The Culture Thesis

The Culture Thesis final episode. In today's episode, we continue the conversation from part 1 and look back at our greatest episodes. We hope you enjoy and can take something away from our podcast as we have learned so much along the way.

In today's episode, Caroline and Greg reminisce on some of The Culture Thesis's best episodes. This will be a 2 part series that highlights what we have learned throughout this journey and what we hope you the audience can take away from this experience.

The Arcamed team breaks down how to make the most out of a Holiday Party. First, we are joined by Mickey Maurer who tells us his best Holiday Story. Then we are joined by Amy Polston Arcamed's Finance Manager who plays a big part in planning our holiday parties. We discuss ROI, Christmas in June, and risks that comes with having a holiday party.

Caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. In today's episode, we first are joined by Fatima Johnson from School on Wheels. A non-profit in Indianapolis that enhances education for children who experience homelessness. She informs us on what it means for organizations to meet their civic duty within the school on wheels. We are then joined by Beth Cline from United Way to learn more about how companies can best get their employees involved in giving back to their communities. 

Many labels have been thrown around to describe an organization, but what is the correct one. That is if there even is a correct label. Today we are joined by Mike Bensi Consultant and Founder at Bensi & Company to debate the topic.  To find out more about Mike you can visit his website here: Culture | Leadership | Bensi & Company (mikebensi.com)

How much does company culture impact the individuals? Today we bring on guests Jon Desalvo Arcamed's CEO and Lori Squatrito to discuss the impact the Arcamed culture has had on their children. This gives a better insight into how culture can impact the personal lives of employees. 

Today we bring back the wonderful Lindsay Boccardo to continue our discussion about the generational gap. Lindsay helps us understand that there is more to the gap than just when you were born and shares her slide deck that helps how organizations better understand the differences within their organization. After we put Lindsay's slide deck to the test with two of our Gen Z interns, Gavin Stein and Taylor Miller.

If you were meant to talk more than listen you'd have two mouths and one ear. Listening can be one of the hardest skills but is vital for the success of any organization. We are first joined by our intern Gavin to talk about a time listening played a role in his academics. We will then be joined by Paul Ashley a Senior VP and Advisor for First Person. Paul helps us understand how listening can play a huge role in interactions with clients and people within your own organization.  https://firstpersonadvisors.com/first-person-advisors-benefits-firm-acquired-by-nfp/  

To end our 3 part series we take a dive into what it's like to be part of an employee-owned organization. We will be joined by Mike Parrett who was the SVP CFO at Herff Jones and is now a board member for several ESOP's. Mike gives us great insight into what it's like inside of an ESOP and how the structure impacts the employees.   

It's said great teams are like family, but what happens when the team is really family? On our 2nd episode of the organizational structure series, we break down what it's like at a family-owned organization. First, we hear from Derek Arcamed's Operations Manager, who also helps run "Their business Name"  with his wife. Next, we will be joined by Steve Walker the CEO of WALKER. WALKER was started by Steve's grandmother and now has its 4th generation of the family in the business. Steve gives us great insight into how his family has handled balancing family and business.     

Do the pressures of being a publicly owned company affect the culture of the business? We kick off our 3 part series of organizational structure by first discussing publicly owned companies. We are first joined by one of our own team members Katie, to talk about her experience prior to Arcamed when she was working for a publicly owned company. Later we hear from Jeff Smulyan who took his radio company public, and we learn what it takes to keep a strong culture when taking a company public. 

The team is taking an episode break to end the year and we will see you all again at the start of 2022! Wishing all our viewers happy holidays. 

Time for another book review! Jon Desalvo joins us to discuss the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. We discuss how to bring a more positive attitude to work and what it does to an organization. It's amazing how much positive change can happen just with a  mindset. 

Do different generations speak different languages? Today we start our highly anticipated topic of Generational Gap with our very own Anthony Johnson. AJ will start our storytime segment on what it's like working with a group of our youngest employees. We will then get to discuss this with our special guest Lindsay Boccardo. Lindsay offers a lot of great advice, on how to best handle the Generation Gap within an organization. Links to books mentioned in the interview: https://fearlessorganization.com/ https://store.hbr.org/product/can-you-hear-me-how-to-connect-with-people-in-a-virtual-world/10193 Link to Lindsay's website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com/

Is focusing on the results too much keeping you from actually achieving them? It is always just about the result or should the attention be on the process itself. We dive deep into finding out what works best for organizations and cultures. Does focusing on results lead to quick burnout? Does focusing on the process not allow for enough productivity? Dr. Tracy Brower, author of The Secret to Happiness at Work, gives us her insight on this topic, and which structure truly works best for organizations. You can find and purchase Tracy's books through this link

