Transforming Work with Sophie Wade

Adam Tuckwell, Managing Director for Mobas, a brand transformation business in the UK, crafts, seeds, amplifies, and channels corporate messaging to affect change as social media and other communications platforms shift information power dynamics between leaders and their constituent audiences. Adam brings communications experience spanning video gaming, traditional publishing, and brand agencies to explain how customers' and employees' voices generate and facilitate transformation externally and internally. KEY TAKEAWAYS [02:49] Adam imagined his career differently to how it turned out. [03:36] People have helped Adam identify his skills and what they are best suited for. [04:34] Adam recognizes the importance of communications. [05:59] The challenge of engaging teens in the video game sector. [06:52] The wonderful challenges of wide-ranging tasks involved during the company's growth stage. [09:07] Adam's next employer couldn't be more different! [09:45] Updating how Cambridge University Press communicated with their audiences. [10:16] Adapting to different pace and process challenges at his new job, Adam also launches a podcast. [11:20] The role of empathy in interviews—stopping broadcasting and starting to listen. [12:03] Being naturally inquisitive, the next move was to an agency to explore diagnosis and problem-solving. [14:16] The Future of Work manifests differently for SMEs versus for large enterprises. [15:10] The Future of Work is being driven by workers—not management—being empowered. [16:03] Companies' transformation involves exploring different ideas and ways of working, getting beyond blinkered views of their situations. [17:30] How the Future of Work is entirely changing the way we work. [20:35] Clients want to solve a particular problem and don't initially recognize how the issue fits within their wider organizational structure. [19:08] The ongoing journeys of change—some are iterative, some are fundamental. [21:39] Helping future leaders identify where there are issues as iterations are ongoing. [22:30] In the current environment, where everyone is strained and stretched, how to identify the opportunities. [25:17] Customers now have choices and voices which mean companies need proactively to manage how they are viewed so issues don't snowball. [27:20] Adam gets excited about inward communications and the Employee Value Proposition, which is hard for some organizations to adapt to. [30:30] The next generation of workers give Adam hope with their openness and different expectations of the workplace. [31:52] As a child, Adam communicated visuals for his parents and appreciated the experiences of others and the relevance of tailoring messaging. [33:40] The importance of trust and sensitivity to bring people along, combined with transparency and openness. [34:20] Different types of leaders are rising now with diverse backgrounds and experiences. [36:08] The future for leaders who can channel Gen Zs' insights and appetite for change. [39:12] The importance of investing in failure, experimenting for the future. [40:52] Encouraging companies to focus 70% of their energies on today. [43:40] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Don't be alone as a leader. Ensure you have a friend or a group of friends with whom you can be vulnerable and who will be honest and critique what you do. Invest in relationships that ensure the decisions you make are the right ones for everybody. RESOURCES Adam Tuckwell on LinkedIn Adam Tuckwell on Twitter@adamtuckwell adam.tuckwell@mobas.com Mobas website QUOTES "People have helped me along the way to identify what I'm good at and how my skills might best be used." "The future of work is already here, it's just that some companies haven't opened their eyes to it yet." "So what I really like about transformation within the organizations we work with is that there's a real appetite to try different ideas and concepts and ways of working that they wouldn't have done before." "I think so many organizations are purely built to be reactive and they have too many layers that stop issues from being dealt with when they're small and instead they snowball into big issues." "We need to have an understanding of where our people are, what they're experiencing, whether they're up or they're down, whether they've got issues outside of work." "Gen Z is seen as being a bit more entitled or set in their ways which are very negative traits. But then on the positive side, they're really passionate about the environment, they want to save the world — they really don't like what we've done to it."

