Crucial Talks Podcast

Crucial Talks Episode 50: Nate Regier, A Sherpa of Conflict, on Compassionate Accountability

Mike Sedam interviews Nate Regier, the author of Beyond Drama: Transcending Energy Vampires, and Conflict without Casualties about how his company, www.next-element.com helps people deal with conflict in positive ways. His book is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LlYrK4

Nate talks to us about conflict and how people can spend energy on drama or compassion. He explains the difference as: 

Drama is to struggle against.

Compassion is to struggle with.

People can do more together than they can apart.

Nate describes the 3 parts of the "Compassion Cycle"

1. Openness – safety and transparency

2. Resourcefulness - being curious and forward thinking while caring about what people have to say

3. Persistence – understanding boundaries and non-negotiables

Please visit www.crucialtalks.com to connect with Mike or to hire him to speak at your organization.

Crucial Talks Episode 49 Three Degrees of Influence: My Friend Bob Sakamano

In this episode, Mike Sedam talks about the three degrees of influence that was written about in the book Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler.

Mike uses an example from the show Seinfeld to explain how degrees of separation impact influence people can have on others.  This is important when we are trying to make changes in our organizations or communities.

Mike uses his knowledge of social networks, people as social beings, and the role of identity in decision-making and sense-making to help describe why considering three degrees of influence can help us develop communication strategies when trying to institute change programs.

Please visit www.crucialtalks.com to connect with Mike or to check his availability to speak to your organization.

Crucial Talks Episode 48 Karen Jaw-Madson on Culture Your Culture - Designing Work Experiences so People and Business Thrive

Karen Jaw-Madson is interviewed by Mike Sedam about culture and her book Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work. Her book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Lo48HB

Karen talks about developing a plan so that work experiences can be designed in a way that both people and the business thrive.

Culture has been a huge part of Karen's life and she learned to be aware of social structures which lead to her exploring culture at a societal level, then applying what she has learned and experienced to organizations. 

Karen saw that there was a need she could contribute toward so that work experiences could be designed in positive and engaging ways that not only helps people feel empowered and engaged, but also helps businesses thrive.

Karen can be reached at any of the following locations:

Website: www.designofworkexperience.com

Twitter: @karenjaw

Facebook: /designofworkexperience

Instagram:co.designofworkexp

LinkedIn: /company/co--/

For more information about Mike Sedam, to check Mike's availability to speak at your organization, or if you would just like to network please visit: www.crucialtalks.com  or reach out via email, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Crucial Talks Episode 47 Seinfeld vs. Costanza: Changing Conversations to Remove Conflict

Mike Sedam uses an episode of Seinfeld to discuss how our beliefs affect how we see the world around us and how that impacts our decisions.

In Seinfeld, Episode 12 of Season 9, George has a huge wallet where he keeps everything. It is so large it causes him pain. It is also so large it give Jerry a lot to make fun of him about.

We use it to better understand the book, Conversations Worth Having, by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres.

By listening to the interactions between George and Jerry, we can see how the Constructionist Principle works and why how we have constructed the worlds we occupy can impact our decisions. We also get to use two principles from the book: 1. Having a positive frame and 2. Asking generative questions can change the direction of the conversations we have.

If you would like more information or would like me to speak at your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com. I would love to talk with you.

Crucial Talks Episode 46 Cheri Torres and Conversations Worth Having

Cheri Torres is interviewed by Mike Sedam about how to have strength-based conversations to implement change. Cheri co-authored the book Conversations Worth Having. It is available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CibTMf

Words have power, so we should be intentional of the words we use.

Appreciative Inquiry is the foundation of these conversations and helps us change the lens we use to view a situation. You may be dealing with the same exact situation, but the frame you use to construct the conversations you have can help change the focus, and thus the outcome.

The conversations we have can create safe workspaces which can lead to greater creativity and innovation.

It's not about putting on rose-colored glasses. Having these conversations still recognizes the issues we are dealing with and helps us resolve complex challenges.

The way we engage, talk, and make meaning constructs our reality.

Conversations are not neutral. They either move us in one direction or another.

For more information about Cheri and the book, "Conversations Worth Having" by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres, please visit: www.converstionsworthhaving.today.

Also, to check if I am available to speak to your organization or if I can help in any other way, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.

 

Crucial Talks Episode 45 Marques Ogden 3 Steps to Transformation and 3 Steps to Trust

Mike Sedam interviews Marques Ogden about self-transformation and trust on Episode 45 of the Crucial Talks Podcast.