Today we dive into the layers of company culture, and understand how each layer works within an organization. We are joined by two guest today to help break down this topic. Mike Bensi, is the founder of Bensi and Co., where he helps leadership teams move their organization forward. Dr Josh Plaskoff currently teaches MBA classes on organizational behavior.  Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebensi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshplaskoff/

Today we discuss how important it is to be authentic in a leadership role. We are joined by Adam Weber who is the author of Lead Like A Human, and Co-Founder/CPO of Emplify. He gives us an insight on how leadership has changed and what workers value in their leaders today.   Links: https://emplify.com/human/

Today is going to be a little different! After hearing some really great feedback about the book Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, we decided to give it a read and talk about what we learned on the podcast. Links https://thewisemangroup.com/books/multipliers/https://thewisemangroup.com/

Today, we are going to talk about values. We started the conversation around values in Episode 10, but now we are curious about the evolution of those values.   

Today, we are going to figure out how to avoid the plague of burnout. Links https://practicingexcellence.com/ https://louisprofeta.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/those-four-words-may-offend-you-also-just-save-louis-m-profeta-md/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-am-bob-phil-rink-pe/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jabr.12002

Today we are discussing how to make the workplace more human. We start by talking to Arcamed's Operations Manager, Derek Jahnke. Derek is 100% human, 100% of the time! Later, we will be joined by Dr. Josh Plaskoff.  Josh spent many years in industry and currently teaches MBA classes on the human aspects of business, including leadership and organizational behavior.

What is the cost of having an ethical culture? What is the cost of having an unethical culture? First, we will hear from Arcamed's own Kevin Etzkorn. Kevin is an owner of Arcamed and has a great story to share about a contractor that went above and beyond to act ethically. We will also be joined by two guests. First, Phil Kenney - President of F.A. Wilhelm Construction Company. The same company from Kevin's story! Later, we will talk to Joanne Gavin. Joanne is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor of Management at Marist University.

What happens when a new hire's cultural expectations do not align with a company's culture? Is there any way to prevent it? Randy Brown, former Chief HR Officer at WellPoint, shares his knowledge on how to properly transition employees into a new or unfamiliar culture.

What tools are available to shape company culture and how can they be used effectively? In this episode, we hear from Marcy Bandick and Mike Elliot. Marcy is a Leadership Development Consultant at The Strategy Forums, and Mike is a Leadership and Organizational Development Specialist at ADVISA. Together they provide expert advice on various tools that help individuals communicate and work together.

In our fourth and final Father's Day episode, Greg interviews his dad, Mickey Maurer. Then, the tables are turned and Greg is interviewed by his daughter, Sophie. Key Takeaways Being thoughtful and proactive regarding what company culture is lacking could set a business apart. One persistent commonality is the role of ethics across various cultural endeavors. Setting high ethical standards helps guide business decisions and are important to consider when working with other companies. On an individual level, everyone is going to make their fair share of mistakes, what is important is learning from those mistakes.

For the third Father's Day episode, our CEO, Jon Desalvo, interviews his father-in-law, Tim Lee.  Key Takeaways Similar to the culture of achievement discussed in the previous episode, it is equally important to have a culture of performance. Developing and maintaining a highly visible system where progress can be measured is a crucial component of success. Opening lines of communication to work towards shared goals drive results.

In this Father's Day episode, our Business Development Specialist, Alicia Peck, is joined by her father, Tom Peck, to discuss how good people are the key to developing a positive company culture.  Key Takeaways: Hiring good people will maximize the positive impact that filters up through the company. If there are people fueling a negative work environment, they have to be let go in order for everyone else to find enjoyment and fulfillment in their work. Achievement is important, but it must be done in the right way. One way to do this is to develop an ethical environment where there is trust.

In our first episode of our Father's Day series, Caroline is joined by her dad, Jim Squatrito. Key Takeaways A company's culture often impacts the way employees behave and interact with one another. In this sense, it is important to focus in on the people. Our workforce is a competitive advantage which we hope to grow and strengthen over time. Something as simple as having the right office layout could help promote a more collaborative workplace with greater transparency. At the same time, it is crucial to remember the impact employees have on company culture. It goes both ways and both components are crucial to cultivating a positive cultural environment.

How do community values and company values interact, and can they improve company culture? In this episode, we hear from Ohad Hecht, CEO of Emarsys, a SaaS Omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform. Ohad shares his experiences elevating company culture on a global scale and translating those values between various cultures. References: [5:00] Greg introduces Ohad Hecht, CEO of Emarsys. https://emarsys.com/ [12:59] Ohad references “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh. https://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Tony-Hsieh-audiobook/dp/B003QADCNS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IKMH76TU9ZGX&dchild=1&keywords=delivering+happiness&qid=1617639802&s=books&sprefix=delivering+%2Cstripbooks%2C291&sr=1-1 [30:02] Greg references Forbes article featuring interview with Ohad Hecht, “Instead Of Accepting Two Acquisition Offers They Doubled Down On Company Culture, Here's Why.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettonputter/2019/05/09/instead-of-accepting-two-acquisition-offers-they-doubled-down-on-company-culture-heres-why-culturegene-interview/?sh=18d65e02e6bb Key Takeaways: Companies at any scale require glue to hold everyone together; culture is this glue. As you guide a company's culture, hire people who want to support that culture. Is customer service important? Look for people with a passion for providing an outstanding customer experience. Do you need a highly adaptive workforce? Look for people who embrace and lead continuous improvement.

As a company that works with many customers and vendors, how do we involve these various stakeholders in our company culture? We are joined by Jason Cochran, Psychologist, and Co-Founder of Dulead – a virtual director of leadership and development for small business owners. References: [1:30] Greg introduces Jason Sizen, Manufacturing Engineer at Arcamed. [9:15] Caroline introduces Jason Cochran, Psychologist and Co-Founder of Dulead (formally known as iAspire). https://dulead.com/ [14:01] Jason references design thinking approach. [14:57] Jason references Josh Bersin, Author, and expert in talent management. https://bersinacademy.com/?keyword=josh%20bersin&creative=501858483795&gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLRmkI39R3EoHccxbpEndCKSkbP-N0UoWD0uvVbdHYvMUUlNhZkTIERoCUtIQAvD_BwE Key Takeaways: By focusing on human-centered design thinking, companies can consider the kind of experiences they want to create for employees to feel connected within an organization. Leaders play a role in engaging people in culture by providing frequent recognition, feedback loops, and making an effort to develop their people.

How do you maintain and nurture culture through growth? To help us answer this pivotal question, we sought the expertise of Bill Oesterle and Tim Fort. Bill was the CEO of Angie's List for 16 years and is currently the CEO of TMap. A returning guest from episode 5, Tim holds the Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics and is a Professor of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University. References: [3:00] Caroline introduces Bill Oesterle, the CEO of TMap. https://www.tmap.com/ [29:27] Greg introduces Tim Fort, Professor of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University. [33:46] Tim references “Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language” by Robin Dunbar. https://www.amazon.com/Grooming-Gossip-Evolution-Language-Dunbar/dp/0674363361 [53:20] Greg references Tim's book, “The Sincerity Edge” by Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, Timothy L. Fort. https://www.amazon.com/Sincerity-Edge-Ethical-Leaders-Businesses-ebook/dp/B071KPVDY2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+sincerity+edge&qid=1617639755&s=books&sr=1-1 Key Takeaways: Company culture will persist whether or not it is managed, so leaders should manage it. As companies experience growth beyond the “neurological numbers,” it is important to maintain a strong common identity and sense of belonging.

What is the role of a great leader in culture? Mark Howell, President and CEO of Conexus Indiana, shares his philosophy for fostering organic company culture. References: [1:13] Caroline introduces Louis Otero, Design Engineer at Arcamed. [6:51] Caroline introduces Mark Howell, President and CEO of Conexus Indiana. https://www.conexusindiana.com/ Key Takeaways: An important responsibility of a great leader is to empower individuals and value their unique contributions. Being receptive to feedback will allow leaders to develop open and honest relationships with their employees and cultivate care for the individual.

What does trust mean to company culture and how can we maintain it? Tim Fort, Professor of Business Law and Ethics, teaches us a thing or two about building and maintaining trust. References: [1:08] Question of the day. [2:11] Greg introduces Tim Fort. [4:40] Tim explains hard trust, real trust, and good trust. [7:38] Tim explains the three group sizes of natural law. [12:22] Tim talks about total integrity management. [16:02] Tim promotes his books. [18:10] What did we learn today? [19:24] If you enjoyed this podcast please remember to like, subscribe, and share. You can find more information about us and all of our episodes on our website, Arcamed.com. You'll find us under the “what's new” tab. [19:40] On our next episode we will discuss great leaders. How are great leaders great? What makes the difference between a great leader and a terrible leader? See you next time! Tim Fort is a Professor of Business Law and Ethics at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Are values the same as culture? Josh Perry, Chair of the Department of Business Law and Ethics gives us his take on values and cultural impact. References: [:33] On this episode we are going to discuss company values with the help from Josh Perry. [1:14] Question of the day. [1:41] Greg gives his take on the question of the day. [7:03] Caroline introduces Josh Perry. [7:40] Josh explains the difference between company cultures and company values. [16:40] Josh explains example about fraud allegations that came from Sears auto centers. [20:09] What did we learn today. [21:00] If you enjoyed this podcast please remember to like, subscribe, and share. You can find more information about us and all of our episodes on our website, Arcamed.com. You'll find us under the “what's new” tab. [21:14] On our next episode we will discuss trust. What is its role in company culture, and does it really make a difference? What about when trust is broken? We will be joined by Tim fort. See you then! Expert Info: Josh Perry (J.D., M.T.S.), is the Graf Family Professor and Chair of the Department of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University.

“How do you have happiness on a daily at work? You don't.”- Simon Sinek. Beth Trammell joins us today as we discuss how we can bring happiness and engagement in the workplace. References: [:28] On this episode we will talk about employee engagement and happiness. [1:34] Question of the day. [2:00] Greg discusses his own metrics of happiness and fulfillment. [3:20] Caroline mentions “Happiness Traps” by Annie McKee.               https://hbr.org/2017/09/happiness-traps [7:34] “No Assholes Rule” by Professor Sutton. [8:53] Greg asks, “how can we encourage engagement.” [10:43] Greg references “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. [13:44] Introduction to Beth Trammell. [15:44] Beth gives example of how happiness is different for everyone. [17:56] Beth references Kahn (1990). [22:38] Beth Trammel's information. [23:15] What did we learn today. [24:33] If you enjoyed this podcast please remember to like, subscribe, and share. You can find more information about us and all of our episodes on our website, Arcamed.com. You'll find us under the “what's new” tab. [24:47] On our next episode we will discuss company vales. What are they? What is the difference between company values and culture? Josh Perry will help us answer these questions next week. See you then! Beth Trammell, Department of Psychology at Indiana University East. Additional Information: https://makewordsmatterforgood.com/

Today we will be answering, what is the cost of a bad culture? We have two guests joining us. First, Amy Friedlander Hoffman is the former Head of Business Development at Uber. Then we have Julie Manning Magid who is the Executive and Academic Director at the Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence.   References:  [:23] On this episode we will discuss what happens when the culture goes wrong and look at some real-world examples.   [:33] Introduction to Julie and Amy.  [1:10] Question of the day.  [2:03] Greg mentions the culture at Uber.  [2:35] Greg mentions the “No Asshole Rule.”  [4:36] Amy joins the podcast.  [17:18] Greg mentions Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber.  [18:08] Amy speaks about Uber's culture.  [21:51] Greg references “Don't Fuck Up the Culture.”  [22:24] Julie joins the podcast.  [24:28] Julies talks about the Bluebell case study.  [28:38] Julie mentions the Tobias Leadership Center at Indiana University https://tobiascenter.iu.edu/

Today we will be discussing what company culture really is. Randy Brown, an executive career mentor at the Lacy School of Business at Butler University, will help us answer the question. References: [:46] Today we will be joined by Randy Brown, executive career mentor at the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. [1:26] Question of the day. [2:05] Greg shares story about working at a law firm in Chicago. [3:02] The No Asshole Rule Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, by Robert I. Sutton PhD. [4:15] Caroline introduces Randy Brown. [5:08] Randy explains his definition of company culture. [10:16] Randy starts conversation of acquiring companies. [14:56] What did we learn? [15:10] Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek. [16:42] Greg talks about Doctor Cameron Sepah's “Values Improvement Plan.” https://medium.com/s/company-culture/your-companys-culture-is-who-you-hire-fire-and-promote-c69f84902983 [18:05] Caroline mentions a critique of “Don't Fuck Up the Culture” by Scott Berkun. [19:10] If you enjoyed this podcast please remember to like, subscribe, and share. You can find more information about us and all of our episodes on our website, Arcamed.com. You'll find us under the “what's new” tab.

To start our podcast series off, we explain why we care about company culture. Why should we spend time on company culture? Follow us on our journey to discover more about how company culture impacts the world around us. References: [:46] Question of the day. [1:02] Greg shares his thesis. [2:16] Caroline mentions Forbes' “Fortune's Best Companies.” https://fortune.com/best-companies/ [2:22] Caroline mentions Glassdoor's “Best Places to Work.” http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm [2:25] Caroline mentions LinkedIn's “Most In-Demand Employers.” https://www.linkedin.com/indemand/global/2014?trk=blog_redir [6:10] Greg shares a story about a work holiday party. [8:56] Greg mentions the show Quincy on Netflix. [9:26] If you enjoyed this podcast please remember to like, subscribe, and share. You can find more information about us and all of our episodes on our website, Arcamed.com. You'll find us under the “what's new” tab. [9:39] On our next episode, we'll try to answer the question “what is company culture?” and we'll have some help from a local expert. See you then!

Welcome to The Culture Thesis podcast. Greg and Caroline are on a journey to grow, learn, and gain expertise in company culture with help from experts along the way. Join us!