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Dan Smolen interviews Dr. Dan Hill, who believes that “blah, blah, blah” hurts the workplace and career professionals.

And in Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo, Dr. Hill and co-author Dr. Howard Moskowitz crowd-sourced over 600 examples of workplace jargon that are typically dismissive, patriarchal, and toxic.

One cannot discuss The Great Resignation now happening in thousands of companies without first considering the impact of workplace jargon. So many people, threatened or ostracized by office lingo, are leaving their companies in droves for other firms, or to become independent contractors.

The vast array of jargon in the book helps people recognize that blah, blah, blah hurts the workplace.

In a fun and informative episode, Dr. Hill:

• Describes Blah, Blah, Blah: a Snarky Guide to Office Lingo and the reasons for writing and editing it. Starts at 4:50
• Offers his favorite jargon example. Starts at 6:34
• Considers reasons why people in the workplace perpetuate the use of oppressive jargon. Starts at 7:21
• Defines the categories created to array the crowd-sourced office lingo examples. Starts at 9:32
• Suggests what can be achieved by breaking the cycle of “blah, blah, blah” jargon at work. Starts at 12:00

Full interview starts at 3:01

About our guest:

Dan Hill, Ph.D. is an author, podcaster, world recognized facial coding expert, and founder and president of the consultancy Sensory Logic, Inc. He received a Masters in Creative Writing from Brown University and a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Further, Dr. Hill earned Facial Action Coding Systems Certification from the Paul Ekman Group. He lives and works in St. Paul, Minnesota and Palm Desert, California.

EPISODE DATE: October 8, 2021

Social media:

Website

– Blah, Blah, Blah: a Snarky Guide to Office Lingo (Book Page)

– Faces of the Week Blog

–Famous Faces Decoded (Book Page)

–LinkedIn Profile

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:57 — 48.1MB)

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Dan Smolen unpacks the Power of Hybrid Professional Identities with Sarabeth Berk, Ph.D.

Dr. Berk is a self-described Chief Creative Disruptor. She believes that hybrid professional identities help people in the workplace to project their unique value to hiring managers.

When asked: “what do you do for a living?,” most people respond with their current job title. Or they launch into a non-succinct elevator pitch. 

However, Dr. Berk believes that that denies people opportunities to express their unique skill, experience, and relevance in a rapidly changing workplace. What is more, it robs hiring managers access to the super-human skills of top talent, to build revenue scale and market advantage.

In this episode, Dr. Berk:

• Summarizes her background and the value proposition of hybrid professional identities. Starts at 4:40
• Describes how people can get started in crafting a hybrid professional identity. Starts at 8:59
• Discusses one’s owning their identity and the career journey. Starts at 16:48
• Considers the role of side-hustles in crafting hybrid professional identities. Starts at 23:33
• Aligns with the future of work aspects of hybrid professional identities. Starts at 27:30

Emphasizing the power of hybrid professional identities, Dr. Berk draws back to the challenges that people in the workplace experience:

“How do you answer the ‘what do you do?’ question? How are you more than your job title? Eventually, the research question became: ‘who are you and the intersection of your multiple professional identities?’“

About our guest:

Sarabeth Berk earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; a Masters of Arts in Art and Design Education from the Rhode Island School of Design, and; a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver. She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:00 — 55.0MB)

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A stand-up comedian and workplace culture expert answers the burning question: Is the future of work funny?

David Horning is the principal of Water Cooler Comedy. He works closely with organizations to inject humor into the workplace, to help them build strong, positive, and enduring cultures.

As a young child, David discovered that he could make family, friends, and teachers laugh. Later on, he found inspiration listening to Monty Python, George Carlin, Jim Gaffigan and others to do his own stand-up comedy sets.

In describing his process for improving workplace culture, David offers this insight:

“Humor makes problems [in the workplace] seem smaller. If we can laugh about it then we can do something about it.”

