This episode of the Future of Work podcast I had the pleasure to speak with Paul Green, Jr., co-founder of the Self-Management Institute at the Morning Star Company. Morning Star is an agri-business and processing company who is largest processor of tomatoes. Everyone in some way, shape or form has consumed products that have come from Morning Star. What is really fascinating about the Morning Star Company is that there are no managers, and is the reason why I was so interested in speaking with Paul. Paul and I address some of the principles of self-management and how Morning Star came to this process of self-management. Our discussion includes hiring, firing and problem resolution ─ all functions traditionally handled by managers. He also shares insights into something they created called CLOU - Colleague Letters of Understanding, which is essentially an agreement employees make with each other where they agree upon what type of work they will be doing, how they are going to do it, etc. We cover much more, and end with Paul’s advice to organizations and employees. This is an absolutely fascinating discussion ─ and one that is very timely given Zappos recent shift to holacracy and the recent discussions on new models and concepts for restructuring. I learned so much speaking with Paul and I think you will as well. Tune in for this fascinating conversation on self-management with Paul Green!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

This episode of the Future of Work podcast I speak with Cheryl Kerrigan, Vice President of Employee Success at Achievers. Achievers is known for its employee recognition platform that you may have heard of and some of you may be using in your organization. Also, it should be noted that Achievers was recently ranked as one of the best places to work. Cheryl and I talk about how organizations can do a better job of recognizing and incentivizing their employees, how organizations can create a more engaged environment, and some of the tactics and strategies organizations can follow. We also cover what Achievers is doing internally with their own employees. Cheryl talks about the really cool programs Achievers has implemented designed to engage and get employees involved in what the organization is doing. She also covers how organizations can apply some of these concepts and ideas to help create a more engaged workforce and a solid corporate culture. One of the things that I always talk about is that organizations have to shift away from creating a place where they assume people need to work there to creating a place where people want to work there. And a big part of that is recognition, rewards, culture and engagement. Tune in for a great conversation with Cheryl Kerrigan on creating a more engaged environment through employee rewards and recognition!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

In this episode of the Future of Work podcast my guest is Jeffrey Rodman, the co-founder of Polycom. Many of you are familiar with Polycom and, in fact, have used their products. They became famous for their speaker phones found in the conference rooms of most organizations. Jeff and I talk about the role of technology in collaboration. It’s no secret that technology is obviously one of the biggest driving factors that is enabling collaboration today. It’s a topic covered in my first book, The Collaborative Organization; and is also explored in my new book, The Future of Work. Collaboration is a huge theme ─ one that organizations are continuously spending more time and resources investing in. In this episode, Jeff and I explore many topics including differences in collaboration between smaller and larger organizations; and the concept of office space and do we still need offices. We cover Millennials, freelancers and the contingent workforce; and how collaboration plays a role in connecting these different types of employees. We also talk the about challenges associated with collaboration. And, Jeff takes us through some of the cool technologies that he’s working on at Polycom. We conclude with Jeff’s advice to organizations, managers and employees who are looking to improve collaboration within their organization. Tune in for a great discussion With Jeff Rodman on the role of technology in collaboration!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

My guest for this episode of the Future of Work podcast is Ralph Loura, CIO at Hewlett-Packard’s Enterprise Group, and former CIO of the Clorox Company. We looked at technology as tools and not toys. Ralph also shared his perspective on how the role of IT is changing, how the role of the CIO is evolving, and what the future is going to look like. We covered technical issues like IT and business units working together, important skills IT professionals must possess in the new world of work, and technology and the business side. But we also explored some interesting topics such as women and technology, the culture of H-P, millennials, and much more. As with every podcast, Ralph ends with his advice for CIOs, organizations, and employees regarding technology. Tune in for a captivating discussion on technology as tools and not toys with Ralph Loura!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

In this Future of Work podcast, I speak with Josh Bersin. Josh started a company called Bersin & Associates, which was acquired by Deloitte and is now known as Bersin by Deloitte. Since the acquisition, Josh has been working at Deloitte providing a lot of really interesting thought leadership around how the world of HR and talent is changing. Because Deloitte recently released a report called “Global Human Capital Trends 2015: Leading in the new world of work,” I reached out to Josh to talk about what some of these trends are and what that means for us. Josh gives a unique perspective from a “big picture” view as to how these trends are impacting the world of HR and talent. Our talk covers leadership, learning, culture, workforce in demand, performance management, and re-inventing HR. We also talk about analytics, the simplification of work, as well as machines as talent. While this podcast is especially relevant to you if you are a HR leader, it is just as relevant to you if you are just an employee that is trying to understand how your job is going to change or how your career might change in the future. Be sure to listen in to this fascinating discussion with Josh Bersin on the top human capital trends for 2015!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

