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"Exclusion does not need a reason.
Just an excuse."
The Canary Code is a leadership book, a lesson in how to design workplace culture. The lesson starts with the design of the book itself. During this discussion, Ludmila mentioned that many of the challenges people with ADHD encounter mirror the symptoms of overwork. So the inclusive design of the book means that it's easy to digest for anyone. And that's really the message - if you design for the people who need workplace accommodations because of neurodiversity, everyone benefits. Friction is reduced.
Ludmila N. Praslova, Ph.D. is named a member of Thinkers 50 2024 Radar, a global group of 30 management thinkers leaders whose ideas are most likely to shape the future of work.
She is a Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the Vanguard University of Southern California and regularly writes for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and Forbes.
She is the first person to have published in Harvard Business Review from an autistic perspective.
Dr. Praslova is a talent strategy expert with extensive experience in global diversity and neurodiversity. Her early experience in global diversity taught her the importance of creating culture-add work environments. However, the same experience and her continued career have shown that focusing on one aspect of diversity is not enough. Globally aware organizations are not always gender-inclusive, gender-focused advancement programs can exclude based on disability or socioeconomic origin, and neurodivergent people are often forgotten or segregated even in organizations considered champions of inclusion.
As a first-generation academic and a neurodivergent woman, Dr. Praslova knows first-hand that single-focus âinclusion initiativesâ leave people behind. However, the principles of creating culture-add organizations can be applied to building systems for intersectional and holistic inclusion.
Her consulting is focused on creating organizational systems for supporting human dignity and well-being, and providing neuroinclusion training to organizations such as Amazon, Bank of America, and MIT.
She has a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and is a Senior Certified Human Resources Practitioner (SHRM-SCP).
Dr. Praslova is an avid open-water swimmer, a gardener, and a poet.
She is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Thought Leadership
Some of Ludmila's publications:The Canary Code A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work (Berrett-Koehler, 2024); Evidence-Based Organizational Practices for Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity (ed, Cambridge-Scholars Publishing, 2023); âAn Intersectional Approach to Inclusion at Workâ (Harvard Business Review, June 2022); âThe Radical Promise of Truly Flexible Workâ (Harvard Business Review, August 2023); âTo build a healthy workplace, you need a toxic culture alarmâ (Fast Company, March 2022); âHow Thought Leaders Can Support Workload Fairnessâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âHow Managers Can Support Workload Equityâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âHow to Reclaim our Right to Rest â While Stigmatizedâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âDebunking Disability Employment Mythsâ (Psychology Today, September 2023).
Ludmila in the media:
Media Kit - The Canary Code
Organizational psychology has been around for around hundred years, but Praslova believes the future of organizational psychology is changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She foresees changes such as an increase in flexibility. Employees will be able to work remotely and off-site throughout multiple industries. To adapt to this new environment, leadership and management practices will become more adaptable and human-focused... These changes will likely fuel the need for more organizational psychology practitioners.
The book: The Canary Code book by Ludmila N. Praslova, PhD
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"Exclusion does not need a reason.
Just an excuse."
The Canary Code is a leadership book, a lesson in how to design workplace culture. The lesson starts with the design of the book itself. During this discussion, Ludmila mentioned that many of the challenges people with ADHD encounter mirror the symptoms of overwork. So the inclusive design of the book means that it's easy to digest for anyone. And that's really the message - if you design for the people who need workplace accommodations because of neurodiversity, everyone benefits. Friction is reduced.
Ludmila N. Praslova, Ph.D. is named a member of Thinkers 50 2024 Radar, a global group of 30 management thinkers leaders whose ideas are most likely to shape the future of work.
She is a Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the Vanguard University of Southern California and regularly writes for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and Forbes.
She is the first person to have published in Harvard Business Review from an autistic perspective.
Dr. Praslova is a talent strategy expert with extensive experience in global diversity and neurodiversity. Her early experience in global diversity taught her the importance of creating culture-add work environments. However, the same experience and her continued career have shown that focusing on one aspect of diversity is not enough. Globally aware organizations are not always gender-inclusive, gender-focused advancement programs can exclude based on disability or socioeconomic origin, and neurodivergent people are often forgotten or segregated even in organizations considered champions of inclusion.
As a first-generation academic and a neurodivergent woman, Dr. Praslova knows first-hand that single-focus âinclusion initiativesâ leave people behind. However, the principles of creating culture-add organizations can be applied to building systems for intersectional and holistic inclusion.
Her consulting is focused on creating organizational systems for supporting human dignity and well-being, and providing neuroinclusion training to organizations such as Amazon, Bank of America, and MIT.
She has a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and is a Senior Certified Human Resources Practitioner (SHRM-SCP).
Dr. Praslova is an avid open-water swimmer, a gardener, and a poet.
