Gut + Science - Real Talk With Ceos On Culture, Data, And Decision-making

Truth You Can Act On: Showcase Your Company As A Career: If you treat your employees as expendable commodities, they will treat your business in a similar fashion. Consider hiring a dedicated onboarding coordinator to set the tone early for employees: they are valuable to your business, so much that you will invest in their career long-term. Play The Numbers Game: Experience breeds a trust in “going with your gut,” but don’t make all crucial decisions based on feel. Modern technology is capable of producing a plethora of data and analytics. Embrace these tools to make more informed decisions that will benefit your sustained growth and mitigate risk. Don’t Overlook Onboarding: You’ve succeeded in hiring a new employee, but the real work hasn’t even begun. A stale, uninteresting, and disengaged onboarding process will turn away even the best hires. Strive to empower a culture of positive vulnerability, allowing new hires to express their feelings quickly and accurately. Integrate Creative Communication: It’s t

Truth You Can Act On: Invest Individuals in Team Results: If your employees don’t understand why their individual contributions matter, they won’t buy into the overall goals of your business. By educating your staff on your business’ dollars and cents, you’ll increase accountability and personal ownership. Factor in Likability: It’s a simple truth in personal circles: most people associate with people they like. This also bodes true in the sales world - most people prefer to buy from people they like. Don’t get overly caught up in developing the hard skills of your employees. Empowering their likability will reap great dividends. Instigate Proactive Conversations: Don’t wait to call meetings together until there is a cultural crisis. Find out what your employees need help with - today, tomorrow, this week, this month, etc. By knowing what pain points are holding back your employees, you can find the best solutions for fostering success. Connect with Stories: All employees are human beings. Establish a cultur

Truth You Can Act On: Drive Engagement By Connecting: When sending out surveys, talk to your employees first to get their input on what questions regarding engagement matter the most. Set aside time each week and commit to organic conversations with staff - innovation cannot exist without an engaged workforce. Establish Core Values: If your employees all aren’t on the same page, consistent results will become impossible. Engagement stems from being aware of expectations and having the tools to deliver upon those goals. Let Transparency Be Your Friend: It’s challenging to convince workers to invest in short-term goals when the big picture of what success looks like hasn’t been conveyed. Be as transparent as possible during meetings and trainings to foster a smarter workforce and increase buy-in from employees. Mind the Accountability Gap: A disengaged manager can be just as destructive to your company culture as a micro-manager. Consistently assess the proper balance between employee accountability and freedo

Truth You Can Act On: Happy Employees Create Happy Customers: It’s crucial to maintain emotional ownership from employees regarding what your company is trying to accomplish. Providing the freedom for staff to make decisions empowers their happiness and fuels sustainable growth and success. Rely on Employee Referrals When Hiring: Your employees are your best gauge as to whether or not new potential hires will properly fit the culture of your business. It’s incredibly expensive to lose new hires quickly - save time and money by relying on your strongest brand advocates to guide the process of adding staff. Dynamic Company Culture Must Adapt: The needs and wants of staff are ever-changing. Develop a diverse array of creative benefits, providing constant opportunities for enhancing communication, fostering mentorship, and developing professional skills. Above all, actively listen to your employees and stay connected. Set Your Priorities: Don’t do yourself a disservice by searching for new employees purely based

Truth You Can Act On: Do Less, Better: Find the right training programs for the right people, and don’t focus on a mass quantity of programs. Are managers and leaders reinforcing the trained behaviors once everyone gets back to the job? Emphasize better work, not more work. Contextualize to Foster Engagement: Engagement is critical for a business to thrive - more specifically, employees need to know the context of how their learning ties into their day-to-day roles. You don’t have to provide entertainment or “bells and whistles” to foster emotional ownership within your business. Leaders Need Regular Interaction: The best leaders are the ones creating opportunities to learn from employees regarding their daily routines and pain points. These “in between the meetings” conversations are the basis for creating better top-level coaches and a more engaged workforce. Provide Opportunities for Deep-Thinking: Don’t just take employees off site to entertain them. It’s all about creating an environment for employees t

