From cloud confusion to AI overload, tech myths can hold teams back from working smarter, faster and more securely. This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and Egnyte Banking and Credit Practice Lead Charlotte Li. Together they dive into the world of digital transformation and unpack some of the most common – and costly – misconceptions. Whether you’re leading a team or just trying to keep up with the myriad of changing tools, this conversation conquers the myths and offers the facts you need to make clear and confident technology decisions for your organization. 

Episode Insights Include:

The myth of digital collaboration

• Collaboration myth #1 – Collaboration means email and video communication. 

• Collaboration is at the heart of every business. 

• Effective collaboration extends beyond verbal and written communications. 

• Digital collaboration can be divided into four areas – communication, content, workflows, and governance. 

• Smarter collaboration tools can enhance secure realtime workflow. 

• Simplifying the tech stack may be the answer to smarter collaboration. 

Collaboration to enhance the customer experience

• Collaboration myth #2 – The customer experience is a job for the support team.  

• Today’s end-to-end customer experience looks vastly different from that of the past. 

• Relationships matter, but the customer experience starts before someone picks up the phone. 

• What is the customer's first introduction to your brand? 

• The customer experience is really a series of micro-experiences that are shaping the customer’s perception of your company. 

• Back office teams affects the customer experience more than they realize. 

Handling unstructured data, cybersecurity, and the cloud 

• Collaboration myth #3 – We don’t have unstructured data problems. 

• Unstructured data refers to any data that doesn’t live in a database. 

• Unmet regulatory requirements and security vulnerabilities are at risk with unstructured data. 

• Collaboration myth #4 – Cybersecurity is the IT department’s problem. 

• Human behavior is the biggest vulnerability to an organization, so every human needs to play a role in increasing security. 

• Collaboration myth #5 – The cloud isn’t secure. 

• It’s not the location of your data that defines security, it’s the controls around it. 

• There are clear benefits to utilizing the cloud verses on-prem. 

• Cloud data storage increases visibility and oversight. 

The role of AI in your organization 

• AI can’t do everything, but it can do a lot of good in a credit or loan workplace. 

• Look at low-risk, high-impact areas first, most likely found in the back office. 

• Employee engagement can be increased by delegating to AI. 

• AI is not meant to replace humans, and should not be used to make final lending decisions. 

• AI will not be able to replace personal networking and relationship building. 

• Start with tools that you already have and grow from there. 

• Integration and consolidation are far more critical than the overloaded tech stack. 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Charlotte Li — Charlotte Li

“Collaboration is at the heart of every business.” — Charlotte Li

“Communication is just one slice of collaboration.” — Charlotte Li

“Smarter collaboration is all about making information flow securely and in real time.” — Charlotte Li

“The customer experience is really a series of micro-experiences that are shaping the customer’s perception of your company.” — Charlotte Li

In this special episode recorded live at the 2025 FCCS Learning Conference, host Stephanie Barton, SVP of Marketing and Communications for FCCS sits down with keynote speaker Tom Morrison to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern organizations—and how leaders can harness it to expand capacity, not replace people. 

“As leaders, we need to focus on sharpening the uniquely human skills that matter most—strategic thinking, relationship building, and emotional intelligence. Let AI handle the tactical, repetitive tasks so we can devote more time and energy to the work that truly drives connection and impact.” — Stephanie Barton, SVP of Marketing and Communications, FCCS 

Tom shares his perspective on the power and promise of AI in transforming the way we work, offering real-world examples of how it can eliminate tedious tasks, unlock bandwidth, and help individuals and teams focus more on strategy, creativity, and human connection. 

“Humans have an unmatched ability to apply common sense, adapt to change, and build meaningful relationships—skills AI simply can't replicate. Let technology handle the repetitive, administrative work so you can focus on what truly matters: connecting with people and driving impact.” — Tom Morrison, Life Coach, Consultant, and Author 

Key Highlights: 

• AI as a Capacity Multiplier Tom explains why AI should be viewed as a tool to expand human potential—not as a threat to jobs. 

• Using AI for the Everyday and Extraordinary From helping parents plan birthday parties to assisting CFOs in analyzing complex data sets, AI can simplify life and business. 

• Debunking AI Myths Common fears around AI—like job displacement and misuse—are addressed, with advice on how to navigate them proactively. 

• Human Skills Still Matter Despite advances in technology, AI lacks empathy, creativity, and common sense—skills humans will always bring to the table. 

