Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Welcome back to our ninth season! We are excited about these upcoming episodes. In this season, Stacia and I focus on the frontline by discussing frontline workers with thought leaders from many organizations across various industries.

Frontline workers have typically been a part of the workforce that has been swept under the rug, but during the pandemic, they were thrust to the forefront of people’s minds.

In this season, we’ll discuss how to define a frontline worker, how to lead them, how to engage with them, and how to help them plan their career path.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• Why we chose this topic for our 9th season [2:32]
• What frontline workers are [3:38]
• What has shifted for frontline workers [8:10]
• Themes of this season [10:10]
• What we’re looking forward to learning [13:12]
• How this season aligns with our research [16:26]

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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A lot has changed for managers and organizations over the last three years. So, what can be done to successfully navigate those changes so that managers can be successful and organizations can continue to thrive?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is designing a new framework for their managers to help them better understand what they can be doing to intentionally lead their staff.

This inspiring conversation with Paula Matthews from AAFP is a fantastic way to wrap up our Making Managing Manageable series.

If you are just wrapping up season eight, now is a great time to subscribe to the podcast. You can get even more RedThread content by joining our membership community. Try it out for free for seven days to see what we’re all about!You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• The rapid-fire questions [5:32]
• Paula’s role at AAFP [9:17]
• What has changed for managers over the last three years [10:10]
• What managers will return to [14:00]
• What sets good managers and not-so-good managers apart [15:40]
• Why managers are struggling today [18:24]
• AAFP’s new manager framework [20:20]
• How they implement their training framework [26:25]
• How to empower employees to take control of their tasks [27:33]
• The lightning round questions [34:19]
• The role of leadership development [35:45]

Resources & People Mentioned

• Season 0 - Is Purpose Working?

Connect with Paula Matthews

• AAFP

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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In this episode of Workplace Stories we talked to Moderna’s Noah Rabinowitz and Nkiruka Ogbuchiekwe. We explore ways that managers and other leaders can question conventionality by recognizing and thinking through false dichotomies. Listen in to hear how Moderna is building its systems by putting its company culture first and by constantly questioning traditional ways of doing things.


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End-of-Season Webinar

Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and identify our questions on how to make managing more manageable.

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Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• BOOK - Night by Elie Wiesel
• BOOK - Professionalizing Leadership by Barbara Kellerman
• Check out season 0 - Is Purpose Working?
• RedThread's Purpose Research

Connect with Noah Rabinowitz and Nkiruka Ogbuchiekwe

• Noah on LinkedIn
• Nkiruka on LinkedIn
• Moderna

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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What does your organization do when a program doesn’t work? Do they dig in and try harder? Do they look to external data for answers? Or do they explore what works within the organization by finding their own data?

On this episode of Workplace Stories, Affirm’s Kaitlyn Mathews describes how her organization uses its own data to drive changes within the company. Kaitlyn also touches on their delivery systems, the HR relationship with managers, using tech to strategize, and how she uses her role to help others realize their capabilities.

Kaitlyn’s teaching background gives her a unique perspective on management and HR. As a former teacher, she brings insight that we hadn’t thought of before. In this episode, we discuss how her background informs her decision-making in her current role as the Feedback and Development Lead at Affirm. You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation with a fellow Threadheader! Press play to listen.


Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

Connect with Kaitlyn Mathews

• Kaitlyn Mathews on LinkedIn

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

Being an effective leader means consistently examining what you are doing each day so that you can determine how to improve. This is exactly what Sara Reed does as Vice President of People and Talent at Western Governors University (WGU). Sara has a breadth of leadership experience through her roles in the Air Force to the private sector and now in her current position at WGU. This diverse background has given her the opportunity to see what management should look like from all angles. In this conversation, Sara shares what struck her about what senior leadership is doing to support managers within her organization, how building connection and community actually helps to support accountability, and why it is important to analyze why people choose to lead. We’re excited to share this conversation with you. There are so many tidbits that you’ll want to note from this interview. Press play now to learn from Sara’s experience.


Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - The Waymakers Tara J. Frank
• BOOK - Dear Work: Something Has to Change by Sara Ross
• BOOK - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• BOOK SERIES - The Outlanders by Diana Gabaldon
• Brene Brown

Connect with Sara Reed

• Sara Reed on LinkedIn
• Western Governors University

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

Enhancing the manager experience starts from the ground up which is why Mary Slaughter is helping to drive managers’ roles at Morningstar by implementing systemic ways to better the employee experience.

Mary brings years of experience to Morningstar and on this episode of Workplace Stories, she explains how the manager and employee experiences are tied together. As you listen, you’ll be fascinated by the way that Morningstar conducted research to identify and define concrete sentiments that would improve the employee experience. Listen in to learn how managers can operationalize company culture to improve the employee experience across the board. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• Mary Slaughter and her role at Morning Star [1:22]
• How things have changed for managers over the last three years [10:45]
• If there is a danger of shifting back to the way things were [14:52]
• The characteristics of a manager [18:35]
• Why managers are struggling [20:48]
• What to do with sentiments [25:38]
• How to operationalize a mind shift with managers [29:10]
• The lightning questions [31:25]
• What types of shifts need to happen in the workplace [33:50]
• Why Mary does the work she does [43:15]

Connect with Mary Slaughter

• Mary on LinkedIn
• Morningstar

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES

Welcome to our eighth season of Workplace Stories. Over the past seven seasons, you have heard from thinkers, leaders, and practitioners about the myriad ways to support organizations and improve the workplace.

In this season, we’re focusing on making managing manageable. Organizations face steep challenges in the current climate. They need to cut costs, enable teams to deliver results effectively, and keep employees engaged and satisfied in a tight labor market with a looming recession ahead.

Managers play a key role in responding to societal megatrends. That’s why organizations need to support and rely on managers both individually and systemically. You won’t want to miss out on the episodes ahead.

Listen in to hear what you can expect from season eight.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• What’s changing in season eight [1:22]
• What drives managers’ effectiveness [4:03]
• Aligning research with the podcast [9:57]
• Where’s Chris [11:52]

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK - Creating Meaningful Change by Clint Kofford

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

Managers need organizational support to lead effectively. To do so, we may need to completely re-engineer our current systems to offer more assistance so managers can succeed in their roles.

Clint Kofford, the Vice President of Talent with National Veterinary Associates, has a unique perspective on what it means to be a leader in today’s changing landscape. With extensive experience in numerous multinational companies, Clint is a thought leader in this space.

In this episode, we discuss what has changed with managers over the last three years, whether rigid structures fit well in a changing work environment, and leaders’ roles in sparking change within their organizations.

Clint has fascinating viewpoints that caused us both to stop and think and even changed our minds about certain issues. Press play to hear what they are and to see if his views might broaden your perspective.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• The introduction questions [7:33]
• What has changed with managers over the last three years [12:00]
• What can be done from the top down [18:38]
• Whether the player/coach model is broken [24:42]
• The teamwork era [26:35]
• Rigid structures in a rapid changing environment [29:44]
• The lightning round questions [31:24]
• What led Clint to write his book [32:51]
• The roles of plumbers and poets in management [39:58]
• A leader's role in change [41:27]

Connect with Clint Kofford

• Connect with Clint on LinkedIn
• BOOK - Creating Meaningful Change by Clint Kofford

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

Phil Willburn—our Season Sponsor Workday’s Vice President, People Analytics—makes a very welcome second appearance on ‘Workplace Stories,’ where he shares genuinely useful EX best practice. Does he have the definitive answer to our question, Evolution or Revolution? Listen to decide.

Jessica Lee, SVP of Global Talent Development at Marriott International & The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, shares her insights into how to create a consistent and supportive EX across the hotel giant’s 30-plus brands.