She is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Thought Leadership
Some of Ludmila's publications:The Canary Code A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work (Berrett-Koehler, 2024); Evidence-Based Organizational Practices for Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity (ed, Cambridge-Scholars Publishing, 2023); âAn Intersectional Approach to Inclusion at Workâ (Harvard Business Review, June 2022); âThe Radical Promise of Truly Flexible Workâ (Harvard Business Review, August 2023); âTo build a healthy workplace, you need a toxic culture alarmâ (Fast Company, March 2022); âHow Thought Leaders Can Support Workload Fairnessâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âHow Managers Can Support Workload Equityâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âHow to Reclaim our Right to Rest â While Stigmatizedâ (Psychology Today, December 2023); âDebunking Disability Employment Mythsâ (Psychology Today, September 2023).
Ludmila in the media:
Media Kit - The Canary Code
Organizational psychology has been around for around hundred years, but Praslova believes the future of organizational psychology is changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She foresees changes such as an increase in flexibility. Employees will be able to work remotely and off-site throughout multiple industries. To adapt to this new environment, leadership and management practices will become more adaptable and human-focused... These changes will likely fuel the need for more organizational psychology practitioners.
The book: The Canary Code book by Ludmila N. Praslova, PhD
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode
The right to disconnect is legilslation designed to protect employees from work creeping into after hours work. It's popping up all around the world including Ontario, Canada, where I live. The thing about legislation is that it's a guardrail to protect us from the worst abuses. As an employer, you never want your employees to have to invoke legislation. It's not good for trust and relationships or the employer brand. So how can you proactively update your operations to ensure that all employees benefit from the right to disconnect whether or not the legislation exists in your part of the world yet or not? Legislation is designed to disuade and penalize behaviour, not shape it or incentivize it. It's the same with ethics in AI but legislation is slow, differs across geographies and can be challenged in court. It's more about crafting norms and expectations that facilitate trust and trustworthiness.
Right To Disconnect Ontario Explained | Achkar Law
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For years, I've recognized that the way change happens in organizations is disconnected from the way that executives and senior leaders perceive change to happen. Top down initiatives often fail and employees resist the change, often because the change is done to them, not with them. They can't see themselves reprsented in the story of change.
I've been following Jeppe Hansgaard on Linkedin because he's found a mathematical way to identify the 3% of staff who influence the other 90%. The key is informal networks. The change catalysts you need to engage are not the high performers or even the extroverts who dominate meetings. They are often the people no one would ever guess have influence because they have no formal power. They are not at the top of the hierarchy. Did you know if these informal leaders leave, the chance of turnover among the remaining staff rises by 500%? How can you retain these people and reward them for being the glue in the team if you don't even know who they are? Most leaders guess incorrectly when asked to name who owns the influence in the informal networks in their organizations. This mirrors my experience.
Listen this episode to hear more stories of the 3 percent rule in context and also learn about the 6 change blockers. We talk about how understanding networks better can help us increase belonging and reduce loneliness and improve diversity.
https://twitter.com/JeppeHansgaard
LinkedIn
Jeppe Vilstrup Hansgaard is the driving force behind Innovisor. As the CEO and founder, Jeppe is on a mission to eliminate the all-too-common âchange fiascoâ during organizational transformations, emphasizing the value of people as an organizationâs greatest asset.
Jeppe is a thought leader who enjoys sharing his insights with the change community through blog posts, articles, and tweets. Heâs a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences in executive groups, leadership programs, and MBA programs at renowned business schools. Jeppe is the author behind the best-selling âNow What?â-playbooks for leaders, change and OD professionals, and Management Consultants. The playbooks are practical and packed with anecdotes, case studies, facts, tips & tricks.
Jeppe earned his Executive MBA from Henley Business School in the UK and further enriched his knowledge with courses from Stanford School of Professional Development in the USA.
Jeppe is a proud father of three kids and lives in Denmark with his wife & family.
'Change is Gridlocked! Now What?' can be pre-ordered here with a 50% discount. https://lnkd.in/dyjbfEqb
Releasing in June, this episode is a nice preview.
ThreePercentRule - Innovisor SixChangeBlockers - Innovisor -
This post was inspired by a conversation I had with Tom Goodwin that started on Twitter and which he expanded on LinkedIn.
He gave me permission to base this podcast episode on these posts.
I often think a lot about how lucky I am to have started my career with 25 ish years of in-office/store work, passive training, oversight, exposure via proximity, and camaraderie .
This is by no means an anti-remote work thing, it's just an honest reflection on the head start being in a packed workplace from the age of 17 onwards. Something not everyone now gets.
And yes I was lucky to feel like I (nearly) always worked at places that were high energy, that were dominated by quite supportive people, that I had great bosses, that had pretty motivated people, varied work, and the long hours were rewarding. But it wasn't 100% luck, it was a concerted effort to pick places on the basis of how I'd develop, not what I'd get paid.
And I'm not suggesting companies should resort to 100% in person work, but I do think they should focus on creating environments where people feel a part of something, and supported.On Twitter, I told him that I was not fortunate to have that type of supportive work environment - I had monitoring, close surveillance, mandatory training and micromanagement.
Tom asked me something which stopped me short.
"Why didn't you leave?"
