The Fearless Workplace: Recent Episodes
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The official podcast of the American Society for Quality’s Team and Workplace Excellence Forum, dedicated to driving fear out of the workplace.
In this final episode of The Fearless Workplace, Norm and Jeff cover the greatest fear one can have when their workplace is literally a battlefield. It's a Veterans Day salute to those who have risked their very lives to do their jobs and very near and dear to our hearts.
Thanks to everyone who've given us a listen and to all of our wonderful guests. Keep an eye out for us in the future---our mission to drive fear out of the workplace isn't quite finished yet!
This week, Norm and Jeff run across one of the scariest creatures to ever walk the Earth: an onsite auditor. Dave Trosin teaches us why the notion that nutritional supplements are not regulated is pure superstition, how auditors help the industry and the sites being audited, and why auditors never have to fear so long as they do the right thing. It's another informative and entertaining hour you won't want to miss.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
David Trosin is the Managing Director of NSF International’s Global Health Sciences Certification business, which includes GMP certifications, Product Certifications, and Certified for Sport®. He has nearly two decades of industry experience, including over a decade of expertise in dietary and sports supplements. David leads a team whose focus is providing companies the most current and credible auditing, testing, certification and, separately, training services available to the dietary supplement, functional food, beverage, cosmetics and OTC drug industries. Through his work at NSF he has helped hundreds of companies achieve their safety and quality goals, gain access to retailers and professional sports organizations, and cultivate trust among consumers.
If you've ever wanted to be an astronaut, this episode of The Fearless Workplace is the one for you! This week, Norm and Jeff catch up with Bud Thomas, storied aerospace engineer, former Chief Aerodynamicist for General Electric, and engine designer for the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. If you've flown on a plane recently, you may well have Bud to thank for the fact that that aluminum tube you were riding in took to the skies and glided safely back to Earth. Bud tells us what it's like when your work involves sitting human beings on top of explosions, how to conquer your fear of Thermodynamics, and why beanbags and basketball hoops may not be the most conducive environment for serious engineering work.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Bud is an Aerospace engineer, who spent the early part of his career as an engine designer for the Apollo Saturn and Space Shuttle rockets programs. He migrated to jet engine designs for the General Electric Aircraft Engine Business where he retired as Chief Aerodynamicist. Total career span was over 50 years. While at GE, he taught jet engine design courses and courses in technical problem solving related to jet engine design and test. He also co-authored a text on Jet Engine Aero-Thermodynamic Design and recently completed the writing of a book on Developing Critical Thinking Skill for the Aero-Thermodynamic Design and Analysis of Jet Engines.
We enjoyed our last conversation with Emily Bopp about the fear of having workplace conversations about race so much that Norm and I eagerly invited her back. This time, she brought reinforcements! Aundre Blasingame is a chef, entrepreneur, and Emily's partner in helping black and white executives have frank conversations about racial realities in America. In the process, we learn how people bring different perspectives to the same facts, why we should fear nothing more than fearing anything, and why you shouldn't bring potato salad consisting of just potatoes and mayonnaise to any self-respecting cookout unless you have a Michelin star. It's a rollicking hour we think you'll find unforgettable.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Aundré Blasingame is the CEO of Heavenly Catering International (HCI) and serves on its board of directors. Before being named CEO in January 2008, Aundre was HCI’s Executive Chef and was responsible for all of the company's sales and operations, including end-to-end management of HCI’s supply chain, sales activities, service and support in all markets and countries. He is also founder of Heavenly Consulting, the coaching and consulting division of HCI and plays a key role in the continued development of strategic growth, helping C-level executives and small businesses find their purpose, exceed their goals and build relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.
Aundré also sits on the board of Black Culinary Alliance Global, an organization built on bringing awareness and equity to race, food and social justice. In addition, he is the COO of SOAR Hospitality and Travel (letssoarnj.org) and president of Old School to Nu Skool (OS2NS.org), both of which are non-profits centered on helping youth become future change agents.
Aundre is also a WorldFoodChampionships.com Food champ with 3 teams in this year's 10th anniversary of the biggest stage in Food Sport!
Social media info:
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/CoachDreBlas
IG: @blasj69, @bgamecoaching, @hcdfw
Twitter:@ajblasingame
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aundreblasingame
Websites:
Bcaglobal.org
Letssoarnj.org
Os2ns.org
Heavenlycateringdfw.com
Podcast: Menu Mondays with Chef Dre Blas
An inspiring leader with the ability to take on tough topics and encourage learning among groups – Emily Bopp is the creator and facilitator of a six-month program called Enable Executives: Racial Realities in America, otherwise known as EERRA. In this program she guides leaders from disparate organizations through a journey reflective of her own, a journey where, in her own words, she chose to actively “see what I didn’t know to look for” when it comes to lived realities of people of color. Convinced that the shadow of the leader is the culture of the company, Emily launched EERRA as a way to invite white leaders to engage a similar journey for a specific purpose: to lead in alignment with racial realities, not ignorant of them. Past cohort participants say the safe space Emily created in these groups was unlike anything they’d experienced. "Open, safe, powerful and transformative."
