Work Revolution (Debra Adey & lisa Schmidt)

When it comes to the workplace, has COVID changed everything? If so, what do organizations and employees need to think about as we step into 2022? In this episode, Debra and lisa consider the changes the pandemic has wrought on the workplace in the past year, and take aim at the important things organizations must focus on. Culture, conflict, retention, diversity and inclusion—these may sound like buzzwords, but in the year ahead, they will be anything but. Tune in as hosts Debra and lisa share pertinent insights for what organizations, leaders and employees can expect in the coming months.

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Moving up in an organization usually means taking on people management responsibilities, whether you like it or not. Many bosses don't enjoy managing people, don't have the skillset for it and/or don't feel they have the time to commit to it; they're promoted largely because of their ability to manage up, leaving their direct reports without a role model and someone to help them grow, learn and develop - all the things that contribute to engagement and help people reach their full potential.   Marie-Hélène Budworth, an Associate Professor in the School of Human Resource Management at York University talks about the boss' role in communicating with and leading employees.

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

How can we reduce bias and workplace conflict while increasing focus, productivity, authentic communication, and decision making? Mark Krasnohorsky believes the practice of meditation will have a profound impact on all of these. Hear how this science-minded, tech-savvy consultant applies meditation in the workplace and how it’s changed his personal life.

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Jake Stika of Next Gen Men talks about how patriarchy and the masculine script of competition and domination perpetuates gender inequality and is harmful to both women AND men. Jake describes how he approaches these topics with leaders and other men, and about how his own experiences in semi-professional sport brought him to pivot his career to focus on the health and well-being of boys and men.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

What's scarier, telling your friends, family and work colleagues that you're gay or doing Improv in front of a live audience? Well, my friend Monica has an opinion on that.  As one of very few female Air Traffic Controllers, Monica talks about the culture at work and her process of coming out to her co-workers. Then we compare notes on how we've used our wits to navigate potential #metoo moments. 

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

The Personality Data Assessment is an assessment that can help you find your unique and dominant style. It will help you evolve and progress through the different levels of your leadership journey. You will move from managerial to CEO if you just build on your existing strengths.

In this episode, Debra Adey interviews a repeat guest, Carlos Davidovich, on what you can learn from this Personality Data Assessment. Carlos recently co-authored a book with Larry Cash called Personality DNA. Carlos will share more about this book and how you can apply it to your career objectives.

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Once again Debra and lisa share what they are reading, hearing and intuiting about the work year ahead. Here are their predictions of what organizations and leaders will be challenged by, and the top trends we can expect to see in 2023.

Do pool tables and parties make a great corporate culture? Are happy employees more productive? Why aren't more women in the C-suite? This conversation touches on all of it.  My guest, Carolyn Hass, is a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is VP, Product, Research and Development at SuccessFinder.

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

If we are complex beings, it is in large part because of our brains. In this first of three conversations with Michael Thompson, a passionate and highly knowledgeable leadership consultant and coach with over a decade of experience, we start to understand how the brain works at work. Michael's unique ability to promote wellness in the workplace and enhance the wellbeing of employees is anchored in a variety of strategies and techniques. He believes that knowing how our brains function, together with the other parts of our body, enables higher productivity. In this conversation with Debra, Michael shares digs deep into the science to help us better understand who we are.

We hear a lot about resilience and humility when it comes to leadership, but how do leaders start practising these behaviours? In this second of a three-part series on brain-based leadership, Michael Thompson and Debra Adey continue their discussion on what it means to lead with the brain in mind. This time, Michael offers practical information and guidance on stepping into ways of leading teams that align mind and body in taking on all kinds of challenges. Further, Michael explores why every workplace culture should pay attention to the mental well-being of employees, stressing we must not simply assume that employees are always at their best to work hours on end and still provide quality output.

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In part 2 of my conversation with Jane Scholes we discuss gender inequality in compensation for lawyers and how changes in leadership practices are urgently needed to avoid losing talent.  Highlighting the importance of great mentorship, Jane outlines the concrete strategies she’s learned from her Principal on how legal leaders can support young parents, and especially young women. As an added bonus, we talk strategies for young working parents to help facilitate the broader culture shift that’s needed so that women can contribute fully to the labour market (AKA Deb's unsolicited parenting advice).

Being a woman in any male-dominated industry is tough. Particularly for women in trades, there are certain realities that are just outright hard to accept and should not be the norm. In this episode, Natasha Fritz, owner of Natural Carpentry, opens up about her experiences as a woman working in the construction business. She was recently engaged in a legal dispute after calling out a catcaller on a show, and that’s what brought her here today. Debra Adey and Lisa Schmidt also weigh in on the kinds of expectations forced on women in these fields and the kind of change that needs to happen. Tune in for a thought-provoking piece on gender bias in the workplace, tackling harassment, and more.

