Good Morning, HR

In episode 271, Coffey talks with Mallory Herrin about recent workplace news stories involving AI note-takers, executive accountability, sex discrimination, and performance feedback.

–HRSOUTHWEST October 11-13, 2026 –

Good Morning, HR listeners can use the promo code 2026-CoffeyGMHR-100 to save $100 on an HRSouthwest full conference registration at https://hrsouthwest.com!
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In episode 270, Coffey talks with Mollie Campbell about how domestic abuse silently impacts the workplace and employers’ moral and business case for addressing it. 

– HRSOUTHWEST October 11-13, 2026 – 

Good Morning, HR listeners can use the promo code 2026-CoffeyGMHR-100 to save $100 on an HRSouthwest full conference registration at https://hrsouthwest.com! 

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In episode 269, Coffey talks with Clint Pulver about what 11,000 undercover employee interviews revealed about why people stay, why they leave, and what separates managers who are merely tolerated from the ones employees call mentors. 

–  HRSOUTHWEST  October 11-13, 2026 –  

Good Morning, HR listeners can use the promo code 2026-CoffeyGMHR-100 to save $100 on an HRSouthwest full conference registration...

In episode 268, Coffey talks with Jeff Lay about what it means to build a conflict-capable organization, why artificial harmony is more dangerous than open disagreement, and how leaders can develop the skills and culture needed to handle difficult conversations before they become expensive problems. 

–  HRSOUTHWEST  October 11-13, 2026 –  

Good Morning, HR listeners can use the promo code 2026-Coff...

In episode 267, Coffey talks with Catherine Clifton about AI-generated employee grievances, another lawsuit arising from a DEI training program, a Walgreens race and age discrimination case, and a Reddit scenario involving FMLA leave and workplace gossip. 

They discuss the rise of AI-generated employee grievances citing nonexistent laws and containing factual errors, and how employers should respond to them the same way the...

In episode 266, Coffey talks with Brandon Sammut about how Zapier built its AI transformation from the inside out — and what HR leaders can learn from a fully remote, AI-native company that decided people and AI strategy belong in the same hands. 

They discuss the evolution of the Chief People Officer role into a Chief People and AI Transformation Officer and why HR is uniquely positioned to lead organizational transforma...

In episode 265, Coffey talks with John Singleton about HR's long-standing identity crisis, the strategic skills the profession must develop to stay relevant, and how AI is reshaping both the work of HR and the way work itself gets done. 

They discuss HR's decades-long reputation as a bureaucratic gatekeeper — from the 1996 Fortune critique through the 2025 revisit of "Why We Hate HR" — and what it means to function ...

In episode 264, Coffey talks with Timothy State about the science of workforce wellbeing, why middle managers are the most at-risk population right now, and how AI-powered life quality companions are transforming the way organizations understand and support thriving at scale. 

They discuss the five core dimensions of human wellbeing — physical and mental health, relationships, security, and meaning and purpose — and...

 In episode 263, Coffey talks with Jimmy Taylor about the state of return-to-office, AI's real impact on workforce participation and HR practice, and why proactive networking and skills-based hiring matter more than ever. 

They discuss CBRE data showing peak office utilization reaching 80% and the factors driving successful return-to-office adoption; the hidden financial costs employees bear when returning to the office an...

In episode 262, Coffey talks with Randy Anderson about the critical differentiators for human performers in an AI-driven workplace. 

They discuss AI's inevitability and its impact on task elimination versus full job replacement; the enduring human advantage in relational and interpersonal transactions that AI cannot replicate; emotional intelligence as a two-sided competency — reading others and maintaining self-awareness...

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP261 

In episode 261, Coffey talks with Bernadette Jones about how leaders can identify, triage, and resolve workplace issues before they escalate into legal and cultural crises. 

They discuss leader avoidance of difficult conversations and its orga...

In episode 260 Coffey talks with Gerald Maatman Jr. about reducing employment litigation risk in an increasingly complex legal environment. 

They discuss the realities and limitations of at-will employment in modern workplaces; litigation avoidance strategies for business owners and HR leaders; how employers should evaluate settlement versus defense decisions; reverse discrimination and evolving protected class litigation trend...

In episode 259, Coffey talks with Meg Delp about workplace mental health, burnout prevention, and how employers can create psychologically safe cultures that support employee wellbeing and performance. 

They discuss the growing awareness of workplace mental health and its impact on business outcomes; generational differences in expectations around employee wellbeing and psychological safety; caregiver stress and burnout among y...

In episode 258, Coffey talks with Blair Doran about the “Great Flattening” of middle management, AI adoption in HR, and the thawing job market's impact on employee retention. 

They discuss the Great Flattening and the causes of middle management cuts; the risk of losing institutional culture and coaching capacity when middle managers are eliminated; poor selection criteria for promoting individual contributors into ...

In episode 257, Coffey talks with Elizabeth Ledoux about talent considerations in business succession planning. 

They discuss why most succession plans fail because leaders ignore employee emotions and organizational culture; how owners and successors can align around a shared vision for the future of the company; the importance of involving employees early in transition conversations to reduce fear and turnover risk; the conce...

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP252 

In episode 256, Coffey talks with Leslie Speas about developing high-retention managers who improve employee engagement, accountability, trust, and workplace culture through intentional leadership habits. 

They discuss promoting high-performin...

In episode 255, Coffey talks with Teri Chilcoat about navigating and recovering from toxic workplace environments while building healthier organizational cultures. 

They discuss defining toxic workplace dynamics beyond legal thresholds and into lived employee experience; recognizing psychological and physical symptoms of chronic workplace stress and burnout; understanding the toxic triangle of leaders, followers, and culture en...

In episode 254, Coffey talks with David Miklas about rapidly changing employment law trends surrounding DEI programs, EEOC enforcement priorities, workplace discrimination claims, AI risks in HR investigations, and the evolving legal landscape employers face in 2026. 

They discuss the EEOC’s proposal to eliminate EEO-1 reporting requirements and how demographic data impacts systemic discrimination claims; the legal distin...

In episode 253, Coffey talks with Anthony Sork about how emotional attachment during onboarding shapes employee engagement, retention, and organizational performance. 

They discuss the difference between employee attachment and employee engagement; how onboarding experiences create long-term emotional bonds with organizations; the role frontline managers play in employee retention and discretionary effort; why poor manager enga...