Good Morning, HR

In episode 257, Coffey talks with Elizabeth Ledoux about talent considerations in business succession planning. They discuss why most succession plans fail because leaders ignore employee emotions and organizational culture; how owners and successors can align around a shared vision for the future of the company; the importance of involving employees early in transition conversations to reduce fear and turnover risk; the concept of “Transition 3.0” and collaborative succession planning between owners and future leaders; how multi-year transition roadmaps improve leadership development and business continuity; balancing founder identity, emotional attachment, and letting go of operational control; strategies for transferring institutional knowledge and mentoring future owners over time; creating succession-focused company cultures that continuously develop future leaders; why delegation and role transition should become an ongoing organizational habit; and how HR and operations leaders can proactively support leadership continuity and organizational resilience. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP257 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Elizabeth Ledoux is the founder of The Transition Strategists and creator of the Transition 3.0 methodology. Over the past 30 years, she's helped hundreds of family and private business owners navigate succession, focusing on the relationship challenges that cause most transitions to fail. Elizabeth started her career as a petroleum engineer before founding several businesses and moving into strategy consulting. She's a sought-after speaker on business succession and family business dynamics, host of the Business Transition Roadmap podcast, and co-author of three books, including the award-winning It's A Journey, The MUST-HAVE Roadmap to Successful Succession Planning. She's also part of Tiger 21, bringing her expertise to a network of high-net-worth entrepreneurs and investors. Currently, Elizabeth is living what she teaches—navigating her own family's ranch transition with her brother while also planning the long-term transition of her own consulting firm. She leads a team of trained Guides who help business owners build the strategic foundation for transition, making sure the people side is solid before bringing in lawyers and accountants. Her work helps families stay together and successors—whether family or non-family—step into their roles with clarity and support. Elizabeth Ledoux can be reached at: https://transitionstrategists.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/transitionstrategists https://www.facebook.com/thetransitionstrategists https://www.instagram.com/transtionstrategists https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcH2Be31Mr1laOZ6KZXDNA About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify the human and cultural factors that commonly derail business succession plans. Develop long-term transition roadmaps that align owners, successors, and employees. Implement succession-focused leadership development practices that strengthen organizational continuity.

In episode 241, Coffey talks with Neil Katz news and media items from the past month, including who HR is “for”, managing AI agents, and mental-health-related gaps in employment. They discuss HR’s responsibility to conduct impartial workplace investigations based on evidence; the misconception that HR exists primarily as employee advocates; aligning HR strategy with revenue, margin, and organizational mission; the decline of transactional HR through automation and outsourcing; fractional HR leadership for small and midsize businesses; managing autonomous AI agents within organizational structures; developing AI operational literacy and new leadership competencies; redefining KPIs in an AI-enabled workplace; and best practices for addressing employment gaps during hiring. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP241 Media mentioned in this podcast: If HR Isn’t There to Help You, Who Is HR For? — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog — February 9, 2026 To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers How do explain a gap year taken for mental health. : r/jobsearchhacks Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Neil Katz is the founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, a leading provider of fractional HR leadership for small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of people and business strategy, Neil leads a national team of 20+ seasoned HR partners dedicated to helping companies scale, evolve, and thrive. His firm delivers end-to-end HR solutions—from talent acquisition and organizational development to compliance, culture, and leadership alignment. Under Neil’s leadership, Exceptional HR Solutions has become a go-to resource for growth-focused companies in industries ranging from retail and healthcare to manufacturing, technology, and professional services. He is widely recognized for building agile, scalable HR infrastructures that empower leadership, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable business impact. While his primary focus is on growing Exceptional HR Solutions, Neil also serves selectively as an executive advisor, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams navigate strategic and organizational change. He holds an MBA from Amberton University, a BA in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, and advanced training in executive coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is SHRM-certified and respected for his strategic insight and people-first leadership style. Neil is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and a sought-after speaker at conferences and webinars, where he shares practical insights on fractional leadership, scalable HR strategies, and the evolving role of human resources in high-growth environments. Outside of his professional work, Neil serves on the board of Hope International, a Dallas-based adoption agency, and previously served on the board of directors at Halo Senior Care, a for-profit business focused on elder care. He has also served with nonprofit organizations such as Gift of Adoption, reflecting his deep commitment to service and community. Neil Katz can be reached at https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/exceptional-hr-solutions https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalhrS https://www.instagram.com/exceptional_hr_solutions_ https://twitter.com/exceptional_hrs https://www.youtube.com/@ExceptionalHRSolutions About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Understand how HR can balance legal compliance with business performance and employee trust. Identify emerging le...

In episode 239, Coffey talks with Carrie Fabris about why organizations seem to revisit the same issues repeatedly and how leaders can solve them for good through better communication, alignment, and accountability. They discuss ineffective workplace communication and recurring problems; intuitive leadership versus inclusive decision-making; defining root causes instead of treating symptoms; creating buy-in through clarity, trust, and shared language; productive conflict and psychological safety on teams; accountability, execution, and avoiding chaos in organizations; leadership energy, burnout prevention, and sustainable performance. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP239 Carrie’s book “ALL IN: A Working Mom’s Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life” can be found here https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Carrie Fabris is the founder and CEO of CareerFrame, a leadership development and executive coaching firm that helps high-performing leaders become energized, aligned, and execution-focused. Known for her fast trust and bold clarity, Carrie works with VPs and executive teams navigating growth, succession, and culture shifts. She brings 20+ years of corporate experience with companies like Google, Travelocity, and Sabre—and for the past 10 years, coaches and advises leaders using her signature FRAMEit Method™, which blends CliftonStrengths®, EQ-i®, Situational Leadership and real-world leadership systems that emphasize a whole-human leadership approach to bring balance for busy people leaders. Carrie is especially passionate about helping leaders have hard conversations, build trust fast, communicate effectively and create accountability that actually energizes. She graduated from UT Austin and resides in Dallas, TX. Carrie Fabris can be reached at https://www.careerframe.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfabris-reframe-coaching-training https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore https://www.instagram.com/cdfabris https://www.facebook.com/chiefreframer https://x.com/yourcareerframe hello@carriefabris.com About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify why unresolved communication leads to recurring organizational problems. Apply practical leadership behaviors that create alignment, buy-in, and accountability. Use frameworks and assessments to improve problem solving, execution, and team trust.

