What separates great workplaces from average, ordinary workplaces? You know the ones that seem to effortlessly attract incredible people, dominate the competition and always seem to be on the leading edge? I’ve spent the last 10 years discovering what they do and how they do it… and designed a system to help you move your business from being average and ordinary, to one of excellence.And at the heart of that system are values. Because your values represent the best of who you are, what you stand for and what you don’t stand for… individually and collectively.
Be sure to download your free Leading with Values guide at LeadThruValues.com. I’m your host James Mayhew, and you’re listening to Lead Thru Values.
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Have you wondered how some companies are able to remain strong and seemingly able to withstand almost any external pressure like rising costs and even the threat of a global recession?
Do these companies have some sort of secret formula? And how do they seem to hold onto great people while many companies are struggling with turnover and trying to find great people.
If you’re experiencing some of these concerns and are hoping to find some answers, grab a notebook and get ready to take some notes as I’m joined by my friend, Ken Trupke.
Busy leaders hire Ken to help them identify the issues preventing them from growing their business, but what I like most about Ken’s approach is that he believes everyone wants to do work that excites them, to be part of something greater than themselves, and to be appreciated.
If you’re new to the podcast, my name is James Mayhew and i started this podcast with one thing in mind: to help you ensure that every person in your company has the knowledge, skills and confidence to do their jobs exceedingly well.
I’m glad you’re here. Now let’s jump in and learn from Ken Trupke.
67. The Can't Miss Formula for Employee Engagement
Season 2 · Episode 67
Friday, November 18, 2022 • Duration 52:46
You’ve probably heard that people don’t leave bad jobs; they leave because of bad bosses, poor management, and a lack of appreciation of their worth.
It’s cliche, yet it happens all the time and exit interviews confirm it.
Just because you’re in a management or leadership position, the immature, inexperienced or insecure leader incorrectly assumes that the people on their team will automatically respect, listen and follow direction directions.
It really doesn’t work that way. In fact, it takes a great deal of time, effort and skills to develop trust, let alone build true rapport with your team.
Here’s what doesn’t work.
Constant criticism, sarcasm, micro managing and just being downright cruel in your communication.
Think back to a time in your life when you’ve worked for a manager who routinely shoots down your ideas, doesn’t hear you out, and just overall, is disrespectful to you. It makes you miserable, erodes your confidence and overall, just makes your job intolerable.
This is a recipe for losing your best people.
But what if there was a better way? A simple, but powerful framework that promises to build trust and rapport?
That framework is the topic for episode 67 where I’m joined once again by my friend and turnaround specialist, Kevin Wormwood where we discuss the power of integrity, dignity and prosperity.
I’m James Mayhew, America’s Chief Culture Officer, and this podcast focuses on helping companies attract and retain great people, improve communication at every level, and boost your bottom line.
58. The whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Season 2 · Episode 58
Thursday, August 25, 2022 • Duration 22:35
If you’re in any kind of leadership role, there’s a reality check you need to be aware of, and it’s something I see a lot of leaders struggle with.
The reality check is this: there’s a strong chance you’re not getting the full truth from people on your team.
That’s right. They’re holding out on you and not being 100% open and honest with you.
That’s a tough pill to swallow, but that’s why it’s an important issue to lean into.
And that’s why it’s the topic for Episode 58 of Lead Thru Values.
Contact James today:
(319) 929-2604
coach@jamesmayhew.com
Hello and welcome back to the podcast. It’s so great to be with you again because we’re doing important work together here.
Building a culture of performance mastery is one of the hardest things you’ll do as a leader because of all the nuances, challenges and personal growth you’ll have to do… but that means it also has the greatest reward! It rewards your employees, your customers, your bottom line and of course, you and the pride in knowing you’ve done it well, good and faithful servant.
And that’s what we talk about on this podcast. I want to help you connect the 30,000 foot view of your business to what’s going on at the ground level.
When working with clients, the goal is to identify gaps:
communication gaps
knowledge gaps
leadership gaps
talent gaps
training gaps
...and then work tenaciously with the business leaders to close them.
Because there’s no shortcuts, no silver bullets to building a place where people want to come to, where they get a chance to do their best work and experience feelings of pride, fulfillment and accomplishment.
57. This Is Us
Season 2 · Episode 57
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 • Duration 17:40
Contact James:
(319) 929-2604
Coach@JamesMayhew.com
I want to speak with you today about your company’s DNA. This message is really focused to business owners and founders.
