"If you haven't started focusing in as a leader on building trust, well, there's an old Chinese adage, right? The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is to do it today." – Brenda Neckvatal. Joining Aoife on this latest Happier at Work episode is amazon bestseller and award-winning HR professional Brenda Neckvatal. Brenda will treat listeners to her HR perspective, discussing building workplace trust, how the time to make change is now and why leaders need to understand that their people are their greatest asset. Brenda's work and practices have impacted businesses on an international level, and whilst listening to the episode; you'll quickly understand why Brenda is often referred to as the "HR force of nature" by her clients. Key points throughout the show include: - An introduction to Brenda Neckvatal. - The influence of great leaders. - The powerful combination of leadership and HR. - Getting the people side of the business right. - The value of investment. - Setting up for success and creating a trusting environment. - Employees want to be led, not managed. - The importance of communicating and managing workforce expectations. - Implementing change – how small steps forward are better than none. - Mastering difficult conversations. - Dealing with trust killers and toxicity in the workplace. - What makes Brenda Happier at Work. Throughout her 30-year career in business, Brenda has consulted to nearly 500 small businesses and C-suite leaders. She has optimised employee effectiveness and helped mitigate the high costs that are associated with making hasty employment related decisions. Perseverance, integrity, and relentless optimism are just of the few of the ingredients that make up what you experience when meeting and working with Brenda. Some food for thought... CFO asks the CEO: "What happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave?" CEO: "What happens if we don't, and they stay?" Connect with Brenda Neckvatal: http://brendathehrlady.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/neckvatal/ http://www.instagram.com/brendathehrlady The Best Practices in Human Resources Podcast http://brendathehrlady.com/podcast Book: Best Practices in Human Resources: How to Crawl from Want-to-be to VP by Vrenda Neckvatal. http://brendathehrlady.com/shop Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien: http://www.happieratwork.ie http://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien http://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ http://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie http://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast