In my most recent episode, I am joined by top motivation science speaker, author, and associate professor of psychology at NYU, Dr. Emily Balcetis. Emily has over 70 published scientific pieces of writing, her fantastic work has been featured by numerous publications and outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, Time, and more. She has been a featured speaker of TEDxTalks, various media outlets, podcasts, universities, community organizations, and corporations. Over the course of 20 years, Emily has become one of the most sought-after voices on motivation science.
Most recently, Emily has written and published a fantastic, insightful book, “Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World.” Bill and Emily discuss concepts, practices, and ideas found in her new book.
Here are a few takeaways:
The psychology and science of motivation
How to set goals, follow through, and achieve them
What is visual experience and how can it help?
Multitasking and task-switching
Growing your toolbox to get the job done
As a CIO and Business IT Leader here are More wins you will get by listening:
(1:50) Bill: “Everybody listening her has goals and things they’re trying to achieve and so I think as we go along there’s more science and more research than 20 years ago.”
(3:30) Emily: “The origins of psychology and motivation science from those studies of how frequently we should give little food pellets to pigeons is really the basis for some of the most pressing questions that we’re grappling with today as scientists.”
(4:30) Emily: “People have thought vision is special, they think it’s the one sense that cannot be influenced by what we’re thinking, by our internal world. I disagree. Our visual experiences that we’re consciously aware of, that we recognize, are not the same and we don’t go about it in the same way.”
(5:30) Emily: “If we are aware of that, we can harness that as a superpower that we have to help us better meet our goals, or to understand why we’re struggling in the first place.”
(6:30) Emily: “Mental representation, that is one aspect of visual experience, the image that comes to your mind when you think about a concept. We also study other elements of visual experience like where I orient visual attention. Do I really pay attention to everything that’s there or just a subset of what my eyes are focusing on?”
(7:00) Emily: “We study all of that in a controlled sense. Here’s a finish line for example, it’s in the same place for everyone but we don’t see distance the same way. It will look farther to you than me, or vice versa, depending on other factors we throw into that calculation.”
(15:30) Emily: “The way we think about time is what stands in our way of doing our best work and meeting our goals, especially when it comes to something that might need our daily investment or continual investment for something that won’t reap results until a far off future.”
(16:00) Emily: “When people feel like something is far away, it is challenging to make that daily sacrifice, and so oftentimes they don’t do it or they think they’ll work on it tomorrow.”
(16:30) Emily: “If we take that idea of narrowed focus of attention and apply it not so much to literally what our eyes are focused on in our environment but cognitively what am I focusing my thoughts on, my visualizations right now.”
(18:30) Emily: “Why do people give up? Why do they throw in the towel? Why do they not go out to exercise in the first place? Their beliefs about that distance demotivates them from even trying in the first place.”
(20:30) Emily: “Time is an element that can stand in our way, and what can we do to contract time when time is the problem.”
(22:30) Emily: “With visual experience, there’s a direct connection between what we see and what we do. And a lot of the times that connection isn’t something that we’re aware of.”
(27:00) Bill: “So you’re making the cognitive load of you’re setting yourself up for success because the vision is so powerful that it either can support or it can override depending for motivation.”
(27:40) Emily: “Cognitive psychologists have said, ‘No, there isn’t such a thing as multitasking, it’s task switching.’ It’s just how quickly can you ping back and forth between things that might seem incompatible to be doing.”
(29:30) Emily: “A lot of people don’t like that experience of multitasking as much as they might like the experience of flow.”
(30:00) Emily: “Rather than trying to figure out is it good or is it bad, can we do it, can we not, let the philosophers figure that one out. Instead, why don’t we just think about it as a tool that there are different things that happen to our brain when we multitask or task switch and let’s be aware of it and use it to our advantage.”
(32:30) Emily: “Stress isn’t always bad. It can jumpstart our neurological architecture that can help us make decisions better, it can think about what is that flight fight response doing.”
(33:30) Emily: “Let’s be aware of what multitasking, task switching does to us, and let’s be conscientious in how we use it.”
(35:30) Bill: “Goal setting and achievement?”
