Info

The Workplace Therapist Show

Curing Dysfunction from the Cubicle to the Corner Office. Got a bad boss? Struggling with what’s next in your career? Work/life balance out of whack? Making your job and your life better is what “The Workplace Therapist Show” is all about. I promise to bring you some of the best ideas, experts and life hacks. And most importantly, I promise not to hold back. There will be no sugar-coating or avoiding the tough conversations. My commitment to you is to always be real, honest and a little bit irreverent.
RSS Feed
2023
May
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
March
February


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: 2020
Dec 14, 2020

Need a positive, upbeat 2020 Transformation story? Here ya go! Tune in for my conversation with Dr. Shayna Smith who shares how she found the courage this year to take the plunge to go after what she’s always wanted and build her own practice. Way to go, Shayna!

Dec 7, 2020

It’s been a trying year, leaving many struggling with a sense of loss and grief. How can leaders help their team—or, in some cases, themselves—cope and get through the grieving process? That’s what my guest Anthony Casablanca, co-author of The Dying Art of Leadership: How Leaders Can Help Grieving Employees Excel at Work and I discuss on this week’s show. It’s a meaningful conversation. 

Nov 30, 2020

I’ve heard countless tales that 2020 has inspired many to make changes in their careers and beyond. Today I’m kicking off a series to share some of these awesome stories. Tune in to hear how Scott Raven and Wayne Hutchison made transformations in their careers and lives this year.

Nov 16, 2020

Difficult conversations: What makes them successful? How should you prepare? When should you do them? Just a few of the questions I asked Jason Wasser, LMFT and host of the You Winning Life Podcast this week on the show. It’s a great conversation for the workplace and beyond.

Nov 9, 2020

The greatest blessing and curse of remote working is that we can do our job any time, anywhere. Are you having trouble turning “off” work? You’re not the only one! Today Wayne Turmel of the Remote Leadership Institute provides practical advice for creating work/life boundaries in a virtual workday workspace.

Nov 2, 2020
Combining passion for therapy and entrepreneurship, this week I was a guest on You Winning Life, a podcast where I discussed healthy, productive, fulfilling and dysfunctional-free leadership. Enjoy the podcast!
Oct 26, 2020

Today more than ever, it’s imperative that our team and work culture—even our culture at home reflects the mantra of “We’re All in this Together.” This week’s guest, author/speaker/consultant, Mike Robbins recently released a book by that title and in our conversation described the tenets, what he calls “the 4 Pillars of creating a team culture of high performance.”

Mike describes his life growing up playing baseball and how he observed the power of team chemistry. He noticed sometimes he was on teams with lesser talent that could win against more talented teams simply because they worked better together. Working in the corporate world after baseball, Mike was surprised to learn team chemistry and culture isn’t just a sports thing, it’s a human thing. He’s been on the quest to solve the puzzle of how do we create a winning environment of positive team culture for our teams ever since.


Today the game has changed completely as we’re working from home. We’re more challenged, but team culture is more important than ever.

What can help us create team chemistry better? Mike shares the ideas behind the 4 Pillars:

1. Create Psychological Safety: Group Trust comes from how the leader of the team operates. How do you actually behave when things go wrong or someone makes a mistake? It’s how we respond sets the tone for the team. As a leader, if you don’t operate in a way that allows for error or ask for forgiveness or accept a mistake, then your team definitely won’t. The more a leader is willing to share their humanity with their team then the more likely the team will be to trust their leader.


2. Embrace Sweaty Palm Conversations

“You know what stands between you and the relationships you really want to have with other people? It’s probably a ten minute sweaty palm conversation you’re too afraid to have. If you get good at having those conversations, you’ll build trust, resolve conflict, and you’ll get to know other people who are different than you. If you lean in, you’ll build incredibly strong relationships, but it’s a practice.” – Mike Robbins

Difficult conversations are more like fish than wine—they don’t age well.


Start with the truth—begin with authentic place.

Tell the truth when having a difficult conversation. Be transparent. Own how you’re feeling; address it. It makes sense to say something like “I really don’t want to have this conversation because it’s difficult. However, my relationship with you/the team is more important than how I feel.”


Being a leader means choosing courage over comfort when it really matters.

I’m feeling really uncomfortable, but I want better for us.
Own how you are feeling using “I” statements/“I feel upset because…” I own how I am feeling and I don’t blame you for how I feel.

If we can lead with vulnerability, we’re likely to incite empathy from the other person.


3. Care about and challenge each other—I had a Coach at Stanford who told me that he always believed as a coach. “I have to love you hard so I could coach you hard can we care about each other so that we can push each other to the next level? Care a lot and challenge a lot, but the care has to come first.


We all know what challenging others looks like, but what does it look like to care about people?


Listen to them. Ask them how they are and actually listen.
Appreciate—distinct from recognition—valuing people for who they are, even when they fail. Being curios and interested. You don’t have to like someone to care about them. You don’t have to know about them intimately, it’s about finding that common ground humanity.

Life Hack: How to have better conversations or healthier relationships at work or home? Ask for FEEDBACK—Ask our spouse/kids/co-workers what could I start doing that I’m not doing? What could I stop doing that I’m doing? What should I continue doing?

 

Learn more about Mike or buy one of his five awesome books at mike-robbins.com.