Emily's LinkedIn profile (she welcomes followups through LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycbopp/
Application for the next EERRA cohort launching in September: https://forms.gle/U6DjbCvnw2MzJo4U6
This time we talk in weird accents with Judy Ravin, President and Co-Founder of Accents International, LLC) about our polyglot workplaces and how differences in the way we speak and comprehend language can propagate fear. Along the way, we learn why the human brain is wired not to trust people who mispronounce our language, how to avoid bias toward those with different accents (positive and negative), and how we can make non-native speakers more comfortable and less fearful of miscomprehension and ridicule at work. You'll never think of accents in quite the same way again.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Judy Ravin is the president and founder of Accents International, LLC. She is also the author of bestselling software-based learning systems for rapid language acquisition. She’s earned international recognition for helping Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and leading health systems create high performance teams where everyone is heard and excels.Ravin is best known for two learning and development programs. The first, Powerful Pronunciation®, teaches non-native English speakers how to pronounce the sounds in English that do not occur in other languages. The second,Inclusive Listening: Tuning Your Ear to Accents”, teaches peoplehow to systematically ‘tune their ear’ to global accents. These programs allow all members of a workplace to communicate with clarity, confidence, and ease. Ravin has taught at the University of Michigan-Ross School of Business, Cornell University-Johnson School of Business, and NATO (both U.S. andinternational command centers). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, DiversityInc.com, the Los Angeles Times, AOL-Daily Finance, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, as well as on CNN.com, NPR, Voice of America, CBS Radio-National News, andNBCNightly News: www.accentsinternational.org.
Brief sampling of national and internationalspeaking engagements: •2022 WBENC: Michigan Women’s Business Council (online webinar for a national audience)•2019 Gold Humanism Summit on Patient-Centric Healthcare (Orlando, FL)•2018 Beryl Institute National Conference for Patient Experience (Dallas, TX)•2017 ASCENDPan-Asian Leaders National Conference (Houston, TX)•2016ASCENDPan-Asian Leaders National Conference (Anaheim, CA)•2016 U.S. Department of TreasuryDiversity & Inclusion Seminar Series (Washington, DC) •2014 NATO Global Learning Conference(U.S. Command Center, Suffolk, VA)•2014 Association for Training and Development (ATD)International Conference & EXPO (Washington, DC) •2014 Multicultural Forum on Workplace DiversityNational Conference (Minneapolis, MN)•2014 PepsiCoGlobal Diversity Summit (NYC) •2010 -2013U.S. Department ofDefense-Leadership Development and Education for Sustained PeaceInitiative(Washington, DC; Warsaw, Poland; Nuremberg, Germany)
Today Jeff host solo with guest Alecia Huck of MAVERICK & Company for a far-ranging chat about the unique fears of her clientele, successful entrepreneurs who have grown their small businesses into medium-size or larger businesses, often beyond their comfort zones. You'll learn why successful people fear failure more than unsuccessful people, why some leaders choose to sell off their successful business only to start all over with a startup, and why it's such a good idea to listen to every episode of The Fearless Workplace. (Note: we did have some microphone issues on this episode, so please consider turning the volume down a bit if you find the additional noise bothersome).
Guest Bio:
Alecia Huck is the founder of MAVERICK & Company, a management consultant, sought-after speaker, and author. She specializes in helping leadership teams of fast-growing companies build the critical skills, tools, systems and processes they need. She is known for working closely with leaders to customize solutions, protect existing culture, and fix what is broken without “going corporate.” Experienced in industries from construction to criminal justice, Alecia is proud to work with entrepreneurs so they can spend less time fighting fires and more time building what matters.
Follow her on LinkedIn for short videos, smart articles, and more.
Norm and Jeff have gone rogue!
