Transforming Work with Sophie Wade

Minter Dial, a management consultant on leadership and transformation and author of several books, speaks about his latest book, You Lead: How Being Yourself Makes You a Better Leader. Minter discusses what he learned when he ran a division at L’Oréal and what he needed to understand about himself—with the help of the Grateful Dead—along the way. He also shares why having a business purpose is a game-changer to help a company or brand differentiate itself from the competition.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:56] Minter’s career begins in banking then a start-up travel agency for musicians.   [5:05] He moves back Philadelphia and tries all kinds of jobs.   [06:28] The Grateful Dead is core to Minter’s existence.   [06:51] After business school, Minter applies to two companies: LVMH and L’Oreal.   [08:10] Minter climbs the corporate ladder as a cross-cultural leader.    [09:48] How power and proximity affect corporate culture   [11:16] Minter is focused on creating a differentiated culture for the Redken brand.   [12:24] How they decided what type of culture they wanted.   [13:32] They figured out how to develop purpose to drive the culture.   [14:54] The challenge of translating the external purpose message for the division internally.   [16:39] The financial results of a purpose-driven business.   [18:06] The folk tale that gave the Grateful Dead their name.   [19:40] The two important morals of the story that tying into self-awareness.    [21:12] How leadership is about letting go of your ego.   [22:55] We are never going to know fully who we are and we continue to evolve.   [23:52] The importance of understanding your emotions, including your triggers and how to be present.   [26:30] “You Lead” was supposed to be Minter’s first book and how he recognizes his need to be more self-aware.   [29:20] Minter wanted to help people who weren’t empathetic to delegate their empathy.   [31:22] The importance of self-awareness in leadership.   [34:02] Minter’s book “Futureproof” is focused on mindset.   [34:30] Trust is the critical component of leadership and requires authenticity.   [35:50] The notion of gaining trust as a leader needs to be intentional.   [38:00] The purpose of Minter’s next book is helping people heal and harder conversations need to be tackled in order to do that.   [40:11] How do we start to change our leadership style?   [41:10] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: When listening to other people, reformulate what they have said rather than bouncing off it.     RESOURCES   Minterdial.com Minter Dial on LinkedIn Minter Dial on Twitter Minter’s book You Lead Minter’s podcast Minter Dialogue Minter’s four books on Amazon Minter’s DIALOGOS on Substack     QUOTES   “I really felt it was important that if you run a brand, it must be different from the inside out from the other brands.”   “It has everything to do with having a de facto realistic purpose that is not all about 100% everything perfect. It's just making things manifest, making them real, and everybody talking some kind of real language.”   “In today’s world, especially now we’re working in the distributed world, if you don’t have trust, you have nothing.”   “You can’t limit your purpose to something that your team internally doesn’t experience, because if all you’re doing is making your customers happy…what about me?”   “The thing about the Grateful Dead is there’s a philosophy which is essentially once you understand that you are mortal, that you will die, then you become more grateful in the present.”   “When you think of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, he was the leader, but he was not one of those fear and control leaders. He was a participant. You were contributing with him in his leadership.”

