What are some of the biggest challenges that small business owners face as they attempt to build a dream team that can help them scale their business to another level?

On today’s episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess is joined by two incredible women – Ashley Smith of Fundamental Inc and Krystal Hobbs of Reflective Marketing, both of whom share their wisdom and insights around growth and people management.

Both Ashley and Krystal started their businesses as solo entrepreneurs, and were lucky enough to have their friends and former colleagues as their first hires. However, as their businesses grew, they were forced to step out of their comfort zone.

In this episode, Ashley and Krystal share some of their biggest growth challenges. For example, you’ll learn how and why you need to redefine your role within an organization as you grow. You’ll also discover methods for maintaining a good work-life balance, even when your business is in hyper-growth mode.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How to overcome your hesitation when giving feedback.
• Realigning a founder’s role as an organization scales.
• The biggest challenges small business owners face as they scale their business.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Fundamental Inc.

Reflective Marketing

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Whether we realize it or not, we have an impact on the people around us every single day. Every action we take and everything we say or share creates an impact on the people we work with. Understanding this, how do we make sure that we have the impact we want?

What if you could always react in a measured and astute manner?

What if you could work with others in a way that creates a positive impact, no matter how challenging the situation or conversation?

In today’s episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess demonstrates why our intentions and impact can be out of sync. While the majority of people have good intentions, their behaviors and the resulting impact can often be undesirable.

You’ll learn how to develop an approach for communicating with your colleagues and employees that’s both empathetic and logical, avoiding the knee-jerk reactions that result in the kinds of impact you don’t want to make.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Why, no matter how hard we try, our intentions, and the impact we create, are almost never the same.
• How to avoid regrettable, knee-jerk reactions that can create needless conflict.
• How to facilitate a positive behavioral shift between you and your team.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Chris Gardner is the CEO of Sequence Bio and he has some thoughts on diversity, remote working, and conflict management to share with Jess.

Based in Newfoundland, Sequence Bio is a data-driven biotechnology company. They’re doing cutting-edge work, not just in their day-to-day operations, but also in their smart and scientific HR practices.

Jess recently placed a high-ranking executive at Sequence Bio and he was totally blown away by their emphasis on understanding people and psychology. In today’s show, you’ll get a peek into Sequence Bio’s workplace and learn about their best practices.

The first theme touched upon is diversity. When Chris had everyone in his organization take DISC assessments, he was surprised by the diversity he found among his team. He greatly credits this diversity for his team’s spectacular performance. However, he quickly discovered that managing these differences requires both intent and structure.

As an experienced business leader, Chris emphasizes the importance of servant leadership. He reveals that, as CEO, he’s primarily responsible for facilitation and risk mitigation. It is not the CEO’s job to “carry the ball across the line.” Rather, you need to accept your weaknesses and delegate tasks to a team member with the right skillset.

We discuss the importance of creating a safe space for “good” conflicts, along with some nuanced tips for building team culture in a remote environment.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Things that have helped Chris in his development journey as a CEO.
• The importance of creating safe spaces for “good” conflicts.
• The concept of “servant leadership” and the role of a CEO in an organization.
• Why you need to leverage diversity with intent and structure.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

It's time for another Q&A session!

In this episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess is joined once again by Kendra Lane as they answer questions submitted to them on a wide range of subjects.

You'll learn the benefits of strength-based leadership, as well as methods for determining how to best support an employee - developing their strengths versus building their weaknesses.

Jess and Kendra will explore the concept of diversity in the workplace, including the benefits and challenges. They’ll also reveal how "oil and water" colleagues can learn to work together more effectively.

You'll discover how changing the language around team members’ differences can help build better interactions and understanding.

You'll learn why leaders tend to absorb their employee's problems (their "monkeys") as well as the benefit of giving team members everything they need to solve their own problems before they grow into more serious issues.

You'll also find out how leaders can become better informed about issues affecting their team members, issues that can lead to larger problems such as burnout.

Join Jess and Kendra as they answer pressing questions around unlocking your people!

Enjoy!

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• How to determine the balance between focusing on an employee's strengths and helping them with their weaknesses.
• How diversity can be both a benefit and a challenge - if certain elements are not in place in your business.
• Changing the language around differences between team members to help foster a positive approach to differences
• Why leaders need to give employees everything they need to solve their own problems, thereby strengthening the team overall.
• How to be better informed as a leader as to struggles your team members may be facing, such as burnout. 
• And so much more...

Resources:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

What’s the single most important element in building a high-performing team? Trust.

In any organization, trust is a precious commodity, one that must be nurtured and protected. It’s the glue that allows people to work effectively with one another. It dispels fear, spurs innovation and acts as a catalyst for growth in your organization.

