Talent Report+THRIVE

Join us in this special episode recorded live from the national SHRM conference, where we dive into the heart of HR through the voices of attendees. Listen as professionals share their personal HR stories—both positive and negative—highlight the HR roles they believe would benefit their organizations the most, and discuss the pressing challenges they face in today’s workplace. This episode provides a unique snapshot of the current HR landscape, offering insights and experiences straight from the front lines of human resources. Tune in to hear the candid and thought-provoking perspectives of your peers.   Helpful Resources Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization’s strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.  

Join us in this insightful episode as we explore the pivotal role HR plays in shaping and executing corporate strategy. Our special guest, Amy Jones from Didion, an esteemed MRA member company, brings her extensive experience and unique perspective to the conversation. We'll delve into how HR can drive organizational success, align talent management with strategic goals, and foster a culture of innovation and growth. Whether you're an HR professional, a business leader, or simply interested in the intersection of human resources and corporate strategy, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways. Don't miss it!   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA   Helpful Resources Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization’s strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.  

Join us as we chat with Laura Cullen from JP Cullen about essential career strategies. Laura covers effective onboarding, creating impactful learning plans, and nurturing young leaders. Learn how to develop tailored learning plans and empower emerging talent within your organization. Tune in for practical advice to advance your team!   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA  

In this episode we dive into the latest trends in succession planning as unveiled LIVE at MRA's HR Conference. Join us as we explore expert insights and innovative strategies shared by leading HR professionals. Whether you're an HR veteran or new to the field, this episode provides valuable takeaways to help you ensure your organization's leadership pipeline is robust and future-ready. Tune in to stay ahead in the evolving landscape of human resources and gain actionable tips to implement in your succession planning process. Don't miss this insightful discussion on preparing your organization for tomorrow's challenges today.   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Succession Planning Resource

In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Kauffman, a seasoned executive from the Milwaukee Bucks, to delve into the secrets of building and sustaining a winning culture within a corporate setting. From fostering teamwork to nurturing employee engagement, Kauffman shares invaluable insights and practical tips drawn from her experience with one of the most successful sports franchises. Whether you're leading a team or aspiring to enhance workplace dynamics, this podcast offers actionable advice to empower your organization's culture and drive success. Tune in and discover how to cultivate a culture that inspires greatness.   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA MRA can help with Culture, change, & Strategy  

Exciting changes are coming … new content, new host, and new podcast schedule … 30 minutes THRIVE is now Talent Report+THRIVE – get even more Talent Report highlights featuring one-on-one Q&As with MRA members—the expert guests, industry leaders, and change-makers taking on the business challenges of today. Join us for this special episode where we celebrate changes and welcome Jim Morgan as our new host! Reflecting on invaluable insights from the past year and a half, we talk about the lessons learned and unveil the thrilling new podcast format! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sophie Boler for her leadership in guiding 30-minute THRIVE to success, and we wish her the best in her exciting next chapter at MRA. Join us for the next episode of Talent Report+Thrive Podcast on April 24th and get ready to embark on this exciting new direction with Jim Morgan leading the way!  Tune in every 4th Wednesday for your next episode.     Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Register for the next Talent Report+

Description: In this episode, we delve into the crucial role of HR in empowering managers to excel in their leadership roles. We explore the various facets of HR support, from department alignment to performance management and employee development, providing listeners with actionable insights and practical steps to enhance their management skills and foster a thriving, engaged workforce. Join us as we unlock the secrets of "How HR Can Help Managers Manage"! Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - DQ Spencer  Guest LinkedIn Profile - DQ Spencer  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:49:14 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. Thanks for joining us today. I'm excited for our conversation today because you get to hear from DQ spencer. DQ is an mra. HR Business partner located in our golden valley, minnesota location. But i know you come with a lot of experience and enthusiasm, especially for our topic today, how our can help managers manage. 00:00:49:16 - 00:01:06:08 Unknown Sounds like a big topic, but I'm excited to kind of break it down. I know we're going to run through a lot of aspects of HR and kind of give our listeners some good action items and stuff so that they can walk away with. So I know this is your first time on the podcast, so I appreciate you come on and excited. 00:01:06:10 - 00:01:26:20 Unknown Awesome. Me too, hi podcasters. I know that you recently spoke at an event on this topic actually. So before we kind of kick things off, I'm just curious to know why is this really an important topic for our listeners? Yeah, I know you're right. I did speak on the event. It was an awesome event. 00:01:26:20 - 00:01:49:13 Unknown A lot of energy and enthusiasm. This is a very important topic because a lot of organizations are still struggling with aspect of the function of HR organizations talking about people and people assets being the most important aspect of the company. But they have a hard time showing that people are, because they're the only nonrenewable asset that organizations have. 00:01:49:15 - 00:02:15:23 Unknown You can't copy the processes, equipment, technology, terminology, but you can't really copy people. So that's why this one is very important. Yeah, that's a great point as we kind of dive in. Now, can you explain how HR really collaborates with managers to emphasize their functional strengths? And kind of part two of that question is how can they use those strengths with their teams to achieve those organizational goals? 00:02:16:00 - 00:02:37:16 Unknown Yeah, So as you know, I don't know. I don't know. I have a football background. I like to use sport terminologies. That's great. Yeah, Yeah. So, I mean, HR is part of a team, right? HR is one of the few functions that truly supports the whole organization. So they have knowledge throughout each function, but they're not be the subject matter expert on that function. 00:02:37:16 - 00:02:50:12 Unknown Right? So to probably collaborate with them, you have to just include that clue to include them in our communication conversation and work to collaborate and build that functional component. 00:02:50:14 - 00:03:19:12 Unknown Speaking of teamwork, we're in a world where teamwork is crucial. So how can HR departments kind of facilitate collaboration among their employees and help managers foster that culture of cooperation and teamwork and collaboration? Yeah. So that collaboration comes from that communication, right? And so a big part of HR is communication, and it's talking to the employees, talking to the supervisors, the managers, the leads. 00:03:19:14 - 00:03:43:09 Unknown It's really getting to know your people, your biggest assets. HR is a science and that you'll understand that. I mean, as HR, you have that strength, you have that background of understanding people behaviors, thought processes, patterns and processes. But as a as a functional leader, let's say, in accounting or finance, your your, your function, your strengths are going to be with that. 00:03:43:11 - 00:04:03:17 Unknown So you can you can collaborate with them and to partner with them, engage them. You have to communicate, you have to get in there, you have to go to them. You have to understand what the culture is and how you can THRIVE that. Those behaviors in and and processes to to and build and engage their culture properly. Absolutely. 00:04:03:17 - 00:04:26:22 Unknown And I know as an HR business partner, you work with a lot of different companies, a lot of different HR department. So do you have any examples or success stories, I would say, of kind of where the HR departments work with teamwork and kind of fostering that collaboration? Yeah, I don't know. Somewhere along the line, HR has gotten such a bad rep as as the good Lord. 00:04:27:01 - 00:04:48:07 Unknown Yep. And I've been in HR for about 16 years. I have my my Bachelors of Science in HR McMaster Science and during my doctorate business in HR. And through that, I've learned a lot. But I've also learned just as much through my experience. For example, I worked with an organization known, as you mentioned previous to me joining in. 00:04:48:09 - 00:05:21:12 Unknown It was a very strong union environment and that created a kind of trifecta. Three headed obstacle course because it was the union, it was the business, the factory manufacturing, and it was HR and that's how they viewed it as three different portions, three different aspects of business. And that was a very tall task. So I really had to go in there and work on our collaboration first, partnering with the organization, the plant manager, building that relationship, and then partnering with building that relationship. 00:05:21:14 - 00:05:41:10 Unknown And I was kind of that liaison that brought it all together, you know, that that organization lacked trust amongst the three. So that was that was very challenging. But just working with them, showing my commitment, my dedication, my, my, my, my processes and my procedures, showing them that, hey, you know this, we're a team. We want the same goal. 00:05:41:14 - 00:06:11:01 Unknown We set different paths to get there. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of our listeners can kind of resonate with that and relate to that story too, and how their organization like that. So that's good advice. But we also know that compliance is also a critical aspect of HR, too. So do you have any insights on how HR can support managers and ensuring their teams adhere to the regulations and policies that always seem to be changing and updating? 00:06:11:03 - 00:06:36:13 Unknown Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to kind of get off topic, but get back to topic is going to be. So when I first started in the HR, I tried to assimilate to that that stereotype, that prototype of a human resource manager saying no and yes, and you can't do this and you can't do that. And I wasn't truly myself and I truly started being successful when I started, you know, venturing on and being original. 00:06:36:15 - 00:06:54:04 Unknown So I took the mindset of that. I wasn't going to tell leaders and managers, No, you can't do this Right off the bat. I was going to tell them, Hey, I want to get that goal that you want, but here's how we can do this. Here's how we can get it done versus knowing. Yes. So it's compliance. It's the same kind of issues in that aspect versus telling them no or yes. 00:06:54:06 - 00:07:13:06 Unknown I'll give them parameters and say, Hey, I see what you're trying to do. This is the most compliant and best way to get there. So let's get it done together. Yeah. So, so running through kind of the task of all the tasks of HR, another one is to motivate employees, which can be kind of difficult. So how can HR 00:07:13:06 - 00:07:41:05 Unknown Professionals and managers work together to keep their teams engaged and motivated? That's that's a tough one, right? Because, you know, I say this all the time is that we're called individuals for a reason. So we're usually created in the we have individual values and views and perspectives. So to have that motivation, it's going to take really knowing and building a relationship with your organization, your culture and your employees. 00:07:41:07 - 00:08:00:07 Unknown So know your employees. One thing I told a member that I talked to, you know, he asked me, how can I motivate my employees? What's going on? They're not gauging. And I you know, I sat there and I said, Hey, you mind if I watch it for a little bit? Watch for a little bit? No problem. No problem. 00:08:00:09 - 00:08:21:09 Unknown So I sat down and took half the morning and just kind of watch his interactions with the employees. And I literally told him, I said, I saw four separate times where people were trying to talk to you and you didn't talk to people trying to walk. My actually, I didn't even look at and on two separate times we were trying to talk to you and you said, you know, you're busy with tomorrow. 00:08:21:11 - 00:08:42:10 Unknown I said, Engagement goes both ways, motivation goes both ways. You have to go and engage with them. Right. As a position of authority. Naturally. I think the way people are going to be timid to engage with you so that you have to said that you're setting a standard. Like I said, the engagement and motivation goes both ways. Show them that you're willing to do what you're asking them to do. 00:08:42:12 - 00:09:0

