The Toby Talks Podcast

Toby Hoy
  • 5.0 (1)
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  • Updated Weekly

Toby Talks is a leadership and professional development podcast for today's busy professionals who want to improve not only themselves, but the organizations and teams they belong to. Each episode explores practical strategies for leadership excellence, career advancement, and process improvement that drive real results. Host Toby Hoy shares actionable insights and stories on topics that matter to you.  Regardless of your role, you'll discover proven frameworks for leading yourself and others. From continuous improvement methodologies to emotional intelligence in leadership, we cover the skills that matter most in today's workplace. New episodes weekly.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 35 - Active and Empathic Listening: Why You're Losing People Without Raising Your Voice

    Your best employee might be quietly checking out right now, and it has nothing to do with pay. It's how you listen. Or don't. In this episode, I break down the difference between active listening and empathic listening, why your brain is wired to drift the moment someone else starts talking, and the four levels of listening most people never climb past level two. You'll get five specific habits you can use in your very next conversation, plus a two-part story from my own taco truck that shows exactly what a listening failure costs, and exactly what listening well rebuilds. If you lead people, manage a team, or just want the people in your life to keep telling you things, this episode gives you a practical starting point today.   #ActiveListening #EmpathicListening #LeadershipDevelopment #TobyTalks #LeadershipPodcast #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #ListeningSkills #LeadershipMatters

    Episode 35 - Active and Empathic Listening: Why You're Losing People Without Raising Your Voice

  2. Sep 3

    Episode 34 - Your Customers Don't Want What You Think They Want (Here's How to Find Out)

    You spent months on it. You believed in it. You launched it. And nobody cared. Not because it was bad, but because nobody asked for it. In this episode, Toby Hoy breaks down the Validation Loop, a four-step framework for testing ideas cheaply before committing real money, time, and reputation. You'll hear the story of a $3,000 equipment purchase that taught a brutal lesson about assumptions, and you'll walk away with a repeatable process for making smarter bets: talk to your people, prototype ugly, test cheap, and let the data decide. If you've ever built the wrong thing for the right reasons, this one's for you.   Listen now and visit www.toby-talks.com for more.   #CustomerValidation #PrototypeFirst #TestBeforeYouInvest #LeadershipDecisionMaking #ProcessImprovement #SmallBusinessStrategy #UserResearchForLeaders #BuildWithCustomers #TobyTalks #LeadImproveGrow

    Episode 34 - Your Customers Don't Want What You Think They Want (Here's How to Find Out)

  3. Aug 27

    Episode 33 - The Warehouse Worker With More Influence Than His Manager

    You already see the problem clearly. You just don't have the title to say so out loud yet, or so you think. This episode breaks down why some people move an entire team without ever holding a management role, while others get promoted and still can't get anyone to follow their lead.   Through two contrasting stories from the same workplace, this episode names the three specific behaviors that build real influence, none of which require a title, a promotion, or permission from anyone above you. You'll walk away with a concrete way to start practicing this in your current role, starting this week.   #Leadership #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #ProfessionalDevelopment #TobyTalks #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceInfluence #CareerGrowth #LeadFromAnyLevel #TrustAtWork #NewManagerTips

    Episode 33 - The Warehouse Worker With More Influence Than His Manager

  4. Aug 20

    Episode 32 - Why Your New Hires Keep Quitting (And How to Fix It)

    You invested weeks finding the right hire. The resume was sharp. The interviews went great. Then they started, and within six months, they were gone. The problem wasn't the person. The problem was what happened after day one. In this episode, Toby Hoy breaks down why onboarding isn't an orientation checklist; it's a 90-day system that determines whether your new hires stay, contribute, and grow. You'll get a five-part framework covering pre-boarding, structured first weeks, role clarity through 30/60/90 milestones, connection architecture, and the check-in rhythm that keeps new hires engaged past the welcome lunch. Toby shares a hard-earned lesson from the Taco Truck, reveals the three mistakes that kill onboarding programs, and explains why the manager (not HR) is the onboarding program. If you're hiring this year, this episode will change how you bring people onto your team. Visit toby-talks.com for the full blog post and onboarding resources. LEAD . IMPROVE . GROW. #EmployeeOnboarding #OnboardingStrategy #NewHireRetention #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #90DayOnboarding #ManagerDevelopment #HiringStrategy #OnboardingFramework #WorkplaceRetention