Dr. Grin Lord is the founder and CEO of mpathic.ai, an AI-powered service bringing empathy to enterprises. Trained as a clinical psychologist, Grin describes critical discoveries while a research scientist and gaining expertise in conversational design. She shares insights about how AI and machine learning can augment human connection, improve therapy bots, and train leaders, managers, and employees to be more empathic. KEY TAKEAWAYS [03:12] Dr. Grin Lord's scientific background and early focus on empathy. [04:15] The extraordinary benefits of listening and withholding judgments. [07:28] The national rollout and financial impact of empathetic listening. [08:12] Grin finds the 3-day training workshops are not successful for forming habits. [09:43] Grin transitions to coaching modality to change behaviors. [11:21] Specific intense training rules for providers optimize empathy, engagement, and trust. [12:53] Unnatural learned techniques have undeniable power! [13:41] Self-awareness is needed to adhere to the rules and be most effective. [14:30] With phone-based coaching, Grin starts using machines to support the process of learning empathy. [15:17] Research and ratings evaluate provider effectiveness and how computers were trained to do it. [16:40] Grin explains synchronizing—people naturally adjusting their language style to others'. [17:39] How synchronizing is a form of empathy. [18:44] Grin is curious about other ways we can measure empathy. [19:49] Dr. Lord's realization: we need to get outside of the clinical space. [20:00] Grin wants to use her learnings outside clinical and academic fields and moves into the startup space. [21:48] When the pandemic starts, Grin is working on a therapy chatbot that uses artificial intelligence. [22:56] People start preferring to talk to the chat bot as it "gets" them. [23:56] During the crisis, Grin starts her own company while looking after her kids and both parents at home. [25:36] Starting with a game Empathy Rocks, Grin teaches coaches and therapists how to listen with empathy. [27:03] The next step was applying empathy in different business and work situations. [27:24] The powerful effect of empathy—or lack of empathy—when handling insurance claims. [30:00] How empathic suggestions help managers give feedback. [31:56] The next feature will direct users responses over time to relevant skills training. [33:54] The goal is to give objective, timely feedback at scale, not to replace human interaction. [35:48] Grin explains how mpathic is currently being integrated in HR platforms to improve communications. [38:05] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: If you want to be more empathetic, start with seeing if you can repeat back what you heard when you're listening, before you ask a question or provide advice. [39:02] Grin recommends starting to apply a couple of simple skills in your daily life. RESOURCES Dr. Grin Lord on LinkedIn Dr. Grin Lord's blog Dr. Grin Lord on Twitter @drgrinlord mpathic.ai mpathic.ai on LinkedIn QUOTES "We found that the folks that got the empathy intervention had major drops in their drinking and those effects held for three years and led to a 46% reduction in readmissions." "Some of the key ingredients of listening interventions have to with approaching people with non-judgment, curiosity, and accurate listening." "Even if the person knows that you're using those techniques — it's undeniably powerful — they still work!" "We even had users report that they would rather talk to the bot than a human because of how consistently non-judgmental it was." "A large percentage of customers will leave after a bad interaction." "The core starting place for improving your empathy over time is seeing if you can get accurate understanding before you jump in providing advice or assuming."

KEY TAKEAWAYS [02:50] Colin started his career in accounting and then retail banking. [03:50] Colin discovers he enjoys seeing people win and developing their careers. [04:35] When banks were fighting for survival, the focus was internal not on customers. [05:54] Colin wanted to understand the business end to end and the role he and others played. [06:54] Transitioning from a large to a small organization was a shock for Colin—a risk for both sides. [07:34] The culture at Saffron was warm from Day One. [08:41] Colin rose rapidly to CEO, despite having no plan to achieve the role at this time. [09:52] Colin leads transformation of the organization's culture and ethos from having top down centralized control. [11:02] The "how" of work changes, especially opening up communications. [12:13] To affect a culture change, being candid is key, bringing people into the process and encouraging them to ask questions. [13:34] Cultural transformation starts with trust and being relentlessly honest and open. [15:30] Emphasizing career development meant showing people growing and winning. [17:18] Culture needs to be aligned internally and externally, including customers too. [18:02] To develop the business, people's roles needed to change. [19:05] Achieving the improvements employees had committed to build trust and gained commitment for the next, growth phase. [20:32] When the pandemic struck, Saffron was able to adjust rapidly as employees were used to change and communicating effectively. [21:54] The pre-crisis transformation laid a strong foundation for two of the company's strongest trading years—during and since the pandemic. [23:33] Saffron was able to respond flexibly to customers' different situations. [24:37] The human-centered approach recognizes and responds to changing customer needs. [26:42] Coming out the pandemic, Colin senses a seismic shift in how the employee value proposition [EVP] needs to considered. [27:22] Colin is certainly not asking employees to return to the office five days a week [28:23] Saffron takes a 'principles approach'—the most important principle is that a society comes first, the service of customers comes first. [29:00] Colin observes that people know how to work best, they don't need the rules and expectations that other companies are talking about. [30:11] During times of heightened ambiguity, ongoing conversations and iterations are important. [31:08] A 'management manager' people training program facilitating new ways of working. [32:12] Colin believes you need to understand where the people you work with are coming from. [32:43] Saffron's top executive team, who are spread out across the UK, are intentional when interacting online and in person. [34:29] How to encourage transparent dialogue and assimilate new habits. [37:46] People are adjusting how they're living their lives no longer bound by geography—it's a work in progress. [38:57] Customers' and employees' expectations are needing to adapt. [40:56] Colin has an open and less conventional approach for attracting good talent. [42:35] Colin helps employees grow in their roles and even out of the organization. [44:17] Colin shares the story of a bus driver looking for a career change at Saffron. [45:15] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To make whatever transformation your organization needs, start with the culture…then leadership, people, and processes….and stay the course — it will take at least twice as long as you think it will. RESOURCES Colin Field on LinkedIn Colin on Twitter @ColinHField Saffron Building Society on LinkedIn Saffron on Twitter @SaffronBS Saffron on Facebook @SaffronBS For weekly video updates from Sophie and her Work In Progress newsletter and follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter @ASophieWade. Sign up for the Work In Progress Report and Sophie's blog on Sophiewade.com and flexcelnetwork.com QUOTES "I found the thing that made my heart sing! And the thing that made me smile was seeing people win, seeing people around you win, colleagues developing their careers and actually seeing and getting proud about something you were doing as a business." "Trust is the hardest thing to build in terms of culture." "Overnight we went from a business that was head office in two central buildings and eight branches, to all of a sudden we're in no buildings, and we're in studies, spare bedrooms, dining room tables." "Why would we want to start saying to people "you need to come back into the office again." It's crazy! We've just proved over two years that we don't need to do that. That makes no sense." "I fell the secret is to swim with the tide here as a business, you go with it as much as you possibly can do and that's the way to unlock the benefits." "Our customers set, a lot of them are 50+, and a number of them are 80 plus. And people would say to me "Colin, digital channels: you're wasting your time in that group. People will not want to use digital channels." And now that's been completely debunked."

Lou Diamond, growth consultant and CEO of Thrive, is the host of popular podcast Thrive Loud, a keynote speaker and author. Lou's new book "Speak Easy" is a playbook to help people connect and communicate, especially addressing the most difficult and awkward conversations. Lou shares insights gathered working in retail, consulting, banking, and as an entrepreneur, learning how "soft" skills are the "super" skills of communicating effectively and improving outcomes. KEY TAKEAWAYS [02:44] Lou comes in feeling more than spectacular, sharing how beekeeping and jewelry selling were a part of his academic path to studying economics at Cornell! [03:35] Economics was originally taught in the Agricultural School at Cornell, so Lou also learned bee-keeping. [04:17] Lou learned much from his entrepreneurial father working in the family's stores from age 13. [05:13] How does communicating in a very small space differ from communicating in larger spaces? [06:15] How to transcend the transaction in a competitive environment. [07:28] Lou minors in communications in business—a key aspect of who he is. [08:15] Consulting is the first stop to explore different industries and roles. [10:32] Lou gets the opportunity to transition to communications and marketing in financial services. [13:44] In the 2008 market crash, the spotlight was on Lou covering government sponsored agencies. [16:00] Despite being very busy, Lou wanted to share his experiences and insights more broadly. [17:40] After a side hustle for a tech consultancy in Vegas, the entrepreneur's urging resulted in Lou writing "Master the Art of Connecting". [20:15] It's not about what you need to say, how you need to be. There are five ways starting with "Be curious". [22:50] Lou became a certified coach knowing coaching skills would help him become a better communicator and leader. [24:27] The importance of sharpening question-asking muscles. [26:22] Be fearless. Move through courage, owning and committing to what you say. [28:27] We all have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. [30:50] How can we understand each other when our contexts are so different? [32:00] To make a connection with someone, you have to let go a little bit which is the hardest thing for people to do. [32:43] The three steps of moving through fear into courage. [33:52] Being more fearless, we are more likeable, more connectable. [35:06] Lou does a V.O.I.C.E. check-in to prepare before communicating: Visualize; Opportunity; Identity; Charisma and Energy level. [37:20] "Soft" skills are actually "super" skills to Lou. [39:08] The pandemic highlighted the importance of connections and conversations. [39:59] The benefit of conversations at work to uncover and deal with problems—such as "why are people leaving?". [41:07] Lou shares a creative/risky exercise an executive tested to bring more empathy into work. [43:02] "Speak Easy" us a guidebook and gift which explains how to prepare for different conversations using communication "cocktails"! [46:26] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Lift the energy and be super--unleash your superpower. If you don't know yet what your superpower is, ask yourself and others to help you figure it out and then incorporate that when describing who you are when you meet people. RESOURCES Lou Diamond on LinkedIn Thrive LouD Lou's new book Speak Easy: Connect With Every Conversation Lou on Twitter Master the Art of Connecting, by Lou Diamond Lou on Instagram Lou on Facebook QUOTES "It's not what you need to say, it's how you need to be." "If you're not telling and talking and you're focused on asking and listening, by definition you're curious." "By embracing curiosity, we are putting ourselves in a position to be open to the idea that we can grow, connect, and establish that relationship." "You have to move through your fears into courage in every conversation." "We're afraid to engage and connect, we're not embracing being fearless and being vulnerable in the way that we can actually be as a human being. We need to do that." "Be brief, be bright, be gone!"

Haddy Davies is the Global Procurement Leader and Black Employee Network Chair at Johnson Matthey, a British specialties chemicals and sustainable technologies company. Haddy shares how lockdown in March 2020 forced her to do her job very differently. She recognizes the business's heavy reliance on machines as well as the critical importance of understanding and engaging employees. Post-pandemic, her company is rethinking and testing new options—approaches, processes, and work arrangements—while Haddy uses First Principles to evaluate responsible sourcing. KEY TAKEAWAYS [03:00] Haddy shares why she choose a career in engineering. [05:11] Transitioning to the UK from The Gambia was not so easy. [06:54] Haddy does a gap year at Bible college to understand more about religion for many family-related reasons. [09:40] The link between science and theology for Haddy is the appetite for knowledge. [11:48] Haddy and her husband have multi-faceted connections. [12:04] Choosing between studying engineering or continuing to study theology. [13:03] An industrial placement year, starts Haddy's career at DuPont in sustainable packaging which led to fuel cells using clean fuel. {14:14] Haddy enjoys working on her company's efforts to decarbonize the world and get to net zero. [16:02] The power of problem solving during emergencies. [17:46] Typical mitigating response from engineers did not anticipate pandemic. [18:26] Crisis conditions shift investment to achieve more flexibility as resources are freed up to find viable solutions. [19:36] Cybersecurity issues with remote working require some extra caution with linking up the plant. [21:07] Innovation to augment machines to reduce onsite human accidents and errors. [22:18] Haddy's company is rethinking the design for the workplace to be "fit for purpose". [22:54] Flexibility allows tailoring to employee preferences and project needs. [24:20] Streamlining operations is a continuing challenge, and we need to let go and let the machines do their work! [25:31] Empathetic management is needed so workers don't feel disenfranchised or unfairly treated. [26:54] Haddy is upskilling to explore new roles and is currently working on responsible sourcing. [28:10] Using a First Principles approach is helpful to reimagine and assess new possibilities. [30:00] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: You need a courageous people plan—one that is for the people with inputs from the people—which incorporates a flexible in the approach. [31:28] The importance of understanding and engaging workers—transparency ensuring no disparities and career rich opportunities to support retention. [33:42] Haddy's family is doing well! [34:27] How the pandemic enabled Haddy and her husband to reimagine their family life. RESOURCES Haddy Davies on LinkedIn Matthey.com QUOTES "Most of the great theologians were great thinkers; they were exploring the disjointedness of life, they always grappled with living in the now while understanding what had come before, and science is the same." "Things may seem impossible: 'You can't possibly work from home if you're an on-site person!' We have not been forced to define the problems and bring solutions to the fore as a collective." "We are rethinking the design of the workplace to make sure that it is fit for purpose." "We need to train the machines to be on their own!" "If anybody says to me 'this is how we've been doing it!' I will walk!" "You have a workforce that is showing up for you. This means that they have considered all of the other options they could have gone to and they are staying. Never take that for granted." "Let the people plan the people plan!"