The short answer I gave was kids, a mortgage and stability. But it's deeper than that. The choices and decisions I made about the companies I worked for and the jobs I accepted are rooted in my childhood perception of stability and responsibility, where I lived, the kind of daughter, parent and wife I wanted to be, the economic climate, golden handcuffs including access to work from home which was not common at the time and systematic limitations.
Condensing 30 years of decisions and history into less than15 minutes is a challenging task. Hopefully you find it interesting to view my career from a high level perspective.
I used Microsoft Co-pilot to summarize valuable lessons others could learn from my story and I kind of like the output. It feels a bit like a personal cheerleader who can see the positives peeking throught the details.
Here are some valuable lessons that others can learn from your story:
Resilience and Adaptability:
Life is full of unexpected challenges, from economic downturns to personal losses. Your ability to adapt and bounce back is crucial. Lesson: Cultivate resilience and embrace change as an opportunity for growth.Navigating Career Transitions:
Job markets fluctuate, and qualifications alone may not guarantee success. Your experience transitioning between industries highlights this. Lesson: Be open to learning new skills and consider transferable abilities when changing careers.Advocacy and Impact:
Your advocacy for hybrid remote work made a difference. You were a pioneer in promoting flexible work arrangements. Lesson: Advocate for positive changes in your workplace or industry, even if it challenges the status quo.Mindset Matters:
Mindsets shape our experiences. Facing layoffs and industry shifts, maintaining a positive outlook is essential. Lesson: Cultivate a growth mindset, stay adaptable, and view setbacks as opportunities for learning.Balancing Personal and Professional Life:
Juggling personal challenges alongside work can be tough. Your story underscores the importance of balance. Lesson: Prioritize self-care, seek support, and recognize that life events impact professional performance.Unique Paths to Success:
No two journeys are alike. Your unconventional pathâthrough recessions, accidents, and lossesâled you to where you are today. Lesson: Embrace your unique journey, celebrate achievements, and learn from setbacks. -
Let me tell you a story 50 years in the making.
I moved to the Town of Georgina when I was 18 months old. I've lived here 50 years.
We've never had much tech infrastructure so I can't tell you how excited I was to learn that our new community centre has an audio and video recording studio I can use for podcasting.
I thought it would be a simple matter to get someone from the town on my podcast to talk about the MURC (Multi-Use Recreation Centre). Not so. It's an ongoing adventure.
This episode lays the groundwork - my personal history, media and journalism in small towns in Ontario, PR for politicians and a surprise cameo from my first employer. And drama surrounding gender neutral change rooms and Facebook. It's a simple rule - don't get naked in public - that has the town confused.
This is for all the people who have ever asked me about the Keswick dinner jacket. We are so much more. A hotbed of podcasters, the forefront of skills development. Eventually - if the software ever gets installed.
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The Power of Appreciation
In this episode, I share my personal stories to illustrate the importance of appreciation and recognition in the workplace and how easy it is to get it wrong even with the best of intentions. I also talk about why some of the common practices of employee appreciation are ineffective and how we can do better.
Key Takeaways Appreciation goes deeper than just saying thank you or giving a gift. Itâs about making people feel seen, valued, and respected for who they are and what they do. Scale is the enemy of intention. Just because you can do things at scale, it doesnât mean you should. Mass emails, group recognition, and generic rewards are not meaningful or motivating for employees. Personalize and individualize your appreciation. Find out what matters to each person and tailor your recognition accordingly. Use their name, be specific, and be sincere. Appreciation is not a one-time event. Itâs a continuous practice that earns trust, loyalty, and engagement. Make it a habit to appreciate your employees regularly and authentically. Episode Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email me at [email protected] or tweet me at @nolasimontjo If you want to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and perks, you can sign up for my email list. Join the waitlist for The Flexible Path community, reopening for new members April 1st.Thank you for listening and Iâll see you in the next episode.
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The Four Day Work Week
In this episode, Nola Simon shares her personal stories about the benefits of working a four day work week. She talks about how her husbandâs experience with a flexible and creative job at a pattern making shop in Toronto inspired her to challenge the conventional narratives about work and productivity. She also reflects on how having an extra day off every week improved their quality of life and relationship.