(35:35) Emily: “Step one is thinking about fresh starts; anything that we give psychological import to can be a fresh start. Choose a moment for a fresh start where people feel like they can put the past in the past and not carry baggage moving forward.”
(37:00) Emily: “The second one is a lot of people like dream board within their businesses that reflects their desired outcome. It is important to know where are we headed? What is our five-year goal or 10-year plan? We need the ebbs and flows.”
(39:00) Emily: “We also need to add foreshadowing obstacles. We need to think about what’s going to stand in our way, what are the possible challenges that I might experience, and troubleshoot possible solutions in advance of experiencing them.”
(39:30) Emily: “If you are up against a major obstacle professionally, you’re going to be short on time, resources, people, power, and at a heightened level of anxiety which is not going to let us be our most creative selves.”
(41:30) Emily: “Some disciplines, some industries, their brains are better wired, it’s more habitual for them to be thinking about risk and mitigating it in advance. Sometimes people don’t go through that activity is that they often think that this wouldn’t happen to them, bad things don’t happen to them.”
(42:30) Emily: “We have this cognitive illusion, this cognitive bias to underweight bad things and overweight the likelihood of good things happening to us.”
(47:30) Emily: “We need to expand our toolbox of tools that are available to us to help us get the job done, I encourage everybody to keep building out that toolbox of strategies that they have to help get their jobs done.”
Resources
Follow Emily on Twitter
I am joined by best-selling author, digital transformation leader, successful CIO, and founder of StarCIO, Isaac Sacolick. Recognized as a top 100 social CIO, blogger and industry speaker, Isaac has over 20 years of experience delivering innovative solutions, leading IT teams, and transforming underperforming businesses.
On this episode, we discuss his new book, “Digital Trailblazer: Essential Lessons to Jumpstart Transformation and Accelerate Your Technology Leadership,” his journey to becoming a digital transformation leader/CIO, how the audience can employ their skills as a digital leader, and more.
Here are some of the top takeaways you will receive from this episode:
The impact of generative AI from both an opportunity and a risk perspective
Navigating your role as a transformational CIO
Isaac’s transformational journey
How to use data and analytics to a strategic advantage
Developing and refining your ‘vision’
The clash between CIOs, sales leaders, and marketing leaders
Driving transformation and aligning with your organization’s offense
(4:32) Isaac: “So that was neural networks back in the ‘90s. We had no algorithms, there’s no tensor flow, there was no cloud, it was all very slow. But we were trying to solve some interesting things around computer vision, around predictions, a little bit of natural language processing.”
(5:19) Isaac: “Three years ago we went from growth to resolving a pandemic set of issues, to supply chain issues, to hybrid working issues. We did this huge pivot in 2020 that I talk about in chapter 10 of the book. I think we’re on the cusp of another major inflection with AI. What’s the impact of generative AI from both an opportunity and a risk perspective?”
(6:06) Bill: “What are the ways that you can have private AI within your organization versus public AI?”
(6:49) Isaac: “We need to look at the horizons and the frequency. Whatever that frequency was before, double it because things are just happening too fast.”
(7:20) Isaac: “Marketing departments are going to really be the first group hit with a whole set of point solutions that can help them generate graphics, videos, and content.”
(9:11) Bill: “It seems to me that ChatGPT and Microsoft’s investment is sort of the first interface that is real practical for human beings to use.”
(9:39) Isaac: “We’re going to have to see how that plays out, especially with Copilot. I think that’s going to change how people work. It’ll be interesting to see where the big four are going to start making their AI explainable or are we going to put regulations in place around that. Are companies going to firewall off this capability because they’re afraid of IP being leaked out to it?”
(11:04) Isaac: “If you don’t say anything to your employees, they’re going to see a green light there. They’re not going to know where to stop in terms of what they should and shouldn’t do because you haven’t provided guidelines.”
(14:47) Isaac: “I was a bit of a go getter in my young days. I joined a startup that was a hosting provider for applications provider for newspapers. And I tell people, that’s where I really learned transformation. We were looking at an industry that went through massive disruption. I got to see that front row in seat with my board.”
