Today, we take on a difficult conversation sparked by the tragic killing in Biddeford, Maine, and other deeply disturbing events that have unfolded in recent months. Beyond the individual tragedies is something even more troubling: a growing tendency to normalize horrific, immoral, and dehumanizing behavior.

We see it in our politics. We see it in our communities. We see it in the way people talk about—and sometimes treat—one another. And when that behavior becomes normalized, we risk losing our ability to recognize just how wrong it is.

As OD and HR practitioners, we are at choice. Do we simply get caught in the current of toxic behavior and cultures, quietly adapting to what has become "normal"? Or do we have the courage to call it what it is?

What is our responsibility when the world around us becomes increasingly toxic? How do we create organizations where humanity, dignity, respect, and psychological safety aren't just words on a wall—but values we actively defend?

And maybe this isn't just an HR or OD issue. Maybe it starts with all of us—in the small choices we make every day. A little more curiosity. A little less judgment. An act of kindness toward a stranger. A decision to see the person in front of us as a human being, even when we disagree.

We can't fix everything that's wrong in the world. But perhaps we can influence the spaces we occupy, the cultures we create, and the way we treat the people we encounter.

Maybe that's where change begins.

In this episode, we uncover one of Joyce's most unusual leadership tools—her famous paper plate journals. (Yes, we'll explain.) Over the years, Joyce captured hard-earned insights about what great HR really looks like, jotting them down on paper plates that became her personal leadership playbook.

Together, we revisit those notes as Joyce shares her practical "rules of the road" for HR professionals. Bob, seeing many of them for the first time, reacts in real time, sparking the kind of candid conversation listeners have come to expect.

These aren't theories you'll find in academic textbooks or the latest HR workshop. They're lessons forged through decades of experience—practical, timeless, and surprisingly relevant for anyone leading people today.

And why paper plates? Joyce discovered they were more durable, more portable, and far more coffee- and sweat-proof than a legal pad. Sometimes the best ideas begin in the most unexpected places.

What can today's leaders learn from the bold experiment that created American democracy 250 years ago? Joyce explores the Constitution as an enduring lesson in leadership, systems thinking, and the power of constructive disagreement.

Looking through the lens of organizational development, she explores the Constitution as one of history's most audacious leadership experiments—a bold attempt to design a nation where power is shared, disagreement is expected, and progress depends on conversation rather than conquest. I

t's a timely reminder that democracy, like every healthy organization, isn't self-sustaining. It requires courage, compromise, and people willing to keep coming back to the table.

In today’s episode, Joyce shares an essay she wrote back in 2019 entitled, Maine Voices: In time of turmoil, let’s recommit to our grand democratic experiment.