Are return to the office mandates a management abuse of power?

Business leaders would say, “of course not.”

Employees, on the other hand, might say, “not so fast. Don’t you trust us?”

Today’s episode explores that tension and whether return to office mandates are done because management can or because management should.

What You’ll Discover About Return to the Office Mandates:

* Why working remotely is here to stay, regardless of return to the office mandates. 

* 3 reasons why return to the office mandates are a misguided management entitlement.

* Tips for how to get the productivity management needs without resorting to return to the office mandates.

* And much more.

Your Host: Hanna Hasl-Kelchner 

Hanna’s mission is to help you access the business information you need to succeed, especially those pesky issues hiding in plain view that matter to your bottom line.

As a trusted advisor she’s worked with companies that were growing, shrinking, merging, winning, struggling, private, public, large, and small during her international business and legal career. Those experiences have given her a unique insider perspective into diverse workplace cultures, values, and leadership styles.

It’s the lessons learned in the trenches and supported by research that Hanna shares through public speaking, writing, and the Business Confidential Now podcast to help executives, managers, and entrepreneurs enhance their leadership skills and improve their organization’s culture.

Hanna makes learning simple, easy, and fun. She’s taught at two top tier MBA programs (Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and the University of Virginia’s Darden School) and is on the editorial board of The Journal of Business Ethics Education.

As an acclaimed speaker and media source, Hanna has been appeared on radio and TV, including Moving America Forward, hosted by William Shatner. Her articles have appeared in various print media, and she’s been recognized by Dun and Bradstreet as a Twitter #BizInfluencer in the Specialty Strategy category.

She is currently in over-drive writing her next book, Seeking Fairness at Work, expected in 2024. Everyone starts a new job with the highest level of engagement and then stuff happens to dampen their enthusiasm. THAT’s what she explores in her no nonsense style, the STUFF, the nexus between management’s use of power, employee engagement and retention. It also includes a practical 5-part solution for raising employees’ game instead of their defenses. To learn more and get on her early-bird book launch date list visit https://businessconfidentialradio.com/seekingfairnessatwork

Guest Appearances by: Tom Libelt, Barbara Mitchell, and Hannah Genton 

Tom Libelt is in beautiful Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Tom has had a number of international escapades, he’s a little bit like a “Marketing James Bond” in that as a child he learned how to sell and negotiate through getting haggled by Russian vendors. His family left Poland to escape communism and came to the US. And as immigrants searching for the American Dream he watched them take any job they could just to survive. As a young man that struggle instilled in him a deep desire to never want a traditional job and it led him to forge his own path as an entrepreneur, publisher, salesman, and one of the top Polish hip hop artists.

Today, from his perch in Thailand he runs Smart Brand Marketing and We Market Online Courses. He has published around 5000 Kindle books, built a successful

Professional Growth

Professional growth may sound like accumulating notches on a belt – bigger title, more money, more responsibility, maybe even your own business. But professional growth is so much more than a resume check list of accomplishments. Successfully moving from a contributor role to a leadership role requires new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things. Brian Alvo, Founder of NextGen Center is preparing aspiring business leaders and entrepreneurs for the next step on their career ladder by showing them how to successfully navigate their professional growth.

What You’ll Discover About Professional Growth:

• What the key difference is between a manager and a leader.
• The biggest leadership challenge for entrepreneurs
• Why there is no silver bullet solution to business leadership.
• The professional growth necessary for managers to transition into leadership.
• The professional growth challenges of a family business.
• How to accelerate professional growth and business success.
• And MUCH more.

Guest: Brian Alvo

Brian Alvo, the Founder of NextGen Center, an organization that fosters growth, development, and transformational experiences for the next generation of leaders, so that they are better prepared to navigate their professional and guide those they work with.

Brian’s own career path began as a civilian analyst with the United States Marine Corps, and then spanned multiple industries.

As a Director of Corporate Development at LabCorp, Brian led strategic teams to realign and grow divisional business into national programs. Then as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Accounts at one of the fastest-growing technology companies in Durham, NC, he helped grow the company from 14 to 50+ team members in less than two years’ time.

Although he managed to earn a Duke MBA along the way as he navigated these impressive career moves, Brian found that the transitions from contributor to manager to leader were often harder than they needed to be. He recognized a critical need for organizations to better support and invest in their emerging leaders and that realization planted the seeds for the mission and vision of his NextGen Center.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Leadership and Management episodes.

Contact Brian and join him and the folks at the NextGen Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Learn more about his work and the programs available at the NextGen Center.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Missed Sales Opportunities

Could you be ignoring changes in buyer behavior and accidently creating missed sales opportunities? What if you could capture those missed sales opportunities that are hiding in plain view?

