A Case of the Mondays

Mondaypod Summer Vacation: Gary Pisano

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Today we're getting in the wayback machine to 2019--remember that? We were still living in 2016 back then, and we were such summer children.

Are you innovative? Do you know what it means to be innovative? Probably not, but that's ok because today I'm brining back my 2019 conversation with Harvard Business Professor, Gary Pisano.

In his own words: "Over my three-decade career, I have explored fundamental questions about how organizations learn, innovate, and compete. A researcher, teacher and consultant to many of the world’s largest corporations, I focus on the management of innovation, strategy, enterprise growth, the commercialization of science and international competitiveness. My work on these topics has spanned a broad range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, apparel, electronics, entertainment, financial services, health care, manufacturing, restaurants, semiconductors, software, specialty chemicals and web services."

The article that blew my mind and made me need to talk to Prof. Pisano: The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures

And another great one from 2021, applying the lessons of evolution and Gary's own research in a case study about how Moderna developed their COVId-19 vaccine: What Evolution Can Teach Us About Innovation

Outro: "Rockaway Beach" by The Ramones

Writer, Host: Chris Thierfelder
Producers: Sarah and Max Warman
Art: Jennie Jacobs
Music: Kevin MacLeod
IG: @mondaypod
LinkedIn: A Case of the Mondays
Site: A Case of the Mondays

Copyright 2023 TWC Media Group All Rights Reserved

Mondaypod Summer Vacation: Moe Carrick

Mon, 22 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Today, we revisit our 2020 talk with Moe Carrick!

Moe is an Executive Leadership Coach who focuses on my favorite subject: building leaders who are good leaders to the people they are leading! And if you are lucky enough to get in to her Leading People Program, you can be just such a leader. She's also, among other things, a speaker, an author, and, since we last talked... a Podcast Host!

Learn more about Moe by clicking HERE
Check out the "Let's Make Work Human" Podcast with Moe and Mei HERE (or probably wherever you're listening to this very podcast)

Go enroll for the Project Manager's Masterclass Now! Offer code: MONDAYPOD25 for 25% off

Get some book recommendations at the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club HERE!

Season Three Finale!

Mon, 08 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris wraps up season 3 with a recap of why Team Leadership is important, how good team leadership can led to better executive leadership, the Five Strengths of getting better at anything, and where you can go to learn more (SPOILER ALERT: Chris is referring to his free webinar and his not-free 12-part Course on Mastering Project Management.) He also gives you the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club picks for the summer.

Thanks for listening, everyone!

Mastering Project Management Webinar (Click to Register!)

The Project Management Masterclass (Enrollment opens on May 9th, but you can get a sneak peak, now! And listeners can put in coupon code MONDAYPOD25 for 25% off!)

Mondaypod Manager's Book Club

"The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mon, 01 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Hey, better late than never! We're just trying to put out an honest podcast folks, sometimes the plane comes in late and sometimes, it doesn't land at all. That's a reference to today's topic, "The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Chris talks about the book, what it's about and what a novel written in the 30's has to tell us about life and work here in the cozy embrace of 2023. (Hint: people haven't changed as much as we might have hoped.)

Chris also talks about the "Mastering Project Management" Webinar hosted by this very podcast host, that you can sign up for by clicking that link! Tune in next week and Chris will give you the code for 25% off registration.

Project Manager's Masterclass (enrollment opens on May 9th!)

Glad Bitch Podcast (it's excellent, better than this one!)
Mondaypod Manager's Book Club on Amazon
"The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (publisher's site)

Who Cares?

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

What does it all mean? Why bother with any of it?

Today Chris takes a look at the world of Project Management gurus and Rise and Grind Culture, and the ocean of leadership books and wonders: "Does any of this stuff matter? Does it get to why any of this is important? Who cares about being a good project manager or a good team leader, anyway?"

Spoiler alert: it does matter. It matters for deeper and better reasons than the prevailing messages would have you believe.

Two more episodes left, folks!

Pirate Radio and Pirate Crews

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Even a lot of experienced team leaders forget that the job of leading teams isn't just to chase down dates and deliverables. The job is leadership and to have an effective team, you need good team morale.

Chris talks about building team morale and offers a few hard-won lessons from his own tenure as a leader on what to do...and what NOT to do to manage the micro-culture of your team.

He also gives a nod to the indie radio DJs of yesteryear, and spins a little nostalgia for those people who placed "a little doubt" on the pillows of those of us growing up in the 'burbs.

Today's Outro: An early version of R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe" that doesn't appear on any commercial album. Damn the man.

Don't Flinch: Pushing Back on Senior Management

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris talks about the Mondaypod Manager's Book of the Month: "The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and why it's so weird that people seem to have a hard time picking out who the villain is in movies.