Full interview starts at 3:14

In an episode that covers a lot of ground, David:

• Describes Water Cooler Comedy and his mission to improve workplace cultures. Starts at 4:14
• Digs into his funny origin story and comedic influences. Starts at 5:50
• Explains how comedy and humor can improve the workplace experience of professional talent. Starts at 7:58
• Provides insight into how expressing humor can improve the talent recruitment process. Starts at 15:15
• Offers his thoughts on how humor in the workplace can be expressed in ways that don’t hurt people. Starts at 24:49
• Discusses the comedians who influence his stand-up comedy. Starts at 33:38
• Answers the burning question: is the future of work funny? Starts at 36:14

Is the future of work funny? We’ll offer this: David Horning believes that comedy and humor can bring people together in the workplace. That way, they thrive and the organization succeeds.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:30 — 66.7MB)

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Dan Smolen interviews Andrea Koppel, who is helping people pivot from college to career.

Andrea is a former CNN correspondent, PR and nonprofit sector corporate executive. She draws on those amazing professional experiences to empower 1 million students to turn their degrees into careers they will love.

Each week, she hosts and executive produces the Time4Coffee Podcast which features the stories and unique experiences of top career professionals. Her guests have all pivoted from college to great and rewarding career experiences.

Additionally, Andrea leads the College2Career Academy which offers clients one-on-one consultative support to pursue their own beautiful career journeys.

Here, she discusses her process to help people pivot from college to career:

“One of the biggest challenges that I help my [young students] with, those that are confused and anxious and stuck, is that I help them to get unstuck.”

In this podcast episode, Andrea:

• Describes the unique value propositions of the Time4Coffee Podcast and the College2Career Academy. Starts at 4:54
• Relives her own amazing career journey. Starts at 9:08
• Relates to the power of personal experience in shaping the college to career journey. Starts at 15:30
• Discusses the return-on-investment (ROI) mindset of many college degree candidates, and ways to get them beyond it, to a state of joyfulness. Starts at 28:33
• Counters the unhealthful “live for work” success narrative pursued by many American professionals. Starts at 37:05

In helping people pivot from college to career, Andrea Koppel frees them to seek and do meaningful work that may span several career acts.

About our guest:

Andrea Koppel earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Asian Studies, and Chinese from Middlebury College. Andrea was for 20 years an award-winning journalist; she served as a foreign-based, State Department, and Capitol Hill correspondent for CNN. After her journalism career concluded, she worked two years in PR and later seven years as an executive in the nonprofit sector. Andrea lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area.

EPISODE DATE: September 17, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– Website

– Time4Coffee Podcast

– College2Career (Coaching)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:08 — 62.0MB)

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Dan Smolen meets a tech career strategist who helps people get unstuck for the future of work.

Raj Subrameyer arrived in the US for graduate study. He was an introverted South Indian student who pursued the lofty career goals that others expected him to follow.

Raj says he applied for over 1,200 jobs and got but a handful of interviews. That’s when he decided to focus on his own happiness; he began a process of discovery which got him unstuck to start his own business.

Now, through his brand ChaiLatte Consulting, Raj helps tech careerists get unstuck for the future of work.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Raj:

• Provides the unique value proposition of ChaiLatte Consulting, his own name-change, and the importance of having an “immigrant mindset.” Starts at 4:28
• Recalls how he tapped his “inner extrovert” to help careerists. Starts at 8:20
• Pushes against the [Southern Indian] cultural tenet of not questioning things. Starts at 13:13
• Delves into the WHY of personal (career) branding. Starts at 26:15
• Describes how immigrants to the US can overcome their disadvantages. Starts at 31:11
• Offers his take on future of work opportunities. Starts at 38:49

Raj also describes his motivation to help others achieve career success:

“I wanted to help underdogs like me, who had the skill-sets, but were looking for guidance.”

With great cheer, Raj Subrameyer helps careerists get unstuck for the future of work.

About our guest:

Raj Subrameyer earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Anna University and a Masters of Science in Software Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Raj is the author of the book, Skyrocket Your Career. He lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.