Today’s special guest, Liz Harr, co-author of Inside the Buyer’s Brain offers some tips on how to do exactly that.

What You’ll Discover About Missed Sales Opportunities:

* Why identifying missed sales opportunities requires getting inside the buyer’s brain

* Common missed sales opportunities signals

* The top overlooked buyer criteria that results in missed sales opportunities

* How understanding the stages of the buyer’s journey helps avoid missed sales opportunities

* Two important research finds on how buyer behavior has changed

* How to prove your expertise and side-step missed sales opportunities

* And much MORE. 

Guest: Liz Harr

Elizabeth Harr is an accomplished entrepreneur and executive specializing in brand management and growth strategies for professional services firms. A partner at Hinge, she leads Hinge’s business development team, helping businesses solve critical marketing and brand-related challenges. Prior to joining Hinge, Elizabeth co-founded a Microsoft solutions provider company and grew it into a thriving organization that became known for its expertise in Microsoft customer relationship management.

Elizabeth has co-authored several books and reports published by the Hinge Research Institute, including The Visible Expert®, Inside the Buyers Brain, The Social Media Guide for Professional Services, How Buyers Buy and Online Marketing for Professional Services and regularly contributes to Hinge’s company blog and numerous professional services publications. She was a featured speaker at Processia’s DRIVE 2021 event, where she also led a session on the central tenets of professional services marketing, how to promote expertise, and cultivating a marketing culture.

She has a Master’s degree in International Economics from Columbia University in New York and a B.A. from University of Missouri – Columbia.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Sales episodes.

Contact Liz and connect with her on LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Learn more about Liz’s work at Hinge.

Check out her book: Inside the Buyer’s Brain.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Genuine Diversity

Genuine diversity in the workplace is something that eludes many employers regardless of their size. After all, what good is diversity if it’s token, if it’s window dressing and there’s no genuine inclusion? Bridging the gap between diversity and inclusion is where the rubber meets the road.

Today’s guest, Michelle Silverthorn, is a recognized organizational diversity expert with some tips on how to get more traction.

What You’ll Discover About Genuine Diversity:

* Why organizations keep failing to achieve genuine diversity

* Authenticity as the key to genuine diversity

* How authenticity fuels employee engagement

* Balancing tradeoffs to maintain authenticity

* Why diversity training programs fail to achieve genuine authenticity

* How meaningful goals and transparency foster genuine diversity

* How to establish meaningful diversity goals

*How small businesses can nurture a culture of genuine diversity

* And MUCH more.

Guest: Michelle Silverthorn

Michelle Silverthorn is a recognized organizational diversity expert and the founder and CEO of Inclusion Nation where she works with Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, nonprofits and universities to design authentic, inclusive spaces designed on equity, belonging and authenticity.

Michelle is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Michigan Law School.

She’s also a TED speaker and author of the book Authentic Diversity How to Change the Workplace for Good.

Watch Michelle’s TEDX presentation here.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Leadership and Mangement episodes.

Contact Michelle and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Be sure to check out Michelle’s book: Authentic Diversity How to Change the Workplace for Good.

Watch Michelle’s TEDX presentation here.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Zoom Presentations

Zoom presentations and other forms of video enabled conference calling can feel a bit intimidating when you’re the one on camera trying to present yourself professionally. So how do you make yourself camera ready? Today’s guest, media expert and former TV producer Jess Todtfeld offers timely Zoom presentation tips to help you put your best foot forward.

What You’ll Discover About Zoom Presentations:

• How to select a background that conveys a professional image. 
• Why the standard selfie camera angle is not ideal. 
• The 3 factors to focus on when doing a Zoom presentation.
• The one factor that turns people off more than any other.
• When it’s worth investing in additional lighting for a Zoom presentation. 
• When the magic of makeup makes sense for Zoom.
• How body language can impact your Zoom presentation. 
• The biggest mistakes people make on video conferencing calls. 
• And much more.

Guest: Jess Todtfeld

Jess Todtfeld is one of the leading communications and media training authorities in the U.S. With more than 15 years as a media trainer and consultant, Jess helps CEOs, business executives, spokespersons, public relations representatives, experts, and authors to become more confident, more in control, and to create more results from their speaking engagements and media appearances.

He brings with him 13 years of experience as a TV producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX, having booked and produced over 5,000 segments. Jess’ time in front of the camera includes features reporting, guest spots on national / international news programs. He’s been featured on just about every major network and trained clients in large corporations, like IBM, Land Rover USA, and JP Morgan to individuals in small business to non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations to actual government agencies such as The Social Security Administration.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Communications episodes.