Then, he gets in to one of the common misconceptions that team leaders have: that you can't push back on Senior Executives. He gives you five strategies to consider when you find yourself needing to (gently) correct the people who run the show.

Mondaypod Manager's Book Club on Amazon
"The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (publisher's site)

"The Man Who Broke Capitalism" book on Jack Welch by David Gelles (interview on NPR)

Mistakes and Green Lights

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

On the lucky 13th episode of the Monday Pod, Chris talks a bit about "The Great Gatsby" and why he loves that book. Why is that relevant? Because he also announces the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club pick for April: "The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

He then gets in to the six most common mistakes, misconceptions and limiting beliefs that Project Managers--or any team leader, really--tend to have about their role, and offers a couple of stories about making those mistakes and learning from them.

Mondaypod Manager's Book Club on Amazon
"The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (publisher's site)

"King of the Mississippi" by Mike Freedman

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0700

On today's show we talk about the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club pick for March: "King of the Mississippi" by Mike Freedman.

Chris gets in to what "writing what you know" really means, how story and myth inform us, but can also get out of hand, why satire--good satire--is necessary so we can laugh at ourselves and maybe modulate some of our worse impulses, and why you need smart people in your life, especially in your 30's, to make sure you don't suck.

If you haven't yet, go grab a copy of "King of the Mississippi" by Mike Freedman at your local book store.

You're a New Leader. Now What?

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris talks about the stories we tell and the myths we make about leadership, and how that too often contradicts reality. This might make for great copy, and excellent social media engagement, but it ultimately hurts everyone and prevents us from doing work that might have value.

Then, we discuss the kind of story you need to tell yourself when you step in to a new leadership role, and how that's going to help you make a break from the past and step in to a shiny-new future.

I’ve been employed in tech for years, but I’ve almost never worked

I have some feedback for you...

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 06:00:00 -0700

Note: The original version of this podcast was music-less! Hey, we're all just trying our best over here at A Case of the Mondays. Refresh and try it again.

Today, we're talking reviews! Your review, specifically, and how to be more proactive and use the skills of leading without authority to drive your boss in the direction you want them to go: namely to be an advocate for you inside the organization.

We'll also check in with the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club Book of March: King of the Mississippi by Mike Freedman

No One Does it Alone

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Hell might be other people, but other people are how you're going to be successful in your career so you better start making some friends. Today we talk about networking! Why you need a network at every stage of your career, what sort of people you should have in your network and how to go about getting them.

Not even the GOATs were successful without their networks, and the same will hold true for you you. Time to pop a mint, stick your hand out and start making connections.

Talkin' Book-Readin!

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Today, Chris talks about the state of Leadership and Management books and why despite their being a lot of books, there isn't a lot of readily-useful ones. He gives his short stack of nonfiction books for new- and middle-managers to read, and gets in to a discussion about Severance by Ling Ma, the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club Pick of February.

Chris' (Practical) Nonfiction Picks for Leaders:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
True North by Bill George (tied with Leading with Gratitude by Adrian Gostick)
Bravespace Workplace by previous ACotM guest, Moe Carrick.

Mondaypod Manager's Book Club pick for March: King of the Mississippi by Mike Freedman

Maybe You're Not a Morning Person

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Today, Chris gives you a sample of the tips and tricks he gives Project Managers wanting to take their practice to the next level. He also talks a bit more about Severance by Ling Ma, the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club February Book.

ACotM on LinkedIn
ACotM on Instagram

Not Being an Asshole Isn't Enough (on Emotional Intelligence)

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Today Chris opens the discussion up on Emotional Intelligence and why leaders need to develop it and keep developing it through out their careers. We get in to the first pillar of Emotional Intelligence: Self-Awareness, and talk about why knowing yourself is the first step in knowing and understanding how to lead others.

We then get in to another aspect of Emotional Intelligence: Social Awareness, and Empathy as a key element of that.

That brings us to a short chat introducing the Mondaypod Manager's Book Club Book of the Month: Severance, by Ling Ma, and how following the heroine, Candace, is a great way to discover a perspective many of us have never had.

Self-aware leaders and why they matter
What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It)
This trait is a manager’s superpower. Here’s how to develop it

Buy Severance by Ling Ma

You aren't working hard enough

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

In this episode, Chris talks about Informal Governance, or the network of relationships that influence you, your team, and the people who govern your projects. We talk about empathy, getting in to the heads of these people and, despite some unpleasantness, what they're being told about you and your colleagues.

Also! Chris launches the Mondaypod Book Club! We'll be reading a series of fiction books that will help expand our minds to encompass the perspectives of people who are different than us, and may be representative of people whom we call our colleagues and friends.

