Podcasts about bator training

In support of those organizations that support WCMS and its alumni, the Frogcast will occasionally introduce our audience to the organizations that provide us with both financial and operational resources. Our first Business Partner guest is Ken Bator, President/CEO of Bator Training and Consulting Group and the Police Officers Credit Union Association. Ken works with many credit unions and industry organizations, including the WCMS Alumni Association, providing strategic planning leadership and insight. He speaks with us today to share what he calls the "Natural Laws of Business" and how credit unions might align their strategy differently when building their future business model. A career long credit union leader, Ken shares his unique view on what differentiates credit unions and their brands. Ken offers a free whitepaper that covers his approach to strategic planning. If interested, email him at kbator@btcinc.net.

Episode 200 of Cool Culture Corner Host, Ken Bator, celebrates the 200th episode of Cool Culture Corner and announces his newest podcast coming soon, First and True. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net.

Episode 199 of Cool Culture Corner Founder and CEO of Light Internal, Marnie Vincolisi, joins us to provide guidance on how executives and entrepreneurs can find calm in a chaotic world. Among other tips, she guides us through a simple exercise to reorganize our to-do lists through meditation. Learn more about Marnie at https://lightinternal.com/, YouTube, and Amazon. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net.

Episode 198 of Cool Culture Corner Inclusivity and diversity can be valuable in all organizations but not if they create a different kind of marginalization. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net.