Key Takeaways A four day work week can be a viable option for many types of work, not just knowledge work. Nolaâs husband worked as a carpenter at a pattern making shop that made molds for various products, such as plastic packaging, battery packs, and even models for sex education. The shop owner designed the work schedule to be Monday to Thursday, with 40 hours of pay and overtime if needed. A four day work week can also be a source of creativity and personal fulfillment. Nolaâs husband was allowed to use the shopâs machinery to work on his own projects on Fridays, such as making a mailbox, a jewelry chest, a deck swing, and a cedar chest. He also had access to the shopâs scrap wood, which he used to make some unusual models that sparked some interesting conversations around the campfire. A four day work week can have a positive impact on family and personal life. Nola and her husband commuted together four days a week, and he stayed home on Fridays to do chores, cook dinner, and prepare a relaxing bath for her. Nola says that she missed those days and that they really enjoyed having more time and energy to spend with each other. A four day work week can be rewarding when it allows for more self-care and personal time. Nola enjoyed having Wednesdays off every few weeks, when she could drop her kids at daycare and have a day to herself. She says that it kept her sane, made her feel valued, and was an important investment in her well-being. A four day work week can be controversial when it is not embraced by everyone in the team. Nolaâs experiment with working extra hours and banking them for a day off was shut down because some of her colleagues felt it was unfair and complained. Nola says that management did not handle the situation well and that there was no accountability for the people who chose not to participate. A four day work week can be a catalyst for career advancement and personal growth. Nola says that missing the flexibility of having a day off every week motivated her to get a new job with more seniority and access to VPN. She also says that having experienced the benefits of a four day work week led her to advocate for more location flexibility in her work.The four-day workweek is an arrangement where employees or students work or attend school for four days instead of five, while maintaining the same pay or hours. This concept has gained popularity in recent years as a way to improve work-life balance, productivity, and well-being. Here are some articles that discuss the benefits and challenges of the four-day workweek:
These Canadian companies switched to a 4-day work week. Hereâs why: This article from CBC News features the stories of several Canadian companies that participated in a pilot project organized by 4 Day Week Global and researchers at Boston College. The article reports that the companies experienced positive outcomes such as reduced stress, fewer sick days, and increased focus, without sacrificing revenue or customer satisfaction. A four-day workweek: Some facts and figures to consider: This article from Statistics Canada provides some data and analysis on the feasibility and implications of a four-day workweek in Canada. The article examines factors such as labour shortage, overtime, capacity utilization, and employee satisfaction, and suggests that the viability of a four-day workweek may depend on the sector, industry, and employer. The 4-day work week: benefits and risks: This article from BDO Canada, a professional services firm, explores the pros and cons of a four-day workweek from the perspectives of employers and employees. The article highlights the potential benefits of improved morale, retention, and innovation, as well as the potential risks of reduced flexibility, communication, and collaboration. AI could make the four-day workweek inevitable (bbc.com) What Is a Four-Day Workweek? (Benefits and Tips): This article from Indeed.com, a job search platform, explains what a four-day workweek is and how it can benefit both workers and employers. The article also offers some tips on how to implement a four-day workweek successfully, such as setting clear expectations, prioritizing tasks, and tracking results. In the UK and elsewhere, the 4-day workweek grows in popularity: This article reports on the growing trend of the four-day work week around the world, and the benefits and challenges it poses for employers and employees. It also mentions some of the UK companies that have adopted or trialed the policy, such as Unilever, Kickstarter, and Buffer. 1 UK companies that tried a 4-day workweek report lasting benefits more than a year on: This article summarizes the findings of a research report that evaluated the impact of the four-day work week trial on 61 UK companies. It highlights the positive effects on staff retention, well-being, productivity, and revenue. It also quotes some of the business leaders and workers who participated in the trial. 2 UK four-day week trial hailed as a success one year on: This article focuses on the outcomes of the four-day work week trial for the 3,000 workers who took part in it. It cites the statistics on reduced sick days, lower burnout, and improved life satisfaction. It also mentions some of the challenges and recommendations for implementing the policy effectively. 3 Episode Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email me at [email protected] or tweet me at @nolasimontjo If you want to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and perks, you can sign up for my email list. Join the waitlist for The Flexible Path community, reopening for new members April 1st.Thank you for listening and Iâll see you in the next episode.
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Episode Summary:
In this episode, I share my personal experience and insights on how to manage up effectively in a hybrid remote work setting. I explain what managing up means, why it is important, and how it can benefit both you and your manager. I also give some practical examples of how I managed up with my manager who had never worked from home before, and how I advocated for the needs and challenges of remote workers in team and divisional meetings. If you want to learn how to collaborate better with your manager and other leaders in your organization, this episode is for you.
Episode Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and welcome 01:15 - What is managing up and why it matters 03:30 - How I managed up with my manager who was new to remote work 07:45 - How I communicated the issues and solutions of remote work in team meetings 12:20 - How I influenced the executives to introduce themselves and acknowledge remote workers in divisional meetings 16:50 - Conclusion and key takeaways Episode Resources: Nola Simon Advisory - My website where you can find more resources and tips on hybrid remote work Slido - A tool for interactive Q&A and polls in online meetings The Curse of Knowledge - A cognitive bias that makes it hard for experts to communicate with novices Episode Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email me at [email protected] or tweet me at @nolasimontjo If you want to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and perks, you can sign up for my email list. Join the waitlist for The Flexible Path community, reopening for new members April 1st.Thank you for listening and Iâll see you in the next episode.
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Coffee Badging: A Trend in Hybrid Workplaces
In the world of hybrid work, a curious phenomenon has emerged: coffee badging. Itâs not about java aficionados collecting stamps on their loyalty cards; rather, itâs a sly workaround for employees who are less than thrilled about returning to the office.
Hereâs the scoop: Coffee badging involves employees showing up at the workplace just long enough to swipe their building ID, grab a cup of coffee, exchange pleasantries, and then promptly head homeâakin to an Irish goodbye. According to a study by Owl Labs, nearly 60% of on-site workers have tried this tactic1.