Whether you are just starting an internship program or you have one already, discover the key qualities that make interns thrive, learn how internship programs can shape future leaders, and explore innovative approaches to foster a culture of continuous learning and development. We'll share tips on creating challenging projects that elevate interns to showcase their leadership potential. Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Intern Program MRA's 2024 Internship Leadership Program Calendar Recruiting   Let's Connect: Courtney’s email Courtney’s LinkedIn profile   Transcript 00:00:00:01 - 00:00:05:13 Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything 00:00:05:13 - 00:00:09:22 and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. 00:00:09:24 - 00:00:12:24 Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? 00:00:12:24 - 00:00:14:19 MRA has got you covered. 00:00:14:19 - 00:00:17:17 We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. 00:00:17:17 - 00:00:21:04 I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:22:21 Now it's time to thrive. 00:00:22:21 - 00:00:26:16 Hello, everybody, and welcome to 30 Minute Thrive. 00:00:26:18 - 00:00:29:24 Today we're going to be talking about the ins and outs of internships. 00:00:30:03 - 00:00:34:15 So if you're looking to start an internship program at your organization, 00:00:34:21 - 00:00:37:17 or maybe you have one started already, but you're looking to make it 00:00:37:17 - 00:00:41:13 even more successful, it's a good thing you're here today with us 00:00:41:13 - 00:00:46:04 because we're joined by Courtney Lamers, MRA, senior manager of member Engagement 00:00:46:10 - 00:00:50:08 and MRA's Intern Leadership program organizer. 00:00:50:10 - 00:00:54:10 So Courtney's really here to help organizations 00:00:54:10 - 00:00:58:04 not only design and implement an internship program, 00:00:58:04 - 00:01:02:17 but also help develop existing ones into successful programs. 00:01:02:19 - 00:01:06:06 And having been an intern myself at Emory, 00:01:06:08 - 00:01:09:21 I love this topic, and I'm really excited to talk about it. 00:01:09:21 - 00:01:12:11 So, Courtney, let's start. 00:01:12:11 - 00:01:14:24 Start from the top here. 00:01:14:24 - 00:01:18:22 Those who have never implemented an internship program before. 00:01:18:24 - 00:01:23:22 What are some of the key starting factors that a company would really need? 00:01:23:24 - 00:01:24:13 Absolutely. 00:01:24:13 - 00:01:27:05 Great question. And thank you for having me today. 00:01:27:05 - 00:01:27:13 You know, 00:01:27:13 - 00:01:27:23 it really 00:01:27:23 - 00:01:31:16 is that time of the year where everyone is reaching out about internships. 00:01:31:16 - 00:01:35:09 And it's been exciting to hear from a lot of companies that are just 00:01:35:10 - 00:01:37:05 beginning their internship journey. 00:01:37:05 - 00:01:40:14 So I think it's going to be a really fun summer and I'm super 00:01:40:14 - 00:01:43:14 excited for all of you that have interns. 00:01:43:20 - 00:01:46:08 I think those that have had interns have really found it 00:01:46:08 - 00:01:50:02 valuable and continue to see that year over year. 00:01:50:04 - 00:01:53:12 And so I'm really excited for all of those companies that are starting it. 00:01:53:14 - 00:01:56:04 I think that's a great question to start with, just because we do 00:01:56:04 - 00:01:59:21 see a lot of companies that are starting internship program. 00:01:59:23 - 00:02:03:21 And I would say the key in starting an internship program 00:02:04:02 - 00:02:07:04 and there's a lot of things that go into it, but one of the most important 00:02:07:04 - 00:02:10:24 things is making sure that you have the correct manager 00:02:11:01 - 00:02:15:18 and managers in place to support and intern support their experience 00:02:15:18 - 00:02:17:00 as a whole, 00:02:17:00 - 00:02:18:11 and be able to have some of those 00:02:18:11 - 00:02:21:16 difficult conversation zones where I think we see with companies, 00:02:21:16 - 00:02:27:01 a lot of times managers will come and say, I really want an intern, 00:02:27:03 - 00:02:30:23 but if that manager may not have the culture in the department, 00:02:30:23 - 00:02:31:20 that character may not 00:02:31:20 - 00:02:35:17 necessarily be equipped with the tools to be a great manager for an intern. 00:02:35:19 - 00:02:40:02 Someone companies are having those conversations, so I think manager buy in 00:02:40:02 - 00:02:43:12 and understanding of what it really takes to have an intern is huge. 00:02:43:12 - 00:02:47:22 I think like any new employee, I think interns 00:02:47:22 - 00:02:52:23 take a little bit of extra time and really supporting that experience 00:02:52:23 - 00:02:57:00 from mentorship and coaching and giving them opportunities. 00:02:57:00 - 00:03:00:01 There is a little bit of additional work 00:03:00:03 - 00:03:01:14 for an intern, so 00:03:01:14 - 00:03:05:15 I think we see companies that have super successful intern programs 00:03:05:15 - 00:03:09:22 and what you see behind those are managers and companies that have complete buy in. 00:03:09:22 - 00:03:13:07 So I think honestly, before you even get to the manager piece, 00:03:13:08 - 00:03:17:16 you need to think about and talk with your leadership team and understand 00:03:17:16 - 00:03:22:15 that there is a buy in needed and an investment honestly, 00:03:22:15 - 00:03:28:11 between both time and money and what goes into a great experience. 00:03:28:12 - 00:03:31:08 So I think, you know, really the buy in is the first step 00:03:31:08 - 00:03:35:07 and then there are a lot of steps along the way to get to that manager piece. 00:03:35:07 - 00:03:38:04 But I think that is so key. 00:03:38:04 - 00:03:40:05 Just kind of starting about with the whole experience. 00:03:40:05 - 00:03:42:20 So obviously once you have the manager buy in, that's huge. 00:03:42:20 - 00:03:44:22 Or leadership by an excuse me. 00:03:44:22 - 00:03:48:06 And then I think really think about why you're having an intern. 00:03:48:06 - 00:03:54:04 You know, I think in the past interns have historically been added 00:03:54:04 - 00:03:57:12 to a team to help with some of those, you know, daily tasks 00:03:57:12 - 00:04:00:12 and some of those things that can be taken off of other people's plates. 00:04:00:12 - 00:04:03:20 But we see a lot of companies that are looking to hire 00:04:03:20 - 00:04:06:20 interns for a long term perspective. 00:04:06:21 - 00:04:11:01 So one from a brand awareness standpoint, these interns are going back to 00:04:11:01 - 00:04:14:01 and talking to their friends on campus 00:04:14:01 - 00:04:16:23 and even on social media about their experience as a whole. 00:04:16:23 - 00:04:21:05 So those you know, word of mouth brand, ambassador pieces is a huge part of it. 00:04:21:05 - 00:04:24:20 And we also see interns a lot as their town supply chain. 00:04:24:20 - 00:04:26:20 So really trying to hang on to those interns. 00:04:26:20 - 00:04:28:19 So just really understanding the why. 00:04:28:19 - 00:04:32:07 What's the purpose of your program and then putting some of those structural 00:04:32:07 - 00:04:37:11 pieces around to support the intern throughout the length of their internship. 00:04:37:13 - 00:04:38:10 And then, of course, 00:04:38:10 - 00:04:42:09 thinking about what are those elements that make this an experience as a whole? 00:04:42:09 - 00:04:44:18 So of course there's the work component of it, 00:04:44:18 - 00:04:48:15 but what mentorship opportunities, what networking, professional development, 00:04:48:17 - 00:04:50:24 all of that staff to provide this great experience. 00:04:50:24 - 00:04:54:07 So the interns really want to either 00:04:54:08 - 00:04:57:09 say at your organization or go back and tell their friends all about it. 00:04:57:09 - 00:05:02:01 So long winded way of saying like, there's a lot of pieces to get started. 00:05:02:03 - 00:05:05:09 But the most important one, just having that manager 00:05:05:11 - 00:05:07:07 really be there to support their interns. 00:05:07:07 - 00:05:08:15 Sorry that as long you continue to hear. 00:05:08:15 - 00:05:13:14 Question So there's a lot that goes into starting an internship program, 00:05:13:14 - 00:05:17:22 and like you said before, even thinking about it, it's the whole planning process 00:05:17:22 - 00:05:21:14 and evaluating why am I having interns 00:05:21:16 - 00:05:24:15 who at the company can manage the interns 00:05:24:15 - 00:05:30:16 and has the capacity to do that, and then it's also thinking about like 00:05:30:18 - 00:05:31:21 some companies may 00:05:31:21 - 00:05:34:21 have one intern, but some may have 30. 00:05:34:21 - 00:05:35:16 So it's like, 00:05:35:16 - 00:05:40:14 how do you split that up between managers and and roles and stuff like that? 00:05:40:16 - 00:05:43:04 But once you have that plan 00:05:43:04 - 00:05:47:01 in place, like you were talking about, even then, even if you already 00:05:47:01 - 00:05:51:00 have a great internship program developed, how do you find the interns? 00:05:51:00 - 00:05:56:18 I think that's a huge question, like recruiting best practices. 00:05:56:20 - 00:06:01:20 Do you have any suggestions on where to find interns, when to find interns? 00:06:01:20 - 00:06:05:00 I know now is a great time to start talking about it, 00:06:05:00 - 00:06:08:23 but just looking for any best practices you might have there. 00:06:09:00 - 00:06:09:21 Yeah, absolutely. 00:06:09:21 - 00:06:13:03 Shameless plug for companies Recruiting services team. 00:06:13:05 - 00:06:13:23 They really do 00:06:13:23 - 00:06:18:17 all of their recruiting for interns, so they are a great resource to tap. 00:06:18:17 - 00:06:21:21 But I would say we see 00:06:21:21 - 00:06:26:00 a lot of interns get hired from networking and schools. 00:06:26:00 - 00:06:30:02 We just had a hot topic survey not too long ago 00:06:30:02 - 00:06:33:15 and I think like 87% of our res

