Good Morning, HR

You can find Linda’s assessments and tools including the “What’s My DEAL Style?”, “How Well Do You Ask?” assessments and “Negotiate Like a CEO” E-Book here https://www.lindaswindling.com/assessments  

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: 

Linda Swindling, CSP, CPAE, is a globally recognized expert in negotiation, high-stakes communication, and leadership influence. Ranked among the Top 15 Negotiators in the World by Global Gurus for six consecutive years, she equips leaders and professionals to negotiate what matters—from closing major deals to dealing with workplace drama with confidence and clarity. 

A Certified Speaking Professional and inductee into the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE), Linda is also a Professor of Practice in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Her negotiation expertise was refined in the courtroom and the boardroom as a practicing corporate attorney and later, a strategic advisor to CEOs. During her 10 years practicing law, Linda became a partner and a mediator, successfully negotiated several million-dollar deals, and resolved cases that “couldn’t be settled.” 

For more than 25 years, she has delivered innovative, research-based programs which result in better conversations, proactive dispute resolution, and high-performance leaders and teams. You won’t hear anecdotal or intangible theories based on books she read. Instead, you get strategies that produce breakthrough outcomes and lasting results. 

Linda’s clients include Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and associations seeking to boost performance, build resilient cultures, and champion change. The creator of the popular Passport to Success book series, she is the author/co-author of more than 20 books including Ask Outrageously, Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, and The Manager’s High-Performance Handbook. 

Whether she’s speaking from the stage or coaching executives behind the scenes, Linda empowers professionals to use their voices effectively, resolve conflict respectfully, and negotiate durable outcomes that benefit all parties. 

Linda Swindling can be reached at:
https://www.facebook.com/JourneyOnLindaSwindling 

https://x.com/LindaSwindling 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaswindling/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@LindaSwindling 

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: 

1. Identify the psychological barriers that make negotiation feel uncomfortable for most professionals. 
2. Apply the A-S-K framework to improve preparation, questioning, and next-step planning. 
3. Strengthen leadership communication by encouraging employees and executives to clearly express what they really want. 

Something New! 
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/EP229 

In episode 229, Coffey talks with Frank Davis and John Surma about navigating OSHA inspections and preventing costly workplace safety violations. 

They discuss how employers misunderstand OSHA obligations; when OSHA reporting and injury-logging rules apply; the most-cited OSHA violations; triggers that prompt an OSHA inspection; why it is illegal to for OSHA to schedule an inspection with an employer; the importance of carefully limiting the scope of the inspection; OSHA’s interviews managers and employees—and the impact of each on the inspection’s outcome; documentation requests and timelines; citation outcomes and settlement options; and proactive strategies to prepare for inspections and avoid penalties. 

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 one hour of recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  

About our Guest: 

Frank Davis is Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His clients know he is ready to use his knowledge to manage a crisis on a moment’s notice. In fact, in the last year, he managed labor relations matters and workplace safety inspections and fatalities in over 35 different states.  

Frank’s experience managing crisis events makes him especially suited to counsel clients on strategies to avoid catastrophic litigation and other cost-savings efforts: 

- Evaluation of exposure to workplace health and safety hazards. 

- Preparation of workplace safety compliance strategies and policies. 

- Managing employee relations to avoid litigation and resist organizing drives by unions; and 

- Management of relations with unions to avoid frivolous grievances and exposure to contract liability. 

Because of Frank’s specialized skillset, his clients frequently retain him to handle a variety of sensitive matters: 

- Fatalities and other reportable injuries in the workplace; 

- Collective bargaining of labor contracts; 

- Labor arbitrations; 

- Union campaigns; 

- Contract litigation; and 

- Litigation before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Review Commission. 

He also represents clients in whistleblower matters under a broad range of statutes, including the OSH Act, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, and the Clean Air Act. Frank handles all phases of these complaints, from initial investigation to final litigation before administrative law judges and appeals to federal court. 

John Surma is a lawyer with 30 plus years of experience dealing with OSHA, workplace health and safety issues, and counseling employers on those issues. He deals with a variety of state and federal agencies, has responded to over 400 fatalities and 2,000 OSHA inspections.  

Frank Davis and John Surma can be reached at 

https://ogletree.com/people/frank-d-davis/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-surma-75980214 

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’s Top Ten Red Flag Candidates, November 2025 

Every month, Imperative reports hundreds of records to our clients.  

While Imperative always encourages clients to review candidates’ criminal history as but one factor in evaluating their fit for a role, these candidates’ histories caught our attention this month. 

1. Household Staff/Nanny Client Candidate: 

• Prostitution 
• Petit larceny 

2. Nonprofit Client Candidate: 

• Misuse of client funds by a lawyer (four counts) 

3. Hospitality Client Candidate: 

• Willful child cruelty (causing great bodily injury under the age of five years, victim was particularly vulnerable, or taking advantage of a position of trust to commit offense) 
• Driving under the influence, 2 cases 
• Reckless driving on a highway 

See the rest of the list here: https://www.imperativeinfo.com/blog/2025/12/03/top-ten-red-flag-candidates-november-2025/

Learning Objectives: 

 Identify when OSHA reporting and recording rules apply and what events trigger each requirement. 

1. Evaluate common OSHA violations to prioritize hazard prevention strategies. 
2. Prepare supervisors and frontline employees for OSHA interviews and onsite inspection protocols. 
3. Navigate the inspection, citation, and settlement processes to reduce organizational risk. 

