Let’s Fix Work Episode 84
This week my guest is Vadim Liberman. Vadim is someone who is incredibly special to me. He’s so special that I almost didn’t want to share him with the world, but I will because he’s great. Vadim is the new Managing Editor of ERE magazine, which is an online magazine for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals.
Before he worked at ERE, he worked at The Conference Board Review and he was my boss. He was an exceptional boss at that. Every time he edited a piece of my writing, he made it better. So yes, I have firsthand knowledge that Vadim is an amazing leader with an awesome view on the world of work. He is also a critical thinker when it comes to tools, techniques, methodologies, and technology; and how we use them in the world of work. I love that about him.
So if you want to hear about the future of work and technology trends from someone who is getting stuff done and making a difference, then sit back and listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The Conference Board Review, the work Vadim and I did there, and our boss/employee relationship
- Why being friends with your boss is just not conducive to friendship or leadership
- Thinking of workplace culture as a community; rather than as a family
- Vadim as a fearless communicator
- What DisruptHR NYC is and Vadim’s contributions
- Why authenticity isn’t important in work and how it can be counterproductive to good leadership and being a good employee
- The importance of being your best self rather than your real self
- We ponder the question, “Are we using technology and assessments to get to the outcome that we wanted or do we really believe in science?”
- The good, the bad, and the ugly of HR tech; plus what’s working and what’s not
KEY TAKEAWAYS
WHY IS BEING FRIENDS WITH YOUR BOSS NOT CONDUCIVE TO FRIENDSHIP OR LEADERSHIP?
Here’s an important note: You could be friendly with your boss, but you are not friends with your boss. You can’t be friends with the person you manage. The dynamic is too skewed. You can’t have a normal friendship with somebody who determines your performance or how much you get paid. The dynamics are just not conducive to friendship.
WHY IS AUTHENTICITY NOT IMPORTANT IN WORK AND HOW CAN IT BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO GOOD LEADERSHIP AND BEING A GOOD EMPLOYEE?
Vadim has an intriguing view on authenticity and work. Here are his thoughts on the topic: “Is authenticity important at work? Is authenticity important in leadership? Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is, ‘Yes.’ And I’m saying, ‘No.’ Not only is it not important, it can be counterproductive to good leadership and having the kind of workplace that we want. It’s not about being a real self. It’s about being your best self because our real selves can really suck. And if you’re telling people to be their real selves, you’re giving them an excuse to be a real jerk at work.”
WHAT IS ONE GOOD TECHNOLOGY TREND WE SHOULD BE ON LOOKOUT FOR?
Vadim mentioned a NextGen company called Sure People. They offer a platform that mixes culture, performance management, learning and development, and assessments. The interface is really terrific. Vadim has not seen another platform integrate all of the different aspects of HR so well and so easily. This was just one example of good HR tech from our conversation.
WHAT IS DISRUPTHR NYC?
DisruptHR NYC is the Ted Talks for HR. Speakers have five minutes to speak while 20 slides advance automatically as one speaks. There’s pressure but excitement to talk about their views on work and how to improve work. It’s not just for HR professionals. DisruptHR NYC looks to challenge traditional norms and the status quo.
Resources from this episode:
Vadim Liberman on LinkedIn
ERE Magazine
DisruptHR
Sure People
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