Episode 197 of Cool Culture Corner Has the recent troubles at Southwest Airlines turned their culture into Southworst? Probably not but there is a difference in the customer experience. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 196 of Cool Culture Corner Disney recently announced that employees are required to work at least four days a week in the office understanding that collaboration and creativity is best when people are there in person. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 195 of Cool Culture Corner Organizations are embracing non-traditional teams comprised of executives and outside freelancers. They can be very effective but there are three aspects to keep in mind when building the team culture within this dynamic. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 194 of Branding the Experience What happened on Monday Night Football to Damar Hamlin was a tragedy on 1/2/23. Our prayers go out to him and his family. How the NFL handled the situation provides us with a learning opportunity for our own team building efforts. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 193 of Cool Culture Corner What can we learn from high-profile cases of alleged toxic cultures such as those in major sports teams like the Washington Commanders and the Phoenix Suns? A lot including the need to not rush to judgement based upon the court of public opinion. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 192 of Cool Culture Corner What can you learn about culture building from your plumber? Ken Bator shares a recent experience that will give your team some insight. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 191 of Cool Culture Corner Ken Bator returns for season 10 and gives an excellent example of a positive culture from his recent stay at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 190 of Cool Culture Corner Sometimes in the most chaotic times it is best for your business and your culture to focus on just today instead of intermediate or long-term planning. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 189 of Cool Culture Corner Empathy fatigue isn't just for first responders anymore. It's affecting many of us in the workplace. Host, Ken Bator, discusses the topic in reference to an article from 2020: https://www.mindful.org/empathy-fatigue-is-all-too-real/ Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 188 of Cool Culture Corner A discussion on an issue hurting many cultures in 2022, the big split, as detailed in a recent article published by Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2022/04/when-crisis-management-becomes-conflict-management Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 187 of Cool Culture Corner Ken Bator shares a snippet from a recent conversation with Work-Life Balance Expert, Dr. Donnie Hutchinson, on asking two crucial questions in order to make positive change in your life or culture. Learn more about Dr. Donnie Hutchinson at www.donniehutchinson.com Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 186 of Cool Culture Corner Sometimes your ego as a leader can be an asset. Other times maybe not so much. Having the self-awareness to know when your ego is getting in the way and choosing to put it aside is a gift. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 185 of Cool Culture Corner In this world of negativity and divisiveness how do you inject humor into the workplace? Asking for a friend. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 184 of Cool Culture Corner Cultures sometimes seem more civil at a local business. Employees seem happier. Customers receive better service. Is this something we can adopt in a big business? Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 183 of Cool Culture Corner Ken takes some advice from his childhood and applies it to culture building today as people are leaving home and going back to a workplace environment. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 182 of Cool Culture Corner Sometimes it's not about conflict resolution. It's about conflict avoidance. After all, not every difference of opinion is worthy of a conflict. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 181 of Cool Culture Corner Cool Culture Corner returns for Season 9! Host, Ken Bator, gives a preview and reminds business owners and managers that in these difficult times one of the best solutions is communication. Do you need a speaker for your next conference, a facilitator for your next strategic planning or training session, or an MC for your next event? Then learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 180 of Cool Culture Corner With this season ending and Cool Culture Corner going on hiatus until 2nd Quarter of 2022, we review some of the culture-building classes available to help your business to better involve your team for better productivity, better profits, and growth! Learn more about BTC's culture classes at https://amphy.com/signup/60a5b13a-bbe1-4991-8b5f-a6f8fecee4d3 Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 179 of Cool Culture Corner What tools do you and your business use to involve everyone on your team and stay productive? Does leveraging technology to be productive detract from the human experience? Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 178 of Cool Culture Corner Sometimes team members don't throw speed bumps into projects simply to be a pain and to cause chaos. Many times there is a logical reason to take a pause and a closer look that can make what would just be good truly great. Does your culture allow for that logical pause? If the answer is “no” then attend one of BTC's classes on Amphy such as The Foundation for Your Brand, Culture, and Strategy. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 177 of Cool Culture Corner There's a lot of angst out there and it's effecting company cultures all over. A simple smile used to work in connecting with people in the workplace and diffusing negative customer situations. But will that work today with everyone wearing masks? Could you use some help in making better connections within your unique business? Then attend one of BTC's classes such as The Foundation for Your Brand​,​ Culture​,​ & Strategy. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 176 of Cool Culture Corner It's been suggested before by more than one business person that entrepreneurship can solve most if not all of the world's problems. If that's case, could that mindset solve the customer service issues we are seeing today at many retail locations? You bet it can! Could you use some help in developing the entrepreneurial spirit within your unique business? Then attend one of BTC's classes such as The Foundation for Your Brand​,​ Culture​,​ & Strategy. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 172 of Cool Culture Corner Fellow author of From No Worth to Self-Worth, Candice Bakx-Friesen, discusses her chapter in the book. She shares insight into specific experts such as "Remember Why You Started" and "Defeat Fear Through Action." Learn more about Candice at https://www.candicebakxfriesen.com/ Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 171 of Cool Culture Corner A commentary on the recent cancellation of hundreds of flights by American Airlines and what we can learn from that fiasco about not only culture building but also its alignment with branding and strategy. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 170 of Cool Culture Corner Host, Ken Bator, shares a childhood story that became relevant in regards to culture building during a recent collaborative effort. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 169 of Cool Culture Corner Host, Ken Bator, talks about recent developments with the CU Business News Podcast and CUNA's "Open Your Eyes" campaign. As business owners and executives we should "Open Our Eyes" to our employees and our specific niche. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 168 of Cool Culture Corner Host, Ken Bator, shares details from his new book collaboration, From No Worth To Self-Worth, written alongside eleven fellow authors. It is a collection of experts sharing from the heart and is dedicated to those who have ever been made to feel less than, to feel inadequate, been bullied, or held back. Everyone has something amazing to offer. It is important to remember that and the struggles people may be having internally as we are building a Cool Culture Corner within our unique business. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 167 of Cool Culture Corner James Robilotta, Professional Speaker and Improv Comedian, joins us to talk about team building. We discuss how important it is to allow your employees to be vulnerable as we get back to working in person. Learn more about James at www.jamestrobo.com. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 166 of Cool Culture Corner Host, Ken Bator, pontificates if unions are necessary in this day and age quoting a popular statement by the late Dr. Stephen Covey, "When trust is high rules are unnecessary. When trust is low rules are unenforceable." Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 165 of Cool Culture Corner Founder and Principal Consultant at Strategic Insights, Helene Cahen, joins us to provide details on “Design Thinking.” She shares how this mindset allows the entire team to be involved and allows for failure early in the process if needed. This allows for more success and less time and money spent on projects that just won’t work. Learn more about Helene at www.strategicinsights.biz Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 164 of Cool Culture Corner The host of the Brave Women at Work podcast, Jennifer Pestikas, joins us to discuss how professionals can best lead their teams as we see an end to the pandemic. She also shares some wonderful insights for working mothers on how to juggle multiple priorities and take care of themselves. Learn more about Jennifer at https://www.howwinningisdone.com/ Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 163 of Cool Culture Corner Small-Business Scaling Strategist, Leslie Hassler, joins us to discuss how to empower or re-empower your team as we begin to crawl out of the pandemic. She shares multiple tips that you can implement in your business immediately that will help you get back on the path of growth with all employees moving in the same direction. Learn more about Leslie at yourbizrules.com and take the free quiz at yourbizrules.com/scaling-rich-quiz. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule your complimentary 15-minute strategy session at www.btcinc.net/contact-us --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Kenneth Bator tells you how to align you brand, culture, and strategy for success. You can check him out at https://www.BtcInc.net/