On today's podcast, we dispense with the guests to tell a bunch of stories that we haven't gotten to tell yet because our guests were too busy talking about meaningful, impactful, and relevant things. In honor of ASQ's Team and Workplace Excellence Forum's "Storytime" event, we simply had to inflict today's podcast upon you, our faithful and patient listeners. Give it a listen to find out how Norm managed to keep his job after destroying incredibly expensive equipment, why Field Marshal Montgomery's famous caution in WWII wasn't a sign of cowardice, and why scientists and engineers should care about people's feelings.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
This week, Norm and I go where many are afraid to tread: racial realities in the workplace. Our guest is Emily Bopp, creator of Enable Executives: Racial Realities in America, who helps us figure out how to remove the fear associated with racial differences in the workplace at a particularly fraught time in our country's history. Emily shares with us how she creates a safe zone for frank and open conversation, how she gets people to get over their very legitimate concerns of exacerbating rather than reducing workplace conflict, and emphasizes the importance of realizing it is actually quite impossible to fully empathize with another human being when their life experiences are significantly different from our own. It's an hour you won't want to miss.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
An inspiring leader with the ability to take on tough topics and encourage learning among groups – Emily Bopp is the creator and facilitator of a six-month program called Enable Executives: Racial Realities in America, otherwise known as EERRA. In this program she guides leaders from disparate organizations through a journey reflective of her own, a journey where, in her own words, she chose to actively “see what I didn’t know to look for” when it comes to lived realities of people of color. Convinced that the shadow of the leader is the culture of the company, Emily launched EERRA as a way to invite white leaders to engage a similar journey for a specific purpose: to lead in alignment with racial realities, not ignorant of them. Past cohort participants say the safe space Emily created in these groups was unlike anything they’d experienced. "Open, safe, powerful and transformative."
Emily's LinkedIn profile (she welcomes followups through LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycbopp/
Application for the next EERRA cohort launching in September: https://forms.gle/U6DjbCvnw2MzJo4U6
In today's episode, Norm and Jeff discuss regulatory-related fears with Jack Garvey of Compliance Architects LLC and learn why regulation (and regulators) are needed, what they do, how to work productively with them, and how the very different disciplines of engineering and law come together to make a better world.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Jack Garvey is the founder and Managing Partner of Compliance Architects LLC. In this role, Jack is the lead subject matter expert for the firm, and advises pharmaceutical, medical device, biopharmaceutical and other life science manufacturers on complex issues found at the intersection of law and regulation, business and operations, and quality and compliance.
Jack possesses 34 years of hands-on technical, operational, quality, regulatory and legal experience with leading life science companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, C.R. Bard, Ciba-Geigy, BASF Corporation and Ayerst Laboratories. Known for creative, “outside-the-box” thinking and innovative solution development, Jack employs innovative approaches, based on long-established principles of food and drug law and regulation, to resolve the most complicated compliance and enforcement issues facing regulated manufacturers. Jack is known for his savvy, no-nonsense approach to FDA compliance, grounded in the belief that FDA enforcement risk can be mitigated, and business success achieved – with hard work, sufficient investment, and innovative approaches. Jack earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Pace University School of Law. Jack is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.
Compliancearchitects.com
Quality Pulse | Writing for Compliance | CRPN Quality Roadmap
This week Norm and Jeff sit down to talk all things HR with IgnitionHR founder Patrick Rogan. You'll learn what HR does, why some leaders fear the people side of management, and why you can't just automate people out of business.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
IgnitionHR solves people challenges for small to mid-sized non-profit and for-profit organizations. Over the past 25+ years, Patrick has served in HR leadership roles in both large and small organizations. He specializes in providing smaller organizations with customized talent and compliance related support.
ww.ignitionhr.com
This week Jeff sits down to talk PechaKucha and design thinking with Dawn Thorpe of Thorpe Monk Designs. You'll learn why PechaKucha's become the go-to method for sales pitches for architects, how to conquer your fear of public speaking, and about the enduring legacy of a certain Kevin Costner film dear to Hawkeyes.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Multi-faceted Designer | Mom of 2 Ab Fab Suns | Explorer | Author | Creative Problem Solver| Biz Owner
An expert in residential design, architectural detailing, product design, and graphics.
Clients & Projects include Berkus Design Studio, Kate & Brook Firestone, University Alumni Building (UCSB), Town Centers, Private Golf Clubs and Santa Monica’s First Church of Christ Scientist, Multiple High End Custom Homes, Mr. Berkus' personal residences. As well as, custom furniture and injected molded products (ie: compostable communion cups and communionware)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6me348sa7ot2kc/For%20Pecha%20K%20presentation%20-%20PROJECTS.pdf?dl=0
In this episode, ASQ's Team and Workplace Excellence Forum Secretary Lizabeth Wesely-Casella joins Norm and Jeff to discuss how open conversation at all levels of an organization helps to drive out fear, what's behind The Great Resignation, and how leaders can limit attrition by listening.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest bio:
Lizabeth Wesely-Casella is the Founder and CEO of L-12 Services, a Washington DC firm focused on internal communications and organizational development. She works with businesses to improve workflow, processes, and culture by leveraging the institutional knowledge of existing team members.
She is a skilled strategic advisor specializing in attrition mitigation, workflow management, process improvement, and culture.
Lizabeth has over 20 years of experience as an administrator and policy and programming consultant. Her work has contributed to successful project outcomes in federal health policy, international program development, and non-profit/association management.
In today's episode, CEO and entrepreneur Calvin L. Williams, founder of Impruver, Inc., joins Norm and Jeff to discuss the impact of technology on fear in the workplace, placing bets on tech and yourself, and how the fear of stagnation should motivate us more than the fear of failure or of losing job security.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Calvin is Founder and CEO of Impruver, Inc a software solution that helps companies to Execute Strategy while developing a culture of Continuous Improvement. He has 20 years of experience in Operations Leadership and Continuous Improvement with several Fortune 100s such as Nestle, Mars, Tyson, the US Military Industrial Base, Colgate-Palmolive and most recently, Sr Manager of Global Continuous Improvement with the Clorox Company. Throughout this time, he has delivered over $2B in savings and growth opportunities for these organizations. Calvin realized the immense power that technology could harness to accelerate growth, execute strategy, and facilitate CI.
Calvin is a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt who earned his BS in Industrial Engineering in 2004 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to achieve his MBA in 2008. He also mentors younger manufacturing professionals and entrepreneurs. He lives near Atlanta, GA with his wife and 3 children.
Impruver.com
Impruver Overview Video | The Impruver Accelerator
This episode, featuring Calvin L. Williams of Impruver, drops Monday, May 16th on your favorite podcasting platforms.
This episode, featuring Calvin L. Williams of Impruver, drops Monday, May 16th on your favorite podcasting platforms.
This episode, featuring Calvin L. Williams of Impruver, drops Monday, May 16th on your favorite podcasting platforms.
In today's episode, Norm and Jeff learn how change management techniques can effectively combat fear in the workplace, courtesy of guest Nicole George. In addition, you'll learn more than you bargained for about the role of a coxswain in rowing, how young change managers can be successful, and why engineers should sometimes think before speaking.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Author Bio:
Nicole George is Director, Global Strategy for Genie – a Terex brand. She is passionate about people and process and leveraging tools to improve and balance the two to maximize results. Outside of work, she gains energy from the laughter (and barks) of her husband, two children and vizsla. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the University of Florida.
In our inaugural episode, Norm and Jeff discuss authentic leadership and how it can drive fear out of the workplace with Jan Griffiths, "Finding Gravitas" podcaster extraordinaire, automotive industry expert, and one of the most effective proponents for authentic leadership in the world. The wide-ranging discussion in this podcast crystallized the disastrous impact command-and-control leadership styles have had on increasing workplace fear during the pandemic and how authentic leadership can repair this damage.
ASQ TWEF website: Community Home - myASQ
Guest Bio:
Jan Griffiths is the President and Founder of Gravitas Detroit, a company committed to transform the work experience to allow authentic leadership to thrive.
Gravitas is the hallmark of authentic leadership – it encompasses all the traits of authentic leadership
Armed with the skills she learned in the Welsh farmlands and a degree from the University of Wales, Jan moved to the United States at 23. She quickly made her mark and rose through the corporate ranks, ultimately serving as Chief Procurement Officer for a $3 billion, Tier-1 global automotive supplier. Her success in the position helped earn a spot on Automotive News’ list of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.
For all her success in the automotive space, Jan’s true passions have always been for driving change and inspiring professional leaders. This passion drove her to transition into a second career at Gravitas Detroit. In this role, Jan brings compelling energy to industry, professional, and educational events.
In January 2020, Jan launched the Finding Gravitas podcast where she interviews some of the finest authentic leadership minds in the quest for Gravitas, guests include:-
- Mark Bole, Head of V2X & Battery Solutions, General Motors
- Kimberley Gardiner, Sr. VP Marketing, Volkswagen
- Andy Palmer, former CEO of Aston Martin & COO of Nissan
- Carla Bailo, President & CEO at the Center for Automotive Research
- Warren Harris, CEO of Tata Technologies
- Jason Stein, former VP & Publisher, Automotive News
Jan stays active in the community serving on the Global Supply Chain Management Advisory Board at Wayne State University and the Automotive Women’s Association Foundation.
Jan likes to seize the day as an early-morning workout junkie and shares her passion for early mornings with the creation of The Accountability Lab, born out of the struggle of the Pandemic, it provides a supportive community for all members to achieve their goals.
Jan maintains an active social media presence and can be reached at the below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravitasDetroit/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/gravitasdetroit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravitasdetroit
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNnD7NV6q9vHp3VpuWfHIzw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jangriffiths/
Website : Gravitas Detroit https://www.gravitasdetroit.com/
The American Society for Quality's Team and Workplace Excellence Forum's new podcast "The Fearless Workplace" will debut April 18th.
Until then, please check out this clip of guest Jan Griffiths sharing how to build trust in the workplace to diminish fear.
The American Society for Quality's Team and Workplace Excellence Forum's new podcast debuts April 18th.
Until then, please check out this clip of guest Jan Griffiths talking about command and control leadership style and how it contributes to fear in the workplace.
Coming April 18th - The American Society for Quality's new podcast, "The Fearless Workplace".
Check out this clip and join us then!