Description: Embark on a journey of self-discovery and professional growth, where we unravel the intricacies of modern-day career development and its pivotal role in personal and organizational success.  Resources: Developing Career Paths Resource  Learning & Development  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:01 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right, Well, hi, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. And today's podcast, we're going to be talking about career pathing. And I'm joined by Amanda Mosteller, who is MRA's director of talent development and organizational development. So we really have a true career expert with us today. So I welcome you back, Amanda. You always do such a great job. 00:00:44:01 - 00:01:12:21 Unknown So I'm excited for this topic. Thanks for having me back and I love this topic as well. So, absolutely. And I know I talked a little bit about this before, but I know crew passing is not just for younger emerging leaders who have just started out in the workforce. It's really for everybody. So I guess kind of diving in then what is career path and exactly in why would you say it's important for an organization? 00:01:12:23 - 00:01:54:17 Unknown Yeah. So career pathing is typically quite what you would think. It would sound like taking a role or a career from entry into the organization and mapping out the path within that career within your organization. Why it's important is because it gives people a roadmap to see where they can go. Whether I'm coming in new to my career, as you were mentioning, or just newer to the organization, I might be popping in mid-level, but just seeing what is the opportunity for me in this role, in this space, in this organization? 00:01:54:17 - 00:02:22:21 Unknown What does that pathway look like? Is it mapped out? Is it defined? And can somebody walk me through it? Helps initially engage folks in not only their current space, but seeing the potential. I was just talking with my mother the other day about how I had 27 and a half years left before retirement. All right. Almost there. So close. 00:02:22:23 - 00:02:47:03 Unknown And I said to her, gosh, 27 and a half years, that feels like a long time. And if I thought in our organization, those 27 and a half years are in this role I'm in right now and there's nowhere else to go, no other way to grow my skills or move eventually into other spaces and roles within the organization. 00:02:47:04 - 00:03:19:16 Unknown That really becomes a defeating lot regardless of how much you love an organization. And I love being a part of me very much. But 27 and a half years in one role feels like a long time right? So that's why it's so important, that opportunity to look forward in your future and see evolution for yourself happening within an organization creates that that engagement and that increased retention and that connection to the company. 00:03:19:18 - 00:03:51:10 Unknown Yeah, for sure. This is something I think Jim Morgan talks about in some of his talent reports. I feel like speaking speaking for like a younger generation employee, surely, like when you're getting a job, like you talk about your current role, but it's like the career path is just as important as like this job that you're getting. So, I don't know, just talking to friends, I know some of them are like, Hey, if they don't kind of map out where I'm going to be in the next couple of years, I'm not interested. 00:03:51:11 - 00:04:24:10 Unknown So I know how important it is now. And I know you'll get to kind of like the evolution of it, how it's changed. But I just I've seen like a very big emphasis on career passing and making sure that employers talk about it right away in the interview process even. That's such a good point. In doing interviews in the past six months, I have noticed an increase in people asking me instead of my saying, Where do you see yourself in the next 3 to 5 years? 00:04:24:10 - 00:04:52:04 Unknown That standard question and most people, if they're any type of practice to interview viewers, they are with your organization. But if I have them turning around asking me what's the growth opportunity for this type of role within your organization and to get to where you're mentioning where we'll go during our conversation today, questions changing around what's the growth opportunity in your department? 00:04:52:06 - 00:05:20:16 Unknown That's not the question as much anymore as what's my growth opportunity in your organization? Meaning your company. So within the company you work for, not just your department. And that's that's telling that people are asking an interviewer is they're asking the hiring manager and they're changing their wording. And that's on purpose again, too. So then can you kind of talk about how career passing has evolved throughout the years? 00:05:20:18 - 00:05:51:21 Unknown And then why is that evolution really crucial for both employers and employees? Well, get to it like now. So. So traditionally, a career path. As an example for a sales professional, you come into an organization and you might be working foot in the door. Well, at lead generation and lead uncovering and then handing those leads off to a salesperson. 00:05:52:02 - 00:06:14:09 Unknown And that salesperson might have sales engineers come in depending on what they're selling. Eventually you become a sales manager. There might be an account executive in there where the size of territory or the size of client gets bigger and bigger. So you're getting bigger deals, eventually become a sales manager, then you become the sales director, then you become the sales VP, right? 00:06:14:14 - 00:06:56:06 Unknown Very linear career path and that is a defined career path. All within one type of job, role building on one another. That's the traditional career path. How it has evolved is people no longer think of a career path as a linear within this same type of job role. I mentioned that question changing the wording of the question changing, and that's because people are starting to say what skills and abilities can your organization provide me for myself that I can apply as I grow in my career? 00:06:56:08 - 00:07:25:06 Unknown People we know individuals coming to an organization and staying for 15, 20, 30 years is less and less common. Regardless of how amazing your culture is, regardless of how engaging and supportive and development focused your organization might be. And that's because if I'm sitting and waiting to become that leader or that manager or that next role, that means I'm waiting for somebody else to choose to leave in. 00:07:25:06 - 00:07:55:20 Unknown That can take a very long time, especially the higher up in an organization you go. So people are looking more for what knowledge, skills and abilities can you give me? Not necessarily just in one space, but cross-functionally in your organization? What that means is, as people are asking that question and that question is changing, instead of what is the growth opportunity in your department to what is the growth opportunity in your organization? 00:07:55:22 - 00:08:40:16 Unknown I might come in the door as a sales individual and skills that I'm looking for around maintaining multiple projects, time management skills, influencing for others, maybe owning a big opportunity within my organization and getting buy in across all groups. Those are all skills that can translate to any job role. So what I might find as I come in as a lead generation expert in a sales space and within two years I'm moving over to the marketing department because I'm starting to hone what does the buyer look for and how do I communicate that to the buyer effectively? 00:08:40:16 - 00:09:06:18 Unknown And marketing does a lot of that stuff also. So as I'm honing those skills, an opportunity in marketing is opened up and I might look over there to start building that skill. Now I have uncovering needs and I have really translating to what the buyer is looking for through my marketing expertise and then an opportunity in our bigger project management group opens up some of the skills I've been looking for. 00:09:06:18 - 00:09:49:11 Unknown If I want to become a leader someday does include managing multiple irons in the fire. I need to be able to do that. So I'll move over to that role because now I'm continuing to develop these knowledge, skills and abilities that eventually will get me into leadership positions. Now look at all these different spaces. I've been within one company, so when we talk about creating this modern evolved way of looking at career pathing, talk about engagement and retention, people aren't waiting till the next account executive leaves so that an account manager can become an account executive so that a lead generator could become an account manager. 00:09:49:13 - 00:10:18:18 Unknown You're doing a lot of waiting. That's what you're relying on your organization to do. And so looking at this evolution of career passing instead on where do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be in ten years? Do you want to move into leadership? What types of skills do you want to grow in an eye as your organization can help identify opportunities for you that leverage those skills and will develop those skills in you? 00:10:18:20 - 00:10:49:14 Unknown You've created a diffe