In today’s show, Jess shares some expert tips for creating and cultivating trust within your team.

You’ll learn the power of vulnerability-based trust, and how a willingness to acknowledge and address your own weaknesses can build stronger connections with your team members and help them do the same.

You’ll learn about the concept of “similarity bias” - how to identify it and prevent it from clouding your judgment.

Jess also stresses the importance of integrity and reveals why it is the foundation of trust within organizations.

Enjoy! 

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How trust can spur innovation and become a catalyst for growth.
• The power of vulnerability-based trust, and how it can empower your team to be better versions of themselves.
• How to identify and address similarity bias before it has the chance to affect your decisions.
• And so much more…

Resources:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Jess and Kendra are back with another insightful show answering your questions.

Let’s look at some of the questions on today’s show. 

In the wake of COVID, when everyone is working remotely, how do we maintain our culture and a sense of team?

This is a tough one. While there’s no denying the benefits of remote work, perhaps the biggest challenge is ensuring that our connections and culture remain intact. You’ll learn why being more “intentional about sharing” is the best strategy at this time. You’ll also discover why quality conversations can help us simulate that real-world feel that so many of us are yearning for right now. 

I have a small team that is growing very quickly. What should I pay attention to on the people-side of things?

When an organization is growing at a scorching pace, that brings its own unique set of challenges. Project requirements will fast outpace the skill levels of your employees. As a result, they’ll struggle with your ever-increasing expectations.

As the organization grows, it becomes impossible for the CEO to know each of their employees on a personal level. This makes building a cohesive team culture increasingly difficult. In this episode, Jess shares her observations, thoughts, and wisdom on how you can avoid the usual pitfalls. 

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How to build and maintain a great culture, even in a world of remote work.
• The three key elements that allow you to manage growth in small teams.
• The importance of managing expectations and how to avoid over-burdening your employees.
• How to make use of standard communication processes and HR practices. 
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

It's been said that the only constant thing is change. That's certainly been true over the last year or, as the global pandemic has completely changed the way we work, play and even interact. That said, rapid change has been a "constant" for most of the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly in the world of work.

In this episode of "Unlocking Your People," Jess chats with Rene Woolridge to discuss how the workplace has changed, and more importantly, how people are managing (or failing to manage) these changes.

You'll learn about the new phase of leadership some believe we're entering, from technical expertise, then people's potential and coaching skills to one that now focuses on empathy.

You'll discover the challenges that come with building a culture of empathy when people are in very different places psychologically.

You'll learn why some people are resistant to change, and why minds can't be changed by being adversarial, no matter how much evidence you present.

You'll also learn why shifting your focus to the things you can control can help when trying to manage rapid change in your life and workplace.

Join Jess and Rene as they explore the changing world of work and how organizations can help their people adapt and move forward.

Enjoy!

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• Why some believe we're entering a new phase of leadership - once that focuses on warmth and empathy. 
• How organizations are trying to create cultures that emphasize empathy for others - even when people are in very different mindsets.
• Why many organizations greatly underestimate the time, energy and focus required to help their people adapt to change. 
• The importance of focusing on the things you can control (your locus of control) and why it looks different for each person.
• How even the smallest activities, like reading a book of fiction, can help clear the mind and build resilience.  
• And so much more...

Resources:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Mental health is a hot topic, particularly in the workplace. 

The events of the past year and the challenges the pandemic has brought have highlighted the importance of supporting mental health and wellness. While many businesses have made great strides to put policies and resources in place, it can often be difficult to implement them in a way that helps people feel supported rather than singled out. 

In today's episode of "Unlocking your People," Jess sits down with Alison Butler to discuss how leaders can best support people when they're facing these types of challenges. Alison has a Masters in Employment Relations from Memorial University of Newfoundland and has completed the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor's Course through the Mental Health Commission of Canada. She brings her expertise - along with her own personal experiences - to the conversation.

You'll learn why "mental health" and "mental illness" are not interchangeable concepts and why it's important to distinguish between the two.

You'll learn how to identify if someone on your team may be dealing with a mental health issue, and how to initiate a conversation about it in a supportive way. 

You'll also discover how you can create a supportive space for your people, and why there are no "one-size-fits-all" solutions.

Join Jess and Alison as they discuss strategies for creating a positive and supportive workspace to help your people be the best version of themselves.

Enjoy!

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• Why "mental health" and "mental illness" are not interchangeable concepts.
• How to identify if someone may be dealing with a mental health issue.
• How to initiate a conversation around mental health that is both caring and supportive.
• How to create a supportive space for your people that focuses on them as unique individuals with unique needs.
• And so much more...

Resources:

Alison’s Website

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn