The FCCS Accelerator of the Year Award is presented to a forward thinking leader who is working to make a difference in their organization by accelerating them beyond the norm and into the future. The award recipient focuses on growth and development within their organization and within the community at large. In this episode of The Forward Thinking podcast, host Jay Lux, VP of Organizational Development at FCCS is joined by Kayla Robinson, winner of the 2021 Accelerator of the Year Award. Kayla serves as COO with AgTexas Farm Credit Services and has joined the podcast for a conversation about her experiences with agriculture, her success with building teams, and how forward thinking leaders can accelerate growth and success in any organization.

Episode Insights Include:

Building better teams

• Leaders should be involved and engaged in every aspect of the company.
• Employees need to be in the 'right seat on the bus' in positions that help them feel empowered and engaged.
• The executive team should model the desire to achieve company success over the long run.
• Building better teams starts with recognizing that everyone has different skill sets and contributions to offer the organization.

Building relationships in your community

• Project involvement can enhance company and community relationships.
• Leaders should consider serving on advisory boards.
• Development of the next generation of leaders through mentor relationships is key.
• Intern opportunities help to share and increase knowledge of career possibilities.

Enhancing the employee experience

• Identifying the mission of the company is an essential first step.
• Understanding the why behind all the company does helps to get through difficult times.
• Balancing flexibility and compassion with business matters is essential to an enhanced employee experience.
• Consider if you are asking employees to run a marathon at a sprint pace.
• Diversity and understanding the values of each employee increases understanding of what each team member is bringing to the table.

Leading in times of chaos or uncertainty

• Understanding the variety of needs within your team is essential.
• Flexibility is key to helping your team navigate uncertain times.
• Consider a more forward thinking approach and adapt as appropriate.
• The pandemic has taught leaders to be flexible, to adapt, and to ask for grace where needed.
• Maintaining a focus on the why of what the team does brings a valuable perspective.
• Don't be afraid to look outside the box and consider a different way of doing things.

This podcast is powered by FCCS

Resources Want to know what your employees want? Utilize an employee engagement survey. FCCS' Employee Engagement Surveys and Consulting - Optimize Your Workforce

Start thinking about who you will nominate for the 2022 Accelerator of the Year. Learn more here https://www.fccsconsulting.com/accelerator-of-the-year

Read the newsletter article with Kayla

Congratulate Kayla on Linkedin

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