Description: In this episode, we explore the concept of a mindful workplace, its practices, and the profound impact it can have on employee and business success.  Resources: Wellness Toolkit  Wellness Guide  Welcome to Workplace Wellness Publication  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Laura Ruby  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Laura Ruby  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR. MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:48:24 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. We're we're really hearing more about mindful workplaces nowadays. We thought we would take today's podcast, really think about this topic more in-depth. So i'm here with Laura Ruby senior HR Business partner and HR Business advisor for mra. We're really going to talk about why mindful workplaces are trending or what you really need to be aware of. 00:00:49:05 - 00:01:11:19 Unknown What are some of the challenges that come along with it in more so or thanks so much for joining us today. I really, really appreciate it. Well thank you. So I'm really pleased to be here. This is definitely a timely concept, I think, for a number of employees to consider or employers to consider. Yeah, absolutely. And I know we were talking about that. 00:01:11:21 - 00:02:02:12 Unknown You're very passionate about this topic and you've been working in the HR for such a long time that this is kind of the perfect topic to go over today. So I think we should kind of start out with what is a mindful workplace. Can you define it? Yes, so mindful workplace is really a combination of factors as we look at new initiatives that people are working towards in that space is really developing an awareness of an individual's thought processes, their emotions and their actions, and helping to enable them to laser focus on those and remove obstacles to productivity and really improving the work workplace from a variety of different aspects. 00:02:02:14 - 00:02:50:21 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And you guys in part two to that question. Can you describe what that whole concept of the mindful workplace really encompasses? It's actually quite broad in as well. In talk today we'll touch on all of those components but it's it's combining more Eastern philosophies about issues of meditation or focus and concentration, breathing, as well as branching into mental health aspects that are damaging workplaces right now and helping individuals to deal with their own anxiety, stress, as well as other things like other issues they may be experiencing. 00:02:50:21 - 00:03:20:21 Unknown And in relationships, finances, you know, you name it. So it's a very good I'm going to discuss how the company can actually sort of work with developing a healthier source. And actually, I feel like it's definitely transformed throughout the years or in my opinion, I feel like employers didn't really talk about this kind of stuff as much as they do now. 00:03:20:22 - 00:03:48:15 Unknown They didn't care as much about, you know, providing all these resources and mental health resources and wellness resources to employees. So I think it's great we can kind of cover that and talk about it and just the process and how it's evolved over the years, too. So my next question then would be, do you have any practices that a mindful workplace can kind of what can you implement? 00:03:48:15 - 00:04:35:23 Unknown What practices can you implement to create a mindful workplace? I mean, it's all over the map, but I think that really companies that are finding great success with implementing mindfulness, they're starting more starting small programs available to employees, maybe with classes or chair yoga, breathing exercises and some of those smaller components into helping the individual so as to what they're thinking and to continue to say that laser focus on what's in front of them rather than all these other things that may be coming from local personal life or other anxieties. 00:04:36:00 - 00:05:16:00 Unknown So really, it's starting small forces or activities designed to encourage that, as well as programs designed to work to tell physical and mental health things like walking programs or competitions within companies where people compete on a physical level to the mental health aspects and making sure that insurance programs feel great. And it's available to employees, including people who are in search of more provided. 00:05:16:00 - 00:05:48:07 Unknown So it's a very broad spectrum. Some of the larger companies are also includes things like meditation rooms or Zen areas or places where it's cool to take a break there and get reflective. And there are things that people want to address. Yeah, those are all great examples, Laura And I'm thinking about Emirates specifically, some of the cool things we do with our wellness. 00:05:48:09 - 00:06:10:01 Unknown Something I love in the summer, we'll kind of get a group of employees together and walk around. We have some trails around here and the walk show location and that's just great to kind of take like a mental health break, take a walk kind of reboot almost. And we also have a masseuse come once in a while, which is awesome. 00:06:10:03 - 00:06:48:06 Unknown That's a plus. So, yeah, a lot of great examples of what organizations can do well. And I know are you talked about starting small. You don't have to implement this huge idea right away. But what's what other steps can be taken to create a culture that values and supports this mindfulness? Well, that's a really good question. You know, a lot of research out there is built in on more so management assertiveness and exhibiting these behaviors and then having that trickle down effect within the organizations. 00:06:48:06 - 00:07:42:15 Unknown So many companies will start to train their managers on the basic concepts and helping them to modify their behaviors to help other people. And so along with this process, because a lot of them view that managers are kind of the key to their success in the organization. And if you have a manager that's been, you know, like micromanaging to use the term or, you know, laser focus on what people are doing right then, and that can really put a bad tone in the organization as employees, more stress and so more specific, the focus is really to train the managers first and then implement some of these programs for the interviews to help encourage them to 00:07:42:15 - 00:08:14:02 Unknown take that step back and begin to give themselves some additional brave souls. Feel throughout the day. And so a lot of the programs that were designed or have some training programs in the beginning where they'll people there are a number of number of mental health app type applications or mindfulness applications that people install on their desktop or their cell. 00:08:14:04 - 00:08:44:04 Unknown So they encourage that as well as integrating a lot of training, maybe even utilize you to come in and talk about more stressful things that might be pressing individuals who trying to work with children and then someone is engaged with adult care for them, trying to manage those needs. It's on both ends of the spectrum to put that stuff aside and let yourself levels. 00:08:44:06 - 00:09:22:10 Unknown Absolutely. And I know we talked about this a little bit in the beginning, but what about the physical workspace being designed to encourage this mindfulness and others quiet areas, massage room, but any other examples that you can give the physical workspace, specifically? And I think this one is really important and I find myself doing this every at least once a week, just decluttering your office and taking that time to organize it so that things are not visually distracting you. 00:09:22:12 - 00:10:03:08 Unknown You have easy access to them. For example, I support simple members as well as working on the front line. So I basically moved all of my materials out of the visual area. So a couple of computers set up on my desktop and I tried very diligently to only have one computer on the time, but decluttering, moving things where they're easy to get to, but not in the visual space and using common colors, things like to look at, you know, I have a number of pictures in here with my grandchildren and they're kind of between the screen here. 00:10:03:08 - 00:10:32:01 Unknown But, you know, you can use the same concept in your own workspace, even a cubicle or, you know, things just to create that environment. So the grid, as we mentioned, setting up spaces where things can get a little comfortable. Both of these have been stored on a break room. They have like couches and easy chairs for people to sit in versus just the table and a more sterile environment. 00:10:32:03 - 00:11:01:08 Unknown And as you mentioned, like having a Zen room or meditation or just a space that people can go into. But so yeah, I love those. Yeah. And I would add to for the Quiet Areas piece at MRA, we have focus rooms and those are something I definitely take advantage of on a day to day basis. And they're just quiet rooms. 00:11:01:08 - 00:11:24:01 Unknown You can go to solo rooms, kind of gets rid of all the distraction and allows you just kind of focus on your own work. So that's something that I really love about our physical workspace, but also the natural light to think having windows is so important and letting the sun come in or is snow light I guess right now. 00:11:24:03 - 00:11:57:10 Unknown Right, Right. But yeah, even in

