Engaging People Podcast: Recent Episodes

DecisionWise

Engaging People Podcast by DecisionWise is the premiere business, organizational change, and human resources podcast on the web. Listen to real life case studies and interviews with organizational change and human resources experts. Listen as they share best practices on how to increase employee engagement, how to give feedback, practical advice on how to be a leader, how to develop a thriving company culture, tips on management and team building, and real life business stories from years of practical work experience.

In this episode, our expert speakers will teach you all things employee motivation. Gain practical strategies and actionable insights to create a motivated and high-performing workforce. We discuss the science behind motivation, how to overcome barriers, and explore leadership approaches to motivation.

Join us on this episode about organizational culture, designed exclusively for those who are passionate about enhancing employee experience within their companies. Find out how organizational culture has a profound impact on employee engagement and overall business success.

During times of economic downturn, it can be tempting to cut costs wherever possible, including employee surveys. However, doing so can have long-term negative consequences for your organization.Join us for this informative podcast as Matt Wride and Christian Nielson discuss why listening to your employees is crucial, especially during times of crisis. They will cover topics such as how surveys can help you understand employee needs and concerns, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen employee engagement and retention.Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how listening can help your organization weather the storm and emerge stronger than ever.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s important to have a sense of belonging in the workplace. But what does that mean? How can we create it?Listen to our latest podcast “Creating a Culture of Belonging in the Workplace”. You’ll discover the benefits of a workplace culture of belonging and how to implement it in your own workplace.

We all have a tendency at times to “shoot from the hip”, “trust our gut” or use dogma to make important decisions. However, when it comes to business decisions, this can come back to bite us if we’re not careful. That is why we strive to always back up our decisions with data. When understood and used correctly, employee data can be one of the most useful assets in gleaning insights about our organizations.Spend an hour with Christian Nielson and Matt Wride learning how to help your organization make data-driven decisions about its most valuable resource, its people.

Stay up to date on the latest employee experience trends.The makeup of the workforce has changed quite dramatically over the last few years, and 2023 will be no exception.Join DecisionWise COO, David Long, and VP of Consulting Services, Charles Rogel, as they provide predictions on what to expect and plan for in 2023 as it relates to employee experience.

With thousands of surveys administered and hundreds of firms surveyed, we’ve learned a thing or two about what makes or breaks the employee experience.Join us as we discover the emerging trends in employee engagement for 2022, and determine what those patterns mean for organizations moving into 2023.

Everything senior leaders do is compounded and cascaded throughout the organization. Their attitudes, behaviors, and decisions shape the organizational culture and employee experience. 360 degree feedback is an opportunity for leaders to understand what experience they are creating for others. In this podcast episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nielson discuss how 360 feedback can help improve leadership and in turn, the employee experience.Visit decisionwise.com for more info.

Understanding employee engagement is critical to any organization. Listening to your employees is key to this understanding, but knowing what you need to ask them can be a challenge. In this podcast episode, engagement experts David Long and Charles Rogel discuss what to ask in your next employee engagement survey.

What is this trend about quiet quitting? What is causing it? Every organization wants productive, engaged, and happy employees. The solution to preventing your employees from quiet quitting: knowing what to measure.

Tune in as Charles Rogel, employee engagement expert and VP of Consulting Services discusses how knowing what to measure can help your organization recognize why employees have quietly quit and what to do about it.

Every organization has ways they can elevate the experience they are providing their employees, and much of this is tied to improving employee engagement. In this podcast episode, Christian Nielson, Chief Strategy Officer, and Dave Long, Chief Operating Officer, discuss how to improve employee engagement within your organization.

Join us on this podcast episode for a comprehensive overview of our global employee survey benchmarks and as we reveal the major insights we are seeing in our recent data. DecisionWise COO, David Long, and VP of Consulting Services, Charles Rogel, talk about the topics that differ the most by major industry and demographic categories and how the employee engagement landscape is changing.

Topics covered on this episode: - Overall employee engagement by industry - Demographic differences by gender, race/ethnicity, manager status, age, and tenure - Trends in employee perceptions about communication, belonging, wellbeing, workload, and many more

To learn more, visit: https://decisionwise.com

Podcast production provided by Arches Audio (https://archesaudio.com/)

Care for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is critical for any modern organization. But how do you best measure the current state of DEI and surface opportunities for improvement?

In this podcast episode, Christian Nielson, Chief Revenue Officer of DecisionWise and Dave Long, Chief Operating Officer, will discuss the best techniques to include DEI as a key component of an employee engagement survey.

Christian Nielson, Principal of Spectiv, reviews how you can get more out of your 360 degree feedback assessments. He touches on several strategies, including how 360 assessments can enhance your organization’s learning and development efforts, as well as best practices for including special groups such as low performers, high potentials, and top executives. You’ll walk away with a clear idea of how 360 feedback can help enhance your organization’s strategy.

Podcast Production provided by Arches Audio: https://archesaudio.com

The need to hire, retain, and motivate employees has never been more vital to the success of organizations. During this episode we will discuss the strategic advantages of using employee lifecycle surveys to measure the key factors that contribute to a great onboarding experience and understand the main reasons for why employees leave. Join DecisionWise COO, David Long, and VP of Consulting Services, Charles Rogel, as they review several employee lifecycle survey best practices based on years of experience working with hundreds of clients.

Once employee survey feedback is collected, there are several ways to use the data to promote organizational change and improve employee engagement. DecisionWise COO, David Long, and VP of Consulting Services, Charles Rogel, will review several best-practice action planning approaches based on years of experience working with hundreds of clients. Topics addressed during this session include:

• How to define your organization employee engagement strategy and best action-planning approach

• The differences between enterprise-wide, department, and team-level action planning

• How to form an employee action planning committee

• How to shift ownership and accountability from HR to leaders throughout the organization

• Best-practice frameworks and templates to facilitate action planning

One question to consider as you think about whether to put effort and investment into employee engagement: “Is engagement worth the effort and investment we put into it?” The short answer to this question is “yes,” but depending on the type of organization you are, engagement may be more critical or less critical to your success.

During this podcast we’ll share the best methods for preparing, administering, and rolling out the results from your employee engagement survey based on over 20 years of experience conducting surveys around the world. We’ll also identify the most common mistakes organizations make when conducting an employee engagement survey and how to avoid them.

Everybody likes to be acknowledged for a job well done. We all like to feel validated and yet, many managers are reluctant to give recognition. Why is this?

If we recognize someone for the things they are doing, it increases their discretionary effort. They’re more highly engaged and they know how to produce faster because they’ve gotten feedback that what they’ve done is right, and they want to do it even more and more.

Learn more about these concepts and ideas on giving recognition in this insightful conversation.

What can 360 Degree Feedback tell us about our workforce? Join us as we share the trends and patterns we’ve seen from combing through millions of survey results. Learn how you can harness this power for your organization.

In this episode, Matt Wride and Charles Rogel discuss one of DecisionWise’s core leadership competencies: Psychological Safety. They'll dive into the academic research around psychological safety and explore how the concept has played out over time in the professional workplace. They'll also share stories and give best practices on how to foster a feeling of psychological safety on your team.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Sr. Consultant Dave Long discusses the topic of developing others.

Often managers tend to shy away from growth conversations with their employees because it’s either not convenient or there isn’t a promotional opportunity immediately available. But our research shows that the more often you are able to have these conversations, the more likely employees are to be engaged in their jobs and less likely to leave.

The key is finding the right balance between burnout and boredom; where an employee is engaged in meaningful work with growth opportunities but not so busy that they become overwhelmed.

Learn about these ideas and other common challenges with developing others in this insightful conversation.

In this Engaging People Podcast episode: Promoting a Sense of Meaning, we discuss practical ideas and suggestions that you can implement as a manager (and on an organizational level) to help employees engage and connect them to the work they do.

Read our blog, Meaning: Your Work Has Purpose Beyond the Work Itself (https://decision-wise.com/meaning-your-work-has-purpose-beyond-the-work-itself/)

In this episode, Matt Wride and Christian Nielson discuss where the HR industry is headed with technology and navigating new challenges for a modern workforce.

In this Engaging People Podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Consulting, Christian Nielson discusses the topic of creating a connection at work.

Connection is a sense of belonging and feeling like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves; a team, an organization, a mission. We have such a strong need for connection as human beings that some will even forgo physiological needs to reach it. In fact, connection consistently shows up as the #1 driver of engagement in our surveys. When we feel like we belong, we tend to bring our best ideas to our work.

Learn more about how to create a sense of connection on a social level, but also connecting employees to the vision and mission of your organization.

For more on employee engagement, visit: https://decision-wise.com/

On this episode of the podcast, Matthew Wride and Charles Rogel continue our discussion around manager best practices, focusing on problem-solving. They touch on:

How to identify the root cause of a problem before jumping to a solution.
Having a competency-based culture where behaviors are measured and improved upon.
Myths and common misconceptions associated with problem-solving.
Creating a roadmap by working backward from the ideal state to your current state.