Trond Undheim, futurist, speaker, entrepreneur, venture partner, and the author of a new book, Augmented Lean in this second episode gets to the practical details of how flexibility can be achieved in manufacturing plants after a 50 year innovation hiatus. Trond draws on his industrial tech background, understanding of manufacturers' realities, and recognition of frontline workers' expertise to develop flexible, augmented environments. He recommends balancing inputs from both employees on the shop floor and management to "hack and govern" new solutions. Trond acknowledges these are long term paradigm shifts. KEY TAKEAWAYS [02:57] Trond explains the deskless reality for factory workers results from forgetting to innovate for 50 years. [05:00] Adding multiple screens gives employees the data they need and freedom to walk around. [05:36] How no code technology now allows data to be widely available and accessible. [06:26] Up to date information augments workers' intelligence and real-time operational decisions. [07:03] The first killer application is digital work instructions. [07:52] Tech advances enable empathetic learning as feedback is immediate and uncontentious. [09:44] Augmented lean approaches technology integration in a smarter way—top down and bottom up. [10:54] Governance is an essential aspect of modern organizations. [11:42] The problems arising with top down only technology integration. [12:57] The benefit of bottom up analysis of bottlenecks and operating needs. [13:51] The advantage of workers' general understanding of operations and cross-training. [14:38] In manufacturing, employees have to be learning on the job, on site. [15:27] How can we expect an innovative workplace if the tools do not augment workers? [16:32] Greenfields permit shortcuts so workers can add digital apps to legacy systems. [17:44] What to do with legacy machines. [18:39] Taking a First Principles approach to production based on value creation. [19:10] Augmented lean is about context and flexibility. [20:32] "Hack and Govern" – hacking is bottom up and governing is top down. [23:58] Apps-based productivity in this digital revolution needs a certain amount of flexibility. [24:56] Empowering and inspiring frontline workers to show their experience and improve ROI. [26:15] How to get new workers interested in manufacturing jobs in the US. [28:08] What is factory work like now? What do factories look and sound like? [32:43] What does Trond think about Musk's edict "return or resign"? [34:25] Backlash or not, managers have a losing proposition trying to get everyone back to the office. [35:44] This decade, Trond does not see factory work being done 100% on site. [37:12] With significant advanced technologies, the shop floor has more pull than office environments. [38:52] New fluid interfaces that interact with workers—the factory floor wasn't ready at first. [42:01] With cyber-physical systems, 'prototype to product' is not easy and can take time. [43:42] The vision of "lean" in Trond's new book. [44:54] Did we take a wrong fork in the road away from cyber-physical systems in the 1970s? [46:22] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Rinse and repeat! Use quick iterations to experiment your way through to positive change. Hack and Govern: the juxtaposition of bottom-up and top down approaches for a more balanced outcome. RESOURCES Trond Undheim on LinkedIn Trond on Twitter Futurized & Augmented podcasts Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Front-Line Operations, by Trond Arne Undheim Tulip.co QUOTES "If the tools that we are providing to the workforce don't augment them, don't make them feel meaningful, don't give them dignity, and don't give them knowledge, how can we expect to have an innovative workplace?" "You have to govern technology … but on the other hand, the internet revolution is all about hacking, it is about bottom-up initiative, about enabling your smartest nerds — who nowadays can be someone who didn't study computer science." "There are so many exciting factories right now … they have robots, they have digital interfaces, factories don't look like you might imagine they do!" "Tesla is today's Ford — it is not a virtual organization of software programmers — Tesla produces something physical, they have factory floors, in fact, they have some of the world's biggest factories that they just opened in Texas." "Software is easy, cyber-physical systems are hard." "Think in sprints, allow hacks, don't forget to govern." "There is no management of workers that doesn't include letting them experiment and try out new things, and there is no responsible management approach that lets everyone do their own thing."

