828: Belonging That Works: Beyond the DEI Checkbox with CEO Jean Ibañez Payne

·40 min·3 clips

Jean Ibáñez-Payne describes hitting rock bottom and deciding to live after 30 years of silence about her military sexual trauma.

Elayne Fluker introduces the episode by highlighting Jean Ibáñez-Payne's role as founder and CEO of TI Verbatim Consulting, a firm focused on making work environments better. Jean explains her company's mission to ensure work doesn't suck by addressing culture issues from the top down, not just through HR. She describes how her firm uses a unique AI platform backed by data scientists to analyze employee feelings and align them with leadership goals, emphasizing that humans remain integral to the process. The conversation shifts to current workforce challenges, with Jean offering advice on handling layoffs humanely by providing extended notice and transparency. Jean, a certified diversity executive, critiques DEI practices, warning against tokenism and explaining the difference between equality and equity through an elevator analogy. She shares her personal story of being sexually assaulted multiple times during her service in the U.S. Navy, which led to decades of shame and mental health struggles. Jean discusses hitting rock bottom in December 2022, when she decided to live and began reclaiming her worth through therapy, medication, and self-care. She talks about being open with her employees about her mental health journey, including taking a sabbatical, and the importance of a support system. Jean emphasizes the need to name emotions and practice self-compassion daily, rather than outsourcing worth to others. The episode concludes with Jean promoting her book 'Reclaim Your Worth' and its Spanish version, along with a children's book, and sharing her website for further resources.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about workplace feedback, equity, and the culture decisions leaders have to own.

Workplace culture comes through as a leadership duty, not a side project handed off to HR. Jean Ibanez-Payne, founder and CEO of TI Verbatim Consulting, uses 15 years in corporate life to argue that employees feel valued and respected when leaders model the standards they want…

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Why you'd press play

You want culture change that moves beyond the DEI checkbox and into what people actually feel at work.

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