During this podcast, we’ll share the latest DecisionWise employee survey research as well as tested best practices and stories from AAA National on how to map a clear DE&I strategy. We’ll answer the following questions:

What structural blind spots and policies exist in your organization that prevent action?
What are the myths and common misconceptions around diversity?
What are you doing to gain the support of your leadership?
What message is your company sending with the way it communicates about diversity?
How do you measure the impact of your DE&I initiatives to know if they are making a difference?

To download the “DE&I Discussion Starter Questions” handout, visit: https://decision-wise.com/guide-dei-discussion-starter-questions/

In this episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nielson meet together to discuss our first in a series of founder-based cultures. Our first case study will be on CEO and Founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely.

Sara Blakely's journey to begin Spanx is an admirable combination of grit and determination. Most of all, Sara has built a company culture that embodies who she is as a person.

Join us to learn about defining your company culture, aligning leadership expectations, and creating a culture that will last beyond those who created it.

In this podcast, learn about the best methods for debriefing and coaching from the results of a 360-degree feedback survey.

HR professionals will learn how to coach individuals, interpret individual and group reports, and guide the development planning and follow-up with participants.

In this episode, we discuss the concept of giving your employees a voice and truly listening to their ideas and concerns.

How do you create a culture of listening in your organization?
How can team members feel like they've been heard?
What are some practical tips a manager can follow to really facilitate good listening with their employees?

We'll answer these questions and more in this insightful conversation.

On this episode of the podcast, Charles Rogel and Jefferson McClain continue our discussion around manager best practices, focusing on decision making. They'll touch on:

How decision-making capabilities are measured in a 360-degree assessment
How to improve your decision-making
Collaborative decisions vs. Assertive decisions
Empowerment of your team in decision-making

Tune in to this episode to join Charles Rogel and Dave Long discuss the holy grail characteristic of leadership: EQ (Emotional Intelligence).

They will be diving into the what, how, and why of Emotional Intelligence, including:

The definition of EQ
The why behind the importance of EQ
How to measure EQ
How to develop and improve EQ as an individual and as a leader

In this episode, Matt Wride and Christian Nielson discuss a cautionary tale of the "bro culture" that existed at Uber, how the leadership of it's former CEO, Travis Kalanick contributed to it, and how it ultimately lead to his downfall. Learn what steps you can take as an HR leader to help ensure a more healthy and diverse culture exists at your organization.

In this podcast episode recorded from a recent webinar, DecisionWise Sr. Consultant David Long and Principal Consultant Christian Nielson share best practices for surveying employees as they leave your organization and what insights it can give you for improving retention.

Christian explains, “The employees are having an experience, whether you plan for it or not. To measure the complete experience of an employee, we need to understand life cycle events, from when an employee starts to when they leave and the milestones that happen in between. ”

He continues, “When people leave their job, the organization loses a resource but they also have the opportunity to gain an advocate, if they’ve created a strategic exit experience.“

Learn more in this insightful conversation on exit surveys.

In this episode, Charles Rogel and Jefferson McLean discuss one of DecisionWise’s core leadership competencies: Influencing Others. They will be diving into the definition of what it means to influence others, whether as a leader or a peer, and how to identify who the influencers in your organization are using a 360-Degree assessment.

Best practices for how leaders can use their influence with purpose and improve the employee experience include:

• Build rapport within relationships • Become an active listener • Demonstrate commitment to your team

In this insightful conversation, Dr. Tracy Maylett, and Matthew Wride discuss key employee experience concepts to consider when bringing your workforce back to the office. They touch on how to use employee feedback to give front-line managers the data insights they need to manage a successful transition.

-As we are returning to work, there are several factors to consider: - What are your employees’ individual needs? - Have any moved to a different location that may require continued WFH? - What is the best way to communicate the changes? - How can you measure their response?

Learn about these topics and more in this week’s podcast!

A properly designed 360 instrument not only facilitates individual development, it can establish and reinforce effective leadership expectations and behaviors. In this podcast episode, Dave Long and Christian Nielson discuss key strategies and considerations to build the right tool for your team.

Visit https://decision-wise.com/360-degree-feedback/ to learn more.

In this episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nelson discuss the unique culture that current CEO, Mary Barra, brings to General Motors by empowering her employees with trust and autonomy.

Mary is especially known for her ability to enhance the employee experience by helping her employees to connect with her vision; that as employees of General Motors they are working for something larger than themselves. These meaningful experiences have led to higher engagement and better outcomes for the organization.

“Do every job you’re in like you’re going to do it for the rest of your life and demonstrate that ownership of it.” -Mary Barra

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Sr. Consultant Dave Long, discusses the topic of vision alignment.

When employees feel disengaged from their job, it often has to do with the executive leadership failing to communicate the vision and goals of the organization. Worse yet, sometimes the executive team themselves don’t understand the mission or even agree on a direction!

Understanding the larger purpose of your organization helps you understand your role and the impact you make, which ultimately provides meaning to your everyday tasks. When different departments or teams have competing objectives, it helps to bring everybody on the same page. Managers who are able to tie what they’re doing as a team to the larger organization create a better sense of feeling aligned and “bought-in.”

Learn what problems to look for with vision alignment and how to fix them in this insightful conversation.

https://decision-wise.com/podcast-creating-vision-alignment/

In this episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nielson discuss how Whole Foods Market CEO, John Mackey, built the company culture from the ground up.

“Whole Foods Market doesn’t primarily care about money. It primarily cares about fulfilling its purpose. And so do I.” – John Mackey

For more on how to create a culture of engaged employees, visit: https://decision-wise.com/building-engagement/

In this podcast episode, Dave Long and Christian Nielson discuss critical moments in the employee experience and how they are shaped by expectations.

Learn about the best practices for setting expectations in your organization, effective leadership competency models, and how the 360-Degree feedback assessment contributes to an improved workplace culture.

For more on 360-degree Feedback, visit: https://decision-wise.com/360-degree-feedback/

360feedback #employee #experience #leadership

One question to consider as you think about whether to put effort and investment into employee engagement: “Is engagement worth the effort and investment we put into it?” The short answer to this question is “yes,” but depending on the type of organization you are, engagement may be more critical or less critical to your success.

During this webinar we’ll share the best methods for preparing, administering, and rolling out the results from your employee engagement survey based on over 20 years of experience conducting surveys around the world. We’ll also identify the most common mistakes organizations make when conducting an employee engagement survey and how to avoid them.

Presented by David Long, VP of Assessment, DecisionWise.

In this episode, we bring back our "Employee Engagement Goes To The Movies" segment and discuss lessons in leadership and business from the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life."

In this episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nielson discuss how former Zappos CEO, the late Tony Hsieh, created a unique company culture built on empowering employees to provide a high level of service to their customers. He was once descried as “an artist with a CEO title,” someone not afraid to try bold, new initiates to get results.

Tony Hsieh believed in four principles that drive happiness: A sense of control over your own destiny; the perception that you’re making progress in your life; connectedness with others; and being part of something bigger than yourself.

“The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.” – Tony Hsieh

In this episode, we discuss some of the causes of stress in the workplace and give some ideas for things leaders can do to help manage the stress levels of their employees.

We’re joined by DecisionWise President, Matthew Wride.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Sr. Consultant, Dave Long, discusses some common strategies around implementing 360-degree feedback in an organization. Learn when to use it for individual development, remediation, evaluating performance, or for organizational development in this insightful conversation.

In this podcast episode, Dan Deka walks through the ins and out of the 360 survey experience, from both the standpoint of the participant and the manager. You’ll learn about the best practices for administering surveys, the process for selecting raters, recommendations for debrief support, and customizing the survey to best match the values of your organization. We’ll leave better prepared to successfully launch a 360-degree feedback survey.

To download our guide for managers, "Winning with the Employee Experience," visit: https://decision-wise.com/titans

DecisionWise consultants Kenna Bryan and Adam Koozer examine the 2000 film “Remember the Titans,” starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton. Based on a true story, this movie chronicles a racially integrated high school football team from 1971 as they learn to overcome prejudices, develop friendships, and unify as a team.

One of the power principles we took from the film is “the power of unity in team building.” The head coach delivers a powerful speech to his players while they perform an early morning run at Gettysburg.

“If we don't come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed - just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other.”

There are many lessons from this film that can be applied to several aspects of life and business. Diversity can bring strength and power. Setting aside differences to unite for the greater good of a team or organization can bring unparalleled results.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Consultant, Adam Koozer. We discuss his education, career, and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

Adam Koozer joined DecisionWise in 2017 and currently works as a consultant advising executive and HR professionals on how to measure, evaluate, and develop employee experience strategies.

