In recent years, we’ve seen the employee engagement and performance software market explode. Along the way, we’ve come to realize that success takes more than just providing people with the software tools they need. It’s education and training that makes the difference, and a deep commitment to having organizations transform. Meaningful transformation only comes when the deep and difficult work happens. Today, we’re talking with two of our employees who are helping other organizations train their managers to be far more effective. 

Jon Greenawalt, our Chief Performance Officer, brings over 20 years of global, cross-industry consulting experience to help develop leaders and teams through progressive leadership and management development programs. Jon is the former Chief People & Culture Officer at SharkNinja, where he built the Talent Development function, trained over 500 leaders and managers during his tenure, and implemented 15Five across the entire 1,600 global full-time employee population.

Emily Diaz is our Director of Transformational Services, a division she created after identifying the need for organizations to teach ‘vital skills’ to their people, skills which in turn supercharge the impact of 15Five’s performance management software. Since joining our founding team 7 years ago, she has served as advisor, trainer, and coach for companies across all industries — including Visa, Tesla, and Citrix. Emily’s experience across domains informs the creation of unique and powerful programs that train core professional competencies.

In this episode, we discuss the future of performance management that incorporates intuitive, empowering software, but also services and ongoing education. We've realized that helping employees and managers form new habits and skills leads to high-performing and healthy organizations. By being transformative in this way, meaningful changes occur that result in lasting positive change.

Professional services are usually about helping companies succeed with a (software) product. These do provide help with how people use the software to improve their work and possibly even to contribute more. But that’s largely a transactional process. Transformational Services is a partnership whereby people are taken through a process where they permanently change their mindset and behaviors in order to thrive. 

This is often hard work. It begins with a desire to grow and from there a thorough examination of old practices and mindsets. Hard truths will be confronted. People will stretch beyond the familiar. In the end, when people realize that work can be a source of satisfaction and personal growth, they’ll build a better business environment.

What transformative changes would you like to see in your company? Let’s chat about it in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode

• What transformation actually means for individuals and a company
• Building an environment of positivity by deconstructing old mindsets
• How people learn including repetition and feeling discomfort
• Why failures should be celebrated
• Reframing soft skills as vital relational skills required for any high-functioning organization

Quotes

“We’re a mission-driven company. 15Five is not just in the business to create a widget, a tool. We’re actually here to transform the world of work.” [4:38] (Emily)

“Transformation is hard work. Yet it’s important work. The benefit of it is, even though it may be challenging to have that breakthrough and move yourself to the next level, it’s an amazing experience.” [13:48] (Jon)

“It has to be okay to grow. The best environments are the ones that make it cool to grow. That’s what it’s all about. We’re never done growing.” [19:26] (Jon)

“There’s a spectrum where you need to learn how to relate to your people in a way that still puts the responsibility of their own growth with them.” [34:10] (Emily)

Links

Learn more about our transformational services

15Five’s Best-Self Academy

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