The Ordinary Leader by Randy Grieser

Can your business afford NOT to give your employees a raise? In this episode, we look at the impact of inflation on wages, and its effect on staff and organizational culture. We also discuss HBR’s article Getting Along: My Coworker is Sabotaging Me – and My Boss Won’t Help.

In this episode, we reference the books:
Getting Along by Amy Gallo
The Culture Question by Us and Mike LaBun
Culture Shock by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter, Ph.D.

How do you keep people from quitting? And what’s with all the strikes in the news this summer? In this episode, we welcome guest host Joddie Walker, we discuss Inc. Magazine’s article How Can You Be Sure Your Employees Won’t Quit. We also analyze what is happening with all the strikes in the news and what that has to do with workplace culture.

In this episode, we reference three books: Culture Shock by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter, Small Giants, by Bo Burlingham, and Satisfaction Guaranteed by Micheline Maynard.

We also reference Gallup’s article, How Important Is Time in the Office?, by Jim Harter.

We know mergers often tend to be difficult. From government departments to entire businesses. In this episode we look at the PGA Tour and LIV merger as an exploration for what happens when two radically different cultures meet. We also spotlight the MIT Sloan article Take a Skills-Based Approach to Culture Change.

In this episode, we compare the coronation of King Charles III as it relates to senior leadership changes in organizations. We also discuss the UBC study, When employees leave their jobs, coworkers call it quits, and explore the impacts of employee turnover on workplace culture.

What does it mean to be a trauma-informed organization? With guest host and co-author of A Little Book on Trauma-Informed Workplaces Nathan Gerbrandt, we discuss how leaders can improve workplace culture by being trauma-aware, without needing a degree in social work.

We also look at PwC’s 2023 Trust Survey and the often skewed perspective leaders have on the health of their organizations. Finally, we spotlight CTRI’s Trauma-Informed Online Assessment, which help leaders gain clarity around what they can do to improve their workplace culture.

Have you ever felt that the word “busy” has become synonymous with “I’m doing good?” In this podcast, we look at HBR’s article, Beware a Culture of Busyness, and talk strategy for making sure work is meaningful, not just busy. We also discuss the Silicon Valley Bank failure and what it might say about workplace culture when people aren’t ringing alarm bells early enough to prevent failure. We also spotlight the book, Nine Lies about Work, by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall.

Have you been thinking about how AI will affect your workplace culture? Do you know what gets in the way of culture change? Listen as we discuss Inc.’s article, Eliminate These 5 Roadblocks to Build a Winning Culture in Your Business, and how ChatGPT and AI will affect workplace culture. We also reference two books: Culture Is the Way by Matt Mayberry and The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

Quiet quitting? How about quiet firing?! In this episode, your hosts Eric, Wendy, and Randy discuss the Gallup article “Quiet Firing: What It Is and How to Stop Doing It” and talk about the three common mistakes that lead to quiet firing as well as what to do about them. They also explore the FTX collapse and what it says about a leader’s role in setting an ethical tone for workplace culture.

How much attention does your organization give to middle managers? In this episode, we delve into Erica Keswin’s article, To Retain Your Best Employees, Invest in Your Best Managers, and talk about ways to give middle management the consideration and love they deserve as direct drivers of the employee experience. We also discuss Disney’s move to reinstate Bob Igor as CEO after Bob Chapek’s short run, and what we should all be learning about succession planning. We also reference Bob Igor’s book, The Ride of a Lifetime.

How do rising interest rates, inflation, and job insecurity affect workplace culture? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss leading through uncertain times, and then dissect the MIT Sloan article, How to Fix a Toxic Culture. They also explore the importance of leadership’s role in detoxing their workplace.

Should we encourage friendships to grow at work? What about best friends? In this episode, we’re joined by guest host Vicki Enns as we examine HBR’s article, The Power of Work Friends. Then we dive into the use of software to monitor employees and ask whether organizations should be using this kind of software or if there’s a better way (spoiler alert: we are not fans of bossware).