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While companies push for ‘change agility’ from their people and in their business operations, they have made glacially slow progress on the issues that matter to most of us.

Michael Bach, Founder and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and author of Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right, shares his theories and experiences pushing for change, while I express my frustration and impatience waiting for it.

Hint: The problem has something to do with the fact that it’s almost exclusively white, cisgender men who are in positions to make change happen, and they don’t see how diversity and inclusion serves their self-interest.

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

20 years in the talent industry as a career coach and consultant has taught me that the workplace has become dysfunctional; too many employees are frustrated, bored, burned out, checked out, stressed out or demoralized.  Add to that a shifting global political landscape, growing societal unrest, gender and racial inequality and a climate crisis.  How are we to solve the difficult challenges ahead if can't harness the full potential, creativity and talent of our workforce? We need a Work Revolution.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

I love nothing more than a robust, thoughtful conversation with my colleague Lisa Schmidt about work, leadership and organizational culture. In this episode we explore women's experience of the workplace, through the lens of research on confidence and the role that it plays in our promotability. We go on from there to talk about driving-RVs-while-female, stereotypes about women with kids (me) and those without (Lisa), and the fallacy that an organization's values tell us anything about what it's like to work there.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Unconscious bias exists all over the world, whether it's in the workplace or just out in the streets. A woman is going to be 10 times more criticized when it comes to a work evaluation than a man. People have stereotyped this race to do that, this color of skin to do that. It's infuriating and the legal system isn't adequate enough to solve all these biases. In this episode, Debra sits down with Jessica Nordell to talk all about bias. Jessica is a science writer with degrees in physics and poetry. She is also the author of The End of Bias: A Beginning. Join Debra and Jessica as they talk about gender bias in the workplace, specifically for women. Discover what Jessica had learned from her simulation on workplace biases and more. Also, learn more about her book and what it's about today!

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Who's accountable when a hiring decision goes wrong? As JP illustrates in her compelling personal story, often, the employee feels ashamed and disrespected when they are exited from an organization, in her case, just five weeks after being hired. Left to guess what went wrong after no feedback and not a word from the boss, JP describes feeling like her dignity is taken. For many listeners, this will be a relatable story because something similar happened to them or someone they know. Debra and Lisa dig into the implications of this bad boss behavior for organizations and discuss ways job candidates can avoid this nightmare scenario. Tune in to Work Revolution to avoid being ghosted by your boss!

Women get interrupted more than men and men interrupt women more than they interrupt other men. This is a well-researched and well-documented fact, but what do you do about it when it's happening to you? Michelle is in a traditionally male-dominated field as an Associate Professor at a North American University in the Engineering and Architecture department. In this Ask Us Anything episode, Lisa and Debra address these frustrations about being interrupted by a male colleague. They offer suggestions for how Michelle can move forward professionally, and in a way that honors her values.

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The so-called ‘business decision’ to exit employees from your organization could be a positive experience for both you and the employee. With some thoughtful attention to what people need when they are being released from a familiar role in a company they have committed to. Instead, the vast majority of terminations are a cavalier process. That which lacks human connection and allows leaders to avoid accountability for their hiring decisions—and their management responsibilities. Listen in as Debra and Lisa explore why the way terminations are carried out has a profoundly negative impact on the individual, the organizational culture and broader societal attitudes about work and trust in corporations. The good news is that we can do better! In this, lisa and Debra offer their perspectives on how organizations can terminate employees in a way that aligns with their values.

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Now that working from home and hybrid arrangements have become fixtures in many businesses across the globe, many CEOs are considering—or even hiring—new direct reports to the senior leadership table. Joining the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) among others are Chief Remote Officers and Chief Wellness Officers, hired to make remote work flourish, focusing on holistic practices and systems, and ensuring the less tangible aspects of organizational culture take root in home offices and on kitchen tables where much knowledge work is done. Who are these new and emerging leaders, and what do we think they should be doing? Listen in as Debra and lisa take a step back to look at what workplaces need now and assess if these roles will help make organizations better and healthier for employees.