But why the covert coffee run? Letâs explore the motivations behind this trend and how organizations might address it:
Forced Office Return: Many employees harbor reservations about returning to the office. Some workplaces have become toxic due to disgruntled colleagues. Even those who donât mind being in the office engage in coffee badging to avoid the negativity. The key question: Are they still productive elsewhere? How does this impact the team relationships and trust?1.
Rewarding the Wrong Behavior: Some companies inadvertently reinforce the idea that visibility equals success. Employees feel pressured to be seen physically, even if it doesnât enhance productivity. Managers who prioritize presence over results inadvertently encourage coffee badging. The fix? Evaluate performance based on effort and outcomes, not mere face time1.
Deviant Conformity: Coffee badging falls into the category of deviant conformity. Employees conform to the letter of the policy (swiping in) while flouting its spirit (not fully engaging in office work). This behavior often arises from dissatisfaction with poorly designed policies. Organizations should revisit their mandates to ensure alignment with employee needs and expectations1.
In summary, coffee badging reflects a nuanced response to workplace policies. While it may irk some managers, understanding the underlying reasons can guide better policy design. So, whether youâre a coffee badger or a policy maker, consider the balance between compliance and genuine engagement in the evolving world of work.
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I first connected with Gavin because I noticed he was born in Keswick, UK. I live in Keswick, Ontario, Canada. They are spelled the same but pronounced differently. This is known as affinity bias - I notice something about you that is similar to my own experience. It's a tiny story that connects.
Gavin and I both love the power of storytelling. It's essential for the future of work and key to distributed work (hybrid/remote).
I'd go as far as to say it's the future of leadership.
Join us to understand why. Also, check out Gavin's newsletter on LinkedIn. He is a visual thinker and although we forgot to talk about his artistic take on leadership, it's the doodles that make his newsletter resonate. There's a reason it's featured so often by LinkedIn editors. He works in partnership with Eugene Yoon to craft these visuals. - link at the bottom of the shownotes. Don't forget to rate, review and comment. We'd love to hear your insights and stories too. Gavin McMahonGavin partners with clients to create tailored learning programs. He is rumored to build and run practical, entertaining workshops. He leads the development of newfangled leadership and customer experience products.
Gavin's early career crosses the defense, automotive, publishing, and technology industries. He worked in engineering, strategy, and senior product development roles.
Gavin graduated from UCLAN with a B(Eng) Hons. in Mechanical Engineering. He served as a platoon commander after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
After a short stint in the defense industry and working in Africa, Gavin made a career change. A Sainsbury Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, he went on to study at Institute Theseus in France. There, he graduated with an MBA in Innovation, Strategy & Information Technology.
Gavin was a founding member of the London Business Schoolâs i:Lab. There he co-wrote the case study: Netscape Communications Corporation. One of the first digital case studies, Netscape charted the rise of the first Internet giant. The case featured in MBA and executive education programs at Harvard, London Business School, and INSEAD.
Gavin is a proud father of two very handsome basset hounds (and kids).
Gavin McMahon | LinkedIn
(1) fassforward: Posts | LinkedIn
Leadership & Storytelling Training | fassforward | New York
Foward Thinking - Gavin's LinkedIn newsletter
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I first connected with Gavin because I noticed he was born in Keswick, UK. I live in Keswick, Ontario, Canada. They are spelled the same but pronounced differently. This is known as affinity bias - I notice something about you that is similar to my own experience. It's a tiny story that connects.
Gavin and I both love the power of storytelling. It's essential for the future of work and key to distributed work (hybrid/remote).
I'd go as far as to say it's the future of leadership.
Join us to understand why. Also, check out Gavin's newsletter on LinkedIn. He is a visual thinker and although we forgot to talk about his artistic take on leadership, it's the doodles that make his newsletter resonate. There's a reason it's featured so often by LinkedIn editors. He works in partnership with Eugene Yoon to craft these visuals. - link at the bottom of the shownotes. Don't forget to rate, review and comment. We'd love to hear your insights and stories too. Gavin McMahonGavin partners with clients to create tailored learning programs. He is rumored to build and run practical, entertaining workshops. He leads the development of newfangled leadership and customer experience products.
Gavin's early career crosses the defense, automotive, publishing, and technology industries. He worked in engineering, strategy, and senior product development roles.
Gavin graduated from UCLAN with a B(Eng) Hons. in Mechanical Engineering. He served as a platoon commander after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
After a short stint in the defense industry and working in Africa, Gavin made a career change. A Sainsbury Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, he went on to study at Institute Theseus in France. There, he graduated with an MBA in Innovation, Strategy & Information Technology.
Gavin was a founding member of the London Business Schoolâs i:Lab. There he co-wrote the case study: Netscape Communications Corporation. One of the first digital case studies, Netscape charted the rise of the first Internet giant. The case featured in MBA and executive education programs at Harvard, London Business School, and INSEAD.
Gavin is a proud father of two very handsome basset hounds (and kids).
