Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

Archives for October 2023

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Future Fluidity and the Evolving Role of Leadership in the Age of Disruption With Dr. Tanvi Gautam

On episode 96 of the Impact Makers podcast, I welcome Dr. Tanvi Gautam, a world-renowned leadership development expert.

Dr. Gautam is a multi-award-winning keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and senior faculty and program director at Singapore Management University. She uses a combination of head and heart-based tools for upgrading leaders and to create culture transformation in organizations.

As we navigate a world rocked by global disruption, Dr. Gautam highlights how leadership is evolving and why it’s critical to adopt new tools and resources. She also shares her insights on the essence of true leadership, the essential leadership skills required in the age of disruption, and the intriguing concept of ‘future fluidity’.

Dr. Gautam shares how to cultivate flexibility and resilience — essential tools for navigating an uncertain future, and we explore the role technology plays in enhancing visibility and influence.

Whether you’re an emerging leader or an established executive, I think you’ll learn quite a bit from this episode, and will leave with practical steps you can take to evolve your own leadership skills.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • The focus of Dr. Gautam’s work – creating unstoppable leaders who can help their companies upgrade in the new age of disruption.
  • 4 skills that all leaders must develop to succeed in the future of work.
  • Why the tools, resources, and mindsets that made leaders successful in the past, are not what will be needed in the emerging world.
  • How viewing disruption and being disrupted as an invitation to reimagine and reinvent can create possibilities versus getting stuck or falling behind.
  • But how has leadership changed in a post-pandemic world?
  • Why developing the skills of rest and recovery will be a competitive advantage for both leaders and organizations.
  • The concept of “future fluidity”, and how developing this skill can help leaders to successfully navigate change and uncertainty.
  • Dr. Gautam’s forthcoming book – Deep Collaboration – will explore the five crucial conversations leaders must have to enable collaboration across organizational silos and boundaries.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 96

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Dr. Tanvi Gautam – Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Book — The Spark Lies Within: And other secrets of women leading inspired and authentic lives by Dr. Tanvi Gautam

WorkLife with Adam Grant Podcast: The Science of Recharging on Weekends and Vacations

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What Public Speakers Can Learn From Actors and Performers With Public Speaking Coach Adriana Baer

Have you ever been in front of a crowd with your heart racing, palms sweating, and mind in overdrive?

Yep, I’ve been there too! That’s why today, I’m excited to take you on a backstage journey into the world of public speaking. And who better to guide us than Adriana Baer, a public speaking coach who equips leaders with powerful speaking skills, drawing from her rich acting and theater background.

Adriana shares about how her theatrical past not only helped her face her own fears, but also how has provided her with a unique toolkit to empower her clients. She focuses on fostering a genuine connection with the audience, aligning with their goals, and digging deep to find that motivation.

In our conversation on the podcast, we dove deep into how a well-crafted narrative can completely transform your speech, keeping your audience hooked. Adriana graciously shared her method of helping clients achieve the perfect mix of structure and flexibility in their speeches, and we also discussed slide design – a topic that sparks quite a debate.

Addressing the ever-present fear of public speaking, Adriana drew parallels between speaking and singing, delving into the psychological ties that bind the two, and we concluded with practical tips on overcoming stage fright.

Adriana’s passion and expertise is the art of communication, and her mission is to guide clients through the process of speaking courageously with confidence and clarity in order to inspire their communities, increase their impact, and grow their careers.

And who doesn’t want more of that? I know I do.

Whether you’re a seasoned or aspiring public speaker, or someone who speaks in boardrooms, conference rooms, or at the local PTA meeting, I think you’ll get some great tips and information from Adriana in our conversation today.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • How Adriana’s theater background differentiates her from many public speaking coaches who might come from corporate backgrounds or are professional speakers themselves.
  • The framework of crafting a message and delivering it with impact.
  • Why understanding internal roadblocks, like mental and emotional barriers, is key to effective public speaking.
  • How using an acting technique — creating an “audience character” — can provide a clear focus for speakers, and ensure that their message resonates.
  • Why using frameworks and structure can be more powerful and relatable for delivering a message than memorizing a speech.
  • Slides or no slides? Adriana shares her perspective.
  • The science behind the power of storytelling, and how it creates connection.
  • What many popular speakers do wrong, and what great ones do right.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 95

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Adriana Baer – website, LinkedIn, Instagram

Free Resource: Beyond Once Upon a Time: 15 Ways to Start Your Speeches & Brainstorm Ideas That Won’t Bore Your Audience

Michael Port / Heroic Public Speaking

Kindra Hall

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The Best Articles & Resources for Leaders Transforming the Future of Work: September 2023

Each week, I send a brief email newsletter to leaders seeking to disrupt and transform the future of work.