Truth You Can Act On: Feedback: The ability to give useful feedback is a skill all leaders need to learn and master. Sometimes those critical conversations aren’t the easiest to have, but with practice, you’ll be able to have them more comfortably. It’s not always fun, but it’s what ultimately leads to growth. Personal Board of Directors: Mentoring is not about one relationship; it’s multifaceted. It’s all based on the many different leadership skills you’re looking to develop. The key is having multiple mentors who serve as your board of directors for all areas you desire to grow in. Leader Participation: If we want to see engagement being driven throughout the organization by mentoring, we as leaders need to be mentors as well as mentees. We need to be sharing our experiences. If we’re looking for our employees to become more savvy in personal and professional development then we need to share with them the resources we used. It’s the same thing with mentoring. We need to share our participation, share our

Truth You Can Act On: Recognition or reward is best with a personal touch from the leader. When quality work is recognized by a leader, employees feel more validated and cared about. Make it a priority to schedule time for personally rewarding your employees. Simple acts of recognition and small unexpected rewards are surefire ways of boosting engagement. Innovation comes from listening. The best way to come up with creative ideas for increasing employee satisfaction and loyalty is by listening. Ask your employees questions, show genuine interest in their needs, and listen to what they have to say. Do this on a regular basis and you’re guaranteed to get some great ideas. Strict on-boarding predicts future sustainability. During the onboarding process, set clear guidelines for the type of person you’re looking to hire. Make it clear that your company is a serious place to work and that you’re looking for the best. The extra effort required to find the right person will always be worth it in the long run. The

Truth You Can Act On: Leadership Development. Make sure your leadership is aligned. If there is one thing that hinders growth, it’s having leaders who are not on the same page. Cultural alignment and clarity are essential throughout every tier of your company - from the executive team to middle management. Also, don’t forget to invest in your team’s professional development. You are only as strong as your top leadership. Recognition Programs. Create a recognition program that ties back into your company’s mission. Make it meaningful - something that your employees are proud to participate in. It can’t be an afterthought. Make it a focal part of your company culture. This means creating a system with a frequent (and mandatory) cadence. Diversity. There are two keys to attracting a diverse workforce. The first is creating a company culture that gives off a diverse vibe. You should be able to walk into your office and just feel it. The second key is going out and developing partnerships with entities connected

Truth You Can Act On: Don’t Assume. Go and have the conversation to help you understand how your employees feel about your company. Seek first to understand then promptly respond. It’s easy to assume everyone is engaged when there are no apparent conflicts. Avoid this mistake by asking questions, seeking out conversations, and continually identifying opportunities for improvement. Leverage Personal Touch. Go beyond using technology to engage with your team. The workforce is becoming more and more remote which means adding personal touches is even more critical. Technology is necessary but never underestimate the power of face-to-face interaction. As leaders, we need to seek out opportunities to connect personally. Solicit Feedback. Asking for feedback should be done regularly not just annually. By surveying and asking for feedback, you can improve your culture. Employees notice when their feedback gets implemented. You can’t improve anything if you’re not sure what’s wrong. Innovate with Your Team. Seek out

Truth You Can Act On: Regular Communication: Having the one-on-one cadence is great but tailor it to what that specific person needs. For some it might be every week for others it could be every other. Then keep track of what you discuss with your team through a shared document. This document keeps you both on track with development and communication. Be a Role Model: Share your personal development journey with your team. The more they see you taking action, the more inspired they will be to take action on their own. Show Weakness: Many leaders don’t do this for fear of losing their employees respect. In reality, showing this vulnerability elicits more respect and buy-in. When you show you’re human, you become more relatable as a leader generating a deeper level of understanding. Write Notes: Acknowledge the wins either through a shared channel or take the time to write handwritten notes to your employees. Recognizing the effort and the outcome they created develops a layer of trust and appreciation between

Truth You Can Act On: Define Your Culture: Values create your culture code. These should be established as a company rather than dictated. The company values also drive decision making whether it's a question of hiring or letting go.  Challenge your people: When having tough conversations, it’s essential to talk facts not opinions. To eliminate the rumor mill or gossip, empower your people to have tough conversations. These shouldn’t be arguments rather frank discussions helping to make each other better. Learn from Others: Take the time to meet and engage with others outside your organization. When you spend time networking and meeting with peers one-on-one, you gain new perspectives and opportunities to learn. Full Shownotes:  https://gutplusscience.com/jonathan-reynolds/ Book Recommendation: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek Sponsors: Emplify - Are you still using pulse surveys? How about annual questionnaires? If your organization relies on either of th

