Direct Application with Matt Harrington

Direct Application with Matt Harrington
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Welcome to Direct Application with Matt Harrington - where our leadership approach focuses both on the head and heart of leading others. What You’ll Find on This Channel: - Podcast Episodes: Candid conversations with thought leaders, HR professionals, authors, consultants, and operators. - Solo BlogCasts: Short, solo episodes where Matt reads and expands on his weekly blog posts—covering topics like resilience, influence, change, and trust. - Leadership Trainings & Keynote Clips: Watch snippets from Matt’s live training sessions, retreats, and keynote presentations. www.HarringtonBrands.com

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Team Protocols: Help/Hinder List I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    In this episode of Direct Application, host Matt Harrington breaks down one of the most practical frameworks for high-performance teamwork: the Help/Hinder list — a simple, powerful first agreement that sets the foundation for trust, accountability, and inclusive excellence. Drawing from his blog “Help or Hinder: The First Agreement of Every Great Team” and decades of facilitation experience, Matt explores how to structure teams for success, not just assemble them. If your team’s charter defines the “why” and “what,” then this episode dives into the how: the everyday behaviors, agreements, and cultural norms that turn a group of people into a true team. Matt breaks down how simple, shared protocols like a Help/Hinder List can transform meetings, improve accountability, and create environments where every voice is valued. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube 👉 Based on the blog: Help or Hinder: The First Agreement of Every Great Team

    7 min

  2. 21 OCT

    Leadership and Teaming I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    In this reflective episode, Matt looks back on his early experiences learning about teamwork alongside his late mother and mentor, Deborah Mackin, a leader in building high-performance, team-based cultures.Matt shares how Deb often began her work with Fortune 500 companies by trying to convince them not to implement teams (the opposite of why they called on her). Her reasoning was straightforward: “The biggest thing about teaming, and the reason I’m trying to convince you not to do it, is because it requires full commitment from leadership to truly change the culture.”This episode explores why teaming isn’t a short-term solution but a sustained practice that depends on consistent leadership behavior. Matt outlines what real leadership commitment looks like—clarifying purpose, investing in people, modeling collaboration, and recognizing progress along the way.Also check out this post by Matt: https://www.harringtonbrands.com/theblog/2025/9/29/leaderships-long-game-why-top-commitment-is-the-bedrock-of-high-performance-teams

    5 min

  3. 14 OCT

    Responsible Authenticity: Owning Your Story at Work Without Losing Your Seat

    An Interview with Cat O’Shaughnessy Coffrin on Direct Application with Matt Harrington What does it really mean to be authentic at work - without oversharing, burning out, or losing your leadership credibility? In this episode of Direct Application, host Matt Harrington sits down with Cat O’Shaughnessy Coffrin — executive communications strategist, founder of CaptivatingCo. She has partnered with global brands like Bayer, Starbucks, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - guiding executives, founders, and C-suites through brand positioning, internal comms, and leadership storytelling. She’s also a published thought leader, with bylines or features in Fast Company, Business Insider, The Business Journals, Medium, and more —where she unpacks the human side of leadership, communication, and culture. Together, they explore: How to lead with honesty without oversharingThe risks and rewards of personal storytelling in professional spacesWhy Millennials' search for purpose has sometimes led to self-exploitationHow Gen Z is shifting the authenticity conversation- The balance between personal brand and company identityWhat it means to show up authentically on a Monday morning—especially when the stakes are high Cat shares her journey of building a consulting business while navigating divorce, grief, and reinvention - and how radical honesty on LinkedIn helped her grow her audience from 5,000 to 17,000 in under a year. Whether you're a CEO, team lead, HR professional, or rising talent, this conversation unpacks how to own your voice without losing your seat at the table. 📝 Resources mentioned in the show: https://www.captivatingco.com/tipsandtools/free-resources-writing-prompts-amp-writing-calendar 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your leadership content. #AuthenticityAtWork #LeadershipPodcast #CatCofflin #ExecutiveCommunications #PersonalBrand #DirectApplication #FearlessLeadership #LinkedInGrowth #AuthenticLeadership #MillennialLeadership #GenZWorkplace

    52 min

  4. 7 OCT

    Speed vs. Momentum I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    In this quick episode, I add to a recent post I did on speed versus momentum. Speed gets you started, but momentum keeps you going. Discover how to show early wins, sustain long-term results, and lead your team with clarity and purpose in a world obsessed with moving fast. 5 Questions we should be asking our teams is this speed or momentum: 1). What’s driving this push? Are we responding to the tyranny of the urgent (stakeholder optics, deadlines, short-term pressures), or are we aligned with our long-term strategic vision? 2). Are we showing progress or just movement? Can we point to small wins that build toward the larger goal, or are we just moving fast without creating sustainable traction? 3). Do we have the energy to sustain this pace? If conditions shift tomorrow, can our team continue at this level—or are we sprinting in a way that risks burnout and breakdown? 4). Is communication keeping up with our actions? Are we telling the story of progress—helping people feel the momentum—or are we moving so fast that clarity and connection are getting lost? 5). What does success look like in six months? In six years? Does our current approach position us to win just the quarter, or are we building momentum that will still matter in the long run? Also read my previous post: https://www.harringtonbrands.com/theblog/2025/9/20/speed-momentum-and-the-20-mile-march

