I spoke at my first American human resources conference in 2008. George W. Bush was still president. Foreclosures were in the news and layoffs were rampant. We didn’t have universal access to healthcare and people were going bankrupt due to medical bills and prescription drug prices. The mortgage crisis was imminent, and the economic growth…
It’s important to celebrate milestones. I recently aired my 50th episode of Let’s Fix Work. It’s hard to believe almost a year has passed since I launched this little podcast. Over the past eleven months, I’ve met some inspiring thinkers and tackled topics from asshole bosses to sexual harassment to universal basic income.⠀ One thing…
“When somebody thinks enough of you to ask, say yes.” An event planner offered this advice in 2009. I was encouraged to attend more industry events even if I wasn’t on the speaker roster. “If you’re building a business and asked to take part in a conference — and they’re offering to pay your expenses…
Next week is the 5th annual WorkHuman conference, and, as I pack my bags, I’ve been thinking a lot about expertise. There are three types of speakers at this event. 1. Researchers with a thesis and ideas, and academics who have studied a topic like leadership or gratitude for ages. 2. Practitioners and leaders who…
Most companies want to create positive work environments for their employees, right? After all, they want workers to be happy, but are they creating “fearless” environments? Recently on an episode of Let’s Fix Work, I welcomed Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School. She is the author of The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in…
The last time something surprised me was back in 1992. In olden times, there were three ways to learn about new movies: you could read the newspaper, watch Siskel & Ebert on local TV, or ask your friends for recommendations. My entire social circle was gaga over a movie called The Crying Game, and my high…
Hi, everybody. If you’re new around here, I’m fixin’ to write a best-selling book on fixing work. There’s an agent involved, and I wrote a 74-page proposal based around my core philosophy that you fix work by fixing yourself. Yes, companies and HR departments should deliver an incredible experience. But if you run your life like…
Recently on the Let’s Fix Work podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with radio personality, Ryan Arnold. He’s a longtime friend and DJ at WXRT, Chicago’s Finest Rock. He’s also the founder of Desoto and State Communications. We talked about what it’s like to have a dream job and how health insurance makes dreams…
In a recent episode of Let’s Fix Work, I welcomed entrepreneur and technologist, Armen Berjikly. Armen serves as the Senior Director of Growth Strategy at Ultimate Software, where his expertise in human-computer interactions drives Ultimate’s artificial intelligence platform and direction. Through my own work, I have realized that there are many people in the workplace,…
Disclosure: This post is sponsored National Car Rental, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. When’s the best time to visit New Zealand? Whenever someone pays for you to come! Back in November 2017, someone invited me to speak at a recruiting conference. As part of my compensation package, the organizers paid my airfare…