Mondaypod's Books for Managers #1: Severance, by Ling Ma

"America's Fever of Workaholism is Finally Breaking" (Except, no; it's not)

"America’s Work Ethic Is Under Assault" (Also no)

"The Hidden Link Between Workaholism and Mental Health"

"ChatGPT is about to dump more work on everyone"

If you want to find the LinkedIn post that got Chris so incensed, he's not linking it here. That dude got too much traction as it was. I'm sure your CEO read it. Go ask him.

It's Dangerous to Go Alone!

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Today, we're talking about risk! Why it's hard for people to understand and assess, how to make it easier (or less risky) to evaluate risk, and why being good at risk is a practice that scales with you along your entire career so the risks you take can be handled better and smarter than some examples in industry.

Link to the article Chris mentioned:

ChatGPT is 'Down all the time' and it's a good thing...

Check out the Project Management Masterclass and other offerings to help you or your enterprise improve leadership and management: TWC Group

Stakeholders: At Least they Aren't Your In-Laws

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0800

On today's episode we talk about the recent spate of layoff, and how they aren't good for anyone, including the company doing the layoffs. We talk about empathy, treating people like the human sacks of emotional baggage they are, and how all that relates to today's topic of Stakeholder Management!

That's a terrible phrase. We'll really talking about how you, as the Project Manager, need to create relationships with the people who have interest in, and influence over your project and your team.

Additional Reading and References
Why are there so many layoffs? An interview with Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer

How Apple Has (So Far) Avoided Layoffs

List of the Latest Companies Making Cuts (LinkedIn)

The American Prospect: Tech Workers Should Unionize Immediately

What is Stakeholder Management? (Good article, but they are trying to sell you something.)

Project Stakeholder Management, Engineering Management Journal

The Accidental Profession

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Today, we're talking about Project Management as an "Accidental Profession." The fact that despite its proliferation (16 million NEW PM gigs in the last decade!) companies still seem to think of it as a nuisance and a "necessary evil."

What to do to understand how YOUR company views project management and, by extension, project managers is going to be your first step at making your current reality a stepping stone to your long-term career goals.

Oh, and we also check in with our pals at Southwest Airlines because no matter what's going on in your career, at least you're not them.

Some articles from the show:

NY Times: Southwest CEO Bob Jordan on "What Went Wrong."
Business Horizons: Lessons for an Accidental Profession
PMI: The Accidental Project Manager
University of Minnesota Press: Creating a Project Culture

What You Need is a New Shirt

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0800

Welcome back to A Case of the Mondays!

This episode, Chris introduces the concept for Season 3: a series of mini-pods designed to give Team Leaders a little something useful every week.

We'll talk a little about why front-line or "middle" managers are so important, how they don't get the love they need, and why investing in them can save your company from massive headaches down the road.

Sit back, tune in, and enjoy while wearing your corporate-branded t-shirt.

"Do good. Avoid evil. Celebrate your demons. Ask for help." Season 2 Wrap-up!

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Having now taken a couple of weeks to consider Season 2, Chris sits down at the mic to give his thoughts on some overall themes to the season and what he himself has been working on.

Chris gets personal (kind of) and draws out a lesson in karma and the awesome power to alter realty that we all carry around with us, if we'd only just stop to consider it.

"The Reality is, You Never Figure it Out." w/ Brian Rea

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today's the last interview of Season 2, and for it, Chris sits down with artist and author Brian Rea.

Brian's book, "Death Wins a Goldfish" is a beautiful, thoughtful, charming, and insightful look at what happens when the hardest working being on the planet--the Grim Reaper Himself--takes an imposed yearlong holiday and what lessons he learns from stepping away from work. Those lessons are some we can all learn, and that's why we saved this interview for last. It was one of Chris' favorite conversations, and we hope it one of yours, too.

Chris also talks about the last couple of weeks of protests, why history rhymes, and what we can learn from the moment we're in.

Learn more:
Brian's Website: Brianrea.com
Book: "Death Wins a Goldfish"
Article: "The Mystery Gift at the End of the World" by Brian Rea
Revisionist History Presents: The Limits of Power (Chapter 7 of "David and Goliath" by Malcom Gladwell)...this link will open up Apple Podcasts

Not an sponsor, but buy their stuff anyway: Diop

"You Are Enough, and You Got This." w/ Moe Carrick

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris talks with author, researcher, executive coach and now podcaster(!) Moe Carrick. Moe's work focuses on creating dynamic, human-centric leaders and work places so that we can all thrive and flow in our careers. Her books tackle some of the thorniest ideas in modern leadership, and pays respect to that most complicated workplace mystery: people!

Moe's ideas have been imperative for years but have taken on a new urgency now, as we are all confronted with a need to evolve as leaders and create brand-new paradigms for leadership and for work itself. As we all start to settle in to a "new normal" it's high time we re-consider what good leadership looks like and how it can lift us up and through our current environment.