Episode 162 of Cool Culture Corner Ken Bator shares a recent vacation experience at a resort where their tagline should be "Sorry for the inconvenience." Learn from their mistakes so they aren't made in your service-based business. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 161 of Cool Culture Corner Pattie Grimm – author, speaker, and coach with more than 25 years of experience as a senior woman leader with Global Fortune 50 companies – joins us to discuss how female executives can be bold and not bossy within their corporate cultures. She shares timeless tips that can be applied today and beyond. Learn more about Pattie, and take advantage of her special offer, at womenkickingglass.com/book Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 160 of Cool Culture Corner With the New Media Summit coming up, Ken shares three tips to be a quality podcast guest: 1) Have a media one sheet 2) Be early for your interview 3) Share the heck out of your podcast episode Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 159 of Cool Culture Corner Hospitality Consultant, Christie Lawler, joins us to discuss culture building during the furloughs, layoffs, and constant uncertainty of a pandemic. Leadership is always critical but it is the key ingredient to survival today. Learn more about Christie at cjlconsults.com Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

About Kenneth Bator: Ken is the founder of Bator Training and Consulting Inc. or BTC. He has 20+ years of experience helping organizations reach new levels of effectiveness by aligning their brand, their culture, and their strategy. He's the author of The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S and also The Pocket Guide To Strategic Planning the 90 Day Quick Fix for the Business Owner or Manager. Ken has hosted and produced four separate shows including Branding the Experience, Cool Culture Corner, The Credit Union Business News Podcast, and Beyond the Call. He is one of the first Category Directors of the recently launched Podcast Magazine. Ken is a well sought after speaker worldwide and recently made an appearance as an Icon of Influence at the New Media Summit.   In this episode, Jordan and Kenneth discuss: B+C+S, Brand, Culture, and Strategy Alignment  The Minneapolis Police Department culture Balancing hard and soft power Key Takeaways: The leader's personality drives your organizational culture Treat your employees the way you want them to treat your customers or clients Create service standards from the front lines up   "IQ and EQ are two different things." —  Kenneth Bator   Connect with Kenneth Bator: Twitter: @kbator   Facebook: Kenneth Bator  Website: Bator Training and Consulting.net   Book: The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S  The Pocket Guide To Strategic Planning the 90 Day Quick Fix for the Business Owner or Manager  Show: Cool Culture Corner Podcast YouTube: Kenneth Bator LinkedIn: Kenneth Bator Instagram: @kennethbator Founder: Police Officer's Credit Union Association    Connect with Jordan:   Get a free copy of Jordan's book at www.workplacewarrior.com   Website: www.workplacewarriorinc.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordangoldrich1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.goldrich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordangoldrich/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgoldrich/  

Episode 158 of Cool Culture Corner Author of The Creative Culture, Justin Dauer, explains why actions speak much louder than words when building team morale. Allowing everyone to have a seat at the table is critical in this chaotic world in order to continue moving your business forward. Learn more about Justin and his book at www.the-culturebook.com. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 157 of Cool Culture Corner Randall Sean Garcia - speaker, author, and futurist - discusses the power of wisdom in your culture in the midst of the chaos of 2020. He also teaches us how to lead during these unprecedented times. Learn more about Randall at http://www.randallsgarcia.com/ Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 156 of Cool Culture Corner Award-Winning Motivational Keynote Speaker and Author, Daniel Gomez, explains Why You Were Born to Fly and how helping others to fly creates a winning culture. Learn more about Daniel Gomez at DanielGomezInspires.com. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 155 of Cool Culture Corner Shane Fielder, The Innovative Samurai, joins us to explain that when you try to balance your life you force yourself to choose winners and losers within your priorities. Conversely, Work/Life Harmony allows you to find greater peace and purpose without hustling or grinding. Learn more about Shane at samuraiinnovation.com and take advantage of the free gift he mentions at nofailplans.com. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 154 of Cool Culture Corner Jani Roberts and Sabrina Ursaner, Co-Founders of Alignment Essentials, share tools for living in the now, appreciating the contrast in life, and finding more joy in everything you do even in a pandemic! Learn more about Jani and Sabrina at alignmentessentials.com and use code KBCULTURE to take advantage of the VIP access they mention during the show. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 153 of Cool Culture Corner Vicky Brown, CEO of Idomeneo Enterprises, joins us to teach how to use the interview to get the information you need for a new hire. She also tells us about the worthless questions you need to stop asking like "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Learn more about Vicky at https://idomeneoinc.com/ and take advantage of her free gift by going to leadersjourney.tv/questions. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting and schedule a strategy session, as encouraged in the show, at https://btcinc.net/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