Gavin McMahon | LinkedIn
(1) fassforward: Posts | LinkedIn
Leadership & Storytelling Training | fassforward | New York
Foward Thinking - Gavin's LinkedIn newsletter
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Just the facts.....as one of my prior guests told me "Get to the point". Thanks John Espiran.
Here's the full newsletter that inspired this commentary:
Details of The Flexible Path Community
Here's the link to join:
The Flexible Path (mn.co)
Purpose:
We bring together individuals embracing distributed work and advocates for hybrid/remote work to support one another in navigating the challenges and harnessing the benefits, so that we can inspire a new way of working that promotes flexibility, freedom, and personal development.
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I've never had a guest write their own episode post so I decided to use it as shownotes. Richard Bukowski is a foresight facilitator and one of my futurist buddies. Check out his Linkedin and website: (1) Richard Bukowski | LinkedIn Richard Bukowski.com https://open.substack.com/pub/richardbukowski/p/help-ill-be-so-old-in-10-years-please?r=ehqlp&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post I'm excited to announce I'll be appearing as a guest on the Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence podcast this Thursday!
Link: https://lnkd.in/ezZZuZkM
As many companies explore flexible and remote work options, Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence convenes great minds across various fields like cultural changes, urban planning, economics, and technology to have thoughtful discussions on how we can promote work-life harmony for the modern hybrid workforce.
I'll be joining host Nola Simon to share my multi-lens perspective on why business leaders and people managers should be focusing much less on outdated norms around in-office work. Instead, we need to optimize talent, flexibility, employee empowerment and outputs versus office attendance.
I'm looking forward to diving deeper into Future Thinking and the opportunities hybrid working unlocks across areas like:
đ Smarter urban development
đ Digital nomadism
đ§âđ€âđ§ Multigenerational living
đïž The 4-day week
âïž Travel and tourism
đ°Guaranteed income initiatives
The time is NOW to challenge long-held assumptions around location-dependent work and make hybrid workplaces centered on results, trust and flexibility the NEW normal - because it improves life across the board.
Tune into Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence this Thursday to hear the full conversation.
If the above resonates with you too, like and share this post with your network! Link: https://lnkd.in/ezZZuZkM
Additional resources:https://www.npr.org/2023/11/30/1215460460/housing-seniors-affordable-harvard-report-baby-boomers
https://citizenremote.com/visas/seychelles/
https://seychelles.govtas.com/en/workcationhttps://www.lennar.com/productsandservices/nextgen
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/03/24/the-demographics-of-multigenerational-households/
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode The week of American Thanksgiving is often a peak time for layoffs.
It happened to me too - 3 years ago I was told my role was being restructured. Effectively it was a constructive dismissal.
Best thing I did in the month before I was told about the restructuring?
My performance review.
This week, Iâll tell you how to use a performance review strategically. Itâs a legal document with a lot of negotiating power that people overlook.
#PerformanceReviewsChapters:
00:02:37 Driving Remote Work Success
00:03:56 Strategic Approach to Performance Reviews.
00:10:05 Leveraging Performance Reviews for Future Career Growth
Key Takeaways:
1. Documentation of development emails from manager
2. Recording initiatives and volunteer work
3. Documenting compliments, kudos, and shoutouts
4. Performance reviews as legal documents
5. Envisioning the future and seeking support from managers and company for learning and developmentAlso check out an older article I wrote about mid-year reviews:
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode
This week, I happened to notice an article published by someone who does similar work as me. He recommended tying hybrid/remote or work from home (whatever version of distributed work the company offers) to performance metrics.
I have several issues with this approach as I've had to live with this type of policy. I broke my foot and ended up on leave, had a massive car accident which also required a medical leave, 2 deaths in the family, settling the estate from hell all while working full time and parenting two kids and helping my husband run his home renovation business.
Life happens.
Feeling as though you can lose your flexibility at any moment, doesn't make you feel valued and supported as an employee.
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode
Sweta Regmi and I met on Twitter and have been trading media referrals and recommendations. One day she posted a series of tweets and tagged 2 banks and several high profile journalists and media outlets:
"Verbal communication ratings how you evaluate for accent, ESL, immigrants, international students, speech, language barrier, neurodiverse folks etc who is a auditing AI tool?"
"Media needs to cover AI one way video interview. Who is auditing AI tools and biases in hiring? Does Canada has compliance or watchdog?"
I was the only person to respond.
"Yes, agree. AI in recruiting needs attention. Aside from the possible biases, how does it inform human decision making, how does it make candidates feel and what are the legal concerns?"
So we decided to do a podcast about the topic.
Please feel free to share and tag your favourite journalists, AI experts, recruiting, DEI and HR leaders and government officials - Ministry of Labour, anyone? Let's raise awareness for this discussion - more research is needed.
Teachndo was officially launched after Sweta Regmi, Founder & CEO, developed Job Search Strategy for her when she was laid off from a leadership role. Sweta Regmi is a seasoned leader, with experience of more than 20 years in corporate mixed with non-profit employment services. Sweta moved up from an entry-level role at the bank to the hiring role with 9 promotions within 12 years. She teaches her lived and tested career strategy to career professionals through Teachndo. Sweta's insights have been featured in CBC News, Global National, CBC online, CTV, City News, MSN, Yahoo, National Post, Toronto Sun, Forbes, LinkedIn News, Canadian Business Canadian Immigrant Magazine and many more.