Something New! For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP237 In episode 237, Coffey and DeDe Church discuss recent news items about how shifting economic conditions, technology, and leadership gaps are reshaping the employment landscape. They discuss the realities of a “low-hire, low-fire” labor market; dehumanizing hiring processes and AI-driven recruiting tools; challenges facing early-career workers and liberal arts graduates; emerging roles created by artificial intelligence; the growing importance of soft skills like problem solving and communication; workforce restructuring, layoffs, and job hugging; employee disengagement and the great detachment; why strong frontline workers often struggle as supervisors; the risks of promoting without leadership training; transparency, feedback, and promotion decisions; and how kindness, accountability, and continuous feedback drive engagement. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. Media mentioned in this podcast: From AI bubble fears to the job market’s ‘Great Freeze’: Economists answer your biggest questions about 2026 Private-Sector Hiring Turned Positive in December After November Losses Private Hiring Sank in November, ADP Says US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Fastest Growing Occupations The 2026 Job Market Outlook: Where the Jobs Are Economists Are Studying the Slowing Job Market—and Feeling It Themselves When Good Frontline Workers Make Bad Supervisors Is Your Leadership Style Too Nice? The Friendship Recession: The Lost Art of Connecting Use Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)™ to Understand Intent About our Guest: DeDe Church is an attorney, employee relations counselor, workplace and University investigator, and nationally recognized trainer with more than 30 years of experience. She has trained thousands of employees and managers on how to create a productive, respectful culture for clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to her favorite local pizza shop. Known for her humor and practicality, DeDe is often invited and then re-invited to deliver her high-energy workshops at distinguished conferences and to create videos for employee onboarding and annual training. As an expert investigator, DeDe relies upon a depth of knowledge to find the facts without causing unnecessary disturbances. Witnesses often say they feel at ease when talking with her because of her approachable nature. In addition, DeDe is often retained to review investigation procedures and to train in-house HR and University professionals on investigation best practices. In recognition of her skills, DeDe has been retained to testify as an expert witness in employment cases more than 20 times by organizations including Uber, BP, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. DeDe is a former Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas in the Civil Rights/General Litigation Division. During almost seven years there, she advised dozens of state agencies on the proper response to employee complaints, represented the State in over 30 trials involving discrimination in the workplace, and successfully argued before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court. DeDe received the prestigious Presidential Citation from the President of the Texas State Bar in recognition of outstanding service to the citizens of Texas. Her Bachelor of Arts degree is from Louisiana State University, magna cum laude, and she received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence with Honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. DeDe Church can be reached at www.dedechurch.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dede-wilburn-church-a71b748/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been rec...

Something New! For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP235 In episode 235, the first part of a two-part conversation, Coffey talks with Jacob Morgan about building a future-ready organization by redesigning employee experience as a leadership system rather than a collection of perks. They discuss the role of futurists and foresight frameworks in business strategy; decoding human signals to anticipate workforce change; why employee experience must balance empathy, competence, and merit; failures of perk-driven engagement models; employee agency and co-creation of the workplace experience; structural work design versus superficial engagement tactics; leadership accountability in shaping culture; using technology and AI to amplify human capability rather than replace it; aligning expectations between employees and organizations in a post-pandemic workforce. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs. Jacob Morgan can be reached at https://thefutureorganization.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/ https://x.com/jacobm https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ https://greatleadership.substack.com/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Understand how foresight tools and human signals help leaders prepare for future workforce shifts Evaluate employee experience using the framework of empathetic excellence instead of perks or engagement scores Apply the eight laws of employee experience to build resilient, future-ready organizations

Something New! For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP#233 In episode 233, Coffey talks with Amy Jacobs about evaluating and investigating unique complaints. They discuss evaluating the credibility of anonymous complaints; deciding when to investigate versus monitor; retaining records of all complaints for institutional memory; handling requests for confidentiality and anonymity; responding to complaints from former employees; assessing credibility when performance issues exist; navigating complaints raised through attorneys or union representatives; managing interviews with legal counsel or representatives present; deciding between in-person and virtual investigations; selecting interview locations to preserve confidentiality; recording versus not recording interviews; controlling interview pace and scope; identifying unrelated but critical issues uncovered during investigations; communicating investigation outcomes to complainants and employees; preventing retaliation claims; and managing gossip and trust in the workplace after investigations. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Amy Jacobs, an employment lawyer, joined Employment Practices Solutions in 1997 and is a currently a senior consultant and shareholder. For 30 years, Amy and the other consultants at EPS have partnered with all sorts of organizations to build respectful and inclusive work environments. In addition to impartial complaint investigations, EPS provides a range of services including highly customized training programs - live, virtual-live, and on-demand; expert testimony in human resources and employment law; and a wide array of HR consulting services. Their client base includes Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, government entities, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Mostly importantly, EPS is dedicated to providing high-quality solutions that meet the unique needs of each organization. Amy Jacobs can be reached at https://www epspros.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/epspros About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Evaluate anonymous and informal employee complaints for credibility and risk. Apply best practices for conducting fair, defensible workplace investigations. Manage post-investigation communication to reduce retaliation and rebuild trust.