    4 min

  5. 30 SEPT

    Teams & Conflict I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    Conflict in teams isn’t something to fear—it’s a sign of growth. In this episode, Matt Harrington unpacks Bruce Tuckman’s famous storming stage of team development and explains why conflict is not only natural but necessary. Healthy disagreement signals that a team is maturing, moving beyond surface-level cooperation, and learning to navigate real challenges together. Matt also explores how innovation depends on conflict. True creativity comes from diverse perspectives, differing opinions, and even controversial ideas clashing to spark new solutions. Without conflict, teams risk settling into groupthink and missing opportunities for breakthrough innovation. Whether you lead a workplace team, manage volunteers, or collaborate across sectors, this episode will help you reframe conflict as a catalyst for trust, growth, and high performance.

    4 min

  6. 23 SEPT

    Building A Baby Crib Without Instructions Is Like a Team Without Its Charter I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    Ever tried putting together a baby crib (or any piece of furniture) without the instructions? Frustrating, confusing, and usually ending with extra screws left over. That’s exactly what it feels like when we ask our teams to perform without clear guidelines, purpose, and structure. In this episode of Direct Application, Matt Harrington dives deeper into the concept of the Team Charter - the roadmap that keeps teams aligned, accountable, and moving toward high performance. Matt explains why teams get stuck in confusion and conflict, and how a well-crafted charter clarifies mission, roles, decision-making, and expectations. If you’re leading a board, committee, project team, or organization, this episode will give you practical insight into how to design a framework for trust, accountability, and results.

    7 min

  7. 16 SEPT

    Building the Workforce of the Future - Lessons in Culture, Change, and Coffee I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    In this episode of Direct Application, host Matt Harrington sits down with Chuck Hollingsworth - Director of Engineering at Keurig Dr Pepper and a 40-year veteran of manufacturing leadership - for a front-line look at what it really takes to lead through massive change, scale innovation, and build a workforce ready for the future. Chuck shares behind-the-scenes insights from launching one of KDP’s most ambitious projects yet: a $600M+ state-of-the-art beverage facility in South Carolina, capable of producing 1 million K-Cups per hour. Together, Matt and Chuck explore: ✅ The challenges and breakthroughs of building high-performance teams from scratch✅ How to lead culture change in the age of instant results and digital-native workers✅ The balance between tech adoption, trust, and autonomy on the manufacturing floor✅ What leaders can actually do to design workplaces that work—for people and performance✅ And Chuck’s honest reflections on what he’d do differently if he had to do it all again Whether you're in operations, HR, leadership, or simply navigating change in your organization - this episode offers tactical insight and timeless lessons. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you stream.📺 Watch the full video interview on YouTube.

    26 min

  8. 9 SEPT

    The Power of Teams I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

    What makes a great team truly powerful? In this episode of Direct Application, Matt Harrington explores the Power of Teams—why teamwork is more than just working side by side, and how the right dynamics create results far greater than the sum of the parts.💡 Key insights you’ll take away:Every team balances task, process, and relationship dynamics—and teaming strengthens the relationship element.True teaming is synergistic: 1 plus 1 greater than 2. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.Teaming is a mindset and a vehicle for success—not the end goal itself.Strong teams are 7–12 diverse members, blending complementary talents that spark both conflict and innovation.Conflict arises when teams lose their shared goal, approach, or clarity of roles.High-performing teams rely on peer accountability, not just supervisors, to resolve challenges and move forward.👉 Want to dive deeper? Read Matt’s full blog post: The Power of Teams: More Than the Sum of Their Parts: https://www.harringtonbrands.com/theblog/2025/8/24/the-power-of-teams-more-than-the-sum-of-their-partsIf you’re leading, building, or coaching a team, this episode will give you practical tools to unlock collaboration, manage conflict, and harness synergy in your workplace or community.#Leadership #Teamwork #PowerOfTeams #DirectApplication

    7 min
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About

Welcome to Direct Application with Matt Harrington - where our leadership approach focuses both on the head and heart of leading others. What You’ll Find on This Channel: - Podcast Episodes: Candid conversations with thought leaders, HR professionals, authors, consultants, and operators. - Solo BlogCasts: Short, solo episodes where Matt reads and expands on his weekly blog posts—covering topics like resilience, influence, change, and trust. - Leadership Trainings & Keynote Clips: Watch snippets from Matt’s live training sessions, retreats, and keynote presentations. www.HarringtonBrands.com

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