The Happy at Work Podcast

• The Heart of Building a Sustainable Family Business with Matthew Powell

  Send us a textIn creating a family-run company that will last 100 years, you have to have an adaptable skillset that gets evaluated quarterly. This is one of the great points that Matthew Powell, fourth-generation CEO of Century Companies, reveals on how to operate a business with a 100-year time horizon.After starting his career in investment banking, Powell gained a unique appreciation for the power of patient capital and long-term thinking. He returned to his family's Midwest-based safety and security contracting business with a mission to "build for the next 100 years" – a perspective that shapes everything from hiring practices to leadership development.Powell shares his company's unique approach to culture-building, starting with clear values (humble, hungry, and together) that are constantly reinforced through daily practices and meaningful recognition. What makes his approach particularly fascinating is his belief that "leadership is an inside job" – requiring leaders to heal their hearts, elevate their souls, galvanize their mindsets, and maintain physical health as prerequisites for organizational growth.One of the most intriguing metrics Powell tracks is how many families are represented within the company. His reasoning is profound: if employees invite their family members to join, it demonstrates they truly believe in the environment they're helping create. This "family metric" serves as the ultimate net promoter score.For any leader tired of the relentless pressure of short-term thinking, Powell offers a refreshing alternative that focuses on "being timeless rather than timely." His three pillars for building a century-spanning company – humanity, stewardship, and compounding – provide a framework for creating organizations with deeper purpose, stronger cultures, and more sustainable impact. Subscribe now to hear conversations with more innovative leaders who are reimagining the future of work.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• The Art of Conscious Conversations with Chuck Wisner

  Send us a textChuck Wisner, author of "The Art of Conscious Conversations," shares transformative insights on how to improve workplace communication through self-awareness, understanding our physical responses to triggering situations, and mastering four essential types of conversations.• Chuck's journey from musician to architect to communication expert was sparked by witnessing effective conflict resolution• Our internal dialogue (the "CADs") often contains judgments and negativity that we must learn to process constructively• Four key questions can transform conversations: examining desires, concerns, authority issues, and standards• Physical reactions like dry mouth, eye twitches, or tension serve as early warning signs of emotional triggers• The powerful "circuit breaker" technique helps pause reactive responses when emotionally triggered• Our personal stories shape how we approach conversations, but detaching from unhelpful narratives is crucial• "A request without a possible no isn't a request—it's a demand"• Using the counteroffer approach instead of defaulting to yes helps create promises you can actually keep• Younger generations often demonstrate better boundary-setting and openness to communication techniques• True listening requires letting go of the need to constantly demonstrate intelligence through talkingLearn more about conscious conversations and transforming your communication in Chuck Wisner's book "The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact."To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Scaling Human Potential: Jordana Cole on AI-Powered Coaching

  Send us a textJordana Cole shares her journey as a leadership development expert and how she's revolutionizing coaching through AI with her company ShiftWell.ai. She explains how this technology can democratize access to professional development by providing on-demand, personalized coaching to employees at all levels.• AI coaching can reach employees who traditionally lack access to development resources, including hourly workers, non-English speakers, and those with busy schedules• Traditional employee engagement surveys have shown little improvement over 20+ years because they address symptoms rather than root causes• People's needs shift over time like fingerprints, requiring personalized development that evolves with them• Human coaches and AI should work as complementary partners—AI providing scale, humans providing intuition• Organizations should design AI implementations with employees rather than for them• Environmental factors including workspace arrangements significantly impact performance but are often overlooked in engagement assessments• Practical AI applications include drafting difficult communications, synthesizing data, and creating step-by-step action plansWant to hear more? Subscribe to the Happy at Work podcast and leave us a review. Interested in speaking on a future episode or collaborating with us? Email us at [email protected] or follow us on LinkedIn.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Practical Approaches to Building Inclusive Cultures

  Send us a textDr. Enya Doyle shares insights on creating inclusive workplaces through the fundamental principles of curiosity and decency, offering practical approaches to overcome political divisiveness in DEI work.• Approaching DEI through curiosity and decency rather than complexity• Understanding unconscious and systemic bias as created and perpetuated by people• Research findings on gender barriers including lack of knowledge about women's health issues• Demystifying allyship as accessible actions where "the only thing you can't do is nothing"• Practical advice for organizations including leaving shame behind and establishing dedicated DEI budgets• Comparing DEI investment across industries, with insights on adapting approaches for different contexts• Separating recruitment from retention strategies to improve effectiveness of inclusion initiativesFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter for more happiness insights, or email us at [email protected] to collaborate on a future episode.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Leaning Into Yes: Creating Vibrant Workplaces

  Send us a textAndrea Kehoe, Director of Operations Administration at Kettering University, shares how she's led efforts to transform the university's workplace culture following what their president called a "cultural meh" after the pandemic. Through cross-collaborative working groups, employee surveys, and responsive action, Kettering has revitalized their campus community by implementing simple yet effective strategies that prioritize employee satisfaction.• Asking employees directly what would improve their work satisfaction resulted in actionable feedback• Implementing tangible changes like fresh office paint showed employees they were truly being heard• Creating more campus events helped rebuild relationships and community connections post-pandemic• Finding "champions" for new initiatives ensures ideas have the necessary support to succeed• Leaning into a "yes first" approach encourages innovation and engagement across campus• Investing in internal mobility helps retain institutional knowledge and creates career growth opportunities• Positive workplace culture directly impacts student experience and satisfaction• Small, consistent improvements lead to significant cultural transformation over timeIf you're interested in learning more about creating a positive workplace culture, check out the Optimizing Workplace Engagement course that both Michael and Tessa teach at Harvard's Professional Development Program.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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