EPISODE DATE: September 10, 2021

Social media:

– Facebook

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– TEDx Talk (NEW!)

– YouTube

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:11 — 40.1MB)

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Dan Smolen meets with Rob Citronberg MD to discuss the pandemic and the workplace.

Dr. Citronberg is Advocate Aurora Health Care’s Executive Director of Infectious Disease and Prevention.

What is more, he leads his healthcare system’s Covid-19 response and addresses the needs of hospitalized Covid patients. Beyond his hospital responsibilities, Dr. Citronberg also counsels members of the business community on their return to the workplace.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Citronberg:

• Explains the scope of his work. Starts at 4:20
• Describes how the Delta Variant differs from the novel (original) Covid-19 virus. Starts at 6:04
• Offers key insight derived from Israeli Covid research and the likelihood of a Covid booster shot. Starts at 10:01
• Explains the push for vaccine mandates. Starts at 14:03
• Addresses changes in workplace density to keep people safe. Starts at 18:02
• Answers the question: “will vaccinated workers need to be boosted annually?” Starts at 24:06

Of business leaders’ insistence on vaccine mandates for their hired talent, Dr. Citronberg says:

“[They want] to create a safe environment where–if you’re coming into the office–you want to feel safe, that you are around people that are not going to make you sick.”

Going forward, how we relate to the pandemic and the workplace will impact the future of work.

About our guest:

Rob Citronberg MD earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Citronberg appears regularly on Chicago Channel 7’s morning newscast to discuss Covid-19. He lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.

EPISODE DATE: September 3, 2021

Social media:

– ABC7 Chicago

– Facebook

– Facebook Live

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:26 — 13.0MB)

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Dan Smolen believes that Career and Technical Education or CTE is key for future work.

As students across the U.S. return to the classroom, more school systems are delivering STEAM instruction and career and technical education or CTE.

STEAM and CTE are key for future work. Provided together, they help students to gain access to well-paying jobs that don’t require a 4-year college degree.

This is indeed a positive development. But getting public school educators to engage students with the future of work has never been easy.

Even pre-pandemic, CTE and in-school career exploration plunged far down the list of academic priorities. In the 2000s, public school systems responded to No Child Left Behind directives by teaching to competency tests. As a result, the critical thinking and creativity needed for future work suffered, killing career dreams.

What is more, high schools in wealthiest communities emphasized advanced placement courses and four-year college tracks over CTE.

It’s an economic driver: public schools that graduate the most advance-placed students become the most-desired places to live.

However, our schools had done a terrible disservice by not teeing up and supporting amazing future work options for worthy students.

To enable millions more young people to prepare for career options that don’t require a 4-year college degree, we must respond boldly, to:

1. Foster career dreaming beyond elementary school.
2. Drive strong STEAM instruction that begins in Kindergarten.
3. Establish “early mentorships” with companies in advanced fields.
4. Build a big educational stakeholder table. It should include school administrators, community colleges, union training academies, workforce experts, elected officials, and members of advanced industries.

CTE is key for future work. It gets people accredited and into great new jobs, faster, than a four-year college degree.

EPISODE DATE: August 27, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:32 — 13.2MB)

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Dan Smolen believes that times like these are perfect to turn crisis into career opportunity.

It takes a steeled spine to log onto the New York Times‘ website and read so much grim news.

However, it is in times of deep crisis that people can connect with the dream of doing meaningful work.

Right now, we can turn crisis into career opportunity.

Throughout Dan’s life, he has known people who set course on meaningful careers born out of crisis:

Rob Glassman and Dan attended overnight summer camp, together. And it was when their friend and fellow camper, David, contracted childhood leukemia that 14-year-old Rob decided he wanted to be a healer.

Adelle Settle founded Settle the Debt, a nonprofit that pays off student lunch debt so that kids can eat nutritious meals at school. A formidable activist, Adelle has also helped sponsor legislation that ensures that no Virginia school students go hungry. That legislation became Virginia law earlier this year.

