Creating A Speak Up Culture For Greater Fulfillment

Creating A Speak Up Culture For Greater Fulfillment

Doing CX Right podcast show on Spotify with host Stacy Sherman
DoingCXRight-Podcast-on-Amazon-with-host-Stacy-Sherman.
Doing Customer Experience (CX) Right Podcast - Hosted by Stacy Sherman
Doing CX Right podcast show on iHeart Radio with host Stacy Sherman

Watch Stacy Sherman’s Interview on Youtube

About Stephen Shedletzky ~Creating A Speak Up Culture

Every day Stephen wakes up to engage with people in meaningful ways so that we connect with depth and live in a more fulfilled world. He supports humble leadersthose who know they are both a part of the problems they experience and a part of the solutions they can createwho intend to put their people and purpose first.

Feeling stifled on his own corporate track, Shedletzky was introduced to Simon Sinek’s work and was immediately inspired by it. He met Simon in 2010 and became the fourth person to join his team. He began answering fan emails and became the first person outside of Simon to lead his social media efforts. He moved on to hold the roles of Chief of Staff, and head of Brand Experience, Training & Development. Leading a global team of speakers and facilitators at Simon Sinek, Inc., Stephen worked to ensure the team’s culture, products, and communications authentically reflected the organization’s most deeply held values and beliefs. He also had the opportunity to narrate the audiobook for Simon Sinek’sbook, Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team.

Stephen has led hundreds of keynote presentations, workshops, and leadership development programs. Though Stephen still works to share Simon’s message, helping to create a more inspired, safe, and fulfilled world, he also works to advance his own thought leadership on leadership, culture, and psychological safety through keynotes, writing, coaching, and advising. Stephen has worked with leaders and organizations around the world and serves clients in any industry where human beings work. Stephen graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business with a focus in leadership, communication, and strategy and received his coaching certification from the Coaches Training Institute. Stephen lives in Toronto with his wife and two young children.  

About Stacy Sherman: Founder of Doing CX Right®‬

An award-winning certified marketing and customer experience (CX) corporate executive, speaker, author, and podcaster, known for DoingCXRight®. She created a Heart & Science™ framework that accelerates customer loyalty, referrals, and revenue, fueled by engaged employees and customer service representatives. Stacy’s been in the trenches improving experiences as a brand differentiator for 20+ years, working at companies of all sizes and industries, like Liveops, Schindler elevator, Verizon, Martha Steward Craft, AT&T++.   Stacy is on a mission to help people DOING, not just TALKING about CX, so real human connections & happiness exist. Continue reading bio >here.

How To Bring The Human Back In Human Resources

How To Bring The Human Back In Human Resources

Doing CX Right podcast show on Spotify with host Stacy Sherman
DoingCXRight-Podcast-on-Amazon-with-host-Stacy-Sherman.
Doing Customer Experience (CX) Right Podcast - Hosted by Stacy Sherman
Doing CX Right podcast show on iHeart Radio with host Stacy Sherman

Stacy Sherman interviews Dan Naiman (Senior Human Resource Director at Pfizer) about his human-centric approach to employee and customer experience. He dives deep into the importance of creating a corporate culture, where employees feel valued and empowered. He shares many actionable tips that you can apply at your workplace.

 

Key Takeaways for Human Resources & Cross-Department Leaders:

  • Look at the human side of change and partner with leadership to drive an employee experience, which results in excitement and engagement.
  • The employee experience begins before colleagues step foot into the company. Companies need to continually evolve their employee experience to attract and retain them.
  • When employees provide feedback, aim to understand what story the data is telling you, and leverage it to change the experiences of your colleagues and customers.
  • Human Resources and Customer Experience (CX) intersect when companies encourage HR and employees to walk in the shoes of their colleagues as well as the experience that customers feel. There are many ways to accomplish this, including a visit to a manufacturing facility or a company store where consumers test and try products.
  • Build a culture that values employee experience and an environment where they feel empowered. Pfizer developed a culture that drives innovation, before the start of the pandemic, which enabled the company to pivot quickly to develop and launch a vaccine in a short period of time. Ultimately, when employees feel valued, customers are the ones who benefit.
  • In the past year and a half, with the pandemic and social causes that arose after the killing of George Floyd, companies around the globe needed to take action and shift their work-life strategies. It’s important to create open and trusting environments to bring outside issues into the workplace, whereby companies can encourage courageous, inclusive, and reflective conversations.

 

Quotes:

“My approach to human resources has always been from a people perspective. We all need to put the human back in human resources.”

“Organization leaders can build momentum. You can’t just turn it on overnight. Culture is a process, and it has to start at the top and be embraced bottoms up.”

“You have a customer experience job whether you realize it or not, regardless of your position, and includes the back-office support.”

Watch Stacy Sherman’s Interview on YouTube

About Dan Naiman ~Bringing The Human Back In HR

Senior Director, Human Resource at Pfizer with many years of global HR and consulting experience. Through understanding the business strategy and operating plan, Dan is responsible for partnering with business leaders to drive key human capital strategies that further business productivity and results. He is actively involved in Organizational Design, Change Management, Talent Management, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

About Stacy Sherman: Founder of Doing CX Right®‬

An award-winning certified marketing and customer experience (CX) corporate executive, speaker, author, and podcaster, known for DoingCXRight®. She created a Heart & Science™ framework that accelerates customer loyalty, referrals, and revenue, fueled by engaged employees and customer service representatives. Stacy’s been in the trenches improving experiences as a brand differentiator for 20+ years, working at companies of all sizes and industries, like Liveops, Schindler elevator, Verizon, Martha Steward Craft, AT&T++.   Stacy is on a mission to help people DOING, not just TALKING about CX, so real human connections & happiness exist. Continue reading bio >here.

Taking Control Over Your Career

Taking Control Over Your Career

Are you thriving in your career or feeling stuck?

Lauren Hering, CEO of IMPACT Group, one of the largest woman-owned career and leadership development companies globally, and I dive deep into topics to help people earn their worth by doing work they love.  

During the interview, I answer a variety of thought-provoking questions and share insights to benefit others in their career. Topics include:

  • My professional journey including the good, challenges, and learnings.
  • Key takeaways from the Women in Leadership program sponsored by Schindler Elevator Corporation that positively impacted my life and career.
  • How and why I accepted a customer experience leadership role and making my mark in a historically male-dominated company.
  • What my mother taught me as one of the first women on the trading floor on Wallstreet, and a tremendous role model.
  • Why my passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and how that ties into the customer experience.  
  • How building a personal brand is important for self-confidence and overall success.  Where to begin and ways to scale.
  • How journey mapping is a powerful tool to enhance the customer experience and linkages to employee experience.

 

Share your career views. Tell us what you think.

5 Communication Tips To Improve Customer & Employee Experiences

5 Communication Tips To Improve Customer & Employee Experiences

Communication is a significant driver of human connections. HOW messages are delivered is as important as WHAT is shared. Talking in person is ideal. However, sometimes it is not possible given physical location and related factors.

Seth Godin talks about using the appropriate medium. His words and suggestions below resonate a lot because the lack of communication is a significant reason customers and employees are dissatisfied. The good news is that communication is in our control and easy to fix when issues arise.

Continue Reading →

How Trader Joe’s Does Experience Right – An Insider Perspective

How Trader Joe’s Does Experience Right – An Insider Perspective

How do you keep employees engaged to deliver great customer experiences (CX)? There are many answers to this question, of which creating a company culture where everyone feels included, valued, and appreciated are significant factors.  You can see what “Doing CX Right” means by visiting Trader Joe’s, known for transforming grocery shopping since 1967.

