Is Work Life balance a myth? On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Dan Pontefract, author of the book Work Life Bloom. Dan believes that we need to move to  ‘work life bloom’ rather than ‘work life balance’ and he has some ideas about  what organizations should be doing to make that a reality. Guest: Dan Pontefract is a renowned leadership strategist, award-winning author, and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience helping organizations and leaders improve performance,...

Is it time to include pet perks in more compensation packages? With talent acquisition a hot topic, everything is on the table now and perhaps that should include bringing your dog to the office, or at least having some of his health expenses covered by your benefits package. Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cerys Goodall, Chief Operating Officer + Head of People at Vetster to talk about the options around pet perks and why it might be in organizations’ best interest to consider...

Can AI help people become better chess players – and if it can, what does that mean for the future of work? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Henning Piezunka the co-author of a study on  that topic which reached some interesting conclusions. If AI can train people to play chess better, then there are implications for training in the workplace, which in turn suggests that we can leverage AI to make workers more productive. Guest: Henning Piezunka is an...

Workers have lives outside of the workplace, and in many cases that means being caregivers to family members who are elderly or disabled or ill. The strain of that can impact their work, and it can impact the organizations they work for as well. To talk about what organizations can do to support workers – and ultimately support themselves – Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jeff Moat of Pallium Canada a national, non-profit  focused on building professional and community capacity to...

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and as well as changing and eliminating jobs it is creating new roles. On this episode, Linda Nazareth is joined by Cliff Jurkiewicz, Vice President of Global Strategy at Phenom to talk about why it is time for companies to hire for the role of ‘AI Ethicist’ and what challenges those in the role will face in our rapidly changing world Guest: Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy, Phenom Cliff Jurkiewicz is the Vice President of Global Strategy at...

Remote work keeps evolving: organizations have been changing the rules around it, workers have been shifting their demands on employers, and the pieces keep shifting. To talk about the new trends in remote work, Linda Nazareth is  joined on this episode by Jelena Djordjevic, Vice President of People at Thumbtack. Thumbtack is a technology company that helps people care for and improve their homes, an they have decided to be  ‘virtual first’ and are not forcing people back to work. That...

Everyone wants to be more effective and motivated at work, but doing that can be harder than it looks. To talk about how to revitalize your relationship with work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Art Markman, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the book Bring Your Brain to Work. They discuss why motivation sometimes flags as well as practical ways that you can how to jumpstart your motivation and achieve more of your goals. Guest: Art Markman is the...

Flexible work goes in and out of fashion, with always loving it and organizations being somewhat more skeptical. To talk about the state of flexible work, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex+Strategy Group. They talk about Cali’s latest research on attitudes about flexible work and why more change is inevitably ahead  in the world of work. 

The pandemic has changed many things, among them the state of mental health in the workplace. Things were not perfect before the pandemic, there were definitely stresses and people under pressure, but lockdowns and having to manage a different way definitely took their toll. We are now at a different point but we are still struggling to figure out the best ways to work and that is creating its kinds of stress – and people are still struggling. To talk about how mental health has changed over...

Gen Z is a unique generation, perhaps more likely to be dealing with stress and anxiety – or perhaps just more likely to talk about it. On this episode, Dr. Sarah Adler CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc. joins Linda Nazareth to talk about how organizations can  support the mental health of their Gen Z workers and why that will ultimately benefit all sides. Guest Dr. Sarah Adler is CEO/Founder of Wave Life, Inc, a mental health platform that pairs affordable and quality coaching with engaging...

What can an anthropologist tell us about the future of work? A lot as it happens, since they  know a lot about  societies and cultures, which means that their observations about the workplace can help us understand how things are evolving and what might come next. Listen as Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lizbet Simmons, Senior Anthropologist and Futurist with Cisco as they talk about what things look like from an anthropological perspective and how to get ready for the...

The word ‘networking’ may seem a bit outdated, but perhaps it is time to update its meaning. To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Andres Lares, Managing Partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute. They cover what networking means today and why and how it is something that everyone needs to be doing it in a work context. Guest:  Andres is the Managing Partner at SNI, where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the global training and consulting firm. He...