Something New! 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/EP228

In episode 228, Coffey talks with Kelly Bubolz about the evolving drivers of workplace burnout and practical ways employers can build healthy, high-capacity teams.

They discuss how rapid technological change is straining employee capacity; the shift from pandemic-era mental-health burnout to operational overload; the role of role clarity and workflow optimization in preventing exhaustion; the behavioral warning signs of advancing burnout; the hidden cost of dysfunctional meetings; the impact of remote work structure on cognitive load and productivity; proactive workforce metrics HR should track; cultural myths that drain energy and reinforce burnout; improving cross-functional collaboration and workflow design; and how organizations can align operations around true value creation.

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:

Burnout survivor turned business strategist, Kelly Bubolz knows what it takes to go from running on fumes to being intentional with energy that people want to follow. With 20+ years in HR leadership, she’s transformed her own high stress physical collapse into a powerhouse mission. Guiding the recharge through redesigning the ways of work, cutting through chaos and into sustainable energy.

Kelly Bubolz can be reached at:

https://www.kbtrainingconnections.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-bubolz-73b65011
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579197120672
https://www.instagram.com/kellybubolz

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:

1. Identify the behavioral and operational indicators of burnout before they reach crisis levels.

2. Evaluate how role clarity, workflow design, and meeting structure affect employee capacity.

3. Apply proactive metrics and cultural practices that reduce energy drain and strengthen productivity.

Something New! 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

In episode 227, Coffey talks with Christy Close about how organizations can expand their talent pool by hiring and supporting neurodiverse employees.

They discuss the growing number of neurodivergent individuals entering the job market; the importance of revising job descriptions and interviews to reduce bias and increase accessibility; how leaders can make reasonable accommodations to help neurodiverse employees thrive; why flexibility, clear communication, and awareness benefit all employees, not just those with atypical information processing; and the mindset shift required to recognize neurodiversity as a competitive advantage rather than a challenge.

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 three-quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Christy Close owns and operates HR Solid Foundation, as a Business & Human Resource consultant. Christy is also a facilitator of Human Resources classes for UT- Austin, UT- Arlington, Univ of Houston, and tech facilities to include working with those exiting the military and entering the workforce.

She is sought out as to facilitate the HR Certification Prep test class- as of May this year, her pass rate is at a 97% pass rate for first timers.

Her claim to fame is her involvement with the EEOC having completed over 1244 cases with only 5 going to court, and 1 loss.

She received her Masters in International HR Mgmt with an emphasis in Global Org, a Paralegal degree, as well as HR certifications.

She is the author of Employee Relations 101, a book for new managers.

After 8 years in the military, and 30+ years in the HR & Employee Relations arena, she has found her passion working with employers and employees finding a great balance and a very conducive work environment.

Her clients range from military, aviation, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail ranging from Houston, TX to Tulsa, OK to Seattle, Atlanta, and Miami.

Her motto hasn't changed since day 1: How may I serve you?

She is currently co-authoring a book for hiring nuerodivergents, which is expected to be released in spring 2026.

As the CEO of HR Solid Foundation, she believes many of today's employment discrepancies could be avoided with proper training or structural strategic alignment within the organization's goals.

Christy Close can be reached at

https://www.hrsolidfoundation.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christygcloseer101/

https://www.facebook.com/HRSolidFoundation

https://www.instagram.com/hrsf.info/?next=%2F

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:

1. Recognize the value neurodiverse employees bring to innovation, creativity, and organizational performance.

2. Identify hiring and interviewing practices that unintentionally exclude neurodiverse candidates.

3. Implement inclusive workplace strategies that promote equity, engagement, and retention for all employees.

Something New! 
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/EP226 

In episode 226, Coffey talks with Pam Boyd and Bernie Beck about creating drama-free workplaces and eliminating wasted emotional energy from organizations. 

They discuss how workplace drama differs from ordinary conflict; the cost of toxic employees and fear-based leadership; strategies for accountability and courageous conversations; the “C-R-E-A-T-E-D” framework to create cultures that thrive; using emotional intelligence and personal development plans to improve team culture; how to replace confrontation anxiety with consistent coaching; and how leaders can operationalize emotional intelligence to build healthier, more productive organizations. 

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: 

Pam has presented in seven countries and all fifty states and has written six books and three screenplays. She studied theater and pre-med at the University of Oklahoma and has a BBA from Northwood University. 

Bernie Beck has thirty years of experience in business leadership and more than four thousand consulting, executive coaching and training hours. He earned his BBA at Gonzaga University, Coaching credentials from UTD School of Management, and is a PCC from the ICF.  

Pam and Bernie can be reached at  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-boyd-8b193b1/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/berniebeck/ 

Pam and Bernie’s book, The Drama-Free Business: From Inception to Succession: https://a.co/d/hrF6nDZ  

Pam’s firm, Dramatic Conclusions: www.dramaticconclusions.com 

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: 

1. Identify sources of workplace drama and distinguish them from normal conflict. 
2. Apply the C-R-E-A-T-E-D framework to strengthen organizational culture. 
3. Practice the BEERS or PEERS coaching model to address performance and behavior issues effectively. 
4. Build systems for feedback, recognition, and development that reinforce accountability. 
5. Operationalize emotional intelligence through regular coaching, trust-building, and leader self-awareness.