He uses DecisionWise’s 25-years of experience and industry-leading database to better understand what creates an engaging work environment and what experiences need to be formed for employees to feel safe, engaged, and fulfilled in their work. These practices in turn create highly productive, competitive, and sustainable organizations.

Prior to his role as a consultant, he led the enterprise client success function focused on creating world-class product experiences for clients. He also spent time as a consulting analyst working with Fortune 500 companies to manage leadership development programs and global employee engagement surveys.

Adam received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Utah where he specialized in human relations. He is currently completing a Master of Business Administration degree from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

In this episode, Matthew Wride and Christian Nielson discuss how former CEO, Alan Mulally, transformed the company culture at Ford Motors, bringing a higher level of focus and performance, which resulted in Ford re-emerging as a world leader in the automobile industry.

“Leadership is having a compelling vision, a comprehensive plan, relentless implementation, and talented people working together.” – Alan Mulally

Don't throw away your shot! DecisionWise consultants Kenna Bryan and Adam Koozer discuss leadership lessons and principles from the hit 2015 musical, Hamilton.

Download the infographic "8 Leadership Lessons From Hamilton" here: https://decisionwise.com/hamilton

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of leadership experts, who discuss the following:

What employee engagement will look like in the future, and how to get ahead of it.
What innovative organizations are doing to drive, maintain, and increase engagement.
What employee engagement practices should be maintained when work returns to “the new normal”—and what should be abandoned.
Maintaining belonging and inclusion in the new workplace.

Panelists:

Dr. Tracy Maylett, CEO of DecisionWise
Elizabeth Metz Fuchs, Director of HR & Talent Development at ATD
Trent Savage, SVP of Human Resources at Mountain America Credit Union
Adrienne Cozart, SVP of Human Resources at UMC Health System
Darren Ali, Global Head of HR & Talent at Calypso Technology

The audio from this podcast episode comes from a recent webinar of the same name.

For more on the employee experience, visit: https://decision-wise.com/

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of leadership experts, who discuss the following:

Why employee engagement has increased, during the COVID-19 pandemic—what companies are finally getting right
What COVID-19 has taught us about how companies should re-examine the Employee Experience
The central role of the manager in Employee Engagement
The impact of Work-From-Home on the future of employee engagement, and how we need to adjust for it

Panelists: Tracy Maylett, CEO, DecisionWise; Jason Ward, Executive Vice President, Azul Airlines; Tracey Keffer, VP of Human Resources, Oregon Community Credit Union; Dan Hoopes, VP of Global Effectiveness, Nu Skin

The audio from this podcast episode comes from a recent webinar of the same name.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Assessment Consultant, Kenna Bryan. We discuss her education, career, and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

At DecisionWise, Kenna is responsible for helping individuals, teams, and organizations see and move toward their potential with data-driven decisions about employee engagement.

Prior to joining DecisionWise, Kenna worked in Human Resources as an HR Business Partner. Among other HR responsibilities, she led employee learning and development initiatives, and trained client companies on various HR policies and programs. Kenna has previous experience in the Learning and Development industry as the L&D Project Manager of a leadership training startup company. In that role, she was the primary person tasked with developing leadership training curriculum and coaching managers and teams on the implementation of said curriculum.

Kenna received a Master of Public Administration degree from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University where she specialized in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources as well as Nonprofit Management. She is a Certified Life Coach and has an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in Elementary Education. Outside of work, Kenna loves traveling, hiking, cooking, and spending time with people she loves.

In this episode of the Engaging People Podcast, we present another installment of “Employee Engagement Goes to the Movies,” where we consult the silver screen for powerful lessons on what to do and what not to do to create the right employee experience.

This time, we examine the 2015 film “The Intern,” starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. In this movie, Ben (played by De Niro) is a 70-year old retired widower who takes an intern position at an online fashion site run by Jules (played by Hathaway).

One of the power principles we took from the film is the concept of “the power of one to make a difference.” Ben is a very useful, pro-active employee who is very supportive of his workaholic boss, Jules, and helps her to overcome her struggles and re-ignite her passion for the business. We found several lessons from the movie that help us understand how to provide a positive employee experience.

This episode features DecisionWise consultants Spencer Taylor and Kenna Bryan.

Our consultants have been advising our clients on their employee listening strategy during a crisis. Many organizations haven't surveyed during these circumstances and need extra guidance on the following: Should we proceed with the survey? Should we add COVID-19 related questions to our current survey design? Should we switch to a different type of survey? How will this survey during a crisis affect our trending progress, year after year? How can I convince our executive team to seek employee feedback right now?

Our team goes into depth on these questions and more in an effort to help you engage employees with two-way communication.

In this episode, we discuss the many ways that Danny Meyer has established a winning company culture at Shake Shack, as well as his other restaurants in the Union Square Hospitality group.

Music provided by Arches Audio (https://archesaudio.com/)

In this episode of the Engaging People Podcast, we’re starting a new segment called “Employee Engagement Goes to the Movies,” where we consult the silver screen for powerful lessons on what to do and what not to do to create the right employee experience.

This week, we examine the 1990 film “Joe Vs. The Volcano” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In this movie, Joe (played by Hanks) works a horrible, dehumanizing job and after being told he is dying of a rare disease, quits his job and accepts an offer to travel to the South Pacific to throw himself into a live volcano. The movie follows his journey at he meets people along the way who help shape his destiny.

One of the power principles we took from the film is the concept, “don’t step on the daisy.” In the opening scenes, we watch as employees file in to start their day in a terrible work environment; it’s dark, dirty, depressing, and the management is openly hostile toward their employees. In this setting, one of the workers mindlessly steps on a single remaining daisy, representing the crushed hopes and dreams of the people who work there.

We find this movie filled with examples of what not to do when you consider the employees experience and give some recommendations on how to do things better.

This episode features DecisionWise consultants Spencer Taylor, Kenna Bryan and Charles Rogel.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Consulting Christian Nielsen, discusses the topic of trust between employees and the management of an organization.

In this age of technology, some companies have implemented new ways of monitoring their employees, from tracking internet and email usage to running surveillance on their driving habits through GPS! But as companies use these tactics to improve efficiency, they send the message that they don’t trust their employees. How can an employee bring their best selves to their work if they have no autonomy?

Beyond this, managers need to send the message that they trust their employees through their actions, such as the way they delegate (or don’t delegate) assignments and the conversations they have with the individuals on their team.

Learn more on the topic of trust in this insightful conversation.

Further Reading: - DecisionWise: Trust is the Oxygen of The Employee Experience - Inc.com: 19 Sneaky Ways Your Boss Is Probably Spying On You in 2019 - HBR: The New Ways Your Boss Is Spying on You

Having the basic tools and resources to do one’s work effectively is a fundamental part of the employee experience. When employees accept jobs, they have a reasonable expectation that they will be given the appropriate tools and resources to accomplish the tasks to which they are assigned. When they do not have the appropriate tools and resources, employees become distracted and dissatisfied. It can be very difficult for employees to engage over the long term without the appropriate tools to do their jobs well.

In this podcast episode, we’re joined by DecisionWise consultants, Spencer Taylor and Kenna Bryan, who discuss this topic of tools and resources, including how it can affect the job satisfaction and engagement level of employees, and in turn, enable them to provide a better experience to customers.

In this podcast, Dr. Tracy Maylett and Charles Rogel review the concepts behind ENGAGEMENT MAGIC, including the research behind the five keys of engagement, and provide answers to the following questions:

How can being engaged personally benefit employees and organizations?

What is the difference between engagement and satisfaction?

How does each of the five ENGAGEMENT MAGIC elements help increase engagement?

How do you enable your employees to take ownership of their own engagement?

Where does engagement fit into the overall employee experience, and can managers foster an engaging work environment?

As a special bonus, we’ll also provide an inside look at our new ENGAGEMENT MAGIC online training option.

The audio for this podcast is taken from a webinar, “ENGAGEMENT MAGIC – How Managers Can Increase Engagement with Their Teams.”

In this Engaging People Podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Consulting, Christian Nielson discusses the topic of creating a connection at work.

Connection is a sense of belonging and feeling like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves; a team, an organization, a mission. We have such a strong need for connection as human beings that some will even forgo physiological needs to reach it. In fact, connection consistently shows up as the #1 driver of engagement in our surveys. When we feel like we belong, we tend to bring our best ideas to our work.

Learn more about how to create a sense of connection on a social level, but also connecting employees to the vision and mission of your organization.

Impact is about results. It’s incremental progress toward a goal, and small wins that lead to big outcomes. We all need to see that the work we do is contributing to our own goals, the success of our team, those whom we serve, and the organization we are a part of. It’s the difference between simply showing up for work and knowing that we’re an integral part of the day’s operations.

In this Engaging People Podcast episode, Dan Deka, Senior Consultant and Executive Coach at DecisionWise, explores the importance of impact in the workplace, it’s connection to meaning, effort and goals, and how managers can use it to drive engagement.

In this episode, we’re joined by DecisionWise Senior Consultant, Spencer Taylor for an insightful conversation on how managers can maximize growth opportunities for their employees.

“As organizations face hard economic times and cut back on developing their employees, they don’t always realize how much value is added to the company culture and the experience of employees when they are given an ongoing opportunity to grow,” says Spencer.

Growth is one of the five keys of the DecisionWise ENGAGEMENT MAGIC framework taught in our new Online Training course.

Listen to this podcast episode for more research, stories and practical tips on growth.

In this Engaging People Podcast episode, DecisionWise Consultant, Thomas Olsen, discusses the topic of autonomy, one of the 5 keys of ENGAGEMENT MAGIC®.

We define autonomy as “The power to shape your work and environment in ways that allow you to perform at your best.”

Autonomy doesn’t mean “no rules and free reign.” We all work under guidelines. But when we understand our parameters, and have the freedom to do our best work, we are more creative, innovative, passionate and, ultimately, more effective.

Listen to this insightful conversation to learn more about how to foster autonomy in your organization.

In this Engaging People Podcast episode: Promoting a Sense of Meaning, we discuss practical ideas and suggestions that you can implement as a manager (and on an organizational level) to help employees engage and connect them to the work they do.

We talk about the best way to teach your organization about employee engagement and how to empower managers to create an environment where employees will choose to engage. The creators of the framework of ENGAGEMENT MAGIC, Senior Consultant, Charles Rogel, and DecisionWise CEO, Dr. Tracy Maylett, share the origins of the model, how they came up with the acronym, and how to use the model to lead change and transformation in your organization.

While many states are ready to send people back to work, some leaders may feel a little unsure about resuming “business as usual.” How will employees view your back-to-work strategy? Will they come back engaged? Will you need to revisit certain aspects of your culture? These questions mean you are a caring leader who carefully considers the experience you are creating for your employees. Today’s Engaging People Podcast episode will help you ease back into a more familiar work situation with confidence.

Has living in a COVID-19 world left you or your team with emotional exhaustion, a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, or a sense of ineffectiveness?

On this episode of the Engaging People Podcast, we're joined by DecisionWise President, Matt Wride, and Senior Consultants, Charles Rogel and Spencer Taylor. As champions of caring leadership, they share 10 questions that we use to measure employee burnout and workload.

They discuss what we are trying to measure, the ideas behind the questions, and how you can use the questions to measure this concept and respond effectively.

Listen to more of this insightful conversation to learn how to help your team measure and recover from burnout.

Our consultants have been advising our clients on their employee listening strategy during a crisis. Many organizations haven't surveyed during these circumstances and need extra guidance on the following: Should we proceed with the survey? Should we add COVID-19 related questions to our current survey design? Should we switch to a different type of survey? How will this survey during a crisis affect our trending progress, year after year? How can I convince our executive team to seek employee feedback right now? Our team goes into depth on these questions and more in an effort to help you engage employees with two-way communication.

For this episode, we’re joined by Joseph Dicianno, Ph.D., MBA, who is the Manager of Talent Management and Organizational Development at UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). We discuss concepts from his upcoming book, “Caring Leadership,” about ways that leaders can show more compassion and demonstrate they sincerely care about the individuals they work with.

“Saying you can empathize with somebody isn’t enough in the leadership world. I think there’s a greater opportunity to close that gap and to help leaders understand how to turn that empathy into action.”

Listen to more of this insightful conversation on caring as a leader.

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss practical ideas and examples for how to attract and retain top talent with your employee engagement initiatives.

DecisionWise VP of Consulting, Christian Nielson says, “As I’ve looked at engagement within an organization, one of the principles I’m looking for, especially in engagement initiatives at a manager level, is the expansion of ownership. As more and more people throughout the organization take ownership of the employee experience and cultivate employee engagement, we see great things happen.”

Our panel of consultants include: Christian Nielson (host), Charles Rogel, Dan Deka, Thomas Olsen, Chris Storey, Stephen Mickelson, and Spencer Taylor.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Consultant, Chris Storey to discuss how to maintain strong communication ties with employees during a time of crisis.

We touch on practical ideas leaders can implement to increase communication (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), ways to avoid common pitfalls, and understanding how communication is tied to engagement.

Chris stresses the danger of failing to communicate:

“Employees might see a vacuum of information and fill it in with their own reality or what they might be guessing is going on.”

Listen for more ideas, stories, and examples in this insightful conversation on communication.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Senior Consultant, Spencer Taylor to discuss how to keep optimism in the workplace.

Spencer reflects on the importance of keeping a larger perspective when we are going through a difficult time:

“When we’re going through hard things, it’s nice to reflect on the successes of the past and to learn lessons from our history, and to carry those principles forward in a way where we use them as tools as to how we can behave through the more challenging times.”

Listen for more ideas, stories, and examples in this insightful conversation on optimism.

Should COVID-19 change the way we survey or listen to our employees? The answer is yes.

During times of uncertainty and challenge, it is critical to understand what your employees are experiencing—perhaps even more important than ever before. However, this doesn’t always mean surveying in the “traditional sense;” instead, listen, then act to help them succeed. Find out how to listen to your employees during challenging times. Please join our guest panel that includes CEO Tracy Maylett, President Matt Wride, VP of Assessment Services Dave Long, and VP of Consulting Services Christian Nielson. They will discuss ways to modify your listening strategies in order to strengthen your employee experience during turbulent times. Our panel will also take questions from attendees.

During this episode we’ll identify and share the latest methods for debriefing and coaching the results of a 360-degree feedback survey in 2019. The course prepares HR professionals to coach individuals, interpret individual and group reports, and guide the development planning and follow-up with participants. Presented by DecisionWise Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Consultant, Chris Storey. We discuss his education, career, and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

Chris brings more than a decade of professional experience to DecisionWise and its clients. His expertise includes 11 years in training and development as well as organization strategy, data analytics, and curriculum design, with extensive experience in employee coaching. His natural passion for helping people succeed professionally and businesses to grow has only grown through the years.

Prior to joining DecisionWise Chris worked as Manager of Training at a world-renowned language and leadership training organization. In that role he hired and trained over a hundred employees and executed coaching and performance management for an internationally diverse team who trained up to 400 volunteers per year. He initiated a vision for culture change resulting in a 100% increase in compliance and client-side reports of vastly improved outcomes. He also devised a significant compensation restructuring for a 1,000-person division. As an instructional designer he created a training program addressing low-utilization rates for company-developed learning software, doubling user satisfaction. He also conceptualized a self-assessment tool, now used globally.

Additionally, Chris worked in the Analytics Group at doTERRA International where he redesigned the hiring process and helped create a statistical model for predicting employee attrition. Most recently he worked as an independent organization consultant for a non-profit in Baltimore.

Chris holds an MBA from Boston College with an emphasis in Data Analytics. He carried out consulting projects for Boston College and Wayfair utilizing advanced analytics techniques. He also earned learning certificates in R, SQL, and is fluent in Russian.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise President, Matthew Wride, discusses how focusing on not only the physical aspects of safety, but also the emotional and psychological aspects can greatly improve the employee experience.

Safety is something we typically consider a “satisfaction” element; meaning something that must be met on a basic level for most people to be satisfied with their jobs. But when you start to consider the emotional and psychological dimensions of safety, such as whether an individual can trust their employer, it plays into whether that individual feels engaged in their job.

As a manager, you should ask yourself, “How do I start building an environment where people feel safe?” It starts with openly setting expectations, modeling the behaviors that you want, and emphasizing that it’s something you’re going to watch for with every meeting and interaction.

The goal is for your employees to reach a point where they can say, “I feel heard” or “I feel understood.” If your employees are only telling that you everything is okay, it means they don’t feel comfortable bringing up concerns and you have a problem.

One company with a strong safety focus is Hugo Boss. They recently made changes to enhance safety, such as having employees switch tasks every two hours to avoid the injuries that come from performing repetitive tasks and burnout. They also looked at other health and wellness improvements, such as teaching yoga and mindfulness habits. These changes have resulted in a 0% injury rate and through the act of working on safety, the employees have felt cared for.

Learn more about these concepts and ideas on safety in this insightful conversation.

Visit decisionwise.com

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Senior Consultant, Spencer Taylor. We discuss his education, career, and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

As an senior consultant at DecisionWise, Spencer partners with organizations to make data-driven decisions about employee engagement.

Prior to joining DecisionWise, Spencer worked as a Senior Intelligence Trainer with the U.S. Army. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Upper Iowa University and an MBA from Westminster College.