In this weekly letter, I share my learnings and experiences from over 3 decades of work as a human resources leader, executive coach, and entrepreneur, along with tools, tips and resources that are personally curated to help leaders establish credibility, communicate confidently, and lead with impact.

If you’d like to receive the weekly Impact Makers email newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

Following are a few of the best resources that I created, read, reviewed, and shared in the month of September 2023.

HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSHIP:

I’ve made it a personal goal to try to watch every DisruptHR Talk ever given. With over 6,500 videos (and growing every week) in our library, that goal may be slightly unreasonable. However, by watching at least a couple of videos each week, I find gems like this 5-minute DisruptHR ROC Talk by Cory Raggi, SHRM-SCP – Chief Operating Officer at RDG+Partners.

In this well-delivered Talk, Cory shares that being nice does not mean that we’re weak, submissive, or ineffective as leaders — and being positive doesn’t mean being that we’re being naive.

The Edge of Optimism | Cory Raggi | DisruptHR Talks ​

PERSONAL BRANDING / THOUGHT LEADERSHIP:

Have you noticed some of the new badges popping up on LinkedIn profiles designating someone as a “Top Human Resources Voice“, or “Top Leadership Voice“, or “Top Personal Branding Voice“, and wondered how you could get recognized for your expertise on LinkedIn? Well, I’ve got the scoop for you!

Collaborative articles are knowledge topics published by LinkedIn with insights and perspectives added by the LinkedIn community. These articles begin as AI-powered conversation starters, but anyone can add insights to share their knowledge and expertise, which makes the articles better.

I was pleased to recently receive a “Top Leadership Development Voice” badge, and I regularly look for opportunities to contribute to articles related to public speaking, personal branding, and human resources. I’d love to add those badges to my profile as well.

✏️ Find collaborative articles on LinkedIn to contribute to related to your areas of expertise (and maybe get your own Top Voice badge!)

When you meet someone new, how can you learn about their work quickly? How can you really get to know them and what matters to them — beyond their boilerplate (ahem: boring) job description? How do you get past the standard spiel and talk about the juiciest parts of their work? Lee Price shares 10 conversation quick-starters she uses to get people talking about their work.

​✏️ Conversation Quick-Starters: How to Get People Talking About Their Work by Lee Price

HUMAN RESOURCES / PEOPLE & CULTURE:

My good friends at Humareso are hosting The H-ROI Summit October 25th – 27th, 2023. This virtual learning opportunity is designed for leaders who are looking for a valuable learning experience that offers practical advice, instruction, and personalized coaching.

It’s led by actual HR practitioners Sarah Morgan, Keirsten Greggs, Lorena Pabon, MHSA, SHRM-CP, and BJ Anderson, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, so you know this will be good.

Register to attend: The Human Return on Investment Summit – H-ROI 2023

“What’s one of the most important but often overlooked skills that I’ve developed over my career as a Chief People Officer?”

Tracie Sponenberg recently shared her perspective on this question in a post here on LinkedIn, and she also shared a link to this interesting article, which provides you with a clue to her answer.

✏️ Adaptability in the workplace: Defining and improving this key skill via BetterUp

Gallup‘s research paints a grim portrait of corporate culture in the U.S., and a recent survey found that only 2 in 10 employees feel strongly connected to their organization’s culture. This article lays out the problem, and shares four steps that leaders can take to execute effective culture transformation.

✏️ Diagnosing a Broken Culture — and What to Do About It via Gallup

​Is it possible for companies to protect employee autonomy, engagement, and well-being, as well as job flexibility while also ensuring efficiency and productivity through a period of economic uncertainty and slower growth?

This author’s research into how organizations unlock the productivity of neurodivergent and disabled workers points to a way forward — one that allows leaders to accommodate the unique needs of every team member.

✏️ The Radical Promise of Truly Flexible Work via Harvard Business Review

Storytelling is indispensable in business, especially today and into the future, when alignment between mission, values, employees, and customers is more important than ever. Creating a compelling Purpose Story is the key to making your mission and values stick.