Sweta Regmi - CEO | Certified Career & Résumé Strategist | Interview & Personal Branding Coach & Career Advisor - Teachndo | LinkedIn
Resume Services | Teachndo Career Consultancy | Ontario
Looking for a job? Sign up for Sweta's workshop on November 6.
Free 5-Day Career Workshop (linkedin.com)
FREE 5-DAY JOB SEARCH & CAREER WORKSHOP | Teachndo
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode
This is an experiment - a repurposed LinkedIn audio room I recroded this morning. I stopped the recording before I invited anyone up on stage.
Here's the newsletter I wrote about the offer:
The thing about corporate budgets is that you have to use them, or you lose them.
A current state audit of your hybrid/remote strategy is an ideal way to resolve this issue and set your company up well for 2024.
Whatâs your vision for distributed work? I donât mean right now but 5 or 10 years from now.
Do you want to be an employer of choice with a wildly successful company and people who are happy, healthy, and fully engaged in their work?
The decisions we make now about when, where, and how we work will inform the future of work.
Itâs worth investing in.
Maybe you are confused by the constant headlines about huge employers implementing harsh return to office mandates. Is that the future? What data do you trust? Maybe youâve implemented a strategy but itâs not working. Are people refusing to go to the office? Is there turnover? Are your people disengaged? Has trust in your leadership eroded?
Disengagement is an $8.8 trillion workplace problem according to Gallup. You arenât alone.
What if I told you that itâs less about data and more about imagination?
What if I told you that you can set a course for the future of work you want to see and use the data along the way to adjust and adapt the strategy? Trends, scenario planning, strategic foresight all inform future-focused strategy.
You need to know where you are to see where you need to go.
Thatâs where the current state audit can help. Book your spot now.
Whatâs in the box?
Strategic Kick Off Call Imagination training workshop for executive leaders 1:1 executive interview, small focus groups Assessment of employer brand and communications Overall Report Final Presentation of current state and recommendations for future action Next Steps Workshop 4-6 weeks $10,000Fully remote, asynchronous except for the kick off call, interviews, final presentation, and workshop.
Company to assist with scheduling, provide all previous qualitative and quantitative assessments, engagement surveys.
Limited spots. Once limit reached, I will start a waitlist. Payment in 2023, work completed in 2024.
Who am I?
If you donât happen to know me, Iâm Nola Simon. Iâm a hybrid/remote futurist located in Ontario, Canada. Iâm an international B2B consultant who has advised hybrid/remote work teams for the last 10 years. I have the ear of senior transformation consultants and futurists around the world. I also host a chart topping podcast called the Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence with more than 70 episodes on leadership, management and career development â letâs co-create the future of work. It starts with hybrid/remote. Want to know more? Check out my website and my LinkedIn profile.
FAQs
Why Nola Simon Advisory instead of a big-name consulting firm?
Iâve been involved in strategically influencing hybrid/remote for 10 years. Itâs the rare big firm consultant who ever worked outside of an office pre-pandemic. When you hire me, you get me and my experience. Big firms often have senior staff handle the sales presentations, but the junior staff do the work.
What do you know that we donât?
I designed hybrid/remote strategy from the inside as an operations subject matter expert, an individual contributor. This means that my expertise is unconventional and very different from most consultants who either worked as traditional leaders or have an HR background. Iâve been called the voice of the employee, but I combine this with deep research into futurism, leadership, organizational design, and HR. My podcast is in the top 25 leadership podcasts all time. A short-term engagement is a great way for us to get to know one another - behaviour change takes 12-18 months.
Why an external consultant at all?
Itâs hard to change a system when you work within it. Your employees work within a hierarchy and itâs sometimes hard to deliver hard messages when you are worried about your next performance review.
What will the outcomes and deliverables be?
2 presentations 2 workshops 1 report, 1:1 executive interviews, small focus group interviews(the number of interviews and focus groups will depend on company size and will be negotiated)
If youâve been stressing how to improve your distributed work strategy or worried that Amazon and Nike know something you donât about return to office mandates, a current state audit can help you understand how your company is doing. If youâve implemented a strategy already but feel itâs not quite right, we can look at how we can improve it even more. No one has all the answers about the future of work â each company needs a solution customized for them and their employees. Itâs not a cut-and-paste type of problem.
Do the work now and you will set yourself up to achieve that vision of being an in demand, successful employer dedicated to the health and wellbeing of your employees.
I can help you. Book your spot now.
Donât let your unused 2023 budget haunt your 2024.
Who doesnât want to be known as a future-focused innovative and trusted leader?
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If you listen to many episodes of my podcast, you'll note that I keep the intro really short. I'd rather focus on the guest and the ideas as well as any takeaways we can highlight. Same with the outros. I might ask you to rate and review the podcast on your favourite player. I might mention my website www.nolasimon.com or ask you to check me out on LinkedIn but I've never really done a full blown ad for my consulting business Nola Simon Advisory.
