Office Hours at The Alignment Lab

Hannah Yung-Boxdell

A podcast about expanding how we think about work and closing the gap between the values we hold and the systems we actually build in organizations. In Office Hours, we translate ideas about work into practical insight through empirical research and philosophical inquiry, weaving together evidence, real-world practice, and diverse perspectives. Solo episodes unpack our thinking and explore new concepts, while guest conversations surface insights from practitioners doing the work. New episodes drop every three weeks on Tuesday.

Episodes

  1. Jun 30

    Episode 7. Introversion amidst the Extroversion Ideal

    In this solo episode, Hannah takes a closer look at introversion within the extraversion ideal: that we live and work in environments largely built for extroverts – and that this carries costs that most of us haven't fully reckoned with. This episode isn't self-help for introverts. It's a critical examination of the extroversion ideal: the cultural and structural assumption, embedded in workplace design and in over a century of research, that extraversion is the gold standard for showing up at work. Hannah walks through what the research actually says about introversion – what it is, what it isn't, what introverts bring to teams and leadership, what it costs to perform extraversion in environments that demand it, and what organizations and leaders can do. Music: “Feel Good (Instrumental Version)” by PØW via Epidemic Sound Resources and References Note - my references section is too long to fit this week! For the full list of resources and references, you can find it at the following link: https://www.alignmentlab.online/episode-7-introversion-amidst-the-extroversion-ideal/ Note 2 (6-30-26) - due to a website change the provided link may not work for a day or two; feel free to reach out to me directly for the list of references in the meantime!

  2. Jun 9

    6. Career Development Series Review

    In this solo episode, Hannah wraps up the career development series by synthesizing insights from across the four guest conversations, pulling on a few threads that are still in progress, and looking ahead to what's coming next on the podcast. Concepts and Resources Mentioned: Career development as a concept Arulmani, Gideon., Bakshi, A. J., Leong, F. T. L., & Watts, A. G. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of Career Development: International Perspectives (1st ed. 2014.). Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9460-7  Experiential development and feedback DeRue, D. S., & Wellman, N. (2009). Developing leaders via experience: The role of developmental challenge, learning orientation, and feedback availability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(4), 859–875. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015317 Sensemaking Weick, K. E. (1979). The social psychology of organizing (2nd ed.). Addison-Wesley. Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Sage Publications. Team leadership and sensemaking as a leadership function Morgeson, F. P., DeRue, D. S., & Karam, E. P. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309347376 The pressure of speaking with precision - still looking for this one! When I find it, I will add it here.  Introversion, extroversion, and the workplace  Wilmot, M. P., Wanberg, C. R., Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., & Ones, D. S. (2019). Extraversion advantages at work: A quantitative review and synthesis of the meta-analytic evidence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(12), 1447-1470. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000415  Rand, B. (2024, February 16). Is your Workplace Biased Against Introverts? Harvard Business School. https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/is-your-workplace-biased-against-introverts https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/leaders/extroverts-have-4-consistent-advantages-over-everyone-else-at-work-20190614-p51xnd Music: “Feel Good (Instrumental Version)” by PØW via Epidemic SoundLink to full episode transcript: https://www.alignmentlab.online/episode-6-career-development-series-review/

  3. May 26

    5. Career Development Systems with Stephanie Turner and Larissa Pyer

    What does it actually take to build systems that support people's development – not just in theory, but in practice? In this episode, Hannah sits down with Stephanie Turner and Larissa Pyer, colleagues at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and co-founders of Better Together, to explore what human-centered career development actually looks like as a system. They get into the defaults that no longer serve people – linear pathways, under-equipped managers, programs that generate great intentions and zero follow-through – and what to build instead. That includes a case for mentorship as a constellation rather than relying on one-to-one relationships, the difference between shared language and shared understanding, and why scaffolding (not prescription) is the design principle organizations keep getting wrong. If you are interested in building systems that are truly effective at helping people grow, there’s a lot here to take back to your team.  Notes, References & Resources Better Together — The business Stephanie and Larissa recently co-founded, grounded in the belief that the most effective career development happens at the intersection of structure, reflection, honest conversation, and genuine connection. → Better Together on LinkedIn Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth — Where both guests work; one of the world's leading MBA programs, founded in 1900 as the first graduate school of management in the United States. Human-Centered Design (HCD) — The design philosophy underlying Stephanie and Larissa's approach to career systems. Emphasizes empathy, problem framing, and iterative prototyping over prescriptive solutions. Popularized by IDEO and Stanford's d.school. → https://dschool.stanford.edu/tools/human-centered-design-integrative-design-exploration Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) 2024 Annual Conference session on generativity (and mentoring) → Musselman, R., Deller, J., & Hastings, L. (2025, April). Mind the gap: Generativity bridging older worker reciprocity for newer employees [Symposium]. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, United States. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) — Gallup's strengths-based assessment identifying 34 talent themes under four dimensions. Mentioned as an example of an assessment tool organizations can use to create shared self-awareness across teams. DISC Assessment — A widely used behavioral assessment tool based on four styles: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). Some versions use bird archetypes (Eagle, Parrot, Dove, Owl) to make the styles more memorable. Mentioned as an example of an organizational baseline tool for shared understanding. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) — One of the most widely recognized personality inventory tools, categorizing people into 16 types based on four dimensions. Mentioned in discussion as a tool used in some organizations' for individual or culture development purposes. Editor's Note: Though a well-known tool, the MBTI can serve a purpose for self-reflection and self-awareness; however, it is widely criticized in the scientific community for lack of reliability and validity evidence - as such, the MBTI cannot be recommended for organizational decision making purposes (diagnostic or predictive). Stephanie Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-szkutak-turner/ Larissa Pyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissa-pyer/ Better Together on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bettertogethercoaching/ Music: "Feel Good (Instrumental Version)" by PØW via Epidemic Sound Link to Show Notes with Full Transcript.