Storytelling in Business Case Study: Making Your Mission an Values Stick by Kindra Hall

Katrina Kibben is a prolific blogger and job post writing expert (If your job posts suck? They can help.) who curated and shared a list of interesting and helpful people in the HR, recruiting and DE&I spaces recommended for others to follow and learn from. I’m blessed to know and follow a little over half of the people on this list already, and I look forward to getting to know the others as well.

✏️ 19 Recruitment And HR Experts To Follow On LinkedIn by Katrina Kibben

RECRUITING & TALENT ACQUISITION:

Globally, approximately 150 million jobs will shift to workers 55 and older by the end of the decade. Yet, programs to support a multi-generational workforce are rare.

This report from Bain & Company Inc. emphasizes the necessity to retain and recruit older workers, to understand their workplace motivations, to re-skill them for the upcoming decade’s capability needs, and to leverage their strengths — allowing them to excel in their areas of expertise. Because we’re gonna need them.

Better with Age: The Rising Importance of Older Workers

BOOK OF THE MONTH:

Another mention here for Kindra Hall, a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences and corporate events who is an expert on the power of effective storytelling for individuals and businesses alike.

Her first book (published in 2019) highlights the transformative role of storytelling in business and identifies four essential brand stories: value, founder, purpose, and customer. This book is one of my favorite, and serves as a guide for crafting compelling stories and showcases their practical application in various contexts.

Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business by Kindra Hall

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:

New leaders: How can you lead with purpose, clarity, and vision?

In this article, I provide a roadmap for new leaders based on my decades of experience mentoring and coaching high-performing leaders. The 5 strategies shared will help you build trust with your team, and guide you as you shape your leadership legacy.

✏️ 5 Things New Leaders Should Do to Set Themselves Up for Success

In the current era of hybrid and remote work, fostering genuine employee connection is crucial for engagement and productivity, but achieving it requires a nuanced approach despite the ease of digital communication. In this article, I discuss the challenges of building a connected workplace, a story of a new hire almost lost due to these challenges, and what leaders can do to ensure that employees experience connection to their work, to their leader, to their team, and to the organization.

✏️ Employee Engagement in the Digital Age: The Essential Role of Connection in Remote Work

Can you describe your experience at your current company in one word?

The chances are high that this word – whether invigorating or daunting – offers a snapshot into your company’s culture.

In this article, I dive deep into the intangible yet powerful aspect of company culture. I also discuss its undeniable impact on your organization’s ability to attract top talent, boost employee engagement and productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance your employer brand.

✏️ How to Create a Company Culture That Attracts and Retains Top Talent: 4 Essential Elements

A well-crafted business case is essential for winning approval for proposals — even those with great potential. It’s not enough to simply present a solution; you must also define a clear and measurable problem, quantify the business impacts, and show how your ideas can solve the problem and improve results.

This article shares the story of an HR leader who was unable to get executive approval for a leadership development program, why her proposal was not successful, and what needed to be done to build a successful business case.

✏️ 4 Steps to Building a Business Case That Will Get Your Proposals Approved

THE IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST:

Episode 90 of the Impact Makers podcast features Innovation Coach Ellia Harris discussing creative problem-solving, ideation tools, AI tools like ChatGPT, and thinking outside the box.

If you’re stuck in the same thinking patterns, this episode can help you break out and find new and creative solutions to problems.

Simplify Creative Problem-Solving and Innovation Using Light Bulb Thinking™ With Innovation Coach Ellia Harris

On this episode of the Impact Makers podcast, leadership coach Sonya Shelton discusses the importance of having a clear vision for organizational success. Sonya shares actionable insights to identify your core ‘WHY’, and its pivotal role in leadership. She also talks about the symbiotic relationship between strategy and culture, and how to address the alarming rise in work-related stress.

Discovering Your Why: How Clarifying Your Vision Can Transform Your Organization and Create a Bigger Impact

On episode 92 of the Impact Makers podcast, Dr. Daniel Crosby and I unpack the art and science of what makes for an impactful presentation, as well as how to navigate the intricate dance of setting speaking fees that will get you booked and paid for the right opportunities to share your message with the ideal audience.

Whether you’re aiming to enhance your presentation skills or monetize your speaking prowess, this revealing conversation offers actionable steps and practical recommendations to elevate your game.

