In this episode, Host Taylor Baker sits down with Connie Charles, founder and president of IMAPSSI, to discuss how data-driven insight into motivation and behavior can help leaders build healthier teams, communicate more effectively, and scale coaching through technology.
What You’ll Learn
- Why meaningful development starts with understanding who a person is, not forcing one-size-fits-all training or leadership approaches.
- How Connie’s early corporate work at DuPont shaped a data-backed methodology for identifying what drives people at work.
- The difference between what people love to do (passions) and what they need (often unspoken expectations), and why both matter for motivation.
- How unmet needs can trigger “reactions” (behavior out of control) while met needs unlock “strengths” (behavior in control).
- Practical ways to use team insights to build trust, tailor communication, and reduce friction across roles and personalities.
- What it takes to scale a high-touch assessment and coaching approach from manual processes to dashboards, apps, and AI-supported guidance.
- A real-world example of using a “closed” AI system (trained only on internal libraries) to support leaders through sensitive, high-stakes situations.
- Why IMAPSSI’s model is shifting from “outside experts” to empowering internal practitioners who can use the tool and lead better conversations.
This conversation highlights a powerful theme: people aren’t the problem misalignment is. Connie makes the case that when leaders can clearly see what motivates their teams, what each person needs to thrive, and how stress changes behavior, they can lead with greater empathy and precision. With IMAPSSI’s evolving technology, that kind of coaching is moving closer to real-time support helping individuals and organizations make better choices, close performance gaps, and build cultures where people can succeed.
To learn more about Connie Charles and their work.