Katherine McCord was a child when she first learned about Human Relations. Her mother worked in HR recruiting, and they often played HR together. At age five, Katherine fired her mom, who was proud to see that “her little five-year-old had this much gumption.” But another specific teaching from her mother—one that has more to do with humility than gumption—informed Katherine’s career and approach to HR.
She has always been a lousy artist and, to this day, doesn’t know how to draw a snowflake. But every time she finished one of her unintelligible drawings as a kid, her mom would say: tell me about this. It’s a simple sentence that Katherine, an HR and neurodiversity expert, wants to imbue in her clients as a pivotal step to creating more efficient and happy workplaces.
“Society is moving forward, but it’s at a glacial pace when it could be racing towards the future if we would all just communicate a little bit better,” she told host Amy Boyle in the latest episode of Season 3 of the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast.
Katherine believes breaking the ego and listening to co-workers with openness and curiosity can transform toxic workplaces. By listening and asking honest questions, it is easier for people to find common ground and continue to pursue the same mission. “People get so distracted about how we get there and this and that and other little, tiny silly details,” she said. “The mission is the thing.”
She also described the notion of universal design and how its flexibility fosters mental wellness and inclusion. “When somebody says, ‘this doesn’t work for me,’ they’re not insulting your work. They’re not even saying that you’re wrong to do it your way. They’re just saying, this doesn’t work for me.”
She cited the successful example of Hewlett Packard, which developed a program centered on neurodiversity and allowed employees to have different work styles: some people used yoga balls instead of chairs, and people worked different hours. The team became 33% more productive. “You have to leave room for different personalities.”
She also advised us to stop trying to understand the “whys” behind people’s needs. “It is work. You are not entitled to anything personal about this other human.” She invites us to focus on what people need and how we can help.
“Learn to break that ego mechanism and respond to curiosity because it will not only advance your career…your relationships become stronger, your ability to make decisions increases because your brain has more information on which to build these decisions and you just become happier and healthier.”
What will you do next time someone says something you disagree with? As host Amy Boyle reminded us during this episode, this year will bring unique challenges regarding openness, curiosity and the ability to listen. Let’s not waste this opportunity.
Carolina Baldin is a freelance journalist from Brazil. Having worked in law, policy and regulation, she is passionate about everyday stories that illustrate larger issues. She graduated from a master's program at Northwestern University in 2023 and became a guest blogger on the "Speaking of Phenomenal" podcast blog in March 2024.
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