Contact Jess and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You might also enjoy Jess’ other interview How to Attract More Power and Influence with Better Communication Skills.

Also be sure to check out Jess’ media training programs.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Zoom Presentations

Zoom presentations and other forms of video enabled conference calling can feel a bit intimidating when you’re the one on camera trying to present yourself professionally. So how do you make yourself camera ready? Today’s guest, media expert and former TV producer Jess Todtfeld offers timely Zoom presentation tips to help you put your best foot forward.

What You’ll Discover About Zoom Presentations:

• How to select a background that conveys a professional image. 
• Why the standard selfie camera angle is not ideal. 
• The 3 factors to focus on when doing a Zoom presentation.
• The one factor that turns people off more than any other.
• When it’s worth investing in additional lighting for a Zoom presentation. 
• When the magic of makeup makes sense for Zoom.
• How body language can impact your Zoom presentation. 
• The biggest mistakes people make on video conferencing calls. 
• And much more.

Guest: Jess Todtfeld

Jess Todtfeld is one of the leading communications and media training authorities in the U.S. With more than 15 years as a media trainer and consultant, Jess helps CEOs, business executives, spokespersons, public relations representatives, experts, and authors to become more confident, more in control, and to create more results from their speaking engagements and media appearances.

He brings with him 13 years of experience as a TV producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX, having booked and produced over 5,000 segments. Jess’ time in front of the camera includes features reporting, guest spots on national / international news programs. He’s been featured on just about every major network and trained clients in large corporations, like IBM, Land Rover USA, and JP Morgan to individuals in small business to non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations to actual government agencies such as The Social Security Administration.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Communications episodes.

Contact Jess and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You might also enjoy Jess’ other interview How to Attract More Power and Influence with Better Communication Skills.

Also be sure to check out Jess’ media training programs.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Golden Business Opportunity

Seizing a golden business opportunity is every entrepreneur’s dream. But how do you do it?

Derrick Butler, Founder and CEO of Krisspi Technologies shares his remarkable entrepreneurial success story, from what inspired him to what he learned on his incredible journey.

What You’ll Discover About a Golden Business Opportunity:

* Inspiration for his golden business opportunity 

* 2 Personal habits that turn a golden business opportunity into success 

* Leadership challenges of executing a golden business opportunity 

* Strategically tapping your network 

* Lessons learned from the golden business opportunity journey 

* How startups can optimize their own golden business opportunity 

* And much MORE.

Guest: Derrick Butler

Derrick Butler is originally from Columbus, Georgia, and grew up in a military and entrepreneurial household, where his father was an officer in the Army for 30 years, and his mother was a licensed barber and a publisher.

Derrick chose business as a career path early, as he began working in his mother’s business at the age of 11. Growing up in the business world gave Derrick a passion for Entrepreneurship, and he believed that a degree in business was a necessity to achieve success.

Derrick graduated college with his Bachelor of Science in Business, and then attended Saint Mary’s College to complete his Executive MBA. Derrick is currently the Founder/CEO of Krisspi Technologies, an application-based company that connects barbers and hairstylists with clients who need hair services at home, office, or hotel. Krisspi is like “Uber” for barbers and hairstylists.

Krisspi has received national press in Digital Journal, PR Underground, and most recently on the digital news site Recently Heralded. Derrick is married with (5) five kids, and an avid speaker/coach.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Entrepreneurship Success Stories.

Contact Derrick and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Learn more about Derrick’s amazing business, Krisspi.

♥ Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it. ♥

♥ Leave a review at Lovethepodcast.com/BusinessConfidential ♥

Implicit Bias

Implicit bias is an uphill battle for those laboring under its burden and for organizations trying to eliminate it.

You may have experienced it yourself. It might even be the reason you started your own business. No matter how hard you worked, no matter how great your ideas, your objective skills, or even your past successes – you’re passed over, you lose out to someone else less qualified and in your gut you know there is some type of bias at work. It may not rise to the level of being illegal and even if it did you might not want to take legal action for a variety of reasons. BUT in your heart you know you’ve been unfairly disadvantaged.

What can you do? How can you turn that adversity into and advantage? Into your super power? Harvard professor and award winning researcher, Dr Laura Huang shares her insights and explains how.

What You’ll Discover About Implicit Bias in the Workplace:

• 
  
• The difference between implicit bias, unconscious bias, and systemic bias.
• The multiple forms of privilege in the workplace.
• The problem with traditional anti-bias training.
• How the myth of meritocracy muddies the water.
• How management can empower employees to find their strengths and advance the organization
• And much more.

