The Team Check-in

In this solo episode, I walk through the OKR software evaluation framework Bora Ünlü and his team built after months of hands-on testing. You'll get the one decision that halves the market before you sit through a single demo, the two criteria that carry more than a quarter of the whole scorecard, and some key insights into what ensures the OKR software of your choice is widely adopted.

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In this solo episode of The Team Check-In, Emre tackles one of the most common frustrations in performance management: the competency framework that gets defined, written up, and then never makes it into the review itself. Almost every company has one. Very few put it to work. Emre breaks down the three reasons frameworks get built and then ignored, how to map competencies to role families rather than individual job titles, why behavioral anchors are the part most frameworks get wrong, and how to design a rating scale your managers will actually use.

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In this episode of The Team Check-In, Emre sits down with Tim Newbold, founder of OKR Quickstart and a man who has helped over 70 CEOs implement OKRs effectively across their organizations. Tim makes a case that's rarely heard out loud: most OKR failures are not the team's fault but rather an executive's. From choosing the wrong problem to solve, to confusing values with goals, to the dreaded "set and forget" trap, Tim breaks down why so many OKR rollouts quietly stall after the first quarter. Along the way, he shares Domino's story of going from seven OKRs to a single one and achieving 33% sales growth, why cascading goals can be a mistake for some leaders, and much more! If you've ever wondered why your OKRs keep looking great on paper and dying in execution, this one's for you.

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In this episode of the Team Check-In, Emre sits down with Dr. Joerg Storm, a leader who spent 12 years managing large-scale IT operations across Japan and China, holds a PhD in intercultural project management, and now lectures on intercultural communication at a university in Frankfurt. Joerg takes us inside what it really means to lead teams across cultural boundaries. From navigating the implicit communication styles of East Asia to managing complex stakeholder environments where German precision meets Japanese consensus and American directness. If you lead diverse teams, manage cross-border projects, or simply want to become a more globally aware leader, this one is for you.

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Hannes Albrecht from How-to-OKR joins The Team Check-In to break down everything you need to know about OKRs. With 12 years of experience helping companies implement OKRs, Hannes shares what OKRs actually are (and what they're not), why they shouldn't be used for individual performance measurement, what causes OKR implementations to fail, and a nightmare story of a well-known brand that over-engineered its OKRs to the breaking point. Stay tuned for details on our upcoming webinar with Hannes on how to implement OKRs like an expert.

How to Implement OKRs Webinar Registration

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What can swing dancing teach us about leadership? More than you'd think. In this episode, Carol Fraser, an HR veteran with 30+ years of experience and 28 years of teaching swing dance, reveals the surprising parallels between the dance floor and the boardroom. Carol breaks down how partner dancing builds trust faster than any corporate team-building exercise, why leaders need to understand "leading vs. bulldozing," and what neuroscience research tells us about movement and brain health. 

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Most organizations have company values — yet very few use them. They sit on a website, printed on a wall, or buried in an onboarding deck… but they rarely guide decisions, shape culture, or influence performance.

In this episode of The Team Check-In, Emre sits down with Ann Melinger, Founder & CEO of Bink, who brings 25+ years of expertise in employee communications, culture transformation, and values-driven leadership. Together, they unpack:

Ann breaks it all down with clarity, practicality, and zero jargon — offering a framework that any HR or People leader can start using immediately.

If you're realizing your company values aren’t doing the job they should, this episode is your starting point.

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In this deeply human episode of The Team Check-In, Emre sits down with veteran Chief People Officer and founder of Agile in HR, Mindy Honcoop, for a candid conversation about the emotions we rarely acknowledge in the workplace: fear, shame, and the hidden stories we bring with us into our jobs. Mindy opens up about how fear shapes behavior, why shame disconnects us from ourselves and others, and how these forces quietly sabotage performance, collaboration, and confidence. She shares real examples from her career, breaks down the difference between scarcity and abundance cultures, and introduces practical tools like the Fear Audit to help leaders uncover unspoken blockers before they derail projects or people.

