Gut + Science

Truth You Can Act On: Do Less, Better: Find the right training programs for the right people, and don't focus on a mass quantity of programs. Are managers and leaders reinforcing the trained behaviors once everyone gets back to the job? Emphasize better work, not more work. Contextualize to Foster Engagement: Engagement is critical for a business to thrive - more specifically, employees need to kn...

Truth You Can Act On: Feedback: The ability to give useful feedback is a skill all leaders need to learn and master. Sometimes those critical conversations aren't the easiest to have, but with practice, you'll be able to have them more comfortably. It's not always fun, but it's what ultimately leads to growth. Personal Board of Directors: Mentoring is not about one relationship; it's multifaceted....

Truth You Can Act On: Recognition or reward is best with a personal touch from the leader . When quality work is recognized by a leader, employees feel more validated and cared about. Make it a priority to schedule time for personally rewarding your employees. Simple acts of recognition and small unexpected rewards are surefire ways of boosting engagement. Innovation comes from listening . The bes...

Truth You Can Act On: Leadership Development . Make sure your leadership is aligned. If there is one thing that hinders growth, it's having leaders who are not on the same page. Cultural alignment and clarity are essential throughout every tier of your company - from the executive team to middle management. Also, don't forget to invest in your team's professional development. You are only as stron...

Truth You Can Act On: Don't Assume. Go and have the conversation to help you understand how your employees feel about your company. Seek first to understand then promptly respond. It's easy to assume everyone is engaged when there are no apparent conflicts. Avoid this mistake by asking questions, seeking out conversations, and continually identifying opportunities for improvement. Leverage Persona...

Truth You Can Act On: Regular Communication: Having the one-on-one cadence is great but tailor it to what that specific person needs. For some it might be every week for others it could be every other. Then keep track of what you discuss with your team through a shared document. This document keeps you both on track with development and communication. Be a Role Model: Share your personal developme...

Truth You Can Act On: Define Your Culture: Values create your culture code. These should be established as a company rather than dictated. The company values also drive decision making whether it's a question of hiring or letting go.  Challenge your people: When having tough conversations, it's essential to talk facts not opinions. To eliminate the rumor mill or gossip, empower your people to have...

Truth You Can Act On: Dedicated open space: Your office space and make an impact on your employee's engagement. Find and dedicate a space in your organization that can foster and allow for your employees to naturally build relationships. This space can be a place for community and enabling access to one another. Challenge your people: One of the most rewarding things a leader can do is see their e...

Truth You Can Act On: Know people's motivation: We can't treat all of our people the same. Everyone's motivated in different ways and we have to know what's there why. We have to spend time listening and understanding how your employees are motivated. Employees first: Customer service should be a top priority but it can't take precedence over your employees. When you help your employees win they'l...

Truth You Can Act On: Authenticity and vulnerability are key . It's important as leaders to take off the 'suit and tie' and be authentic. Connect with your employees as human being to human being. It's really hard to do because it's this balancing act. I think for a lot of us in leadership roles we want to make sure to walk the fine line on keeping things professional. However, the more authentic...

 Truth You Can Act On: Hire for cultural fit. Make sure this human being is not just being hired for skill set but for cultural fit, meaning that they're going to jive with the rest of your organization and help everyone be better. You don't want to go back and fix that later. One of the greatest tests is just thinking through how long would you like to hang out with this person outside of work. T...

Truth You Can Act On: Focus on humanizing your communication . Don't forget it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I encourage you to think through how you're communicating as a whole whether it's general communications or the more touchy subjects that obviously need more intimate communication around them. Really focusing on how big communication is and how it can impact your organization. A...

Whether you need to land more business or increase output, the road to more revenue and better business outcomes ultimately relies on relationships. And if there's one thing Nikki Lewallen knows, it's relationships. In Gut+Science™, Nikki takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride that cuts to the core of people-first cultures—to see what true success looks like, and how CEOs like you are redefining employ...