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First 90 Days as CPO of a Big Company: Colleen McCreary's Blueprint

Mar 11, 2025

Colleen McCreary, Chief People Officer at Confluent, dives into her first 90 days in a CPO role at a remote-first public company. She discusses the importance of transparent leadership and building community in remote settings. Colleen shares her approach to eliminating unnecessary processes and fostering a culture of collaboration. With insights on navigating organizational change, she highlights the importance of listening to employees and achieving quick wins to build trust in a new leadership role.

40:11

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Episode guests

Colleen McCreary

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Colleen McCreary emphasizes the importance of transparent leadership and open communication to foster community in remote work environments.

A proactive approach to continuous improvement and simplification of processes is vital for enhancing workplace culture and employee morale.

Deep dives

The Shift in Remote Work Dynamics

The current landscape of remote work has evolved significantly, especially following the pandemic and the trends of the great resignation. Companies that once embraced a fully remote model are now reevaluating their strategies, often requiring employees to return to the office. Leaders are recognizing the importance of setting clear expectations regarding work arrangements to avoid misunderstandings and disappointment among employees. This shift has led to a mixed sentiment, where some companies have reverted their previous stances, leaving employees feeling uncertain about their roles and the future of their work environment.

Intro

4min

Evolving Role of the Chief People Officer

8min

Navigating Change: A CPO's Journey

8min

Eliminating Company Complications

14min

Building Trust and Transparency in Leadership Transitions

6min

Friend of the pod Colleen McCreary discusses some big news: her return to a CPO role at a remote-first public company (Confluent). She shares insights on navigating the first 90 days, organizational change, implementing a company-wide initiative to eliminate unnecessary processes, and gearing up for lots of 1:1s.

Colleen, Kelli, and Nolan discuss transparent leadership, building community in remote environments, and bringing humanity to workplace policies—all while balancing the challenges of joining an established company as an executive with a public reputation

*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

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KEEP UP WITH COLLEEN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Colleen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenmccrearychiefpplofficer

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(2:28) Remote Work Authenticity Challenges During the Pandemic

(5:19) How the CPO Role Has Changed in Today's Market

(10:14) Joining a Public Company as CPO with a Public Persona

(14:29) Sponsor: Metaview

(19:51) Creating a "Remove the B******t" Company OKR

(25:41) Building Community in Remote-First Organizations

(28:25) Bringing Humanity to Crisis Response in HR

(30:17) Tackling Compensation Transparency as a New CPO

(31:02) Continuous Improvement Over Perfection in Leadership

(37:25) Balancing Multiple CPO Responsibilities While Driving Change

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

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