• Practical First Steps Tom encourages listeners to subscribe to ChatGPT and start experimenting daily—whether it's writing emails, planning meetings, or preparing for tough conversations. 

• The Future of Work and Leadership The conversation wraps up with insights on how AI will evolve in the next five years and why staying curious and adaptable is key for leaders and organizations alike. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Tom Morrison’s Blog – Explore posts on association growth and leadership. 

• AssociationStrong Podcast – Tom’s podcast focused on member engagement and association innovation. 

• PropFuel – Technology for associations to enhance member communication. 

• Betty Bot AI – A closed AI model designed for associations, supporting 140+ languages. 

Forward Thinking Advice from Tom Morrison: 

“Don’t wait. Get the $20 paid version of ChatGPT and start using it every day. Use it to save time, spark ideas, and focus on what really matters—relationships, strategy, and growth.” 

Obstacles and challenges are inevitable, but what if they are a catalyst for growth, opportunities, and transformation? This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and speaker, coach and thought leader Rousawn Dozier. Together, they consider the possibilities of navigating adversity with courage and confidence. They explore what happens when you face adversity head on, the power of shifting your perspective, and the opportunities that appear when you choose to embrace obstacles.

Episode Insights Include:

Why do we avoid adversity? 

• Life is full of obstacles, and there is no avoiding that.

• As human beings, we have the option to avoid obstacles.

• Where there is no resistance, there can be no strength developed.

• Obstacles can be viewed as opportunities for developing strength.

• Avoiding pain does nothing to develop grit.

The opportunities presented by obstacles 

• Leaning into obstacles creates opportunities.

• Opportunities are often disguised as struggles.

• Avoiding conflict or struggle creates internal resentment.

• Doors open when we head into adversity head on.

Shifting to a growth mindset

• Your mindset is nothing more than a set of ideals or beliefs.

• Look at obstacles for what they are, and what opportunities they present.

• Think of obstacles as something that can push you toward your goals.

• Rousawn recognized that fear was holding him back from his life’s purpose.

The power of perception

• Your perception creates your reality, but it won’t help you grow.

• Stop out of perception, and step into perspective.

• Consider what the people around you are experiencing.

• Ask others to help you understand their perspective.

• Don’t focus on being right, focus on getting it right.

Building systems of accountability

• The responsibility of being accountable can be heavy, but always brings rewards.

• Accountability may not feel good, but it’s for your good.

• Accountability breeds responsibility.

• Who is holding you accountable?

The importance of rest

• Place the oxygen mask on yourself before you place it on others.

• If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t be in the position of caring for others.

• Are you feeling more rushed or rested? Define rest for yourself.

• Balancing rest and ambition requires creating an intentional and healthy rhythm.

Life is happening for us, not to us

• Faith, family, finance, fitness and freedom are the pillars of Rousawn’s life success.

• Gratitude for the experiences we are having is essential.

• Focusing on your successes will tell your energy where to go.

• Whatever you’re not changing, you’re ultimately choosing.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Rousawn Dozier — Rousawn Dozier

“Where there is no resistance, there can be no strength developed.” — Rousawn Dozier

“Opportunities are often disguised as struggles.” — Rousawn Dozier

“Stop out of perception, and step into perspective.” — Rousawn Dozier

“Don’t focus on being right, focus on getting it right.” — Rousawn Dozier

“Whatever you’re not changing, you’re ultimately choosing.” — Rousawn Dozier

Where are all the good ideas? And why don’t the good ideas ever seem to get implemented? The disconnect between leaders and employees is holding back innovation and an environment of psychological safety is key to cultivating a courageous culture that fosters innovation. This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and Karin Hurt, Founder and CEO of Let's Grow Leaders and instructor in the FCCS Leading Leaders program. Together, they explore ways leaders can build courageous cultures that encourage innovation, create psychological safety, and empower employees to speak up. 

Episode Insights Include:

Establishing a courageous culture 

• In a courageous culture, people feel confident and capable of sharing their ideas. 

• “How can we?”, “What if?”, and “Can we try?” are some of the commonly heard phrases in a courageous culture. 

• The open-door policy still requires the employee's courage to walk in and start a conversation. 

• Employees often feel that the feedback loop is never closed after they share ideas. 

• Giving credit where due is an essential part of establishing a courageous culture. 

How not to respond to new ideas

• Leaders need to respond with gratitude, information and an invitation. 

