Workplace Weirdness

Welcome to "Workplace Weirdness," the podcast that takes a deep dive into the delightful oddities of office life. Ever wondered why the break room smells like a science experiment or why your boss insists on using 'synergy' in every meeting? We've got you covered! Join Maya and her revolving door of guest hosts as they unravel the mysteries of cubicle culture and decode the cryptic behaviors of your coworkers. From bizarre email sign-offs to the enigma of office fridge politics, no topic is too weird for us to tackle. Each week, we'll talk about hot HR topics, answer listener questions and dissect an awkward workplace theme, all while keeping things light, fun, and packed with HR humor. Tune in, because in the world of work, the only thing you can count on is the unexpected! So, grab your coffee, put your feet up on that ergonomic footrest, and let's get weird at work together. Trust us, it’ll be a productivity boost like no other!

Workplace Weirdness is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 47 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Workplace Weirdness, a business show with 47 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Workplace Weirdness

  Can Politics and Work Ever Mix? Van Jones on Why Disagreeing Agreeably Is Getting Harder | Workplace Weirdness S3 E1

  Sep 23, 202646 min

  Welcome to Workplace Weirdness Season 3! Maya Kadar Kovalsky kicks off the season with a special guest, VAN JONES, a political commentator, social entrepreneur, CNN host, Emmy Award-winning producer, bestselling author, and founder of Dream Machine Innovation Lab and Rapport. Join a fascinating conversation about working across radically different environments, from the rules of working in the White House to Silicon Valley to the future of AI in the workplace. Van and Maya explore why psychological strength matters more than psychological safety and why the best managers need better tools to navigate a diverse, distributed, and divided workforce. If you manage people, lead teams, or just want to understand how humans actually work together, this episode is packed with practical insight and motivation. Chapters: 00:00 - Disagreeing agreeably 04:28 - Workplace slogans: Keep It, Kill It, or Fix It 09:47 - Can we be apolitical at work? 14:41 - Psychological safety versus psychological strength 18:18 - The three D workplace: diverse, distributed, divided 19:55 - Why Rapport exists and what problem it solves 25:47 - Why managers need help interpreting people data 28:59 - Technology can bring out the worst in people 29:39 - Culture shock across different work environments 35:10 - The weirdness of living and speaking on live TV 39:20 - High-amplitude careers come with real lows 44:43 - Final thoughts on Rapport and a free consultation offer Resources and Links: The Official Workplace Weirdness Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/workplaceweirdnesspodcast Rapport · Website: www.rapport.co Offer to our listeners: A 30-minute leadership and talent development strategy audit. Receive a complimentary, private 30-minute Leadership & Talent Development Strategy Session to uncover opportunities and sharpen your talent strategy. Email hi@rapport.co and mention "Workplace Weirdness Podcast”. Van Jones · Rapport Website: www.rapport.co · Website: https://www.vanjones.net/ · Instagram: @vanjones68 · YouTube: @vanjones68 · Tiktok: @vanjones68 · Substack:https://vanjones.substack.com/ Maya Kadar Kovalsky · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/ Workplace Weirdness™ · Email: info@workplace-weirdness.com · Website: workplace-weirdness.com · Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod · Tiktok: @workplaceweirdpod · Substack: https://workplaceweirdness.substack.com/ Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.

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  Workplace Weirdness

  Workplace Weirdness: Work Drama | ft. See You At Work Tomorrow

  Sep 10, 202610 min

  Welcome to Workplace Weirdness: Work Drama, a new series where we break down the workplace chaos happening on screen, so hopefully you never have to experience it in real life. In this special episode, we break down the hit Korean drama See You at Work Tomorrow, and explore the chaos, pressure, and quiet emotional survival of modern work life. Join Maya as she examines the tension between speed and quality, the burden placed on capable employees, and the dysfunction of a manager who rules through fear instead of leadership while enjoying a masterpiece of Korean television. Whether you relate to Ji Yoon’s mission to leave on time, her quiet resistance to being overlooked, or that unexpected post-helicopter spark with Si-woo, this episode is packed with real takeaways for surviving the modern 9-to-5. Hit play to explore what it really costs to keep showing up, and how to protect your peace the moment you clock out. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and drop your thoughts in the comments: what’s the hardest boundary for you to set at work? Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & Korean Drama Setup 00:46 - The Premise of See You at Work Tomorrow 01:34 - The Corporate Ladder & Team Dynamic 03:00 - Gi-yoon’s Boundary: Leaving on Time 04:15 - Fear-Based Leadership & High Expectations 05:52 - Helicopter Crisis & Bonding with Si-woo 07:12 - Burnout vs. Passion in Modern Work 08:35 - Quiet Resistance & Self-Preservation 09:48 - Final Reflections & Takeaways Resources and Links: Maya Kadar Kovalsky · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/ Workplace Weirdness™ · Email: info@workplace-weirdness.com · Website: workplace-weirdness.com · Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod · Tiktok: @workplaceweirdpod · Substack : https://workplaceweirdness.substack.com/ · Amazon Store: https://a.co/d/07aWiiPi Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.