Reid Hiatt, the Co-Founder and CEO at Tactic, launched this new venture during the pandemic to enable companies to bring employees back into the office safely and to provide long-term solutions for those moving to hybrid models. Reid shares insights about the dynamics of hybrid work arrangements and how he sees companies—including his own—using effective communication and new tools to implement them successfully. He discusses specific solutions to reduce meeting overload as well as the importance of proactive planning and participation to enable every employee to do their best work.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:10] Reid never imagined being where his position is now.   [03:40] Reid finds meaning in his early career.   [04:15] How COVID shaped Reid’s life and family.   [07:00] Reid’s friend Chris calls with an interesting idea for them to explore together.   [09:38] Reid and Chris try to evaluate and scope the future of hybrid working during 2020.   [10:44] What was middle management’s reaction to hybrid work models?   [12:50] Reid learns the challenges for new recruits in distributed teams in his consulting job.   [14:58] At the end of 2020, Reid and Chris bring in a tech co-founder, and notice patterns.   [15:40] Believing the priority pain point for distributed teams is collaboration, the team is ready to start.   [17:45] How to address each person’s working preferences while enabling relationships to develop.   [19:50] The key to making hybrid work is communication.   [20:38] The importance of eliminating proximity bias.   [20:58] The approach tools for creating a good communication culture.   [23:39] We have too many meetings. How to make them effective—includind recording and documenting them.   [24:39] Reid shares an example of how to have an effective meeting using transparency and documentation.   [25:21] Being purposeful about transparency and inclusion.   [26:58] Reid was surprised by the number of hybrid models.   [29:25] The initial product launched based on their research.   [30:00] The focus on the employee experience especially collaboration.   [31:12] Hybrid preferably provides a solution to suit each individual worker.   [33:30] You need to be intentional about onboarding and employee development.   [35:12] How to choose the right model for your company.   [35:38] Effective implementation first requires a plan.   [36:49] The human-centric focus is key to success for any hybrid work arrangement.   [37:15] Internal messaging about a hybrid model is key so employees understand their wellbeing is at the core.   [38:48] What are the next steps after launching a hybrid model?   [39:29] What to do if your hybrid work model is working as well as you had hoped.   [41:40] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: First define what effective looks like and how you will measure the success of your hybrid model. Second, gather feedback from your employees to find out what their experience of hybrid has been so far.   RESOURCES   Reid Hiatt on LinkedIn Reid Hiatt on Twitter Gettactic.com Tactic on LinkedIn   QUOTES   “Honestly, across the board, what we found was that the vast majority of people, both younger and older, really resonated with this hybrid model. The younger people actually more so than the older but there wasn't a ton of resistance.”   “I believe that one reason why work can be so great is because you develop relationships with people that you wouldn't have otherwise.”   “Remote and in-person, like just one or the other, is the easiest to implement. I believe hybrid, when done correctly, is the most effective.”   “If I don't have anything to share, if there's nothing for me to share, and there's nothing that I need to specifically know or do in this meeting, then I have to ask myself, is this the most effective use of my time?”

Claire Harbour spent years in general management, strategy consulting, and executive search before deciding to focus on people, talent and bringing out the best in individuals and organizations. She is now a leadership coach and co-author of Disrupt Your Career: How to Navigate Uncharted Career Transitions and Thrive and online courses on career agility. Claire shares insights about the Great Resignation—how employees can be reflecting and developing career agility and how employers can foster constructive career conversations.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:10] Claire started out on a very different career path.   [04:00] How Claire changed to internationally-focused business and management.   [04:43] Interest in talent opportunities first manifested for Claire.   [06:26] Claire starts to focus on talent while balancing evolving professional and personal circumstances.   [07:25] The role Claire plays as a coach at decisive moments in her clients’ professional lives.   [09:33] The ‘push’ reasons for resigning from your job have not changed much.   [10:43] However, we have had more mind space to take action during the pandemic.   [11:35] New perspectives about possibilities especially with many employees moving jobs.   [13:35] For employees thinking through their options, there is much information available to review.   [15:06] The Japanese concept of ikigai is one useful tool to start the reflection process.   [17:08] What career agility means and the six “Cs”.   [19:00] How working on career agility helps you consider options and make changes.   [20:41] The importance of talking with, not about, talent.   [21:45] How managers must be involved in empathic career conversations, not just HR.   [24:16] Ways to create safe space to talk openly about career development.   [23:45] What do managers need to be thinking about when it comes to upskilling talent?   [25:53] The value of academy companies nurturing employees’ capabilities.   [25:50] Organizations are updating their offerings for employees—internal mobility and more.   [29:00] The benefit of personal openness and awareness to foster creative conversations.   [31:06] How to use exit interviews to generate constructive dialog and ongoing relationships.   [32:17] – The questions you can ask to help someone reconsider leaving.   [34:18] Why shopping lists in recruitment are no longer helpful or relevant.   [35:04] The importance of creative thinking in recruitment.   [37:06] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Focus on what you want to move towards rather than away from. Make yourself a Dream Board of the things that you might want in your career. Practice visioning, imagining the job and environment where you want to be.       RESOURCES   Claire Harbour on LinkedIn Claire's website Disrupt Your Career by Claire Harbour Careeracrobats.com     QUOTES   “There are an awful lot of jobs flowing around in, in a buoyant job market. I think one thing that maybe we forget too easily is that when one person resigns, typically that person has to be replaced. To an extent, we’re in a merry-go-round.”   “We've got this simple model, which refers to the six Cs which are: commitment, control, curiosity, change agility, connections, and confidence.”   “Whatever stage you’re in in your career, you can be asking yourself questions.”   “Why wouldn’t we create a system eventually whereby everybody is given a chance to have a safe creative space in which to talk and plan and develop.”   “We are all packages of resources and capacities and capabilities.”   “She said to me a few weeks ago, "What I wish we could do is to stop talking about talent and start talking with talent.”

