Through The Looking Glass

Michael Mendola is leading the effort at a 75,000+ employee consulting firm to implement Generative AI strategies for the benefit of their employees and clients. In this episode, Michael shares his insights on the impact Generative Artificial Intelligence is having and will continue to have on workplace cultures. He also shares a wide array of information about Generative AI, as well as some of the AI programs he is currently using the most. 
 
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MORE ABOUT MICHAEL:

Michael Mendola is a Manager at PwC Labs. He is a Certified Public Accountant. He and his wife live in Columbus, Ohio. He holds a Bachelors Degree from Miami University (Ohio) and a Master's of Accounting from Oakland University.  He has also earned a number of certifications and credentials related to Artificial Intelligence from Microsoft and Google. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Michael Mendola on LinkedIn
>PwC's Knowledge Base on Generative Artificial Intelligence
>iNaturalist
>ChatGPT
>Microsoft CoPilot
>Dall-E AI Image Generator

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Randy Sparkman delves into what an organizational leader needs to know about Artificial Intelligence (AI) right away. Randy is the author of LANGUAGE AI: A Guide for Humans.  It is an "amplifier of opportunity," as Randy puts it and he makes the case for why a leader needs competence on this transformative topic in order to make wise strategy decisions. Randy also makes the case on why and how an organization must ensure their employees are allowed to reasonably experiment with AI. He advocates that the organizational leader needs to find an AI 'sherpa' within their organization, who is capable of actively and rapidly connecting the fast changing tech with organizational strategy at critical points, and then evangelizing adoption where positively transformative.  Throughout this podcast episode, Randy defines various elements of AI and how each practically connects to 'the now' and to the future.  


MORE ABOUT RANDY:

Randy Sparkman is a native of Hartselle, Alabama. He is the author of LANGUAGE AI: A Guide for Humans, available in paperback and as a Kindle book on Amazon.

Randy consults with various companies and other organizations on Artificial Intelligence, linking the technology to the individual organization's mission and strategy.

Since 1985 Randy has worked in Information Technology and Infrastructure for major Federal entities, including as a manager who has led change through multiple rounds of transformative periods ranging from the widespread adoption of personal computers, the internet, e-commerce, social media, etc.

Randy also serves as an elected member of the Hartselle City Schools Board of Education. He is a graduate of The University of Alabama at Huntsville.

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Randy Sparkman on LinkedIn
>Randy's Book: LANGUAGE AI: A Guide for Humans
>Randy's Bio
>Hartselle City Schools

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Tom McNany walks us through the role of organizational culture in adoption outcome (success or failure) of new technologies that transform an organization. Rolling out a new technology that changes how business is done is stressful and difficult for all involved. Whether it is an ERP system, manufacturing execution systems, warehouse and inventory software systems, or otherwise. Very rarely on the leader's mind before such a major undertaking is this question: "Is my workplace culture prepped to support this all the way through to success?" But to not first address that question can be perilous and costly. 

Tom outlines the keys to success that lie within successful adoption- and they all reside in the culture of the workplace. He delves into how vital it is to proactively answer the 'why' questions for all stakeholders. Why are we doing this? Why is it important? As well as painting a clear impact picture of how successful adoption will matter to each individual. At the heart of successful adoption is also: consistent messaging from all levels of leadership, accountability, and trust. All of these together result in mutually beneficial results. 

What was at the heart of some digital transformation blunders and failures Tom has observed? Leadership wasn't bought in. Different messaging from leaders. Buy-in and trust were never earned from employees. The impact or end result was never communicated to all stakeholders or in a relevant 'this is how this impacts you' method.

Tom makes the case that to drive change, you have to have a strong culture with respected leaders in place.

MORE ABOUT TOM:

Tom is the Vice President of Information Technology at Flow Control Group. He and his wife Kim live in greater Charlotte, NC. They have two daughters.

Tom serves on the board of directors of Queen City Robotics Alliance and on the board of advisors of NC TECH.

Tom is an accomplished transformational IT leader who has an in-depth industry knowledge of global manufacturing, supply-chain management, and distribution systems. He has proven experience and success in driving business forward with IT led initiatives, system implementations and strategic management. He is a results oriented leader in all aspects of enterprise-wide technology systems and staffing, including strategic planning, enterprise infrastructure and architecture, project portfolio management, application development, and re-engineering business processes.