Read this stuff:
Website: Moecarrick.com (links to toolkits, her books, and podcast can be found there!)

Not a sponsor, but go buy their stuff anyway:
If you find yourself in Bend, OR, go check out Boneyard Bewery!

"You Have to Believe in Your Next Sale" w/ Jeremy Wieland

Mon, 25 May 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today's a little different, folks. Chris and co-host Jeremy Wieland get together to swap stories about the current small business climate as a result of the pandemic. They talk about how the optimism of the small business community clashes with what the data is telling us, what the outcome of a small business apocalypse might look like (hint: good, if you like Chipotle and only Chipotle, bad otherwise), what needs to happen to avert it, and why you should delete your food delivery apps.

Have a great Memorial Day, everyone!

Read this stuff:
Study, Columbia Business School: "Crisis of Confidence Could Delay Recovery Over a Decade"
Article: "Q&A with the President of the SBA of Michigan"
Article: "SHRM Small Business Study (PDF)"
Article: "Delete Your Delivery Apps"
Book: The Black Swan, Second Edition by Nassim Taleb
Buy: Ky's Hawaiian Shirts (they also have pandemic masks!)
Watch (or not): Demolition Man (trailer)

"Bullshit Jobs and The Revolt of the Caring Class" w/ David Graeber

Mon, 18 May 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today Chris sits down for an expansive talk with David Graeber. He is an anthropologist, author, activist and all-round congenial rabble-rouser. We cover his early observations that led to him writing his seminal work on modern labor "Bullshit Jobs" and trace through to today, where we see many of his earlier theories put to the test and found quite accurate, not the least of which being that the people we currently refer to as "non-essential" workers were, in fact, engaged in a fair volume of bullshit work.

We take a clear look at the state of the economy and of work and what the pandemic is revealing about that, and what we hope to see come out the other side.

Read this stuff:
Book: "Bullshit Jobs" (finally read the thing that Chris keeps referencing)
Article: Click here for a collection of David's articles
Scholarly Work: Click here for a collection David's scholarly work.
A History of the ILGWU

"The Meritocracy Trap" w/ Daniel Markovits

Mon, 11 May 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Chris has a wide-ranging conversation with Daniel Markovits from Yale Law School about his recent book "The Meritocracy Trap" and how the structural imbalances that exist within corporate America conspire to prevent most workers--of almost any level--from the kind of stable career progression that once was responsible for creating a Professional Middle Class in this country.

Chris also muses about gratitude, considering ethical work, and gives a preview of next week's guest (for the first time!)

Read this stuff from Professor Markovits:
Article: "How Life Became and Endless, Terrible Competition"
Article: "How McKinsey Destroyed the Middle Class"
Book: "The Meritocracy Trap"
Op-Ed: "A Wealth Tax is the Logical Way to Support Coronavirus Relief"

About Professor Markovits:

Daniel Markovits is Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Private Law.

Markovits works in the philosophical foundations of private law, moral and political philosophy, and behavioral economics. He publishes in a range of disciplines, including in Science, The American Economic Review, and The Yale Law Journal.

Markovits’s current book, The Meritocracy Trap (forthcoming, Penguin Press), places meritocracy at the center of rising economic inequality and social and political dysfunction. The book takes up the law, economics, and politics of human capital to identify the mechanisms through which meritocracy breeds inequality and to expose the burdens that meritocratic inequality imposes on all who fall within meritocracy’s orbit.

"May the Fourth Be With You. Always." w/ Sensei Gary Koan Janka

Mon, 04 May 2020 05:00:00 -0700

In a bit of a departure from the normal business programming, Chris sits down with Zen Priest Sensei Gary Koan Janka to talk about how our wants and fears of not getting what we want fuel our suffering and how to begin to alleviate that suffering.

From Chris: "I was thinking about all of the people who are afraid right now and what impact that fear is having on not only our economy, but our society writ large. I wanted to do something that went beyond the day to day micro-coping, or analysis of this or that aspect of business and offer a conversation that could literally appeal to every single person who listened to it, no matter their circumstance. I hope this helps."

Chris also offers a warning to folks looking to find enlightenment on a stationary bike or in a Lululemon, and explains how Jedi Masters walk among us.

"Lead with Grace and Patience" w/ Gia Vitali

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Chris talks with the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Minneapolis, Gia Vitali. Gia has spent her career dedicated to public service and to making her communities better, fairer, and healthier.

We discuss the challenges of keeping a city of 425k people functioning during a crisis, what Gia's had to learn in short order to be an effective leader during this time, and her hopes for what we see on the other side of this surreal time.

Chris also tells you why you're terrible at assessing risk, and why you not wearing a mask doesn't mean what you think it means.