    Episode 32 - Why Your New Hires Keep Quitting (And How to Fix It)

  5. Aug 13

    Episode 31 - The Root Cause Analysis Toolkit: Stop Recycling the Same Problems

    You fixed that problem last month. And the month before that. And three months before that. Sound familiar? You're not solving problems. You're managing symptoms on repeat.   In this episode, Toby Hoy breaks down the root cause analysis toolkit that separates teams that eliminate problems from teams that endlessly recycle them. You'll get the step-by-step on 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, Pareto Analysis, Fault Trees, and the Is/Is Not Matrix, along with the decision framework for choosing the right tool at the right time.   But tools alone won't save you. Toby walks through the cultural shifts that make root cause analysis stick: the 48-hour rule, no-blame postmortems, and why your team keeps defaulting to Band-Aid fixes even when they know better.   Stop firefighting. Start fixing. This is the episode that shows you how.   Find more resources at www.toby-talks.com   #Leadership #ProcessImprovement #ProblemSolving #ContinuousImprovement #Management #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeamLeadership #BusinessStrategy #RootCauseAnalysis #5Whys #FishboneDiagram #ParetoAnalysis #FaultTreeAnalysis #OperationalExcellence #LeanManagement #QualityImprovement #ProcessOptimization #RootCauseAnalysisToolkit #HowToFindRootCause #StopFixingSymptoms #ProblemSolvingForLeaders #5WhysMethod #FishboneDiagramExplained #RootCauseNotSymptoms #LeadershipProblemSolving #TobyTalks

    Episode 31 - The Root Cause Analysis Toolkit: Stop Recycling the Same Problems

  6. Aug 6

    Episode 30 - Your "Open Door" Isn't Helping: Leading Team Members with ADHD and Autism

    One in five adults processes information in ways the standard workplace ignores. Your team has neurodiverse members right now, and most of them haven't told you. Not because they don't trust you, but because your system makes disclosure a risk rather than a relief. In this episode, Toby Hoy breaks down why the accommodations model fails, what ADHD and autism look like in working adults (not the stereotypes), and seven specific changes you can implement this week to lead a team where different brains produce their best work without having to pretend. This isn't awareness training. It's a redesign manual for leaders who want results from everyone on the roster. Listen now and start building a team where masking is unnecessary. www.toby-talks.com   #NeurodiversityAtWork #ADHDInTheWorkplace #AutismAtWork #NeurodiverseLeadership #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ADHDAdults #AutisticProfessionals #WorkplaceInclusion #TeamLeadership #LeadershipSkills #ProcessImprovement #TobyTalks #LeadImproveGrow #NeurodiversityAwareness #ADHDFriendlyWorkplace #AutismAcceptance #MaskingAtWork #ExecutiveFunction #CognitiveDiversity #InclusiveManagement #NeurodivergentProfessionals #WorkplaceMentalHealth #LeadershipPodcast #ProfessionalDevelopment #NeurodiverseTeamManagement #ADHDWorkplaceStrategies #AutismWorkplaceSupport

    Episode 30 - Your "Open Door" Isn't Helping: Leading Team Members with ADHD and Autism

  7. Jul 30

    Episode 29 - The Presence Premium: What Gets Lost When You Log In Instead of Show Up