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Tom McNany on LinkedIn
>Flow Control Group
>Queen City Robotics Alliance
>North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH)

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Nisha Patel explores what it takes to populate an organization with problem solvers and how to be one. Problems at work are most often negatively associated with stress.  Repeatedly, however, problems prove to be gates of opportunities for career catapults, entrepreneurial ventures, and other rewards for those who can leverage creativity, calculated risk, and resilience to solve them. And yet, that only happens in an organization that knows how to find, hire, develop, and empower proactive problem solvers. This podcast episode delves into the how-to of this desired strategy and outcome. 

Nisha is the Director of Wellness and Administration at UAB Heersink Medical School. Previously, one of her roles was as Chief of Staff for the Medical School Dean and CEO of the UAB Health System. UAB is one of Alabama’s two largest employers. She has an undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University, an MBA from UAB and a Masters in Healthcare Administration from UAB. She has also gone through Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for Healthcare certification, as well as being a part of UAB’s Innovation Academy.

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Nisha Patel on LinkedIn
>UAB Heersink School of Medicine, Office of Wellness
>Wall Street Journal, As We Work Podcast: The Value of Being Invaluable at Work
>Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense
>Brené Brown

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Many company leaders are asked to serve on boards of directors, whether with nonprofits or for-profits of various sizes. There are many questions and issues to consider before saying yes and after saying yes. It is always an honor to be elected to boards, and it allows someone to have far-reaching positive impact beyond their normal job or company. Board service comes with fiduciary responsibilities and can include personal liabilities and reputation risk. 

In this episode, Laura Gregory, an experienced attorney and now a management consultant associate with KC&A, explores the spectrum of questions we should ask and issues we should evaluate related to board service.

Our leadership is important to nonprofits all around us- industry associations, local youth sports leagues, homeowner associations, school booster organizations, chambers of commerce, hunting clubs, civic clubs, etc. And our leadership can also have far-reaching positive impact on job-creation and economic opportunities with for-profit boards of small, medium, or large companies, whether closely held or publicly traded. 

Laura provides a series of questions and concerns to consider before saying yes, as well as a series of responsibilities and methods to maximize your impact and usefulness on a board after saying yes, including when to stop serving.  She also offers a list of strategies to measure your success in board service, as well as specific, critical, and costly mistakes to avoid.

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Laura Gregory on LinkedIn
>Laura Gregory Bio
>US Bar Associations' Directories
>West Alabama Community Foundation
>Eagles Wings
>Weekly Leadership Quotes on LinkedIn

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

The Agent of Your Own Life episode contrasts the long-reaching negative impacts of perennial victimhood mentality,  with the never-ending positive impact of being an individual who is 'the agent of their own life.'  As agentic, this individual recognizes that they can take actions and make decisions today that will make their tomorrow better. This contrasts with the perennial victim who always believes someone else's decision controls their access to success.

Someone who is the agent of their own life is a person who makes the choices that takes them where they want to go, overcoming disappointments, unfortunate hardships, and failure, by seeing each as an opportunity to learn. They never come back from a bad experience without having learned something important they apply today or another day in the future. 

A person who is the agent of their own life retains their power and control over their attitude and future, and is empowered and emboldened to see themselves as unstoppable with their goals because of their grit.  Contrast this with the perennial victim who is stuck, bitter, and angry, believing that the decisions made by others has complete control over their life. This person has surrendered control of their life and future to someone else. 

 All of this has immense impact on modern workplaces, families, and society. As a leader, can you help lead someone from victimhood mindset to being an agent of their own life? Dr. Chapman says yes, and explains how in this episode. How can each of us self-assess, accurately, to determine if we are effective agents of our own lives? Dr. Chapman also walks through practical strategies for this in the episode. This thirty minute episode answers many other questions related to this topic, as well. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:
 
>Bio of Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
>Follow Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. on LINKEDIN
>Follow Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. on FACEBOOK
>Safety Beyond The Numbers (book and seminar)
>Podcast interview with Tony Orlowski about Safety Beyond The Numbers
>Wall Street Journal Jonathan Haidt Article (referenced in episode)

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

How are current high school students being prepared for the US workforce at a time when employers are desperate for qualified workers? What are the students' pathways and options? Are schools getting the input from local industry about what those companies need most in foundational skills as well as developed skillsets? Do schools want involvement from local employers?

