Geeks Geezers And Googlization Podcast

The New Normal will be Never Normal, VUCA is our kryptonite, and adaptability will be our superpower. Our future isn’t just about digital transformation and how digital you are but how you are digital, says this episode’s guest Greg Verdino.  There is a whole generation of new workers who are embracing Web3 as a model. It's almost like gig workers on steroids, where they are building their own day job across 5 or 6 or 10 Web3 projects. Some are working for cash, others for crypto and tokens. To what extent will there be an ecosystem of workers rather than employees in a company? To grow and thrive, we (business and people) need to address not just digital but economic, social, cultural, environmental, political, and even biological disruptions. Greg shares what he believes is the real goal for any business transformation, why adaptability will be our superpower, his playbook for change: The Adapt Manifesto, and what he believes will be the next Never Normal disruption. Greg is a founder of The Alpha Collecti

Nothing scares people more than the unknown. And the concentration of the uncertainty the world is currently experiencing is unprecedented. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, author, speaker, and leadership trainer, Dr. Joe Serio, talks about how he went from being afraid of everything to hanging around the Russian mafia and the KGB. As you listen, you’ll learn how to take control of what scares you by putting your fears into perspective and acknowledging what you can and cannot control. Resources:  Vodka, Hookers, And The Russian Mafia by Joe Serio

Inclusion has officially become a buzzword. Companies tout it all the time, but it's mostly all talk, little action. It's time for them to stand up and read the writing on the wall. While 80% of employees want to work for an inclusive company, a recent report byJoshBersin.com revealed that 80% of companies are merely going through the motions. Inclusion is not only the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do. Inclusion can help businesses attract and retain top talent, increase customer loyalty and build stronger relationships with key partners.  How can your company turn lip service into reality? Let us give you a sneak peek: Inclusion is a feeling and the reality of inclusion varies with the individual.  Ever wonder how you can prevent DEI strategies from turning into reverse discrimination? Yep, we even dared to talk about that too. Inclusion expert Amy C Waninger has a plan for you and she shares it on this episode of Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization. Amy will help demystify inclusion, discuss

Relationship intelligence is a missed opportunity for managers and businesses. It helps leaders excel and communicate better. But many leadership development and workplace training programs follow a “one-size-fits-most” approach. That’s just not enough to help leaders be their best, according to our guest leadership communication expert Michael Piperno, Founder of The Comvia Group. Effective communication requires a whole lot more than just using the right words. It takes “relationship intelligence” or RQ: improving communication effectiveness by applying the science of relationships. Join Ira, Jason, and Michael in this conversation about what it takes to turn good leaders into great ones and mediocre workers into top talent.

A paycheck alone isn’t enough anymore. Meaningful compensation and recognition have become just as important. So how can you show your people appreciation to both attract and retain talent? In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Sarah McVanel, a leading recognition expert and author, sheds light on some myths that get in the way of acknowledging others. Sarah also breaks down how practicing recognition can help you create an army of recruiters. As you listen, you’ll hear simple ways to recognize others and understand what meaningful compensation looks like. Resources: Greatness Magnified The Flip Side of Failing by Sarah McVanel

We’ve gone from phone, to email, to text, to video. Communication is constantly evolving. Are you adapting with them to make sure you’re both heard and, more importantly, understood? In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, leadership communication and influence expert Dr. Laura Sicola discusses the subtle changes that make communication more effective. As you listen, you’ll hear tips on how to bring your in-person best to video so people take notice and retain the information you’re presenting. Resources:  Laura’s Ted Talk

Remember the good old pre-pandemic days when people woke up, showered, got dressed, crawled through long commutes, and searched for a coveted parking spot, just so that they could sit at a desk in a building to do work? Today, workers demand flexibility - to work from everywhere, anywhere, at any time. Building an Everywhere Workplace is not just an essential talent strategy. To navigate the labor market in this Never-Normal era, it's essential you can differentiate the opportunities from the landmines. You are in for a real treat today. As the worst of the pandemic seemed to be falling behind us, it's doubtful anyone listening today will be surprised to learn the long-anticipated return to normal has been anything but predictable, adequate, or normal. That is certainly true when one observes the back-to-work initiatives. What do workers say about hybrid work, remote work, and in-person work? How do women, men, and different generations feel? No matter the approach, what steps must companies take to ensure t