Kapil Kane, Director of Innovation at Intel China and co-founder of award-winning corporate innovation accelerator GrowthX, has wide-ranging experience in product design and shares insights about his customer- and employee-centric approach to design and innovation. He explains how the accelerator stimulates innovation at Intel and how they have adapted to be responsive and innovate faster during these times of uncertainty.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:45] Where Kapil grew up and what he dreamed of doing.    [03:40] Why his first experience in the US was very different for Kapil.   [04:20] Kapil interns for Apple and finds consumer electronics product design more satisfying.    [05:24] Working on a revolutionary project at Apple, Kapil drops out of school.   [06:14] Why testing is such an integral part of the design process for a great product.   [06:38] The challenge of testing a revolutionary product!   [07:59] Why Kapil moved to China in 2007.   [09:14] The rapid prototyping and positive attitude allowed Kapil to make quick progress.    [10:36] The do/try/break/iterate approach in China which differs from his experiences of design in India and the US.   [11:15] Enterprising attitudes allow quick access to resources nationwide.   [13:00] China’s consumer electronics design work is very customer centric.   [14:20] Intel recently empowered a local group to create products for the local market based on core technology.   [15:19] Employees working close to customers are identifying needs in the local market.   [17:41] How hackathons are used to generate initial ideas.   [18:25] Various seed programs develop proof of concept.   [19:30] How the accelerator Kapil co-founded explores feasibility and business viability.   [20:48] Multiple sprints prepare viable ideas for investment and launch.   [21:38] How market conditions changed the process and opportunities for technology.   [23;36] The pros and cons of innovating with hybrid work arrangements.   [24:31] The benefit of experimentation away from company headquarters.   [25:11] Kapil has found that consumers are more forgiving in China about new products.   [25:55] How customer feedback and (hackathon) research affect product development.   [27:43] The shift to empathetic mindsets in validation interviews involves understanding customers’ pain points.   [28:48] Innovation is best achieved in environments where people are allowed to challenge the status quo.    [31:43] How Kapil’s creative approach successfully stimulates innovation at Intel.   [34:59] Transferring business understanding upstream enables innovation in an ever-changing environment.   [37:03] Stimulating innovation and testing business cases early on encourages employees to be intrapreneurial.   [39:08] Kapil spends most of his time supporting the idea selection process—especially bootcamps and business pitches.   [40:15] Team coachability during bootcamps is an indicator of performance in the accelerator.   [41:15] Why has Intel’s accelerator been successful and others’ have not?   [42:21] The two factors Kapil attributes to the innovation program’s overall success.   [44:12] Why a flexible attitude also matters.   [45:44] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: In addition to empathizing with clients, have empathy for your employees. Listen to their ideas. Give them a platform and an environment to play with their ideas. Enable them. Empower them and you can explore all types of innovation—moonshots and incremental and adjacent innovation.      RESOURCES   Kapil Kane on LinkedIn    Kapil Kane’s podcast Between Two Friends   GrowthX's website     QUOTES   “Many times, the success rate is quite, quite small. I would say 10 to 15%, so not all projects you start in an accelerator will have an ending.”   “In general, this pandemic I think has brought more opportunities for technology, especially in data centers, PC, and internet streaming.”   “The cool thing is that not being in your headquartered country or the headquartered market, you have more chances to experiment.”   “I think the definition of innovation is not limited to technology. When people hear innovation, they think new ideas are being built in a lab.”   “You need to create real value from the innovation by landing those innovations into the market.”