Is “quiet quitting” something we should be paying attention to? And if so, how should we deal with it? In this episode, we explore the Forbes article, 5 Ways To Combat Quiet Quitting, and then we dive into MSNBC’s article, Firing of Canadian news anchor, reportedly due to gray hair, sparks controversy. Whether Lisa LaFlamme was let go due to her gray hair or not, we are certain that workplaces should be talking about fair standards in the ways they try to manage the appearance of their employees.

In this episode, we examine the HBR article, How Fair Is Your Workplace, and debate what it means to be a fair organization. We also reference the Verge article, Zuck Turns Up the Heat, and ask whether Mark Zuckerberg could have dealt with his workplace stressors more effectively in front of his employees.

What’s so powerful about clearly articulating our organization’s purpose? In this episode, Wendy, Randy, and Eric dive into this topic as they discuss MIT Sloan Management Review’s article, Unlock the Power of Purpose. Then they ask the question, “When is it time to revisit your organization’s values?” Also referenced in this podcast are the following books:
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
Looptail by Bruce Poon Tip
The Culture Question by Randy Grieser, Eric Stutzman, Wendy Loewen, and Mike Labun
The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo
The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier

Do our performance management systems need to change? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss Gallup’s new article, “Performance Management Must Evolve,” and then debate Elon Musk’s new mandate for staff to return to the office. Also mentioned in this episode are Marcus Buckingham’s book, The Nine Lies about Work, and Small Giants by Bo Burlingham.

     

What should we do about “toxic” coworkers? Is it even helpful to use labels like “toxic”? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric debate the Inc. article, The 5 Most Toxic Co-Workers or Employees and How to Deal with Them, and then discuss the role of workplace climate assessments and the impact of how leadership responds to their findings.

     

Are we really facing a great resignation? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss the HBR article, The “Great Resignation” Is a Misnomer. They also tackle how to deal with the impact of high inflation on our staff and workplace cultures.

     

How should we support our staff during an international crisis? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss how to lead others when war is top of mind. They also review the article, 10 Things Your Corporate Culture Needs to Get Right, and talk about Amy Edmondson’s book, The Fearless Organization.

     

With COVID restrictions loosening and organizations asking their staff to return to the office, we ask the question, What’s the best way to manage employee resistance? Listen to Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss the HBR article, How to Overcome Return-to-Office Resistance, and talk about how to say goodbye to an employee who has chosen to leave for other opportunities. Also highlighted are the following books: Leading Change, Our Iceberg Is Melting, and Small Giants.

     

What’s the right way to take ownership for a mistake and apologize? Randy, Wendy, and Eric explore what leaders can learn from Boris Johnson’s “Partygate” and share insights from their new book, Don’t Blame the Lettuce. Also highlighted is Robert Iger’s book, The Ride of a Lifetime.

     

Should we stop having work holiday parties? Listen as Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss this question and review Inc. Magazine’s article, Forget Throwing a Holiday Party. They also discuss the importance of hiring as it relates to workplace culture. Highlighted are ACHIEVE’s new workshop, COVID Conversations – Strategies for Polarizing Interactions, and the book, Time Off: A Practical Guide to Building Your Rest Ethic and Finding Success Without the Stress.

     

We all felt the immediate impacts of COVID-19 back in 2020, but how has it affected workplace culture nearly two years later? Listen as Randy, Wendy, and Eric discuss this question and Harvard Business Review’s new article, How Companies Can Improve Employee Engagement Right Now. They also highlight the ACHIEVE blog, 4 Steps for Recovering from a Mistake at Work and talk about the Leadership Development Survey Summary from their upcoming book, Don’t Blame the Lettuce.

     

In this short episode, co-host Randy Grieser reviews three questions people are asking about this new podcast: “Why workplace culture?” “What can you expect from this show?” and “Why listen to us?”