Sustainability and CSR expert Lindsay Colley talks about the evolving role of businesses in our society and what they must do to ensure their own long-term survival. Lindsay also shares her career journey from financial auditing at Ernst Young to using her expertise and capabilities in service of a cause greater than herself. Bonus features include bugs as a source of protein and the career limitations of being short.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Professor and Psychologist Marie-Helene Budworth talks about race, gender and sex at work both as a researcher and based on her own experiences as a mixed-race person. We talk about insights gained while grocery shopping and call bullshit on the idea that minority groups need to prove an ROI and demonstrate ‘performance indicators’ to justify more inclusive workspaces.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

In spite of plenty of evidence that employees come to work with both their brains AND their hearts, emotions and empathy aren't something we see or talk a lot about in the workplace. In today’s episode, Debra and lisa speculate on what role an Empath like Deanna Troi from Star Trek TNG would play in today’s business space. Join Debra and lisa as they analyze the character, the strengths and skill set—and consider how this character's role could enhance organizational culture and performance.

If you are interested in workplace culture, and how it can be shaped through roles that explicitly value emotion and make it safe to show up as fully human, this episode is for you.

Pyramid of Emotional Needs (mentioned in this episode)
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A great way to start working in an organization is to learn how to connect with the people on your team. It starts from there. Listen to this episode as your Debra Adey and Iisa Schmidt share a story about a complex workplace scenario. Rania is thrilled to be working in an industry she loves and a role where she is engaged and committed to making a difference. She is inspired by the leader and mission of this small wellness company. However, there’s a big hindrance to her happiness and growth. She is feeling stifled, micro-managed and undervalued by her direct boss. Debra and Iisa deconstruct this all too common scenario, offering coaching notes to Rania as well as general advice for leaders to avoid and manage a situation like this.

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Prompted by a recent Twitter storm of activity about whether parental leave should be effectively mandated for male lawyers who have children, Jane Scholes and I discuss how family unfriendly policies and practices hurt women’s careers, and men’s ability to participate fully as supportive partners and parents. Jane is a senior associate lawyer at Lerners LLP in London, Ontario where she practices primarily health, labour and employment, and human rights law. From the viewpoints of being an employment lawyer, an employee in a law firm and being a new parent herself, Jane provides a unique perspective on what law firms and other organizations need to do to retain and advance talented women.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Neuromanagement expert Dr. Carlos Davidovich and I talk about why job loss can be one of life’s most traumatic events and what we can do to remain calm and strategically focused during job search.  Turns out my habit of talking to myself is called metacognition - and it's a good thing!

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

When it comes to women, well-being and autonomy are critical. Be it over our healthcare decisions, our freedom of movement, or our finances, having the ability to make informed choices that meet our needs and address our challenges is foundational to full participation in the world. Guiding women in navigating these things is what Crystal Buhler is out to do in this world. In this episode, this licensed insolvency trustee offers detailed information and insights on women, money, and debt, deepening our understanding of how sexism impacts women's wealth and money management—and how women's experiences with finances differ significantly from those of men. Crystal also shares her professional journey in this male-dominated field, along with her experiences as an entrepreneur and business owner, facing obstacles many of us are familiar with, given the continued sexism inherent in many professions.

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A lot (maybe everything?) has changed due to the COVID pandemic, with one of the biggest impacts being where work is done, particularly for office workers. During multiple lock-downs, companies and organizations had to adapt to a workforce based at home. Now that restrictions are easing, and things are slowly getting back to what we had before, everyone is challenged to figure out what's next. What is the new contract between employees and employers? And what does this mean for where work is done? Join us as we deep dive into these different aspects of where we work, and what we face in stepping into hybrid workplaces.

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For far too long, we've been hearing how much less money women make than men. While progress is being made, there is still a long way to go—if we look to the latest report from the 2022 World Economic Forum, post-pandemic, gender parity is not recovering. In fact, it will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap.

As crises are compounding, women's workforce outcomes are suffering and the risk of global gender parity backsliding further intensifies. In this episode, Debra speaks with Katica Roy, a gender economist who highlights how policy today is mostly gender-ignorant, meaning it doesn’t apply the gender lens to determine how said policies impact men and women differently. As Katica explains, women’s participation in the labour market is good for the economy overall: excluding well educated and trained women from the workforce is a lost opportunity for economic growth. Listen in to learn what's at stake and how we can build momentum towards greater gender parity that benefits us all.

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Dan Price was once the CEO who realized that he was making much more money than his employees. So he decided to pay every single one of his  employees $70,000 (USD) while taking a 90% pay cut. But his story didn’t end there. Now, he has been charged with assault. Join Debra Adey and lisa Schmidt as they talk about the August 18, 2022 New York Times article on the Dan Price allegations, and how they reacted when they learned one of the CEOs they once happily retweeted turned out to have a completely different persona than was presented on social media.  

Further, find out why coming out with an allegation, as a woman, is so hard to do.