One question to consider as you think about whether to put effort and investment into employee engagement: “Is engagement worth the effort and investment we put into it?” The short answer to this question is “yes,” but depending on the type of organization you are, engagement may be more critical or less critical to your success.

During this podcast we’ll share the best methods for preparing, administering, and rolling out the results from your employee engagement survey based on over 20 years of experience conducting surveys around the world. We’ll also identify the most common mistakes organizations make when conducting an employee engagement survey and how to avoid them.

The audio from this podcast is taken from a recent webinar presented by David Long.

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss practical ideas for how setting expectations leads to higher employee engagement

Setting clear expectations gives clarity to our employee’s roles and is a key element to the satisfaction landscape. Employee need to feel a sense of understanding of what success looks like, what their manager expects of them, and how they are expected to contribute to the organization and team’s success.

Our panel of consultants includes Charles Rogel (host), Dan Hoopes, Beth Wilkins, Stephen Mickelson, Christian Nielson, and Thomas Olsen.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant, Dan Hoopes, discusses the topic of job training and how you, as a manager, can help employees perform their best.

We tend to treat job training as event to help us perform a task. However, if we can tie training with learning and developing as people, it becomes less of an event and more of an application.

Training is most effective when you can create a cycle of application and reflection, coupled with mentoring and feedback.

It’s important to remember that your leverage as a manager comes not from your individual contribution but from developing the capabilities of people within your span of control and making them better so you can produce better outcomes.

Learn more about employee engagement at: https://decision-wise.com/

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant, Dan Hoopes, discusses the topic of how managers can better recognize employees in the workplace.

Everybody likes to be acknowledged (in one form or another) for a job well done. We all like to feel validated and yet, many managers are reluctant to give recognition. Why is this?

“One of the biggest travesties to happen with organizations if for a manager to say, ‘Well, it’s just their job.’ Well, of course it’s just their job! But who doesn’t like to be recognized for doing well at just their job,” says Dan Hoopes.

He continues, “If I recognize someone for the things they are doing, it increases their discretionary effort. They’re more highly engaged and they know how to produce faster because they’ve gotten feedback that what they’ve done is right, and they want to do it even more and more.”

Learn more about these concepts and ideas on giving recognition in this insightful conversation.

In this podcast episode, Dan Deka walks through the ins and out of the 360 survey experience, from both the standpoint of the participant and the manager. You’ll learn about the best practices for administering surveys, the process for selecting raters, recommendations for debrief support, and customizing the survey to best match the values of your organization. We’ll leave better prepared to successfully launch a 360-degree feedback survey.

Growing in our jobs doesn’t always mean getting a promotion or a raise; these are components of satisfaction. Growth is about mastering new skills, taking on challenges, and pushing to be better—both professionally and personally.

In this insightful conversation, Kristin Chapman, Principal Consultant at DecisionWise, explores how individuals can experience growth in their careers, as well as how managers can how managers can foster an environment of growth in their organizations.

Results from DecisionWise employee surveys show that managers often fail to challenge employees enough to learn and to achieve higher results.

Similarly, many employees don’t find their work challenging enough to keep them engaged. Imagine the untapped potential! On the other hand, stretching, taken to the extreme, can result in unhealthy stress. Growth strikes the balance between boredom and burnout.

Visit: https://decision-wise.com/podcast-growth-being-challenged-in-ways-that-result-in-progress/

Meaning is, simply defined, “I can find purpose in my work beyond just the job or the task itself.” It is one of the most important factors of all the five ENGAGEMENT MAGIC® keys for driving engagement in an organization. But how can organizations create a structure where meaning can exist? How can individuals find greater meaning in their job? How does meaning specifically relate to employee engagement?

David Long, Senior Organizational Development Consultant at DecisionWise, addresses these questions and more in an insightful podcast conversion with host Justin Warner.

Visit https://decision-wise.com/podcast-meaning-your-work-has-purpose-beyond-the-work-itself/

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss practical ideas for how to encourage cross-department collaboration at your organization.

They identify the reasons why working together isn’t always easy or natural and share what they’ve seen other organizations do to overcome these hurdles and increase the level of engagement in their workforce.

This week’s episode is hosted by Cecily Jorgensen. Our panel of consultants includes Charles Rogel, Dan Hoopes, Dan Deka, Beth Wilkins, Stephen Mickelson, Christian Nielson, and Thomas Olsen.

Read the companion blog article to this podcast, “How to Encourage Cross-Department Collaboration”

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Sr. Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka, discusses what it means to have a strong customer focus.

As a business, you don’t exist without customers. It’s absolutely imperative to build and maintain a strong relationship with them. Treat them the same way you would a close friend. If you can’t answer their question or concern in one email, pick up the phone and call them. The more interactions you can have with them, the stronger the relationship becomes.

One critical part of having great customer service is listening. “Sometimes we want to solve their problem so badly that we try to immediately fix it and we don’t listen,” says Dan Deka. “Make sure to really slow down and address what they really need. Listen, observe, validate, and then pursue actions. Treat them with compassion and thoughtfulness. ”

Learn more about these concepts and ideas for creating a strong customer focus in this insightful conversation.

Visit decisionwise.com for more on employee engagement.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Sr. Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka, discusses the topic of how to create a positive work environment.

In a business setting, to create a positive experience for your customers, it starts with creating a positive experience for your team, which starts in your head with the way you are thinking.

When it comes down to it, you have much more power and influence than you realize. The way you think and act has a ripple effect on those who surround you. The clearer you can be about your own environment and what you want to achieve, the better equipped you are to help others.

Creating a positive environment can look different from leader to leader. You should evaluate your own situation and find which concepts, such as being inspiring or assertive, will best play to your strengths.

Learn more about these concepts and ideas for creating a positive environment in this insightful conversation.

Visit decisionwise.com for more on Employee Engagement.

Join Dr. Tracy Maylett, for a presentation on “ENGAGEMENT MAGIC: Five Keys for Engaging People, Leaders, and Organizations.” Dr. Maylett will review the research behind the five keys and how managers can use ENGAGEMENT MAGIC to increase engagement with their teams. During this podcast we will provide answers to the following questions: - What is the personal benefit of being engaged? - What is the difference between being satisfied with your job and being engaged? - How does each of the ENGAGEMENT MAGIC elements contribute to engagement? - How do you avoid a victim mentality and take ownership of your engagement? - How can managers create an engaging work environment?

The audio for this podcast is taken from a recent webinar.

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss the power and impact that having effective supervisors can have for your organization.

We'll discuss ways supervisors can provide consistent feedback, make expectations clear, provide developmental opportunities, and foster an environment of respect and trust.

This week’s episode was hosted by Cecily Jorgensen. Our panel of consultants includes Charles Rogel, Dan Hoopes, Christian Nielson, and Thomas Olsen.

Read the companion blog article to this podcast, "The Seven Behaviors of Effective Supervisors" (https://decision-wise.com/the-seven-behaviors-of-effective-supervisors/)

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Consultant, Thomas Olsen, discusses the topic of autonomy, one of the 5 keys of ENGAGEMENT MAGIC®.

We define autonomy as “The power to shape your work and environment in ways that allow you to perform at your best.”

Autonomy doesn’t mean “no rules and free reign.” We all work under guidelines. But when we understand our parameters, and have the freedom to do our best work, we are more creative, innovative, passionate and, ultimately, more effective.

Listen to this insightful conversation to learn more about how to foster autonomy in your organization.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Consultant, Stephen Mickelson. We discuss his education, career, and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

As an engagement consultant at DecisionWise, Stephen partners with organizations to make data-driven decisions about employee engagement.

Stephen joined DecisionWise in 2016 and during his tenure he has also worked as an Assessment Advisor and Assessment Team Lead where his focus was the successful deployment and debrief of employee surveys for large organizations. Prior to joining DecisionWise, Stephen worked in video production where he managed finances and strategy. In his spare time he enjoys writing poetry, making stained glass windows, weightlifting, and hiking.

Stephen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Psychology from Brigham Young University.

HR technology is rapidly changing. There are more choices than ever to help the HR professional manage with what is becoming an increasingly important business function. To measure, understand, and improve the employee experience, choosing the right solution is critical.

Join us as we walk you through what to look for so you can choose the best set of tools and analytics to meet your organization’s needs.

This episode is hosted by Justin Warner and includes contributors Christian Nielson, Joey Barry, and Jefferson McClain. The audio from this podcast is taken from a previous webinar.

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss how to best manage the stress level of your organization.

We’ll cover topics like working through stress at your company and learning to identify stress triggers, as well as answering questions like: - How is the problem of stress manifesting and affecting engagement? - Are companies getting better at managing stress? - How do we coach clients on stress?