This episode takes an in-depth look at current high school education and workforce preparation with someone on the front lines. Grayson Lawrence is principal of Winterboro High School in rural Talladega County, Alabama. Grayson explains what College and Career Readiness means on a practical, measurable level and what it looks like for the students, educators, and future employers.

Winterboro High has been a recipient of of the "National School Change Award", presented to six or fewer schools nationwide annually as a joint program of the National Principals Leadership Institute and The School Superintendents Association. It recognizes schools that have significantly improved, such as Winterboro, which has raised graduation rates from around 60% to close to 100%, among numerous other gains. And, 100% of Winterboro graduates leave school with a personalized career plan mapping out what steps to take to achieve their personal goals. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Winterboro High School website
>Grayson Lawrence on Twitter
>Winterboro High on Twitter

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

At the same time as historic unemployment, there has never been a greater number of well-qualified disabled people who want to work. These prospective employees are sitting on the sidelines. John D. Kemp, CEO of the Lakeshore Foundation and author of a new book entitled “Disability Friendly, How to Move from Clueless to Inclusive” talks practical strategy in this episode.

How can an employer find, hire, and retain qualified workers who happen to be disabled?  What do disabled employee prospects want? Who is considered disabled? Why do some employers avoid disabled prospects altogether? What accommodations are required? John even tackles the often undiscussed question, 'what if you have to fire a disabled person for lack of meeting performance requirements'? What are the strengths that disabled people bring with them to a new workplace? Where does an employer, particularly a small to mid-sized company, even start with becoming a workplace that welcomes disabled applicants?

>John's Bio
>Connect with John on LinkedIn
>Lakeshore Foundation
>Links to purchase John's book:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

What does it take to last 100 years? Nancy Meadows, CEO of BridgeWays, shares her insights on how and why her organization has lasted almost a century. She discusses necessary organizational pivots of mission, programs, branding, and more that BridgeWays has made over the decades. So, how do you know what or which pivots to make (or not make)? What's the appropriate timeline for successful pivots? Should the process be fast or slow? What types of data and analysis is useful when it comes to decisions about large and small changes? How do you select the right people to surround yourself with in order to accomplish successful pivots?   

Nancy also discusses their organizational role in bridging "where youth are" and "where they can be" as it relates to life and career preparation. She explains BridgeWays focus on Social and Emotional Learning, including interpersonal skills building, goal setting skills, exposure to healthy teamwork, conflict resolution skills, and other skillsets sometimes illogically termed 'soft skills' that, in reality, are often deemed as "critical skills" by employers.

This episode also includes discussions about “Hindsight Bias,” alternately called “Knew-It-All-Along Phenomenon,” as it relates to the perception that successful pivots in the past were much more obvious than they actually were in real time.

RESOURCES:

>BridgeWays website
>Nancy Meadows' Bio
>BridgeWays Facebook Page
>Pauline Fletcher's Story
>Camp Fletcher


 

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

How does absenteeism and presentism impact a company's effectiveness and sustainability? Does my company need a wellness program? What are the goals of company wellness programs? How do corporate wellness programs work? How do you create a workplace wellness program? What are the organizational leaders' responsibility to workforce wellness programs when it comes to program success? What are the bottom line costs of a workforce with unhealthy habits? What are the wellness and nutrition impacts on US worker's massive chronic disease rates? What has elevated the workplace wellness movement in recent years?

Wellness expert, Registered Dietitian, retired state public health leader, and Samford University School of Public Health adjunct faculty member Mim Gaines is this episode's guest. She answers all of these questions and more. 

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 RESOURCES:

Connect with Mim Gaines on LinkedIn

Article: "The Business Benefits of a Healthy Workforce" (Harvard University)

Good Choices Programs

Healthy Vending, Alabama

Scale Back Alabama

Wellness Council of America

WELCOA Getting Started Checklist

CDC: Workplace Wellness Programs

Community Foodbank of Central Alabama

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.