Culture Over Coffee – Details, episodes & analysis

For our first episode, not only do we highlight the various reasons why company culture and employee engagement should be top of mind for every organization, but we also consult the results from our own ENGAGE 2022: The Company Culture Report to get a feel for the current culture climate as we head into the new year. Joining Beth are Matt Sunshine, Managing Partner at The Center for Sales Strategy, and Deborah Fulghum, Employee Engagement Specialist and Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture. Together, they bring so many awesome insights to the table. Such as: How improving your company culture and employee engagement can help with one of the most common pain points: Recruitment Why company culture must be more than merely “words on a wall” And how living by the “platinum rule,” not the “golden rule,” might be a boon to your employee engagement efforts. About Up Your Culture: Up Your Culture, an employee engagement and company culture firm, was designed by The Center for Sales Strategy which has almost 40 years of experience improving business performance. Links: ENGAGE 2022: The Company Culture Report: uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Beth Sunshine: linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Matt Sunshine: linkedin.com/in/mattsunshine/ Deborah Fulghum: linkedin.com/in/deborahfulghum/ Up Your Culture: uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we begin our season long journey through each of the Four Engagement Elevators. We hop on Elevator number 1: Shared Mission. This is the clear vision that everyone in a group believes in and can easily articulate. It's the beacon that all eyes are on as the group makes their way on their journey together. And who better to discuss the importance of Shared Mission than Group Vice President at Cox Media, Maryann Balbo? Maryann provides so many great insights, such as: How a company culture isn’t simply an “add-on,” it’s the heart of who you are. Why organizations without a Shared Mission often result in employees toiling away in their own silos And how every leader must be intentional about the company culture they wish to see flourish among their team About Up Your Culture: Up Your Culture, an employee engagement and company culture firm, was designed by The Center for Sales Strategy which has almost 40 years of experience improving business performance. Links: ENGAGE 2022: The Company Culture Report: uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Maryann Balbo: linkedin.com/in/maryann-balbo/ Beth Sunshine: linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re discussing a topic that’s on the minds of many in these times of tough recruitment: employee retention. In particular, how to hang on to your talent superstars. Joining Beth are two guests who have a long history of retaining their top performers: Mike Searson, Vice President/Local Sales, and Doug Young, Market Sales Manager, both at Corus Entertainment. Together, they make some amazing points, like: Why it’s important to regularly measure the engagement level of your teams How leaders shouldn’t force employees to work in ways that don’t match their individual talents And why practicing empathy can go a long way toward fostering trust and loyalty with your employees Links: Self-Inventory Culture Checklist (Grade Your Company Culture): uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz Mike Searson: linkedin.com/in/mike-searson/ Doug Young: linkedin.com/in/doug-young-5208bb4/ Beth Sunshine: linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re not only examining the current state of recruitment, and how truly tough it feels for so many, but we’re also breaking down how to best approach your recruitment efforts in order to find the top talent your organization needs no matter what is going on in the world. Joining Beth to talk about it all is a bona fide recruitment expert, Mary Beth Meadows, Senior Executive VP at Personnel Resources. Mary Beth shares so many amazing insights, like: Why you have to go about “wooing” potential employees in the same way that you “woo” clients How not taking a good, hard look at why people are leaving your organization is like filling a Styrofoam cup with a hold in the bottom And, finally, how staying in touch with those A-players that moved on to work for a different company just might result in them “boomeranging” back to you down the road Links: 2022 Talent Magazine (Featuring Mary Beth's Article): blog.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/talent-magazine-css Self-Inventory Checklist (Grade Your Company Culture): uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz Mary Beth Meadows: linkedin.com/in/marybeth2/ Beth Sunshine: linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode we’re beginning our season-long exploration of ENGAGE 2023, our latest company culture and employee engagement report. Together, with experts from both Up Your Culture and The Center for Sales Strategy, we’ll be breaking down the data and contextualizing it all with actionable strategies to help keep your company campfire roaring throughout the year. Joining me to dive into the Employee Engagement section of the report are a couple of Up Your Culture’s awesome Engagement Specialists, Deborah Fulghum and Kelly George. Together, they provide so many essential insights, like: How communicating where your company is headed directly affects the emotional connectedness and commitment of your people Why “disengagement contagion” is very real And, finally, why it's important to set expectations around how to best contribute to a healthy company campfire Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Grade Your Company Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz Deborah Fulghum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahfulghum/ Kelly George: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjgeorge/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re taking a look at How and Where We Work in light of the recent findings from our latest company culture and employee engagement report, ENGAGE 2023. In this section of the report, we asked questions related to how employees, managers and company leaders are continuing to adapt to hybrid and remote work models. Helping Beth explore how people are feeling about this new world of work is Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy. Matt brings some great insights to light, like: - How company leaders who fail to clearly define the rules of a new work model leave employees feeling anxious and frustrated - Why hybrid and remote work allows companies to hire the very best people - And, lastly, why encouraging people to return to the office should only result from asking the question, “what problem would that solve?” Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Matt Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsunshine/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re continuing our season-long, deep dive into ENGAGE 2023, our latest company culture and employee engagement report, by exploring the data related to Shared Mission. It’s in this section of the report that we asked questions connected to a company’s Reason for Being, Core Values, and Vision. Helping me break it all down are two of Up Your Culture’s amazing Engagement Specialists, Kate Rehling and Mindy Murphy. Both Kate and Mindy make so many amazing points, like: - How if employees don’t feel a sense of purpose in their work, they simply won’t give it their all - Why a company’s core values are truly the “rules of the game” - And, finally, how employees should be consistently reminded of the role they play in achieving their company’s long-term vision Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Kate Rehling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-rehling-3244b5128/ Mindy Murphy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-murphy-981a1278/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we continue the exploration of our latest company culture and employee engagement report, ENGAGE 2023, by taking a look at the findings as they relate to People Development. In this section of the report, we asked questions related to Employee Growth, Recognition and Feedback. Joining me to discuss and contextualize it all is the great Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy. Stephanie brings so many awesome insights to the table, like: - How not focusing on developing your people increases the risk of losing top talent - Why Feedback and Recognition are not the same thing, but should both be occurring on a regular basis - And, lastly, how developing your people begins with understanding their natural talents and what truly motivates them. Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Stephanie Downs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniewdowns/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re continuing our focus on ENGAGE 2023, our latest company culture and employee engagement report, by exploring the data related to Valued Voice. In this section of the report, we asked questions around the quality of Communication and Collaboration that employees are currently experiencing. Discussing these latest findings with me is the wonderful Emily Estey, VP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy Emily offers such great points to think about, like: - How normalizing communication makes employees feel that much more comfortable sharing their opinions - Why there is a difference between having a voice and having a vote - And, finally, why understanding how your behavior affects the roles of others just might make a world of difference when it comes to the quality of interdepartmental communication. Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Emily Estey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-estey-b325228/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/

In this episode, we’re wrapping up our exploration of ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report by focusing on our findings that relate to Earned Trust. It’s in this section of the report that we asked questions connected to feelings of Autonomy, Integrity and Accountability. Returning to the show to help break it all down is Deborah Fulghum, Engagement Specialist here at Up Your Culture, and Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy As always, both Deborah and Matt share so many great insights, like: - Why trust is a key ingredient to a company’s growth and expansion - How company leaders need to foster trust with tenured employees just as fervently as they do with newer hires - And, lastly, how true transparency (sharing the good news and the bad news) makes your employees feel that much more like members of a team. Links: ENGAGE 2023: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report Deborah Fulghum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahfulghum/ Matt Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsunshine/ Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/ Up Your Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/