(19:16) Isaac: “10 years of being CIO in companies that were trying to figure out how to use data and analytics to a strategic advance and involve their products considerably from what they were doing before.”
(21:15) Isaac: “I used to say CIOs knew more about the boxes that hosted the data than the data itself. I think a lot has changed in the last 10-15 years. CIOs learned to build up their strengths and build up their vocabulary and understand the analytics space a little better.”
(22:18) Isaac: “The reality is that whatever we come in from our backgrounds when we become CIOs, we come in from a single or maybe two lanes of understanding. I think the biggest challenge for CIOs is expanding their own capabilities by hiring lieutenants who are highly versatile, who are two-way learners so that they can educate but also continuously learn.”
(23:24) Isaac: “Digital Trailblazer is a book of stories so that when you’re facing an issue, an opportunity for the first time, you’ve never had a blow up moment, a shock and awe moment. You’ve never stood in front of the board before. You’ve never had to convince an executive group to go and do an investment in an area they necessarily don’t want to do.”
(24:16) Bill: “Which percentage of the folks that are in there agree with you are going to be on your side? Which are the ones who are going to take shots at you? And then which percentage of that audience doesn’t really care? And then who is going to take ownership?”
(25:59) Isaac: “People like the idea of products until you really have that conversation around product management. It isn’t about taking everybody’s wishlist and coming up with a shiny object that checks all the boxes. It’s about trade-offs.”
(27:20) Isaac: “When you see alternatives, when you see new experiences coming in play and business models to the incumbent, that’s what disruption is right? You throw in new technology and that’s the accelerant.”
(28:42) Isaac: “The track that CIOs have had, we’ve come in from the operating world right? And now we’re trying to influence strategy. We’re trying to influence experience, both customer and employee experience.”
(29:26) Isaac: “How do you figure out how a salesperson is being incentive? How am I going to help you in your journey and what parts of your journey am I going to have to go and combat the status quo?”
(30:39) Isaac: “The best salespeople come in and say, “Okay I understand what your problem is. Let me connect you with people who have had similar problems. Let me show you what the outcome of a solution looks like if we implement the solution.” Best salespeople aren’t selling, they’re developing relationships and they’re explaining the value.”
(34:56) Isaac: “Any single solution area, any single technology has a bunch of labels underneath it to get sorted through; lots of choices, compliance factors, multiple vendors, etc.”
(35:33) Isaac: “The level by which we’re connecting the dots is no longer a three-tier application living on a couple servers right? We’re getting into how business is operating.”
(38:33) Bill: “You need a vision for your career and for the role and the position and speed of which we’re changing.”
(39:19) Isaac: “This isn’t an area where there’s a predefined playbook right? You’re always going to be looking at how your organization’s operating and saying, “I got to do things differently.” The world is changing in some fundamental way.”
(41:13) Bill: “Why do CIOs have so many problems with sales leaders and marketing leaders?”
(41:24) Isaac: “I don’t know if it’s a problem or have they struggled to develop relationships with them, is a little bit more work for them to understand their world. I think it again, goes back to our roots. We reported to CFOs, we were asked for ROI. And now we’re flipping the equation and saying, ‘Look I can’t transform the organization just by finding cost.’”
(43:59) Isaac: “What are your assumptions built into your growth model? What are you trying to sell? What are the unknowns for you to be able to hit those numbers. What are your risks and pain points?”
(45:52) Isaac: “If you’re a CIO driving transformation, you’ve got to align yourself with the offense. And part of the reason is, I know I can get help on the defensive side.”
(47:27) Isaac: “I hear it from CEOs and I hear it from boards. When are we going to be done with this? They say it in a fatigued way, they’re all just tired of the effort of doing two jobs. You have to run today’s business, transform with what you’re executing today and then think about the next horizon.”
Resources
Connect with Isaac Sacolick on LinkedIn
Welcome back! I am joined by author, award winning business executive (Capital CIO ORBIE Winner, National Corp. InspireCIO Finalist), and transformational CIO of Dewberry, Lisa Roger.