Susan Inouye, CEO of the Inouye LoRe Group, is an executive coach, recognized expert with Millennials, and bestselling author of Leadership’s Perfect Storm: What Millennials Are Teaching Us about Possibilities, Passion and Purpose. Susan brings her proven track record in transformational change to share insights about what matters most in all our working lives and how leaders can stop the burnout, stem the tide, and engage younger employees who are walking out.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:45] Susan’s unusual transition towards coaching from the entertainment industry.    [03:18] How Susan was selected as a top coach to study with Tony Robbins.    [05:27] Transitioning to sales, Susan becomes the number one salesperson in 10 months.   [06:23] A friend insists Susan coach her and extraordinary financial success results.   [08:15] Susan is told coaching is her calling!   [09:30] Susan hits another ceiling and is advised to go out on her own   [10:49] How did Millennials became a focus of Susan’s work.   [11:28] What understanding Millennials really entails.    [12:55] The impact of connected relationships for at-risk Millennial youth.   [14:58] What compelled Susan to write her book?    [16:45] Why is the Great Resignation happening?    [18:51] How people experience burnout.    [21:44] Why we didn’t notice we were burning out until now.   [22:20] Why cultural values and issues are highlighted causing employees to reassess their employer.   [25:32] An employee exodus shock an employer.   [27:32] The three things Millennials want—that every human wants.    [29:39] Susan suggests simple solutions for improving connections.   [31:11] Leaders need to focus their people be role models.   [32:23] Understanding and orienting towards people’s gifts generates energy and engagement.   [36:05] The benefit of understanding our blind spots.   [38:19] The benefit of working with gifts and blind spots and how to find your own.   [43:19] How to nurture and coach Millennials as our new and upcoming leaders.   [44:01] How Boomers are behind Millennials perspectives and actions.   [44:46] What legacy do Boomers and Gen Xers what to leave?   [45:18] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Connect and receive what others have to offer. Observe people, using the connection that you have to see their gifts, who they are in the world, and accept them for who they are.   [46:21] Many soft skills are rising to the top of the list for leaders.      RESOURCES   Susan Inouye on LinkedIn  Susan Inouye on Twitter Susan's website Susan’s book “Leadership’s Perfect Storm: What Millennials are Teaching Us about Possibilities, Passion, and Purpose” Youthmentoring.org     QUOTES   “When your calling hits you in the face, you kind of push it away. It took me three months [to accept it].”   “The number one reason employees are leaving is because of burn out.”   “Gifts are what we were born naturally to bring into this world. It’s what we do without thinking about it.”   “We focused on his gifts, and his blind spots, and he started to become a better leader, better person. And he said, "Oh my gosh, my whole team changed because I changed."”

Neil Miller, host of The Digital Workplace podcast, has been working remotely almost all his working life. Early years working overseas fostered his understanding of different work approaches and habits. Neil has significant expertise leading distributed teams, utilizing digital tools, and incorporating effective asynchronous work methods and practices, especially to reduce the number and length of meetings in order to improve performance.    KEY TAKEAWAYS   [03:24] Neil explores different life and work options at the beginning of his career.   [03:57] Neil shares his early work experiences—challenges, observations, and learnings.   [05:29] How you ask “why?” more working in a different cultural environment.   [06:42] Neil discusses the realities of direct and indirect communication and power dynamics in different cultures.    [09:17] What it was like for Neil working remotely as his first work experience in the US.    [11:56] As the only remote worker to begin with, Neil felt he always had to be the one making the compromises working with in-person teams and how that motivated him.    [13:07] How Neil could sense when in-person visits were needed to reconnect with colleagues.   [14:05] Reactions to pandemic-related remote-working and desires to transition back to the office.   [15:44] In-person meetings were the over-used catch-all tool for collaboration.   [16:33] Digital work offers benefits of new workflow options, not replicating office-based work.   [17:26] How should we be thinking about meetings if we optimize with digital tools?   [19:05] Understanding asynchronous working, its benefits, and how to do it.   [21:56] If you could “hire” a meeting what would it’s functionality and objective be?   [22:56] Opportunities and challenges for digital leaders: aligning channels, content, and timing.   [25:49] Top benefits of meetings working with distributed/hybrid teams.   [27:48] Neil shares his tips for collaboration and intentional serendipity.   [29:08] How employees with different personality types show up in meetings.   [29:55] The beneficial results from starting a collaboration and ending it 24 hours later.   [31:25] Using empathy to be an effective leader of a distributed team.   [32:48] How Neil is adjusting his work preferences while onboarding a new team member.   [34:31] Neil offers advice on how to bring a new employee up to speed on culture.    [35:46] Onboarding a new hire offers an opportunity to make, re-evaluate, and communicate promises to the team as well as share an updated operating guide.   [37:45] Neil recommends when low and high fidelity communications are best used by leaders.   [41:51] Neil has an assessment tool on his website that helps gauge your digital workplace score.    [42:54] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Look at the next meeting on your calendar and ask yourself “what part of the meeting could be done asynchronously or another way?”     RESOURCES Neil Miller on LinkedIn  Neil Miller on Twitter The Digital Workplace website Digital Workplace assessment tool     QUOTES   “When you’re in an office, the meeting is the catch-all tool for collaboration. We use it for all sorts of different purposes. When we transitioned to digital work, we carry that reliance on meetings over with us.”   “Now I have eight ways that I can collaborate instead of just one, instead of just meetings.”   “It’s going to require a lot of digital fluency, a lot of intelligence about picking the right mediums.”   “Think of a meeting like it's something you hire. So if I'm going to hire a meeting, what is it that I really want it to do? If I'm going to hire a meeting, I'm going hire it to build connection with people because a meeting's going do that much better than a text message going back and forth.”   “Look at your schedule tomorrow, what part of that meeting do you think could be done asynchronously or could be done in another way? It just opens up a lot of good questions.”

