What is the future of work? It’s a question people are always asking, but one that no one seems to really know the answer to. Maybe that’s because we’ve been thinking about it the wrong way. Instead of focusing on a single future that we can’t control, we should switch to an active mindset and ask what are the potential futures that might happen, and what do we need to do to get to the future we want to see?
Join me for this week’s podcast, where we are doing something a little different. Since we are starting this week with a holiday, I thought it would be fun to take a break from the normal podcast format and do something special. This week I am taking a look back at some of the advice we received from past guests over the last few years.
Sam Walton was the creator of Walmart and Sam’s Club, two hugely successful retailers that have been around for many, many years. He had a practice that he carried out for many years at the beginning of his career that we may view as simple nowadays, but it was extremely effective and, I think, something we can learn from today.
One of the common questions I have been asked in the past is, how do we empower our employees. For me the answer has always been about investing in employee experience. But lately I have been thinking about the root cause of this problem. Why do we need to empower our people in the first place?
AI and Automation is still at the forefront of so many conversations that business leaders are having. And the core issue that continues to be the main focus of these conversations is whether we are going to create more jobs than we replace or vice versa.
You’ve likely heard things like this during a job interview, or maybe you’ve even said them yourself to a potential new employee. But are the statements actually true? At some companies they are, but for the most part, these statements are part of the lies we’ve collectively been telling ourselves and everyone around us. When these new employees actually start, they realize how untrue the statements were in the hiring process. Instead of an open office, they find red tape, bureaucracy, and partitions. Managers are hard to communicate with, and the other employees are disengaged and stand off-ish. It leads to a negative work environment and unhappy employees. After all, no one likes to be told one thing only to realize that it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Most organizations set aside specific time to appreciate employees. Sometimes it is one day a year, sometimes once a month, but it is usually sporadic. Usually it consists of one day a year where the company provides food, games, activities, prizes, etc… to celebrate their employees.
Join me today as I speak with Mike McDerment, Founder and CEO of Freshbooks. Our conversation centers around what Mike and his team have done to create a thriving corporate culture at Freshbook and how the company went from a few members working out of Mike’s parents’ basement to employing over 300 people and serving around 10 million customers.
Are you a leader that truly acts like a coach and mentor? A leader who actually believes in being a coach or mentor to their employees doesn’t stop once the employees get to a certain level of success. They are willing to help others be more successful, even if it means the employees become more successful than they are.
Imagine working for a place that had unlimited free food, free rides to and from work, unlimited tech support, innovation labs, long maternity leave, the ability to bring your dog to work, and much more. Almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But believe it or not, that’s everyday life for employees of Google. Many other companies, like Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook, are also known for their amazing work environment and employee perks. It can be tempting for other companies to want to follow in their footsteps and do everything like Google and these other companies. But copying a company like Google or Facebook can actually hurt your company’s culture and employee experience.