How To Be Awesome At Your Job: A Podcast For People Who Love Learning Improvement Tools For Happier Work, Career & Achieving

Linda Kaplan-Thaler shares how you can turn up your GRIT factor to better put in the hard work needed to achieve success. You'll Learn: Why hard work trumps genius The GRIT framework for reaching success The research-based 30-minute rule that gritty winners follow About Linda Advertising Hall of Famer Linda Kaplan Thaler is responsible for some of America’ s most famous and award-winning advertising campaigns, including the Aflac duck and the hilarious “Yes, Yes, Yes” commercials for Clairol Herbal Essences. She has composed jingles that are among the industry's gold standard, including “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, I’m a Toys ‘ R’ Us Kid,” and “Kodak Moments."  Today, Linda is a renowned motivational speaker and is President of Kaplan Thaler Productions. Linda is also a nationally acclaimed author and, together with Robin Koval, their newest bestseller, "GRIT to GREAT," was ranked one of the top business books for 2015. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep119

Employee engagement expert/lawyer Jathan Janove shares hard-won wisdom in the management trenches. You'll Learn: How to breach difficult conversations with constructive confrontational questions The step-by-step to a win-win conversation The MIDAS touch method to making golden apologies About Jathan Having previously spent 25 years litigating workplace relationships that turned toxic, Jathan now works with employers as an organization development consultant, executive coach and trainer to improve leadership, trust, accountability, retention and employee engagement. He’s also an award-winning, internationally published author whose latest book is Hard-Won Wisdom: True Stories From The Management Trenches. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep118

Career advisor  Liz Ryan explores how the workplace has gone off the rails, how to connect with employers with a pain letter, and give your resume a human voice. You'll Learn: Roadblocks that get in between creative people and their goals Why you should throw that performance review framework out of the window What’s a pain letter and why it will help you land your next job About Liz Liz Ryan is among the world’s most widely- read career advisors and CEO/Founder of Human Workplace, a think tank and publishing firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Liz was SVP of HR for U.S. Robotics during its rise from $15M to $2.5B in annual sales. Liz was also CEO and Founder of WorldWIT, the world’s largest online community for professional women, before founding Human Workplace in 2012 to reinvent work for people. Liz writes for Forbes.com, LinkedIn and many other publications and is a sought after international keynote speaker. Her new book is called Reinvention Roadmap: Break the Rules to Get the Job You

Rice University Professor Scott Sonenshein proposes a change in mindset when it comes to constraints and stretching resources and getting more with less. You'll Learn: Principles behind the “Myth of More” and the “Power of Less” Why experts are over-rated The four keys of an effective stretching mindset About Scott Scott Sonenshein is the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice University. His award winning research, teaching, and consulting has helped Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals in a variety of industries. He holds a PhD in management and organizations from the University of Michigan, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and a BA from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a strategy consultant for companies such as AT&T and Microsoft and lived the rise and fall of the dotcom boom while working at a Silicon Valley startup. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep116

Geoff Blades lays down the framework and mindset for achieving success in your career and in life. You'll Learn: How to convert difficult questions into a process towards answering them Dos and don’ts to discovering what “awesome at your job” TRULY means for you 5 principles for winning at your career (Also, apologies on my sound quality. I apparently failed to switch to my good microphone. 1st time out of 115 episodes that happened.) About Geoff Geoff is a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs and investor at the Carlyle Group. He is an author and advisor to senior Wall Street executives, CEOs, and other leaders on all topics related to getting what they want in their businesses, careers, and lives. In addition to working one-on-one and with groups, through newsletters, books, and videos he strives to serve more and more people in doing what they want. He’s the author of Do What You Want: A Career Guide for Professionals Serious About Winning. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtY

Alan Willett discusses optimal approaches to giving feedback and other means of making powerful improvements in your team. You'll Learn: What makes some employees “unleadable” and how to lead them Why people are afraid to give feedback – and how to overcome it How a two minute conversation can transform everything About Alan Alan Willett is of the rare species who is an expert international consultant, speaker, and author. He has worked with companies ranging from 1 person to some of the giants such as Microsoft and NASA. Alan says that his passion is helping people and organizations transform their friction points into profit points. What is a friction point? It is the space where the business needs Meet the implementation reality — in that space there is always heat generated! Alan is the expert who transforms that heat to innovation and  results for the business and the people. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep114