• Each of these steps is essential when responding to ideas, no matter how off-base they may be. 

• Intentional responses will encourage future ideas to be shared. 

• Tactical, practical strategies can make a real difference in creating a safe culture. 

Seven steps to building a courageous culture

• No matter where you are in your company’s leadership organization, you can do the first four steps. 

• Navigate the narrative to lay a foundation of psychological safety. 

• Create clarity about your interest in others' ideas and where exactly you want ideas and input. 

• Cultivate curiosity by deliberately asking questions of your team. 

Essential leadership and management skills

• A courageous culture is implemented by leaders who set clear expectations and understand their strategic direction. 

• 5x5 communication needs to be communicated five times, five different ways – town hall, follow up with leaders, in one-on-ones, emails, and more. 

• Check for understanding to ensure information is both sent and received. 

• Enhance curiosity by asking people for techniques for soliciting ideas. 

• Own the UGLY – ask these four strategic questions to get great feedback. 

• Manage up – check for understanding about what you are asking your employees to do. 

Is it working? 

• Are you getting ideas that you can actually use? 

• Consider the cycle of input and output of good ideas that are presented in a psychologically safe environment. 

• Ensure that your efforts are supporting your strategic initiatives. 

• Celebrate your successes!

• Build a cultural oasis where one clear idea is the focus of all efforts. 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Karin Hurt — Karin Hurt

“If you are a human-centered leader working to create an environment where people want to speak up, pay attention to the experiences that people have had in the past.” — Karin Hurt

“Having practical, tactical strategies will really make a difference.” — Karin Hurt

“A courageous culture is implemented by leaders who set clear expectations and understand their strategic direction.” — Karin Hurt

Generative AI is developing at an exciting pace, transforming compliance, risk management, and the customer experience. It’s potential also requires financial institutions to navigate ethical dilemmas, security risks, and implementation challenges. This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and Kris Stewart, a certified regulatory compliance manager, product manager, attorney and business leader for Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions for a conversation about the power and possibilities of generative AI in financial institutions and how farm credit institutions can harness this technology while ensuring compliance and trust with their customers. 

Episode Insights Include:

Generative AI in the Financial Industry 

• Generative AI is already a game changer and will continue to shape the future. 

• Real-world applications include credit risk assessments, servicing loans, and reviewing credit documents. 

• Compliance officers can utilize generative AI to tackle regulatory updates. 

• Generative AI can read data, find relationships, and report on actionable patterns. 

• As an assistant, generative AI filters the work and never gets tired. 

Enhancing the customer experience

• A personalized banking experience is possible with generative AI. 

• Considerations for lending, fraud detection and financial planning. 

• A seamless process is possible with increased AI input. 

• AI has the ability to catch and prevent fraud faster. 

• 24/7 availability and endless time to answer questions are perks for AI users. 

• AI utilities data that is already available and decreases time required for filling out forms. 

Risks associated with generative AI adoption

• Data security and privacy are at the top of the list of potential concerns. 

• Loan decisioning data has the potential to have bias built into it. 

• Generative AI hallucinations are a result of the language predictive model. 

• Each of these considerations is improving, and still require human input where logical. 

• Guardrails will always need to be in place to monitor accuracy. 

Addressing key ethical dilemmas

• AI needs to continually be working for customers, not against them. 

• Transparency is key in utilizing generative AI. 

• Strong governance and control framework are critical to successful AI application. 

• AI has the potential to enhance or destroy customer relationships. 

The role of compliance officers in generative AI adaptation

• The standard approach to compliance governance must be employed to AI. 

• Fair lending issues, whether created by humans or AI, must be addressed in the same way. 

• AI must be considered as an additional way to deliver goods and services, and not permitted to violate laws that already exist. 

Overcoming implementation roadblocks

• The state of your data structure is critical to effective implementation. 

• Inaccuracies and biases that are built into data need to be cleaned up prior to significant use within AI. 

• A good governance structure needs to be in place from the beginning. 

• Vendor solutions can help with implementing AI. 

• Strategically identify where specifically your company will utilize AI. 

• Consider use cases to maximize effort and investment. 

Measuring the success of AI implementation

• Consider your current customer processes and satisfaction, and apply the same metrics on AI. 

• Operational efficiencies can be measured by key performance indicators. 

• Apply the measurements that are already providing useful information to AI. 

• Consider employee engagement – how is AI utilization affecting your team? 

