Bob 'n Joyce Talk HR 'n OD Bob Stapleton and Joyce Wilson-Sanford

Every act of appreciation or gratitude creates a model that gets taken out of the workplace and into the world. We all crave acknowledgement so why don’t bosses do it enough? Bob n'Joyce jump into this topic on the power of boss praise and why it is so stubbornly resisted.


4 conclusions about a positive work culture:



What you do and say (or not) can have a magnified impact.
Command and control engrained habit lurks behind efforts to create a positive culture.
Being seen and acknowledged is essential for energy and commitment to one’s work.
Cosmetic, artificial attempts of appreciation don’t work. Simple and sincere works!


Come on in. Grab a snack. Welcome!

Eric Watson is an expert helping organizations become more diverse, inclusive and equal. Eric offers his perspective on where we have been and have evolved in DEI work. Eric reflected on diversity training in organizations since the death of George Floyd.


He also touched on the following topics:



What is working and what may be causing more harm than good in the DEI space.
How diversity work has changed over the last 20 years?
What DEI interventions have stood the test of time?
What is the best way to “measure” DEI progress in an organization?
What every new DEI practitioner should know getting started in this work.


Note from Joyce:


I am in Mexico to sell a house I hate to sell. Sometimes prudence sucks.
And I have a fever I'm having checked out today. I did not miss our time together for those reasons. Time differences throw me. I missed the meeting.


Coming from food retail, I would not miss a meeting. Food retailers show up.

In this episode, Bob’nJoyce share thoughts on organizational downsizing, and getting it right. Downsizing is a natural phenomenon that no long stigmatizes the company or impacted employees. What hasn’t changed is the need to do it right.


In this episode, we addressed:


1 - Why downsizing is here to stay.
2 - The foundational principles of doing downsizing right.
3 - Shifting from a protective paternal approach to empowering employees
4 - How to manage the mirky middle where what was, no longer exist, and what is to be, has yet to emerge.


Come on in. Grab a snack. Welcome!

Are companies doing enough to make their organizations more diverse, inclusive, and equal? In this Episode, Bob’nJoyce discuss why many diversity initiatives miss the mark.


We will explore:
• Why discussing this is difficult for us?
• Why DEI initiatives are more about change (action), and less about training?
• What is needed in the person leading Diversity?
• What role does a CEO/leader play in DEI work?
• How do you manage resistance in a one-up, one down world?


Come on in. Grab a snack. Welcome!

In this episode, Joyce shares a white paper, “Principles of Management” that she authored some thirty years ago. How have the things a good boss does stood the test of time?


Here’s a teaser on some principles we discussed:


• Never embarrass or humiliate anyone. Apologize if you do.
• When an associate is not living up to expectations, first look at what you are not doing.
• When you hit a trouble spot, pause, and get guidance.
• Recognize that you will never get it all right all the time. Pick your most important challenge, and work on it.


So come on in. Grab a snack. Welcome.

Some organizations are getting performance conversations right. In Episode 102, Bob’nJoyce explore a company where the performance review process is shifting culture, exciting both bosses and employees. We jumped into:


• Why “traditional review processes” are dead
• The use of powerful conversations where both boss and employees feel seen, heard, and validated
• Why ranking and rating people poisons the well
• Why timing and frequency matters


Come on in. Grab a snack. Welcome.