The Value Creators Podcast Episode #20. Julie Kantor and Felice Ekelman on How To Thrive With A Hybrid Workplace

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The nature of work has changed, so how we manage it must change, too.

As businesses barrel along into the fast-changing digital age, we find that the very nature of work has changed. The new name for the office or the factory is the hybrid workplace. Not only where we do work, but how we do work has changed, and how we synchronize work with each other has changed the most. For the firm, productivity is at risk. And all the standard approaches to business that we’ve been taught are outdated. Take management as an example. How do you manage a hybrid workplace and workforce. Our point of view at The Value Creators is that management is an old-fashioned concept we have to discard. We need something new. 

The Value Creators podcast hosted two of the best experts to address the challenges of the hybrid workplace, Julie Kantor and Felice Ekelman. They are co-authors of the book that will provide the background to our discussion today: Thrive With A Hybrid Workplace: Step-by-Step Guidance from the Experts.

Personal Websites:

Shownotes:

0:00 | Intro

03:06 | Old System VS New System: Work-life Balance & Remote Work During the Pandemic

09:55 | Hybrid Work and Leadership in a Post-Pandemic World

14:02 | Hybrid Model: Nine to Five Model is Gone

16:42 | Hybrid Workplace: Seven Seas Framework

22:53 | Hybrid Policy: How Are We Managing Change?

24:50 | Culture of change: Importance of Face-to-Face Connection

28:07 | Communication, Collaboration, and Leadership in a Hybrid Work Environment

34:46 | Coaching as a Fundamental Part of the Hybrid

37:27 | Smart Goals: Well-Being in the Workplace

38:48 | Productivity in the Hybrid Workspace

41:34 | Hybrid Workspace: Compliance Load

46:12| Wrap up: Where are we heading?


Knowledge Capsule:

We need to re-think the idea of productivity in the world of Hybrid Work:

  • Leaders are struggling to measure the productivity of knowledge workers in a hybrid setting, as traditional metrics like presence in the office are no longer applicable.
  • Early data emphasizes the risk of lost productivity – performance is lowered.
  • There’s a big need for leaders to clearly communicate what excellence in performance looks like in a hybrid work environment is emphasized.
  • But driving hybrid work performance faces compliance challenges:
    • In a hybrid workplace, compliance issues may arise, particularly if employees are working from different states. Local laws may apply, leading to complexities in compliance.
    • Issues related to measuring hours worked, especially for non-exempt employees, pose challenges in maintaining accurate time records.
    • Issues of perceived equity can easily arise.
  • Therefore clear expressions of intent are imperative:
    • The complexity of managing compliance and policies in a hybrid work environment requires intentionality and thought from employers.
    • Inconsistencies in enforcing hybrid work policies can lead to litigation and allegations of discrimination.
  • Hybrid work leads to a new Future of Work:
    • Not just the way we work will change, but there’ll be changes in business models, such as the Chinese business model, RenDenHeyi, which emphasizes decentralized value creation through relationships and connections more than reporting relationships and structure..
    • The integration of work, home, and personal life is expected to continue. Management must include a focus on mental health and well-being.
    • Technology will change the nature of the hybrid workplace even faster, with advancements like mirror boards for synchronous collaboration.
  • Employers should look at hybrid work as a great opportunity to create new value for employees:
    • The shift to a hybrid work model presents a significant opportunity for employers to differentiate themselves and demonstrate flexibility and trust to employees.
    • Employers who successfully navigate the challenges of hybrid work have the potential to be seen as best in class.
  • Thrive in a Hybrid Workplace:
    • The book, “Thrive with a Hybrid Workplace,” focuses on the concept of thriving in the context of a hybrid work environment.
    • The emphasis is on how employers can create a workplace where both employees and the business thrive.
  • Looking to the Future:
    • Predicting the exact future of work is challenging, but the integration of flexibility, trust, and well-being will continue evolving towards more employee value.
    • Employers have the opportunity to create a workplace that fosters trust, flexibility, and ultimately, thriving.

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #19. Trini Amador on The Theory of Talkability

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Trini Amador is the Value Creators’ go-to guru for all things marketing. He has a long career as CEO of a global branding consultancy, BHC Consulting, and he is also the founder and proprietor of Gracianna, an estate winery that has established a portfolio of greatly acclaimed, gold medal winning prestige wines from its home in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, on the banks of the Russian River.

Trini joined the Value Creators podcast to discuss his latest thinking distilled from his extensive brand-building experience: his theory of talkability.

Show Notes:

0:00 | Intro

03:17 | Understanding Talk Ability Theory: Basics, Floaters and Swimmers

07:20 | Three Areas of Talk Ability Theory

09:06 | Is Managing Expectations and Feelings a Brand’s Duty?

11:11 | How digital marketing is typically described and the Traditional Funnel Approach

16:45 | Modern Marketing Innovation: Returns Policies and Proactive Issue Resolution

20:54 | Roger Martin’s habit-driven brand strategy is outdated

22:39 | Concept Trini of Expectations

24:41 | Fundamental Elements of the Brand Blueprint and Speed Change

27:56 | Optimizing Social Media for Brand Talkability

28:50 | Heineken Double Zero Strategy

31:24 | Importance of Valuable Feedback in Business 

33:18 | Trini’s Business Insights and Lessons Learned 

38:46| Wrap up: Find Trini Amador and His Team at Gracianna.com

Knowledge capsule

  • Talkability is brand management for a new age:
    • Trini emphasizes that talkability is not a new concept but an essential aspect of branding today. Talkability centres on how customers perceive and discuss a brand, influenced by their expectations and experiences.
    • In brand marketing, two key drivers remain unchanged: relevance (Is this for me?) and differentiation (How is this different from what I know?). Talkability highlights the importance of differentiated experiences.
  • Consistent With The Brand Blueprint:
  • Factors for Managing Talkability:
    • There are three key factors for managing talkability: maintaining relevance and differentiation, gaining insights into customer needs, and managing brand consistency over time (“consistently managing consistency”)..
    • Stay close to customer behaviour and keep up with changing consumer needs.
  • Managing Anticipated Experiences:
    • The conversation delves into managing anticipated experiences. Trini explains that anticipation comes from both reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. 
    • Meeting or exceeding these expectations is an ongoing challenge for brands.
  • Changing the Talkability of a Product:
    • One case study mentioned in the podcast  is Heineken Double Zero, a non-alcoholic beer, packaged similarly to their regular beer. It’s an example of managing talkability: by wrapping a disruptive innovation in conventional packaging, the brand manages how users talk about it.
    • The beer’s packaging caters to the anticipated experience some customers expect, addressing their need to “fit in” with beer-drinking friends.
  • Practical Application in the Wine Industry:
    • Trini, who owns Graciana Wines, discusses the brand’s approach to talkability, emphasising the importance of feedback, reviews, sentiment scores, engagement, and referrals in tracking brand success.
    • Brands are in the experience business, emphasising the emotional and differentiated aspects of customer experiences.That’s what customers talk about.