Guest: Dr. Laura Huang

Dr. Laura Huang is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and an expert in interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace.

She is also the creator of #FindYourEdge, an initiative dedicated to addressing inequality and disadvantage through personal empowerment.

Her award-winning research has been featured in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, and Nature, and she was named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40 by Poets & Quants.

She has previously held positions in investment banking, consulting, and management, for organizations as Standard Chartered Bank, IBM Global Services, and Johnson & Johnson.

Laura holds an MS and BSE in electrical engineering Duke University, an MBA from INSEAD, and a PhD from the University of California, Irvine. She is also the author of Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Communications episodes.

Contact with Dr. Huang and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Also be sure to check out Dr. Huang’s book: Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage. 

LEADERSHIP TRAPS

CONGRATULATIONS – you’re a manager now.

If you secretly feel like the cat who finally caught the mouse and are not quite sure how to avoid common management leadership traps, you’re not alone. Today’s guest, HR pro Barbara Mitchell has years of experience helping new and seasoned managers side-step leadership traps and can help you maximize your impact and influence as well as build trust and and high performance teams.

What You’ll Learn About Leadership Traps:

• The 2 biggest challenges new managers face.
• Why thinking your positional power means you have all the answers is a huge leadership trap.
• The 3 management behaviors that are leadership traps.
• How employee engagement starts well before you hire someone.
• Why onboarding employees is not solely an HR department responsibility.
• What to do when you feel your job is threatened by a super star who reports to you.
• An easy way to side-step the leadership trap inherent in managing remote employees.
• And much more.

Guest: Barbara Mitchell

Barbara Mitchell an acclaimed expert in human resources management and award winning co-author of The Manager’s Answer Book: Powerful Tools to Maximize Your Impact and Influence, Build Trust and Teams, and Respond to Challenges – a 2020 winner of the prestigious Next Generation Indie Book Award.

Barbara is enthusiastic about helping organizations find, hire, engage and retain the best available talent. That’s why she founded The Mitchell Group, a management consulting practice that helps clients with people and talent management issues. She also maintains an active blog. Prior to her consulting, she spent much of her business career with Marriott International.

You might already be familiar with some of Barbara’s other work. In 2012, together with Cornelia Gamlem she wrote The Big Book of HR because managing people is the most challenging part of any leader’s day. The dynamic writing duo has since drilled down even further with their latest timeless release, The Manager’s Answer Book.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Leadership and Management episodes.

Contact Barbara and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Big Book of HR Twitter, as well as the Got Work Conflict Twitter.

Don’t forget to check out her book: 

LEADERSHIP TRAPS

CONGRATULATIONS – you’re a manager now.

If you secretly feel like the cat who finally caught the mouse and are not quite sure how to avoid common management leadership traps, you’re not alone. Today’s guest, HR pro Barbara Mitchell has years of experience helping new and seasoned managers side-step leadership traps and can help you maximize your impact and influence as well as build trust and and high performance teams.

What You’ll Learn About Leadership Traps:

• The 2 biggest challenges new managers face.
• Why thinking your positional power means you have all the answers is a huge leadership trap.
• The 3 management behaviors that are leadership traps.
• How employee engagement starts well before you hire someone.
• Why onboarding employees is not solely an HR department responsibility.
• What to do when you feel your job is threatened by a super star who reports to you.
• An easy way to side-step the leadership trap inherent in managing remote employees.
• And much more.

Guest: Barbara Mitchell

Barbara Mitchell an acclaimed expert in human resources management and award winning co-author of The Manager’s Answer Book: Powerful Tools to Maximize Your Impact and Influence, Build Trust and Teams, and Respond to Challenges – a 2020 winner of the prestigious Next Generation Indie Book Award.

Barbara is enthusiastic about helping organizations find, hire, engage and retain the best available talent. That’s why she founded The Mitchell Group, a management consulting practice that helps clients with people and talent management issues. She also maintains an active blog. Prior to her consulting, she spent much of her business career with Marriott International.

You might already be familiar with some of Barbara’s other work. In 2012, together with Cornelia Gamlem she wrote The Big Book of HR because managing people is the most challenging part of any leader’s day. The dynamic writing duo has since drilled down even further with their latest timeless release, The Manager’s Answer Book.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Leadership and Management episodes.

Contact Barbara and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Big Book of HR Twitter, as well as the Got Work Conflict Twitter.

Don’t forget to check out her book: