Welcome to Workplace Weirdness™, The Non-HR HR 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!
The Message You Send vs. the Message Received with Henna Pryor | S3E3
Henna Pryor, keynote speaker with two TEDx talks and author of Good Awkward and the upcoming The Signal Gap (out November 10), joins host Maya Kadar Kovalsky to unpack why awkwardness at work is so hard to shake.
Henna shares how growing up as the firstborn child of immigrant parents shaped her interest in fitting in, and explains the signal gap: the distance between the message you intend to send and the one a skeptical, “verify-first” audience actually receives. Together they react to a viral clip of a CEO who says he fired his HR department, with Henna arguing that the signal he meant to send (running lean) is not the one people are hearing.
The conversation also covers how Henna made two career pivots by keeping one foot on the ground, why she dislikes the phrase "pick your brain," and how to ask for five minutes of someone's time. Henna answers a Reddit post from someone who wants acquaintances but not work friends, with tips on small talk. Tune in to hear the most awkward elevator story that makes the workplace weird and learn how owning that awkwardness turned it into a connection. Stay Weird!
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Why Workplace Awkwardness Is So Hard to Shake
04:15 – The Signal Gap: Intent vs. Impact in Leadership
11:30 – Viral CEO Reaction: When Internal Messaging Goes Wrong
18:45 – How to Make a Career Pivot Without Risking Stability
25:10 – Stop Saying "Pick Your Brain": Better Networking Scripts
31:20 – Small Talk for Introverts: Conversational Threading & Boundaries
38:50 – That Utah Elevator Story: Leaning into the Awkwardness
Resources and Links:
The Official Workplace Weirdness Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/workplaceweirdnesspodcast
Henna Pryor:
· Website: https://pryoritygroup.com/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennapryor/?hl=en
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor
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/
Join our YouTube community for exclusive content and more! https://www.youtube.com/@WorkplaceWeirdPod/community
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.
14 Oct 2026
What Human Leaders Need To Do In The Age of AI with Erica Keswin | S3E2
Return-to-office is making people lonelier, AI is changing the rules of leadership, and most companies are still getting the human part of work wrong. Maya Kadar Kovalsky and workplace strategist Erica Keswin break down what actually makes workplaces feel connected, productive, and worth showing up for.
Maya and Erica unpack why five days a week in the office is usually unnecessary, why some offices drain energy while others create real momentum and why intentional in-person days matter more than attendance for attendance’s sake.
Erica Keswin is a bestselling author and internationally recognized speaker focused on human-centered leadership, employee engagement, and the future of work. She is the author of Bring Your Human to Work, Rituals Roadmap, and The Retention Revolution, and her LinkedIn Learning courses on human leadership have been watched by more than 120,000 people.
Chapters:
00:00 — Why being in the office doesn’t guarantee connection
03:41 — Why “we’re like family here” can backfire
05:42 — Finding the office-day sweet spot
08:10 — Apprenticeship and why early-career employees value the office
09:23 — The research behind the Spaghetti Project
11:09 — The “magic question” for building workplace rituals
12:57 — Turning a daily habit into a meaningful ritual
15:05 — What leaders misunderstand about employee needs
17:25 — Staying human in the age of AI
19:24 — Why thank yous and feedback should stay personal
Resources and Links:
The Official Workplace Weirdness Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/workplaceweirdnesspodcast
Erica Keswin:
· Website :https://ericakeswin.com/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericakeswin/
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakeswin
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.
23 Sept 2026
Can Politics and Work Ever Mix? Van Jones on Why Disagreeing Agreeably Is Getting Harder | Workplace Weirdness S3 E1
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.
Who has been a guest on Workplace Weirdness
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dethra Giles
Hannah Dubin
David Homan
Nicole Ramirez
Billy Somoa Saleebey
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
9,165
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
57
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
32
Contact Workplace Weirdness
Guest appearances
Books guests
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