In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we welcome Clint Kofford, President and Managing Director at LeaderWorks. Clint introduces us to the Family 360, a 360 feedback tool created at LeaderWorks to help leaders understand how they show up at home just as much as they do in the office. He shares his own experience going through the process, the surprising lessons it revealed, and why he believes strong family relationships create a flywheel effect that fuels professional success. This conversation goes beyond leadership strategies, it’s about creating alignment between who you are at work and who you are for the people who matter most.

On this episode of Empowering Workplaces, hosts Sanja Licina, PhD, and Guille Santana sit down with Dr. Shonna Waters and Dr. Erin Eatough, co-founders of Fractional Insights, to explore the findings of their report, The Risk of Angst, and explain why unmet needs like security, significance, and growth silently drain employee performance and engagement. You’ll also learn about three dominant work mindsets: Universalists, Transactionalists, and Stewards, and how leaders can shift their cultures to meet diverse expectations. If you care about performance, retention, and designing better workplaces for everyone, this episode offers powerful insight, clear data, and immediate takeaways.

On this episode of Empowering Workplaces we welcome Lynn Merritt, CHRO at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Lynn shares with us how she’s creating a culture of trust, transparency, and inclusion across a huge network of community-focused healthcare organizations. With 20+ years in healthcare HR, she shares the ups and downs of piloting initiatives like a four-day workweek pilot, why really listening to employees matters, and how being authentic keeps teams engaged and motivated. Join hosts Sanja Licina, PhD, and Guille Santana for this inspiring conversation full of real talk about making work better and more meaningful. Plus, Lynn’s top tips for HR leaders trying to do the same.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we chat with the founders of SkillsBridge AI: Koushik Gupta, Piyush Mathur, and Akesh Agrawal about their innovative platform that helps companies bridge skill gaps using AI. Learn how organizations can motivate employees to upskill, embrace Gen AI, and create a future-ready workforce. Don’t miss insights on the evolving workplace and how AI is reshaping career growth. An AI tool helped us write this description, and that’s ok!

HR analytics holds exciting potential to drive success for both organizations and employees. But as technological advancements reshape the workplace, the rise of HR analytics has sparked concerns about privacy, ethics, and the risks of a quantified employee agenda. In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, Dr. Salvatore Falletta, a renowned thought leader in HR analytics and strategy, shares his insights on the transformative trends shaping the future of HR. Drawing from his book Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions, Dr. Falletta reveals: The “gray areas” of analytics that threaten workplace ethics. A seven-step HR Analytics Cycle to build and scale evidence-based practices. How to create smarter, more ethical workforce decisions without crossing the line. Tune in to learn how to balance data innovation with ethical responsibility for a better workplace.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we welcome Dr. Alison Fragale, renowned psychologist, professor, and author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get to the Success They Deserve. Dr. Fragale shares advice on ways women in particular can achieve professional success. In particular she talks about building confidence, overcoming biases, and embracing your inner “likeable badass.” Some particular topics we discussed were: Practical tips on asking for raises and promotions. Advice for navigating complex office politics and advice for women who feel they must choose between being liked and being respected? What allies—both men and women—can do to support women in their quest for success in the workplace. And much more! This conversation is a must-listen for anyone who wants to feel more empowered and is passionate about empowering women and transforming organizational culture as well.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we’re talking with Eric Stone, speaker and author of “Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture,” to explore the critical elements of employee engagement and high performance. Eric shares insights from his career journey and his book, offering practical strategies for leaders to foster a positive and productive workplace environment. We discuss the importance of strong relationships, clear communication, personal and professional growth, and the role of flexibility in maintaining employee engagement. Eric also addresses the pressing issue of burnout and provides actionable advice on how organizations can support their employees’ well-being while ensuring accountability. Join us for an enlightening conversation that aims to help you create a thriving workplace culture.

We are honored to have Andrea Driessen, a renowned message strategist and TED speaker, join us. Andrea, known for her impactful TEDx talk, “The Profound Power of Gratitude and Living Eulogies,” shares her insights on grace notes—living tributes that show appreciation and love in our daily lives. In the episode we explore how these simple yet profound acts can enhance our personal and professional relationships, fostering a culture of mattering and belonging. Tune in to discover practical tips for crafting your own grace notes and learn how such gestures can create lasting, positive ripple effects in our lives and workplaces.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we sit down with Urs Koenig, a military peacekeeping commander, ultra-endurance champion, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human. Urs shares his unique journey from academia and athletics to military peacekeeping and leadership coaching. He explains how his diverse experiences shaped his views on leadership, emphasizing the importance of humility, self-awareness, and building strong relationships. Join us as Urs discusses the critical need for a human-centered leadership approach in today’s fast-paced world. He talks about the balance between being a firm, results-driven leader and maintaining genuine human connections with your team. He also provides actionable insights on the power of feedback, the role of vulnerability in leadership, and how to challenge traditional top-down management styles.

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcomeIan OKeefe, Founder and CEO of ikona Analytics. With a stellar career leading people analytics teams at some of the world’s most iconic companies, such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Google, Ian brings unparalleled insights into advancing people analytics strategies. Whether you’re new to people analytics or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and actionable insights. We discuss the four pillars of Productizing the People Analytics Function (governance, infrastructure, methods, products), the balance between building and buying capabilities, and much more. Throughout our conversationIan Ian shares both his expert advice as well as practical examples to help you navigate and enhance your organization’s data strategies.

