I Need To F***ing Talk To You

Do you want to f***ing improve individual and team performance in your workplace? Do you think mediocrity f***ing sucks and you shouldn't have to put up with it? Do you aim to be more than a good boss and aspire to be a great leader? Then join Ken and Russell for thoughtful and at times f***ing irreverent conversation on the topics of leadership and organizational culture. Sometimes difficult conversations suck, but you need to have them. Sometimes you may even need to have them with yourself. On this podcast we have thought provoking conversations with business leaders from across North America and discuss ideas that can help you be an even better leader and not simply a ‘boss’. Co-hosts Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton literally wrote the book on navigating difficult workplace conversations. We are authors of the 5 star Amazon book ‘I Need To F***ing Talk To You’, the result of more than three decades of in-the-field consulting This groundbreaking book is the basis for our training programs and podcast and continues to f***ing positively shape how managers in organizations address performance, behavioural and attendance issues in the workplace.

I Need To F***ing Talk To You is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 153 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts I Need To F***ing Talk To You, a business show with 153 episodes published.

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  Episode #151

  151 - Getting to Better: Why "Best" Is the Wrong F-ing Goal with Stephen De Groot

  Sep 22, 202636 min

  What if "best" is actually the wrong goal? Stephen De Groot, co-founder and President of Brivia Consulting, joins the podcast to make the case for "better" — small, doable increments of improvement that build real momentum, instead of the paralyzing pursuit of perfection. A self-described "recovering academic," Stephen has spent 30 years developing a practical, field-tested model for human performance, drawn from work with runaway teens, gang members, surgeons, nurses, and CEOs alike. He and Russell dig into why leadership's toughest challenges — engagement, communication, and culture — haven't changed in 40 years, why fear and insubordination can look identical from the outside, and why "I don't know" might be one of the most powerful things a leader can say. In the second half, Stephen walks through one of the hardest workplace conversations he's ever facilitated: coaching a senior surgeon through 15 years of unaddressed, disrespectful behavior — and the deceptively simple questions that turned it around. Key Quotes "Did you know that fear and insubordination behaviorally look exactly the same?" "Rocket science isn't rocket science to a rocket scientist." Resources & Links Stephen's book, Getting to Better : gettingtobetter.com Brivia Consulting - https://briviaconsulting.com/ Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #150

  150 - The BrandJitsu Way: Find, Shape, and Share Your F-ing Story with Michael Dargie

  Sep 8, 202646 min

  This week on "I Need to F-ing Talk to You," we’re joined by Michael Dargie, the creative zealot behind Make More Creative and author of the BrandJitsu. Michael takes us deep into his revolutionary brand framework, and shares how this approach helps entrepreneurs uncover their business's core DNA. Michael also discusses his seasoned approach to tackling difficult workplace conversations. He advocates for "giving notes"—clinical, outcome-focused feedback aimed at maintaining high standards. Critically, he reveals how he reframes roles to align team members with their inherent strengths (Ikigai), ensuring everyone shines where they're meant to. This episode is a masterclass for leaders and entrepreneurs eager to build authentic brands and cultivate high-performing, purpose-driven teams. The Hard Conversation Michael recounts a recurring challenge with a talented team member whose performance was inconsistently high, creating significant risk on large client projects. His difficult conversation involved direct, "clinical" feedback about the non-negotiable standard of precision required. The key lesson learned was not to dismiss the individual, but to pivot their role within the organization to leverage their strengths, aligning them with tasks where their natural abilities ensured consistent excellence, while assigning detail-oriented work to others. This ensured the client always received the best output and the team member thrived. Resources mentioned during the conversation: BrandJitsu.com MichaelDargie.com MakeMoreCreative.com Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #149

  149 - The 90-Second F-ing Fix for Any Diffiuclt Conversation, with Doug Noll

  Aug 25, 202649 min

  In this episode, we sit down with Doug Noll — a trial lawyer turned peacemaker who ditched the courtroom to spend his career teaching people how to stop screaming at each other. We get into why "communication skills" is kind of a bulls*** phrase, why trying to be rational with someone mid-meltdown just pours gas on the fire, and the weirdly simple trick — grounded in actual neuroscience — that calms a nervous system down in under 90 seconds. Doug has mediated over 1,500 disputes, teaches at Pepperdine's Straus Institute, and co-founded the Prison of Peace Project, where he trained maximum-security inmates to de-escalate violence using empathy skills. If a guy can teach that inside a prison yard, he can probably teach your management team something too. Why This Episode Matters If you lead people, manage a team, or have ever watched a conversation go sideways the second someone got emotional, this episode is for you. Doug's method isn't therapy-speak or soft-skills fluff — it's a neuroscience-backed system for keeping your cool and keeping the relationship intact when everything in you wants to explain, fix, or win. Turns out the fastest way through conflict isn't being right. It's being heard first. Resources in This Episode: Doug's new book, Empathy Leadership: A Powerful Skill That Drives Business Success, is out September 8th. Pre-order here! View Doug's TedXTalk here Subscribe & Share: If this one hit home, subscribe and leave us a review — and send it to the person on your team who still thinks "let's be rational about this" is a de-escalation strategy. — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #148

  148 - Why Were Ken and I Wearing Viking Helmets… and What the F*ck Has That Got to Do with Leadership Communication?

  Aug 11, 202616 min

  What do Viking helmets, HR professionals, and difficult workplace conversations have in common? More than you might think. In this episode of I Need to F*ing Talk to You , Russell Stratton shares a memorable story from the CPHR Alberta Conference in Calgary, where he and co-author Ken Cameron spent the day wearing Viking helmets while talking to HR leaders about difficult employees. The surprising part? Nobody needed the metaphor explained. Almost everyone who walked past immediately said, “I know exactly who that person is.” That’s because we’ve all worked with someone who resists change, digs in their heels, and seems impossible to coach. But are they really difficult… or are they simply wearing the wrong hat? Drawing on the leadership framework from I Need to F ing Talk to You*, Russell introduces the Four Hats model—a practical and memorable way to separate behaviour from personality, making difficult conversations less emotional and far more productive. Instead of labelling people as “problem employees,” you’ll learn how to identify the behaviours that are getting in the way and, more importantly, how to help people move forward. In this episode you’ll discover: Why most “difficult employees” aren’t actually difficult people. How resistance to change sits behind many workplace conflicts. Why separating behaviour from identity transforms difficult conversations. The meaning behind each of the Four Hats: The Viking Helmet – resistant to change and quick to push back. The Sun Hat – comfortable, complacent, and content with the status quo. The Hard Hat – willing to change but needing guidance and support. The Graduate Cap – engaged, proactive, and consistently delivering results. Why awareness must come before coaching. How to decide whether a behaviour is something to live with temporarily—or challenge directly. Why passing a difficult employee to another manager rarely solves the problem. Russell also explains why great leaders don’t waste energy trying to “fix” people. Instead, they focus on changing behaviours through curiosity, clear communication, and accountability. The Four Hats aren’t a personality test. They’re a shared language that helps leaders remove emotion from difficult conversations and replace frustration with practical coaching. Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #147

  147 - What Happens at Stampede… Stays at the F-ing Stampede (Or Does It?)

  Jul 28, 202616 min

  Calgary Stampede is one of the highlights of the year. It’s a chance to reconnect with colleagues, strengthen relationships, thank employees, meet clients, and enjoy a well-earned celebration. But where does having fun end and leadership responsibility begin? In this solo episode, Russell explores a fictional—but very believable—story of a respected manager whose decision to continue celebrating after a company Stampede event leads to an uncomfortable Monday morning conversation. Through the story of Mike and Riverside Consulting, Russell examines the subtle pressures leaders create, often without realizing it, and why leadership doesn’t simply disappear when the workday ends. Rather than asking whether Mike’s behaviour was “right” or “wrong,” this episode explores a far more important question: What are the consequences when a leader’s actions shape how others experience the workplace? Along the way you’ll discover why difficult conversations are rarely about bad people—they’re about good people making decisions without fully appreciating their impact on others. Whether you’re heading to Stampede, a conference, a client event, a Christmas party, or any workplace social function, this episode offers practical insights that every leader can apply. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “It’s after work—it doesn’t matter,” this conversation may cause you to look at leadership through a different lens. Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a colleague. Every workplace eventually has its own “Monday morning conversation.” The better we become at having those conversations, the stronger our leaders, teams, and organizations become. — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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