Dan turned environmental crisis into career opportunity, as well.

As a high school senior in Montgomery County, Maryland, Dan reached out to his Member of Congress, Newton I. Steers, Jr., to stop a mining company from dumping asbestos-laden rock into the Potomac River. He recognized why that was important: Montgomery County, Maryland sourced all of its potable water from the river.

Many years later, Dan rebranded his executive recruitment firm The Green Suits, to specialize in talent placement for resource sustainability, clean tech, and corporate social responsibility clients.

We have within us the power to turn crisis into career opportunity.

EPISODE DATE: August 20, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:59 — 13.8MB)

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Dan Smolen discusses how the Code Red for Humanity’s future work will deal with existential crisis.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that humans have changed Earth in ways both dire and irreversible. The IPCC calls this a “code red for humanity.”

Without intervention, during the next 20 years, human activity will cause Earth to get 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter. In the United States, that means a 2.7 degree Fahrenheit increase in the average temperature.

We know that if we do nothing to mitigate climate change, heavily populated parts of the Eastern Seaboard will drown.

Already this June, extreme heat on the West Coast of the United States cooked mussels in their shells.

The threat to planet and people is indeed dire. But, the Code Red for Humanity’s future work can help to ensure that Earth is habitable for future generations.

Dan applies his career journey components to the work we do and hope to do, to tackle the dire threat head on:

1. Dream to visualize work that will make you happy and well purposed. That may take you to great project management opportunities in sustainability, or, capitalize on the specialized skill you already have (such as accounting or finance or market research and analytics) in an assignment at a clean energy or sustainability focused company.
2. Explore opportunities by Googling. Use wide search parameters to locate companies, such as B Corporations, that are clearly chartered to protect the planet and people. Then narrow the parameters to identify companies that are in close proximity to your geographic location.
3. Strategize to increase your successful work search outcomes. And do that by intentionally building your LinkedIn network.
4. Act intentionally to jump at great opportunities that arise quickly. Quick action also benefits people who operate as cleantech entrepreneurs or do side hustles that may turn into full-time opportunities within purpose driven companies.

Through career intentionality, the Code Red for Humanity’s future work can be profound, protect the planet, and empower people. In other words, it can lead us all to meaningful work.

EPISODE DATE: August 13, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:16 — 11.4MB)

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Podcaster Dan Smolen is in awe of Gymnast Simone Biles‘ future of work masterclass.

By far, the biggest story to emerge from the Tokyo Olympic Games has been mindfulness of elite athletes. And American Gymnast Simone Biles is the face of mindfulness at these games.

Biles exited team competition when her mind and body fell out of sync. Apparently, there is a name for such disconnection: the twisties.

What is more, Biles confirmed her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. And neither the Japanese government nor the International Olympic Committee allowed her to take the prescribed medication which would have helped her to focus.

Yet, with so much pressure to outperform the hype, in the Olympics but also as a personal brand, Biles took great risks by exiting group competition. And yet that exit helped her teammates to secure the silver medal.

In favoring her team at the expense of herself, Simone Biles taught a future of work masterclass. Here’s why:

1. Biles recognized that the team’s success and her personal wellness mattered most. The past of work was done by people who disrespected their humanity by working ridiculously long, stressful hours as if work was the entire day. Biles teaches us that the team and personal health matter most.
2. She adhered tightly to the mission. Instead of hogging the spotlight like a lot of old school managers do, Biles measured success in team-focused terms.
3. Biles showed us the power of the new personal brand. No longer is value exclusively about winning. On the contrary; in the future of work, our personal brands are about doing profound work that makes the world a better place. Alongside Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps, Simone Biles became a global proponent for good mental health and wellness.

Work should not make us sick. And that is why Simone Biles’ future of work masterclass is so important to teach.

Main segment starts at 3:10

EPISODE DATE: August 6, 2021