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In this inspiring episode of Dear HR Diary, Dawn Hart sits down with Ken Kunken, a powerhouse of resilience, purpose, and advocacy. Ken’s journey from a life-altering accident to a successful career in law is nothing short of extraordinary. Through his story, we explore the realities of disability in the workplace—and more importantly, how we can all be agents of change.

Ken shares his firsthand experience overcoming adversity, finding motivation in the face of unimaginable challenges, and the power of a support system that believes in your potential. We dig into the barriers that still exist for individuals with disabilities when it comes to employment and advancement, and Ken offers practical insights into the importance of accommodations, accessibility, and addressing unconscious bias.

From courtroom victories to workplace equity, this episode challenges all of us—leaders, HR pros, and colleagues—to do better and be better.

🔥 Topics Covered:

• Ken’s personal journey and what kept him motivated after becoming quadriplegic
• The power of purpose and perseverance in overcoming obstacles
• The state of employment for people with disabilities—what’s working, what’s not
• Why support systems (personal and professional) make or break success
• Breaking barriers in the legal field and becoming a role model for inclusive success
• Understanding the role of reasonable accommodations in building equitable workplaces
• The need to confront unconscious bias in hiring and promotion decisions
• Celebrating ability, not just “accommodating” disability
• Moving from performative DEI to impactful change

💬 Ken's Quote:

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – Guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues
• The ADA National Network – Information and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Disability:– Promoting disability inclusion in business
• EEOC – Disability Discrimination – Federal guidance and resources on workplace rights
• Book Recommendation: "Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist" by Judith Heumann
• Book Recommendation: "I Dream of Things That Never Were" by Ken Kunken: https://kenkunken.com/buy-the-book/

📬 Connect with Ken Kunken:

• 📧 Email: kenkunken@aol.com
• Website: https://kenkunken.com/
• 📞 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-j-kunken-b4b0a9a8/
• 🎤 Speaker & Advocate: Available for keynotes and DEI panels

🎧 Listen Now wherever you get your HR real talk!
💼 Tag us: #DearHRDiary | #DisabilityInclusion | #ManageWithHart

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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In this eye-opening episode (or ear-opening), we're diving deep into the generational divide—and how to bridge it—with none other than communication coach and generational whisperer, Geoff Weinstein.

We explore:

• 📣 Why communication is the #1 source of frustration between generations at work
• 🧠 How Generation Z is boldly advocating for mental health and authentic expression
• 👂 The evolving art of listening—and how your listening style impacts team dynamics
• 💬 What empathy actually looks like in real-world conversations (hint: it’s not just nodding and saying “I hear you”)
• 🧍‍♀️ The critical importance of face-to-face communication—and how remote work is changing the game
• 🛠️ Practical strategies to connect with Gen Z employees without sounding like you downloaded TikTok just to “relate”

Whether you're a seasoned leader or a Gen Z newbie trying to make your voice heard, this episode is packed with insights on building meaningful, human-centered communication in the workplace.

💡 Quote from Geoff:

📚 Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Harvard Business Review: Why Employees—and Gen Z in particular—Need Empathetic Leaders
• Pew Research Center: On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future – Gen Z Research
• Book: “You're Not Listening” by Kate Murphy – A powerful read on rethinking how we truly listen in a noisy world
• Geoff’s Website & Newsletter: geoffweinstein.com
• Article: Why Face-to-Face Communication Still Matters – Forbes.com

📞 Connect with Geoff Weinstein

Helping busy people cut through the noise and be more influential in the age of AI, overload, remote work, and constant change. | Executive Coaching | Powerful Presentations | Lean Email

• 🌐 Website: geoffweinstein.com
• 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/geoffweinstein

👂 Take Action:
After listening, take a minute to reflect on your own communication habits. Are you truly listening—or just waiting to reply? Are you creating space for Gen Z voices—or expecting them to adapt to outdated norms?