With over 28 years of experience in various industries, roles, and organizations, Lisa has held executive IT positions in companies servicing healthcare, retail, telecommunications, and state and local organizations.
Due to her success, she has recently wrote and published a book, “The Joy Factor: Escaping Job Disappointment and Finding Your Dream Career,” that shares her fascinating journey to finding the ‘joy factor’ in her life with the intention of coaching others to find their own joy.
Here are some of the top takeaways you’ll receive from this episode:
How to professionally brand yourself and avoid imposter syndrome
Investing in leadership within your organization
Joy is an ‘inside out’ game first and not ‘outside in’
Working with millennials: how to avoid change fatigue, quiet quitting, etc.
How to find your joy, confront your destiny, and add value
Board awareness and succession planning
The importance of networking and building relationships
5:18 Bill- “When did you discover what your real superpower is and your real strengths?”
6:00 Lisa- “What I really realized was how I could bring people together, how I could problem solve for a mission, keep people focused on it, do team building in critical moments where tensions are high and get results.”
6:21 Lisa- “Building teams and going into dysfunctional organizations and making them functional. Restoring pride is one of the things I love doing.”
7:16 Bill- “What is the genesis of your book, The Joy Factor? What actually started you thinking about writing it?”
7:44 Lisa- “It was my nieces and nephews who are millennials. They were entering the workforce and felt this deep sense of being unsatisfied and being disappointed and not being able to make that difference.”
8:08 Lisa- “I went through the same journey and if there was some way I could accelerate them to a place where their joy factor is way bigger now and they could have control. How can we systematically do that?”
9:08 Bill- “Do you find that that’s an issue with hiring millennials within your company and other companies as well?”
9:24 Lisa- “Indeed. I look at the great resignation and quiet quitting. People are trying to find their own way so they can have control back, whether that’s the hours of the day or how you work. Today’s influences transcends millennials now.”
10:09 Lisa- “How could you add value in the organization that you’re at right now that is going to bring you joy?”
10:31 Bill- “The whole message of the book is an inside out. The joy starts with the individual.”
11:06 Lisa- “Joy does come within your own happiness. It’s a mindset. You can only control you.”
11:47 Lisa- “Don’t assume what is in other people’s brains. Assume good. Apply yourself in ways that are fulfilling who you are.”
12:45 Lisa- “I found journaling to be an excellent tool. Articulate in black and white what changes and life events are happening. Let’s write everything down and start there.”
13:31 Lisa- “Let’s systematically move things over from a negative to the positive column and reframe our mind and look for opportunities that are going to be giving you more exposure to that joy.”
14:20 Lisa- “The last negative thing you’re exposed to often has the most power in your brain. But if you force yourself to write down the most wonderful things that happened to you in a day, really dissect it. What were you doing? Why did it bring you joy? Were you coaching? Problem solving? Were you just listening? Be very mindful and specific about what brought you joy.”
17:25 Bill- “In your book, what do you mean by the acceleration of joy?”
17:32 Lisa- “It’s how do you get to that place where your joy factor is overwhelming the not so good factor. How do you get there quicker?”
17:41 Lisa- “The most powerful thing you can do it let people know. If you don’t tell people what your aspirations are, how can they help you get there?”
19:21 Lisa- “Look at how you’re branding yourself, not only from a professional perspective but to your resume, your LinkedIn profile, etc. You have got to let people know what you want to do.”
23:20 Lisa- “We have a national crisis which is baby boomers retiring. The next generation is very small. Then the millennials who are much bigger but are quiet quitting, working hybrid, in the gig economy. They’re not necessarily going through the same leadership journey that previous generations went through.”
24:32 Lisa- “It is all about just defining our leadership companies within the organization, what opportunities can we bring to people, what are we doing for succession planning, etc.”
26:44 Lisa- “If we invest in everyone from a leadership perspective, then we’re all going to benefit.”
27: 43 Bill- “What percentage of your time each week is really dedicated each month to efforts around that particular leadership journey?”
32:12 Bill- “What differentiates the new people coming into the organizations versus the ones that don’t make it through?”