Description: We're here with the latest talent trends in January, with a spotlight on the evolving role of AI in the workplace. Join us as we discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities surrounding artificial intelligence, and how organizations are harnessing this transformative technology to shape the future of work in the early months of the year.  Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hi, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive, which is on the January edition of MRA's Monthly. Taylor Report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks, Jim, again for being here. 00:00:42:17 - 00:01:06:01 Unknown Yeah, it's good to be back in the studio. yeah. Well, this month the special focus was on essentials for HR Professionals. So I guess my first question to you is really why this topic now? And maybe before we get into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which was related to A.I.. So can you kind of speak on that for a little bit, why you chose that and then the topic. 00:01:06:04 - 00:01:34:02 Unknown Yeah. Sure. The quote was A.I. is moving from traditional Human Resources Shared Services Administration up to human resources, business partner work using virtual assistants who provide us with cognitive insights like Alexa. It's going to happen faster and harder than HR people are ready for. And that was somebody from Deloitte. And I just thought it was interesting because where we're at right now with A.I. in HR is the very beginning. 00:01:34:04 - 00:01:55:20 Unknown And, you know, we did some polling of our own members and talking to our own staff. I mean, it's really at its beginnings stages, and we're just trying to help our 4000 member companies kind of get out in front of it, see what's happening, you know, and where do I belong in all of this? And I think what really launched this is it took someone in the technology field to explain this to me. 00:01:55:20 - 00:02:18:04 Unknown But they said, you know, when they're when they're working on products, theirs is very much a ready fire aim philosophy. It's it doesn't have to be done. Let's just throw it out there and see what happens because our customers will scream at us with whatever is wrong. And if you think of any new version of Microsoft or any new Apple phone, there's a reason it's 2.02.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2. 00:02:18:06 - 00:02:38:24 Unknown And that they put something out there and they say, okay, what don't our people like? And then we'll fix it. And that's different than most any other industry that usually is like, we got to get this thing right to our customers or satisfied. But in the technology world, everything's moving so fast, it's more or less put it out there and then we can just pivot and go in a different direction of That's all we need to do. 00:02:38:24 - 00:03:06:10 Unknown So we pick now at the start of the year because I think this is going to be a huge year for artificial intelligence and certainly for our members and people in HR. Yeah, absolutely. And you had kind of subject matter expert Chris Krause, vice president and principal consultant at Naviant join you for this talent report as well. And he gave kind of insight into all things AI related in terms of implementing it in companies and with HR teams specifically. 00:03:06:11 - 00:03:34:17 Unknown So can you highlight some of his key points that you kind of talked about? And Yeah, and I would encourage people to watch that. One is Chris really did do a good job, but he was just sort of breaking it down in terms of where are different places that this will be used in HR And a lot of people have used Chad GPT or some other generative artificial intelligence to do things like how to write a job description or put together a career path. 00:03:34:17 - 00:03:53:06 Unknown And he was sharing examples of that. And again, you know, everybody has to understand this is is not perfect. You don't ask a question, print it out and send it out to an interviewer, closest friends. But it's a good place to start. And he used the example of a machinist he just typed in, you know, what's a good job description for a machinist? 00:03:53:08 - 00:04:14:24 Unknown And it came back with responsibilities and requirements and then he asked what would be a good, you know, career path for a machinist. And it came back with beginner, intermediate, advanced Leader and so, again, it wasn't the it wasn't the this is what's going into our policy handbook answer, But it was, wow, this is a pretty good start. 00:04:14:24 - 00:04:32:02 Unknown And now if I'm a company looking for that machinist, I figure, okay, this is a good start. Now I need to add what is it that we need and what are the things that we're looking for? And he talked about, you know, using things like chat bots because there's just so many things that are standard questions in HR 00:04:32:07 - 00:04:53:20 Unknown And i know that when benefits come around our age, our department and everyone would like to have some. If there was a way to just answer these, you know, what's the difference between plan one and plan two? What's duct to bowl? What does it mean to be out of service area? Those are all programable easy, you know, ready to answer questions. 00:04:53:22 - 00:05:17:16 Unknown And so looking at it from a what are the administrative tasks or the redundant things that might be able to be better done in a different way? That's kind of where he started, but then went on to say, you know, artificial intelligence is being used in learning and development, it's being used in recruiting, and all of it is how do we take advantage of this asset and use it for good and not for you all? 00:05:17:16 - 00:05:37:06 Unknown And he just had some real good examples of ways in which it was being used specifically in human resources. Yeah, I was going to say he did give a lot of great examples and I would urge you to take a look at that recording. And also while we're on this topic, do you want to kind of give an inch of the AI series that's going to be coming out? 00:05:37:07 - 00:05:57:10 Unknown Yeah, sure. We're we're very excited by this, are just putting it together. It'll probably be March, April, but we're really trying to break it down into sections and talk about, you know, here's a AI, here's the basics of what's going on, but then talk about what does this mean for our administration? What does this mean for HR And learning development? 00:05:57:12 - 00:06:17:11 Unknown What does this mean for HR and employee engagement? Yeah, all of them have samples of ways in which artificial intelligence is being utilized in a jar already. So i think it'll be a really good starting point for a lot of people who are like, I don't know where to go. I don't know where to start. I even know what the possibilities are. 00:06:17:13 - 00:06:32:12 Unknown We're going to bring in some folks. I think they're going to be able to lay things out, not here's the answer, not here's prescription as to how you should do it. But, you know, here's the possible you got to figure out where it fits in your company. So I'm we'll be putting those out pretty soon. I think that'll be very exciting. 00:06:32:15 - 00:07:02:21 Unknown Yeah. We also have a whole section on artificial intelligence at our employee law update that's coming up. So that's another one that, you know, again, we're trying to just help our members see where this might be going and they figure out what's going to be best for our company for sure. So stay tuned for that. But I'm kind of moving on here, looking at your actual talent report now with recruiting and retention innovation, it looks like you've pulled some stats from a new report from intelligent AECOM on some new and interesting happenings in recruiting. 00:07:02:21 - 00:07:26:09 Unknown So can you kind of highlight what was seen here in some of those stats? Yeah, what we what we pulled out there was really it was looking at bachelor's degrees, quite frankly. And I think I think a lot of companies have picked up on this already. But, you know, many if they haven't updated anything in a while, Bachelor degrees 30 years ago were a separation of two piles of resumes like has one doesn't have one. 00:07:26:09 - 00:07:59:19 Unknown And that's kind of the way things functioned. And the world has changed. And now it's you might be looking for a specific skill set and you might be looking for a certificate. You might just be looking for someone who's got the right attitude and fits your culture, and we can teach them the rest of it. So it was just looking at companies now that are starting to drop bachelor's degree from something that might have just been in there because it's always been in there and saying, what is it that we actually have to have, especially at in some entry level jobs and even middle level jobs where they may have gotten all kinds of experience 00:07:59:19 - 00:08:23:13 Unknown somewhere else or have the ability and the skill set to do things and don't necessarily have that degree. So it was really encouraging companies to take a hard look at their the job postings in their job descriptions