Employees consistently go out of their way to deliver amazing customer service and experiences for each other. I believe that’s the secret sauce. There’s a clear commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and shoppers can feel it. I encourage you to go to any location and watch people’s interactions, as you will learn so much about humanizing business as a brand differentiator.

Besides observations, I’ve gained insights from talking to Trader Joe’s staff at all levels of the organization, especially in June, known as Pride Month in the United States. (It’s when festivities, parades, and events occur to honor LGBTQ voices and experiences and raise attention to issues community members face.)

My conversations with store staff validate my beliefs about the connection of employee experiences impacting customer satisfaction. They go hand in hand. Employee appreciation isn’t just a nice to do. It’s essential for retention,  brand advocacy, and long-term business growth (see stats and chart below).  

A View From The Inside Of Trader Joe’s

Interview with Heidi Leindecker, Assistant Manager at Trader Joe’s, La Quinta, California

Stacy: What’s the significance of Pride Month? Why shall businesses care?

Heidi: Pride month is about equality and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community.  It’s a time to reflect on how far we’ve come, dating back from the 1969 Stonewall Riots to where we are today and unequivocally how much more there is to achieve with gay rights.  It’s a time to spread awareness, as well as a time to celebrate the freedom to be ourselves.  It’s about being proud of who you are no matter who you love.

Stacy: Is Trader Joe’s supporting the LGBTQ+ community?

Heidi: Trader Joe’s is a role model for hiring diversity and practicing inclusion. The company cultivates a positive image when it comes to inclusion and its brand amongst employees and consumers.  Trader Joe’s puts the employee first and makes sure that everyone is treated with integrity and respect.  Employees are treated equally in the same manner as customers are treated equally.  As employees are treated well, the feeling naturally overflows to the customers’ positive shopping experience.

Stacy: How has Trader Joe’s supported the LGBTQ+ community?

Heidi: Prior to same-sex marriage, Trader Joe’s supported domestic partnership by giving the employee’s partner equal benefits, including medical, dental, and vision.  They also extended the benefit of 10% off of all store purchases to their partners.  The company continues to recognize the partners of the employees by giving them an open invitation to all company parties and events.  Trader Joe’s has a Zero Tolerance Policy for sexual harassment and their training material is updated annually. For example, recently there was a video training that management and crew members viewed that included the importance of gender pronouns.

Stacy: Is Trader Joe’s doing anything to recognize Pride Month?

Heidi: One of the ways that come to mind how Trader Joe’s recognized Pride Month is that all stores received in June really nice cut and potted rainbow roses. These flowers have been very popular with our customers and were also advertised in Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer.

Stacy: What can other company leaders learn from Trader Joe’s for their own employees?

Heidi: Trader Joe’s invests largely in their diverse employees and creates a happy atmosphere where workers want to help customers with a smile.  Employees are appreciated, valued, and free to be themselves.  They are encouraged to go above and beyond and they have the freedom to find unique ways to help customers.  The friendly vibe of Trader Joe’s comes from the personalities of the individual employees, in addition to the company culture.  Trader Joe’s encourages their employees to have fun at work and trusts them to give customers an experience that they can’t get anywhere else. The company believes in the importance of sending a clear message that they stand for equality and acceptance, not just during Pride month, but every day of the year.

Heidi Leindecker, Assistant Manager at Trader Joe's, Shares Employee Experience Perspective during Pride Month

Thank you Heidi for sharing your social views and business perspective. You are an admirable woman leader and wonderful spouse to my sister❣️

By the way….for data lovers

Global consultancy McKinsey & Co published an extensive report that reveals companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies in the fourth quartile. That number was up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014. Also interesting, when it comes to staffing, companies that have higher degrees of racially and ethnically diverse employees have a 35% performance advantage over companies relying on a “culture fit” that tends to trend white and monocultural.”

The Value of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Customer Experiences

Learn more about the impacts of employee experiences, and contact me to discuss how to improve your company culture through simple and effective tactics.