Leveraging Social Support for Workplace Performance

What if the most powerful driver of workplace performance isn't complicated systems or cutting-edge technology, but something as fundamental as social support? Dr. Amanda Hagman, Chief Scientific Officer at Atana, reveals this insight in a conversation with Chris Bjorling about human behavior, organizational learning, and strategic development.

Drawing from her extensive research, Amanda challenges listeners to reconsider how social dynamics shape workplace behavior. Through the relatable example of kitchen sink habits at home versus at work, she illustrates how environmental cues and social expectations profoundly influence our actions—regardless of generation. While acknowledging surface-level differences between age groups, she argues that the fundamental mechanisms of human learning remain consistent: we observe others, adapt to social norms, and mirror behaviors we see around us.

The discussion takes a compelling turn toward the strategic potential of Learning and Development professionals. Amanda proposes that L&D teams occupy a uniquely valuable position in organizations, with access to employees across departments during training initiatives. This presents an opportunity to transform learning sessions into data collection moments that yield insights about motivations, attitudes, and organizational readiness. By leveraging these "captive audience" interactions, L&D can evolve beyond its traditional role to become a source of strategic intelligence for leadership.

As organizations navigate technological shifts comparable to the advent of the internet, Amanda emphasizes the importance of leadership modeling desired behaviors while simultaneously upskilling alongside their teams. Her vision for the future of workplace learning balances innovation with proven methodologies—not discarding valuable established practices in pursuit of trends, but building upon solid foundations while adapting to change. Connect with Dr. Hagman on LinkedIn or visit Atana.com to discover how evidence-based learning approaches can drive meaningful performance improvement in your organization.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

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