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In this episode of The Team Check-In, Emre sits down with Felicia Heward — a seasoned HR leader who’s worked with industry giants like GE Aerospace and Tesla before launching her own fractional HR practice. Felicia shares her remarkable journey from managing labor relations in male-dominated industries to supporting growing startups that need structure and culture.

She discusses what “employee relations” really means, how to handle workplace conflict constructively, and the story of Charles — the 80-year-old employee who became a symbol of loyalty and leadership. Felicia also offers an insider look into Tesla’s rapid growth, explaining how HR played a pivotal role in scaling under charismatic leadership and fast-paced innovation.

Whether you’re an HR professional, a startup founder, or simply fascinated by workplace dynamics, this episode is filled with wisdom, humor, and heart.

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In the third installment of our HR Expert Series, we sit down with Natalie Ledbetter, fractional Chief People Officer, startup advisor, and consultant, to explore the role of HR in early-stage companies. Natalie shares why bringing HR in too late can create “people debt,” how hiring strategically early on can change the trajectory of a Series A or B startup, and why DEI is far more than a compliance exercise but actually a core business strategy. Along the way, she offers a candid perspective on why most people don’t scale with companies, how to celebrate exits when they happen, and the patterns that distinguish early-stage builders from late-stage operators.

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In the second installment of our HR Expert Series, we sit down with Ina Atanassova, Senior Talent Development Manager at MaltegoTechnologies, to talk about navigating uncertainty and making training programs truly impactful. Most strikingly, she reveals how she re-engineered Maltego's training strategy: shifting from “everyone gets a budget” to a goal-driven approach that aligns individual development with company objectives. Along the way, Ina candidly discusses the messy realities of training from trial-and-error vendor selection to the impossibility of making everyone happy and leaves us with a powerful reminder: The real measure of success is whether learning translates into growth for both people and the organization.

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In the first installment of our HR Expert Series, we sit down with Barry Flack — veteran HR practitioner, advisor, and notable voice on fractional HR — to uncover what really makes or breaks digital transformation in the workplace. Barry shares candid stories from the front lines: from multi-million dollar software flops that ignored culture, to standout cases where organizations actually got it right. Most importantly, Barry poses a question every HR leader should ask: “Is the technology you’re implementing making your people more lonely?”

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In this episode of The Team Check-In, host Emre sits down with globetrotting Chief People Officer Cécile Pompei to challenge everything you think you know about HR and people management. Cecile brings a refreshingly candid perspective to modern people strategy, starting with her memorable insight that "HR processes exist to protect companies from bad managers." However, her approach goes far beyond that provocative statement. As a self-described "non-traditional HR" professional, she advocates for strategic, people-centered approaches that treat employees as key partners rather than disposable resources.

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From Microsoft MVP to one of the most prolific voices on LinkedIn and YouTube, Nick DeCourcy has been at the center of the Copilot conversation since day one. In this episode of The Team Check-In, Nick joins Emre to look back on the evolution of Microsoft 365 Copilot, from the hype of its 2023 announcement to the reality of how it’s actually being used today. Together, they explore what Copilot got right, what it still struggles with, and why organizational context is the missing piece in most AI rollouts. Nick also shares what separates successful AI adopters from the rest, how companies can structure their data to maximize the benefits of Copilot, and why ethical AI and better work, not just more work, should be the ultimate goal. The conversation spans everything from lazy app reskins to meeting agents, from tear gas to taxation in the age of AI.

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From LinkedIn’s first Chief HR Officer to the author of Workquake, Steve Cadiganhas long been at the forefront of how work is evolving. In this episode of The Team Check-In, Steve sits down with Emre to talk about what today’s leaders get wrong about retention, why employee departures shouldn’t be feared, and how the employment contract is being rewritten in real time. Together, they unpack why returning employees might be more valuable than long-tenured ones, what we can learn from movie studios and college basketball teams, and how companies can future-proof their talent strategy by embracing movement instead of resisting it. Steve also shares behind-the-scenes stories from his time at Electronic Arts, LinkedIn, Cisco, and more, including the nightmare moment his boss at EA discovered he was interviewing with LinkedIn!