    You have been doing the work. You are responsive. You hit your deadlines. You show up to every call.   And you still feel like something is missing. Deals that should have closed. Projects that should have gone to you. Relationships that feel permanently stuck in second gear.   There is a reason for that. And it has nothing to do with your effort or your output.   In this episode of Toby Talks, we dig into one of the most underrated competitive advantages left in professional life: physical presence. Not face time for its own sake. Not the tired argument about needing to be in the office five days a week. Strategic, intentional presence, and why the professionals who understand it are advancing at a rate that their digital-only peers cannot match.   We cover: Why digital communication strips away the signals that build trust, and what that actually costs you The serendipitous conversation: why the hallway moment is real and why you are missing it every single day The hard data on why remote workers are being passed over for advancement more often than their in-person peers How to identify the high-value presence moments that shape your career trajectory What strategic presence looks like as a practical, repeatable approach   This episode is not about going back to the office. It is about understanding presence as a professional skill, deciding to get good at it, and watching what changes when you do.   Toby Talks delivers practical, no-filler conversations on leadership, professional development, and process improvement. New episodes every week at www.toby-talks.com.   #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerGrowth #Productivity #WorkLife #BusinessPodcast #CareerAdvice #PersonalDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment #Success #RemoteWork #HybridWork #WorkplaceLeadership #PresenceMatters #CareerVisibility #ExecutivePresence #WorkplaceRelationships #LeadershipSkills #TrustBuilding #ProfessionalPresence #ValueOfPhysicalPresence #WhyShowingUpMatters #PresenceVsPerformance #LeadershipInTheDigitalAge #RemoteWorkCareerImpact #BuildingTrustInPerson #StrategicPresenceAtWork #HowToAdvanceYourCareer #ProfessionalDevelopmentPodcast #LeadershipAdviceForProfessionals #WhyRemoteWorkersGetPassedOver #InPersonVsVirtualCommunication #CareerAdviceForLeaders #TobyTalksPodcast #TobyHoy

    Episode 29 - The Presence Premium: What Gets Lost When You Log In Instead of Show Up

  8. Jul 23

    Episode 28 - Project Triage - A Prioritization Clinic: The Step-by-Step Breakdown of Three Frameworks That Will Fix Your Backlog

    You have more work than your team can deliver. Your backlog is packed. Every stakeholder thinks their project is the most important one. And somewhere between the planning meetings and the status updates, the most important work keeps getting buried under everything that feels urgent right now. If you recognize that situation, this episode was made for you. In this episode, Toby Hoy runs a complete prioritization clinic covering three of the most effective frameworks in project and product management: RICE, WSJF, and MoSCoW. No academic theory. No jargon for its own sake. Just a plain-English breakdown of what each framework does, when to use it, and how to run it with your team starting this week.   By the end of this episode, you will have: RICE scoring explained: How to quantify the value of any project using Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort, including why the math consistently surfaces priorities that gut feel misses. WSJF demystified: Why the cost of delay is often the most important variable in any prioritization decision, and how Weighted Shortest Job First helps you sequence work based on what it actually costs to wait. MoSCoW done right: The classification system that gets entire teams to align on scope fast, and why the "Won't Have" category is the one most organizations skip and the one they need most. A combined system: How to run all three frameworks in sequence to go from a bloated, contested backlog to a ranked, defensible priority list your team can actually commit to. The honest conversation: Why frameworks alone are not enough, what the real organizational blocker is, and what a practical path forward actually looks like.   Whether you lead a team, manage a product, run a small business, or own any kind of project backlog, this episode gives you the tools to stop working on the wrong things.   Subscribe to Toby Talks for weekly content on leadership, professional development, and process improvement. Full show notes and resources: www.toby-talks.com #ProjectManagement #Prioritization #RICE #WSJF #MoSCoW #ProductManagement #AgileFrameworks #BacklogManagement #ProjectTriage #PrioritizationFrameworks #LeadershipDevelopment #ProcessImprovement #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeamLeadership #DecisionMaking #WorkSmarter #BusinessStrategy #ProductivityTips #TobyTalks #TobyHoy #Leadership #SprintPlanning #AgileTeams #BusinessEfficiency #StrategicPlanning

    Episode 28 - Project Triage - A Prioritization Clinic: The Step-by-Step Breakdown of Three Frameworks That Will Fix Your Backlog
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About

Toby Talks is a leadership and professional development podcast for today's busy professionals who want to improve not only themselves, but the organizations and teams they belong to. Each episode explores practical strategies for leadership excellence, career advancement, and process improvement that drive real results. Host Toby Hoy shares actionable insights and stories on topics that matter to you.  Regardless of your role, you'll discover proven frameworks for leading yourself and others. From continuous improvement methodologies to emotional intelligence in leadership, we cover the skills that matter most in today's workplace. New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Toby Hoy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Toby Talks Podcast