The future of generative AI

• Deep research in generative AI is leveraging reasoning to find and analyze data. 

• AI is coming, and we as humans need to be educated about and prepared for what it is capable of. 

• Consider competencies required of future generations to optimize efficiencies. 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Kris Stewart — Kris Stewart

“I like to think of generative AI as the most knowledgeable, fast, compliance assistant that I could ever hope to hire.” — Kris Stewart

“Generative AI is not meant to replace the human, it’s meant to help filter the work.” — Kris Stewart

“You need AI to do your work efficiently these days, but you need guardrails too.” — Kris Stewart

“Be fearless about investing and learning. The technology wave is coming whether you engage or not.” — Kris Stewart

Burnout is affecting everyone in farm credit, from individual contributors and managers to senior leaders. The recent FCCS Employee Engagement survey revealed that while everyone is feeling burnout, the why behind burnout varies based on each individual association This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and FCCS Organizational Development Consultant Angie Coleman unpack the data from this survey, define what burnout looks like across different roles, and explore what organizations can do to combat burnout, improve employee wellbeing, and drive engagement. 

Episode Insights Include:

The FCCS Employee Engagement survey 

• The survey highlights trends by region and size. 

• The survey will be conducted annually. 

• 2024 survey findings included a national and global decrease in employee engagement and an increase in management satisfaction. 

• Burnout is continuing to increase, despite distance from the pandemic. 

Burnout at every employment level

• Middle management is most negatively affected by burnout. 

• Senior leaders feel burnout the least, possibly because of their level of control, but also because they understand the ‘why’ behind change. 

• Communications breakdown is a major player behind burnout. 

• Leaders rarely overcommunicate with their teams. 

• There is no clear correlation between burnout and company size, region, weather, or challenges.

The manifestation of burnout

• Middle managers are carrying the heaviest emotional load as they support both upper management and individual employees. 

• Burnout needs to be addressed from an emotional labor standpoint as well as a task-oriented perspective. 

• Leaders can ask themselves what specifically they are worrying about with their teams.

• If everything is a crisis, then employees can’t get excited about anything. 

A customized approach to burnout

• The why behind burnout shows that a generalized approach to combatting burnout will not be effective. 

• Customized training, targeted strategies and one-on-one meetings are essential to productive change. 

• Managers can note specific employee concerns and address then at each one-on-one meeting. 

Successful burnout combat strategies

• Communicate survey results to the entire employee population at the same time in the same way. 

• Set clear bullet points for leaders to address in one-on-ones and team meetings to enhance purpose behind communication. 

• Consider if you are taking things off employees plates as often as you are putting things on. 

• Leaders can use the findings from the surveys to connect with managers and employees about specific questions in one-on-one meetings. 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Angie Coleman — Angie Coleman

“If you [as a leader] feel like you’re tired of communicating, you’re probably just scratching the surface on what your employees need in terms of their level of communication.” — Angie Coleman

“While everyone is feeling burnout, the why is completely up to the individual association and what’s happening in that space.” — Angie Coleman

“It’s helpful not to just approach burnout from a task-oriented perspective, but also recognizing how we can be supportive of that from an emotional labor standpoint.” — Angie Coleman

“If everything is a crisis, then really nothing is.” — Angie Coleman

“It is critical for leaders to ask the right questions so they can meet employees where they are.” — Angie Coleman

Engaging in deliberate practice, continuous learning, and fostering open communication are critical for building antifragile leadership. Antifragility challenges the way leaders think about resilience, adaptability, and growth. On this episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton is joined by Nicole Brusewitz, VP of Leadership Development, Learning and Consulting Services at FCCS. Together they discuss a superior approach to resilience – one that doesn’t just withstand uncertainty but thrives in it.

Episode Insights Include:

The power behind antifragility

• Antifragility is not just about bouncing back in the face of uncertainty or change.

• Antifragility harnesses disruption to grow stronger.

• Controlled strength is required to self-rescue in difficult times

• Building strong systems, skills and mindsets is essential to strength when things go wrong.

Thriving in uncertainty

• In the last five years, the focus has been on bouncing back. It’s time to advance.

• Don’t just react to change. Benefit from it.

• Muscle growth comes from tiny tears and repairs. This applies to business strength as well.

Adapting antifragility in the workplace

• Cultivate a company culture of antifragility by intentionally deciding to thrive in uncertainty.