Fellow career podcaster Jamie Newman describes what a great manager looks like, how to get top performers to stay, and how employees and managers can work together to achieve professional and personal goals together. You'll Learn: 5 things to do if you want a promotion Why good employees leave How meaningful goal-setting builds tremendous loyalty About Jamie Jamie Newman is a management professional, trainer, and coach through YourBestManager.com which is an online resource designed to help top performers become managers and help first-time managers learn how to build and lead effective teams. Prior to Your Best Manager, Jamie spent 8 years with a major recruiting & consulting firm where he had the opportunity to work with hundreds of companies from mid-market firms through Fortune 100 companies. He’s advised business leaders, from front-line supervisors to senior executives, on who to hire, how to hire and how to manage performance. It’s through this experience that he’s been exposed to a variety of ma

Dr. Jenny Brockis examines how the brain works and develops and shares how you can boost your brain to higher performance. You'll Learn: Characteristics of the high-performance brain Why you should give your brain permission to wander Key habits for optimal brain performance About Jenny As a medical doctor, speaker and author, Dr. Jenny Brockis is passionate about all things 'brain'. Her mission is to become the Jamie Oliver of cognitive health, empowering others to create their own high performance brain that is optimised to help them work at their best. She works with those who seek to thrive in our increasingly complex world, by translating the complexities of neuroscience into easily understood strategies that can be readily integrated into our busy lives. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep112

Veteran career coach Marc Miller gives pro-tips to understanding your core talents to find more fulfillment at work. You'll Learn: How to find career fulfillment by discovering your core talents Big open-ended questions to ask at your next job interview Generational echoes and how to better understand each other About Marc Marc Miller’s career journey included 22 years at IBM, several thriving tech startups, a painful stint as a high school teacher, a gig raising funds for the Jewish Community Association of Austin and a near fatal bicycle accident that changed his perspective forever. An active member of the Launch Pad Job Club, Marc found himself counseling friends and associates on their career journeys and finally realized he’d found his vocation. He would use his extensive training experience to help others—especially Baby Boomers—find careers that they could grow into for the decades that lie ahead. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep111

Refound CEO and author Jonathan Raymond explains how personal and professional growth are one thing, not two. You'll Learn: How you can become the leader your team is waiting for The makings of a perfect conversation Approaches to receiving feedback constructively About Jonathan After twenty years of not being able to decide whether he was a business development guy or a personal growth teacher, Jonathan stopped trying to figure it out. He’s the owner of Refound, an online training startup that offers Good Authority training programs for owners, executives, and managers. He’s madly in love with his wife, tries not to spoil his daughter, and will never give up on the New York Knicks. Jonathan is the former CEO and Chief Brand Officer of EMyth, where he led the transformation of a global coaching brand and has worked in tech, clean tech, and the nonprofit world after graduating law school in 1998. He lives in Ashland, Oregon, a lovely town that’s too far away from a warm ocean. View transcript, show notes, an

Celebrated business coach Toku McCree shares curated wisdom gleaned from his coaching clients and years of zen monastery reflection on his career spanning over 30 jobs. You'll Learn: Why you should find your 4% edge and lean on it What is mindfulness and how to apply it in the office Three keys to growth About Toku Toku works with brilliant leaders who are obsessed with greatness and helps them understand that ‘success’ is just the beginning of an amazing life and not the destination. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep109

Dr. Beverly Kaye discusses how to get great employees to stick around with “stay interviews” and more… whether the great employee is you or your direct reports! You'll Learn: Why should conduct a stay interview instead of an exit interview How to ask your manager for what you really need to stay The top reasons employees stay or go About Beverly Founder and Chairwoman of Career International, Dr. Beverly Kaye is an international bestselling author and a leading authority in the world of modern workplace performance. She has dedicated her life’s work to helping individuals and organizations grow in a workplace that fosters greater commitment, fulfillment, and humanity. Beverly Kaye and the CSI team provide cutting-edge and award-winning talent development solutions primarily to Fortune 1000 companies. Her work and research are distinguished and widely recognized for helping others discover greater meaning in their work and gain greater control over their career destinies. Dr. Kaye completed her graduate work

Brandeis Professor Andy Molinsky lays out a powerful framework for reaching beyond your current capabilities. You'll Learn: The psychological roadblocks that hinder us from reaching beyond our skills Why it’s worth it exiting your comfort zone Andy’s research-based three Cs for stepping outside your comfort zone About Andy Andy Molinsky is a Professor of International Management and Organizational Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School. He is the author of Global Dexterity (HBR Press, 2013) and the forthcoming book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin/Random House, 2017). View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep108

2U Vice President of IT Artie Jordan talks software and soft skills and how they can be applied to any workplace. You'll Learn: How to keep your team agile Common pitfalls in communication The most important soft skill that your team should practice now About Artie Artie is a member of 2U's tech leadership team, former member of the Obama for America team, and founding board member of CSTUY, a non-profit dedicated to bringing opportunities in computer science and technology to middle and high school students. Also a fellow University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alum. He's very active in the NY tech meet-up scene and an advocate for professional development and soft-skills training for technical workers.  View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep106