This week’s episode was hosted by Cecily Jorgensen. Our panel of consultants includes Charles Rogel, Dan Hoopes, Beth Wilkins, Stephen Mickelson, and Thomas Olsen.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Consultant, Stephen Mickelson, discusses the topic of how to increase accountability inside of your organization.

In the DecisionWise Employee Engagement survey, we ask the questions:

Does my supervisor hold people accountable?
Do the people I work with take accountability for results?

At it’s core, accountability is about owning outcomes. This could meaning owning mistakes, but people often overlook taking accountability for things done well.

When accountability is not happening in an organization, it creates a frustrating environment. Roles and responsibilities are unclear. Work remains unfinished. Some end up carrying the burden while others drift by. Managers need to address whether the issue is a problem of capabilities and provide additional training and clarification or if the problem is motivation and if so, have a conversation about whether the person is a good fit for the team.

One idea to increase accountability is to hold regular one-on-one conversations with your employees. “It’s a great opportunity to give redirecting feedback about where they are missing things, but also give re-enforcing feedback about what they are doing well,” says Stephen Mickelson. He continues, “Having those one-on-ones will help you build a relationship with your employees so that when you do need to have those strong conversations with them, they’ll be much more likely to listen to you and trust that you have their best interests and the interests of the organization in mind.”

Learn about these ideas and more on in this episode on accountability.

In this podcast episode recorded from a recent webinar, DecisionWise Sr. Consultant David Long and Principal Consultant Christian Nielson share best practices for surveying employees as they leave your organization and what insights it can give you for improving retention.

Christian explains, “The employees are having an experience, whether you plan for it or not. To measure the complete experience of an employee, we need to understand life cycle events, from when an employee starts to when they leave and the milestones that happen in between. ”

He continues, “When people leave their job, the organization loses a resource but they also have the opportunity to gain an advocate, if they’ve created a strategic exit experience.“

Learn more in this insightful conversation on exit surveys.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Consultant, Thomas Olsen, discusses the topic of innovation and how it contributes to the success of an organization.

Many companies want to be innovate but unknowingly put up barriers to prevent this from happening. Managers might say things like, “This is how we’ve always done it,” or “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Management need to give encouragement and time to their employees to share new, innovative ideas. If it’s not a part of the culture, it won’t happen.

But where do you start? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to be innovative. You can start with improvements to processes that save time and money. You can hold brainstorming meetings and reward your employees for experimenting and questioning the status quo.

Learn about how to implement these ideas and more in this episode.

In this episode, we’re joined by a panel of DecisionWise consultants who discuss what managers can do to make sure their employees feel listened to and valued.

On our DecisionWise Employee Engagement Survey, we measure how well the organization is listening by asking the following questions to employees:

“I feel that I can share my ideas and opinions without fear of negative consequences.”
“We listen to and evaluate each other’s thoughts and opinions.”
“This organization values employees’ input, feedback, and suggestions.”
“The organization is responsive to ideas and suggestions for improvement.”

These insights help organizations to take action and create a more welcoming environment for ideas and opinions to be shared. Based on this data, our consultants share some ideas, stories and examples on what they’ve seen work for organizations.

This week’s episode was hosted by Cecily Jorgensen. Our panel of consultants includes Charles Rogel, Dan Hoopes, Beth Wilkins, Christian Nielson, and Dan Deka.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Consultant, Thomas Olsen, MBA. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

Thomas is responsible for helping individuals, teams, and organizations see and move toward their potential.

Prior to joining DecisionWise, Thomas worked in supply chain and finance at Sears Holdings in Chicago. He spent time in the SaaS industry selling and implementing 360 assessments and employee engagement solutions for Qualtrics. After his MBA he spent time as an HR Business Partner working with global leaders across Polaris Industries. He led change management projects and focused on facilitating employee growth.

Thomas received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University where he specialized in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources. He also has an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in Strategy. Thomas was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark but has called the United States home for the past 13 years.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Sr. Consultant Dave Long, discusses the topic of vision alignment.

When employees feel disengaged from their job, it often has to do with the executive leadership failing to communicate the vision and goals of the organization. Worse yet, sometimes the executive team themselves don’t understand the mission or even agree on a direction!

Understanding the larger purpose of your organization helps you understand your role and the impact you make, which ultimately provides meaning to your everyday tasks. When different departments or teams have competing objectives, it helps to bring everybody on the same page. Managers who are able to tie what they’re doing as a team to the larger organization create a better sense of feeling aligned and “bought-in.”

Learn what problems to look for with vision alignment and how to fix them in this insightful conversation.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Sr. Consultant Dave Long, discusses the topic of developing others.

Often managers tend to shy away from growth conversations with their employees because it’s either not convenient or there isn’t a promotional opportunity immediately available. But our research shows that the more often you are able to have these conversations, the more likely employees are to be engaged in there jobs and less likely to leave.

The key is finding the right balance between burnout and boredom; where an employee is engaged in meaningful work with growth opportunities but not so busy that they become overwhelmed.

Learn about these ideas and other common challenges with developing others in this insightful conversation.

For this episode, we’ll identify and share the latest methods for debriefing and coaching the results of a 360-degree feedback survey.

The episode is prepares HR professionals to coach individuals, interpret individual and group reports, and guide the development planning and follow-up with participants.

Presented by DecisionWise Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka.

Join us for our next 360-degree Feedback Coaching Certification Training on September 25-26, 2019. Learn more here: https://decision-wise.com/coaching-certification-training-2/

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Consulting, Christian Nielson discusses the topic of creating a connection at work.

Connection is a sense of belonging and feeling like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves; a team, an organization, a mission. We have such as strong need for connection as human beings that some will even forgo physiological needs to reach it. In fact, connection consistently shows up as the #1 driver of engagement in our surveys. When we feel like we belong, we tend to bring our best ideas to our work.

Learn more about how to create a sense of connection on a social level, but also connecting employees to the vision and mission of your organization.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant Beth Wilkins, Ph.D., discusses the topic of providing meaningful feedback to employees.

According to our research, 30% of all employees are not receiving ongoing feedback from their supervisor. Leaders who fail do so or let their busy schedules get in the way of having one-on-one conversations with their team members send the signal to their employees that their contributions and development are not important.

Leaders have a tremendous influence in the way employees grow and develop in an organization.

In this episode, we’ll cover: - Tailoring your feedback to each employee so that they consistently feel supported - Focusing on the employee’s efforts, opposed to just the outcomes - Establishing the right balance between positive and constructive feedback - Creating a good environment where candid conversations can occur - Dive into these areas and more in this insightful conversation.

Additional Resources:

Why 360 Degree Feedback?
When Giving Employee Feedback, Make the Employee Part of the Solution Instead of the Problem
Leadership and Self-Deception
The Anatomy of Peace

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise VP of Consulting Christian Nielsen, discusses the topic of trust between employees and the management of an organization.

In this age of technology, some companies have implemented new ways of monitoring their employees, from tracking internet and email usage to running surveillance on their driving habits through GPS! But as companies use these tactics to improve efficiency, they send the message that they don’t trust their employees. How can an employee bring their best selves to their work if they have no autonomy?

Beyond this, managers need to send the message that they trust their employees through their actions, such as the way they delegate (or don’t delegate) assignments and the conversations they have with the individuals on their team.

Learn more on the topic of trust in this insightful conversation.

Further Reading: - DecisionWise: Trust is the Oxygen of The Employee Experience - Inc.com: 19 Sneaky Ways Your Boss Is Probably Spying On You in 2019 - HBR: The New Ways Your Boss Is Spying on You

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant Dan Hoopes, M.S.O.D., discusses the topic of managing the workload of your team.

As managers, it can be a real challenge finding the right balance between employees being productive and burning out. Dan offers some great tips and suggestions to help achieve this balance, such as helping your team members think through efficiencies in the processes involved with their work, consistently checking on the stress levels of your team members so you can shift resources towards those who need extra help, and creating growth opportunities with the way projects are assigned.

Learn about these tips and more in this insightful conversation.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant Dan Hoopes, M.S.O.D., discusses the topic of managing team relationships inside organizations.

How do you get your employees to enjoy working with the people on their team?
How do you increase a spirit of collaboration and trust?
How do you navigate conflicts and different personality styles that clash with each other?

Learn the answer to these questions and more in this insightful conversation.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise Principal Consultant Beth Wilkins, Ph.D. discusses the topic of diversity and inclusion inside organizations.

Although many organizations have gotten better at recruiting and retaining diverse talent, there is still much progress to be made in the area of inclusion. Many still lack ethnically and gender diverse leadership teams, despite the strong evidence that doing so will increase an organization's overall performance.

Beth makes the case that executives need to pay attention to these often neglected and marginalized groups and provides concrete ways organizations can create initiatives to change attitudes and perceptions, and ultimately create a more diverse and inclusion workforce.