Read this stuff:
Book; "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," Yuval Noah Harari
Book; "Thinking, Fast and Slow," Daniel Kahneman
Article; Humans are Too Optimistic to Comprehend the Coronavirus, Olga Khazan, The Atlantic
Article; The Psychology of Risk Perception, Harvard Mental Health Letter, HMS

About Gia Vitali:

Gia Vitali began her career on Capitol Hill in working for Congressman Bruce Vento and his successor Congresswoman Betty McCollum. In 2004 Gia returned to Minnesota and led the Get Out the Vote effort for the Kerry/Edwards Campaign. She went on to manage several campaigns, work for Senator Amy Klobuchar, and served as political director for a national organization focused on recruiting, training, and helping to elect candidates to state and local office.

Gia served as deputy campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families – the historic campaign that successfully defeated the constitutional amendment to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman.

In April of 2013, she joined the corporate communications team at Medica Health Plans where she supported the Medicare and Medicaid business segments. In November 2015, Gia joined the Department of Human Services as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

"Give Yourself Permission to be Unproductive" w/ Sabina Nawaz

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today Chris sits down with former Microsoft HR exec and current Executive Coach, Sabina Nawaz. Sabina is a prolific business writer and leadership coach, helping to create a new paradigm of empathetic, thoughtful and highly effective leadership.

We discuss work anxiety, managing productivity (and your expectations of it) during quarantine, and how leaders and individuals can create a new framework for efficacy, empathy, and engagement.

Chris also talks about the stories we tell ourselves, and why those stories need to change.

Read this stuff:
Read more about Sabina and her coaching services. SabinaNawaz.co
Articles from Sabina:
"How Managers Can Support Remote Employees"
"To Achieve Big Goals, Start with Small Habits"
"How Anxiety Traps Us"

If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, or you find yourself in a dangerous situation, please seek the help you need. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a list of resources ready to help you right now. Go here to check it out.

About Sabina Nawaz:

Sabina Nawaz is a global CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer working in over 26 countries. She advises C-level executives in Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, non-profits and academic institutions. Sabina started her career in software development at Microsoft and then led the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and 700 executives. In addition, Sabina has spoken at hundreds of seminars, events, and conferences including TEDx. Currently, she sits on the board of Power and Systems, a leadership development institute. Sabina believes the greatest privilege of working with executives is bearing witness to their acts of courage. Look for more of her stories, insights, and advice on thriving as a leader on Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Inc.

Sabina’s education includes a B.A. in Computer Science with a minor in Electronics from Smith College, an M.S. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and several certifications and advanced training in leadership development.

To receive Sabina’s latest leadership articles, sign up on www.sabinanawaz.com and connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

"Understand why YOU are valuable" w/ Patty McCord

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris sits down with author, speaker, and former Chief Talent Officer of Netflix, Patty McCord. They talk about how she built Netflix's legendary talent culture, how sexual discrimination hurts EVERYONE, why diversity is important, and why we need to dramatically evolve the way we think about work and careers.

Chris opens by talking about why expertise is valuable, and why just being smart or wealthy is no substitution for actually knowing what you're talking about.

Read more:
Website: About Patty McCord
Book: Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility
Deck: The Netflix Culture Deck
Article: Elon Musk Criticized for Donating Sleep Apea Ventilators

About Patty:

Patty McCord served as chief talent officer of Netflix for fourteen years and
helped create the Netflix Culture Deck. Since it was first posted on the web, the
Culture Deck has been viewed more than 15 million times, and Sheryl Sandberg
has said that it "...may be the most important document ever to come out of Silicon
Valley."

Currently, Patty coaches and advises a small group of companies and entrepreneurs
on culture and leadership. She also speaks to groups and teams around the world.
Patty's book Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility was
published in January of 2018.

Patty participated in IPOs at Netflix and, before that, Pure Atria Software. A
veteran of Sun Microsystems, Borland, and Seagate Technologies, she has also
worked with small start-ups. Her background includes staffing, diversity,
communications, and international human resources positions.

Currently, Patty coaches and advises a small group of companies and entrepreneurs
on culture and leadership. She also speaks to groups and teams around the world.

"Learn to be a good person by doing good things" w/ Prof. Steven Mintz

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Welcome to Season 2! Looking to be a little more introspective, a little more philosophical, and a little weirder this time around. Looking forward to seeing where it takes us, and hope you enjoy the journey.

To kick things off, Chris talks to Dr. Steven Mintz, retired Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo. Steve has spent the last few decades studying, writing about and teaching on the subject of ethics. His first book was a textbook titled Ethical Obligations and Decision Making in Accounting, which won him the Accounting Exemplar Award in 2015 for a lifetime of contributions in the field of ethics.

His first book for a commercial audience was published in 2019. Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior explains how to make ethical decisions that bring happiness and greater meaning to life.

Chris and Steve discuss ethical frameworks, how those frameworks translate to behavior from the individual to corporations, and finally to political institutions, and how we think about behaving ethically during the pandemic crisis we find ourselves in.

