company culture

Corporate CPR Episode 127: How Perfectionism Might be Killing Your Company

/ Jana

On today’s episode we are talking about how perfectionism might be killing your company.

Jessica Osborn is passionately committed to building and developing global teams that deliver exceptional business outcomes with a human-first, growth mindset. She has successfully coached over 27 team members into leadership and cross-functional roles aligned with their career goals. Recognized for her contributions to company culture leadership, Jessica has received awards for exceeding net and gross retention with multi-million-dollar SaaS account portfolios across various verticals. An expert in improving customer journeys, lifecycle management processes, and product development through customer feedback and data, Jessica is also a thought leader in Customer Success. She has shared her insights at numerous industry events, including Success Fest Austin (2023) and Success Fest Vegas (2022).

Key Discussion Points:

  • Impact of Perfectionist Leadership: A perfectionist leader can set high standards that may lead to an environment of fear and isolation if mistakes are not tolerated. This can result in anxiety and paralysis within the team, hindering productivity and collaboration.
  • Difference Between Quality and Perfectionism: Quality involves setting and communicating clear standards and expectations. In contrast, perfectionism demands flawlessness, often leading to excessive time spent on tasks and potentially never completing them due to fear of imperfection.
  • Encouraging a Healthy Culture: Successful organizations foster an environment where failure is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a catastrophe. This involves clear objectives, open communication, reflection on failures, and flexibility to pivot when necessary, creating a more agile and innovative team dynamic.
  • Embrace Vulnerability: Leaders who admit their mistakes foster trust and learning. For instance, GoCardless CEO Heroki’s openness about his failures garnered a positive response from employees.
  • Promote a Growth Mindset: A growth mindset encourages viewing failures as learning opportunities, fostering resilience and creativity. In contrast, a fixed mindset leads to blame and stagnation.
  • Balance Ambition with Empathy: Drive teams towards goals while understanding their challenges. Supportive environments prevent burnout and maintain morale through team-building and celebrating both wins and learning moments.

Top Takeaways for the Audience:

  1. Evaluate whether you and your team have a growth or fixed mindset. Identify one action to foster a growth mindset.
  2. Set a tone where it’s okay to fail. Introduce a “wins and oops” segment in meetings to normalize and learn from mistakes.
  3. Share something personal with your team to build trust. Challenge yourself to be open and honest about your own experiences.

How to Connect with Jessica:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicareserosborn/

Corporate CPR Episode 96: Whether You Should Be Considering Return To Work

/ Jana

On today’s episode we are talking about whether you should be considering return to work.

Doug Camplejohn, a seasoned tech executive and entrepreneur, is the Founder and CEO of Airspeed, a platform for enhancing employee connections and recognition. With leadership experience at LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Salesforce, Doug is also an investor and advisor to startups. He’s a frequent speaker at industry events and is passionate about leveraging technology for innovation and improvement. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.

Episode Highlights:

  1. Return to Work Dynamics: The discussion on returning to work highlights diverse perspectives, including those in favor, against, and undecided on the matter.
  2. Motivations for Returning to Work: The motivations behind companies pushing for a return to the office are explored, including factors like real estate concerns, habit, and potential mistrust.
  3. Flexibility and Hybrid Work: The importance of workplace flexibility is emphasized, exemplified by Apple’s approach of making remote work an earned privilege based on performance.
  4. Fostering Connection: Strategies for fostering connection in remote and hybrid work environments are discussed, including techniques like Ice Breakers, which help team members get to know each other on a personal level beyond work-related discussions.
  5. Building Relationships and Mentorship: Building relationships in a remote work setting can be challenging, but it’s essential for mentorship and personal growth. The conversation suggests that employees should proactively seek out mentors and engage with colleagues through tools like virtual meetings and apps designed for connecting people.
  6. Remote Work Offers a Global Talent Pool:  The ability to hire talent from around the world is a major benefit of remote work. This global talent pool allows companies to find and employ individuals with the skills they need without being restricted to a specific geographic location.
  7. Work-Life Harmony: Companies should emphasize “work-life harmony” rather than “work-life balance.” Remote work allows employees to have more flexibility in managing their work schedules to accommodate personal commitments, ultimately leading to happier and more balanced lives.

Doug’s Top 3 Takeaways for the Audience:

  1. You can’t leave culture to chance; you have to be deliberate. 
  2. Culture isn’t about words on a plaque. People are everything. 
  3. The role of startup CEOs, and even managers in larger corporations, is MVP (Money, Vision, People). 

For More Info About Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

https://b.link/corporatecpr

How to connect with Doug:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camplejohn/

Email: d@getairspeed.com