At DecisionWise, Beth is responsible for helping individuals, teams, and organizations see and move toward their potential. Her passion for this work has grown through 20 years of experience and education in the discipline of development. Her expertise includes organization development, talent management, change management, and strategy, with a special love for executive coaching and diversity.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise consultants Dan Deka and Charles Rogel discuss how managers can improve fairness and respect in the workplace. They touch on consistency with how you interact with employees but also responding to their individual needs and involving employees in decisions that impact them.

In this podcast episode, DecisionWise consultants Dan Deka and Charles Rogel discuss what it means for managers to care about their employees as people. They address ways to recognize and understand the unique characteristics of each individual employee, how to handle challenging and emotional situations, and showing empathy in conversation.

In this episode, DecisionWise Senior Consultants, Christian Nielson and David Long discuss the purpose and methodology of onboarding surveys, using the reports to gather insight, and how the onboarding experience connects directly to employee engagement. Learn to "survey with a purpose" with this fascinating conversation.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise President, Matthew Wride. We discuss his career and approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

In this episode, we discuss some of the causes of stress in the workplace and give some ideas for things that leaders can do to help manage the stress levels of their employees.

We're joined by DecisionWise President, Matthew Wride.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise VP of Assessment and Senior Consultant, David Long, MBA. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

In this episode, we discuss the idea of understanding the vision and goals of an organization. We tackle questions like: - How do you align leaders around a common direction? - How do you set organizational goals that are meaningful to your team? - What can managers do to help their direct reports understand the vision of the company? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this insightful conversation between DecisionWise consultants, David Long and Charles Rogel.

Hidden influencers are those with personal power, but not necessarily positional power. Other employees are drawn to them due to their expertise, influence, and role modeling. These informal influencers are crucial for engagement, information flow, decision-making, best practice transfer, institutional knowledge, mentoring, and retention.

Correctly identifying and engaging hidden influencers is one of the greatest levers leaders have to increase organization-wide engagement. Learn how to do it in this insightful conversation between Beth Wilkins, Ph. D., Christian Nielson, MBA, and host Justin Warner.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka, MBA. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

Dan is a Senior Consultant and Executive Coach at DecisionWise. He is responsible for partnering with individuals, teams, and organizations to help them design experiences that illuminate leadership potential and improve employee engagement.

Dan’s love for inspired design evolved from art and film to business and human relations as he pursued and received his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University and his M.B.A. from San Diego State University. Dan is also an ICF Certified Executive Coach from Georgetown University.

His 20 year career in Human Resources spans the field from employee relations, performance management, organizational design, change management, and employee engagement to leadership and executive development. These experiences have been cultivated from positions with Packard Bell, Wells Fargo, Capital One, RealNetworks, Micron Technologies, and most recently as the Manager of Organizational Development for a global non-profit.

Dan is a surfer from Hawaii and enjoys “riding the wave” with his team, clients and family.

In this episode, we discuss the idea of motivating others. We tackle questions like:

What do you do to get people excited about their work?
Are you a source of energy for your team?
What tools are available to help you motivate other people?

Learn the answers to these questions and more in this insightful conversation between DecisionWise consultants, Dan Deka and Charles Rogel.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Vice President of Product Development, Senior Consultant, Charles Rogel, MBA. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

Charles joined DecisionWise in 2004 and currently leads product development and provides consulting services to clients around the world. He regularly coaches leaders and works with organizations to improve employee engagement and performance.

UPMC is operating in a healthcare environment that is incredibly complex and volatile based a variety of external factors. In order to remain agile, innovative, and positively disruptive, the organization needs highly engaged, high-performing leaders and employees to successfully execute its mission, vision, goals, and related strategies.

Joe Dicianno, Ph.D., Manager of Talent Development and Organizational Development at UPMC join us on the podcast to discuss how UPMC approaches employee engagement.

In this episode, we discuss practical ideas and suggestions that you can implement as a manager (and on an organizational level) to promote a sense of meaning with your employees.

In this episode, we discuss practical ideas and suggestions that you can implement as a manager (and on an organizational level) to create a culture where there is safety for ideas and opinions.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise Principal Consultant, Dan Hoopes, M.S.O.D.. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

In this episode, we discuss the concept of giving your employees a voice and truly listening to their ideas and concerns.

How do you create a culture of listening in your organization?
How can team members feel like they've been heard?
What are some practical tips a manager can follow to really facilitate good listening with their employees?

We'll answer these questions and more in this insightful conversation.

In this episode, we sit down with DecisionWise VP of Consulting, Christian Nielson, MBA. We discuss his career and his approach towards engagement, consulting, and leadership.

During this presentation, we’ll share the best methods for debriefing and coaching the results from a 360-degree feedback survey. Learn insights from DecisionWise Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, Dan Deka.

In this episode, Beth Wilkins shares how her education and career background have shaped her approach to engaging individuals in a way that transforms organizations.

In this podcast, Dr. Tracy Maylett discusses topics on the upcoming book, “ENGAGEMENT MAGIC: Five Keys for Engaging People, Leaders, and Organizations.” Dr. Maylett will review the research behind the five keys and how managers can use ENGAGEMENT MAGIC to increase engagement with their teams.

Written as a follow-up to the author’s award-winning first book, MAGIC, this book provides updated research, case studies, and tips that are the result of analyzing more than 30 million employee survey responses from over 70 countries. ENGAGEMENT MAGIC takes advantage of the most extensive employee experience database of its kind to combine principles of psychology and motivation with solid business concepts. ENGAGEMENT MAGIC provides actionable advice that will reduce attrition, encourage initiative, drive growth and profit, and increase personal engagement in one’s work.

During this episode, we address what we've learned over the past few years as we've researched this book and provide answers to the following questions:

What is the personal benefit of being engaged?
What is the difference between being satisfied with your job and being engaged?
How does each of the ENGAGEMENT MAGIC elements contribute to engagement?
How do you avoid a victim mentality and take ownership for your engagement?
How can managers create an engaging work environment?

In this episode, Tracy Maylett, author of "ENGAGEMENT MAGIC" shares 4 things we've learned about engagement while writing the new book.

Is this podcast, Dr. Tracy Maylett, CEO of DecisionWise, discusses the release of his latest book, ENGAGEMENT MAGIC: Five Keys for Engaging People, Leaders, and Organizations. Written as a follow-up to the author’s award-winning first book, MAGIC, this book provides updated research, case studies, and tips that are the result of analyzing more than 30 million employee survey responses from over 70 countries.

Tracy addresses why the follow-up was written, who it was written for, and the concept of individuals taking ownership for their own engagement.

Visit https://www.decision-wise.com/engagement-magic-book for more information.

In this podcast recording, DecisionWise will help you understand how to create an engaged workforce. This is the age of the employee, and the majority of organizations are failing to meet their employee's expectations, why?

The authors of the best selling book The Employee Experience will share best practices for improving the employee experience and creating engaged employees in your organization.

What you can expect to learn:

--What are the different contracts we make with our employees can lead to expectation misalignment.

--The difference between the Employee Experience and Employee Engagement

--Company maturity impacts your employee experience strategy.

--Market trends that may impact the employee experience

During this webcast we’ll share the best methods debriefing and coaching from the results of a 360-degree feedback survey. The course prepares HR professionals to coach individuals, interpret individual and group reports, and guide the development planning and follow-up with participants.

Engagement is a learned competency. David Long and Christian Nielson discuss how managers and leaders in your organization can learn to be engaged and engage their team members. Learn specific values that are associated with the engagement competencies and explore DecisionWise's new Engaging Leader Assessment.

What are other organizations doing to increase Employee Engagement? We collected feedback from over 150 organizations to find answers to these questions and more:

What are companies doing to increase employee engagement? What is the ROI of employee engagement for most companies? How do organizations effectively measure employee engagement? Is employee engagement really working? Which programs are most effective in boosting employee engagement? Does employee engagement boost profitability?

Join us as we reveal the results from this 30-question study.

Connection: The Sense of Belonging to Something Greater than Yourself

In this insightful conversation, Dan Deka, Senior Consultant and Executive Coach at DecisionWise, explores the importance of impact in the workplace, it's connection to meaning, effort and goals, and how managers can use it to drive engagement.

Growing in our jobs doesn’t always mean getting a promotion or a raise; these are components of satisfaction. Growth is about mastering new skills, taking on challenges, and pushing to be better—both professionally and personally.

In this insightful conversation, Kristin Chapman, Principal Consultant at DecisionWise, explores how individuals can experience growth in their careers, as well as how managers can how managers can foster an environment of growth in their organizations.

Ep. 30: ENGAGEMENT MAGIC – 5 Keys to Unlock the Power of Employee Engagement - Tracy Maylett by DecisionWise

Christian Nielson, Principal Consultant at DecisionWise, joins Justin Warner to discuss the impact and importance of Autonomy is creating an engaged organization.

