Relationships at Work - The Leadership Guide to Creating a Workplace We Love

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with digital transformation consultant and executive coach Tara Wilson on prioritizing the human element of digital transformation and change management.

Tara shares her thoughts and experience with...

• Who needs to be considered in digital transformation.
• How you bring employees along into this change management.
• The role vision and mission have in communicating change.
• Where to...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights how organizations weaponize language, intentionally or not.

Words matter and how we use those words matters more.

Language we use everyday in emails, posters, meetings, etc. can have negative impacts in the workplace. Words like leadership, professionalism, resiliency, when used or understood in a pa...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with mental health advocate and motivational speaker James Pickles on his personal experience with the impacts of burnout at work on mental health - breaking down because if it and the journey to rebuild.
(Originally published: Dec. 5, 2022)

James shares his thoughts and experience with...

• What it feels like to be overwhelmed and burnt out.
• What good and bad HR responses ...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher asks leaders to consider their relationship with their team when providing employee recognition.

The challenge is understanding that not all kudos are created equal.
 
Russel shares the dangers of assumption when it comes to good relationships and multiple steps to consider in ensuring employee recognition has t...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with UC Berkeley's Chief Learning Officer and Director of People and Organizational Development Dr. Angela Stopper on why and how we need to rethink and modernize Human Resources. 

Angela shares her experience and insight on...

• Why it's important to earn transformation before you do.
• Who's in charge of HR transformation.
• How do you sell improving HR to ...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares ways we can stop the passion tax and support the mental health of our team.

"The reward for good work is more work." We've heard that before and it's a common problem in many organizations. 

But what's forgotten is the impact, the tax, of taking advantage of those who are passiona...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author and psychologist Dr. Marie-Helene (MH) Pelletier on how to address anxiety in the workplace and how to be better prepared for it.

MH shares her insights and experience with...

• What the reality of anxiety can look like.
• How helpful context can be in combating anxious environments.
• The role of boundaries in resilience to anxiety.
• The leader's and organiz...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares the questions we need to ask to know if the organization we work for cares about us.

It's important to understand that our success is our responsibility, but that doesn't let company's off the hook when it comes to investing in its employees.

How do we know that the organization that we in...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author, consultant and keynote speaker Gregg Brown on what it takes to spark action and lead change that matters in the workplace.

Gregg shares his insights and experience with...

• Why someone at work would need to "spark" action.
• The importance of understanding ourself before sparking change.
• What to do with naysayers to change.
• How to approach an organi...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with productivity expert and author Mike Vardy on our relationship with time management in the workplace and how we can look at it differently.
(Originally published: Oct. 17, 2022)

Mike shares his thoughts and experience with...

• How productivity has changed with the pandemic
• Why "time management" is the wrong term
• The relationship between mindset and tactics 
• Who&...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares the importance of proactively reassessing ourselves as leaders, whenever we want.

Russel tells the story of how we look to established dates like New Years, or fiscal year end, to learn and refocus our efforts. To reinvest in what's working and address any failures. But it's important to understand the p...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with executive coaches and consultants John Volturo and Peter Gandolfo on the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community at work and steps needed to be more inclusive.

John and Peter share their thoughts, stories and experience with...

• The challenge of the rainbow glass ceiling.
• Who is responsible for diversity and equity in an organization.
• What to look for and do to...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher asks us to see one word answers as a red flag for employee disengagement.

Russel tells the story of how employees and colleagues using one word answers to questions and requests can be a sign of a cracked relationship. And the opportunity it offers leaders to proactively investigate the issue and create a safe space to t...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with executive consultant and keynote speaker Amii Barnard-Bahn on how our awareness of ourselves and our environment can help with our promotability.

Amii shares her thoughts, stories and experience with...

• Defining awareness as it relates to promotability.
• Why you should embrace awareness at work.
• How to determine our own self awareness.
• The importance of feedback an...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares a story of how dismissive language can happen at work and how we can stop using it.

Russel tells the story of how leaders can dismiss employees, even when those employees are being honest and vulnerable, and what that dismissal can actually communicate to the larger organization.

Curiosity and awareness...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with leadership development consultant Janet Livingstone on creating connection and culture with remote and hybrid teams.

Janet shares her thoughts, stories and experience with...

• The challenges created by remote and hybrid work.
• Is resistance to remote work generational?
• The connection of mental health and remote work.
• Where to start when learning to engage with remot...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares a story of leadership being comfortable with being uncomfortable. And how we can too.

Russel demonstrates one of his favourite moments at a recent keynote, where an executive publicly shared their discomfort to their peers, demonstrated vulnerability and modelled great leadership in doing so.

Getting co...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with keynote speaker, consultant and analyst  Justin Robbins on addressing employee apathy in the workplace - as a leader, as an organization and as an individual.

Justin shares his thoughts, stories and experience with...

• How legacy checks support organizational values.
• Setting up for success in onboarding.
• The key driver of employee apathy.
• What are early warning sig...

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the problem with passive leadership, what it looks like and how to change it in ourselves.

A survey from State University in New York found passive leadership led to employee role overload, role conflict and role ambiguity, which negatively impacted mental health.

Russel shares examples of passive l...