Trond Undheim, futurist, speaker, entrepreneur, venture partner, and author of a new book "Augmented Lean". Trond draws on his technology-focused background across public, academic, and private sectors to discuss the need and solutions for workplace flexibility for frontline manufacturing workers. Acknowledging the paradigm shift to employ a human-centric approach, integrating employees' inputs, Trond highlights sophisticated new software which improve frontline experiences and overall results. These solutions optimize processes and augment workers rather than emphasize machine automation. KEY TAKEAWAYS [03:19] Trond's path starts in a random manner when he notices a poster! [04:55] How Trond canceled Christmas to write his Ph.D. proposal in two weeks. [06:02] Norway's phone company is exploring the nomadic workplace in 1998. [07:44] Trond does fieldwork in Silicon Valley that is selling "placelessness". [09:18] Trond becomes sought after for technology policy decision-making, government thinktanks, energy policy, and eventually economics at the E.U.. [12:19] Standardization: Trond explains how fascinating and essential it is—eg the Apple charger. [14:54] How interoperability and openness have been important new developments. [16:19] Trond equates learning standards and standardization like foreign languages. [19:22] Trond's work at MIT on no-code language and the impact it can have on the workplace. [20:42] Advanced efforts to transform the factory floor with productivity tools for frontline workers. [22:08] The tech user interface is finally simple enough to get out of the way. [22:49] Was the emphasis on automation was the wrong path to take—being technology deterministic? [23:00] When it comes to manufacturing, why has the focus historically been on automation and efficiency? [24:49] The question is NOT "Are the robots going to take over?" That has been a distraction. [26:10] How can we think about the "how" of work differently to get on the right track? Trond offers a fundamental to ask question first. [27:20] The role of business schools in producing leaders who think they know best! [28:20] Changing the paradigm from a quest for lifelong specialization in one domain to multiple specializations over time with general systems knowledge. [31:40] How a human-centric manufacturing approach gathers and benefits from front-line workers' and middle managers' years of expertise. [34:17] Why "cobots" are an important reframing of machines as "robots" are defined as "dangerous". [36:52] Bridging the digital/physical divide through augmentation to transform frontline workers toward knowledge work—Trond explains why this is a good thing. [40:45] How greater advances now can be made augmenting how frontline workers work rather than automating machines. [42:30] The potential for renewed glory in manufacturing by augmenting the entire workforce. Tune in for Part 2 – the practical "how" to make it happen. RESOURCES Trond Undheim on LinkedIn Trond on Twitter Futurized & Augmented podcasts Augmented Lean book by Trond Arne Undheim Tulip.co QUOTES "It sounds extremely dry, but standardization is super interesting. It's the driver of the economy: it builds markets." "Markets are built: they are very purposely constructed architectures of rules, regulations, and standards." "Multiple specialities consecutively throughout your career has to be the target." "In a true human centric vision of manufacturing, the humans are always at the center---the whole idea is manufacturing has always been about innovation." "The overall perspective that 'management knows best' is detrimental to a true understanding of human work." "To make progress, the smart thing is to augment your workforce more than you automate your machines."

