Lean Mindset, Business Impact and the New Era of HR: Jeff Diana, former CPO of Calendly

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Lean Mindset, Business Impact and the New Era of HR: Jeff Diana, former CPO of Calendly

Focusing on what matters most

HR Heretics

Apr 11, 2024

Transcript

In this episode, Nolan and Kelli discuss “happiness police” overkill with Jeff Diana, former Chief People Officer of Calendly and Atlassian.

They talk about the importance of being clear on who you are as a business to avoid massive swings and over-rotations in current HR programs. Jeff believes it’s driving shareholder value that creates employment and that HR pros need to think more like investors and shareholders with focus on business impact rather than focusing on employee satisfaction alone.

Jeff also offers advice on being OK with saying no to a job that doesn’t “light you up”… and testing the alignment with HR philosophies and execution of business outcomes with the ones that do!

He also offers advice on building a strong relationship with the CEO and is it better to report to a CFO or CEO if you’re aiming for that number 1 CPO role?!

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

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This episode is brought to you by Attio
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KEEP UP WITH JEFF, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-diana/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:24) The HR Market Today

(02:37) The Shift in HR's Role

(04:44) Understanding the Market Shift

(05:05) Changes in HR's Role Amidst Economic and Cultural Shifts

(09:23) Over-rotations in HR Programs including DEI and Employee Expectations

(11.40) Sponsor: Attio CRM

(14:19) Understanding Why Businesses Want To Cut HR

(19:05) Embracing Business Model Changes as a Leader

(23:00) Thinking Like an Investor

(25:45) Employee-Employer Dynamics

(26:52) Expectation Misalignment

(29:24) Realigning Business Focus: Mission, Values, and HR Opportunities

(33:23) Due Diligence in Career Moves and Hiring

(36:51) Building Relationships With The CEO

(45:43) Board Dynamics and CEO Feedback

(49:39) Wrap

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“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

After a decade+ of “blitz-scaling” companies, HR, talent, and People leaders now face an uncertain economy that has already seen big booms and busts. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact?

Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners – Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors.

This show is for those who are ready to ditch conventional wisdom and figure out from first principles what works for their culture, business model, and industry, with the goal of building a resilient and enduring company. You’ll come away with real guidance for seeing around corners, building enduring companies, and carving out an impactful career – plus a newly-honed bullshit detector.

Topics frequently touched on in this season include: building high performing cultures, compensation negotiation, performance reviews, company design, equity, M&As, recruiting the best talent, and how to manage your own psychology as a people leader.

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