Then, share your biggest aha! moment with us on LinkedIn and tag @DearHRDiary + @ManageWithHart. Let’s keep the convo going!

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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Grab your coffee—and maybe a calculator—because we’re getting real about retirement. In this episode, I sit down with retirement plan whisperer Courtenay Shipley to chat about all things 401(k), from why this benefit is more than just a line item to how we really need to be talking about it with our employees.

Whether you’re a manager, an HR pro, or someone who just keeps “set up 401(k)” on your to-do list indefinitely (we see you), Courtenay brings the clarity, strategy, and humor needed to finally make retirement planning feel… possible.

We talk about:
✅ Why retirement benefits still matter—yes, even for Gen Z
✅ The value of automatic enrollment (hint: it helps people who forget to adult)
✅ Why skipping the company match is like turning down free money
✅ The most common types of 401(k) plans and what makes each one tick
✅ Growth strategies that don’t require a finance degree
✅ Communication tips to help employees actually understand their retirement options
✅ Why helping people “get the why” is the key to better participation and less future regret

Courtenay also breaks down how to prepare for the transition to retirement and how organizations can support employees at every stage of their financial planning journey.

This episode is all about turning that “I’ll get to it later” mindset into “I’m on it!” Because let’s be honest—future-you deserves a nap on a beach, not a panic attack at 68.

Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Learn more about Courtenay and Retirement Planology: https://retirementplanology.com

📞 Connect with Courtenay Shipley

Courtenay Shipley, CRPS®, AIF®, CPFA, CEPA
Founder & Chief Planologist, Retirement Planology, Inc.

• 📧 Email: cshipley@retirementplanology.com
• 📞 Phone: (703) 595-2829
• 🌐 Website: www.retirementplanology.com
• 📍 Address: 950 N Washington Street, Suite 242, Alexandria, VA 22314
• 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cshipley
  affordablebookkeepingandpayroll.com+4

📊 Want a better way to explain your 401(k) benefit? Courtenay’s team offers great tools to simplify complex terms for employees.

Three Takeaways for Managers & HR Leaders:

1. Don’t just offer the benefit—explain it like a human. Use real-life examples to make it click.
2. Default your people into greatness. Automatic enrollment works. Period.
3. Start the retirement convo early. Help your employees see their 401(k) not as a luxury, but as a lifeline.

Connect with Us:
💬 What’s the best financial advice your company ever gave you? DM me @managewithhart or tag us using #DearHRDiary
📩 Want help explaining benefits to employees? Visit www.managewithhart.com for tools and training.

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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Raise your hand if you’ve ever silently asked, “Is this all there is?” at work. 🙋‍♀️

In this soul-refreshing episode of Dear HR Diary, I am joined by Anthony Kuo, Career Satisfaction Coach, to dive deep into the topic that’s been whispering (or screaming) in so many people’s heads: career satisfaction.

We’re going beyond “just be grateful you have a job” and exploring how to build work lives that don’t just pay the bills, but actually help us thrive.

Together, we unpack:

• 📊 What career satisfaction really means—and how it differs across generations
• 🚧 The stigma around job dissatisfaction and why people stay stuck
• ❓ The real questions to ask yourself (or your employees) to uncover satisfaction roadblocks
• 🫣 How “quiet quitting” isn’t laziness—it’s a symptom
• 🧠 The Care Card concept: a unique framework Anthony uses to help people map their work needs and values
• 🔄 Practical ways managers and HR can support career exploration before burnout hits

Whether you’re an HR leader, people manager, or a professional questioning your own career direction, this episode is your permission slip to take career satisfaction seriously—because your work should work for you too.

👤 About Our Guest: Anthony Kuo

Anthony Kuo is a certified Career Satisfaction Coach who helps professionals ditch “meh” jobs and find meaningful, energizing work that aligns with who they are. With a background in talent development and coaching, Anthony blends psychology, strategy, and empathy to help people get unstuck and love their work again.

🔗 Connect with Anthony:

• Website: https://www.untamedcareer.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/untamedcareer/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untamedcareer/

💬 Quote Worth Sharing:

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• The Care Card framework –https://www.untamedcareer.com/blog/is-your-job-building-or-breaking-your-mental-health
• Gallup's State of the Workplace report – https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
• Harvard Business Review on the rise of job dissatisfaction – https://hbr.org/1973/07/why-employees-stay

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:

Catch this episode and more raw, unfiltered truth on people leadership and workplace culture.

✨ Want More?

Subscribe to Dear HR Diary for your weekly dose of straight-talk on people, leadership, and the messy magic of managing humans.

Because job satisfaction isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential.

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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In this episode I sit down with renowned organizational designer and author Jurriaan Kamer to explore the high-impact concept of psychological safety—a key ingredient for healthy teams and effective leadership that often gets lip service but little follow-through.

Psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the bedrock of trust, collaboration, and innovation. So why do so many workplaces struggle with it?

Together, we get into the heart of what psychological safety really means, the barriers that block it, and the leadership behaviors that foster (or destroy) it. If you’re leading a team, supporting people through change, or working to create a culture of openness and accountability—this episode is your playbook.

🔍 What We Cover:

• ✅ Definition of psychological safety (and why it’s misunderstood)
• ⚠️ Common roadblocks like fear of judgment, unclear expectations, and perfectionism
• 🧰 Tactical ways leaders can create safety—starting with how they react to bad news
• 🫣 The uncomfortable truth: vulnerability is a leadership skill, not a personality trait
• 🧠 The connection between psychological safety and employee mental health
• 🔄 The ripple effects: how safety impacts performance, innovation, engagement, and retention

🧠 Resources Mentioned:

• 📘 The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson – the foundational book on psychological safety
  Buy it here
• 📕 Formula X by Jurriaan Kamer & Rini van Solingen – how to speed up business without burning people out
  Check it out here
• 📄 Harvard Business Review article on What Psychological Safety Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace
• 📎 Google’s Project Aristotle – research showing psychological safety is the top trait of successful teams
  Read the summary

👤 About Our Guest: Jurriaan Kamer

Jurriaan Kamer is an organizational designer, agile transformation expert, and co-author of the bestselling book Formula X. He helps companies break free from outdated structures and bureaucracy to build high-performance teams with a human-first approach.

Jurriaan regularly consults with Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing startups, guiding them to create adaptive, empowering workplaces where people can thrive.

🔗 Connect with Jurriaan:

• Website: https://jurriaankamer.com & unblock.works
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jurriaankamer
• Book: Formula X

💬 Quote Worth Sharing:

Subscribe to Dear HR Diary for weekly episodes that dish out the raw, real, and refreshingly honest truth about leading people. Because managing humans is messy—and we’re here to help you do it better.

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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Startups are sexy—until you realize they run on caffeine, chaos, and people who are trying to do five jobs at once. In this episode of Dear HR Diary, I chat with the brilliant Isar Bhattacharjee, startup whisperer, culture builder, and people strategist, about the beautiful, messy, fast-paced world of startups—and the very real people challenges they face.

Isar and I unpack the realities behind startup hype, from the invisible organizational debt that builds up faster than your Slack notifications, to why feedback without follow-through is just noise. If you’ve ever been in a startup, supported one, or even dreamed about launching your own—this is the conversation you didn’t know you needed.

🔥 What We Covered:

• The unique people challenges in startups—and why HR can't be an afterthought
• What the heck is organizational debt and how it quietly kills culture
• Creating a delivery culture that doesn’t burn people out
• Why employee engagement is critical even when you're building the plane while flying it
• The role of feedback, follow-through, and psychological safety
• Learning and development when your entire team is learning on the job
• How to drive recognition and motivation in high-growth, high-pressure environments

💡 Quote from Isar:
"Startups think speed is the advantage—but trust, clarity, and culture are what make speed sustainable."