Marques Ogden is a former NFL football player and author that speaks and consults about leadership and transformation. His book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Bor3xB

What is so great about Marques is that he is relatable. His story of overcoming hardships relates to all of us. He has been through hard times. He has lost an important loved one. He has had to build his business from the ground up.

Marques gives us three steps to transformation:

1. Identify your inner circle.

2. Set a clear vision.

3. Take action.

He explains this to us with a great story about his spilled milk moment where he decided to transform himself...and he did.

Marques also talks about trust and the three things a leader should do to build trust:

1. Competency.

2. Reliability.

3. Selflessness.

Reach Marques at: www.marquesogden.com for speaking and consulting.

Thanks for listening to the Crucial Talks Podcast. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com.

 

Crucial Talks Episode 44: Melissa Agnes on being Crisis Ready and Brand Invincibility

Host: Mike Sedam

Guest: Melissa Agnes

On Episode 44 of The Crucial Talks Podcast, we talk to Melissa Agnes on her book, Crisis Ready. Check here for her book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BreWjo

Melissa is awesome and talks to us about how our organization can build the capacity to deal with a crisis in a way that we can come out on the other side with increased trust and credibility.

This is more than being able to manage crisis, it's about being ready for crisis in a way that helps the day-to-day activities of the organization.

Melissa talks to us about why we need to put people first, the importance of communication, and how the lenses we wear to view our organization, the people in it, and the issues we deal with can impact our decisions.

Melissa can be reached at www.melissaagnes.com.

If you would like to contact Mike Sedam, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.

 

Crucial Talks Episode 43 Esther Weinberg on the Dignity Zone: Trust, Respect, and Safety in Life and the Workplace

In this episode, Mike Sedam interviews Esther Weinberg.

Esther Weinberg is a leader in redefining organizational culture. She has also written a leadership book called Become a Successful Leader: 57 Simple Strategies Any Leader Can Implement TODAY!. It can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LoLNtE

In this episode, she talks about the role of dignity in workplaces and in our own lives.

Esther is the founder of MindLight Group, www.mindlightgroup.com where she helps organizations understand and implement the Dignity Zone which consists of trust, respect, and safety.

Operating in the dignity zone helps engage, retain, and recruit employees.

What I absolutely love about Esther's approach is the focus on positive relationships and mentoring. Too many executives, managers, supervisors, team members, and consultants look for problems to solve. With Esther's approach, they can focus on the positive and plant seeds to grow organizational culture that is positive and creative.

To be creative people need to feel trust, respect, and safety in their workplace.

Esther goes in with the mindset that she is helping to BUILD CAPACITY. Building capacity is a major focus of the Crucial Talks Podcast because building capacity lets us look at strengths and where we want to be in the future.

Esther discusses mentoring, workplace bullying, and self-improvement. She does it from a positive lens and with a focus on building capacity.

If you would like more information about this episode or any other, please contact me.

I can also be reached to speak to your organization, consult, or just have a conversation with you. Please feel free to contact me at: www.crucialtalks.com.

-Mike Sedam

 

Crucial Talks Episode 42 Joe Romm on Social Storytelling and How to go Viral and Reach Millions

Mike Sedam talks to Joe Romm, the author of How to Go Viral and Reach Millions. Joe's book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CjFlRR

Joe earned a degree in Physics from MIT. As a physicist, he saw that scientists were not very good at communicating. He studied why some communication works better than others and how messages between people could go viral.

He gives five rules to follow that will increase the chance of a message going viral:

1. Tell a story

2. Use figures of speech

3. Trigger one of the three activating emotions

4. Be memorable

5. Test messaging

He also gives a simple trick, proven by great storytellers like Jesus, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump, so that we increase our ability to tell stories which increases our chance of going viral.

Joseph Romm can be reached at www.rhetoric.com.

For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and reach out to me via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

I am available to speak to your organization and also for consulting.

Crucial Talks Episode 41 Maja Kazazic Positive Perspective and Relationships

In this episode, Mike Sedam is humbled to interview Maja Kazazic.

Maja Kazazic grew up in war-torn Bosnia. She lost her leg and many friends during an explosion. Maja then moved to the United States where she not only learned to walk again, but learned to run again. She also started a successful technology company and now takes the lessons she has learned throughout her life to help the rest of us.

Maja is the epitome of what is discussed on the Crucial Talks Podcast... having a positive view and what this can do for your future. She also explains the importance of community and of having strong relationships. 

