The Workplace Chameleon with Dr. Celina

Hosted by Celina Peerman, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, CSP

Business Management EducationInterviews guests

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Latest episode

Apr 2026

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EN-US

About the show

This podcast is about the changing organization and our relationship to it -- how we enter, thrive and exit. Each episode is meant to be thoughtful, funny, and applicable. Stories, insight, and "words to say" come from Dr. Celina's experience with over two and a half decades of listening, learning from and leading conversations in hundreds of companies. Each episode will explore a new theme about life arriving in, interacting with and leaving the workplace.

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60 recent

April 22, 202614 min

Episode 95: Uncertainty As A Condition

Send us Fan MailWe are back! Welcome to the Workplace Chameleon. After a break, we are very excited to move some conversations forward! What if uncertainty isn’t something to get through…but something we’re living in?In this kickoff episode of a special 8-part series, Dr. Celina Peerman reframes how we think about uncertainty, not as a temporary disruption, but as the ongoing condition of modern work and leadership. Because when we treat uncertainty like a phase, we wait. We wait to decide, to communicate, to move forward.But what if waiting is the very thing holding us back?In this episode, you’ll explore:Why uncertainty is not a sign of incompetence or weak leadership What uncertainty actually looks like in day-to-day work and teams The patterns leaders fall into when clarity is low (and how to shift) The concept of anchors, what keeps us grounded when everything else is shiftingA powerful question to help you refocus: What is mine to hold today? This episode sets the foundation for the series ahead, where we’ll dig deeper into leading through the unknown, navigating “the gap” between here and there, and building stability without certainty.We’re also launching the Uncertainty Initiative, a national research effort exploring how people are navigating uncertainty in their work and lives.If you’re listening in Spring 2026, we’d love your voice in the study:👉 www.drcelinapeerman.com/uncertainty-initiative

August 20, 202513 min

Episode 94: Make Priorities Visible

Send us Fan MailPriorities only matter if people can see and understand them. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores how priorities that feel crystal clear to a leader can remain completely invisible to everyone else — and why that invisibility comes at such a high cost. She explains the common ways priorities fade into the background, from assumptions that “everyone already knows” to noise from urgent tasks and shifting focus when leaders themselves drift. Through stories and reflections, Dr. Celina highlights the real consequences of hidden priorities, including misaligned work, scattered energy, missed deadlines, frustration, and even erosion of trust. You’ll learn practical ways to make priorities visible — by saying them out loud, writing them down, repeating them often, and connecting them to the “why” behind the work — as well as how leaders must model alignment with their own calendars and actions if they want their teams to believe it. This week’s challenge: take one priority that’s been living in your head, share it out loud, and make it visible enough that your team can see, repeat, and act on it. Because priorities only do their job when they’re clear to everyone, not just you.For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com.

August 20, 202514 min

Episode 93: Flow On Demand

Send us Fan MailFlow is one of the best feelings at work — that magic zone where you’re so focused and immersed that time disappears, distractions fade, and the work feels almost effortless. But too often, we treat flow like a lucky accident instead of something we can actually design. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores how leaders and teams can set up the conditions to enter flow more often, on demand. She breaks down what flow really feels like, why the modern workplace often makes it so rare, and how to invite it in by matching the right work to the right moment, setting clear goals, reducing distractions, and protecting time for deep focus. With practical strategies and examples, Dr. Celina shows how leaders can model and safeguard flow for their teams, creating an environment where high-quality work happens with less stress and more engagement. This week’s challenge: protect one uninterrupted block of time and see what happens when you give your brain the conditions it needs to do its best work.For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com.

