Talking Talent

The Value of High Performing Teams Most work today is done in teams. Even "individuals' whom we think of as great inventors or entrepreneurs don't see the culmination of their idea without the efforts of others, those others often being the people on their team. So why are some teams greater than the sum of their parts? Why do some teams simply achieve and others achieve greatness? What does the research tell us about what really matters in creating high performing teams that perform even better over time? You might also be surprised (we were) by what wasn't a factor in creating high performing teams (hint: one of them has particular relevance in a post-pandemic world of work).  Tune in as David and Angela discuss the factors that go into creating high performing teams and what you can do to replicate this success in your own teams Resources: Collaboration & Creativity: The Small World Problem  Republic Of Letters - Stanford project showing the interlocking relationships of enlightenment thinkers Why It's Time to Forget the Pecking Order at Work Three Things Nascar Pit Crews Can Teach You About Geek Work Google Study On Teamwork - Insights On What Makes Great Teams Twilight of the Imperial Chef Why makes a Broadway show succeed The Captain Class: A new theory of leadership by Sam Walker The Culture Code:The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School - "Building a psychologically safe workplace" The difficulty of figuring out cause & effect - Skinner's experiment Emma Hayes Chelsea FC Coach - Leader's being open about their failability

You probably know the words "apprentice" and "apprenticeships." However, what do you really know about the critical role they've played in the transfer of skills and capabilities across centuries? In this episode David and Angela explore apprenticeships, when they began, the role they've played in human evolution (ever wondered why the Neanderthals died out and modern humans became the dominant life species?), and their critical role in helping individuals learn and develop, organizations thrive and society at large flourish.   In the making of this episode we learned quite a bit ourselves. We were helped in this effort by experts in the field. Thanks to Esta Bigler, Director Labor and Employment Law Program at Cornell University, ILR School.  Esta provided us with a rich overview of apprenticeships specifically in New York State. Esta also generously opened her network to us and introduced us to a number of  the people from whom you'll hearing in this episode.   Thanks also to Jane Thompson, Director of Apprenticeships for the New York State Department of Labor. Jane helped us understand about registered apprenticeship programs and the New York State's Department of Labor's role in working with organizations to help them register and establish certified apprenticeship programs.   We started our recording by talking to Dr. Rudolph Bell, who among his many talents, is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, an expert in Italian civilization and culture from the Middle Ages to the present. We were especially keen to get his insights on apprenticeships as a factor during the European Renaissance. Dr. Rudolph Bell is the author of multiple books including How To Do It: Guides To Good Living For Renaissance Italians.    We spent time talking to Martha Ponge. Martha serves as the Director of Apprenticeship for the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) and represents the statewide alliance of manufacturing associations who make up the NYS Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program, MIAP.  She was joined by her colleague Laury Ferguson. Laury is the Associate Director of Apprenticeships with MACNY, where she works with manufacturers as well as educational institutions. Both women bring a real passion to their work.   We also spoke with someone who had been through an apprenticeship program and could share her lived experience. Tamara Rivera is a council representative for the New York City District Council of carpenters. In that role Tammy works in the organizing department, which is now called area standards. However, long before this Tammy herself was an apprentice carpenter where she learned her trade.   If you are interested in learning more, here are some sources and resources.   Bait & Switch Intro: The Story of Grandparents - Senior Citizens As The Key To Civilization & The Evolution of Grandparents   Linkage to how we learn, learning from watching others:  Jiro Dreams of Sushi - Documentary Movie How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens -  Manufacturing Industry Producing More With Less People https://www.urban.org/events/policy-matters-reflections-past-and-future-apprenticeship?fbclid=IwAR0sFIJUbdvjI60l4HKYgDKkXMyeJnDp2j_MeyL0cgcFUYGuQsnLka3UuOo   https://www.econtalk.org/robert-lerman-on-apprenticeships/?fbclid=IwAR24Ql9PegTTLadq-x0PwMueFIln8NrIoLOFovzcHcCKK8r00Vsk4CR7z-M   Economist Robert Lerman of the Urban Institute talks about apprenticeships with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lerman argues that apprenticeships--a combination of work experience and classroom learning--have the potential to expand opportunities for young people who don't want to attend college. https://www.apprenticeship.gov/