Description: In this episode, we explore cutting-edge HR trends. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we delve into the evolving landscape. Discover how HR navigates challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to shape the workplace of the future. Resources: 2024 HR Trends 2024 HR Trends 2024 Employee Trends Labor Shortage MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest LinkedIn Profile - Keri Wozniak  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:54:07 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. In this episode specifically, we're going to be talking about cutting edge trends with MRA, our business partner, Kari Wozniak. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we'll give you advice on how to navigate challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while also implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to really shaped or the workplace of the future. 00:00:54:09 - 00:01:16:15 Unknown So, Kari, I know you really work directly with a lot of our member companies and you've been in HR for over 20 years, I think so you've really seen it all when it comes to trends and challenges. So I'm excited about the opportunity to really sit down and talk with you on what you're currently seeing trend wise. So thanks again for being here today. 00:01:16:15 - 00:01:44:08 Unknown I'm excited. Thanks. I'll be excited to be here to all just kind of kick in kicking it off. Employee experience is often cited as a critical factor in organizational success. So how are HR Professionals really working to enhance and optimize the overall employee journey with their companies? Sure. You know, this is an ongoing area of concern and has been for for for quite a while. 00:01:44:10 - 00:02:07:15 Unknown As as everyone is aware, we've been involved in a labor shortage for quite a while. It's not expected to change anytime soon. As you know, birth rates are low and generational changes and all that stuff's kind of coming through. So the employee experience becomes critical to attracting and retaining your talent. So some just key things to think about is you really need to be listening to your employees. 00:02:07:17 - 00:02:23:03 Unknown You know, it's okay to read the articles out there, listen to trends, you know, pay attention to what's going on in the world because that will help guide you in the right direction. But your teams, your environment is going to be a little bit different than anywhere else. So you want to make sure that you're you have frequent and targeted feedback loops of your employees. 00:02:23:03 - 00:02:49:08 Unknown So think about things like pulse surveys, small group listening sessions, day interviews, things like that, so that you understand why people stay and why you believe and you can address those to make sure that you have the right employee experience. You also want to make sure that you're starting small and implementing quickly. We just don't have the time anymore to plan for a year and then take a long time to implement and have the perfect programs. 00:02:49:10 - 00:03:05:16 Unknown Instead, we need to look at these things as continuous improvements. Pick a few things that you can implement quickly that will have an impact on your team and move those over the finish line so that you actually see the impact of those. And then, of course, circling back with your employees, making sure that did you actually hit the mark? 00:03:05:16 - 00:03:27:18 Unknown Is this what they wanted? So that's general guidelines and how to tackle things. But some actual specific ideas here are communication tools. So you need to make sure that you are communicating with your employees for the channels they actually use. And, you know, we are so used to using email newsletters, even home mailings that are now pretty old school versions. 00:03:27:21 - 00:03:46:10 Unknown You still need those because you have a lot of people who are comfortable with them. But now you need to be looking at your texting your employees. Are you recording video messages or are you utilizing instant messaging? What about like communication apps like Slack, things like that? You need to make sure that you're communicating with your teams in in those areas. 00:03:46:10 - 00:04:10:07 Unknown It is in all of these places or at least in a select few, and that you're having that same consistent message regardless of where you're communicating because you want them all to hear the same things, but where they're actually going to go, where they're going to go use it. And in that you're considering your generations, you're considering learning and communication styles and then what technology is actually available to the individual. 00:04:10:09 - 00:04:34:01 Unknown You know, your manufacturing employees don't necessarily have the same access to drop as team has. So how are you making sure that they're still getting the messages that you need to have them out there? And time is always an issue, so don't overwhelm your communications team with a million different things to focus on. Make sure it's a sustainable process and that you're automating where you can. 00:04:34:03 - 00:04:57:03 Unknown So some other things beyond communication tools is you want to make sure you're integrating and simplifying your technology tools. Again, the more things you have, the more you going to manage. So looking at fewer sources of truth or better aggregated tools to be able to pull your information and think about the the consumer experience your employees are used to when they're at home, right? 00:04:57:03 - 00:05:26:13 Unknown They're using Alexa, Siri and Google in order to get the information they need to do their personal work in seconds. But then at work, we're going into different THRIVEs, different disparate systems. You got to remember where everything's housed and how you actually pull everything together. It's time consuming and it's frustrating. So how do you mirror that consumer experience at work that they're used to at home or actually watching technology things? 00:05:26:15 - 00:05:45:23 Unknown absolutely. And I feel like just to add on that, the employee experience, it comes down to how well you can listen to your employees and implement the things that they want and that they're interested in. So I like that you highlighted that you don't always have to listen to that outside conversations that might be kind of pulling you in. 00:05:45:23 - 00:06:11:06 Unknown It's really about what does your company value, what do your employees value, and something that might work for one person might not work for another. But I'm glad that you personalization, right? Like at the end of the day, your employees want to know that you know them. You absolutely very well kind of moving on now into flexible work arrangements that's been a key trend the past couple years now. 00:06:11:08 - 00:06:35:17 Unknown So how how is really addressing the challenges of managing hybrid teams then and what strategies are being implemented to ensure collaboration and communication remain effective? Sure. So there's a couple different different things in there. So being flexible in the first place, creating those flexible work arrangements is going to be really, really important. And we're all we're hearing a lot about. 00:06:35:19 - 00:07:01:13 Unknown It's no longer about work life balance, it's about work life integration or fit and the concept there is it's not how do I fit my life around my job, it's how do I how do I have meaningful work that's going to support the life that I want to have? And while that seems like a nuance, it's a really important distinction because employees maybe don't want their whole identity to be what they do for a living anymore. 00:07:01:15 - 00:07:24:17 Unknown And everybody has different challenges, whether it's the raising children, if they've got aging parents, if they've got just hobbies or, you know, desires to travel the world or whatever, those things are, they want to figure out how to balance that while providing the opportunity to be a professional, to contribute in different ways. So to me, one of the key things that employers need to do is be creative. 00:07:24:17 - 00:07:50:13 Unknown We can't just sit there and look at, well, everybody has to work 9 to 5 in an office and do things exactly the way that we've historically used it, you know, the pandemic that we always want to bring that up. But it just changed people's expectations and how they can how they know they can get work done. So so whether it's remote hybrid, so where you actually do work, but there's also the actual schedule itself. 00:07:50:13 - 00:08:14:17 Unknown So can I work maybe four tens? Can I work long hours on weekends or even a combination of those things? Is it more I just need to get my work done when I get it done, maybe matters a little bit less. You can even look at hiring people into job sharing kind of situations where maybe you're hiring two part time people to accomplish the tasks of one full time job. 00:08:14:19 - 00:08:35:14 Unknown A lot of companies are starting to use contractors and consultants, kind of this gig concept. Like, I have a project, I'm going to pick that up, I'm going to work on it. So if you're employing people in these these new ways, it's not

Description: In this episode, join us for an insightful conversation with Susan Fronk, President and CEO of MRA. Get ready to kick-start your new year, as we explore trends, strategies, and expert insights that will define success in 2024. Whether you're a professional, entrepreneur, or anyone seeking to thrive in the fast-paced future, Susan shares invaluable advice for making 2024 your best year yet.  Resources: 2024 National Business Trends Survey  MRA Hot Topic Surveys  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Susan Fronk  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Susan Fronk  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:41:11 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thank you for joining us and happy New Year. And welcome back, Susan. Hey. Well, Susan, since your New Year podcast from last year is actually in our top ten podcasts of all time, we thought it would be great to really bring you back this year and share your insights for the coming year of 2024. 00:00:41:12 - 00:01:04:09 Unknown Yeah, I saw that, that it was in the top ten, but you know, sort of thing too much credit because I was one of the first podcasts. So it's top ten for a still call me season, right? Okay. But for those of you who may not know, Susan Fronk is MRA's president and CEO. And you're really here today to help you get your new year off to a great start, really help you and your business thrive. 00:01:04:11 - 00:01:31:17 Unknown So speaking of where to start, Susan, let's take a look at a recent national Business Trends survey from the Employers Association of America, the EAA. I know, Susan, you always talk about using data THRIVEn decisions and using those for results. So let's take a look at the results that we're seeing from the 2024 National Business Trends Survey. We know that the economy impacts everything every day, life in work. 00:01:31:19 - 00:01:58:05 Unknown So let's talk about the numbers for this year specifically. According to the survey, 67% of organizations say the economy will improve or stay the same. And that's an 18% increase from last year's report. So we're really seeing greater confidence in this year's economy. So my first question to you is, with business leaders feeling more confident, how will that impact employers for this year? 00:01:58:11 - 00:02:28:12 Unknown Sure. Well, first, a word about the National Business Trends survey and how relevant it is for our members. The EAA, the Employer Associations of America. Organizations like us across the country. So employers of all sizes in all industries and tens of thousands of employers. So this survey is really reflective of kind of coast to coast thinking in how they're planning for the next year. 00:02:28:14 - 00:03:14:14 Unknown And you're right, there is a greater confidence that business will at least stay the same or improve in the year ahead. And that's great because where confidence goes, usually production follows, sales follow and hiring follows. So I know we're going to get into that, but that's kind of a mixed blessing. So hiring is still really tough. When you look at the comfort index in production and sales and where companies are going, that means there will be investments, investments made in their companies, in mergers and acquisitions, plant expansions, maybe more experimentation and innovation as well as additional hiring. 00:03:14:16 - 00:03:45:17 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And according to the business Trends survey, 52% of employers here in the Midwest are looking to hire permanent staff. So when it comes to hiring and recruiting for 2024, what suggestions do you have for employers out there? Really? Sure. Generally, when I'm talking with members, whether those are our constituents or the C-suite, they are still having great difficulty finding qualified experience hires. 00:03:45:19 - 00:04:23:03 Unknown So if you think of hiring as filling positions and not just hiring somebody from outside the organization and bringing them in, it may make a little more sense. And that's some of the creative D that I see. Employers are not necessarily looking for that needle in a haystack. Well, they certainly are, but they're also saying, who in my organization may have the ambition and the skills and characteristics to move up and what kind of development most training and professional experiences would I need to give them to grow them into that position? 00:04:23:05 - 00:04:53:00 Unknown If you can't buy it, meaning hire, you've got to make it and that'll develop. Yeah, absolutely. And we'll talk a little bit more later, especially on emerging leaders and from a CEO perspective, what qualities and characteristics do you specifically look for in those emerging leaders? We'll talk more later. But Susan Talent acquisition TA has been a serious challenge for employer employers in the past year and this year looking ahead. 00:04:53:01 - 00:05:26:10 Unknown So let's talk about what executives identified as some other top challenges of this year. Talent acquisition was top at 50 to 2%, but also making the top five list was cybersecurity at 44%. Talent retention also at 44%, inflation coming in at 41%. And then developing future leaders, as you've mentioned, at 34%. Looking at that, cyber security is new on this list for this year and really an issue top of mind for executives And, you know, all employers. 00:05:26:12 - 00:05:52:00 Unknown What are you hearing from other organizations in business leaders overall on how what they are doing to increase cybersecurity? Sure. And it's coming up in many business conversations. Before we move to that with your commission, Sophie, could I circle back to the talent, get perhaps a lesson? Because the survey did highlight some things that I think are worth underscoring in this conversation. 00:05:52:01 - 00:06:28:21 Unknown One is that compensation, as a starting wage went up. No surprise there, but also that the ranges of the jobs themselves have been adjusted upward in the majority of organizations. And again, no surprise with inflation being kind of break away in 2022 and maybe moderating a bit in 2023, just that those are table stakes. Right. We all know that compensation alone isn't a satisfying necessarily, but it's a dissatisfying. 00:06:28:23 - 00:06:47:04 Unknown So what I mean by that is if you don't get it right, people will leave. But even if you have it right, meaning that you pay competitively and you know what the market pay is and your benefits are appropriate, the right amount of paid time off, just the fact that you get that right, those are table stakes. That doesn't mean people won't leave. 00:06:47:06 - 00:07:09:20 Unknown You have to have culture and environment and professional growth and development opportunities as well. The innovation is just the doubling down on the fact that it is a total package and human resources is right at the center of that and leadership conversation to say, here's here's how we have to touch all those bases. So pay alone will get you there. 00:07:09:22 - 00:07:34:02 Unknown But you do have to know how your jobs stack up to off. And I think business leaders may say this job title and what does this job title pay? That almost doesn't matter because titles are just that. You have to really look at the responsibilities and the role itself and the job duties to make sure that you're comparing apples to. 00:07:34:04 - 00:08:02:14 Unknown Absolutely. Thank you for circling back. Sure. Yeah. I think that was an important point, and I neglected to say that originally. Absolutely. If you asked me about cybersecurity. Yes. Well, I think it is a big question. It's like describing the you and I am no cybersecurity expert, but I do have the catbird seat, I guess I would say, and I always feel honored to have those conversations with so many business leaders. 00:08:02:16 - 00:08:26:23 Unknown But our members do share confidential information with us, and cybersecurity is keeping people up at night. It can ruin a business in the blink of an eye. Before I get to a couple of recommendations that I would make as a layperson, not as a cybersecurity expert, but as a business leader, that that does have this advantage of talking with a lot of other smart business leaders. 00:08:27:00 - 00:09:03:23 Unknown Anecdotally, I happen to be in Las Vegas last fall for my husband's birthday, and it was during the MGM data breach and Hurd worldwide, everybody was talking about it because they decided not to play ball with the threat actors. And there are a thousand decisions that businesses need to make about cybersecurity. But one of them is am I going to capitulate, potentially pay ransom, try to secure my data and hope and pray that that the bad right. 00:09:03:23 - 00:09:28:09 Unknown You're going to honor their word, which is interesting all by itself mean you trust in criminals to do what they say. That makes no sense. But then the other branch is to say, forget it. I'm going to take what comes right. And what was so unique about the MGM? Brett breach is that just prior to that, the whole Caesars Entertainment family worldwide was in it. 00:09:28:11 - 00:10:04:17 Unknown They paid a seven figure ransom. Whether that was there's two huge hospitality, gaming, entertainment, playing in the same space, trying to attract the same customers in the same industry. And they went in it very different ways. So I guess an umbrella is you have to know your own company, your own culture, yo