August 16, 202514 min

Episode 92: Call Out the Drift

Send us Fan MailDrift doesn’t happen all at once — it sneaks in quietly, a degree at a time, until suddenly you’re far off course. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores how leaders can spot and call out drift before it becomes a costly detour. She defines drift as the gradual, often unnoticed shift away from original goals, values, or priorities and shows how it creeps into projects, culture, and team energy through small, well-intentioned choices. You’ll hear why leaders often avoid naming drift — fearing it will sound like criticism, disrupt momentum, or reveal uncertainty — and why silence only delays the problem. With practical steps for noticing signals, naming them neutrally, and inviting curiosity instead of blame, Dr. Celina reframes drift checks as course corrections, not personal failings. She also offers ways to make drift checks a normal team habit, from quick alignment questions to mid-project reviews, and highlights how leaders who model curiosity create safer, stronger teams. This week’s challenge: in your next team conversation, ask one alignment question — “Are we still headed where we said we would go?” You might be surprised what surfaces, and how quickly you can realign.For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com.

August 13, 202511 min

Episode 91: Yes Has a Price Tag

Send us Fan MailSaying yes feels generous, positive, and full of possibility — but every yes comes with a price tag. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores the hidden costs of commitment and why intentional leaders pause to check the tag before swiping yes. She unpacks the three main currencies you spend with every agreement — time, energy, and focus — along with the fine print most people forget: opportunity cost. You’ll hear why approval-seeking, fear of missing out, and “ten-minute favors” often lead us into bargain-bin yeses that turn out to be far more expensive than expected. With practical tools like the Alignment Check, Bandwidth Check, Trade Test, and Timing Question, Dr. Celina shows how to price-check your commitments and model a healthier culture where smart no’s and well-timed yeses are valued equally. This week’s challenge: before your next yes, pause to read the tag, consider the trade, and decide if it’s worth the investment. Because strong leaders don’t buy every yes in sight — they invest in the ones that matter most.For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com.

August 6, 202514 min

Episode 90: Your Mental Real Estate

Send us Fan MailYour brain is prime property, but too often we let distractions, interruptions, and clutter take over the space meant for our best ideas. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores how to protect your “mental real estate”, your attention, focus, and cognitive energy, from being drained by constant pings, messy workspaces, endless interruptions, and even your own internal noise. She shares practical strategies for building healthy boundaries around your thinking time, from blocking focus hours to signaling when you’re in “deep work” mode, and shows why protecting your mind is not just a productivity trick but a powerful leadership move. You’ll also learn how to model these habits for your team, creating a culture where focus and clarity are valued, respected, and multiplied. Tune in for reflection questions, practical resets, and a challenge to put up one new “fence” around your mind this week so you can reclaim your prime mental property and use it for what matters most.For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com.

July 28, 202510 min

Episode 89: Same Words, Different Words

Send us Fan Mail“Yes” feels positive, open, and full of possibility. But every time you say it, you’ve swiped a card—whether you realize it or not. The bill shows up later in the form of stress, late nights, or missed opportunities.In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores why every yes costs you something—and how to make sure the trade is worth it. From hidden opportunity costs to the “ten-minute trap” that turns into hours lost, Dr. Celina shows how leaders and teams can protect what matters most by saying yes with intention.

July 21, 202514 min

Episode 88: The Cost of Yes

July 14, 202513 min

Episode 87: Myth of Multitasking

Send us Fan MailIf multitasking really worked, we’d be caught up on email, folding laundry, and finishing a podcast all at the same time. But in reality, multitasking isn’t doing two things at once—it’s rapid task-switching. And every switch comes with a cost.In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman unpacks why the myth of multitasking persists and what it’s really costing leaders, teams, and organizations. From the illusion of productivity to cultural pressure to “always be on,” Dr. Celina explores why so many of us fall for multitasking and why it leaves us drained, error-prone, and spinning in shallow work.

July 7, 202516 min

Episode 86: Work Arounds for Work Arounds

Send us Fan MailWorkarounds can keep things moving—but stack enough of them, and you’re not solving problems, you’re covering them up. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman digs into the hidden cost of “bandages on bandages” at work: the quick fixes we layer on top of each other instead of addressing the real issue.From adding staff to a broken process, to offering bonuses for turnover, or handing out coupons for service failures, Dr. Celina explores how workarounds might feel like progress but often block lasting change.