Jen Fox, Director of People Experience and Culture at Justworks, discovered her passion for training and developing people early on. She shares learnings from her experiences at Nordstrom and Starbucks as well as working independently as a coach. Jen continues her journey at Justworks supporting new individualized career pathways, navigating new work arrangements, and empowering employees to help figure it out. KEY TAKEAWAYS [03:04] Jen starts out as an entrepreneur. [04:12] The business reaches an inflection point and they have to make a decision. [04:40] Jen joins Nordstrom and gets moved in Learning & Development. [07:35] At Starbucks for five years, Jen benefits from many different experiences. [08:57] Leadership's commitment to the employee makes a difference—including transparency and openness. [10:20] Jen hones her HR skills at Getty Images. [11:30] Early understanding and observations about company culture. [13:01] An impactful learning moment when having to lay people off after an acquisition. [14:22] Jen's lasting takeaway is the human-centric core. [10:35] Despite not wanting to go, Jen moved to New York City to pursue her career. [15:20] After having three kids, Jen transitions organically to freelancing, consulting, and coaching. [17:42] Jen deliberately doubles down on her strengths. [18:20] Why Jen wanted to go in-house at Justworks. [20:20] The important focus on supporting small business. [22:05] Jen delights about employees craving development resources. [23:36] Driving the Wellness Program, Jen plans out through 2025. [25:10] Being proactive, not just reactionary. [25:58] Becoming more data driven and integrating DEIB. [27:38] How Justworks pivoted in March 2020 as they were providing important support for their client companies. [28:49] The core value is camaraderie. [29:15] The tension about how best to build interpersonal relationships with new work arrangements. [31:36] Being intentional about learning how to optimize remote working. [32:31] Empowering teams to figure it out, working their way along their own journeys. [34:59] How Jen tactically acts and reacts to support employees' well-being. [36:32] The four pillars of Justworks' Well-being Program. [37:03] Creating meeting boundaries. [37:24] Financial well-being is a key focus. [38:18] Now Jen purposefully shows her commute on her calendar. [39:13] The importance of managers in creating a positive and productive team environment. [40:17] Partnerships for resources help develop managers. [41:18] New interest in role playing and learn new skills. [42:51] New efforts to understand individual talent and create personalized career paths. [43:48] Jen needs a pause button and intentionally to block time for herself. [45:54] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Remember your why. In the hardest times, it's a pause to remember why you are doing this work. It's different for everybody. Get in touch with your why. RESOURCES Jen Fox on LinkedIn Justworks.com Justworks on Twitter JustWorks on Instagram QUOTES "It's a privilege being at a company where our employees are at the center of it all." "If you take care of the people and yes, there's a lot of process and logistics and paperwork. But if at the end of the day, these are just people. How can we help and support them?" "What I realized more so for myself was that doubling down on my strengths gave me more fuel, more energy. The more I did it, the more confident I became. And then the more people wanted to hire me." "We were able to pivot and get our stuff together essentially so quickly because we had to. Because we, our customers, all those little companies were now looking to us to help them keep the lights on."

Paul McKinlay, VP of Communications and Remote Working at Cimpress and Vista (prev. VistaPrint) had a series of transformative experiences working in management, L&D, and Communications, working for ASDA and Walmart in the UK and US which set him up to take the lead role in implementing the strategic "Remote First" initiative at Cimpress and Vista. Paul shares his insights about the importance of transparency and alignment with employees, as well as a mindset of ongoing feedback and co-creation. KEY TAKEAWAYS [03;15] At the start of his career, Paul ran large supermarkets in the UK. [03:34] Managing teams of up to 1000 people, Paul learned fast and transitioned to L&D. [04:27] The experience of a major transformation at ASDA. [06:19] Paul has to adapt to a very different culture when Walmart acquired ASDA. [07:11] Paul's unusual experience the first time he visited Walmart's headquarters. [08:50] Walmart takes a different approach to Learning and Development. [10:10] Paul is persuaded—unwillingly—to change role and discipline. [10:40] Paul's epiphany about his new position in communications. [13:42] There was very little remote working prior to 2020. [15:36] When the pandemic hit, the business was hit hard, but they noticed employees were executing well. [18:14] Many people wanted to work remotely long-term. [19:05] Paul asks to lead the remote work strategic initiative. [20:02] CEO Robert Cain gives Paul a new lens for understanding his role and goals. [20:48] "Remote First" is not "Remote Only" and what that means. [21:16] Operating principles and "Remote First" practices using new Collaboration Centers. [23:06] Paul stresses the importance of having a team dedicated to optimizing remote working. [23:39] How on-boarding happens at Cimpress and Vista