Good Morning, HR

In episode 244, Coffey talks with Dr. Jason Jones about how leaders must adapt their thinking and behavior to navigate the rapid disruption caused by artificial intelligence.  They discuss why AI represents a step-change disruption compared to past technology waves; growing workforce resistance and fear surrounding AI adoption in organizations; how enterprise AI systems will soon integrate SOPs, training, and operational knowledge; the neuroscience behind fear, uncertainty, and cognitive rigidity during change; why leaders must develop cognitive adaptability and emotional regulation; the concept of neuro-adaptive leadership and upgrading the brain’s operating system; attuning to disruption through proactive awareness and disruption scanning; decoding thought patterns and identifying hidden biases that block innovation; aligning leadership identity with values to guide behavior under pressure; using reflection, reframing, and replacement to rewire thinking through neuroplasticity; and how leaders can model adaptive thinking to help teams thrive during uncertainty.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP244  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Dr. Jones equips leaders and teams with science-based strategies to activate peak performance, drive engagement, and thrive in the age of disruption. He is a leading authority on NeuroAdaptive Leadership™ and the neuroscience of performance, helping organizations rewire the way their leaders think, act, and inspire others. Dr. Jones is an Organizational Psychologist, executive coach, and international keynote speaker.   Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and more than 150 years of motivation and performance research, Dr. Jones has developed a practical and engaging approach to leadership that helps people understand and optimize how the brain drives behavior, influence, and decision-making. His approach has been used by Fortune 500 companies and forward-thinking organizations around the world, helping empower leaders to bring out the best in themselves and those they lead.  As the founder and CEO of LeaderPath, Dr. Jones has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Microsoft, IBM, Porsche, AT&T, American Airlines, McKesson, Seagate Technology, and the Dallas Cowboys. His work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, FOX, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and his thought leadership continues to shape how modern leaders adapt, connect, and perform in an ever-changing world.  He is the two-time best-selling author of "Activator: Using Brain Science to Boost Motivation, Deepen Engagement, and Supercharge Performance" and "28 Days to a Motivated Team."   Prior to founding LeaderPath, Dr. Jones led executive education at AT&T, where he was responsible for developing more than 6,000 leaders globally, contributing to AT&T being named the #1 Learning Organization in America by Chief Learning Officer Magazine.  Outside of his work, Jason enjoys traveling, outdoor adventures, spending time with his grown children, and fueling his passion for helping others live and lead with purpose, resilience, and flow.  Dr. Jason Jones can be reached at https://drjasonjones.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrJasonJones1  https://www.instagram.com/drjjones  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrJasonJones1   About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  Learning Objectives: Understand why AI disruption is fundamentally different from previous technology shifts in the workplace. Recognize cognitive rigidity and emotional responses that block effective adaptation to change. Apply neuro-adaptive leadership techniques to help teams respond productively to rapid disruption. 

In episode 243, Coffey talks with Dan Dalton about using personality profiles to improve hiring, onboarding, team dynamics, and organizational effectiveness.  They discuss the evolution of personality assessments from paper-based tools to data-driven platforms; appropriate and inappropriate uses of DISC and Predictive Index in hiring decisions; leveraging behavioral data to ask better interview questions; customizing onboarding to match communication preferences and learning styles; aligning managers and employees through mutual self-awareness; using profiles to strengthen team composition and collaboration; applying personality insights to performance coaching conversations; reducing turnover by adapting leadership styles to employee needs; helping young people gain early self-awareness for career decisions; and identifying the “personality” of an organization through mission statements and customer feedback.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP243  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Since 1995 Dan Dalton has worked in various HR roles as Trainer, Recruiter, HR Generalist, Manager, Director and Employee Relations Consultant.  Dan has worked in the Banking industry with JP Morgan Chase and Southwest Bank, the retail industry with Neiman Marcus and the health care industry with, Texas Health Resources, Voyager Hospice Care, McKesson Specialty Health, Texas Oncology, EVP Eye Care and in manufacturing with Oil States Industries. Most recently, Dan has founded P3:14 Consulting focusing on helping organizations and individuals strive to reach their potential. Dan has held a Human Resources professional certification since 2005 and presently holds a HRCI Senior HR Professional (SPHR) certification as well as a SHRM-SCP certification.  Dan earned a BBA in Marketing with a minor in Economics from Southwestern University and an MS in HR Management from University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Dan has served with Fort Worth HR (local SHRM chapter) as board member and Past President and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Christian Women’s Job Corp of Greater Arlington where he facilitates workshops on resume writing and interview preparation. Dan has been married to Brandi since 1987 and has a son, Calvin James (CJ), daughter-in-law Caiti and two grandchildren Cannon and Charlie. Dan also enjoys binge watching Netflix and Prime shows, ski vacations and any time spent in the mountains. He is an avid baseball fan and has played softball and golf most of his life. Dan and his family are active members at First Baptist Church of Arlington, where he is a member of the choir and contemporary praise team and a Sunday School teacher.  Dan Dalton can be reached at https://p314consulting.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dandaltonsphr    About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.   Learning Objectives: Identify appropriate uses of personality assessments in hiring and performance management. Apply behavioral profile insights to improve onboarding and manager-employee communication. Evaluate team composition and organizational alignment using personality data.  