• Be strategic – the more change that is introduced into the workplace, the more employees will begin to resist the change.

• Practice antifragility before it is needed.

Practice antifragility

• Identify pain points and bottlenecks in the workplace, then engage frontline employees in implementing programs for improvement.

• Expand decision-making authority as solutions are put into place.

• Proactively implement strategies before frontline actions are needed.

• Build on success in manageable increments that don’t create additional stress.

• Don’t create change simply for the sake of change.

Introducing small-scale stressors 

• Amazon’s approach to innovation explored antifragility in controlled ways.

• Consider the introduction of Amazon’s Fire phone and Amazon Prime memberships.

• Controlled chaos is essential in achieving effective antifragility.

• Chaos should never be a total surprise.

Overcoming common leadership struggles 

• Leaders often think that instability is inherently bad – recognize that it encourages growth.

• Embracing change and uncertainty recognizes that it is unavoidable.

• Bulldozer parents try to remove every obstacle in their child’s path – antifragility leaders avoid this approach.

• Work alongside and encourage team members while allowing them the growth that comes with their struggle.

Antifragility and technology disruptions

• Technology advancements can both encourage antifragility by introducing disruptions and also making businesses more adaptive.

• AI can be used to enhance flexibility and antifragility.

• AI is a tool for efficiency and adaptability.

Habits for introducing antifragility

• Find ways to deliver deliberate discomfort.

• Encourage feedback from your team that is outside your comfort zone.

• Regularly and deliberately invite discomfort into your routines.

• Don’t just prepare for disruption, train yourself and your business to benefit from it.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Nicole Brusewitz — Nicole Brusewitz

“Building strong systems, skills and mindsets is essential to strength when things go wrong.” — Nicole Brusewitz

“Antifragility is not just about bouncing back. It’s about advancing forward.” — Nicole Brusewitz

“Don’t just react to change. Benefit from it.” — Nicole Brusewitz

“Chaos should never be a total surprise.” — Nicole Brusewitz

“Don’t just prepare for disruption, train yourself and your business to benefit from it.” — Nicole Brusewitz

Accountability without compassion creates negative cultures that can’t retain talent, while compassion without accountability creates avoidant cultures that can’t perform. The need for both compassion and accountability is greater than ever before. On this episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton is joined by Nathan Regier, CEO of Next Element and author of Compassionate Accountability.  Together they consider the importance of combining human connection and accountability in performance in ways that benefit all involved parties.

Episode Insights Include:

Compassion and Accountability

• Compassion is much more than sympathy – it means to literally suffer with another.

• Many problems don’t need to be fixed, they simply need to be journeyed through together.

• Compassion needs to be a co-creative process.

• Accountability is the co-creative process of getting things done.

• Accountability and compassion can’t exist in isolation, they have to work together.

Why does this concept matter?

• Conflict can happen in a way that brings people closer together when compassion and accountability are present.

• The compassion mindset allows people to approach conflict with a productive mindset.

• People struggle with this concept until they realize that compassion and accountability can change our world.

Defining a compassion mindset

• The compassion mindset understands the choices we make have a material impact on others and on outcomes.

• It is a fundamental choice that we have the opportunity to make.

• Value, capability, and responsibility are the three choices of the compassion mindset.

Bridging the divide with a compassionate mindset

• Mindset is the first essential step.

• Skill set is critical to ensure that the correct behaviors have been learned.

• The bridge between compassion and accountability is conflict.

• There is no other way to get to compassion and accountability than through conflict because the purpose of conflict is to create.

Navigating trust and conflict

• Conflict provides opportunities to build or destroy trust.

• ORPO can help navigate conflict - Openness, Resourcefulness, Persistence, and Openness to safety.

• Every interaction is an opportunity to choose drama or no drama.

• Ask yourself what would happen if you interacted with every conflict with respect.

Incorporating compassion and accountability into culture

• Consider how your efforts support human value.

• No matter your company’s brand, it is an indicator of your company’s culture.

• Culture will always drive the brand.

• There is no excuse for anyone to dismiss their lack of efforts for compassion - growth is always an option.