Read this:
Article: "Disposable People" online, The Baffler
Website: Ethics Sage; Steven's blog on all things ethics and ethics-related
Book: Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior

Copyright 2020, TWC Media, LLC

"Why the world wags and what wags it" (Season 1 Wrap-Up)

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Bonus episode!

Chris is alone on the mic today to wrap up Season 1. He talks about what compelled him to do all of this, what he learned, the grim vicissitudes of air travel and why it's a metaphor for the business world, and how to build the future out of the wreckage of the past.

Read this stuff:
T.H. White's "The Once and Future King"
(Why The once and Future King is the Best King Arthur Story Out There: Vox)
Richard Thaler's "Misbehaving"
Lewis Lapham: "Merlin's Owl"
The 1619 Project: The New York Times

Learn more:
TWC Group, LLC

“I want my company to invest in me” (w/ David Hunt, Jennie Jacobs, McKenna Giardine, and Dodge Ward)

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 01:00:00 -0700

As several guests have said, one of the most influential forces in business today is the Millennial Generation. Their attitudes and beliefs around work, careers, business and how they want to engage and participate in their own career paths is nothing short of a massive disruption to the status quo.

Today, Chris sits down with four members of the Millennial Generation to get their takes on those topics, as well as leadership, what they want from their employers, and where they're going next on their career paths.

Chris also takes a minute to reflect on his own contemporaries in Generation X, explains why leaders should be reading fiction, and says a brief thank you to Toni Morrison.

Intro/Monologue (00:00)
David Hunt (11:54)
Jennie Jacobs (30:45)
McKenna Giardine (51:16)
Dodge Ward (1:09:23)
Outro (1:26:24)

The Prosperity Paradox (w/ Efosa Ojomo)

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 01:00:00 -0700

How do nations lift themselves out of poverty? How can entrepreneurs creating lasting impact? What's the difference between a market innovation and a product innovation? Is China REALLY a planned economy? And Capitalism--is it broken?

Today, Chris sits down with Efosa Ojomo, co-author of the book "The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty." They discuss the difference between consumption and non-consumption markets, how innovating in the latter can change entire countries, how we need to start re-thinking global economic development, and why it's time for a new lens with which to view China, the World Bank, the IMF, and basically everything else.

Chris also points out that capitalism isn't doing so well in the United States and we should probably do something about that.

Read The Prosperity Paradox
Follow Efosa on Twitter
Read more of Efosa's writing on Medium

Additional stuff:
Book: "The White Man's Burden" by William Easterly
From Axios, Article: "Too Much Money (and too few places to put it)"

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LinkedIn: Mondaypod
Twitter: @Mondaypod1
IG: @Mondaypod

The Most Valuable Thing You Own is Your Data (w/ Viktor Mayer-Shönberger)

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

What are we talking about when we talk about "Big Data?" How do we balance privacy with unlocking the power of personal data? Should companies that have created massive value from data be forced to share with the market? What do we do when everyone's daily tasks are taken over by artificial intelligence?

Today, Chris talks with Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, one of the world's leading experts on Big Data and the impact is has on all of us. We define Big Data, discuss what it allows us to do and how it drives the creation (and concentration) of value, and how we might consider regulating it to encourage better, safer, and more thoughtful use.

Chris also relates how he learned about the importance of data, and makes you think again before you click the "Buy Now" button.

A selection of Viktor's work:
Book: Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data
Book: Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age
Article: The Internet is Rotting
Article: How Facebook Can Share its way Out of its Data Problem
Article: Your High School Transcript Can Haunt You Forever

Additional stuff:
Man Without a Face: The Autobiography of Markus Wolf

Check us out!
Facebook: Mondaypod
LinkedIn: Mondaypod
Twitter: @Mondaypod1
IG: @Mondaypod

Stay Curious (w/ Safi Bahcall)

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Chris sits down today with Safi Bahcall--physicist, biotech entrepreneur and author of the recent book: "Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries."

We talk about his career and using curiosity to check in with his direction, and we dive in to his recent book and talk about incentivizing innovation, making sure that both the artists and the soldiers feel equally loved, and why talking about "disruption" is for historians. Nurture the crazy ideas, and you too might just change the world.

Chris also talks about giving in to the absurdity of the world of business.

Pick up a copy of Loonshots.
Read "Sisyphus Smiled: How to Embrace the Absurdity of Business"

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Facebook: Mondaypod
LinkedIn: Mondaypod
Twitter: @Mondaypod1
IG: @Mondaypod

Everyone Thinks They're Ethical (w/ Cynthia Patton)

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Do you think you're an ethical person? Ever knowingly run a red light? Ever walked off with office supplies that weren't yours? Ever say or do something that maybe isn't technically illegal, but wasn't exactly the right thing to do? Ever wonder why?