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From VP of Product Management to full-time content creator, Aakash Gupta has built a thriving business through his insights on leadership, growth, and product strategy. In this episode of The Team Check-In, Aakash shares his journey from writing LinkedIn posts during COVID to launching a paid newsletter and a top-performing podcast. Along the way, he and Emre discuss the challenges of leadership in high-growth companies, what makes great (and terrible) leadership, the hidden struggles of running a content business, and why HR’s role in organizations is more critical than ever. Plus, Aakash shares fascinating stories from his time at Epic Games, Apollo.io, and ThredUp, revealing what truly sets great leaders apart.

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Keirsten Greggs is one of the most prominent voices in recruitment today. As a Forbes Coaching Council Member, the founder of TRAP Recruiter, and a top recruitment influencer, she shares her insights on recruitment with thousands of followers every single day. She joined The Team Check-In for a very special episode, discussing how organizations can integrate relationship-building and trust into their recruitment processes in today's chaotic HR landscape. Along the way, Keirsten and Emre discuss the implications of organizations rolling back their DEI practices, areas where traditional recruitment methods fail, groups of people often left out of the DEI conversation, and more!

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In this "All Things Workplace Feedback!", episode of The Team Check-In, we were beyond excited to welcome Anna Wildman to the show. You might be familiar with Anna's work as the founder of The CEDAR feedback model! This episode covers everything from all the do's and don'ts of feedback in the workplace, why the feedback sandwich may not be as effective as you think, as well as how different power dynamics can affect how feedback is received. Anna is not only an expert on feedback in the workplace but is also exceptionally talented in sharing her breadth of knowledge, making this one of the most insightful conversations you will find on the topic of feedback!

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On this episode of The Team Check-In, we welcome Femke Cornelissen to the show. Femke is a Chief Copilot, a Microsoft MVP, and a founding member of the Dutch Women in Tech community. This is a truly inspiring episode as Femke walks us through what it means to be a woman in tech in 2024, shocking statistics, how to build and manage strong, organic communities, and so much more. This episode also provides quite a lot of helpful insights into how AI agents will affect the world of work in the coming years.

Reach out to Femke!

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Sometimes the best team-building happens beyond the office walls. In this episode of The Team Check-In, we welcomed Mark Smith, aka NZ 365 Guy, to share his unique insights into harnessing AI in the workplace. With an extensive career in Microsoft’s Power Platform and a commitment to making tech accessible, Mark brings a refreshing, hands-on perspective to AI's role as an “extension of the self.”

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chris Huntingford! One of the most entertaining voices in digital innovation and a Microsoft MVP, Chris has plenty of incredible insights to offer when it comes to building a digital ecosystem for your company, using AI responsibly, and so much more! Emre and Chris go into detail on digital ecosystems, sustainable AI, Ed Zitron's concept of "The Rot Economy", and their shared confusion when it comes to drinking whisky!

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What does it mean to have an outward mindset at work? In this episode of The Team Check-in we welcome Mitch Warner, managing partner at The Arbinger Institute. Hot off the heels of the release of the fourth edition of "Leadership and Self Deception" by The Arbinger Institute, Mitch joined our show to go over how the book has transformed mindsets over the years, the growing disconnect between employees and managers, fostering an outward mindset, the problem with performance reviews, and so much more!

Connect with Mitch

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On this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome dual Microsoft MVP Jannik Reinhard to the show! Jannik is well-versed in all things Azure AI and brings a unique and educated perspective into the AI conversation! Jannik and Emre go over some of the common misconceptions about the use of AI at work as well as how the mindset changes organizations will be going through as AI tools become more and more prominent. They also went over what it means to be a Microsoft MVP and everything that comes with the title.

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome Daria Rudnik to the show! Daria is one of the premier voices when it comes to team building. Emre and Daria go deep into what it means to be a team architect, the effects of leadership in team chemistry, her interesting venture into an AI leadership assistant, and so much more! If you are currently running a remote team or planning to in the future, this is one episode you can't afford to miss!

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On this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome Chris March to the show! Chris is one of the top voices on LinkedIn when it comes to everything leadership, coaching, and development. Chris and Emre take a deep dive into some of the misconceptions around coaching, training programs in the workplace, and most importantly how people can make sure their skills are future-proof!

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What does it mean to be a Microsoft MVP? How do you become one? In this episode of The Team Check-in, we had the pleasure of welcoming Microsoft MVP Emmanuel Gallis to the show! He not only answered our questions on being a Microsoft MVP but as thePower Apps Jedi master, he took a deep dive into all things Power Apps with Emre. If you want to start getting into creating apps with Power Apps, you can't go wrong with insights from Emmanuel Gallis!

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Anatoliy Labinskiy is one of the first names that come to mind when discussing e-commerce. However, he is also a seasoned people leader and manager, with methods and outlooks that not everybody will agree with. Do you know what is hard to disagree with? His results! Anatoliy is a leader who has been keeping his remote team engaged and performing at an exceptionally high level for years now! He also happens to have an amazing story as a completely self-made man. Both his management style and his personal stories offer great insights and lessons to those who are willing to listen. In this episode, Emre and Anatoliy dive deep into how he has kept his remote team engaged under the harshest of circumstances and high demands! For any leader considering running remote teams, this episode is a must-listen.

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome one of the most notable voices in the world of HR, Bonnie Dilber, to the show! Bonnie answers some of the most heavily debated questions in people and culture today, alongside some age-old classics. Bonnie and Emre go over why HR gets such a bad rep, the recent backlash against DEI, the use of AI in recruitment, and more!

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome The HR Lady herself, Wendy Sellers to the show! Wendy is not only a seasoned pro in the world of HR but also is the author of "Suck It Up, Buttercup: Be A Leader People Will Follow". Emre and Wendy discuss how organizations can build a company culture that attracts and retains top talent!

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Jobseekers rejoice! In this episode of The Team Check-in, we had the pleasure of welcoming one of the best career coaches out there, Matt Warzel! When it comes to crafting the perfect resume, Matt has insight for days! Emre and Matt go into detail on how to write a CV that stands out, as well as how to make sure your application gets past applicant tracking systems!

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On this episode of The Team Check-in, we welcome Tim Sackett! Tim is famously NOT a life coach! He is a seasoned HR leader and influencer, who not only has a lot of experience under his belt but is also always researching and staying active. Tim and Emre both agree and disagree on many different issues but as they both acknowledge, those are usually the best conversations! Emre and Tim cover areas like creating a positive candidate experience, handling rejection, and of course some of the ways AI can be used in recruitment.

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In this very special episode of The Team Check-in, Emre shares with you an unedited clip from his interview with Heldeer Figureido! This clip is part of a larger series of interviews on the use of AI in recruitment. Helder is not only a seasoned HR director and a top voice on LinkedIn, but also simply a really fun guest to listen to! Emre and Helder discuss the benefits and implications of using AI in talent recruitment, as well as some of the common misconceptions around it!

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A very special episode of The Team Check-in as Emre interviews none other than Deniz, the latest member of our marketing team. On that note, they have a not-so-serious conversation about what it means to be "the new hire". They also discuss topics such as the ideal first day at work, onboarding challenges in remote workplaces, and of course, just how overrated first impressions are!

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Rebecca Ives, an independent HR consultant with some serious experience. If you've ever asked yourself the question "Can I strike out on my own and do this HR thing freelance...?", then this is the episode for you! Emre and Rebecca go over her decision to become an independent consultant and her journey as a freelancer in the world of HR. They also hit crucial topics such as managing probationary periods effectively, transferring skills gained in other professions into human resources, and of course, PUPPIES!

Follow Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ives-29662223/

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In this episode, Emre is joined by the one and only Tim Spearin, Director of Organizational and Community Impact at Gas South. They cover how Tim as a leader handled the switch to remote and hybrid work, how he is keeping remote employees engaged, the emotional intelligence work they do over at Gas South, and so much more. Tim is an amazing leader with some great insight to offer. He just so happens to be a really fun person to have a conversation with!

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Welcome to the only episode of The Team Check-in, rated "E" for explicit. In this episode, Emre has the honor of welcoming the hosts of one of his favorite podcasts ever, "Not The HR Lady" to the show. Tara Furiani and Justin Boggs are two people who have taken the world of human resources by storm with just how honest and absolutely hilarious they are about all the "fluffery" in the world of human resources. Emre, Tara, and Justin take a deep dive into:

Listen to their podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hRinNXMJhIkaiVEWX3r7N?si=cf02293a04d4405c

Make sure you check out Teamflect: https://teamflect.com/

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In this episode, we cover what it means to be in a toxic workplace. While the word "Toxic" is a bit too easily thrown around these days, we can all tell a toxic workplace when we see one. Just to be on the safe side, Emre goes over some of the telltale signs of a toxic workplace, some tips on surviving them, and a long-winded digression into his experience with terrible escape rooms.

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, Emre takes a dive into the world of people strategy! He talks about some of the best ways to develop a people strategy, some great examples, and people strategy vs HR strategy! All while Jack the puppy sleeps and makes little noises in the background. If you want to learn more about developing your people strategy, you can check out this helpful article from our blog!

https://teamflect.com/blog/employee-engagement/people-strategy

Schedule a free demo with Teamflect!

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Another bite-sized episode of The Team Check-in! This week on the show, Emre discusses the death of employee loyalty! More specifically focusing on answering questions such as: Is employee loyalty dead? Is it really bad to have independent employees? What even is loyalty in the workplace!?

https://teamflect.com/schedule

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In this bite-sized episode of The Team Check-in, we talk about gamification in the workplace. Specifically, the gamification of employee onboarding. We hope you enjoy our ideas for making the onboarding process a bit more fun and productive for everyone! We would love to hear your thoughts! Join the discussion right here:

Gamifying Employee Onboarding

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, Emre talks to Nick DeCourcy, a brilliant digital transformation consultant at Bright Ideas Agency and one of the key voices about Microsoft Teams on Youtube. Nick and Emre discuss digital transformation in the workplace, the emergence of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the use of AI in the workplace, video games, and more!

Show Nick some love: https://www.youtube.com/@brightideasagency

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Between having awesome guests, Emre likes to talk about some of his favorite topics from the Teamflect blog. In this episode, Emre talks about some of the benefits and drawbacks of using AI tools in Human Resources. He also goes into detail on some of the better use cases of artificial intelligence in human resources.

Here is the article Emre refers to in this episode

https://teamflect.com/blog/employee-engagement/ai-in-hr

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Between having awesome guests, Emre likes to talk about some of his favorite topics from the Teamflect blog. In this episode, Emre goes talks about diversity management, the paradigms of diversity, some interesting case studies, and of course some of the common misconceptions surrounding the topic. Is this the first "controversial" episode of The Team Check-in? Probably not!

https://teamflect.com/

https://teamflect.com/blog/performance-management/diversity-management

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In between having awesome guests on the show, Emre likes to discuss some of his favorite topics from the Teamflect Blog. This episode is all about employee engagement! Emre, in his smoothest possible voice, will talk to you about some creative employee engagement ideas, creating an employee engagement action plan, and implementing a culture of empowerment in your organization!

You can find the blog articles he's referring to right here:

https://teamflect.com/blog/employee-engagement/employee-engagement-ideas

https://teamflect.com/blog/employee-engagement/employee-engagement-action-plan

https://teamflect.com/blog/employee-engagement/culture-of-empowerment

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In this episode of The Team Check-in, Emre talks to Amy Brand, Global Head of People and Culture at Competitive Capabilities International, about the shift from Human Resources to People and Culture, changing HR trends, probation reviews, and more!

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