Have you ever worked with someone who was unmanageable? Do your ever find yourself wishing there was a performance management manual? Would you like to know what the ultimate indicator of your management ability is? Hint: it's got nothing to do with 360 degree feedback or your performance review.

In today's episode of "Why It Works," Gail Smith-McCarthy reveals some of the hidden mechanisms behind why Performance Management works. We explore the role of hardship in success, how to manage and motivate your people despite limited resources, and what it means to practice sustainable leadership.

Listen via iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn

If you've been enjoying this podcast and are wondering what you can do to help it's EZPZ!

Take your pick (one or more):
1) Leave a rating and comment on your favorite podcast service like iTunes or Stitcher
2) Tell a friend about the show and what you learned
3) Become a sponsor (for as little as $2/month) by going to Patreon

MEET OUR GUEST

Gail Smith-McCarthy

With a career spanning 20+ years, Gail has always believed that opportunities and potential for success are limitless when a person loves what he or she does. Gail has always been in job roles that allowed her to leverage her passions and skills to meet business needs – such as applying her love of problem-solving to lead technology transformation and process improvement projects, and applying her love of writing and helping people learn by documenting processes to facilitate standardization and cross-training. A people manager in her previous career chapter, Gail has returned to life as an individual contributor – while also retaining her favorite part of managing people by mentoring colleagues and leading programs that facilitate skill development and focus on the sharing of best practices.

Gail's book recommendations:

• FYI: For Your Improvement, A Guide for Development and Coaching by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

• You Don’t Need a Title to Be A Leader by Mark Sanborn

• 1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson

• “Job Sculpting: The Art of Retaining Your Best People” by Butler & Waldroop

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Contact Gail on LinkedIn

SPONSORS

Mizzen+Main

Mizzen+Main performance fabric dress shirts are a game changer - next generation dress shirts that breathe, stretch, and wick away moisture. They require no ironing, no dry cleaning, and are machine washable.

For a limited time, on orders of over $125 listeners of Why It Works will receive $50 off!

To receive your discount, click on this Mizzen+Main link.

AUDIBLE.COM

For you, the listeners of WHY IT WORKS, Audible is offering a FREE audiobook with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.

A great book to go with this episode is FYI: For Your Improvement, A Guide for Development and Coaching by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger. It’s a favorite of Gail’s on the topic of Performance Management.

To download your free audiobook today click, http://www.audibletrial.com/WhyItWorks

If you prefer paper, Kindle or are already an Audible member, no problem - buy the book here.

CLIPS

Denzel Washington NAACP Image Awards 2017 Speech

The Devil Wears Prada Upward Social Comparison

How Dave Grohl Got His Start in Music

Scrubs - My Student

Not a good Captain / First Officer

A Pep Talk from Kid President to You

MUSIC

Opening features the song "Morning" by Cambo Smith, available under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Recommendation segment features the song "Delta" by Moonove, under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 International License

Closing features the song "Siesta" by Jahzzar under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

Have you ever wished you were more creative? Do you roll your eyes at the mere mention of another corporate innovation event? Ever wonder why some ideas are met with accolades and resources while others are sent to the Island of Misfit Toys?

In today's episode of "Why It Works," Kirsten Richert, CEO of Richert Innovation Consulting reveals some of the hidden mechanisms behind why Innovation works. We explore how breaking Functional Fixedness is key, what it means that "your mind is inside your body," and the dark side of innovation.

Listen via iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn

If you've been enjoying this podcast and are wondering what you can do to help it's EZPZ!

Take your pick (one or more):
1) Leave a rating and comment on your favorite podcast service like iTunes or Stitcher
2) Tell a friend about the show and what you learned
3) Become a sponsor (for as little as $2/month) by going to Patreon

MEET OUR GUEST

"What if there was a way to fire the imagination of 
your people and focus it on taking effective action?"

Kirsten Richert

Kirsten Richert is CEO of Richert Innovation Consulting, a firm that brings together strategy and innovation to help leaders spark change. Drawing upon her experience in three core disciplines—business management, ideation, and facilitation—Kirsten utilizes fail-safe methods that have been successfully used in many corporate and nonprofit environments as practical and effective approaches to creativity, innovation, and problem solving.

Formerly Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Pearson, the world’s leading educational textbook publisher, Kirsten oversaw the creation of breakthrough “digital-first” K-12 curriculum. Trained as a corporate on-call innovation coach, she helped teams plan new efforts, generate ideas, and execute on strategies.

Now an innovation catalyst, Kirsten leads change efforts for organizations, especially in the areas of education and human development. Kirsten facilitates strategic planning processes for corporations, departments, startups, and nonprofits. She conducted the Strategic Plan process for the evolution of The Community Chest, 80+ year old respected nonprofit funder, which received unanimous Board approval. Kirsten also runs Think Tanks that openly, safely, and energetically engage diverse communities in thinking about an organization’s goals and initiatives. For example, the Barat Foundation’s Think Tank produced a new marketing story for their public art programming. She assists organizations with Board development, including trainings and retreats. Kirsten recently facilitated the Board Retreat for the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking that focused on roles, responsibilities, and organizational structure.