• Consider the end result that you really want, then act accordingly.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Nathan Regier — Nathan Regier

“Compassion doesn’t mean to take away the suffering, it means to join with people and walk together through the suffering.” — Nathan Regier

“We can’t have compassion and accountability in isolation, they just have to work together.” — Nathan Regier

“If compassion and accountability can coexist, it can change our world.” — Nathan Regier

“There is no other way to get to compassion and accountability than through conflict.” — Nathan Regier

Keeping up with the rapid pace of technology and process changes is a challenge for organizations worldwide. On this episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton welcomes Greg DeVore, co-founder and CEO of ScreenSteps for a discussion about creating smoother transitions and stronger team performance. They cover strategies for developing adaptable employees and teams, tools and training that can empower employees to confidently adapt to change, and what happens when employees are given the framework that enables them to effectively enhance their performance and improve their procedures.

Episode Insights Include:

Why do organizations struggle with change? 

• Change is often a people problem. No one likes change.

• The lack of clarity around change creates additional ambiguity and stress.

• Leaders need to be aware of the cognitive load they are putting on people when introducing changes.

How can change be made less scary?

• A one-time lunch-and-learn does not provide enough time to retain new information.

• Employees lose 90% of the information presented to them, so they must be empowered to perform their new jobs after they have forgotten almost everything new.

• Creating a reference guide for change provides the framework that employees need to access new foundational knowledge.

• Empower employees to find the information they need at the moment they need it.

Becoming a Find and Follow organization

• The only way you can make onboarding easier is if you change the way you work.

• Transferring information from one employee to the next is a critical component of organizational success.

• If you are truly seeking consistency and the ability to adapt to change, you don’t actually want employees to learn tasks. You want them to understand the foundational knowledge.

Effectively introducing change

• A really good checklist will beat dozens of years of experience.

• Memorization is not the ultimate goal, empowering employees to access knowledge is.

• Start introducing change by identifying the needed change and the resources that will support it.

• High complexity and high rates of change require a high level of training and resources.

• The goal should be to transfer knowledge to employees in the moment that they need it.

Identifying what employees need to know in order to be successful

• Include the person in charge of training, the person fixing the employees’ mistakes, and the person who answers their questions.

• Consider the employee triggers- tasks that must be performed and questions that must be answered.

• This approach can work for both large and small changes.

• Employees who follow this approach will feel more confident in their responsibilities.

• Effective, established frameworks can support AI in the future of work.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Greg DeVore — Greg DeVore

A company that values and celebrates performance has unlocked the first step to creating a culture that employees resonate with. The transformative power of creating a culture of recognition is a critical component of employee satisfaction and company success. On this episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton is joined by Don Nielsen, Employee Recognition Champion and Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, Awardco.  Together they explore the power of a strong company culture, the need for employee engagement and recognition, and the importance of intentionally designing a company culture that resonates with employees. Don shares a variety of ideas for getting started with intentional employee recognition and underscores the importance of celebrating employee successes whenever possible.

Episode Insights Include:

What is company culture? 

• Culture means different things to different people.

• Consider the median sentiment across the entire organization.

• What are the happiest people saying about the organization, and what percentage of the organization do they represent?

• Culture is defined by what the least happy people in the organization have to say about it.

• There is culture by default, and culture by design. Intentional culture doesn’t just happen.

• In culture by design, leaders are thinking about the future of the organization.

How is company culture created?

• There is always going to be a culture, but a positive one might need to be redefined.

• A culture that fits within a mission statement and brand is going to have a greater impact.

• There are 3 steps to creating a positive culture that defines the buy-in impact- consider why someone would come to work for you rather than your competitor.

• Employees have to understand the difference that they’re making in the world.

• Define the core competencies your employees are expected to live by.

• Incorporate an attitude of gratitude in the workplace.

Intentionally designing a company culture

• Leaders have to set an example for their teams.

• The trickle-down effect matters- the mid-level managers have to exhibit the same cultural behaviors as the CEO.

• The actions of the leader that most resonate with the employee are the ones that the employee will replicate.

• Leaders have to demonstrate the behaviors that they want to see in their employees, and then reward those behaviors when they see them in action.

• Behaviors that are rewarded are behaviors that are repeated.

Effective recognition ideas 

• Sincerity is the most important aspect of recognition.

• Consider how people are receiving your efforts of gratitude.

• Allow opportunities to see others being recognized.

• Give gratitude yourself to model appropriate recognition efforts.

• Try increasing your recognition efforts by 3x in 3 months.

• Start with whatever employment experience data you have, and increase your efforts from there.

• Ask for feedback and then use that feedback to make improvements.

• Point-based incentive programs can help address the desire for increased wages.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Connect with Don Nielsen — Don Nielsen