When COVID hit, most organizations had no choice but to move to remote work. Interestingly enough, the transition was quicker and smoother than many had ever thought. Working remote has its challenges, whether they are human, cultural or technological. Some organizations adapt, some don't. Some leaders and employees adapt, others don't. It's not very common to see a head geek (i.e. a CTO) with a highly developed sense of culture. The tech geek stereotype doesn't necessarily include a people-first mindset, empathy and sense of belonging. There are – fortunately – some tech geeks who just do that. Gint Grabauskas, CTO at Offerpad, happens to be one of them. Today with Gint we talk about how Offerpad has been dealing with the pandemic, remote work, and how the company is looking at redefining what its workplace will look like in 2021. Note: you can follow Gint on LinkedIn and Offerpad on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

In today's altered landscape of COVID and social unrest, the shift in how and where we work has created a critical need to redesign the employee experience. With boundaries between life and work removed, and with persistent health and safety concerns for many employees, traditional employee engagement strategies are not enough to understand the whole-person experience. The context for work has changed, and there is an obligation for companies to provide something greater, act responsibly, and give back. With heightened social uncertainty and stress, workers expect their employers to understand who they are as a whole person. This includes their personal pursuits and lives, and they expect those organizations to address important topics including social justice, environmental sustainability and community involvement. My eX Podcast guests this month are two brothers, Pat and Dan Riley. The co-founders of RADICL—serial technology entrepreneurs and brothers Dan and Patrick Riley—sold their employee engagement technology company, Modern Survey, to human resources firm Aon in 2016. Both became partners at Aon after the acquisition, leading the successful integration of the Modern Survey platform into Aon's global business as well as providing strategy consulting to clients around the world. Since leaving Aon, Dan and Patrick have been advising and working with HR technology companies, and co-produced the award-winning Hollywood film Tuscaloosa (2020). Today with Pat and Dan we talk about the need to redesign the employee experience by focusing on the whole person. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

2020 has been an emotional roller coaster for many of us. COVID has impacted many lives, from job losses to financial challenges, from remote work to isolation, from social injustice to wanting from equality and respect, and not mentioned the emotional toll of the presidential elections. It's become more important than ever for organizations to communicate to their people with transparency, with clarity, with candor about the challenges both employers and employees are facing together. Employees are asking their leaders to have an open dialogue on what's important to them, so that leaders can build a plan around moments that matter to their people (diversity, equity and inclusion, work/life integration, mental health, etc.), designing a more human-centered employee experience. My eX Podcast guest this month is Joey Price, a fellow podcaster of the Business, Life and Coffee Podcast, and the CEO of Jumpstart:HR, and HR consulting firm for small businesses and startups. Today with Joey we talk about: - Diversity, Equality and Inclusion - Effective communications to inspire and unite employees - And how it impacts the overall employee experience Note: you can follow Joey on LinkedIn, Twitter, at Jumpstart:HR and listen to his podcast. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

My eX Podcast guest this month is the ultimate culture engineer, modern elder and no BS Tom Frank. Tom has helped launch a multitude of business in the hospitality and tech sectors, with a focus on building an amazing culture as the foundation for future growth. Nowadays, through his Round World Management consultancy, Tom delivers, 'Culture Alignment Workshops', builds dynamic Culture Alignment Platforms for his clients around the country, and speaks at conferences and conventions on the topic of culture and leadership development. "Just imagine how amazing it would be if everyone in your company worked with the same values, beliefs and aspirations." Tom Frank's culture engineering work does just that. As Tom said to me during our discussion, "my heart goes out to HR people today. The job that most of them applied for when they were hired is often not the job they are being asked to do today. For many people, 'culture' was not on the job description and perhaps not on their resume.... or their skill set." Today with Tom we talk about: – What it means to have a people-centered workplace – Why we must lead with intention and make all people inside our organizations visible – What's f-ed up with HR today – His 'I'm essential" project Note: you can follow Tom on LinkedIn, at Round World Management and learn more about his I'm Essential project. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

