90-Day Wins: Operationalizing Talent Management for Scalable, Aligned Leadership with Yvonne Jackson
Ever wondered if your people strategy is actually holding your business back? Yvonne Jackson—who’s helped companies like Apple untangle their most stubborn people challenges—just dropped a truth bomb that might surprise you: equity isn’t a culture problem, it’s a process problem. And the fix? It’s way less complicated (and a lot quicker) than most leaders think. In this episode, you’ll hear how duct-tape solutions and “cute” values might be costing your business more than you realize—and what to do about it. But there’s one unconventional move Yvonne makes that flips the whole high-performing team playbook on its head… Want to know what it is?
In this episode, you will be able to:
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Discover how crafting a future of work strategy can transform your leadership and keep your team ahead in a fast-changing world.
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Unlock the secrets to building high-performing teams that stay motivated and aligned with your business goals.
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Understand why treating equity as a process problem can shift your entire approach to creating a fair workplace.
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Learn how to operationalize equity in talent management to drive real, measurable change in your organization.
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Master succession planning techniques that fuel sustainable business growth and prepare your team for what’s next.
My special guest is Yvonne Jackson
Yvonne Jackson is an experienced business strategist specializing in organizational transformation, talent management, and operational equity. She has worked with major companies such as Apple and Oscar Health, where she led initiatives to align people strategies with core business objectives. Yvonne’s expertise includes business process reengineering and identifying process-driven solutions to equity challenges, making her a sought-after advisor for organizations aiming to build high-performing, equitable teams. Her academic background spans the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, as well as international study in Thailand and Milan, giving her a broad perspective on leadership and team dynamics. As the founder of her own leadership consultancy, Yvonne combines practical experience with a global outlook, focusing on sustainable succession planning and the integration of equity into everyday business operations.
The key moments in this episode are:
00:02:43 - Yvonne Jackson’s Background and Cross-Cultural Experiences
00:07:03 - Transitioning from DEI to Process-Driven Equity and Leadership
00:10:23 - Aligning Business Priorities with Equity for Sustainable Impact
00:12:53 - Operationalizing Equity through Process Improvement and Leadership Alignment
00:13:26 - Leveraging Tech and Process Reengineering in Talent Management
00:14:39 - Addressing Organizational Growth Challenges and Realignment Needs
00:17:19 - The Cost of Misalignment and Importance of Metrics in DEI
00:21:48 - Supporting Overwhelmed Leaders to Gain Strategic Clarity
00:25:32 - Revaluing Company Core Values as Decision-Making Tools
00:27:15 - Redesigning Organizational Values for Modern Equity and Decision-Making
00:31:09 - Embracing AI to Identify Workflow Inefficiencies and Drive Strategy
00:32:40 - Recommended Leadership Reading: The Courage to Be Disliked
00:34:07 - Prioritizing Sleep as a Key Productivity Ritual for Leaders
00:36:39 - Changing the World by Shifting Social Media Narratives
00:40:21 - Operationalizing Equity and Centering Humanity in the Future of Work
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Connect with Yvonne Jackson and her work by visiting her website or finding her on LinkedIn.
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Lori Adams-Brown, Host & Executive Producer
A World of Difference Podcast