As Maja says, "It is easy to stay positive when your life is going well." "What is really difficult is to stay positive during a time of crisis."

The key is perspective. "It's your perspective that makes the situation."

We all go through hard times and have to deal with challenges. In this episode, we get to see how challenges can be reformed into opportunities. 

We also get to see how relationships are essential to success.

Maja tells us how we can reprogram ourselves to start seeing things in a more positive way and this positive view helps us overcome difficult times in our lives.

If you would like to get in touch with Maja, please visit her at:

www.majakazazic.com

or at www.majaspeaks.com.

To contact me for any speaking opportunity or to reach out to say hello, please visit www.crucialtalks.com

 

 

Crucial Talks Episode 40 Steve Sims on Imperfection is our Perfection - Trust, Relationships, and Positive Mindset

Imagine your list of getting things done. Have you been able to send people to see the Titanic, or figured out a way for clients to sing with their favorite band? How about closing down a famous museum for dinner in front of a famous sculpture while a world-renowned singer serenades the dinner party?

Steve Sims has done all that. However, important to us are the tips he can give us on a positive mindset, relationships, and trust.

Learn about his belief that business is personal.

Learn about being your "ugly self" and authenticity.

Hear all about the "chug test" and what this means to finding the right team members, allies, and clients.

Listen to Steve talk about the fact that there is no greater return on investment than investing in relationships.

Steve Sims is the founder of thebluefish.com, a luxury concierge service and is the author of Bluefishing, a book about success, relationships, and making things happen. Steve's book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gm0GhH

Please visit www.stevedsims.com to see more about Steve and his book Bluefishing.

Crucial Talks Episode 39 Appreciative Inquiry - People Positive: Lightbulbs and Lifeblood of Organizations

Appreciative Inquiry pursues changes to human systems with a focus on strengths. It is ultimately a method that takes a positive view of making change by focusing on people.

People are ultimately the greatest resource of any organization. 

In this episode, we get to talk about the search for the lifeblood of our organizations, of the systems we are all a part of. This strength-based search can lead to motivating, positive places to work, live, and play. It gets us out of a deficit-view of our systems where we only see problems to solve and leads us into a positive view where we see innovation and possibility. 

Would you rather have an organization that is thought of as a problem to be solved or would you rather have an organization that builds its capacity to fulfill its "why?"

Edison's development of the lightbulb, his connection to Henry Ford and Henry Ford hiring a consultant named Frederick Winslow Taylor leads us to understand why people have been treated as parts of a machine. We then get to see why a set of principles that looks at people as the seeds of strength that can be planted in our companies and communities can be a beneficial and positive way to build capacities in our systems.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast. I would love to continue to build our community of people interested in having a positive impact on others and themselves.

Also, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and connect with me. I am willing to talk with you one-on-one and would love to speak to your organization.

Crucial Talks Episode 38 Name, Blame, & Shame Game - Intergroup Relationships

How we interact with others can have either a negative or positive impact on how we can get things done.

If we see others as out-group members that we do not share a common goal with, it can cause us to behave differently toward them. The same things apply to how people treat us. In this episode, I explain what happened to me in a meeting. 

When the meeting started I thought I was there to work with others in my organization to solve a problem. I was ready to take responsibility for a pretty large mistake. During the meeting, things shift to where the others in the room began to name me and blame me for the mistake. It even went to shaming me. At that point, I actually felt my entire thought process change. I transition from part of a shared group to an out-group member.

In this episode, we get to talk about how this can impact individuals, groups, and entire organizations. We discuss the second pillar of the Crucial Talks Podcast, and that is group relationships.

If you would like further information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com. I would love to connect with you or speak to your organization.

 

Crucial Talks Episode 37 Self-Transformation - Four Step Process in Heartbreak Ridge and October Sky

Self-Transformation happens throughout our lives. We transform by adopting new roles and assigning behaviors to those roles. As the roles become more important to us, the behaviors we exhibit become more aligned with the roles we have adopted. We have done this since we were kids and continue to do it our entire lives. By understanding the process we have always used to change, we can make a conscious effort to transform who we are and what we want to become.

There are four steps to this change process: 

First, people define themselves as a member of a distinct group.

Second, They learn the behaviors the correlate with that new role.

Third, they assign these behaviors to themselves.

Fourth, the behavior becomes more normal as the role they have adopted becomes more important to them.

We get to see examples from two different movies, Heartbreak Ridge and October Sky.

We not only see how this process works, but also get a hint on how to influence others and how we can bring people closer together so that they can work together.

For more information or to have me speak at your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and contact me.

 

Crucial Talks Episode 36 People, Purpose, and Potential with Jeffrey Davidson

People are a company's biggest resource. Having the right people doing the right work maximizes potential. Jeffrey Davidson talks to us about people, about how teams are built, and what team members need to succeed.

One of the first things a leader needs to do is ask "What did I do well? What can I build upon? Where could I have done better?" This shows a vulnerability and builds a pattern of feedback that can:

1. Set an example and

2. Allow teams to learn

"As humans, we are social beings." We need to be able to learn to get better. We need to create chances to learn and build learning cultures.

Having trust and openness lets everyone learn from each other. Trust is one of the most important parts of a great team, not just their experience, age, or education.

"Everyone wakes up, looks in the mirror, and wants to do a good job today." They might make mistakes, but their intentions are good. If we can direct their intentions, we can get great results.

The secret to great teams is... Communication!

Communicate:

1. What's the meaning?

2. How do we design success?

Filter decisions and actions through those two things.

No matter what role you play, a shared goal can help people because it allows people to work toward success using their strengths. People will be able to ask themselves if what they are working on is in alignment with their greater goal.

We can also help our teams by providing feedback more regularly and personally with empathy. "Understand them and give them regular input."

There are seven questions people want to know in teams:

1. What's the purpose?

2. How do we know we're working on the right stuff?

3. When can we declare success?

4. How do we get stuff done? What are our tools and processes?

5. How do we work together?

6. How am I doing?

7. Is it real?

For more information from Jeffrey, please visit: www.greatteamsltd.com

He also has more information just for podcast listeners: www.greatteamsltd.com/more

To contact me with any questions, to have me speak to your organization, or for consulting opportunities, please feel free to reach out through www.crucialtalks.com

Crucial Talks Episode 35 Legacy, Leadership, Lug Nuts - Rocky Romanella

Everyone plays roles. In this episode, Rocky Romanella, author of Tighten the Lug Nuts the Principles of Balanced Leadership, Senior Partner at 3 Sixty Management Services, a former leader at UPS, and all-around good guy talks to us about the role of leaders in instilling a legacy of behavior.

Rocky's book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QFdTXJ

This concept is important because the roles people play and behaviors people assign to those roles will guide what they do. The role important at the time is how people make sense of the world around them and then decide what to do.

We discuss vision, missions, and goals and the leader's role.

We provide three key questions leaders can ask themselves:

Who am I?

What do I stand for?

What won't I compromise?

Rocky explains his three principles to balanced leadership including, thinking like a customer, people feeling like valued contributors, and shared ownership.

Rocky can be reached at: 3sixtymanagementservices.com

His book, Tighten the Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership can be found at: https://amzn.to/2QFdTXJ

Please visit www.crucialtalks.com to contact me or book me to speak to your organization.

Crucial Talks Episode 34 Transformation and Trust with Nichole Carlson

Mike Sedam interview Nichole Carlson about transformation.

Transformation is something we all need to do. One way to transform is to adopt a new role and live up to the behaviors of that role. In this episode, Nichole Carlson talks to us about her transformation as she left her comfort zone; traveled the world; was homeless, but happy; and then found success after she found happiness. She also talks about the need for trust in yourself and how to develop that trust.

Nichole can be reached at www.nicholecarlson.com or visit her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theNicholeCarlson/

Please visit www.crucialtalks.com for me to speak at your organization or if you would like more information.

Crucial Talks Episode 33 Empathy and Cooperation - Walking In Someone Else's Shoes

The roles people play impact their decisions. They will be more likely to work with others if they don't see the other person as a threat to the group they belong to. This is why it can be a valuable tool to consider the role the other person is playing.

When considering the roles of other people, we are trying to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes." We should think about their needs, aspirations, and challenges so that we can communicate in a way that doesn't put them on the defensive. This will increase the chance to create a collaborative environment.

As a result, we can create positive momentum because different roles can work toward collective goals. Rather than people butting heads and pushing against each other, they move together in the same direction.

For more information or to have me speak to your organization, please contact me at www.crucialtalks.com.

Crucial Talks Episode 32 Emotionally Compromised or Emotionally Competent - Spock vs. Kirk

For a number of years, ever since the industrial revolution, people have been on a path where data and analysis was king. People believed that if they had the right data and the right analysis, then the decision would be obvious. However, emotion trumps data every day of the week. We make decisions based on what feels right. We are social, storytelling animals and emotions play a huge role in what we do.