David Nour, CEO of the Nour Group, brings his extensive expertise on applications of strategic business relationships to the challenges of 2022’s marketplace uncertainties and work conditions. As a senior leadership and board advisor, educator, executive coach, and prolific, best-selling author, David shares his insights about the importance of reciprocity, empathy, and the exchange of value to transform our professional exchanges and develop mutually beneficial, rewarding, and deep long-term relationships.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:44] How David grew up in Iran and as a child was sent to live in the US with relatives.   [03:36] David learns about the value of nurturing relationships from his father early on.   [04:24] There is a different emphasis in business in the US compared to other countries.   [05:04] David went on a listening tour and learned what he really did well.    [06:00] What David sees as the problem with ‘networking’.   [06:40] The role of trust in relationships.   [07:39] How planning and value exchange generate success in relationships.   [09:06] Matching the natural give and take of relationships.   [11:05] How empathy changes the relationship dynamic.   [11:29] The importance of asking good questions.   [12:07] Why it starts with “you” first.   [13:05] How are you showing up? How are people experiencing you?    [15:05] Have you considered why anyone would want to spend time with you?   [16:26] David emphasizes the significance of consistency in relationships.   [17:26] How you can add or offer value to someone else to build a relationship.   [19:44] What the Great Resignation is really about. [20:20] Which relationships are worth investing time in?   [22:07] How pushback is healthy for developing a strong relationship.   [23:55] The importance of aligned values.   [26:16] The benefit of jobs fitting people, not people fitting jobs.   [28:27] How are we defining and measuring success?   [30:30] The relationship dynamics of high-performing teams.   [34:17] Key elements David has updated in the new version of Relationship Economics.   [35:52] David’s research into influencing without authority.   [38:44] Coping with the pandemic long-term.   [39:30] How David suggests everyone can get comfortable at in-person events.    [40:20] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Suspend judgment. Give people more options. Focus on three priorities. And ask more about people’s wellbeing—but only if you care.   [41:16] What are the key questions to ask?   [42:37] Focus on fewer things. Add less to people’s plates, not more.    [43:32] How to nurture your priority relationships.   [46:00] David advocates for micro communities and shares an invitation to join his private community.     RESOURCES   David Nour on LinkedIn  David Nour on Twitter David Nour on Instagram The Nour Group website Join David’s group   QUOTES   “If you lead with the relationship, if you think about the relationship as the arrowhead, not as the feathers at the tail end of the arrow, you'll create a very different set of outcomes.”   “In every interaction you have basically two options: You’re either going to enhance, elevate, and amplify that relationship, your reputation, the perceived value in you, or you’re going to dilute it.”   “If you’re not thinking ‘what’s in it for the other person?’ you’re missing half the value.”   “You know what it takes to network? A pulse. You know what it takes to make relationships succeed? A plan.”   “A certain does of respectful pushback is healthy for every relationship.”   “Let's talk about this pandemic. I think the evolution or the nature of human species says, “We will adapt.””