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  Workplace Weirdness

  The Workplace Weirdness™ Hall of Fame

  Aug 28, 202617 min

  Work is weird - and these are the stories that prove it. From a possum trapped in the office to a naked neighbor derailing a meeting, Maya Kadar Kovalsky pulls the all-time weirdest, most cringe-inducing, and laugh-out-loud workplace moments from the last seasons and places them into The Workplace Weirdness™ Hall of Fame. Join Maya and enjoy true workplace chaos, uncomfortable stories, and good laughs that make your worst day at the office feel completely normal. Because every 9-to-5 has a story to tell. Stay weird! Chapters: [00:12] Welcome to the Workplace Weirdness™ Hall of Fame [01:05] An unwanted nighttime visitor in the office [2:24] Free Tesla charging and breakfast [2:53] Meeting Anthony Kiedis at the urinal [4:16] A Bloody Mary gone wrong at 30,000 feet [5:08] The goodbye Heimlich [6:07] The Bloody Interview [7:51] Mysterious white powder… [9:13] The drunk futurist [11:34] BBC conflict zone training gone weird [13:48] The naked man on the rooftop [15:10] Maya’s final thoughts Resources and Links: Maya Kadar Kovalsky · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/ Karen Bochert · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert Menaka Chang · Website: https://www.gofractional.com/member/menaka-chang Neil Sharma · Website: https://www.solarkal.com/ Ann Rhoades · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annrhoades Nicole Ramirez · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolerayeramirez · Website: https://nrdigitalconsulting.com/ William Tincup · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup Dethra Giles · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dethragiles · Website: https://www.dethragiles.org/ Kane Calamari · LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kane-calamari-53268014 Lucy Adams · LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lucy-adams-1058b5252 Paul McDowall · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-mcdowall-00b0b11 Workplace Weirdness™ · Email: info@workplace-weirdness.com · Website: workplace-weirdness.com · Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod · Tiktok: @workplaceweirdpod · Substack : https://workplaceweirdness.substack.com/ · Amazon Store: https://a.co/d/07aWiiPi Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.

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  Workplace Weirdness

  Hard Truth About Parental Leave: Dads Get Praised, Moms Get Punished!

  Aug 14, 20268 min

  In this episode of our Workplace Weirdness™ summer series, “Out of Office,” Maya Kadar Kovalsky discusses parental leave: the double standards parents face, the pressure to appear “serious” at work while caring for a family, and why parental leave parity matters for both moms and dads. Our notable guests discuss how parental leave intersects with identity, ambition, caregiving, and workplace culture, using candid stories to show how maternal and paternal leave policies and leadership behavior can either support families or quietly penalize them. The episode is a reminder that employees should never have to choose between starting a family and succeeding in their career. Chapters: [00:12] Why parental leave is really about identity, power, and workplace culture [00:42] Leave policies only matter if people feel safe using them [1:07] The double standard: men praised for caregiving, women penalized for it [2:02] A pregnancy “stretch assignment” turns into a public demotion [3:56] U.S. Parental leave system depends heavily on company policy [4:23] Leadership behavior sets the tone for whether parental leave is acceptable [4:50] Why parity in leave matters for both mothers and fathers [6:14] The pressure on dads to return early [6:41] How to request leave without apologizing for it [7:09] Setting boundaries early so family time is non-negotiable [7:38] Parenting and professional ambition should not be treated as opposites Resources and Links: Maya Kadar Kovalsky · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/ Randi Braun · LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/randi-braun-312a5423 · Website: https://www.somethingmajorcoaching.com/about-randi Peter Vincent · Website: https://www.vincentcs.com/ Nicole Ramirez · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolerayeramirez · Website: https://nrdigitalconsulting.com/ Workplace Weirdness™ · Email: info@workplace-weirdness.com· Website: workplace-weirdness.com · Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod · Tiktok: @workplaceweirdpod · Substack : https://workplaceweirdness.substack.com/ Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.

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  Workplace Weirdness

  This Episode Could Have Been an Email: From Meeting Overload to Purpose

  Jul 31, 20268 min

  We sometimes feel that certain meetings could have been an email; yet in most cases we don’t have a choice. In this episode of our Workplace Weirdness™ summer series, “Out of Office,” Maya Kadar Kovalsky unpacks why poorly planned meetings can drain morale, hamper innovation, and signal a lack of respect for your team's time. Our expert guests share eye-opening insights, such as how unresolved conflicts in meetings cost billions annually and how practical frameworks for empathy and inclusivity across time zones can enhance team inclusion. Discover best practices that can redesign meetings from arbitrary routines into intentional, engaging experiences and transform meetings into powerful catalysts for collaboration and culture-building Ready to make meetings better? Tune in now! Chapters: [00:12] The problems with unproductive gatherings [00:40] The bigger picture: making meetings better, more creative, and more human [1:09] Conflict in meetings: unresolved issues costing billions annually [1:37] Why your meetings reflect your organizational culture [2:05] Designing purposeful meetings with clear goals and pre-work [2:34] The impact of post-COVID work culture on meeting frequency and quality [3:04] How to get better at meeting facilitation: tools, goals, and human-centered design [3:32] Emotional experience: making meetings feel valuable and engaging [4:01] The power of personality and humor in meetings for building trust [5:24] Managing time zone differences with empathy and transparency [5:54] Practical approaches to inclusive meetings: acknowledging time zones and involving participants [6:24] Strategies for making remote participants feel involved and valued [6:51] Why meetings shape company culture and how to improve them [7:20] Tips for creating engagement and making meetings worthwhile [7:49] Takeaways: your meetings are an extension of your organizational culture Resources and Links: Maya Kadar Kovalsky · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/ Dethra Giles · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dethragiles · Website: https://www.dethragiles.org/ Hannah Dubin · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-feldberg-dubin · Website: https://www.thegroupforward.com/ David Homan · Website: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/ Nicole Ramirez · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolerayeramirez · Website: https://nrdigitalconsulting.com/ Billy Somoa Saleebey · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billysamoa · Website: https://podify.com/ Workplace Weirdness™ · Email: info@workplace-weirdness.com · Website: workplace-weirdness.com · Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod · Tiktok: @workplaceweirdpod Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as professional, legal, or workplace-specific advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their individual situations.

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