now. [24:52] Paul's intention is for working at Vista be a master class in remote working. [25:38] Great success attracting talent by focusing on employees' workplace taxability and work/life harmony. [27:32] Looking at ways to improve fixed-site workers' experiences. [30:19] The importance of involving everyone when developing new solutions. [32:02] How to deconstruct resistance to remote working—trust is at the core. [33:07] Paul's expectations that shareholders will also push for remote working. [33:31] "Shybrid" – the undermining subterfuge. "Mybrid" - I choose to come to work wherever I want to work from. [34:36] Paul describes the major initiative building remote working expertise and extensive resources. [36:13] IMMEDIATE action tip: To be an effective remote leader, collaborate with your team by getting extensive feedback and input on a regular basis—making the team experience about co-creation and trusting team members to get on with their jobs. Ask team members for suggestions about how to establish norms that will make working remotely much more effective—such as having fewer meetings! RESOURCES Paul McKinlay on LinkedIn Cimpress.com Vista.com Vista.io Cimpress on Instagram Vista on Instagram QUOTES "Comms [Communications] at a strategic level is about aligning people against the mission, helping them to execute against that, understanding the context of the decisions they make day today." "The role of Communications is to be the radar and compass of the organization and the drive." "The headwind that we were facing really energized the team and really brought the team together." "Giving people a real focus on flexibility and work/life how many is cited with our job applicants as a number one reason why they apply to us. It is because they are interested in the remote working, flexibility, work/life harmony. " "We call what we do "mybrid" which is I choose when I come to work from wherever I want to."

Robert Keane, Founder and CEO of Cimpress and Vista (formerly VistaPrint) built a multibillion-dollar business from scratch starting more than 20 years ago. He transformed the original analog operations through digitalization in order to scale rapidly. Robert explains how this strategic move also set them up to go "remote first" in August 2020—listening to employees' preferences—with the intent of building and maintaining competitive advantage for the business. KEY TAKEAWAYS [02:22] Robert identified the need and developed the business plan for Cimpress at INSEAD business school. [03:38] Cutting edge (at the time) technology was essential to provide the services. [04:45] The core customer proposition and need have not changed over 27 years. [06:30] Pushing the early envelope for browser-based software. [07:49] After raising venture capital money in '99, the company turned profitable by 2003 and reached US$1 billion in revenues by 2011. [10:30] End-to-end integrated digitalization allowed them to achieve significant growth. [11:55] Robert's purposeful approach for capturing competitive advantage through automation. [13:53] To build the business, new recruits were selected who were intent to transform industries. [14:45] Post the 2000 crash, the emphasis is "digital first". [15:20] Robert recognizes the digitization emphasis needs to be rebalanced with more customer focus. [16:31] How Cimpress operated as a global distributed business pre-pandemic. [18:57] Robert's direct reports in China and Italy rang alarm leading to early contingency planning. [20:00] The decision to go "remote first". [20:56] Management could compete for talent, and give certainty and guidance to employees. [23:24] Employees were asked regularly about their interest in remote work which started shifting. [23:53] Management respectfully addresses the minority of people who didn't want to go fully remote [25:36] People accept the fact that remote is not perfect. [26:22] How has Robert's changed his leadership style going fully remote? [27:26] The importance of systemizing communication to inform, align, and connect people. [29:35] Investment in asynchronous documentation is essential for "remote first" companies. [31:09] Hiring people to lead Cimpress businesses who have entrepreneurial/founder mindsets. [32:26] Robert is open to making mistakes and not believing there's only one way forward. [35:10] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To integrate remote working effectively, run a thought experiment. If you started a company today, how would you architect it and incorporate remote working? Whatever percentage of time employees would be onsite and remote at this company, they would need clarity and certainty. Putting theory into practice for your current organization cannot happen overnight, but listen to team members to make choices about the direction you need to go. RESOURCES Robert Keane on LinkedIn Cimpress.com Vista.com Vista.io QUOTES "Our engagement scores, which we've tracked for years, are at all time high because people can combine their life and their work in ways that fits their personal needs." "People embrace the fact that remote is not perfect." "It's important to constantly reiterate the importance of that nimbleness, that ability to take action and the willingness to fail, to fall down and get bruised and pick yourself up and pivot and move." "We started believing that the way we were doing things was the only way to do things. They just happened to be the right way to do things at a certain moment in time."