This week’s episode of the Future of Work podcast is with Harry Kraemer, the former CEO of Baxter and now professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management where he teaches management and leadership. Many of you are familiar with Baxter, the large pharmaceutical company that today has just over 60,000 employees around the world. Harry does quite a number of things, one of which is that he is a best-selling author. His second book just came out titled, “Becoming the Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership.” You will recall that in a recent podcast, I spoke with Herminia Ibarra who also wrote a book on leadership. This episode explores leadership from Harry’s perspective. I must say that it was interesting to compare and contrast these two different models and styles of leadership. Of course, Harry and I examine what makes a leader. One of the common themes in Harry’s book is all about “being yourself.” We discuss the four principles of values-based leadership that include humbleness and humility, which Harry believes are very important for leadership. We also talk about how he scales leadership and the importance of corporate culture on leadership. There is a fascinating discourse on employee engagement as well as Harry’s concept called “leading up.” Harry shares some interesting stories and anecdotes from his life and experience as CEO of such a large organization as Baxter. As with every episode of the podcast, we end with his advice for managers, employees and organizations around the world. This is a great podcast episode. I found Harry’s thoughts, views and perspectives quite interesting, and I think you will too. So tune in and listen to this fascinating discussion on values-based leadership!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

In this podcast I continue my exploration of leadership with my interview with Herminia Ibarra. She is a professor at the INSEAD School of Business, one of the top business and management schools in the world, where she teaches leadership. Most of the people I talk to are all pretty much in agreement that there is a leadership crisis within our organizations. We are putting the wrong people in positions of power and we really need to re-think what it means to be a manager and a leader within our organizations. In previous podcasts, I spoke with Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman and Rita McGrath, a professor at the Columbia School of Business, about leadership. In this podcast I talk with Herminia about her new book that just came out called “Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader.” This is a very fascinating book, and we talk about a lot of the different concepts contained in it. As you can tell by the title, it’s a bit counter-intuitive. She challenges the common assumption that you should think like a leader and then start to act like a leader. Herminia says you have to act like one first before you start to think like one. In the podcast, we talk about how people can actually become leaders. I get Herminia’s feedback about the concept of management versus leadership, using Whirlpool’s rebranding of their internal job titles to give everyone a leadership title as an example. We also touch on the importance of getting out of your comfort zone, the importance of becoming and building bridges within your organization, and other cool concepts from her book such as authenticity and employee engagement. We cover the idea of outsight instead of insight — basically, redefining your job and thinking about it from an outsider’s perspective. Herminia also touches on the importance of your network and the people you are connected with, which I think this is a huge factor when thinking about leadership. In conjunction, Herminia discusses another theme called the “innovators network dilemma” where she talks about how your network can basically impact a lot of roles and perceptions that you get. This is a must-listen to podcast for anyone thinking of advancing into leadership or management roles; or those looking to become a better, more relevant leader. Listen in and don’t forget to share your thoughts with me!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

I’m very excited to share this week’s episode of The Future of Work podcast. I interview Rita McGrath, Professor at Columbia Business School, author, speaker and consultant. Rita has been featured in many business publications and is quoted frequently by the press. Her most recent book is “The End of Competitive Advantage – How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business.” I believe this podcast will prove to be a very good overview for people that are interested in management and innovation, and how they are evolving and changing. Rita is on the front line of these events because she not only teaches on this, but she works with a lot of organizations. We talk about venture capital and funding in the Bay Area and what is going on with what I like to call “Pinocchio’s Island,” and how innovation is changing. We look at the competitive advantage, which is particularly fascinating because it is something that has been and is still taught in many of our schools. And, it comes up time and again in conversations around management and leadership. Rita has a completely counter-intuitive approach, which is that competitive advantage is actually… dead. She introduces several new concepts and methods for organizations to sustain their strategy, and to scale and sustain innovation. Different aspects of the future of work also are explored including the freelancer economy and more. We wrap up with Rita sharing her advice to organizations— and individuals as well — who are looking to adapt to the changes that we are seeing. Tune in and don’t miss this Future of Work podcast. 

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

In this week’s episode of The Future of Work podcast I talk with Pat Wadors, Senior Vice President of Global Talent Organization at LinkedIn. Pat runs all of talent and Human Resources (HR), and she is pretty much responsible for all of the cool things that you keep hearing about LinkedIn. It is no surprise that Pat was ranked as one of the 2015 top 50 women in technology by the National Diversity Council. And, I’m excited to say that Pat will be one of the speakers at our upcoming Future of Work Forum on April 29^th in San Francisco. Pat and I talk about everything from Millenials and how HR is changing to what she is doing to leverage big data and analytics to drive HR decision-making. She also shares some great stories about vulnerability that I think will resonate with any senior leader. Considering that LinkedIn’s workforce has almost doubled during her tenure, you have to assume that Pat is doing some really interesting things to make sure that culture can scale, employee engagement stays high, and that LinkedIn as an organization can succeed. Pat walks us through how LinkedIn is transforming and the challenges she’s facing, and gives us a rare insight into some of the fascinating experiments she’s done and the results she’s seen. Pat shares her sagacious grasp of how to make corporate culture scale, how the role of HR is evolving, and how she sees her role, specifically. Tune in and listen to what has become one of my favorite episodes!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)

This episode continues my interview with Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc., a manufacturing company with over 8,000 employees. In the last episode we became familiar with Barry-Wehmiller; and how Bob feels personally responsible for every employee that works at his company, how this perspective came about, the justifications and metrics. In this episode we talk about leadership and management. In a very interesting discussion, Bob shares some of the creative and innovative things that he and his company are doing to really create a workplace where people feel fulfilled and engaged — and where they actually want to show up. It is all about his idea of “truly human leadership.” Tune in and listen to Part 2 of this lively discussion!

(Music by Ronald Jenkees)