This is a special one-of-a-kind Turn the Tables episode of Workplace Weirdness.

For the first time, Maya Kadar Kovalsky is in the hot seat. And stepping in as the guest host is Marketing Strategist and TOP 50 Business Thinker In The World, Dorie Clark.

Maya opens up about her own weird workplace moments and lets us know the person behind the mic, how she thinks about work culture, and what shaped the voice of Workplace Weirdness. Maya also answers listeners’ questions about everything from the reality behind “unlimited PTO” to the awkward rise of AI-assisted interviews. Dorie adds her unique perspective on leadership, career, and friendship.  

This episode flips the format and goes deeper than usual. For the first time, you get a closer look at Maya, her background, leadership style, and personal take on workplace culture. 

In this episode:

• Dorie Clark hosts, and Maya takes the hot seat 

• Why unlimited PTO sounds great, but doesn’t always work

• How to manage the stress of an AI-assisted interview

• What to do when you’re accused of leaking confidential company info

• How to handle awkward workplace situations when a holiday gift goes wrong

• The time when Maya was mentioned negatively in a Glassdoor post. 

 Chapters:

• [00:00:00] – Introduction: Dorie Clark introduces the special April Fools episode where she takes over as host, putting the usual host, Maya, in the “hot seat”.

• [00:01:25] – Quickfire Warm-up: Dorie leads Maya through a series of rapid-fire questions covering personal preferences, such as being a morning person versus a night owl and interests in K-dramas versus romance.

• [00:02:40] – Management Style Questions: The warm-up shifts to workplace preferences, including the use of “talking sticks” in meetings and whether performance reviews should be conducted via emojis.

• [00:03:15] – Maya’s Weirdest Moment: Maya shares a story about a technical failure where she realized an hour into an interview that she had forgotten to press the record button.

• [00:05:15] – The “Champagne Incident”: Maya discusses a “youthful mistake” where she sent champagne to employees during COVID-19, which resulted in an employee getting visibly intoxicated on camera during a mandatory training session.

• [00:11:58] – The Alumni Sweatshirt: Maya describes a tradition she invented—giving “alumnus” sweatshirts to departing employees, though they were withheld if the person left under “unsavory circumstances”.

• [00:07:05] – The Unlimited PTO Trap: A listener asks for advice after receiving a warning email from HR for taking time off to care for a sick parent, despite the company’s “unlimited PTO” policy.

• [00:13:37] – AI Over-reliance in Interviews: A job applicant worries about an upcoming in-person interview after relying heavily on AI to assist with nerves during the initial remote screening.

• [00:19:40] – The Confidential Leak Accusation: An employee seeks advice on how to defend themselves after being unfairly suspected of leaking internal documents simply because they were the only one not on vacation.

• [00:16:55] – Overheard Moments: Maya reflects on the sting of discovering a mean Glassdoor post about herself and how she eventually learned to let go of the non-useful feedback.

• [00:22:10] – The Counter-Offer Regret: Maya shares a story about a time she disagreed with a management decision to give a pay raise to an inadequate employee who had threatened to resign.

• [00:24:50] – Sign-off and Credits: Dorie and Maya wrap up the show with a “virtual cheers,” and Maya provides the final production credits.

Resources and Links:

Dorie Clark

· Website: https://dorieclark.com/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doriec/

Maya Kadar Kovalsky

·     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayakadar/

Workplace Weirdness

·         Email: [email protected]

·         Website: workplace-weirdness.com

·         Instagram: @workplaceweirdpod

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.