The key takeaways we can gain from this are:

1. If we understand the why and how of human decision-making, we can bring our systems to a place beyond the point data analysis, statistics, or policies can bring us.
2. If we can figure out the social dynamics that are driving people’s decisions in our systems, we have a better chance to impact those decisions.

We looked at a battle between Spock and Kirk from the 2009 movie, Star Trek. Spock represents the belief that logic and data is king. Kirk shows us that understanding the power of emotion in human decision-making is something we all need.

If you would like to contact me or would like me to speak to your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and reach out to me. 

Crucial Talks Episode 31 Top Gun Day! Lagging vs Leading Indicators and using Appreciative Inquiry

Lagging indicators measure outcomes. Things that have already happened. Leading indicators measure inputs so that we can try to impact outcomes before they happen. Appreciative Inquiry, because it focuses on a strength-based, positive approach to change in human-based systems can help us when we are working on developing leading indicators.

It's Mother's Day 2018, which coincidentally falls on Top Gun Day. So in this episode, we get to hear a clip from Top Gun to have a better understanding of lagging indicators (High speed passes over 5 air control towers and 1 Admiral's daughter).

To have me speak to your organization or help you with using Appreciative Inquiry to develop leading indicators, please visit www.crucialtalks.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Crucial Talks Episode 30 Discipline Disrupts Discussion - Bueller, Bueller... Learning from Ferris and a Ferrari

Strong disciplinary programs exist in many workplaces today. It has been a part of our work cultures and is the "goto" framework in many organizations when someone does something wrong. Although we may have been taught to operate this way, discipline can hamper positive discussions that may actually help our organizations get better. If we focus purely on discipline, we are losing out on a tremendous amount of learning. Organizational learning is the key to honing and sharpening what we do. The majority of the human-based systems we work in are fairly stable because we may have reached the pinnacle of what technology and process improvements can do for us. The next phase is human improvement and that takes a framework that can positively impact the people in our systems. Ferris Bueller's discussion with Cameron about Cameron's father's Ferrari give us an opportunity to discuss the role of discipline and how we should try to avoid the pitfalls that come with strong disciplinary programs.

For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com

Crucial Talks Episode 29 How Networks...Work - Armageddon and Soldiers - Goals and Categories.

Networking works because of goals and shared social categories. Goals that transcend groups and transcend conflict give people a way to work together. Shared social categories allow us to break down the walls that can separate people. One group that has used this to great effectiveness is Energy Safety Canda. Made up of six different associations and numerous members from different companies, they all can work together toward the goal of everyone going home safe. In this episode, examples from the movie Armageddon and We Were Soldiers let us see how goals and shared social categories can help us create cooperative environments.

For more information, to connect with me, or to have me speak to your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com

Crucial Talks Episode 28 Reduce Trauma with Communication - Deepwater Horizon and The Office

Trauma is caused when a person perceives an event as life-threatening or life-altering. It can be something as bad as the Deepwater Horizon explosion where people are killed and seriously injured. Trauma can also be something that causes no physical harm. It is a psychological process. Because it is psychological, we may be able to impact trauma through a psychological process. In this episode, we discuss communication tools that could help people.

Communicate the role of preparedness

Communicate to promote togetherness

Communicate to emphasize the positive

If you would like more information, would like me to speak at your organization, or would just like to discuss this further, I am always open to contact. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com and reach out to me.

Crucial Talks Episode 27 Problems with Problem-Solving - Sobel and Easy Company

Many of us and many of our organizations are focused on problem-solving. We are trying to find the issues and fix them. This is normal, especially when we can more easily find the negatives. Although it is normal, occurs often, and is arguably a necessity in our organizations, problem-solving can lead to some significant issues. These problems with problem-solving include fragmentation, narrow views that prevent consideration of the entire system, and negative, self-fulfilling prophecies. These things can happen if we focus too much on problems.

For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.

Crucial Talks Episode 26: The Sons of Anarchy - Esteem and Identity in Group Behavior

Esteem is one of the prime motivators of why people join groups and how the membership to these groups impacts decision-making and behavior. The Sons of Anarchy lets us see how perception can impact the view people have of the groups they belong to and the groups they see others belonging to. This impacts esteem and drives what people will do.

For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, advice, or would like me to speak to your organization.