So if you’re a business owner - even if you’ve been a business owner before - I want you to think back to when your company was formed.
What was going through your mind?
What emotions were you experiencing? As I speak with clients about this, one of the consistent reactions I get is a smile.
They smile because there’s an abundance of experiences that are playing through their mind like old family videos and films.
I’ve heard them say things like:
I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
I was naive.
I thought it I had it all figured out.
It was a blast.
We were killing it.
It was so much fun.
As I listen, I try to be careful not to ask questions too fast because I want them to stay locked into that moment.
After some silence, they’ll start to go deeper…
We had a really great group in the beginning.
Everyone just knew what to do.
We loved the competing with each other.
We couldn’t afford many benefits in the beginning, so we played video games together when we were slow.
When I watch them tell me about starting up, I see joy. I see excitement. Most of the time as they’re recalling this phase they’re not making eye contact with me. They’re looking at something on the wall or off into space.
56. 100% Responsibility with Curt Mercadante
Season 2 · Episode 56
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 • Duration 55:47
“Every minute you worry about external stuff is a minute that you’re not free.”
— Curt Mercadante
This is one of those episodes to listen to closely.
I mean really listen because taking 100% responsibility for your choices, for your attitude, for your belief system….
For your life…
Is a message we all need reminded of. --------------
Curt Mercadante helps driven men clear their limiting beliefs, dissolve their stress, and rediscover their lives of joy and FREEDOM.
For 25 years, he has counseled small business, entrepreneurs, as well as some of the largest corporations and associations in the country. He’s built three profitable businesses, including a 7-figure PR and ad agency.
Curt has trained, coached, and delivered keynotes and workshops to clients across the globe.
Curt is a Certified Human Behavior Consultant, a Certified Ho'oponopono and Law of Attraction Practitioner, and author of the bestselling book, “Five Pillars of the Freedom Lifestyle.”
Curt, his wife, and their four children currently reside in Sedona, Arizona following a year of traveling the country as part of their freedom lifestyle.
55. What OUTCOMES Are You Responsible For?
Season 2 · Episode 55
Tuesday, July 19, 2022 • Duration 09:13
Have you ever had someone ask you for the outcomes that your company is counting on you to deliver in your job?
Well that’s a question I ask my clients.
And you know what I’ve found?
Most people really struggle to answer what seems to be a fairly straightforward question.
I’m James Mayhew, americas chief culture officer, and that’s the topic for this episode of LTV
Here’s the background as to why this is such an important question for business leaders to be able to answer:
When clients hire me they want to want to know how to consistently hit their targets.
And they want to know that everyone is doing a high level of work on the most important things.
And in working with a variety of business leaders I’ve found that these are consistent regardless of company size, tenure and title.
So over the years I added processes that help get alignment around what it actually takes to accomplish that.
It’s built around the function of creating a performance agreement between a manager and employee.
And it’s one of the most vital things you’ll ever do to create clarity and instill a sense of confidence and achievement.
The performance agreement process I use consists of three key parts, but the one I want to focus on today are defining your primary job responsibilities. Your PJRs.
And that brings us back to the question of the day: what outcomes the business is counting on you to deliver.
When I dive in, the first responses I get are things like managing the day to day, ensuring we stay profitable, set the direction, delegating work, and so on.
And those are true, but what we need to get to are the things that are beyond the day to day activities of the job description.
By the way, most job descriptions I see posted are a disaster. They’re written with excess corporate gobbledygook, that no one can really be held accountable to.
54. It's The Little Things That Cause Culture Drift
Season 2 · Episode 54
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 • Duration 21:18
Today I want to talk with you about the word “drift.”
Here in the midwest we have snow drifts in the winter that can be both beautiful and dangerous on the roads.
If you’re into motorsports and racing - especially the virtual type - then the word drift is exciting and fun as you create a controlled high speed slide around corners.
But what happens when drift occurs in your business? I’m specifically speaking about culture drift.
And that’s the topic for today’s episode, so let’s get started.
Let’s talk about the impact culture has on reaching your objectives and goals.
First, your organizational culture is a set of shared beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that either enhances how you get work done… or gets in the way of how you get work done.
Don’t miss this…
Your culture exists whether you’re paying attention to it or not, and just because you’ve done a workshop or two about company culture and your core values are on the wall, you will not have lasting results.
