grandparent's Example

Bari Watson Beasley, CEO of The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County (Franklin, TN) explores the impacts of her grandfather’s example of active service to others. A simple question changes everything when there is follow through. “How can I help you?” How does his example impact how she leads herself, her team, and her organization today? Listen as she discusses his fascinating 95 year life that made a difference to many. EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Bari on Linke…

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Episode 5: A Conversation with a Gen Z, Everyone's Newest Co-Worker

Grace Shim is at the beginning of the wave of Generation Z’s joining the workforce. Gen Z’s now replace Millennials as the newest generation in the workforce. How can an organization attract the best Gen Z talent and then retain them? What does a Gen Z look for in an employer? What do they value? How can a Gen Z offer an organization a competitive advantage with their likely fluency in the latest technologies and with diversity of thought? What’s an example of a Gen Z’s strategy in building t…

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Episode 4: Remote Team Leadership in the Zoom Era

Cherri Lee, Director of Human Resources at Automation Personnel Services, Inc., shares takeaways from years of working with and leading remote teams. Automation is an industrial staffing company with thousands of team members based out of over 30 locations across the US from the Atlantic to the Pacific. How directly accessible should a director or manager be to team members on the front lines, remotely or otherwise? Why is trust in an organization important to making problems less expensive a…

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Episode 3: Telling the Correct Story Is Critical to Workplace Safety

Anthony Orlowski, is the Executive Vice President, Plumbing Group of McWane, Inc. In this role he has overall responsibility of the AB&I Foundry and Anaco-Husky facilities in California, Texas-based Tyler Pipe & Coupling plants, and the Sri City, India, Coupling plant, which combined account for more than 1,400 team members manufacturing drainage, waste and venting products for the commercial plumbing industry.In this episode he shares his experiences with workplace safety. And it may…

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Episode 2: 8 Questions That Build Trust & Engagement

8 Questions That Build Trust & Engagement is approximately 14 minutes long and is an episode that explores eight key questions that any of us can actively ask to build engagement and earn trust. In the episode, the case is made for each question, and examples are given and background information. The questions are: What do you think?Can you tell me more?Will you share your ideas?How can I be more helpful to you?Is there anything that has been on your mind lately related to our work?…

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Brain Chatter

Effective leadership in our daily life and work requires each of us to wisely sort through a tremendous amount of ‘daily noise.’ We all want to become better at hearing and processing what matters and hear past what doesn’t, without disruption or derailment. Brain Chatter is a series of interviews with organizational leaders on the front lines of leadership who are skilled at doing just that. These are leaders who lead themselves, their teams, and their organizations with clarity. In each episode one of them offers their insights into what works and what doesn’t. Among the front line leaders interviewed are general managers of manufacturing plants, HR directors, supervisors, company executives, nonprofit CEOs, consultants, and individuals with no titles, but lots of influence.

Resources

Thank you for being a Brain Chatter Podcast listener. Here you’ll find resources from each episode.  If you have questions or comments about an episode, feel welcome to email Derek at dcbrown@leaderscode.com

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