In episode 242, Coffey talks with Lee Colan about rebuilding human connection in a technology-driven, hybrid workplace.  They discuss the loneliness epidemic and its impact on employee wellbeing; differences between social isolation and emotional loneliness; remote work and the rise of frictionless digital experiences; Gallup and BetterUp data on workplace friendships and retention; the decline of socializing with coworkers outside work; practical rituals like high-low check-ins during meetings; the cultural effects of hybrid work and hot desking; personalization of workspaces to reinforce belonging; AI disruption of career paths and entry-level roles; the growing value of human-centered leadership skills; and a four-step model for building meaningful professional relationships.  Lee Colan’s next book “The Connection Key: How to Unlock Your Positive Impact and Enhanced Wellbeing” releases in September.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP242  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Lee J. Colan, Ph.D. is Lee is an organizational psychologist and CEO advisor. He possesses a rare combination of skills as a corporate executive, business consultant, thought leader, prolific author, artful facilitator, and engaging presenter.   Lee applies an in-depth understanding of business, science, people, and organizations to help leaders and organizations grow. As a result, he quickly helps leaders bring order where there is chaos, clarity where there is ambiguity and growth where there is decline. Lee is a John C. Maxwell Leadership Award finalist and Thinkers50 nominee for Top Management Thinker globally.  He has authored 16 popular leadership books that have been translated into 10 languages, including the bestselling Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees, Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence and Healthy Leadership. He has also created over 50 products that equip and encourage leaders at every level. Expertise CEO advisement, executive coaching, strategy planning and execution, employee engagement, keynote speaking, leadership training.  Education Doctoral degree, Organizational Psychology, George Washington University Bachelor’s degree, Psychology and Communications, Summa Cum Laude, Florida State University Background  Lee brings 25 years of hands-on industry and consulting experience to his clients. He worked in various leadership roles with American Airlines, Sandoz (Novartis) and FoxMeyer (McKesson). He also held consulting positions with two premier firms: Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Mercer. His last corporate post was as Vice President for Physician Reliance Network (U.S. Oncology), one of the fastest growing NASDAQ companies at the time.  Lee currently serves as an Independent Director and member of the Personnel Committee for Pacific Seafood Group, the largest vertically integrated seafood company in North America. He is a former director for Aztec Systems who was ultimately sold to a private equity firm. He also served on the Advisory Board for ASSET InterTech who was acquired in 2021 by Constellation Software.  Lee Colan can be reached at https://thelgroup.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecolan  https://www.facebook.com/TheLGroupInc  https://www.instagram.com/leecolan  https://www.youtube.com/user/LeeJColan  About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.   Learning Objectives: Identify the business impact of workplace loneliness and disconnection. Apply a simple four-step model to strengthen team relationships. Embed connection-building rituals into meetings and daily leadership practices. 