Today, Chris sits down with Cynthia Patton, SVP and Chief Compliance Officer for Amgen to talk about ethics in business and the role of compliance departments in helping people navigate the grey areas of business. They discuss ethical shading, situational ethics, what compliance departments do, and how to accept the fact that we're all only human.

Read more about the Stark Laws here.
Blind Spots, by Max Bazerman and Ann Tenbrunsel
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
Nudge, by Richard Thaler

Cynthia M. Patton serves as senior vice president and chief compliance officer, responsible for Amgen’s worldwide privacy and compliance and business ethics organizations.

Cynthia serves as Chair of the Amgen Foundation and previously served as a board member of Watts Healthcare Corporation, the Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center and Westside Neighborhood School. She is a board member of the Martin Luther King Community Hospital and the Los Angeles Music Center and also serves as a member of the board of trustees for Wildwood School. Patton received her juris doctor from George Washington University and her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College.

She was recently awarded the 2019 Carol R. Marshall Award for Innovation in Corporate Ethics, and she was further recently named to Black Enterprise's "Most Powerful Women in Corporate America" list.

WHAT You Spend Doesn't Matter; HOW You Spend It Does (w/ Barry Jaruzelski)

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

What do the top innovators get right? Why are farm equipment companies investing in software? Where will the next big innovation push come from? What company spends more on R&D than the entire defense and aerospace industry?

Chris is joined today by Barry Jaruzelski, a Senior Partner with PWC Consulting, and the one of the creators of the Global Innovation 1000 Survey, that studies the 1000 companies where fully 1/3 of all innovation spending is happening. They discuss these questions, as well as how to measure the impact of innovation and why economic nationalism could upset the global innovation leaders in the coming years.

Read the Global Innovation 1000 Study here.

Barry Jaruzelski is a leading practitioner in technology and innovation strategy for Strategy&, PwC's strategy consulting group. Based in Florham Park, N.J., he is a principal with PwC U.S. He works with high-tech and industrial clients on corporate and product strategy and the transformation of core innovation processes. . He created the Global Innovation 1000 study in 2005, and in 2013 was named one of the “Top 25 Consultants” by Consulting magazine.

A recognized thought leader, Mr. Jaruzelski is frequently quoted in publications like The Wall Street Journal, the Economist, the Financial Times, and The New York Times on the technology industry and the challenges of innovation. He often appears as an expert commentator on ABC News, CNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He writes a column on innovation for the Financial Times.

Don't Burn Your Life Down! Instead, Hack It. (w/ Demir Bentley)

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

First, Chris talks about the failure of HR departments in doing what we all thought they were supposed to do, and points out how a free-speech case may have a massive ripple effect across all social media.

Then, he's joined by the co-founder of Lifehackbootcamp.com, Demir Bentley. They talk about how people can get trapped by their own success, how to step back and take ownership of your life and what's important, and how to improve your work-life balance without a massive (and risky!) career change.

You can reach out to Demir at: Demir@lifehackbootcamp.com, or click here to go to his site.

From the Atlantic: The Problem with HR
From Wired: Inside Backpage.com's Vicious Battle with the Feds.
From HBR: Building the AI-Powered Organization

People are Not Disposable (w/ Sebastian Buck)

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0700

This week, Chris sits down with Sebastian Buck, Founder and CEO of the Creative Impact agency, Enso. They talk about values and meaning at work, how to measure the impact of corporate values, and how Enso helps companies understand and live their own values and make them relevant to their customers and team members.

Chris also reminisces about 1999 and how far corporate values have come since then.

References:
Follow Sebastian on Twitter, and check out his photography here. Read his work on Medium, and Fast Company.

Check out Enso.

Read Sapiens and Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari.

What? You haven't read No Logo by Naomi Klein yet? For shame.

And learn more about the Gilet Jaunes here.

Sebastian Buck is a co-founder of enso, a creative impact agency. He oversees strategic development across all initiatives, including work with Google, Uber, Mattel, Khan Academy, The Nature Conservancy, OfferUp, Medium and 23andme. Prior to enso, he co-founded GOOD/Corps, where he led work with Pepsi on the Pepsi Refresh Project, with Starbucks on Create Jobs for USA and Vote.Give.Grow and with Google, GE, MasterCard and the Gates Foundation. His background is in strategy development for major companies and new initiatives, including scaling GOOD from a magazine to a media business, launching Disney Mobile in Japan and multiple European countries, and establishing British Telecom's video on demand service in the UK (BT Vision). He writes for Fast Company on the evolution of business and publishes Unurth, a website on street art. He holds a law degree from the University of Warwick, UK, and studied corporate finance at London Business School. sebastian@enso.co

You Don't Get Innovation For Free (w/ Gary Pisano)

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Today, we kick off Innovation Week! Chris sits down with Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, and author of over 100 scholarly articles on innovation and business management. His most recent book, Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation is a look at how large enterprises can leverage their scale to become transformational innovators.