None of those things will ensure that your employees are doing exceptional work on the most significant things.
Culture isn’t just something you discuss in meetings.
And, culture isn’t created because you have potlucks in the summer, team building games, Food Truck Fridays, or because you added a game room with foosball air hockey and table tennis.
Now don’t get me wrong, those are NOT bad things. But they could be bad things when they take priority over improving the working conditions such as replacing slow computers, addressing quality or safety issues, or holding purposeful meetings so employees know where they stand.
We have to remember that culture is something you DO daily. It’s a collection of attitudes, beliefs and actions that define…
HOW you serve your customers;
53. The 4 Most Powerful Words You Can Say To Another Person
Season 2 · Episode 53
Friday, July 1, 2022 • Duration 02:29
I want to share the four most powerful words you’ll ever say to another person.
These words will…
Boost confidence Build self esteem Give encouragement Empower creativity Enhance decision making Deepen rapport Increase trust
And as a result, you’ll see…
Leadership abilities develop. More honest and open communication. Renewed energy. Joy. Fulfillment. Passion.
So, are you curious about these four words?
Here they are. Say them out loud in your mind as you read them.
I Believe In You.
That simple sentence will unlock hidden potential in another human being.
The best leaders see potential in others and work to cultivate it.
They don’t fear it. Don’t envy it.
They give it life!
Make a difference in someone’s life today and give them some encouragement!
And if the situation calls for it,
Don’t be afraid to honestly and confidently tell them you believe in them.
52. Is There More To Life Than Making Money? with Mike Henry, Sr.
Season 2 · Episode 52
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 • Duration 52:01
In this conversation between Mike Henry, Sr. and James, the two men discuss how faith has impacted their careers.
Mike shares his thoughts on feeling stuck, limited and aiming too low at work, and how he found new energy by aiming higher and serving others.
Mike's Bio Mike Henry Sr. began Follower of One to help every marketplace Christ-follower experience the joy of working with Jesus.
Follower of One is a global community for individuals who follow Jesus and want their life to matter. He desires to help every workplace believer intentionally follow Jesus full-time regardless of their position on an organizational chart.
Prior to Follower of One, Mike was vice president for a nationwide technology service provider and before that he worked in several industries including Financial Services, Energy and Telecommunications.
Mike and his wife Vicky reside in the Tulsa Oklahoma area. They have two adult children, two children-in-law and 3 grandchildren.
Be Perfectly Understood. Those 3 powerful words summarize how Zach Messler helps his companies explain their unique solutions to their client's problems in a clear, concise and remarkable way.
On episode 51, James and Zach explore 4 powerful words and the history behind them: Stand In Your Power.
Some of the greatest things to ever happen...won’t. Zach Messler wants to change that. See, Zach had a 20-year career in technology product marketing, teaching non-technical sales pros to explain complex software to executive buyers.
As attention spans and buying behaviors evolved before his eyes, Zach learned first- hand about the importance of being heard...and how to achieve it.
A messaging and positioning adviser with a knack for what to say and how to say it, Zach believes some of the greatest things to never happen, should.
And it’s the power of messaging that makes all the difference.
I blessed to work with some truly wonderful people. Business owners and executives who truly care about dignity, integrity and prosperity.
And this brings me back to the topic for today which is the reality check that when you’re in a position of authority - whether that’s being a business owner, CEO, a manager, executive director - those positions put you in a spot where you’re not always getting the complete truth.
And for the people in those roles, that’s tough to hear even if they’re aware of it. The reason that it’s tough to hear is because they want to create a culture of open and honest communication.
The mistake I see being made, however, is a gap between intention and action. More specifically, I’m referring to leaders that say they want open and honest communication, that they want people on their teams to bring ideas, help them see new perspectives, even questions decisions they’re considering.
I have several people that are coming to mind right now that I know, without a doubt, want that.
And when they say it to their leadership teams or to their staff, they all agree. They nod. They smile.
And I believe they believe they’ll do it.
So what’s the issue? The issue is rooted in the way we structure business.
In 2009, I took a job for an upstart company as a marketing specialist. I was one of about 20 employees; a member of the team. At that time we were a pretty flat organization where all of us reported to both of the owners.
When we hit about 40 people, I moved into a manager role. And instantly the relationship dynamics changed. Now I had 2 direct reports that I managed, who just a day before were coworkers.