  4. May 12

    4. Recent Research on Career Development with Dr. Steven Zhou

    What is a calling – and are there any downsides to having one? In this episode, Hannah sits down with Dr. Steven Zhou, Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Claremont McKenna College, whose research sits at the intersection of leadership, personality, and career development, using methods ranging from traditional statistics to natural language processing (NLP) and AI. Steven brings a refreshing combination of academic rigor and real-world HR experience to a conversation that covers shared leadership, vocational calling (which has a dark side!), and the science (and skepticism) of leader development programs. If you're a champion for evidence-backed practice, or the person who always seems to be asking "but what does the research say?" – this one's for you. Follow Steven’s work (or his newsletter) here: ⁠https://www.statslabatcmc.com⁠. References and Notes Holland's RIASEC Model – The foundational framework for understanding vocational interests, classifying people and work environments into six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources. →⁠ Wikipedia overview⁠ SETPOINT Model – A more recent 8-dimension model of vocational interests (Health Science, Creative Expression, Technology, People, Organization, Influence, Nature, and Things) that Steven referenced. Su, R., Rounds, J., & Armstrong, P. I. (2019). Toward a dimensional model of vocational interests. Journal of Applied Psychology. ⁠ https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000400⁠  The dark side of vocational calling – The landmark study Steven cited as the paper that kicked off research into the downsides of calling, based on qualitative interviews with zookeepers across 157 U.S. and Canadian zoos. Bunderson, J. S., & Thompson, J. A. (2009). The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54(1), 32–57. ⁠https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.2009.54.1.32⁠  Unanswered callings – The study Steven described showing that individuals who feel called but are not working in a matching role report worse outcomes than those with no sense of calling at all. Gazica, M. W., & Spector, P. E. (2015). A comparison of individuals with unanswered callings to those with no calling at all. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 91, 1–10.⁠ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.08.008⁠ Stretch Assignments – A concept in both career development and leader development referring to tasks or roles that are more challenging than current competency but within reach. → A recent HBR article: Gilmartin, S. K., Brunhaver, S., Jordan-Bloch, S., Gall, G., Simard, C., & Sheppard, S. D. (2025, May 28). The right way to implement stretch assignments. Harvard Business Review.⁠ https://hbr.org/2025/05/the-right-way-to-implement-stretch-assignments⁠ Developing leaders via experience – Research Hannah mentioned relevant to Steven's discussion of stretch assignments and the conditions needed for real development to occur. DeRue, D. S., & Wellman, N. (2009). Developing leaders via experience: The role of developmental challenge, learning orientation, and feedback availability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(4), 859–875.⁠ https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015317⁠ KSAOs – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics. The standard framework in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology for describing what an individual brings to a role. Kravis Leadership Institute (KLI), Claremont McKenna College – The leadership research and development institute where Steven works, led by some of the most prominent names in leadership research. Steven mentioned their applied student leader development work incorporating stretch assignments, reflection, and mentorship. →⁠ KLI website Music: "Feel Good (Instrumental Version)" by PØW⁠ via Epidemic Sound