Description: Join us as we dive into the excitement of the new year, exploring the power of setting fresh goals. Explore practical tips and proven techniques to align individual, team, and organizational goals, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented success and growth. Resources: Quarterly Goal Tracking Chart  SMART Goals Tracking Form  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller  Guest Bio - Brittany Czirr  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Brittany Czirr  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, we can get started right away, but we're excited that you're all here with us for our first ever live podcast. But really, we're here to make your 2024 your best year yet. And it's all about goal setting. So today, find out the impact of intentional goal setting and the value that modern day goal setting brings. 00:00:42:18 - 00:01:05:12 Unknown It's a new year. It's time for new goals, and MRA, as always, is here to help you get set. So like I said, we're here on LinkedIn live today, super excited. And for our listeners out there who have questions about goal setting specifically, ask away, definitely encourage you to put your questions in the chat. And Amanda and Brittany will answer them here and now. 00:01:05:14 - 00:01:29:05 Unknown Plus, we can save some time at the end of the episode to really answer any additional questions that might come up. But for now, I'm curious to know where you all joining us from. Like we said, we're from Waukesha, Ohio, Kentucky. We're all over the place right now. So curious who's joining us today. Kind of as we get set here, I'll introduce our guests. 00:01:29:07 - 00:01:59:02 Unknown My name is Sophia Boler and the host of MRA's 30 Minute THRIVE podcast. And joining me are Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent development. And Brittany Czirr learning and development facilitator also with MRA. So kind of as we get started and warming up here and as chats are going to be coming in. Let's talk about goals. And these are really not just your typical New Year's resolutions, which may be not about just a few weeks. 00:01:59:04 - 00:02:24:02 Unknown These are really long term as well as short term goals intended to really help you realize your greatest personal development and productivity for about 2024 year ahead. So today we're really going to be talking about the evolving standards that are reshaping the way we pursue success in every aspect of our lives and the goals we actually achieve to to get that success. 00:02:24:04 - 00:02:49:17 Unknown So let's first kind of talk about the importance of goal setting. Why don't we? So, Amanda, you want to start us off and kind of tell us what the value of setting goals is? Thank you. Yes, I do. And I love your highlight, which really ushers us into modern day goal setting of this is different than end of year New Year's resolution goals that you set three weeks later. 00:02:49:17 - 00:03:12:16 Unknown Hey, look, I'm not at the gym anymore. I hit it strong for about 25 days and then petered off. And and I would challenge that traditional goal setting strategies kind of resulted. Similarly, I would set my goal at the beginning of the year, and then at the end of the year I go, yeah, I was going to do that professionally for the team this year. 00:03:12:17 - 00:03:37:01 Unknown Didn't get to it. And so when we really talk about the change and how it's been modernized, that that was such a great highlight. So because it comes into play is why it has evolved as well. But in terms of the value and the importance goal setting theory, I can talk about theory for a moment and I promise everyone just a moment. 00:03:37:03 - 00:04:06:15 Unknown Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Lape actually started the conversation around setting actionable task performance related goals in the sixties. Now, I know you're saying modern day goal setting in the 1960s do not connect. And that is accurate. That's why we talk about modernizing a lot of their approach. But theory tends to be pretty universal in terms of how we implement it over time. 00:04:06:15 - 00:04:45:20 Unknown That modernizes and changes. But one stat that will not change and they actually updated their stats. They started doing research again in the nineties and updated it in the early 2000 in the Psychology Today Journal. But they really highlighted how 90% of individuals with performance s team personal organizational goals that they want to accomplish if they create is actionable goal, they write it down big key there and then they refer back to it. 00:04:45:22 - 00:05:15:11 Unknown They are 90% more likely to achieve success. So when I think about the value of goal setting, I think about the value of actually having an accountability partner of writing it down because we're 90% more likely to achieve success if we do some simple steps that we're going to talk about today. Brittney, what other thoughts do you have on the value of goal setting? 00:05:15:13 - 00:05:36:10 Unknown my gosh, it's so crucial, right? Because it really does allow you and to the point of writing it down, you know, putting stuff out there, speaking it into fruition, that is there's a lot to be said for that. If you just kind of keep it in and you internalize it. What are your checks and balances there? How are you tracking what you're doing to your point of accountability partners? 00:05:36:10 - 00:06:00:24 Unknown You know, how do you measure success? Because it's not going to be this like linear or not even linear, but open to the right. Like it's not going to look like that at all. It is peaks and valleys step forward and backwards. So how do you how do you navigate that and making sure that you have it somewhere that you can refer back to really helps navigate that aspect of it? 00:06:01:01 - 00:06:25:09 Unknown Absolutely. Those are all great points. And again, I would encourage our listeners, if you have any comments you want to share, how goal setting has really helped you and your organization achieve better success, We're all ears. We want to know what you're doing and what how you're finding success. But kind of moving on now that we know why we need to set goals, let's kind of talk about the what and how of goal setting. 00:06:25:09 - 00:06:55:21 Unknown So I heard you mentioned modern day goal setting five times. So what really is modern day goal setting and how does it differ from what most people think about when setting their goals? And so in the sixties, when goal setting theory and task performance coach, that element of their initial theory published in the sixties really was related around performance for the team or the organization, right? 00:06:55:21 - 00:07:21:04 Unknown So as an individual, how do I fit into the team performance, which fits into the organization performance? And we set it in January and then we come back and talk about it in December and we set my new wins in January. Modern day goal setting is much more fluid, so I establish goals that might evolve and change in 90 days. 00:07:21:06 - 00:07:50:19 Unknown I establish goals that might take me three years to get to. All of them are welcome. All of them are important into that accountability partner piece, whether that's your manager or a mentor or a peer or they're checking in. So that set it and forget it truly is the older way of thinking, whether they're associated with. And we can get to talking about, you know, associations with financial gain. 00:07:50:19 - 00:08:17:04 Unknown So whether I have it's allocated with my merit increase, that's going to doesn't change the amount of check ins and this cadence of fluidity that our goals are. Additionally, people are looking to their organizations to help develop their career, which is different than being a piece of the team or the department of the or great. It's a two way relationship. 00:08:17:04 - 00:08:48:01 Unknown So the organization I'm also looking at the organization to develop me in my career so that I can continue to better the organization. It's a cyclical relationship, so goals aren't just team and department related. They're my personal career growth goals as well. And how can the organization help me set those goals and THRIVE me towards success in those goals, even if it doesn't have to do with the job I'm doing with you today? 00:08:48:03 - 00:09:06:09 Unknown The job I have today is this. But maybe I have a career aspiration of this and I could do that here. That's organization and probably will be more likely to if the organization is helping me develop my skill sets in that kind of a goal as well. That's a very modern view. Brittany, anything to add on to that? 00:09:06:11 - 00:09:35:04 Unknown I do. So a couple of things. The the piece where it is a relationship that Amanda had mentioned. So it's having, you know, an investment into the person so the person can reinvest into the company. I think that that is so critical for companies to realize that because what is the saying where you provide someone with enough resources and get them where they want to be and feed into them so that they want to stay right, Like train them and get them to the point where they can leave but they choose to stay. 00:09:35:10 - 00:10:04:06 Unknown It's so much more rewarding and from a financial gain standpoint, from a satisfaction and morale and engagement standpoint, to have a

