In this episode of the Psych in Business podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde hosts a conversation with Dr. Robin Graff-Reed. Dr. Graff-Reed is a former supervisor, colleague, and friend from his days at the Department of Veterans Affairs. With over 20 years of experience leading and consulting in the second-largest government entity, Dr. Graff-Reed brings a wealth of knowledge in organizational consulting, executive coaching, and leadership development. She is currently the president-elect of the Ohio Psychological Association.

In this episode, Dr. Graff-Reed shares her unique career journey from writing to psychology and her extensive experience within the VA. The conversation dives into the importance of leadership skills, the role of psychological safety and employee engagement in workplace success, and the intricacies of change management. Dr. Graff-Reed also discusses her current role at the Ohio Psychological Association and the value of having psychologists in leadership positions.

Key Takeaways:

• Transition from Writing to Psychology: Dr. Graff-Reed's journey emphasizes the value of diverse experiences and how her background in writing enriched her psychological practice.

• Importance of Soft Skills in Leadership: Leaders must master people skills, which are often more challenging but crucial for organizational success.

• Psychological Safety and Employee Engagement: Creating a work environment where employees feel safe to speak up and engage in their roles is key to organizational success.

• Change Management: Successful change within an organization requires strong leadership and cannot be outsourced; leaders must be actively involved in the process.

• Role of Psychologists in Leadership: Psychologists bring invaluable insights into human behavior, making them essential in leadership and organizational development.

To learn more about Dr. Robin Graff-Reed, connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-graff-reed-phd-0a78a895/

In this episode of the "Psych in Business" podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde delves into the intricacies of organizational change management. We return to Dr. Emily Carter, the acting CEO of Blue River's Hospital, as she navigates the complexities of implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system. This episode emphasizes the importance of an organizational change strategy and the pivotal role of executive leadership in successful change initiatives.

Dr. Emily Carter realizes the necessity of professional support and enlists the help of a business psychologist specializing in organizational change management. Through their collaboration, Dr. Carter learns about the Change Pyramid framework, which outlines the critical components of successful change, highlighting the need for an executive champion.

Key Takeaways:



• Organizational Change Strategy: Dr. Carter understands the importance of a comprehensive change strategy to address multiple changes at Blue River's Hospital, especially in the post-COVID business landscape.

• Executive Champion Role: The consultant explains that an executive champion is crucial for the success of any change initiative. This individual, often a senior leader, sets the direction, builds support, and ensures the change is effectively communicated and implemented.

• Change Pyramid Framework:

1. Executive Champion: At the base of the pyramid, this leader is responsible for the overall direction, resource allocation, team selection, and barrier removal.
2. Three P's: People, Processes, and Project. These elements must be managed cohesively to support the change.
3. Continuous Management: Constant risk identification, corrective action development, and effective communication are essential for successful change.

• Shared Vision: A cohesive vision for the change, communicated from the top down, ensures that every member of the organization understands and supports the change initiative.

• Professional Guidance: Dr. Carter values the expertise of the change management consultant, acknowledging the complexity of successful change and the necessity of having experienced guidance.

You can visit our website at Wayde Consulting.

In this episode of the Psych in Business podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde hosts a conversation with Dr. Jena Booher, a business psychologist and social scientist who specializes in the tech sector. Jena is widely recognized as a strategic advisor to startups nationwide, working in industries like commercial real estate, retail marketing, and digital health and wellness. She is the founder of JEM Advisors Group. Interestingly, Jena's career began as a sales trader at JP Morgan.

Jena shares her unique journey from the finance sector to her current role in business psychology, detailing her experiences and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. The discussion covers the integration of psychology, business, and technology, focusing on how these elements can be used to improve leadership and workplace environments. The episode also delves into Jena’s work with mergers and acquisitions, cultural integration, and the challenges of scaling startups.

Key Takeaways:

• Transition from Finance to Psychology: Jena’s journey from JP Morgan to business psychology highlights the importance of pursuing passion and the invaluable lessons learned from competitive environments.
• Cultural Integration in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Successful M&A requires prioritizing cultural integration to meet revenue and cost synergy targets, with a focus on creating a unified company identity.

• The Role of Psychology in Business: Understanding human behavior, emotions, and stories is crucial for managing complex business situations and creating lasting transformation within organizations.

