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In this episode of the Ripple Intent Podcast, hosts Kyle and Jon are joined by Colin Ellis, a self described optimistic realist, an expert in organizational culture, and author of several books. They discuss the importance of building a strong culture within organizations and the four steps to creating a successful culture. The conversation highlights the need for intention and commitment from leaders, knowledge and understanding of culture among middle managers, the importance of communication and collaboration, and the measurement of culture’s impact. In this conversation, Colin Ellis discusses the importance of culture in organizations and provides practical steps to improve and measure culture. He emphasizes the need for middle managers to have the knowledge and skills to create a positive culture. Ellis outlines four steps to take: understanding the current culture, creating a vision and values, putting them into action, and measuring the impact. Colin also addresses the disconnection between culture and engagement and offers insights on how to influence change in toxic cultures. His energy, approach, practical tools, and more energy make this a highly entertaining, insightful, and fun episode!

https://www.colindellis.com/
LinkedIn – Colin Ellis

Takeaways

• Building a strong culture requires intention and commitment from leaders.
• Middle managers play a crucial role in shaping and maintaining culture.
• Effective communication and collaboration are essential for a healthy culture.
• Measuring the impact of culture is important for continuous improvement. Middle managers need the knowledge and skills to create a positive culture.
• Understanding the current culture, creating a vision and values, putting them into action, and measuring the impact are crucial steps in improving culture.
• Measuring employee happiness, engagement, sales, attrition rate, performance management, and quality defects can demonstrate the value of working on culture.
• Toxic cultures often form when poor behaviors are tolerated and not addressed by the organization.
• Influencing change in toxic cultures requires starting with small actions and being a role model for positive behaviors.

In this episode, Kyle and Jon host Rex Miller, a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in leadership, team building, and personal development. Rex shares his journey starting in project management, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, strengths, and performance. He discusses the impact of CliftonStrengths assessments, the value of understanding one’s strengths, and the role of managers in guiding employees to perform at their best. Rex highlights the significance of creating a safe space for employees to communicate and adapt their roles, ultimately leading to personal and professional growth.

Takeaways

Self-awareness and understanding one’s strengths are crucial for personal and professional growth.
Managers play a key role in guiding employees to perform at their best and create a safe space for communication and adaptation.
The impact of CliftonStrengths assessments on individual and team dynamics is significant, leading to improved performance and engagement.
Creating a culture of self-awareness and performance can lead to a more engaged and productive workforce.
Adapting roles and tasks based on individual strengths and performance can lead to improved job satisfaction and engagement.

The conversation with Rhona Vogt covers her journey which eventually landed her in architecture, where she participated in leading a large project. She shares her approach and impact of intentionally team building and culture setting. We dive into the challenges and successes of implementing behavioral norms and maintaining a cohesive team dynamic. Rhona shares insights on the importance of music in meetings (her favorite!) and the value of trying new approaches to create positive change.

Takeaways

Intentional team building and culture setting are crucial for the success of projects, requiring thoughtful consideration of behavioral norms and engagement strategies.

Implementing behavioral norms and maintaining a cohesive team dynamic requires ongoing effort and a commitment to creating a positive and inclusive work environment.

Trying new approaches, such as incorporating music in meetings, can have a positive impact on team engagement and collaboration, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

Patti Larson joins Kyle & Jon to discuss the importance of a people-centric viewpoint in the corporate workplace. She emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize the well-being and success of their team members, creating a culture that values and supports them. Patti shares examples of companies that have successfully implemented a people-first approach. She highlights the importance of trust, collaboration, and diverse perspectives in achieving positive outcomes. Patti encourages organizations to invest in team building and personal development, as well as to hire individuals who bring new ideas and skills to the table.

Takeaways:

A people-centric viewpoint and lifestyle in the workplace is essential for creating a positive and successful culture.

Leaders should prioritize the well-being and success of their team members, creating an environment where they feel valued and supported.

Trust, collaboration, and diverse perspectives are key to achieving positive outcomes and fostering innovation.