Description: 🎧 In this December Talent Report, we're spotlighting the freshest trends in the realm of talent. Uncover cutting-edge recruitment tactics, explore the surge in demand for emerging skills, and stay informed about the latest developments throughout the month of December. Tune in to stay one step ahead in the dynamic landscape of the competitive job market! 🌟 Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:03:24 - 00:00:25:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:25:04 - 00:00:45:07 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. It is time to go over this month's talent report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks for being here, Jim. 00:00:45:09 - 00:01:09:00 Unknown Yeah, thanks for having me. Happy holidays. Happy holidays. Well, this month you are looking at 2024, actually the year ahead. So talking about the opportunities that await and some of the challenges that might be on the horizon as companies prepare for this next year, 2024. So starting out with recruiting and retention innovation, Jim, you pulled some stats from MRA's recent comp trends report. 00:01:09:02 - 00:01:32:24 Unknown What is really shown here? Well, what we were talking about from the comp trends report was basically miscellaneous perks. Where are companies trying to distinguish themselves for others? Where are they trying to stand out? Just try to get some creative ideas of what people might be up to. And chuckled during the talent report that the number one item is employee lunches. 00:01:33:01 - 00:01:56:05 Unknown And any time I'm meeting with HR people, I always say food. You know, it doesn't make any difference how, where or when, why food is always a winner. But food also brings with it the side effects of chance for people to talk to each other and get to know each other better and help with the culture. But it's always something that you know, was relatively simple and is appreciated by people. 00:01:56:07 - 00:02:33:07 Unknown But on a more serious side of things, tuition assistance and flexible scheduling were numbers two and three, with about 65% of the companies saying that and the tuition assistance. Two things I think are happening. We talked a little bit about it last month, I think. But companies are starting to include tuition reimbursement in there. And so those students that might have student loans as becoming a part of that and I think you've got more both younger and seasoned workers that are looking for the specific training, which may be in an educational institution of what are the skills I'm missing. 00:02:33:07 - 00:02:57:07 Unknown So if we say to you, boy, you know, Sophie, you're an up and comer, emerging leader, but we need you to work on these two things. Maybe you should go get a certificate in this and go take a class in that as people are trying to build those career paths, I think it's starting to be singled out a little bit more that let's just identify what this person maybe is lacking right now and give them the opportunity to grow there. 00:02:57:09 - 00:03:17:05 Unknown Then we have some other things for allowance, additional time off office technology, enhanced benefit packages. And all of this comes back to what we're seeing more and more and is added the better that I know my employees and the people who work for me, the better I can figure out what matters to them. And we use the word benefits. 00:03:17:07 - 00:03:38:16 Unknown But I mean, it could be simple as knowing, you know, you like a triple latte shot of peppermint, soy milk, something or other drink whole class. Okay, good. And that just black coffee or not tea. And so I come to you with a 12 pack of coke. I bring you I shop at Starbucks and get you the fancy drink that you like. 00:03:38:16 - 00:03:59:11 Unknown You know, the benefit there is really, boy, he's paying attention and he cares about what's going on. So I think a lot of companies are just trying to figure out who are people. And one of the little things we can do besides offering a401k in health care and time off, that might make a difference to them. So that I think is really becoming a bigger part of the retention strategy. 00:03:59:13 - 00:04:25:02 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Kind of going off of that recruiting and retention and moving into talent thinking, you highlighted succession planning in that it's really top of mind for companies. But before we dive into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which talks about succession planning. So why did you exactly pick this quote and you? Well, first you got to tell us what to call it. 00:04:25:04 - 00:04:48:03 Unknown The one that I picked was on John Maxwell. And he's a he's an author and speaker. And the quote was, when all is said and done, your ability as a leader will be judged by how well your people and your organization did after you were gone. Your lasting value will be measured by succession. And I picked that one because of what we're going to talk about here in a second is succession planning is becoming a bigger deal. 00:04:48:03 - 00:05:22:19 Unknown We've talked about that not only for the C-suite but for all of the key positions. Companies are trying to build a deeper bench, have a number two person. So whenever somebody leaves, we've got someone in the pipeline. We're not starting over every time, just good business decisions. But then we talked with the CEOs about it all of those things still apply, but they're looking at it almost holistically from a strategy point of view that says, well, if you take those things I just said, that adds stability to the organization, we all get thrown into turmoil when someone goes. 00:05:22:21 - 00:05:46:21 Unknown That type of transparency puts our employees at ease. That they know. All right. Well, whether I like the person or don't like the person, it's the enemy I know versus the enemy. I don't know. And I'd like to know what's what's happening there. It certainly reduces costs. So we have to find someone. I would much rather have to find the number three position because number two, field number one. 00:05:46:21 - 00:06:10:10 Unknown Number three, cell number two. And now I'm looking for the third person down the system rather than the top of it. And so if we built that, that's just better for that for the organization. And it's a chance for us to show value to employees. If, you know, if someone sits down with you and say, you know, Sophia in the marketing department, here's what our plans are for the department, Here's where we think you fill in, here's where we think you fit in. 00:06:10:12 - 00:06:35:06 Unknown It gives you something to say, okay, I know what what they're thinking about for me. Then I can have discussions on maybe that's not where I want it to go, or that is where I want to go. But just organizationally, that succession planning makes a big difference. I think what that quote really points out is, you know, we can have an influence while we're here, but probably the biggest influence we can have is do we set the place up for success after we're done? 00:06:35:08 - 00:07:01:11 Unknown And so the process that we put in place, the things that we do, are not people dependent. It's not over. When Jim leaves, all of this stops. It's Jim built this and so it's all going to continue and nobody else has to figure it out. And I think that's that's really the type of succession planning there they're looking for is how do we make this systemic so we don't have to go through this big deal every time somebody might retire or go somewhere else. 00:07:01:13 - 00:07:22:02 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And I guess you you kind of touched on it, but is there anything anything else that you wanted to add was talent thinking and succession planning in terms of why we're kind of touching on this now and any other information? Yeah, that's that's a good follow up. You know, I think we're touching on it now because of all these demographic things that we've been talking about. 00:07:22:04 - 00:07:49:21 Unknown You know, we have 10,000 people turning 65 every day. That means a lot of folks are leaving the workplace more than ever before just because of the size of the baby boomers. So the numbers are driving it. And then just some of the generational things that we have in place. We're just building the list right now of what's different between the Z's and the Xers versus the Boomers in the Xs versus Z’s and the Millennials. 00:07:49:23 - 00:08:12:05 Unknown And it's it's a pretty big gap in the succession. Planning helps the younger people coming up, you know, understand better what the older folks have done and how they've done it, maybe what's good and what's bad and helps the older folks figure out how are we going to transfer this knowledge down to a group that maybe thinks differently, learns differently. 00:08:12:07 - 00:08:33:01 Unknown There's just lots of things that have to also be overcome because that's kind of a negative. But there's there's a ton of opportunities if we can figure out how to speak the same language. And I was in a you know, I was in a webinar today on Artificial Intelligence, actually, and the woman that was presenting it and this was just another difference that made