Dave Long and Justin Warner discuss the first of the 5 keys from the Employee Engagement MAGIC Model: Meaning. How does meaning specifically relate to employee engagement? How can an organization create a structure where meaning can exist? They answer these questions and more in an insightful conversion.

Over the next five weeks, we will cover the other 4 keys of the MAGIC model.

In this podcast episode, Charles Rogel, Vice President of Products and Sr. Consultant at DecisionWise, discusses the results our recent research around employee engagement driver benchmarks. This presentation answers this one question: where do employees find the most meaning, impact, growth, autonomy and connection around their job?

In this episode Charles Rogel interviews Liz Wiseman author of the Wall Street Journal Best Seller, Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, about the six notable revisions and updates to the book.

Learn about:

The changing landscape of management and why leaders can and must get more from their talent.

How to deal with Diminishers and minimize their impact on yourself and others.

Ways that well-intended leaders become “Accidental Diminishers.”

How to effect lasting cultural change inside corporations.

A set of tools to enable managers to put the ideas into action.

New case studies of Multiplier leaders.

In this episode co-author of the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results," Tracy Maylett discusses the 10th and final chapter, "Building the EXtraordinary."

The final chapter brings the entire Employee Experience book together in a way that is memorable and easy to implement. Listen to this short podcast episode and pick up the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results."

"Engagement MAGIC," is the title of chapter 9 of the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results" and covers the five keys to employee engagement, Meaning, Autonomy, Growth, Impact, and Connection (MAGIC). Listen to co-author, Matthew Wride give an overview of Chapter 9 and how employee engagement goes hand in hand with an Employee Experience that makes customers love your organization.

"Moments of Truth," from Chapter 8 of the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results" covers the importance of trust within the contract. Listen to co-author, Tracy Maylett discuss an overview of Chapter 8 and how Moments of Truth will test the validity of your employee/employer contract.

"The Psychological Contract," from Chapter 7 of the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results." Listen to co-author, Matthew Wride discuss one of the three contracts of the Employee Experience, The Psychological Contract and how the unwritten set of expectations and obligations between employee and employer affect the overall Employee Experience.

Listen to Tracy Maylett, co-author of the book, The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results as he discusses chapter 6 of the book. Chapter 6 titled, "The Transactional Contract" discusses the second of the three contracts existing in the employee and employer relationship. Maylett discusses how the company's transactional brand helps attract and retain top performers.

Listen to Matthew Wride, co-author of the book, The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results as he discusses chapter 5 of the book. Chapter 5 titled, "The Brand Contract" discusses one of the three contracts existing in the employee and employer relationship. Wride discusses how the company's employee brand helps attract or repel new employees.

Listen to Dr. Tracy Maylett, co-author of the book, The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results as he discusses chapter 4 of the book. Chapter 4 titled, "An Intentional Framework" goes into detail about viewing the Employee Experience through the lens of the organization, employee, and leader. Shifting between lenses, and asking questions through these lenses as guides, gives us a multiscopic, more complete perspective of expectations.

Chapter 3 of the book is called, "Ask Your Doctor about Expectation Alignment Dysfunction." In this podcast episode, co-author, Matthew Wride explains the meaning of expectation alignment and the problems with unknown expectations between employee and employer.

In chapter 2 of The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results, co-author Tracy Maylett explains the "Expectation Gap." Maylett discuss how to close the gap that exists between employee and manager in order to create a more effective employee experience.

Listen to Matthew Wride, co-author of the book, "The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results," as he talks through the premise of chapter 1, "You're Digging in the Wrong Place."

The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results is a business book by authors, Tracy Maylett, Ed.D. and Matthew Wride, J.D., P.H.R. The book has one overarching goal: stronger organizations. That means better companies, teams, hospitals, schools, churches, communities, teams, volunteer organizations...you name it. Regardless of the scope of the organization, we want our readers to enjoy success. The book aims to help you become experts in the Employee Experience and drive a new era in which the employees are not simply easily replaceable labor but partners in creating something extraordinary. Before you can have a great customer experience, you must have an effective employee experience.

The Employee Experience (EX) creates the Customer Experience (CX). Listen as the authors of, The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results, discuss how the Wells Fargo employee experience damaged their customer experiences with the latest news of sales reps creating false accounts to hit their sales goals.

DecisionWise Principal Consultant, Kristin Chapman, provides best-practice advice on how to develop your organization’s employee value proposition. Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is the value an employee receives from the organization in exchanged for his or her work. It includes all of the tangible (i.e. compensation, benefits, work schedule) and intangible benefits (i.e friends at work, safety, respect). Every organization has an EVP whether they have formally defined it or not and the EVP is different for various groups of employees. By understanding your organization’s EVP and leveraging it appropriately, you can attract, retain, and engage top talent in today’s highly competitive environment.

This episode is part 3 of the Transition into Management series. In this episode Matthew Wride discusses 6 communication strategies to effective leadership. Learn these specific communication strategies to better build peer networks and create a smooth transition into leadership.

Learn about conflict management styles and strategies from Dr. Marcy Fetzer as she provides insight into how to approach conflict and the five modes of handling conflict.

This episode covers how to build a peer network within your organization and is part 2 of the "Transition Into Management" series. This podcast episode covers the importance of building an effective network of peers within your organization and the 7 ideas to take you from super-doer to super-manager.

The "Recognizing Leadership Derailers" episode covers leadership derailer, 13 common leadership derailers, and the toxic combinations that we have seen when you mix them together.

What is a derailer? • Derailers are behavior CHALLENGES that undermine our results. • A derailer is a behavior that gets in the way of optimal results. • A derailer is not just a weakness. We all have many weaknesses that we may not need to develop to succeed. A derailer is a weakness that requires improvement if we are to realize our potential.

After the employee engagement survey results come in, you have all of this information. What do you do with it? The temptation is to try to tackle everything. So it’s important when doing an engagement survey, that you have a plan for what to do with the information.

When action is not taken—or when plans are disjointed and not cohesive, a company runs the risk of showing no improvement, and in some cases engagement dropping from one year to the next. So it is critical that high level results are looked at, analyzed and acted upon by leaders in the company.

As a new leader, the transition into management can sometimes be difficult. During this session, DecisionWise COO, Matt Wride, talks about what it takes to make the management transition successful. Learn about the five Ps of transitioning into management, motivations for moving into management, 10 myths about taking a management role, and how to navigate the “unfreezing” and “jelling” stages during the process.

Trust is often overlooked as a leadership competency because we take it for granted. We assume we can trust other people until that trust is compromised or broken– then everything is suspect. During this podcast Brad Taylor, Principal OD Consultant and Vice President of Consulting at DecisionWise and former VP of Human Resources at General Mills, discusses the specific components of trust, research on trust and effective leadership, and how to build trust to be a better leader.

During this podcast Brad will share case studies on the important components of trust:

Building trust during rapid growth Creating interdependence Why symbolism matters Innovating for the greater good How servant leadership helps people to grow

DecisionWise CEO and author, Tracy Maylett discusses his upcoming book, The Contract: How Misalignment Destroys Companies, Cultures, & Relationships. He also talks about the three types of contracts employees experience when working for an organization including answers to the following:

What are the three types of contracts?
What are transactional components of The Contract and how do they work?
What are brand components of The Contract and how do they work?
What are psychological components of The Contract and how do they work?
How does a business leader manage these components to create a better work environment?

Matthew Wride discusses 11 things to watch out for when looking to do 360-degree feedback surveys. He talks about how no process is perfect, and the 360-degree process can have some serious shortcomings when not handled effectively. Multi-rater feedback (or 360-degree feedback) can be a powerful tool in your employee development arsenal. If not properly implemented, it can also have some serious drawbacks. However, when those shortcomings are studied and managed, the benefits and results of a 360-degree feedback program are heightened and improved.

Listen as Organizational Change Consultant, Darrell Harmon talks about how to give feedback face to face. You will hear tips and structures on giving constructive feedback. Learn feedback tips and advice on peer-to-peer, subordinate-to-manager, manager-to-employee and personal situations.

The Expectation Gap is the space between what an organization claims it will do for the employee and what the employee expects will happen. The less clear the communication channels, the more likely that gap will be filled with static, garbled messages, and broken promises. The result: resentment and disengagement.

Expectation Symmetry gauges how closely the expectations an organization creates for its employees match what the employees expect to happen. The greater the symmetry, the higher the level of trust. And the more the employees trust that their employer has their backs, respects them, and keeps its promises, the more they will take the risk of becoming fully invested and engaged, transforming the customer experience with their delight and enthusiasm.

Listen as David Mason, Ph.D. discusses the five essential MAGIC keys (Meaning Autonomy Growth Impact Connection) that managers need to cultivate lasting employee engagement with their teams. These keys are taken from the book, MAGIC: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Employee Engagement.