Creating High-Impact Presentations and Building a Profitable Speaking Business With Jennifer McClure and Dr. Daniel Crosby [Replay]​

In this episode of the Impact Makers podcast, I chat with my friend and professional resume writer Chris Villanueva about the evolving landscape of the future of work, the skills that will be most sought after in upcoming years, and strategies for effective networking in a world where more and more people are working remotely.

Whether you’re an ambitious job seeker or a business leader, this episode provides valuable insights for navigating career advancement and fostering meaningful relationships in the digital age.

My Best Career Advice to Position Yourself for the Job You Want with Jennifer McClure and Chris Villanueva​

FIND ME AT UPCOMING SPEAKING EVENTS & CONFERENCES:

October 11, 2023 – Corporate Client

(Workshop) “Hiring for Trust: Behavioral Interviewing for the Modern Manager”

October 25, 2023 – Corporate Client

(Workshop) “Hiring for Trust: Behavioral Interviewing for the Modern Manager”

October 26, 2023 – Broadview Heights, OH: Northeast Ohio SHRM

I’ll be discussing The Future of HR, along with John Bernatovicz, Tim Sackett, SPHR, SCP, George Sample, MBA, SPHR, and Lauren Rudman, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

October 25, 2023 – ComplianceIQ

(Webinar) “The Future of HR: 4 Strategies to Meet Business Challenges and Deliver Maximum Impact on Results”

November 13, 2023 – Washington, DC: National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation Human Resources and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum

(Keynote) “Future-Ready HR: Unlock Your Potential to Drive Business Success and Thrive in the Future of Work”

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The Power of Human Connection: Lessons Learned on a Mission to Meet 10,000 New Friends With Rob Lawless

On episode 94 of the Impact Makers podcast, I’m sharing a fascinating conversation that I had with my new friend – Rob Lawless.

Rob is on a mission to spend one hour, one-on-one with 10,000 different people, and over the last 8 years, he’s met almost 6,000 people across 90+ countries on the journey to complete that goal.

Rob shares their stories on his Instagram account – @robs10kfriends, and his humble project has gotten the attention of many in the media over the last few years, where he’s been invited to share about it on the Kelly Clarkson Show, the TODAY Show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest – and of course, on the Impact Makers podcast.

I was incredibly honored recently to become Rob’s five thousand eight hundred and twentieth new friend, after being introduced to him by 5,795, my friend Thom Monahan. It was so fun to just have a conversation to get to know someone new without any pressure to ask great questions, or to take notes like I would during an interview.

I truly admire Rob for his creativity and diligence to complete his goal – which will likely take him another 8 – 10 years to accomplish.

What started as a response to a harsh rejection email turned into a goal to meet new people for one hour to have a conversation with absolutely no agenda, and has turned into a career where in addition to meeting up to 4 new people each day, Rob is speaking on conference stages and at corporate events around the world. He’s also preparing to write his first book about the lessons he’s learned about the power of human connection.

I think after listening to this conversation, you’ll be inspired by Rob to be more intentional about connecting with others, and treating your interactions as experiences rather than transactions.

And, like me, you’ll probably have a greater appreciation for what applying yourself to something for 10,000 hours actually means, and the commitment that is required to achieve big goals.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • How Rob’s unique idea in 2015 to spend one hour one-on-one with 10,000 different people started as a project, and turned into a career.
  • Why Rob doesn’t call meetings with new friends “interviews”, and what his goal is for each conversation.
  • How COVID-19 affected Rob’s Meet 10,000 New Friends project, and how the changes that were required have opened up the opportunity to meet more new people.
  • How a suggestion from one of Rob’s new friends regarding public speaking has turned into a profitable revenue stream, and also a future book.
  • Rob’s FRIEND framework that he teaches to help people engage in meaningful conversations, and unpack other people’s stories.
  • What the project has taught Rob about gratitude and the value of human connection.
  • Who is the ideal person that Rob would like to meet, and will they be number 10k?
  • How long will it take for Rob to complete his mission of making 10,000 new friends?

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 94

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Rob Lawless – LinkedIn, Instagram, Rob’s 10k Friends website, Rob Lawless speaking website

Jennifer / Rob 10k Friends Conversation Recap on Instagram 

Thom Monahan

Michelle Poler – Keynote Speaker

Humans of New York

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