Episodes

What happens when you choose to face your fears and be vulnerable at the work? This episode of True Stories at Work shares how well these tactics worked for Adam, as he moved from a $10/hr contractor to running global programs in the London headquarters of a multinational insurance company within 8 years! Adam shares the importance of honest communication, sharing your half-baked ideas, and taking risks at work. We discuss vulnerability, mentorship, radical candor and managing your fear at work...

This True Stories at Work episode begins where my last podcast episode dropped off, with Lauren on the brink of her first leadership role and her first sexual harassment investigation (at the same time!). Lauren shares a few of the ‘insane moments’ she has experienced during her career and how reveals how these experiences have shaped her into a better HR professional. We discuss the many challenges that HR faces, the shifting expectations of employers, and how HR is often the junk drawer for ...

Have you ever had to handle a rift in your department? In this True Stories at Work episode you get to meet Lauren, who hit “all the desks” in HR to grow her expertise… but nothing prepared her for the mistake of rehiring a former employee, creating a “scorched earth” moment and a lot of leadership growth. We also talk about boundaries, and how you we keep them with our teams and employees. Lauren shared so many stories that I had to split her stories across 2 episodes. In this episode, you’ll...

How would adding children at work up the stakes as an HR leader? In this True Stories at Work episode you get to meet Jason, who, despite the law, doesn’t believe in Central Jersey! We discuss the ways that his bartending skills transfer to HR, how to de-escalate a peanut hostage situation, and the unique challenges he faced when employees, parents and kids are your customers. Curious about de-escalation at work? How to De-Escalate an Argument with a Coworker (hbr.org) Schools – Managing Pean...

HR leaders have difficult conversations, around an incredible range of topics “It would just be easier to say, we don’t want you around than to say, hey, I need you to wear a bra to work.” Welcome to True Stories at Work, where we discuss the best things about working in Human Resources. The people, the stories, and the things that happen at work that we didn’t know even about… workplace confessions! I’m a recovering HR executive, certified coach, and business school professor who knows that T...

In this episode of True Stories at Work, we introduce you to Aileen, who has spent the majority of her career in Talent Acquisition at a professional services firm and is now a career coach. Join us as we share true stories about following your passion, networking into the best jobs, and the importance of taking career risks. Aileen graduated college with aspirations to become a Russian-speaking foreign policy expert (and maybe even high potential Karaoke-queen) but accidentally entered HR afte...

In this True Stories at Work episode, you get to meet Tara, who started her career as a behavioral specialist and found the skills and knowledge transferred nicely into HR. She worked in many industries (financial, tech, and higher ed) and understands that “the work that we do in HR is ultimately about people. The industries are definitely different. The types of people that work in them are different. But, overall there’s a similar thread to humanity.” We connect around the virtue of patience,...

Have you ever wondered what makes a manager truly memorable? In this True Stories at Work episode we pick up with Bruce where we left off, talking about the impact COVID had on the employee complaints at work. This episode discusses the shift from employees complaining about each other to employees complaining about their managers. If you are just tuning into this podcast, please listen to episode 5, where this story begins… Remember, Bruce studied HR, only worked in HR and oversaw the Employee...