Business Improv Founder Bob Kulhan reveals how improv techniques can be applied to the workplace. You'll Learn: How improv’s “Yes, and…” philosophy can enrich many facets of work Improv’s wisdom on conducting better meetings How to reframe difficult conversations with “Yes, and…” About Bob Bob Kulhan is the Founder, President and CEO of Business Improv®, and a world-class leader in creating experiential training and development programs for corporations of all scopes and sizes. Based in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, Business Improv serves a large international roster of blue-chip firms such as Google, PepsiCo, American Express, Capital One, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ford Motor Company, Hilton Hotels Worldwide and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Kulhan’s consulting and teaching work with these clients emphasizes the use of improvisational techniques in developing leadership, improving managerial structure, honing team skills, fostering a collaborative corporate culture, busting blocks to creativity,

R. Michael Anderson talks about identifying self-limiting beliefs and how to overcome them.   You'll Learn: How anxiety offers helpful clues for your personal development Best practices in overcoming limiting beliefs A simple way to deal with stress About Michael Michael Anderson is founder of The Executive JOY Institute. He specializes in teaching organizations, leaders, and individuals how to become even more successful through psychology, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. His unique background of real-life experience mixed with his world-class education allows his audiences to both learn and be entertained. Michael has taught leaders around the world, from Panama to the Philippines to Australia and Mexico, and has worked with a broad range of clients, including Microsoft, SAP, Stanford University, Vistage, Young Presidents Organization, and Entrepreneurs Organization. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep104

Chris McGoff discusses universal patterns in human behavior and offers his take on what integrity really means. You'll Learn: Approaches to building powerful alliances What the word “integrity” truly means – and how to solidify it in your team Fatal patterns to watch out for in the workplace About Chris Chris McGoff is the founder of The Clearing, Inc., where he guides organizations to tackle their most complex and high-stake problems. Using his book, "The PRIMES: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem "(Wiley; 2012), McGoff gives leaders clarity to see the resources they already have available.He is a business leader and consultant with over 30 years of experience, helping leaders achieve their desired outcomes during the most uncertain times. From mergers and acquisitions to change in leadership, McGoff is passionate about serving the needs of enterprises across the globe. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep103

Andrew discusses how collecting letters and business cards from CEOs contributed to his quick rise to Executive Vice-President. You'll Learn: Key lessons repeated among 500 letters from CEOs How to change “I don’t know” from a negative to a positive Effective approaches for mentor relationship building About Andrew Andrew is a founding member of 2U and head of university partnership and corporate development. He is uniquely good at relationship management and has had the quirky hobby of writing letters to CEO's and collecting business cards since childhood. In fact, it was through that hobby that he got his first job at 2U - as an undergraduate college student. His personal motto is #Hustle.  View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep102

Pat McDaniel shares some of his wisest insights about decision-making fallacies and victories. You'll Learn: A 5-step process to better decision making Unexpected hidden influences that affect your decision making How to maintain an openness to contrary information About Pat Pat McDaniel is the founder of WiseInsights.net a website dedicated to helping motivated but weary people keep moving forward by finding the smartest path toward their success.  Pat is passionate about sharing his story about how he kept hitting the wall, got mad, and was eventually ready to change how he made decisions, so that he could be on the right path.  Pat has a highly diverse background. He has been a long-time student (made it through the 19th grade) a CPA, a pastor and church planter,  a sales manager, a search engine marketing strategist working in a marketing agency, an entrepreneur who started his own business from scratch, and an author of the Ebook: 5 Step Process to Making Better More Successful Decisions. View transcr

My uncle and first speaking mentor, Topper Steinman, shares his genius on how to enter into tricky conversational territory. You'll Learn: How to talk about just about anything, with anyone Rules of engagement for effectively handling confrontation Approaches for moving from ‘what’ and ‘so what’ to ‘now what’ About Topper Topper Steinman is a counselor and consultant from Champaign, Il. with 40 years experience in teaching, counseling, and consulting.  As a workshop facilitator and speaker, his topics cover a wide variety of interest areas with efforts aimed at bridging the adult/youth gap while creating a healthy sense of self and others. He holds a Mediation Training Certificate from CDR Associates of Boulder, Colo.  and is a certified instructor in Parent and Teacher Effectiveness and an experienced T.E.S.A. trainer. Topper has been the recipient of the Illinois State Board of Education "Those Who Excel" award as outstanding counselor, the "Outstanding Young Educator" award, and Champaign-Urbana's "Commu