Truth You Can Act On: Dedicated open space: Your office space and make an impact on your employee’s engagement. Find and dedicate a space in your organization that can foster and allow for your employees to naturally build relationships. This space can be a place for community and enabling access to one another. Challenge your people: One of the most rewarding things a leader can do is see their employees grow. Carve out time for one-on-one coaching and working with your people to develop them personally and professionally. Get real feedback, regularly: Find the best tools for your organization to allow you to gain the truth. Then leverage that feedback to make organizational changes. Feedback is important as you continue to grow as a leader, but also for your team to know you’re listening, you care, and you are constantly improving. The feedback net can go beyond your employees rather cast a wider net to gain a broader perspective. Full Shownotes: http://gutplusscience.com/mary-beth-oakes Book Recommenda

Truth You Can Act On: Know people’s motivation: We can't treat all of our people the same. Everyone's motivated in different ways and we have to know what's there why. We have to spend time listening and understanding how your employees are motivated. Employees first: Customer service should be a top priority but it can’t take precedence over your employees. When you help your employees win they’ll walk through fire for you and your customers. Build on their strengths: Always look for the good in people and acknowledge what they’re doing well. You can build loyalty by leading with positivity. When we have a strong relationship with people they stop expecting you to be perfect and start focusing on how they can help bring the company’s vision to life. Full Shownotes: http://gutplusscience.com/tom-zupancic Book recommendation: Dream Manager by Matthew Kelley Sponsors: LHD Benefits - LHD is a full-service employee benefits firm, that empowers their clients to make the best possible decisions for their emp

Truth You Can Act On: Authenticity and vulnerability are key. It’s important as leaders to take off the ‘suit and tie’ and be authentic. Connect with your employees as human being to human being. It’s really hard to do because it's this balancing act. I think for a lot of us in leadership roles we want to make sure to walk the fine line on keeping things professional. However, the more authentic you are as a leader the better. Check-In often. Checking in and spending time with your team members talking through their personal growth journey as much as their professional growth. If you have a two-hour meeting, break it in half by spending time helping your people develop individually, which is as important as growing professionally and meeting the goals of your business. In addition, figure out how to be present on a regular basis. Go and see your people out in the field and go travel to new locations to see just see people outside of your office Personal recognition. The power of personal recognition even in

 Truth You Can Act On: Hire for cultural fit. Make sure this human being is not just being hired for skill set but for cultural fit, meaning that they're going to jive with the rest of your organization and help everyone be better. You don't want to go back and fix that later. One of the greatest tests is just thinking through how long would you like to hang out with this person outside of work. That's really good test because you should want to hang out and be friends with them. Understand the power of soft skills training. We need to develop our people from the communication to relationship skills like building friendships and knowing how to show up. So I just encourage you to think through not so much the mechanical things and the high-level skills that they need as employees to do a great job but the soft skills training as well. Take retreats you know to get them away do some team building and really just help develop your people. Build disciples. When you build Disciple's you are really building a cust

Truth You Can Act On: Focus on humanizing your communication. Don't forget it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I encourage you to think through how you're communicating as a whole whether it's general communications or the more touchy subjects that obviously need more intimate communication around them. Really focusing on how big communication is and how it can impact your organization. Allow for on one-to one-interaction. I know that as a CEO or president, you can't be everywhere all the time. However, you can encourage your leaders to be more proactive with one-on-one time with the people on their team. Empower your managers or leaders to do the same thing so that you can really scale the opportunity and make the impact. Embrace authenticity. Be authentic regularly, especially in the world of millennials and the younger generations, they want to know the real you. The bottom line and all of that we try very hard to be connected to our people but we sometimes forget how much of an impact just talkin

Whether you need to land more business or increase output, the road to more revenue and better business outcomes ultimately relies on relationships. And if there’s one thing Nikki Lewallen knows, it’s relationships. In Gut+Science™, Nikki takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride that cuts to the core of people-first cultures—to see what true success looks like, and how CEOs like you are redefining employee engagement. If you’re ready to replace gut instinct with the scientific insight you can use to drive change within your organization, this is the podcast for you. Get ready for real talk on leadership, lessons learned and what it truly takes to create winning cultures. This episode is our introduction and the why behind launching the show. Learn more at gutplusscience.com