Oct 19, 2020

After the Georgia governor lifted the COVID-19 shelter in place order in May, Jackson Healthcare President, Shane Jackson and his leadership team began putting in place protocols to get the company’s employees back in the office in a safe way. From changing cleaning procedures, cafeteria guidelines and elevator logistics, Jackson Healthcare had countless considerations to make before re-opening its doors. Jackson describes the importance of transparency, about motives and allowing people time to consume the decisions made has been crucial. With so much difficulty in getting people back in the office, Jackson says others told him not to bother. Jackson believes it is important as a leader to have in-person work available for the company because of the mental toll working alone can have on people. Jackson says, “I believe at a minimum one of the kindest things I can do for our associates right now is to provide a safe place for them to socialize and collaborate with their colleagues. Working from home alone made me realize how much I missed people; I didn’t realize what it was doing to me and I’ve had associates tell me the same thing. There is power in being together.” Jackson concludes the ultimate decision of whether a company should go back in person depends on “knowing your people and knowing what’s best for them and the business.” Jackson’s tip for building better conversations and better relationships? “I don’t think you can be present with someone with a phone in your hand.”

 

Oct 12, 2020

On this week’s episode Brandon has a conversation with author, consultant, and host of the Badass Women at Any Age Podcast, Bonnie Marcus. They discuss the ways in which any employee should engage in their organization’s politics, and how women are uniquely challenged in getting ahead in the workplace. Bonnie emphasizes that “playing politics” is really about creating relationships where others understand your values, trust you, and are willing to be your champion. Brandon and Bonnie discuss the adage that  “the three most important conversations about your career happen when you’re not in the room” and what you can do to make sure the outcomes are in your favor.  In order to do this well, one must be a pro at self-advocating? Bonnie emphasizes that everyone, especially women, need to understand how to do it in a way that’s authentic and effective and clearly demonstrates how their work leads to positive business outcomes for their organization.

Sep 28, 2020

Ever wonder what top leader-coaches say to their teams that other leaders don’t? My guest, Bill Eckstrom did. After thousands of studies, he ID’d 4 behaviors that separate the good from the great. It’s a fantastic conversation: listen in!

Sep 21, 2020

Feeling anxious? You’re not the only one these days. Wondering how to cope well and get through these unprecedented times like a champ? My guest, Licensed Counselor Mazi Robinson, offers some great insight and ideas we can do today to make it better.

Sep 14, 2020

“How do I keep my team motivated?” This is the most commonly asked question that I’ve gotten recently and the focus of our show this week! Whether your team is virtual or a front-lines-in-person essential service, keeping them motivated these days is especially challenging. Listen in for some great tips and tricks!

Aug 31, 2020

Today’s podcast is one I recorded with Jeff Myers, Senior Pastor of Roswell Presbyterian Church the week before the pandemic struck. Though the world has changed, the tenets of great leadership have not. Jeff and I discuss how great leaders relate to their audience, train up their people, and provide a non-anxious presence. It’s a great conversation; I hope you’ll listen in!

Aug 24, 2020

Are you the “know it all” or the “learn it all”? Your answer reveals a Fixed or Growth Mindset approach to the world. Today I’m talking to Beth Egan about why it matters and the 4 Behaviors that propel us into the Growth Mindset.

Aug 17, 2020

Continuing our mission to help you improve your conversations and relationships at work is this week’s guest, Hermence Matsotsa. We discuss cross-cultural communication and the details we might be missing when we interact with others of different cultures. Fascinating!

Aug 10, 2020

What would it look like if instead of our performance we sought to measure our effectiveness by our state of inner peace? Is that even possible? Amy Balog thinks so. She teaches it every day. Listen in on how it can be done.

Aug 3, 2020

What do you do when you discover that others consider your leadership style aggressive (or passive aggressive)? Hopefully, you decide to make some changes! Today’s guest Krister Ungerbock, author and communication expert, can help. Listen in!

Jul 27, 2020

Leadership vs. Louder-ship. Who gets listened to, encouraged, and promoted in your workplace? Today’s guest Jennifer Kahnweiler explains how your organization can create introvert friendly workplaces so that everyone thrives and succeeds.

Jul 20, 2020

There’s a fine line between speaking candidly and being a jerk. How skilled are you at staying on the side of respectful candor? Today Randy Hain and I discuss how to have more candid conversations — and why. Looking to promote greater creativity? Increase productivity? Host more efficient meetings? Listen in. 

Jul 13, 2020

Today we’re talking about my new book, The Hot Sauce Principle: How to Live and Lead in a World Where Everything Is Urgent All of the Time. Whitney and I have a great conversation on how we can better manage urgency in our lives. Listen in!

Jun 29, 2020

Today’s Leadership Lunch conversation is a broadcast of my recorded session with Kanyatta Walker, VP of Global Product and Technology at ADP. I hope you’ll tune in for some valuable insights to the conversations required to shape a stellar career. Good stuff!

Jun 15, 2020

Wondering how you’re going to break the news to your boss or how to say that awkward thing to your co-worker? Today’s Leadership Lunch is an “Ask the Therapist” segment all about difficult conversations.

Jun 1, 2020

Dr. Rob McKenna, author of COMPOSED and Founder and CEO of WiLD Leaders, returns to the show to share what a "composed" leader looks like. 

May 22, 2020

On the hunt for a job or even a new career? What should your tactics be right now? Are there different Do’s & Don'ts in quarantine? Job Search Strategist Hallie Crawford helps us figure it out on the next Leadership Lunch!

May 18, 2020

Best networking tips as we work from home? My guest, Chi Chi Okezie has the tips you need on this edition of Leadership Lunch!

1 2 Next »