Workers are stressed. Many employees are burned out, running on fumes. Symptoms of stress and burnout are proliferating. A recent McKinsey report revealed that nearly 1 out of every 4 employees has moderate needs for counseling and psychotherapy. The World Health Organization estimates the impact of mental health symptoms on absenteeism, presenteeism, and loss of productivity is costing the global economy over $1 Trillion per year. Unfortunately, stress and burnout still carry a stigma and employers struggle to deal with them effectively.  In this Geeks Geezers Googlization episode, we tackle the topics of workplace burnout and meaningful work. We’ll hear from Burnout and Meaningful Work Expert David Shar who will share what burnout is, what causes it, and how leaders can fix it by helping workers find purpose in work and passion for their job.   What’s different about work stress and burnout this time? David Shar believes the pandemic created the perfect storm for a crisis of workplace stress and burnout, wh

To everyone else, it looked like Dr. Loubna Erraji had a perfect life. She is a high achiever, a neuroscientist with 20 years of experience encompassing scientific research, teaching, consulting, and coaching. She’s held important academic positions and executive corporate roles. But despite her distinguished career and a long list of accomplishments, she wasn’t happy. Nothing was working in her life and job until she found a coach. One might wonder why high achievers like Loubna Erraji would need a coach. With nearly 4 out of 10 workers looking to change jobs and careers this year, a lot more people are throwing their hat in the I-want-more-out-of-life ring.  A February article from the New York Times revealed that it’s not just employees who are quitting their jobs but senior executives too. Their reasons vary - from just scratching that itch to take a break to reassess the role of work in their lives to want to pursue a new venture. In short, you could say they were searching for “it.”  Unfortunately findi

The Great Resignation, The Great Attrition, The Big Quit - whatever you want to call it, Steve Browne isn’t buying it.  Steve, Chief People Officer at LaRosa’s Pizzeria, says people aren’t leaving the workforce, they are simply leaving places that don’t value them as both a person and an employee. That’s why Steve is making Larosa’s an organization people want to be a part of by putting people first. And not just in theory, but in practice. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Steve shares how the changes he’s made to LaRosa’s hiring process have brought in unexpected candidates who add to the organization's culture. As you listen, you’ll learn why you should do away with job descriptions and overarching policies and take a more individual-focused approach to your team members. Resources:  Steve’s HR Blog

For Kiersten Rippeteau, purpose, meaning, and company culture aren’t just lofty words but high-impact actions. Unfortunately for many business leaders, they are just word-du-jour. They toss them around in the hopes something sticks. She, however, believes that every business can have a powerful positive impact on its employees, customers, and community. And for nearly 15 years, she has been helping leaders do exactly that - connect the dots between the business strategy, mission, and people. You are not going to want to miss this episode. Determined that every business can be a powerful source of positive impact, Kiersten Rippeteau started her consulting firm New Commodity with a mission to make authentic purpose a practical tool for every business to generate that impact and drive performance and organizational health. Her background is in business operations, leadership, and organizational strategy in healthcare, non-profits, food & beverage, and construction. Before heading down this professional path,

“We are now experiencing two, once-in-a-century trends happening at the same time—the labor shortage is one and the shift to remote work is the other.” Gad Levanon, Chief Economist at the Burning Glass Institute, has won awards for accurately forecasting U.S. economic trends. What’s his take on the shift to remote work? It’s dramatically changing the labor and economic playing field. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Gad joins hosts Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran to break down the numbers behind the labor shortage and discuss ways businesses are adapting to keep filling job openings. Resources:  A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz  

On this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, show hosts Jason Cochran and Ira S Wolfe are joined by the Dulead leadership team of Eric Hiler and Scott Himes to explore the importance of growth mindset and how a micro-learning coaching experience can give everyone from the front-line to the C-Suite the power to make change work. While winning the gold at the Olympics is every athlete’s goal, less than 3 percent of the athletes get an opportunity to stand atop the world stage. How these world-class athletes respond to untimely falls on the ice and aerial routines gone bad is really what separates the true champions from gifted athletes. Mindsets aren’t just important for athletes. They play a crucial role in our parenting, leading, wellbeing, and business success too. One such critical mindset is the growth mindset. Listen to how you and your team can develop a growth mindset one day at a time. Click here to start the Growth Mindset journey here!