  5. Apr 28

    3. Manager-Supported Career Development with Nick Denstaedt

    In this episode of Office Hours, we continue our series on career development, exploring the ways managers can enable, support, and guide the career development of their direct reports. I’m joined by Nick Denstaedt, a talent management leader with a background in operations, systems improvement, and industrial-organizational psychology. Nick and I discuss how managers can more intentionally develop their people through better conversations, clearer follow-through, stretch opportunities, and everyday curiosity. We also discuss job crafting, experience mapping, psychological safety, and why making time for development may be one of the most strategic things a manager can do. The episode is chock-full of practical tips and insights for managers engaging in this process to act with agency and to enable better individual and organizational outcomes. Episode Mentions, Notes, and Links Below are some informational resources related to things mentioned in this episode. SMART goalshttps://www.ucop.edu/local-human-resources/_files/performance-appraisal/How+to+write+SMART+Goals+v2.pdf 70-20-10 rulehttps://hr.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/70-20-10_2.pdfhttps://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/70-20-10-rule/ Experience Mapping (article by Marc Effron)https://talentstrategygroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Using-Expereince-Maps-.pdf The paper on team charters Nick referenced at the end of the episode:Mathieu, J. E., & Rapp, T. L. (2009). Laying the foundation for successful team performance trajectories: The roles of team charters and performance strategies. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(1), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013257 Find Nick Denstaedt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-denstaedt Episode Transcript A happy update: I've been notified that Spotify has enabled transcripts for Office Hours at The Alignment Lab! Though I do not know yet how long it takes for those become available, I do understand them to be auto-generated by the platform. A transcript of the episode that I have reviewed is available on my website here: Episode 3 Transcript Music: "Feel Good (Instrumental Version)" by PØW⁠ via Epidemic Sound Editorial Note This episode had its fair share of unexpected technical challenges leading to some audio disruption, which I did my best to mitigate. I do apologize for any annoyances for the listener, but in the end I chose to post the episode anyways because I believe the content discussed was too high quality to sit on. I do humbly ask for your understanding as I endeavor to get better on the audio engineering/producing aspect of podcasting! At the end of the day, I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did.

  6. Apr 14

    2. Self-Directed Career Development with Elizabeth Cook

    In this episode of Office Hours, we explore what it looks like to take a more self-directed approach to career development. I’m joined by Elizabeth Cook, a career strategy coach who helps professionals navigate burnout and career transitions with greater clarity. We discuss navigating uncertainty, building self-awareness, and creating more agency in your career. We also talk about the importance of creating the bandwidth for this work, and how practices like job crafting can help align your day-to-day with longer-term goals. Together, we break down what it takes to actively shape your career from the inside out. Transcript Unfortunately Spotify does not currently support transcripts for this podcast and the transcript length is too long for the description field. A transcript of the episode can be found via link here: Episode 2 Transcript Episode Mentions, Notes, and Links Job crafting refers to a proactive process by which workers may redesign their process, relationship, or perception of work (i.e., their own jobs). While the concept of individual-driven work design is older, Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane E. Dutton introduced the term and model of job crafting – which includes three forms (task, relational, and cognitive) – in 2001, which have continued to inspire much thought and research since.  World Economic Forum 2025 Future of Jobs Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Connect with Elizabeth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-cook- Web: https://www.elizabethcookconsulting.com Music: "Feel Good (Instrumental Version)" by PØW⁠ via Epidemic Sound

  7. Apr 14

    1. Introductions - Welcome to Office Hours!

    In this kickoff episode of Office Hours at The Alignment Lab, we launch the podcast and introduce our first mini-series on career development, focused on how to approach it in practice. This episode also sets the stage for the series ahead, which examines a central question: where does responsibility for career development really sit? You’ll hear how this tension shows up across individuals, managers, and organizations – and what it might take to navigate it more intentionally. Before diving into the series, we unpack how “career” and “career development” have evolved over time – shaped by cultural, economic, and social forces – and why definitions and expectations can vary so widely. Transcript Unfortunately Spotify does not currently support transcripts for this podcast and the transcript length is too long for the description field. A transcript of the episode is linked here. References Wilson, F. (2013, May 31). The Creation of the National Vocational Guidance Association. National Career Development Association (NCDA). https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/page_template/show_detail/74076?model_name=news_article Savickas, M. L. (Ed.). (2013). Ten ideas that changed career development. National Career Development Association (NCDA). https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/71112?ver=29242#:~:text=A%20field%20of%20practice%20emerges,a%20journal%20beginning%20in%201911  Wang, D., & Li, Y. (2024). Career construction theory: tools, interventions, and future trends. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1381233. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1381233  Baskin, K. (2023, June 13). To keep employees, focus on career advancement. MIT Sloan School of Management. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/to-keep-employees-focus-career-advancement Arulmani, Gideon., Bakshi, A. J., Leong, F. T. L., & Watts, A. G. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of Career Development: International Perspectives (1st ed. 2014.). Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9460-7  Music: "Feel Good (Instrumental Version)" by PØW⁠ via Epidemic Sound

  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A podcast about expanding how we think about work and closing the gap between the values we hold and the systems we actually build in organizations. In Office Hours, we translate ideas about work into practical insight through empirical research and philosophical inquiry, weaving together evidence, real-world practice, and diverse perspectives. Solo episodes unpack our thinking and explore new concepts, while guest conversations surface insights from practitioners doing the work. New episodes drop every three weeks on Tuesday.

Information