Ripped From The Headlines: What You (& The Mets) Can Learn From Headhunters What can organizations do to better vet candidates? Why are organizations seemingly constantly blindsided by post hiring scandals? We look at this through the recent story regarding the fired New York Mets General Manager Jared Porter.    What does the "just like me" bias have to do with these recurring issues? How does the lack of diversity within industries make abuse more likely?   https://reflectionsonbaseball.com/ambushed-mets-face-unsettling-and-complex-front-office-decisions/ - Why Jared Porter is just the "poster boy" for an ongoing problem in baseball (and other sports?)   https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-jared-porter-sexual-harassment-20210119-r556mbcwrvfadjypc7otbnkc3a-story.html - Baseball cannot be surprised by Jared Porter   https://sports.yahoo.com/former-mets-manager-mickey-callaway-accused-of-unrelenting-lewd-behavior-toward-women-in-media-020746255.html - Mickey Callaway   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/20/sports/mets-firing-gm-jared-porter-reveals-an-ongoing-hole-mlbs-vetting-process/ - Alderson talks Porter's vetting process   https://www.wsj.com/articles/incoming-premier-league-chief-resigns-following-allegations-11575052379#:~:text=Joshua%20Robinson,-Biography&text=The%20newly%20appointed%20chief%20executive,toward%20a%20female%20former%20employee. - David Pemsel dismissed as Premier League CEO prior to even taking the role due to sending sexual explict  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/jaguars/2021/02/11/jacksonville-jaguars-hire-chris-doyle-ex-iowa-coach-accused-racism/6723057002/ - Chris Doyle Hired By Jacksonville Jaguars

The Future of Work with Todd Cherches    In Season One of Talking Talent, David and Angela discussed The Future of Work. That conversation focused on the changing nature of work and the impact that change will have on education, the role of cities, our political systems and what capabilities will be prized and those that will have less importance. David and Angela promised that this would just be the start of a series of conversations that would continue in Season Two, with guests who would bring insight about specific aspects of not only how work is changing but how it will change society and us. Spoiler alert! Since that episode in Season One we have been living with a global pandemic. Businesses and other organizations that wanted and needed function have taken actions that have accelerated our race to that future state of work. This new episode features guest Todd Cherches. Todd Cherches is the CEO and the co-founder of BigBlueGumball, which is a New York City based management and leadership consulting, training and executive coaching firm. In addition, he's a TEDx speaker and a two-time award winning adjunct professor of leadership at the NYU School of Professional Studies. And he's a lecturer on leadership at Columbia University. He is also the author of the recently released book, VisuaLeadership, Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking, in Leadership and in Life.  According to Todd, we've been talking about a "Vuca" world for  years -  Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. However, because of the pandemic, everything's gotten expedited by at least five years. So the things that we have been slowly, methodically planning and talking about are now here. Specifically people working from home and leveraging technology and video and living on Zoom or similar platforms. All of those things that seemed wildly futuristic when we saw them in cartoons such as robots, artificial intelligence, all of these things are here now. In a VUCA world leaders need to do the opposite. So what does the idea of "opposite" evoke? The opposite of volatile is calm. As Todd says, "In a world of volatility as leaders, we need to create a sense of calmness. Now, we may be in panic mode, there's a sense of urgency, we don't know what's going on. But how do we calm people down? Because there's a difference between urgency and panic." Listen in to hear more of Todd's ideas as he also talks about how being a Visual Leader will help leaders lead more effectively now ans in the future.. WEBSITE: www.toddcherches.com TEDx TALK: "The Power of Visual Thinking" BOOK: VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life (Post Hill Press/Simon & Schuster, May 2020)

The best current English striker Harry Kane just might finish his career as the greatest striker in Premier League history. However, his career path has not been one long coronation towards greatness. On today's podcast we look back on the beginnings of Harry Kane's soccer journey, how contingent his opportunities were, and what we can learn about talent identification through an analysis of what almost went wrong for Harry Kane.  NOTE: Episode was recorded in November 2020 after Harry Kane scored his 150th Premier League goal. Since Harry has scored another 5 goals and his ex-coach Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as Paris Saint-Germain.   The Rise of Harry Kane - First team breakthrough  The Fall & Rise of Harry Kane - Why anointing youth players is a fools game Leicester City Fans Labast Harry Kane - Foul language incoming

We ended 2020 by looking back at 2020. We start the New Year, 2021, by looking ahead and more specifically by looking ahead to what the Future of Work holds in store. We had this conversation with no less a leading expert than Paul Miller, CEO and Founder of the Digital Workplace Group (DWG), rated by the Financial Times in 2020 as one of the UK's leading management consultancies in digital transformation. On January 14th, only a week after we drop this episode, Paul will be releasing his latest book Nature of Work: The new story of work for a living age. Co-written with his Digital Workplace Group colleague, Shimrit Janes, Director of Knowledge, the book is already receiving lots of pre-publication praise! Paul's previous books include The Digital Renaissance of Work: Delivering digital workplaces fit for the future' (co-authored with Elizabeth Marsh), which was shortlisted for the Management Book of the Year 2016 Award. Before that Paul's book, 'The Digital Workplace: How technology is liberating work', helped popularize and explain the term "digital workplace".   Paul Miller Paul Miller is a business and social entrepreneur. Paul has given many inspirational talks on the digital future of work, for audiences at Microsoft, IKEA, Google, Accenture, Harvard Business Review, Cisco, European Commission, IMF, Adobe and Oxford University. He hosts the Digital Workplace Impact podcast.  Paul hosted the pioneering internet radio show Digital Workplace Live and is Executive Producer of the 24-hour global digital experience Digital Workplace 24. Prior to founding DWG, Paul was Founder and CEO of a communications company The Empowerment Group; Publisher and Editor of social and digital innovation magazine "Wave"; and, in pre-internet days, co-founder of the Ideas Café salon. He lives in the Cotswolds in the UK and is a keen tennis player and long-time yoga practitioner. Connect with Paul on Twitter: @paulmillersays

Join us as we look back on our Talent in the Time of a Pandemic conversations from this past year. What has transpired since then? What did we get right and what did we underestimate? Also we'll give you a sneak preview of what we will be releasing early in 2021 and what our listeners will learn about The Future of Work from some experts in the field.

In today's episode we look at adaptability and resilience through the story of three individuals and also an organization. Although the stories are different in many ways, we find similarities in the skills used that led to adaptability and strengthened resilience. Those skills and capabilities are relevant today as we all must adjust to ever-changing circumstances; the good news is that these skills can be learned and acquired.   Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders by Nancy Koehn Endurance by Alfred Lansing   Chelsea B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III Captain Sully (video of Sully describing the incident)  Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters by Captain Chelsea B Sullenberger III   Washington Post article by Gillian Brockell on Witold Pilecki The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Witold Pilecki   Netflix: How a DVD Rental Company Changed the Way We Spend Our Free Time  That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer

When & How To Do A Career Pivot or Change   Herminia Ibarra, Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School.   Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra Strong and Weak Ties: Why Weak Ties Matter Why Every Employee Should Be Building Weak Ties at Work Weak Ties Matter Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein Destination Unstoppable by Maureen Electa Monte If you're interested in learning more about my course "How to Do a Career Pivot or Change" please drop me a note at angela@thescalpellogroup.com

Beth Bengtson, Founder/CEO Beth Bengtson is the Founder/CEO of the nonprofit Working for Women (W4W). She has more than 20 years of experience working with both marketing agencies and client side for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and not-for-profits. Her focus has been to help organizations evolve through purpose-driven marketing, communications and business practices. She brings her enthusiasm for facilitating change, teaching, and her understanding of how to empower organizations to every engagement. In creating W4W, Beth combines two key passions: believing that businesses can play an important role in supporting their larger communities, and her dedication to women's empowerment. W4W started out of her own frustration in running a business that sought to support organizations geared to creating opportunities for underserved women. She lacked time and staff to ensure that her company was supporting the right organizations in the right ways, and she imagined that other companies were facing the same predicament.

How do we determine who is the most valuable contributor to our team when we all do different jobs? Who gets the bonus at the end of the year? How do we make sure that everyone valuable on the team feels that their value is honored? We explore these questions through the story of the Trojan War and the Ajax Dilemma.   The origin story of the Trojan War - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrdiwdVQkto The Ajax Dilemma by Paul Woodruff Paul Woodruff talking about The Ajax Dilemma