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If you are feeling confused by the growing list of characters in LGBTQIA2S+ and not sure you’re ready to announce your pronouns on LinkedIn, listen as Pride at Work Canada’s, Colin Druhan schools me on appropriate language, workplace challenges facing the queer and trans community, and the changes needed to make workplaces more inclusive.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

A true healthy working environment is the one where employees are not afraid to open up and their leaders are hands-on to support them. In this third and last episode about cultivating brain-based leadership, Debra Adey and Lisa Schmidt are joined once more by Michael Thompson. Together, they discuss how to create a workplace culture where happiness thrives. Michael explains why simply implementing an open-door policy is not enough and how to present feedback without being hostile. He also breaks down the four factors to consider when assessing your wellbeing and the main differences between self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Today’s work environment has been experiencing tons of resignations, burnout, and demands for greater inclusivity from historically marginalized workers. With everything going on, it might seem counter-intuitive to talk about what's happening with working dads—male executives with family obligations. But we should not disregard the fact that working men are still part of this whole ecosystem we live to uphold. In this episode, lisa interviews Mark McCartney about why it's important to include working men in conversations about workplace equity. Listen in we investigate how gendered roles at home and the workplace don't do anyone any favours.

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Most of us have tripped over workplace politics at some point in our career. Many think they can take the high road and avoid playing the political game altogether. Perhaps, though, a better approach is to take the high road AND engage with workplace politics, since really, it can't be avoided. 

In this episode, executive coach and psychologist Mira Brancu shares her definition of workplace politics, and gives her sage counsel on how to navigate political systems while remaining authentically ourselves. In doing this we can all help build a workplace culture that elevates everyone—and creates positive impact.

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In many Western economies, workers of all stripes and sorts are punching out, seeking meaning and purpose outside the confines of employment, or leaving to pursue jobs that are more flexible, bosses who are more supportive, and organizations that are more aligned with their values. In this episode, Debra and lisa analyze the reasons behind “The Great Resignation," drawing on their experiences in organizational change, leadership development, and career transition, adding what they are learning from positive psychology and neuroscience along the way. Tune in to discover what is causing these mass resignations and what companies need to do if they want to retain their talent.

Engineer Kathryn Petroff talks about how she learned to be a tough-minded, straight shooter to fit in during the early days of her career and then had to unlearn it all to play nice in a corporate environment - and which style suits her better.  We also talk about how too many meetings and an obsession with productivity is killing creative problem solving, and much more!

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

Website: https://workrevolution.ca/

Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Imagine a workplace where employees are committed, engaged, productive—and safe to express their talents and full humanity—day after day after day. This could be where you work, though it won't happen without understanding what is getting in the way.

In Season 2 of the Work Revolution Podcast, Debra joins forces with her new co-host lisa Schmidt to challenge the status quo of obsolete workplace practices and ideas about leadership that contribute to inequality and disengagement, and slow the pace of much-needed change and innovation. Get to know Debra and lisa, and hear how they will use their extensive experience, critical insights, humour and smart-ass attitudes to show there is a better way to work and live. 

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Lisa and I boldly go there; we share our thinking and some personal experiences related to the concepts of white supremacy, privilege, sexism and shitty bosses of all stripes. I unpack one of the biases I grew up with and how I first learned that women are considered a minority group,  

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

Is there a difference between being a woman and being a feminist in the workplace? What about feminist leadership? There is no doubt that women belong on the job no matter the job: construction, business, engineering, media, academia—plus everything they (we!) set our minds to. But there is much more to be said about creating an equitable division of labour in the workplace. Join Debra and lisa as they dig into what feminist leadership looks like. 

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Steve is starting a new consulting gig as he kicks off the next chapter in his career, having just left a large financial institution. As he prepares to lead a critical project for his client, he is facing a challenging people-related issue that has the potential to impact his success. If this opportunity works out well, it may be the start of his new consulting business. Debra and lisa set the scene, and offer strategies and insights to help Steve navigate this delicate situation and set himself, and those around him, up for success.

Kristine Beese, founder of Untangle Money speaks with me about the wage gap, the wealth gap and the power gap. Kristine also shares her career journey from engineering to capital markets to entrepreneurship, including some harrowing tales of being a nice woman in a bro culture.

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Email your feedback, questions and topic ideas to debra@workrevolution.ca

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Editing by Rodney Lock

Music: This World is Yours by Gyom

When Andrew Barnes decided to change his company to a 4-day work week he expected some positive results, but even he was surprised by the 20% increase in productivity, amongst many other benefits. Now, his organization, 4 Day Week Global is helping companies all around the world pilot a reduced work week so they can experience the benefits for themselves. Listen in to learn why working less is better for organizations, employees and society at large, and hear what Andrew says is the number one thing getting in the way of more organizations adopting a reduced work week.

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