As we wrap up 2021, there is much that we can learn, benefit from, and use to our competitive advantage in preparing for 2022. Much has changed since the pandemic started and the recent past—how we operated and acted over the last twelve months—provides us with some of the only available insights into how things have changed and examples of what worked and didn’t. Sophie discusses what we experienced in 2021 and areas to reflect upon. She also shares questions for you to think about to gather the insights you need to support your business’s growth and success in the year ahead.     KEY TAKEAWAYS   [01:46] We are ready to put 2021 behind us, just as with 2020, but we are in a better place.   [02:51] However, the lingering pandemic has taken a toll on our mental health.   [03:19] Dashed expectations contributed to spring-time burnout, how could well-being be better supported next year?   [04:22] How empathetic concern dropped off during 2021 despite ongoing challenges.   [05:14] After a rollercoaster year, we need to pay attention to emotions and practicing empathy.   [06:30] The majority of new business conditions and lasting operational changes result from digitization, accelerated by the pandemic.   [07:40] Reflection can draw out the insights we need to transform successfully for 2022.   [08:35] Excuses that block or stall change are understandable, but they prevent important progress.   [09:56] The purpose of workplace flexibility is not “letting people work remotely”.   [10:42] There are many ways to give employees more control over how they accomplish their work.   [11:37] Offering equitable working arrangements does not mean employees all having identical options.   [12:29] Surveys help uncover suggestions from employees who know what flexibility they would like.   [13:14] A new work model will fail if leadership is not consistently committed to making it work.   [13:43] How employees act if they are engaged in their work—wherever they are working.   [14:31] Many people use those magically creative “water cooler” moments to insist on office-based work.   [15:41] The realities of creativity and serendipity and being proactive.   [16:52] Why every company needs to implement flexible work arrangements and manage differently.   [18:16] What the new “Project Economy” means regarding how we think about and organize work.   [19:20] Questions to assess 2021 project work methods at your company.   [20:43] How digitization has changed our understanding of business workflows and increased adaptability.   [21:42] Questions to assess how digitalization effected your company’s ability to adapt in 2021.   [23:23] Why are we able now to have a better understanding of our individual preferences?   [23:57] Questions to draw insights from your 2021 work experiences to optimize future results.   [25:05] Critical benefits of recognizing and accommodating our own and coworkers’ preferences.   [26:05] Where to focus useful retrospection to gain useful awareness and start 2022 off well!     RESOURCES   Sophie’s articles and interviews about the Future of Work including hybrid working models and working preferences.   Sophie’s new book Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work that will be released May 3, 2022.       QUOTES   “The purpose of hybrid work models is to improve employee engagement and performance”   “Success in the Future of Work has much to do with individuals and teams taking proactive measures.”

YuChiang Cheng is the Chief Product Officer of Zwift, an online global fitness platform for cyclists, runners, and triathletes. YuChiang has spent his career trying to understand how to create meaningful online and hybrid connections, communities, and experiences for customers. At Zwift, responsible for all aspects of the Customer Journey, YuChiang explains how they try to discover and satisfy their different customer groups’ online and offline pain points, needs, and desires.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:46] YuChiang’s career was determined by his interests and relationships.   [03:19] YuChiang’s interest in people generated early exploration.   [03:55] How YuChiang dropped out of law school and joined the compliance department of a betting startup.    [05:15] Learning about customers’ experiences and bridging real and virtual.   [06:18] How to bring older, less tech-savvy people online.   [07:22] YuChiang helps (gambling) regulators understand technology and online operations.   [09:11] The upside to studying law and philosophy is that you learn to ask a lot of questions.    [09:25] “What are you afraid of?” and other questions to expose risk and reduce volatility.   [10:39] The process of identifying the opportunity that developed into World Golf Tour.   [12:11] What the co-founders discovered to be the customers’ core pain points.   [13:33] How YuChiang understands customers, what drives them, and prioritizes their needs.   [14:16] The two main gaps that World Golf Tour concept focused on—time and cost.   [16:44] How did YuChiang consciously build community into his company and user base?    [17:52] The ways they involved community members in shaping the experience.   [19:27] Top Golf and World Golf Tour were great complements, bridging physical and virtual.   [20:16] How Angry Birds fit into the golfing picture!   [21:45] What ways are best to connect or integrate real and virtual experiences and benefits?   [24:47] YuChiang describes Zwift’s unique offering and what customers learn.    [26:11] On Zwift, you have your own progression system.   [27:00] More companies are incorporating gamification with real life benefits.    [31:19] How YuChiang understands passionate community groups and creating tools to enhance their experiences, especially in the metaverse.   [33:26] YuChiang programs virtual experiences like TV content segments.   [35:36] What Zwift is working on to attract, deliver, and become essential for all potential customers.    [37:32] Want to know your customers better? It starts with curiosity and conversations.   [38:01] YuChiang has merged experience with products—all part of the Customer Journey.   [40:00] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: It’s a process and skill to create amazing customer experiences which starts with discovery and asking many questions. Once you have the data, don’t be afraid. Try things incrementally and test them with actual customers.     RESOURCES   YuChiang Cheng on LinkedIn  YuChiang Cheng on Twitter Zwift.com Zwift on Twitter - @GoZwift Zwift on Facebook - @gozwift Zwift on Instagram - @gozwift Zwift on YouTube - Zwift Zwift on LinkedIn - Zwift   QUOTES   “My process is really not that unique. It's going to talk to the customer. It's going to understand and ask questions about, you know, "What do you like? What do you not like? What do you hope? How would you describe this?" It's asking these questions hundreds and hundreds of times.”   “Question I love to ask when trying to understand the consumer is, “What about the activity or the experience that you find the most delightful?” or “What is the thing that, if I took it away, the one thing that would cause you to quit?””    “At the end of the day, it's about having a constant curiosity about who your customers are, what do they really want, what are their behavior and motivations, and what are their pain points.”

Mikael Sorensen, the CEO of Handelsbanken UK, discusses the multinational bank’s decentralized management system with a human-centric culture and core beliefs that drive value creation—emphasizing customers first and then branch employees. Mikael shares how the bank empowers and encourages front-line employees to make decisions and the critical importance of trust. He also emphasizes the necessity of taking a long-term perspective.     TAKEAWAYS   [02:56] Why Mikael first joined Handelsbanken.   [03:44] What was Mikael’s initial experience of the bank.   [04:47] Why Handelsbanken’s values are central to their culture and business model.   [05:41] How decentralization is the organizing principle of a human-centric business.   [06:45] It takes courage for leaders to “sit on their hands”.   [08:08] What happens when people make mistakes?   [09:38] Handelsbanken’s booklet “Our Way” is experienced by employees daily across the bank.   [13:14] How branch employees are valued and trusted exclusively to nurture customer relationships.   [15:04] Handelsbanken believes that people are naturally motivated.   [15:31] How bonuses can drive the wrong behavior, especially with financial products’ risk profiles.   [16:44] The bank is driven by fulfilling customers’ dreams.   [17:46] Handelsbanken has an equitable profit-sharing model.   [19:57] How turnover decreases the efficiency of an organization.   [20:45] Why low staff turnover increases customer satisfaction.   [22:08] The bank has a flat structure and encourages generalists.   [23:41] How talent mobility allows employees to revisit customer-facing roles. [25:27] Handelsbanken’s recruitment process takes time to ensure there is a good fit.   [27:29] What middle managers may find hard in adapting to Handelsbanken’s system.   [28:54] Not many people are natural leaders or managers—it comes from experience and being coached.   [31:03] Other organizations can benefit from Handelsbanken’s approach to trust and dare!   [32:14] Why other companies haven’t succeeded when adopting Handelsbanken’s business model.   [34:18] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Think about your fundamental beliefs about human behavior--how we interact with each other, what drives us, and motivates us. Plus take the long-term view, not short-cuts, to ensure your business is around another 10 or even 100 years!     RESOURCES   Mikael Sorensen on LinkedIn Handelsbanken UK’s website Handelsbanken on Twitter       QUOTES   “We really do believe that most people want to do good things.”   “Fundamental belief in human nature leads to trust in and respect for the individual—that being the customer or the staff.”   “If you empower people to take their own decisions, then you have to encourage them also to use that empowerment.”   “We don’t believe that we need to motivate people. They are motivated by nature and the worst thing you can do is try and interfere with that natural motivation.”   “Everything we do is with a long-term perspective. If you start taking a short-term view or take short cuts then there’s no guarantee that you will be here 10 years from now or 100 years from now. But we want to be here.”