• Challenges of Scaling Startups: Transitioning from startup to scale-up involves significant changes, including redefining leadership roles and maintaining agility and flexibility.

• Co-Founder Relationships: Effective communication and addressing "elephants in the room" are essential for maintaining healthy co-founder relationships and ensuring organizational success.

To learn more about Dr. Jena Booher and connect with her, visit her website: Jena Booher.

In this episode of the "Psych in Business" podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde explores the psychological and practical aspects of managing change within organizations. We revisit Dr. Emily Carter, the acting CEO of Blue River's Hospital, as she faces the daunting task of implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system within six months. This episode focuses on the emotional and behavioral responses to change and the strategies leaders can use to guide their teams through challenging transitions.

Dr. Emily Carter is feeling anxious and overwhelmed with the impending changes. A psychologist friend helps her understand the biological and psychological roots of resistance to change, offering insights on how to manage her emotions and behaviors. Dr. Carter learns to reframe the impact of the change, identifying potential positives for herself and the organization, which helps her feel more optimistic about the transition.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding Resistance: Dr. Carter learns that resistance to change is a natural response and begins to understand its biological and psychological basis.

• Reframing Impact: By focusing on the potential positive aspects of the new EHR system, Dr. Carter changes her perspective, seeing benefits for herself and Blue River's Hospital.

• Behavioral Strategies: Identifying the relationship between the impact of change and resulting behaviors, Dr. Carter formulates strategies to ensure successful implementation.

• Employee Buy-In: Dr. Carter realizes the importance of explaining the reasons behind the change to her staff, highlighting benefits, and addressing concerns to gain their support.

• Compassionate Leadership: Understanding that employees will have their resistance, Dr. Carter plans to approach the change process with empathy and support.

• Professional Support: Dr. Carter decides to seek the help of a change management consultant to guide her and the organization through the transition effectively.

You can visit our website at Wayde Consulting.

In this episode of the Psych in Business podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde hosts a conversation with Grant 'Upbeat' Bosnick, a consultant, former pro drummer, and the managing director of Your Empowering Solutions. Grant shares his unique journey from being a professional musician to using psychology and neuroscience to help leaders develop effective behaviors, collaborative high-performing teams, and a people-driven organization.

Grant's story is filled with pivotal moments, including his experiences with different leadership styles and his transition from the entertainment industry to executive coaching and keynote speaking. His encounters with diverse leaders and his personal challenges led him to focus on becoming a better leader himself. Now based in Singapore, Grant has spent over two decades in Asia, working with organizations across six continents.

The episode delves into the integration of music, psychology, and neuroscience in leadership development. Grant discusses the importance of creating an environment where team members feel valued, the impact of psychological needs on motivation and performance, and how he uses drumming to help leaders achieve flow states and higher cognitive functioning.

Key Takeaways:

• Psychological Needs: Understanding and addressing the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, relatedness, equity, and sureness to create a motivating work environment.
• Flow State: Using techniques like drumming to help leaders achieve flow states, boosting productivity, reducing stress, and enhancing mental health.

• Human-Centered Leadership: Recognizing the importance of relationships and tailoring leadership approaches to different cultural contexts, especially in diverse regions like Asia.

• Authenticity: Embracing personal interests and traits, such as Grant’s background in drumming, to build authentic connections and improve leadership effectiveness.

• Adapting Leadership Styles: Listening to team members and adjusting recognition methods to suit individual preferences, fostering a sense of belonging and value.

To learn more about Grant Bosnick and connect with him by visiting his website: http://grantbosnick.com/

In this episode of the "Psych in Business" podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde explores the emotional and psychological challenges faced by Dr. Emily Carter, the acting CEO of Blue River's Hospital, as she navigates significant organizational change. This episode delves into the application of practical psychology in the workplace, focusing on how understanding the personal impact of change can improve leadership effectiveness and employee relations.

Dr. Emily Carter is tasked with the challenging implementation of Optima Health System's (OHS) electronic health record (EHR) system within six months, despite recently investing in a new EHR system. Additionally, she faces financial losses, staff turnover, absenteeism, and the pressure of maintaining the hospital's public image. Feeling overwhelmed, Dr. Carter turns to a psychologist friend for guidance on how to manage these changes effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Personal Impact: Dr. Carter learns to focus on how the EHR system change affects her as both a physician and a leader.