I don't have a sponsor - I fully fund the podcast and all the research I do. With the exception of 2 books featured on this podcast, I've bought the books in order to prepare for the interviews.
I don't love ads interrupting podcasts when I listen to other shows. I came up with the idea to do a bonus episode so I can add this into show notes. That way you can listen to me talk about why I podcast and how it fuels my business if you want to click on the episode. You can easily avoid it if you are not representing an organization who might want to work with me. I'm a B2B consultant but I want my podcast and the information and ideas to help not only my ideal clients but anyone who is interested in learning about hybrid/remote and the future of work.
I want to be the resource I needed 10 years ago when I was starting to advocate for workplace flexibility.
All my info for the business is nicely in the shownotes. I try to always make sure my website and Linkedin profile are in the show notes for each episode but I don't always remember. If I add the link for this episode to the notes for each episode, it's much less work. It also makes it easier for anyone to refer me to someone looking for my consulting and speaking services.
The podcast and the majority of my work on social media is free. Substack is free for 6 months and then there is a small monthly fee (it's an experiment).
The work that keeps my lights on and pays my bills is the consulting work and the speaking engagements. This is where I need help with introductions, recommendations and referrals.
I'd love to add community into the mix but that's been harder than expected.
Who Am I?
I'm an international consultant who has advised hybrid/remote work teams for the last 10 years (well before it was a daily headline).
I've worked for 5 different corporations, 2 of them global, over the last two decades. I pioneered hybrid work and have worked some version of hybrid/remote since 2012. If Iâm tossing metrics, I like to mention that I owned business-critical relationships totalling more than $1 billion.
My deep expertise means that Iâve been interviewed extensively in the media - newspapers, television, radio, magazines. I spoke at a world-class conference about the positive impacts of hybrid/remote on work and wellness. I am well-connected and have the ear of senior transformation consultants and futurists around the globe.
I run the Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence, a membership designed to support & inspire C-Suite, HR experts and leaders. Itâs unlike anything else in the world. This cutting edge resource is powered by my podcast of the same name - 30 episodes & counting & thousands of downloads. Iâm focusing my efforts on becoming one of the best resources for B2B hybrid/remote education today.
The #1 skill for the 21st century is navigating uncertainty.
You donât have to do it alone.
If you have been tasked with creating hybrid/remote strategy and are feeling overwhelmed with content, statistics, opinions (no shortage of those!!), I can help you make progress.
What you get when you work with me:deep research
innovative thinking
leadership through storytelling
expertise in difficult conversations
future-focused creativity
initiative
accountability
employee perspective
co-creation
ability to operationalize change
How does my work make people feel?ÂŽYou are the voice of the unheard employee.â
âI need you to speak to my management team. I donât think they have any idea how to do hybrid well.â
ÂŽIâve been working remotely for 20 years and itâs so good to see someone talk about remote in such a positive way. Thank you for being an advocate.â
ÂŽI had to speak with you because itâs so rare to find like-minded people who are willing to go on camera and advocate for a better future of work.ÂŽ
The work I do with you helps you create long-term solutions that will not only retain and attract staff, it will help them thrive. You will ensure the business is set up to succeed but also be at the forefront of leadership.
FAQs:
Watch Nola answer the top 10 questions she's asked + 1 bonus question she wishes people would ask
Media:
Nola Simon media appearances
Podcast Guest Appearances:
Spotify podcast guest playlist - Nola Simon
Testimonials:
Read What People Say About My Work
Social Proof:
Subscribe to the newsletters:
Hybrid Remote Excellence - Substack
The Throughline Project - LinkedIn
Free Stuff:
Nola Simon - Hybrid/Remote Futurist - NolaSimon.com | LinkedIn
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: 905-960-6794
Website: www.nolasimon.com
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Sponsored by Nola Simon Advisory: Learn More From This Bonus Podcast Episode
When I read Bragging Rights by Lisa Bragg, I knew I wanted to bring her on the podcast because her work validates the approach I've taken to self-promotion for years. She has the research to back it up - check out how she brags about having the largest research study. It's a masterclass in owning your story.
Bragging is a good thing. It's a form of self-advocacy and no one knows your stories and your successes like you do. If you don't tell the world, who will?
Don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and the book Bragging Rights on Goodreads (see what I did there?)
Lisa Bragg has literally written the book on how to talk about success. Her book Bragging Rights: How to Talk about Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion launched in May. She is a speaker, advisor and professional mentor. Lisa is the founder of MediaFace, a Toronto-based content and consulting firm. She was also a TV reporter and anchor for 15 years.
https://www.facebook.com/ThatLisaBragg/
https://www.instagram.com/thatlisabragg
https://www.lisabragg.com/
Bragging Rights Riff Tool: idea and content generation
https://www.lisabragg.com/listener-love https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabragg
Looking for info on Nola Simon?
Hire Nola Simon Advisory
https://www.nolasimon.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolasimon/
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