Chris also talks about pitching consulting services (it’s hard, and he doesn’t like it), how innovation can take a lot of forms that we don’t notice, and how one company is finally reckoning with its terrible past.

Read more of Professor Pisano’s scholarly work (referenced in the interview):

Dynamic Capabilities (1997), Restoring American Competitiveness (2009), Innovation Strategy (2015), Hard Truths (2019)

Buy a copy of Creative Construction here.

The Ten Types of Innovation can be found here.

From the NY Times: Nazis Killed her Father. Then She Fell in Love With One

Follow us on social media! You can find A Case of the Mondays on Facebook, Instagram (@mondaypod), Twitter (@mondaypod1), and LinkedIn.

More about Professor Pisano:

Gary Pisano is the Harry Figgie Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School where he currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development (promotions and tenure). He joined the Harvard faculty in 1988 after completing a Ph.D. at the University of California Berkeley.

Over the course of his career, Pisano has explored fundamental questions about how organizations innovate, learn, compete, and grow. His research and consulting experience has spanned a broad range of industries including aerospace, automobiles, apparel, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, entertainment, financial services, health care, restaurants, semiconductors, software, specialty chemicals, and web services.

At Harvard, Pisano has taught MBA, executive, and doctoral courses, and has mentored a number of doctoral students. He has created and currently teaches a new MBA electric course “Managing Growth” based on his current research on the drivers and impediments to organizational scaling and growth. He is also the co-creator and co-chair of a new executive program called “Driving Profitable Growth”.

In addition to his academic research and teaching, Pisano serves as an advisor to senior leaders at leading companies around the world and has been a director of both public and private company boards. He currently serves on the board of directors of Axcella Health and Celixir.

People WANT to believe (w/ Bethany McLean)

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0700

On today's show, Chris sits down with Bethany McLean for a wide-ranging interview, spanning growing up on the Iron Range in Minnesota, to her career as a business writer and how her time in the heady days of business magazines built her skepticism of the corporate world, and led her to be one of the premier chroniclers of corporate malfeasance.

Then, we hear Just One Thing about a company who's helping their employees achieve that ever-elusive work-life balance.

Chris also talks villains, both on the screen and in the boardroom.

Read Bethany at Vanity Fair, watch her on CNBC, or go buy her books.

Bethany McLean is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. She is also a columnist at Yahoo Finance and a contributor to CNBC. Her two books are the The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron and All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis. She lives in Chicago. She has also written two mini books, Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the US Mortgage Giants and Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It's Changing the World.

Biology is Technology (w/ Ryan Bethancourt)

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Today, Chris sits down with Ryan Bethencourt, CEO of Wild Earth Inc, to talk about science fiction, biohacking, the birth of biotech and disrupting one of the oldest industries on the planet. Chris also talks grill etiquette, retreats, and tells you to eat a GMO salad.

You can follow Ryan on Twitter and Instagram at @RyanBethencourt; Wild Earth can be found at @wildearthpets

For more cutting edge biotech companies, check out Indiebio, the biotech accelerator that Ryan co-founded.

If you want to get inspired by some science fiction, here's a list to start working your way through.

From HBR: Making Empathy Central to Your Company Culture
From Inc: United's Latest Disaster
From Med News Today: More Evidence You Should Eat Better

Finally, Ryan referenced Ethan Perlstein, another person you might want to follow in this space. Check him on Twitter at: @eperlste

Form a Rebel Alliance! (w/ Lois Kelly)

Mon, 27 May 2019 01:00:00 -0700

On today's show, Chris introduces himself and then sits down to talk with author Lois Kelly. They talk about rebels at work, why they're so important to organizations and what to do if you are a rebel, or you lead them.

Lois Kelly has been a lifelong Rebel at Work, and has spent her career helping Fortune 100 companies become braver and more creative in their approaches to communications.

Her real professional joy has been encouraging people to become more rebellious at work. Lois is the author of four books, including Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within, which she co-wrote with Carmen Medina. She lives in Rhode Island, working on becoming wiser and wilder when she's not in the woods, writing evocative personal essays, or running workshops for aspiring Rebels. Twitter: @LoisKelly and @Rebelsatwork. Writing: https://medium.com/@LoisKelly. Web sites: foghound.com and rebelsatwork.com

Note: in the show, Lois mentions the writer and consultant Meg Wheatley. She is someone else you should know about, so click here to learn more: https://margaretwheatley.com/

A Case of the Mondays Trailer #1

Tue, 14 May 2019 23:00:00 -0700

Coming soon! A business podcast for thoughtful (and a little skeptical) business people.