In episode 124, Coffey talks with Holly Novak about lessons to be learned from OpenAI’s firing of Sam Altman, politics in the workplace, and whether four-day workweeks are gaining traction.

They discuss transparency and succession planning in preparing for an executive exit; responding to workplace conflict arising from different political opinions; employee’s expectations that leaders take a stand on political issues; and how to evaluate whether a four-day work week might be right for an organization.

Links to stuff they talked about are on our website at https://goodmorninghr.com/EP124 and include the following topics:

What happened at OpenAI? The Sam Altman saga, explained

OpenAI’s 3-CEO weekend: A cautionary tale for leadership transitions

October 2023 US Labor Market Update: 4-day Workweek Postings Increasing, but Are Far From the Norm

Four-day workweek on the rise for in-person jobs

Massachusetts considers 4-day workweek incentive

Tips for Managing Politics In the Workplace During Election Season

1 in 3 American Workers Say Employees Who Make Pro-Hamas Statements Should Be Fired

SHRM: Navigating the Workplace Political Minefield

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About our Guest:

Holly Novak is the Chief People Officer for Jack Henry & Associates which is an S&P 500 financial technology company with over 7000 employees. She has over 20 years of HR experience in various disciplines, including HR Operations, Business Operations, HR Business Partner, Recruiter, and HRIS. Her expertise focuses around Coaching, Executive Compensation, People Analytics, Communication, Performance Management, Compliance, and HR technology.

She received her Business Management degree and MBA from Texas Tech University and is an active member in the Society for Human Resource Management organization in both Texas and nationally serving as an Assistant Director TexasSHRM.

Holly lives in the North Texas area with her husband Todd and two daughters, Rylie and Teagan.

Holly Novak can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-novak-sphr-shrm-scp-3262835

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year.

Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council.

Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the impact of organizational transparency on employee engagement and trust.

2. Explore the challenges and considerations of navigating political views in the workplace.

3. Evaluate the implementation of a four-day work week.