Investing in team building and personal development is crucial for building strong and effective teams.

Hiring individuals who bring new ideas and skills to the table can lead to better results and a thriving workplace.

In this episode of the Ripple Intent podcast, Kyle and Jon are joined by Ryan Heeter to discuss the importance of trust, self-awareness, and personal growth in leadership. Ryan shares his journey of self-discovery and how it has shaped his approach to work and relationships. He shares his concept of being a lighthouse rather than a tugboat, leading by example and shining a light for others to follow. The conversation highlights the need for deeper conversations and understanding in order to build strong teams and achieve goals. Ryan emphasizes the power of trust, empathy, and self-reflection in leadership.

Thoughts to consider:

Trust is a crucial element in building strong relationships and effective teams – much easier said than done!
Self-awareness and personal growth are essential for leadership development.
Leading by shining a light for others can inspire positive change.
Deeper conversations and understanding are necessary for building strong teams and achieving goals.
Empathy and self-reflection are key to creating a positive work environment and fostering personal growth.

Stacey Root and Sarah Armstrong join Kyle and Jon to share how they live and lead with the Maximizer Clifton Strength in their top 5. Stacey and Sarah discuss how their maximizer strength affects their daily lives – interactions, work, home, driving – how they view the world. They emphasize the importance of understanding and awareness having and being around someone with the maximizer strength. They also touch on the role of empathy and how it can impact relationships. The discussion heads to the never-ending pursuit of improvement and the difficulty of being satisfied with the results. Stacey and Sarah discuss their experiences as Maximizers and the challenges they face. They talk about the relief they feel when they are in unfamiliar environments and can let go of their Maximizer tendencies. They reflect on the negative connotations of being a maximizer and the impact it has had on their self-perception. Overall, they emphasize the importance of recognizing and leveraging the strengths of yourselves and of others.

In this episode, Tim Albiani, Vice President of Operations at McCarthy Building Companies, shares his journey into the construction industry and the importance of collaboration and partnerships. He emphasizes the value of emotional intelligence and self-awareness in leadership and highlights the significance of diversity in teams. Tim discusses his process of building trust and aligning goals to achieve success. He encourages challenging the status quo and embracing conviction and belief. From his early days in Ag Econ to his current role, Tim’s journey is insightful, entertaining, and a great conversation to hear. 

Jolie Wills joins Kyle and Jon to discuss our working world. Stress and pressure are constants in our world and through her work with companies and organizations dealing with crisis and studying the science for how we as human beings work under pressure. 

Jolie is a cognitive scientist, a leading psychosocial expert in disaster and disruption and a global thought leader in resiliency, leadership and team effectiveness under pressure. Her firm, Hummingly, brings the research, science and learning from leading teams in the toughest conditions to your leaders and teams so they are equipped to thrive under pressure.

Jolie has studied how the mind works under pressure, how we make decisions and how our reactions and behaviors are impacted by stress. Jolie’s areas of expertise include leadership and team effectiveness under pressure, workforce resiliency and wellbeing, disaster recovery, and storytelling. 

On this powerful and difficult episode, Nick Williams joins Kyle and Jon to discuss a dark aspect of the construction industry. Nick is passionate about people, and the work he does has led him to working with groups that are seeking to better the construction industry and the people in it. Through organizations such as AGC’s Mental Health Working Group, Nick is passionate about people, their well being, and how we can serve those in the construction industry better.

Do you own your career? Have you taken personality tests and wondered what to do with them? What do you prioritize in your life – and do you actually do it? Kent Hedges joins Kyle and Jon to explore these questions and share how he prioritizes family, faith, and relationships in his life and how he has found a path to actually live those priorities each day.

Ever wonder what makes a good team? Jeff Bonk joins Kyle and Jon to talk about how approaching managing a team as a leader is important when it comes to setting and expecting behaviors. The conversation wanders through technology, distractions, being present, the different between manager and leader, and how due to Jeff’s experience, he has successfully put it in place to drive cohesive, functioning teams.