• Emotional Responses: She identifies emotions like frustration, anxiety, helplessness, and anger that influence her behaviors.

• Behavioral Chain Analysis: Dr. Carter connects her emotional responses to specific behaviors, such as defiance and disengagement.

• Normalizing Resistance: Resistance to change is a natural response driven by the brain's preference for routine and familiarity.

• Leader's Journey: Leaders often forget their own initial resistance to change when communicating new directives.

• Compassionate Leadership: Understanding the psychological aspects of change helps leaders approach change more compassionately.

• Future Strategies: The episode will discuss strategies to help leaders and their teams move from resistance to acceptance.

You can visit our website at Wayde Consulting.

In this episode of the Psych in Business podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde hosts a conversation with Joy White, the Director of Clinical Operations at UCI Health Systems. Joy shares her journey from working in a furniture store as a child to becoming a leader in healthcare, driven by her personal experiences and passion for patient care.

Joy's story begins with her son’s congenital heart defect, which inspired her to pursue nursing. Her career rapidly advanced as she took on leadership roles, emphasizing the importance of nurturing both patients and colleagues. Now, at UCI Health Systems, Joy oversees clinical care operations, focusing on team building and patient movement across the health system.

The episode delves into the concept of human-centered leadership and the importance of psychological safety. Joy shares her experiences in environments lacking psychological safety and how they shaped her leadership style. She emphasizes the need for open communication, team empowerment, and continuous learning.

Key Takeaways:

• Psychological Safety: The importance of creating an environment where team members feel safe to voice their concerns and ideas.

• Empowering Teams: Giving team members the autonomy to suggest and implement changes fosters a more engaged and effective workforce.

• Human-Centered Leadership: Leaders must take care of themselves to effectively lead and support their teams, promoting a healthy work-life harmony.

• Communication: Clear and transparent communication, including explaining the "why" behind decisions, is crucial for team buy-in and success.

• Adapting Leadership Styles: Tailoring communication and leadership approaches to different audiences, whether it's frontline staff or executive leadership, is essential for effective leadership.

To learn more about Joy White and connect with her, visit her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joynicolewhite/

In this episode of the "Psych in Business" podcast, Dr. Ernest Wayde explores the challenges faced by Dr. Emily Carter, the acting CEO of Blue River's Hospital, as she navigates organizational change and employee relations. This episode dives into the application of practical psychology in the workplace, focusing on how leadership decisions and change management affect staff morale and organizational success.

Dr. Emily Carter faces a significant challenge when she is informed that Blue River's Hospital must switch to Optima Health System's electronic health record (EHR) system within six months, despite recently implementing a new EHR system. This episode provides valuable insights into the complexities of organizational change, the importance of clear communication, and understanding employee experiences.

Key Takeaways

• Organizational Change and Leadership Transition: Blue River's Hospital is undergoing major changes under Dr. Emily Carter, the new acting CEO, who aims to improve conditions for the nursing staff to boost engagement and profitability.

• Behavioral Chain Analysis: Dr. Emily Carter uses behavioral chain analysis to uncover the root causes of nurses' absenteeism and turnover, identifying stress, frustration, and a lack of appreciation as key factors.

• Challenges of New Systems Implementation: Dr. Emily Carter faces challenges with the mandated switch to Optima Health Systems' EHR within six months, despite recent investments in a new EHR system that staff are still adapting to.

• Employee Feedback and Involvement: The episode underscores the importance of involving employees in decisions. Despite staff preference for the current EHR system, higher management decisions prevail.

• Communication and Perception: Dr. Emily Carter's communication struggles and the EHR system change led to frustration and resistance among staff, as her efforts to retain the current system were unsuccessful.

• Commitment to Improvement: Despite frustrations, Dr. Emily Carter is committed to working with staff and Optima Health Systems to address issues and find mutually beneficial solutions.

• Change Saturation: The episode discusses the concept of change saturation, highlighting that over 70% of organizations are experiencing it. This leads to negative behaviors among staff, including disengagement, stress, and resistance to change. Recognizing and addressing change saturation is crucial for organizational health.

You can visit our website at Wayde Consulting.