Kirsten received her undergraduate degree in Social Science from Hampshire College, her master’s degree in Education from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, and her training in innovation and facilitation methods from SIT (Systematic Inventive Thinking) and ToP (Technology of Participation). She teaches Design Thinking and Communication and Innovation at Pratt Institute, Management at Montclair State University School of Business, and Leadership at Fordham University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership.

email: kirsten@richertinnovation.com

phone: 201.563.0505

website: richertinnovation.com

SPONSORS

Mizzen+Main

Mizzen+Main performance fabric dress shirts are a game changer - next generation dress shirts that breathe, stretch, and wick away moisture. They require no ironing, no dry cleaning, and are machine washable.

For a limited time, on orders of over $125 listeners of Why It Works will receive $50 off!

To receive your discount, click on this Mizzen+Main link.

AUDIBLE.COM

For you, the listeners of WHY IT WORKS, Audible is offering a FREE audiobook with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.

A great book to go with this episode is How the Body Knows Its Mind: The Surprising Power of the Physical Environment to Influence How You Think and Feel, by Sian Beilock. Learn now the mind-body connection is more like a circuit than a one-way street and why that’s important.

To download your free audiobook today click, http://www.audibletrial.com/WhyItWorks

If you prefer paper, Kindle or are already an Audible member, no problem - buy the book here.

CLIPS

Thinking Outside the Box: Awe Cultivation and Functional Fixedness

Moneyball: Baseball thinking is Medieval

Lighting up lives | Pepsi Liter of Light

Apollo 13 (1995) - Square Peg in a Round Hole Scene

MUSIC

Opening features the song "Morning" by Cambo Smith, available under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Recommendation segment features the song "Delta" by Moonove, under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 International License

Closing features the song "Siesta" by Jahzzar under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could be a bit bolder? Have you ever crept right up to the edge of a big change, stared into the abyss and promptly leapt backwards? Do your ever wonder why you take some risks, but avoid others like the plague?

In today's episode of "Why It Works," Chris Jean-Charles, former Marine and now entrepreneur, reveals some of the hidden mechanisms behind why Blind Leaps work. We explore the risks worth taking, the role of ruin in success, and a tried and true military technique to overcome fear.

Listen via iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn

If you've been enjoying this podcast and are wondering what you can do to help it's EZPZ!

Take your pick (one or more):
1) Leave a rating and comment on your favorite podcast service like iTunes or Stitcher
2) Tell a friend about the show and what you learned
3) Become a sponsor (for as little as $2/month) by going to Patreon

MEET OUR GUEST

Chris Jean-Charles

Chris Jean-Charles is no stranger to the concept of reinventing one’s self to achieve happiness. After over a decade as a US Marine, Chris spent some time working for one of the world’s top management consulting firms before pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams. An expert in risk management and capital preservation, Chris is in the process of launching his own Proprietary Trading Firm.

Having taken a circuitous route in following his dreams, Chris discovered that much like buying and selling the capital markets, chasing one's passion often involves taking calculated risks. This means understanding your unique edge and stacking the odds in your favor.

Chris is a firm believer in “giving back” and provides mentoring to transitioning veterans and inner city youth. When he’s not working, Chris finds joy in traveling the world with his family.

Contact Chris: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjean-charles

SPONSORS

Mizzen+Main

Mizzen+Main performance fabric dress shirts are a game changer - next generation dress shirts that breathe, stretch, and wick away moisture. They require no ironing, no dry cleaning, and are machine washable.

For a limited time, on orders of over $125 listeners of Why It Works will receive $50 off!

To receive your discount, click on this Mizzen+Main link.

AUDIBLE.COM

For you, the listeners of WHY IT WORKS, Audible is offering a FREE audiobook with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.

Two great books to go with this episode are Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert and Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis.

To download your free audiobook today click, http://www.audibletrial.com/WhyItWorks

If you prefer paper, Kindle or are already an Audible member, no problem - buy the book Eat, Pray, Love here or the book Moneyball here.

CLIPS

MiB The Best of The Best.... With Honours! Scene

Rush (Ending Scene Part 1) "You kill the sport"

Jerry Maguire - Who's Coming With Me? (1996) HD

Eat Pray Love (2010) - Ruin is a Gift Scene

Regular People Get Tricked Into Olympic High Diving

MUSIC

Opening features the song "Morning" by Cambo Smith, available under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Recommendation segment features the song "Delta" by Moonove, under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 International License

Closing features the song "Siesta" by Jahzzar under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.