We had 1:1 meetings and our little team of 3 would meet together, plus we’d meet with the marketing department.
Being a manager now, I was invited to meetings that my team wasn’t. As a result, I had information they didn’t. Now, they knew that. It comes with the territory.
But when people know that you know more than they do about the company’s health, direction, plans, etc., no matter what, it creates distance. A gap. That’s what I mean about the change in...
When their eyes return to mine that’s when I know it’s OK to ask another question.
I can tell those are good memories for you. What are some of the reasons you were successful in the early days?
And their answers are where I begin to help them rediscover their company’s DNA.
They tell me about times when they landed the big account and wondered how they could possibly serve them.
Or a time when a major mistake nearly cost them everything.
We pulled together. Everyone pitched in. Everyone sacrificed.
We learned how to do things on the fly. It wasn’t easy, but it was exciting.
We learned about each other.
And this is when I know we’re getting to the best elements.
But the reality is that these elements - the best things about the company’s origins - in many cases are long forgotten. Or, in some cases, not forgotten, but they’ve lost their shine; their power.
Here’s what happens and why it’s absolutely vital to help my clients rediscover this who they are, where they came from, so they never forget what makes them uniquely better.
During a company’s startup there’s a nucleus of people; the brain trust.And there’s a powerful vision they’re following which is usually driven by the founder or founders.
They constantly talk about that vision almost as if they’re reminding themselves that “this is who we are, what we do, and why we’re better.”
It happens in meetings.
It happens in the moment such as dealing with an opportunity or an obstacle, dealing a customer who is unhappy and threatening to take their business elsewhere… or worse.
It happens as everyone is high-giving and jumping up and down because you just had your biggest month ever.
What happens next is inevitable. You GROW.
And with your growth you realize you must add more people to keep up with the work.
So you start recruiting. There’s something good about how you’re recruiting in the early days…
You have to sell great people on the opportunity to make a difference.
You know you can’t compete on pay, on 401k matches, or even vacation days.
But you can compete on opportunity and the ability to do what you do best and have that be noticed by you and everyone else.
Let’s call this the 2nd ring. These employees mostly
That’s a different topic for a different day, but this is why people struggle to identify the outcomes that the business depends upon them for. They talk about what they do and how they do it, but not why behind it or what the impact is.
I’d like to share an example with you using the top of safety to show you a great PJR.
Let’s imagine that you’re a supervisor in a manufacturing environment.
One of your primary job responsibilities is around creating a safe environment.
Your job description would probably say something like ‘ensure all safety procedures are in place and everyone is trained in them.’
Sounds ok, right? And that’s what most people end up writing. And we don’t really take it further than that to arrive at an outcome.
So what are some of the outcomes of your responsibilities around safety?
If we lean into this further, we’ll find some clues.
Passing inspections. Avoiding citations. Making sure people are safe.
And that last statement is where you can start to really dig into deeper.
What does it actually mean to make sure people are safe?
What I’ve found is this is the desired outcome: At the end of the day we want our people to go home to their families in the same condition they started.
And that’s when you get to the heart of the PJR. It becomes bigger because we’re now talking about valuing Becky, John and Sue as humans, not just parts of our business machine.
It’s powerful.
Remember that conversations creates clarity around things like primary job responsibilities.
And having that clarity gives you confidence, permission and authority to take action on the most important work.
And that’s the hallmark of a high performance workplace.
HOW you help employees grow;
HOW you make strategic decisions;
HOW you develop products and go to market;
HOW you attract, hire and retain people;
In short, your culture sets the expectations for everything you do in business.
How many of you have a statement on your company’s website or job postings that states something like, “We pride ourselves in consistently delivering outstanding customer service?”
What you may not realize is just how lofty that statement actually is!
You’re really setting the bar high by using words such as consistently outstanding.
Now I’m not suggesting you don’t use those words, but what I am suggesting is that a culture that supports those words is a company that makes that a reality instead of ‘good intention.’
That means you and everyone in the company understands what it takes to deliver a consistent and outstanding experience for your customers.
You will need to define, communicate and constantly teach the behaviors that lead to that desired outcome.
This is the point when most culture initiatives fail.
If you aren’t defining and clearly communicating your expectations it’s impossibleandunethical to hold people accountable to them.
What happens next is what I’m referring to as culture drift.
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