32:54 Lisa- “The ability to have dialogue around change management and communication culture. Are they going to add value in a way that makes them happy?”
35:06 Lisa- “I think the biggest opportunity lost is creating healthy relationships where they’re at and creating powerful networks.”
35:41 Lisa- “Being the CIO is one of the most unique positions where you get to touch every piece of the organization.”
40:15 Lisa- “There is some fear when it comes to the change that’s happening in the world. Be grounded in your own self-worth. Be purposeful, have the right mindset, and you’ll feel a sense of control that will give you the leverage to do the right things.”
Resources
Women in Business Initiative- George Mason University
From IT Manager to the CIO of a Gigafactory, Listening, Earning and Keeping a Seat at the Table
On this episode, I am joined by Justin Herman, VP and CIO of Panasonic Energy of North America. Starting out as an IT Manager for Coca-Cola Bottling Co., he worked his through the ranks in manufacturing and eventually moved from South Africa to the United States.
Presently, Justin leads the technology division for Panasonic Energy at their Gigafactory out of Sparks, Nevada.
Key Wins and Takeaways for You:
As a CIO and Business IT Leader here are more wins you will get by listening:
(3:00) Bill: “What’s the change that’s happening in manufacturing?”
(3:57) Justin: “Our business leaders have really brought the IT leaders into their decision-making because they understand the role we play and how we can create those efficiencies within multiple facets.”
(4:18) Justin: “As we innovate, and as new technologies come on board, we’re able to sit down with our business partners and show true value.”
(6:13) Bill: “What is a Gigafactory?”
(8:19) Justin: “Failure to innovate will put you at a competitive disadvantage.”
(8:22) Bill: How do you do that with a legacy business?”
(8:42) Justin: “We believe the future is in energy and it is our mission to go and change the world through cleaner energy.”
(13:27) Bill: “What does the ontological layer mean regarding ML and AI and Gigafactories?”
(15:52) Bill: “How you went about the journey of finding the right partner?”
(16:55) Justin: “Take a step back, understand your business, the data, and most likely what you’re going to end up with is a hybrid model.”
(18:20) Bill: “How do you focus on the 80-20 principle?”
(18:45) Justin: “Having a seat at the table is extremely important.”
(21:08) Bill: “What skills did you come to need to have set in-house?”
(21:42) Justin: “There’s always a balance between your FTEs in-house and your managed services that you use externally.”
(24:20) Justin: “Being able to sit and communicate to your business leaders and talk to them in a manner they understand while taking a step back to actively listen.”
(26:48) Bill: “What books have been the biggest impact for you?”
(29:45) Justin: “Never pass up an opportunity to keep quiet.”
(32:18) Justin: “How people are looking at security nowadays…invest in people as a number one firewall.”
(35:39) Justin: “Take it in, learn, listen, because everything you’re doing today is going to provide the opportunities that you’re going to get tomorrow.”
(36:17) Justin: “We all as leaders have a responsibility to give back. Let’s train the leaders of the future and let’s help them as well.”
(36:46) Bill: “All leaders need to be looking and surround themselves with the five people that are not necessarily their peers but are in front of them a little bit.”
(37:20) Justin: “As technologists, it is our responsibility to push the envelope, to get a seat at the table with our business partners to help innovation. Let’s try to create a cleaner energy environment through technology.”
Resources
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
“CIO Paradox” by Martha Heller
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World: Surviving and Thriving in a World of Digital Giants” by Ray Wang
Welcome back to my podcast. On today’s episode, I am joined by “Pro Troublemaker,” professional business coach, and president of Stefanie Krievins & Co., Stefanie Krievins. Since earning her trained coaching certification through Erickson’s International in 2014, Stefanie has built a company and team of “troublemakers” that provide tools for others to help them define their organization’s vision, work with trust and accountability, and communicate clearly to advocate for their own ideas.
Here are some of the top transformational wins you will receive as an IT leader:
Tune in and hear how you can transform your skills as a leader and create actions that leave an impact.
As a CIO and Business IT Leader here are some wins you will get by listening:
Resources:
Stefanie’s Podcast: Hot Mess Hotline