Untapped Talent: Individuals With A Criminal Record Show Notes Links & Resources From The Episode:   Cornell Justice and Employment Initiative    The Cornell Prison Education Program      Article on the benefits to companies and government budgets from employing the formerly incarcerated: (https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/from-incarceration-to-employment-how-hiring-formerly-incarcerated-people-can-give-your-business-an-edge.html) & ACLU Paper (https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/060917-trone-reportweb_0.pdf)  An Employers Guide toCompliance with New York Correction Law Article 23-A   The Fortune Society   The Marshall Project   Vera Institute of Justice   The Rand Study on the effectiveness of correctional education https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/outofwork.html   Pete Leonard "I Have A Bean" - https://www.faithdrivenentrepreneur.org/pete-leonard-of-i-have-a-bean   Jails to Jobs   The Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison Sean Pica, Executive Director The Work Opportunity Tax Credit   Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center's studies on employment after prison    Loyalty and higher retention rates (https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/from-incarceration-to-employment-how-hiring-formerly-incarcerated-people-can-give-your-business-an-edge.html) Our Guests On This Episode:   Rahson Johnson   BIOGRAPHY Rahson Johnson goes above and beyond to positively impact youth and his community, utilizing his lived experience and his compassionate heart to inspire and support hundreds of youth and adults. At the age of 16, Rahson was sentenced to serve 23-60 years in prison, leaving his neighborhood of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn for the remainder of his teen and early adult years, only to return just months before his 40th birthday. While incarcerated, books became Rahson's family. He not only completed his high school coursework, but went on to receive a bachelor's degree in behavioral science and a Master of Professional Studies in urban ministry. He also took advantage of opportunities to begin working with young people facing issues similar to the ones he experienced. While incarcerated, Rahson became a Youth Counselor with the Youth Assistance Program, an intervention program that brings kids to prisons, where he coached and educated young people on gang violence prevention, harm reduction, and sex education. While fulfilling, Rahson felt limited by his ability to only meet with these young people for a single 2-3 hour visit, and wondered how much more could be accomplished if they were able to establish genuine connections with the youth. Rahson realized he had more to offer. Less than a year after his release from prison, Rahson began working with the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center, now known as Neighbors in Action. In his current role as Youth Programs Coordinator, Rahson works with a team to engage young people in afterschool activities, summer employment, and other enrichment programming though school and community-based workshops and groups, internships, and on-site activities. These initiatives focus on leadership development, social justice and media literacy, antiviolence, community mobilization, social-emotional learning, and college and career readiness. As part of NIA's Arts to End Violence initiative, which engages young people in conversations about art as a tool for personal healing and community change, Rahson has led workshops across Brooklyn and Manhattan. He is also a lead facilitator for three NIA site-based afterschool programs: Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO S.O.S.), which trains young people who have been exposed to violence to become peer educators and community organizers, Justice Community Plus, which connects young adults with work-readiness opportunities, and the Alumni Youth Advisory Council, a new initiative spearheaded by Rahson, which supports further engagement and leadership development for young people, declaring that "emotional safety is the more important piece for me." Selfless in sharing himself and his own experiences, Rahson leads with kindness and integrity and amplifies Neighbors in Action's anti-violence message with grace and passion.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMi23Hz2rUo   Babita Patel is a freelance humanitarian photographer documenting social impact issues around the world. Her work has appeared on ABC, Al Jazeera, HBO, MSNBC, NY1 and PBS; featured in Forbes, The Guardian, The Marshall Project, The New York Times, Slate and The Washington Post; and exhibited in multiple countries.   She is the founder of KIOO Project, an NGO that advances gender equality across the globe by teaching photography to girls who, in turn, teach photography to boys.   In 2020, Babita debuted her first book, Breaking Out in Prison, which introduces 15 men who were locked out of society long before they were locked up — men who got an education inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility, and used it to break out of the cradle-to-prison pipeline. Today, they are role models for young men in their communities as they are credible messengers for at-risk youth, pushing them towards different opportunities over incarceration. The book puts a human face on effective solutions to ending the epidemic of mass incarceration in America today. Esta Bigler Director, Labor and Employment Law Programs Esta R. Bigler, Esq., is Director of Cornell University ILR's Labor and Employment Law Program, the Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative, and the Cornell Project for Records Assistance. Ms. Bigler uses her extensive background in labor and employment law to convene conferences and forums studying current and emerging legal issues impacting employment, with the goal of influencing legislation and public policy decisions. A major focus of her work is the use of criminal records as a screening device for employment, the impact of employment on reducing recidivism, employer attitudes toward hiring people with criminal records, and the collateral consequences of incarceration.

Talent in the Time of a Pandemic - Part 3 What Organizations are Doing to Remain Essential and Help Their Employees and the Community   Organizations today are looking to see how they can either become or remain an essential part of the current economy while keeping staff employed and helping the community. It's not a small "ask" and a number of companies are demonstrating real creativity in rethinking their product offerings, if not their business. Join David and Angela as they look at both the challenges and the opportunities through the following lens: Same products, different channel Same infrastructure, different products Same products, different infrastructure (employee transfer) They also discuss how doing the right thing for your employees, the business and the community is ultimately the right thing to do for your brand and your business future. https://wck.org/chefsforamerica AB InBev Making Hand Sanitizer Three Proactive Response Strategies to COVID-19 Business Challengeshttps://www.gallup.com/workplace/308210/evolving-covid-responses-world-largest-companies.aspx Lego's Face Masks

Telling an employee that he or she no longer has a job with your organization is never an easy conversation. Especially when that loss of a job is due to financial or other business concerns beyond the employee's control, it news no one wants to give and no one wants to get.  However, for those times when there is no other choice but to furlough or layoff an employee, how can you do it in the most thoughtful, helpful and compassionate way possible? How can you let go of your own feelings of discomfort or fear and focus on the individual being impacted? Join David and Angela as they discuss five things to keep in mind as you prepare for, and then have, that challenging conversation. Because no matter if this is your first time having the conversation, your fifth or your fiftieth, you have the opportunity to treat the person impacted with respect and dignity. In doing so you can help them feel seen and appreciated during a particularly difficult time. Five Crucial Points to Remember When You Need to Lay Off or Furlough a Team Member

Elyse joins us today to discuss her story of learning to showcase her talent and how to help others do the same. Elyse Kaplan, Vice President of Business Development for Delmay Corporation, shares how a critical conversation changed how she thinks about talent in a fundamental way. 

Today we're excited to share Beth Rivera's Three Minutes or Less on Talent.  Beth, a friend and former colleague, is the head of HR for the eCommerce company Uncommon Goods. Learn why rather than a dreaded event, Beth believes that performance conversations can be about "reflection and celebration.

Welcome to Three Minutes Or Less On Talent. In this series of short episodes guests share their personal perspective on talent development, coaching, management, etc. It could be a piece of advice they received that changed how they think about talent or something in their past that shaped how they now work with others.   Cassandra Farrington talks about her experience building engaged team. She highlights the importance of creating an environment where employees like what they do and like who they do it with. 

Welcome to Three Minutes Or Less On Talent. In this series of short episodes guests share their personal perspective on talent development, coaching, management, etc. It could be a piece of advice they received that changed how they think about talent or something in their past that shaped how they now work with others.   Liz Wald talks about her experience building high performing teams. She highlights the importance of getting to know people as individuals and understanding how to tailor your management to meet employees where they are. She share's her "secret sauce" of how to get everyone on board and pulling in the same direction.

As we reviewed the topics we had explored in Season 1 of Talking Talent we realized there was one we hadn't yet tackled: creativity and talent.  So we are excited to bring Season 1 of Talking Talent to a close with Walter Bernard and Milton Glaser discussing their new book Mag Men: Fifty Years of Making Magazines. After more than fifty years of revolutionizing the look of magazine journalism they both had a lot to say about  collaboration and creativity, bringing the right talent together and why some collaborations work better than others. Walter and Milton also talk about working with people you like, the role of risk-taking, and why the quality of paying attention is key to creativity in every field.   Pre-Order The Book: Mag Men: Fifty Years of Making Magazines   Find Us At: Website: Talkingtalent.org Twitter: @TalkingTalent1 LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello Email: talkingtalentpodcast@gmail.com Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Work, how we define it, who does it, in what setting and leveraging what capabilities, has dramatically changed over time. In fact, given the rapidity of change a number of people currently alive have witnessed the change from the industrial age to the information age. Today they are also participants, whether willingly or not, in what is being called the Fourth Industrial Revolution and also the Augmented Age.     David and Angela talk about the changing nature of work and the impact that change will have on education, the role of cities, our political systems and what capabilities will be prized and what will have less importance. This conversation is the start of a series of conversations that will continue next season when we bring in individuals with insight into specific aspects of not only how work is changing but how it will change society and us.   Find Us At: Website: Talkingtalent.org Twitter: @TalkingTalent1 LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello Email: talkingtalentpodcast@gmail.com Facebook Group: Talking Talent