🎯 This episode is for HR leaders, startup founders, and anyone navigating the wild ride of early-stage growth. Grab your coffee, and let’s get real about the people side of startups.

📎 Resources & Links:

• Connect with Isar Bhattacharjee: https://www.uncover.business/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isar-bhattacharjee/
• Explore Manage With Hart’s support for startups: managewithhart.com

📲 Like what you heard?
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share! Tag a startup leader who needs to hear this. Your people will thank you (eventually, when they stop putting out fires).

#DearHRDiary #StartupCulture #PeopleStrategy #EmployeeEngagement #OrganizationalDebt #HRInStartups #FeedbackCulture #RecognitionMatters #ManageWithHart

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

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In this episode of Dear HR Diary, I sit down with Michelle Merritt—Chief Strategy Officer at D&S Executive Career Management, Board & Executive Career Coach, and all-around StrengthsFinder guru—to unpack how understanding and owning your strengths can completely transform your work, your relationships, and even your job search. (Spoiler alert: It's not about fixing your weaknesses—it's about maximizing your magic.)

Together, we explore the power of the CliftonStrengths assessment and what it really means to lead, work, and grow from a strengths-based perspective. Whether you're a new manager trying to build a better team, a job seeker figuring out your next move, or a leader looking to boost engagement and productivity, Michelle brings practical, real-world wisdom you can actually use.

💥 What we cover in this episode:

• What is CliftonStrengths, and why it’s so much more than just another personality quiz
• How identifying your strengths can be a game-changer for career development
• Practical ways to use StrengthsFinder in team dynamics and leadership
• Why leaning into your strengths improves workplace engagement and job performance
• The role of strengths in navigating job transitions and interviews
• How understanding your top strengths can improve communication and relationships—yep, even at home!

💡 Quote from Michelle:
"When we start building teams around strengths instead of roles, everything changes. People don’t just work better—they feel better."

🎯 Whether you're in HR, management, or just figuring out what lights you up—this episode is a must-listen.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Michelle Merritt: https://www.dscareermanagement.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemerritt/
• Take the CliftonStrengths Assessment: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths
• Work with us at Manage With Hart: managewithhart.com

📲 Let’s Connect:
Like what you heard? Rate and review the show, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to lean into their strengths. And don’t forget to follow Dear HR Diary for your weekly dose of honest, hilarious, and heart-driven leadership insight.

Support the show

Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart

Send us a text

In this powerful episode of Dear HR Diary, we dive deep—not into policies or platitudes, but into the real, human heartbeat of DEI—with the brilliant Luaskya Nonon, Esq., an employment attorney and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist who brings both legal insight and lived experience to the conversation.

Together, we break down what DEI really means (spoiler: it’s not just a training module), why individual experiences and identities matter, and the role that every manager plays in making workplaces more inclusive—not just for some, but for everyone.

We talk about the sticky stuff: the challenges that stall progress, the uncomfortable truths about workplace culture, and how managers can stop treating DEI as someone else’s job and start weaving it into every interaction, meeting, and policy decision.

If you’re a manager, HR pro, or leader who wants to move from checkbox diversity to actual inclusion—you need this episode in your ears.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🌍 What DEI really is (and what it’s not)
👥 Why personal experiences and perspectives are central to true inclusion
🧠 How to create safe spaces where employees feel seen, valued, and heard
👩🏽‍💼 The manager’s role in championing inclusive practices—every day, not just on DEI training day
📉 What gets in the way of real progress—and how to push through it
📆 Why age, identity, ability, and background are all part of the DEI equation

Resources & Connections:

🔗 Connect with Luaskya Nonon, Esq. on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/luaskyanonon/
🌐 Learn more about her DEI work – https://equityprinciple.com/

💬 DEI isn’t about checking a box—it’s about changing behavior, systems, and mindsets. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone ready to lead with empathy, equity, and courage.

Subscribe, share, and send this episode to a leader who needs to hear it.

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Connect with Dawn:
Website: www.managewithhart.com
Instagram: @managewithhart