Jackie Phillips, CC, MSOD

The best career move isn’t always the one that looks like a promotion. Years ago, a CHRO gave me career advice that stuck with me: alternate between roles that give you breadth and roles that give you depth. Some roles teach you to see across the organization—to understand how the pieces connect and how decisions in one area affect another. Others let you go deep—to build real expertise, solve harder problems and understand the nuances you can’t learn from the sidelines. I’ve come to appreciate the value of both. Breadth helps you connect the dots. Depth helps you understand what the dots actually mean. The strongest careers need both.

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I finally did it! My first podcast experience! I've known Rebecca Taylor for years and had so much fun chatting with her on the HR Voices podcast! We worked through a scenario a lot of HR folks will recognize: an exiting employee finally names a director's pattern of abuse toward junior staff, but only on her way out, and only if her name stays off it. The Director's otherwise a top performer. Leadership doesn't want to lose them. We got into: - Why people wait until the exit interview to tell you the truth...and what that says about whether your process is actually trusted - The order you talk to people in matters: junior staff and peers first, the director last - "Verbal abuse" and "toxic workplace" have real legal definitions, and they're not always what the employee means when they use those words - How to track a pattern before it's a formal complaint, so it doesn't take two or three years to prove - Why staying out of it is its own kind of drama Episode's live now! Link in comments. #HR #EmployeeRelations #PeopleOps

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People development is easy to talk about. Much harder to measure well. Jennifer Reagan, VP of Talent, Learning, and Development at Bally’s Corporation, shares two metrics she believes matter most: internal mobility and manager effectiveness. Not just whether people get promoted—but whether they succeed once they get there. For HR leaders, it’s a strong reminder that talent strategy isn’t just about filling roles. It’s about building capability and supporting people after the move.

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Offering Pro Bono Coaching Sessions - Summer Edition A few months ago I offered pro bono coaching sessions as part of my ICF ACC certification journey through Brown University's ACT Leadership Coaching program. The response was genuinely great, and those sessions meant a lot to me. If you missed the first round, I'm once more offering three free, virtual, fully confidential coaching sessions. No sales pitch, and the only catch is I will ask for permission to record our sessions (for my own learning/instructor evaluation & feedback only). My style is empathetic and direct, strengths-based but honest when honesty is what you need. Coaching can help with career questions, habit-building, relationship dynamics, and life transitions. All of it is fair game. If you're interested, send me a message, and feel free to share. I'll take on new clients until my schedule fills up.

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Josh Salyer, Chief People Officer at WE (Wasson Enterprise), shared so many practical leadership insights in our inaugural episode of Leading Beyond the Org Chart. Here's one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy this clip, and if you haven't listened to the full conversation yet, I'd love to hear what resonates with you. Tune into the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dbkAnK_u

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Yesterday we kicked off our “Say Hello to AI” initiative at Kastle with a Hot Ones-style panel interview. Todd Burner, Haniel Lynn and I answered questions about our experience with AI while eating wings covered in increasingly "hotter" sauces. (Luckily we had ice cream on hand to cool things down!) A big part of why we wanted to do this was to make AI feel approachable. All of us are already using it to work faster, think differently, and improve outcomes, and we want employees to know that’s encouraged here too. We are leaning in on helping our fellow colleagues learn where AI can genuinely help them in their work and careers. Knowing how to use AI is no longer optional. Also, next time I’m reading the Scoville ratings before agreeing to this - the team is already planning another panel! #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #Leadership Kastle Systems

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So true. HR can coach, guide, provide tools, and hold leaders accountable but leaders own the culture. The behaviors leaders model every day define the employee experience long after HR leaves the room. Culture isn’t an HR initiative; it’s a leadership responsibility.

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This week I had an insightful day at Workday strategy session! The conversation focused heavily on the necessary evolution of our approach to technology and talent. My biggest learning? We can't view AI as a threat, but as our most powerful partner. 🔭Embrace, Don't Compete: The path to success is to embrace AI and strategically harness its power to maximize both efficiency and effectiveness. ⚖️ The Human-AI connection: We must prioritize finding the "sweet spot" where human skills and AI capabilities complement each other, ensuring we focus our people on high-value, strategic work. 🔦 HR's role: This is a pivotal moment for HR. Our role is fundamentally changing from administrators to facilitators of change—preparing our workforce and culture for the AI age. Ready to drive this transformation and build the workforce of tomorrow!

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To the small and might TEAM HR maurices ... and to my HR colleagues and friends across the world. To My Favorite People (a.k.a. HR), This Valentine’s Day, I just want to say that I (and the company) appreciate you more than words (and policies) can fully express. You are the steady heart of this organization. You show up with empathy when things are hard, clarity when things are complicated, and patience when things are… well… human. You listen. You guide. You protect. You remind us that doing the right thing matters—and that people always come first. You carry the emotional labor that no job description can capture. You navigate change with grace, balance care with accountability, and somehow manage to make fairness feel personal. Because of you, our workplace is not just compliant or functional—it’s humane. So today, consider this our Valentine: 💖 For your calm in the chaos 💖 For your discretion and integrity 💖 For your steady leadership behind the scenes 💖 For the countless moments of care no one else ever sees We are better—individually and collectively—because of you. With gratitude, admiration, and a whole lot of appreciation, Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! I feel so lucky to work with you. #maurices #HRHeroes

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