Pre COVID-19, many organizations had internal discussions around flexible schedules, remote work, less micro-managing but rather empowering and trusting people to manage their own time and contribution to the collective output. Most organizations never got to the point of moving from intent to execution because of mid-management pressure, old-school mindset or whatever excuse leaders could find. After being forced to move their workforce to remote work due to COVID-19, the same leaders realized that it wasn't not as complicated as it seemed. On the contrary, the transition in most of the companies I've talked to was smooth and quick. Most companies have even seen an increase in productivity, a higher employee engagement rate, AND more human connections (instead of purely transactional type of interactions such as "hey, did you do this?") despite social distancing and stay-at-home mandates. Suddenly, executives, HR professionals and employees have realized that it's OK to be human at work, with the roller coaster of emotions we're all going through, our kids or pets photobombing Zoom calls, wearing shorts and t-shirts, drinking a beer or a glass of wine, all while collaborating with our co-workers and bosses. My eX Podcast guest this month is the awesome, fun and upbeat Rachel Druckenmiller, Founder & CEO of Unmuted. Recognized as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the U.S. and a 40 Under 40 Game Changer, Rachel is a national thought leader and dynamic speaker. She's on a mission to empower people to use their voices courageously to speak up, speak out and have a positive impact in the world. With expertise in resilience, wellbeing and leadership, Rachel is a catalyst who ignites people to live and lead more intentionally so they can thrive at work and at home. She posts daily inspirational videos on LinkedIn (sometimes singing!). Follow her there and at www.UnmutedLife.com. Today with Rachel we talk about: - How organizations can better support their people through the COVID-19 pandemic - Why it's OK to be vulnerable and show our humanity at work - What's next for organizations as we will (eventually) transition out of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. Note: you can follow Rachel on LinkedIn, Twitter and at Unmuted. Here are some additional resources Rachel is recommending: Navigating the Next Normalblog post 5 Sources of Good News Right Nowblog post It's Okay to Be Sadblog post 5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally blog post The Soul Behind the Role video Are You Resisting Rest? video Ain't No Mountain High Enough video (singing!) If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

The COVID-19 crisis has been an unprecedented disruption in our professional and personal lives all at once, affecting billions of people across the globe. It forced business leaders to react, adapt, make drastic decisions (usually people-versus-profit decisions), as they are faced with accelerated change, new challenges and a shift in priorities. The unfolding events are undoubtedly impacting the Employee eXperience, and employees must be at the center of how organizations and leaders respond on the way to recovery. Ken Oehler, Senior Partner, Global Culture & Engagement Practice Leader at Kincentric, joins the eX Podcast this month to share the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and the transformation he's seeing in eX leading organizations to design the post-COVID workplace. Kincentric is leading a global survey on how COVID-19 is impacting the Employee eXperience worldwide. To respond to the survey, click here. Today with Ken we talk about: - What the "new normal" and a "post COVID-19 world" means for business leaders and organizations. - What this upcoming "future of work" means specifically to eX, and how organizations should be planning for this. - What are the biggest challenges leaders and employees are going to face during this period of stabilization and recovery. - What changes Ken believes will bounce back to normal, and what things will permanently change.  - What organizations need to do to keep their employees inspired/engaged/connected during this transformation to the "new normal" journey -- through the ups and the downs over the coming months/year. Note: you can follow Ken on LinkedIn, Twitter and Kincentric on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit)?

This episode is very special to me as it marks a major milestone for the eX Podcast: the 100th episode. It's been an incredible journey, full of amazing encounters and so many insightful conversations. I hope you feel the same. For this special occasion, I wanted to do something a little different and be surrounded by friends with whom I deeply share the common belief that Leadership and Human Resources can become more people centric, more human, more purposeful to deliver greater business outcomes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to reset the rules of leadership and reimagine the workplace. Stacie Mallen (the HR rebel), Mark Christensen (the super connector and culture warrior), and Brian Mohr (the conscious and servant leader) join me to discuss how to make the workplace a better place. Today we talk about: - How leaders can build trust - What the current state of HR is and where it is going - What servant leadership is - What the most difficult part of being a leader is - What defines a great company culture - How we lead through change - What new skills leaders will need to learn to lead more effectively - Bring more love to the workplace. Note: you can follow Stacie, Mark and Brian on LinkedIn. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit) in your city?

There is a small, but growing movement of employers in today's business landscape who have fully embraced the philosophy that taking great care of their people (i.e. employees) provides a direct benefit to all of their stakeholders, including better financial results. The truth is that by doing business the right way – being truly an authentic leader, showing vulnerability, committing each moment of your day to your purpose and ethics, and caring about your people (employees and customers) – you can achieve that great success without losing your soul. The Conscious Capitalism movement has adopted 4 core principles and sees business as a force for good. Conscious leadership Organizations mirror the actions and personality of their CEO. People (employees, customers) want to follow someone who acts kindly, shows respect and compassion, in an authentic and genuine way. Conscious Leaders are the ones who inspire loyalty and consistent high performance in their teams. Stakeholder orientation Conscious leaders know the importance of taking into account all of their stakeholders. Your employees, your customers, your vendors, the community surrounding your business. Take care of them and they will take care of your business, its profitability and make your shareholders happy. Conscious culture A value-based culture is one that is intentional about how people act and perform. It's about defining genuine core values, identify specific behaviors you expect all your stakeholders to adopt. Higher purpose Finally, the company should be in business to do more than just make money. In fact, making money is an outcome of working tirelessly and passionately towards a higher purpose. It's about creating value and bringing good to the world surrounding you. Fortunately, conscious leaders such as Adam Goodman – CEO at Goodmans Interior Structures in the Phoenix, AZ area – fully embrace the concept that taking care of their people first is simply the right thing to do for their business. Today with Adam we talk about: - How he applies the founding principles of Conscious Capitalism to his organization. - How the responsibility of the CEO and the leadership team has changed as it relates to truly caring for the whole person and not just the 'employee'. - Why is it important for him to show his employees he cares about their well-being. - What his company has implemented to bring to life this culture of caring and well-being, and how it translates on a daily basis. - How he measures the success of implementing employee-centric initiatives and their impact on the business. Note: you can follow Adam on LinkedIn, Twitter and Goodmans Interior Structures on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Support for this podcast is brought to you by LifeGuides. LifeGuides is an innovative company that partners with organizations to help them better support their employee families through their big or small life challenges that usually impact their vitality, focus at work and their overall well-being inside and outside of work. LifeGuides created a platform to leverage three of the most valuable and untapped resources on the planet – life experience, human connection and wisdom. The heartbeat of the company revolves around trained Guides who are ready and available to give your employees the relief that they need. Find out more at www.lifeguides.com. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit) in your city?

Culture is like a DJ's mixing desk. It's a series of themes, behaviors, and ways to do things that make up the tone and vibe of an organization. Often a good way to get a quick measure on a company is to ask the question 'how does this place feel to me'. Culture is granular - built up over time through the many micro actions, turns of phrase, occasions and moments that an organization experiences everyday. Which means every culture is highly nuanced. Therefore to understand it, leaders have to look at it through a number of lenses. B+A has identified 7 elements that define a company's culture. Ben Gallagher is the Co-Founder of B+A, the fastest, most creative management consultancy in the world. Ben started in journalism, moved into creative and innovation roles before founding B+A. For Ben, organizations can only success in their innovation efforts if they build a people centric culture, and that's what we are discussing on the show. Today with Ben we talk about: - Why so few companies have an identified leader responsible for culture. - What are the elements that define culture. - How to identify what makes a company's culture unique and special. - What employees really care most about. - How a leader gets people to be more honest with him or her. - How a leader changes long established habits that now feel out of date. - How a leader makes sure all new staff knows what's important about the company. Note: you can follow Ben on LinkedIn and B+A on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Support for this podcast is brought to you by LifeGuides. LifeGuides is an innovative company that partners with organizations to help them better support their employee families through their big or small life challenges that usually impact their vitality, focus at work and their overall well-being inside and outside of work. LifeGuides created a platform to leverage three of the most valuable and untapped resources on the planet – life experience, human connection and wisdom. The heartbeat of the company revolves around trained Guides who are ready and available to give your employees the relief that they need. Find out more at www.lifeguides.com. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit) in your city?

Think about it… 80% of employees' days are spent working in teams. And yet the teams most people find themselves in are nowhere near as effective as they could be. 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures, according to Salesforce. Teams are often divided by tensions, dissension, and dysfunctional teams drain employees' energy, performance, and creativity. Building cohesive, productive and multi-generational teams can be a challenge. It starts with creating a culture that promotes candor and feedback. A culture that promotes healthy discord to spark creativity and innovation. A culture that celebrates risk, experimentation and failure for long-term success. A culture that unifies individuals versus pushing individuals against each other. A culture that focuses on people, not policies and processes. Elton Chester is co-founder of The Culture Works, a global training company, and author of multiple award winning, #1 New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, All In, The Carrot Principle and The Best Team Wins. His books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies. He has been called "fascinating" by Fortune and "creative and refreshing" by The New York Times. Elton has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS 60 Minutes, and is often quoted in Fast Company, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal. In 2019 Global Gurus research organization ranked Chester #11 among the world's top leadership experts and #8 among the world's top organizational culture experts. The Employee Engagement Awards 2019 named him a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement Influencer; and Engagedly named him Top HR Influencer of 2019. Today with Chester we talk about: - What differentiates high performing teams vs. less performing teams. - What are the critical steps to build a winning culture that drives results. - How to maintain momentum through challenges, new dynamics as people come in or leave? - Why is candor and feedback important. - How can leaders create an employee focused organization. Note: you can follow Chester on LinkedIn, Twitter and The Culture Works on LinkedIn, Twitter and Vimeo. Support for this podcast is brought to you by LifeGuides. Responding to the inevitable and unexpected Life Challenges of your employees is one of the most profound opportunities to express your level of care, empathy, and compassion for the well-being of your people. The LifeGuides Network™ partners with organizations who recognize this profound opportunity and provides them with a platform to match their employees who are going through a specific Life Challenge with trained Guides who have successfully navigated the same Life Challenge. LifeGuides is a peer-to-peer network that exists to unlock and share the largest untapped and valuable resource on the planet - Human Wisdom and Experience. Find out more at www.lifeguides.com. If you want to send me feedback, suggestions for future topics or guests, you can reach me at [email protected] or on Twitter @eX_Summit.  Interested in learning more about Business To Employee Branding (B2E branding)? Interested in sponsoring or speaking at the next Employee Experience Summit (eX Summit) in your city?