In episode 241, Coffey talks with Neil Katz news and media items from the past month, including who HR is “for”, managing AI agents, and mental-health-related gaps in employment.  They discuss HR’s responsibility to conduct impartial workplace investigations based on evidence; the misconception that HR exists primarily as employee advocates; aligning HR strategy with revenue, margin, and organizational mission; the decline of transactional HR through automation and outsourcing; fractional HR leadership for small and midsize businesses; managing autonomous AI agents within organizational structures; developing AI operational literacy and new leadership competencies; redefining KPIs in an AI-enabled workplace; and best practices for addressing employment gaps during hiring.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP241  Media mentioned in this podcast:   If HR Isn’t There to Help You, Who Is HR For? — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog — February 9, 2026 To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers How do explain a gap year taken for mental health. : r/jobsearchhacks  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Neil Katz is the founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, a leading provider of fractional HR leadership for small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of people and business strategy, Neil leads a national team of 20+ seasoned HR partners dedicated to helping companies scale, evolve, and thrive. His firm delivers end-to-end HR solutions—from talent acquisition and organizational development to compliance, culture, and leadership alignment.  Under Neil’s leadership, Exceptional HR Solutions has become a go-to resource for growth-focused companies in industries ranging from retail and healthcare to manufacturing, technology, and professional services. He is widely recognized for building agile, scalable HR infrastructures that empower leadership, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable business impact. While his primary focus is on growing Exceptional HR Solutions, Neil also serves selectively as an executive advisor, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams navigate strategic and organizational change. He holds an MBA from Amberton University, a BA in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, and advanced training in executive coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is SHRM-certified and respected for his strategic insight and people-first leadership style. Neil is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and a sought-after speaker at conferences and webinars, where he shares practical insights on fractional leadership, scalable HR strategies, and the evolving role of human resources in high-growth environments.  Outside of his professional work, Neil serves on the board of Hope International, a Dallas-based adoption agency, and previously served on the board of directors at Halo Senior Care, a for-profit business focused on elder care. He has also served with nonprofit organizations such as Gift of Adoption, reflecting his deep commitment to service and community.  Neil Katz can be reached at  https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/exceptional-hr-solutions https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalhrS https://www.instagram.com/exceptional_hr_solutions_ https://twitter.com/exceptional_hrs https://www.youtube.com/@ExceptionalHRSolutions  About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  Learning Objectives: Understand how HR can balance legal compliance with business performance and employee trust. Identify emerging le...

In episode 240, Coffey talks with Yoram Solomon about motivating disengaged employees by building trust, increasing autonomy, and aligning intrinsic motivation with meaningful work.  They discuss quiet quitting and job hugging trends in uncertain economic times; intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation using the car engine analogy; why pay and bonuses fail as long-term engagement strategies; the critical link between trust, autonomy, and employee engagement; why trustworthiness matters more than intelligence or effort; how micromanagement destroys creativity and productivity; designing roles that fit personality and tolerance for repetitive work; diagnosing turnover caused by boring or monotonous jobs; involving employees in organizational change initiatives; rebuilding lost trust through accountability and ownership; and why leadership should be treated as a profession rather than a promotion.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP240  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Dr. Yoram Solomon is one of the world’s leading experts on trust. He’s the author of The Book of Trust and The Trust Premium, host of The Trust Show podcast, and creator of the Trust Habits® process. A 3-time TEDx speaker and founder of the Innovation Culture Institute®, Dr. Solomon has worked with organizations like AT&T, Dannon, Northrop Grumman, and HR.com. His research-backed, no-BS approach challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, culture, and motivation—and replaces it with brutally honest, practical strategies that actually work. With a PhD in organization and management, and a background that spans tech, military, law, and education, he brings a rare combination of academic depth and real-world experience. Whether he’s on stage, on TV, or in the boardroom, his message is simple: trust isn’t fluffy—it’s measurable, learnable, and the most powerful driver of performance.  Dr. Yoram Solomon can be reached at: https://www.yoramsolomon.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoramsolomon  https://www.instagram.com/yoramsolomon  https://www.facebook.com/TheBookofTrust https://x.com/yoramsolomon  https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrustShow   About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  Learning Objectives:  Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in workplace performance. Identify how trust and autonomy directly impact employee engagement and retention. Apply practical strategies to rebuild trust and increase motivation during organizational change.