Workers want more than money when they accept a job and typical looking for things like a manageable commute and a good team to work with as well. Increasingly, they are also interested in working for mission-oriented companies, wanting to work for organizations that are making a difference. But are they trading things, like money, for that? And if so, should they be? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Insiya Hussain,  Assistant Professor of Management at McCombs...

At a time when the world of work is more stressful than ever, how can leaders avoid burning out? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo, authors of the book Selling with Noble Purpose. The discuss the ways that  leaders can and should be purpose-driven, but do it in a way that will ultimately be a good thing for all parties involved. GUESTS: * Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales strategist and professional speaker whose...

Artfiicial intelligence is changing the world, and it will inevitably change the world of work – but what will those changes look like? To tackle this huge topic, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Jason Brommet, Head of Modern Work and Surface at Microsoft.  They discuss just how disruptive AI might be, and why it is time for both individuals and organizations to be ahead of the changes. Guest Links Work Trend Index | Will AI Fix Work? (microsoft.com)

Organizations talk about the need to have diverse organizations and they may be sincere about that, but actually making that happen can be difficult to do. Designing the right programs is not easy and getting people on board can be even harder. To talk about how organizations can successfully walk the talk on diversity, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Eddy Ng.  Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business, Smith School of Business at Queens University. Guest: Eddy...

How does an organization get ready for the future and build a workforce that is ready for it when technology is changing so quickly? To talk about that, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by David Morgenstern, President of Accenture Canada. They talk about the challenges of planning and training and why the latter might have to start with the C-Suite. Guest: David Morgenstern is President of Accenture Canada where he supports leaders in business and government to embrace change,...

Workers want a certain amount of autonomy at work, but leaders have always been wary about providing it.  Finding the right balance is now more important than ever, and also more difficult than ever given that many workers are now working remotely. To talk about how much autonomy is appropriate at work and why leaders should provide it, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Dr. Julian Barling, Professor of Organiztional Behavior and Bordon Chair of Leadership at the Smith School of...

Part of succeeding at work is building a strong brand and the kind of ‘social capital’ that has people thinking about you when projects and opportunities come up. That is hard enough if you are at the office every day, but a lot more difficult if you work remotely and are in a sense invisible. To talk about how to get around that and build social capital even if you work remotely, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Aliza Licht, founder of Leave Your Mark and  the author of the book...

Anxiety is everywhere, including in the workplace – but can it be used in a positive way? Better yet, are there ways that leaders and organizations can create an environment where anxiety is reduced if not eliminated? To talk about that Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Morra Aarons-Melly,  author of the book The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower.

On this 100th episode of the podcast, Linda Nazareth is joined by Carolyn Byer, Human Resources Lead at Microsoft Canada who was one of the guests early in the pandemic lockdowns. More than two years later, Linda and Carolyn reflect on how organizations had to deal with some new realities, what has been learned over this period of disruption and what has changed particularly for women and for younger generations. Guest As Human Resources Lead for Canada, Carolyn works closely with President...

In the future will we all wear headsets and communicate through avatars with our work colleagues? The metaverse is changing much of how we communicate and that has huge implications for the world of work. To talk about the implications Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Mark Purdy, an independent economics and technology advisor based in London who works with companies to get ready for the future of work, including work in the metaverse. Guest: Mark Purdy is an internationally...

If you have a job and you have kids, you know that one impacts the other.  Logistics is part of it, but there is more as well. Our work impacts our life outside work, and our families, perhaps  more than we think. To discuss the relationship between work and families,  Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by  Maureeen Perry-Jenkins, Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the author of the book Work Matters. They talk about the ways that work impacts...

Getting worker communication right is difficult, but it is at the crux of running an effective organization and the technology that is supposed to help sometimes seems to make things worse. To talk about effective ways to use technology to improve communication, Linda Nazareth is joined on this episode by Nicole Alvino, Founder and CEO  at workforce communications platform Firstup. Guest: Nicole Alvino is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Firstup, the world’s first intelligent...