Last year over 18 billion dollars were infused into HR tech, yet only 40% of senior HR leaders say they have a digital transformation plan in place for their businesses. According to Chad Sowash, the issue isn’t the tech, it’s the planning and integration. Chad is an HR legend, especially in recruitment, and is currently co-host of “Chad and The Cheese,” HR’s most dangerous podcast. In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Chad joins hosts Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran to explore why so many HR leaders are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to their tech stack.

Burnout and stress are at all-time highs. In what has been dubbed The Great Resignation, over 26 million people have said adios to their bosses in just 5 months. Nearly one-third of the workforce has changed jobs over the past 12 months. Not only are more and better opportunities available, but a global study by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence found that 78% of employees reported that their mental health was negatively impacted by the pandemic. Half of the workers say they’re experiencing burnout. What can business leaders do to stem the mass exodus of workers and attract or retain the top talent it needs? How can they assure they have the right leaders in place? Vivian Blade, author of #1 Amazon best-selling book, Resilience Ready: The Leader’s Guide to Thriving Through Unrelenting Crises, joins Geeks Geezers Googlization on this episode to unpack what needs to be done to thrive in these Never-Normal times. About Vivian Blade Recognized as one of Engagedly’s Top 100 Global HR Influencers of 2021, Vivian Bl

In Geeks, Geezers, Googlization, Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran explore the new, challenge the old, and dare to push back on everybody who’s said “When we’re back to normal times…”. Join them weekly for fresh conversations around all topics pertaining to talent management.

If there ever was a time that HR and business leaders needed to reimagine their future and how they approach managing people, it's right now. Ben M. Bensaou, author of Built to Innovate and Professor of Technology Management at INSEAD, (home of the Blue Ocean Strategy) says that HR "needs to begin taking "innovating seriously." Instead of reaching for one more piece of HR Tech (which is innovation), we need to create an innovating culture that gives people permission to innovate and take risks  - motivating them to share ideas and contribute. We interviewed Ben on this week's Geeks Geezers Googlization Show. Ben was captivating. He'll leave you wanting more.

Imagine yourself loving to go to work, where your office workspace is equipped with perfect air quality, light, sound, and personalized design (even if you're left-handed!). This workspace helps you be more efficient and productive, all while offering flexible privacy and psychological safety. Mo Hamzian took his love for working at what he calls “analog coffee shops'' and started VEL, a hyper-localized tech-enabled, highly productive workplace based on a coffee shop concept. Sounds pretty good, right? Mo is betting hybrid, flexible, dedicated co-working spaces are here to stay and he’s putting his money where his mouth is. Is Mo’s vision of Workplace 3.0, the future of the workplace, correct? Will co-working replace working at the office and working from home? Are there better alternatives? With nearly every employer and worker struggling to figure out how, what, and where to work in this new world of Never-Normal, you don’t want to miss what Mo Hamzian has to say. 

Modern HR is not about HR, according to the “father of modern HR,” Dave Ulrich. Dave has eloquently described the major stumbling block in HR’s pursuit of change and leadership: HR is not about HR!  For far too long HR has been clamoring that it wants a seat at the table. Dave's response: "If HR isn't at the table [in 2021,] you don't belong in HR!" So then ...what is HR about? Where does it belong? Why should a CEO rely on HR in the first place? Start by asking: What does HR contribute?  HR is about contributing value to the marketplace. It's about making sure you have the right talent in the right places in the right culture. It's about leadership. These are just a few of the highlights you'll hear! Few words were minced and truths were told about why HR is not about HR and what role it must be playing. Grab a pen and paper (or your favorite digital device) because you'll definitely want to jot down a few notes. Then click here for this captivating interview with Thinkers 360 Top 5 HR Global Thought Leade

Plagued by the double whammy of a record number of job openings and employee resignations, many companies have opened up their purse strings to toss money at revolving doors of talent. But according to Recruiter.com chairman and CEO Evan Sohn, who is at the epicenter of what is going on, 75 percent of candidate priorities are not compensation-related. Paying more money isn’t the long-term solution. So what is? What’s going wrong in the job and labor markets and what must companies do right now to fix it?  What can you expect in 2022?  Right before Evan’s interview, Recruiter.com released their 6 Recruiting Predictions for 2022 beginning with this #1 headbanger: It will be an employee’s job market through at least the first half of 2022!  What’s behind this shift? Let’s start with the job-hopper economy, remote work, hybrid workforce, and diversity. You’re not going to want to miss this episode. Click play now.