In this episode we’re joined by Melis Abacıoğlu, the visionary founder and CEO of Wellbees, to explore the pivotal role of employee wellbeing in shaping organizational culture. While investing in employee wellbeing feels like the right thing to do morally, sometimes it’s not as easy to get sufficient manpower or budget to make a real difference.  In our conversation with Melis, we discuss innovative approaches to showcase ROI on wellbeing initiatives, wellbeing initiative options for different budgets, and strategies to expand participation once the initiative is launched. Melis has an incredible wealth of knowledge on the topic of wellbeing, and shares numerous research, as well as her vast experience, which provide a solid support for her recommendations. If you’re interested in learning more about how employee wellbeing can drive engagement, productivity, and fulfillment in the workplace, as well as how to even better advocate for, and drive, wellbeing initiatives inside your organization, you have to tune into this episode.

In today’s episode or Empowering Workplaces, our special guest Enrique Rubio, top 100 HR influencer and founder and head of global community, talks about the evolving landscape of company cultures and some of the positive changes that we have seen in recent years. While the pandemic had a positive impact on some employee experience programs, we’re seeing some initiatives and positive changes being rolled back. How can organizations effectively continue to support programs, ones focused on wellbeing for example, even in the face of adversity? Join us to learn more about how organizations can continue to drive positive change, even in a post-pandemic world, to continue to create more empowered workplace cultures.

Today on Empowering Workplaces we are joined by Stephen (Shed) Shedletzky, founder of Shed Inspires and the celebrated author of “Speak Up Culture.” Shed is an igniter, speaker, and master facilitator who as a part of his career trajectory had also worked on Simon Sinek's team for over a decade. In this episode, we talk about the importance of psychological safety in the workplace and its role as the foundation of high-performing teams. Shed shares his insights on creating environments where employees feel safe to voice their ideas, concerns, and feedback, emphasizing the transformative impact this can have on organizational culture and success. If you want to get ideas and practical tips for how to create an environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and encouraged to contribute their best, while also feeling inspired along the way, this is a great episode to tune into.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we talk about the importance of trust in the workplace with one of our favorite thought leaders, Dan Riley, co-founder of RADICL. We believe trust is the foundation to good relationships at work, do you agree? If you do, this episode has found you for a reason, because we are in a bit of a crisis. Based on recent research, only about 30% of people reporting high trust work relationships, and 35% are experiencing neutral to toxic workplace dynamics. Why is this happening? We discuss research and our take about the underlying factors driving these trends. Tune in to get some ideas for both how you can measure, and strengthen, trust across your organization.

We are joined by Mine Dedekoca, Chief Happiness Officer at Happy Work Studio to talk about how organizations can better navigate the transition between remote, hybrid, and in-office models. Mine sheds light on crucial considerations, recognizing that the shift is not merely about where we work but fundamentally about how we work. Whether your organization is currently embracing remote work or in the process of contemplating a return to the office, this episode is a must-listen.

Stephanie Murphy, PhD, has built an outstanding reputation in the field of Employee Listening by always pushing the boundaries in the ways she connects with, and listens to employees. With over a decade of experience working with large organizations, Stephanie shares her journey from analyzing employee listening data at Dell Technologies to a more recent listening project, where her approach and methodology we bet will surprise you. Throughout the episode, Stephanie highlights the crucial realization that behind every data point of every survey lies a unique story, an individual narrative, and shares practical advice and best practices for creating employee listening programs. No matter the size of your organization, or where you are on the employee listening journey, we are certain you’ll walk away with some great learnings from our conversation with Stephanie.

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, we talk with Richard Rosenow, VP of People Analytics Strategy at One Model, who talks about the The Three Channels of Workforce Information: conversations (“what people say”), surveys (“what people say they do”) and systems (“what people do”) as a way to build a comprehensive understanding of your workforce. During our conversation, Richard shares practical examples and strategies for harnessing the power of these channels to make informed decisions that positively impact your organization. This episode is a must listen for anyone seeking to enhance their understanding of workforce dynamics and drive success in the ever-evolving landscape of People Analytics.

In today’s episode, host Sanja Licina, PhD, engages in an enlightening conversation with Shelmina Abji, a passionate advocate for empowering women and leadership growth. As the bestselling author of “Show Your Worth” and former vice president at IBM, Shelmina shares personal experiences and learnings from her own journey, highlighting intentional manager and mentor relationships as key strategies to career growth. The episode also explores the transformative power of feedback in improving one’s leadership capabilities. Shelmina shares her experience with 360-degree assessment and the crucial lesson it taught her in delivering constructive feedback for professional growth. Don’t miss out on the invaluable insights and career advancement advice shared in this episode.

Join host Maddie Grant on Empowering Workplaces as she engages in an insightful discussion with Gallup's Global Practice Leader, Ed O'Boyle. Together, they explore the profound linkages between workplace culture and the art of recognition. Discover the transformative power of authentic acknowledgment, its impact on employee engagement, and how fostering a culture of recognition resonates at every organizational level. Gain actionable insights from Ed's expertise on aligning values, culture, and recognition programs to drive meaningful outcomes in the modern workplace. Tune in to unravel the fabric of recognition's influence on workplace dynamics and organizational success.