As a serial entrepreneur I have started multiple businesses. I have founded and currently manage Bator Training & Consulting and the Police Officers' CU Association. I host and produce two podcasts - Beyond the Call for law enforcement professionals and Cool Culture Corner for service-based businesses - as well as a YouTube show - Branding the Experience. And I have authored two books - The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S and The Pocket Guide to Strategic Planning. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbator/

One of the purposes of niching down is to keep yourself from drowning in a heavily saturated space. In business, you just can’t be everything to everybody because if you’re selling to everyone, you’re basically selling to no one. If you’re looking to jumpstart on finding out how to niche down, then it is best to start with making your message clear. This episode will help you with that as host, Jen Du Plessis, brings in author, host, and founder of Bator Training & Consulting, Ken Bator. Sharing his book, The Formula for Business Success, Ken lets us in on some branding strategies that do not only deliver great business results but also create a positive workforce and work environment. He shows us how closely related brand, culture, and strategy are to a business’ success, especially in creating a positive customer experience. Dive in deep into Ken’s wisdom and expertise that will have your employees want to come to work, and customers want to keep coming back like a revolving door of referrals. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Mortgage Lending Mastery Community today: jenduplessis.com Become a MLM Gold Member! MLM Membership

Episode 126 of Cool Culture Corner Dr. Catherine Akbarieh joins us to provide guidance in creating positive perception in the workplace, including some fun discussions about dental offices. She also shares details about her Three E's: Educate, Eliminate, and Empower. Learn more about Dr. Catherine and her business, Reflective Wellness, at www.linkedin.com/in/reflectivewellness/ Also, take advantage of the offers she makes on the show below: First 8 who purchase by October 17, 2019, will receive a special gift: A 40 minute Health Coaching Session to go along with it! (value of $200) And A Complimentary Bio-Scan to determine their Biological Preference for natural remedies that will support their perception re-framing (value $350) Offers: 1- https://HolisticConsult.as.me/10-StepsCEO 2- https://HolisticConsult.as.me/10StepsBusiness 3- https://HolisticConsult.as.me/10StepsIndividual COUPON CODE: 10-STEPS19 Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 125 of Cool Culture Corner Marcus Bird - Wellness Futurist, Quantum Leap Specialist & Peak Potential Coach - joins us as a guest to discuss the Power of Possibility and how it can enhance the culture of your business. Learn more about Marcus at www.marcusbird.net or www.wellnessleadershipacademy.com Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

Episode 120 of Cool Culture Corner Special guest, Henry Lopez, discusses the importance of creating a strong culture in a retail business including a car wash. Henry is not only a serial entrepreneur but also the co-host of The How of Business and the The How of Car Washing. Learn more at www.levantebusinessgroup.com, thehowofbusiness.com, and thehowofcarwashing.com. Learn more about Bator Training & Consulting at www.btcinc.net --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

The Four Pillars of Soundness for Supporting Law Enforcement – Ken Bator pt 3   (https://kcrpodcast.com/?attachment_id=98634) Many of you know my story. I am a 12 year active Army Veteran with 9 years enlisted and 3 years as a Commissioned Cavalry Officer. After the military, I had my own business for about 7 years before I fulfilled a life long goal and became a Law Enforcement Officer for the State of Maryland. So I have a special place in my heart for our Veterans and also for supporting our Law Enforcement brothers and sisters out there protecting us each and every day. Many people do not realize some of the pressures police officers face on a daily basis. Every single day they leave home may the their last. Every car they approach on a traffic stop may be a mass murderer who is trying to make their escape, or a drug addict who just committed armed robbery. The cop pulls them over for a burned out headlight, but the person driving the car thinks, “They’re onto me…” Traffic stops are one of the most dangerous forms of activities for law enforcement – along with domestic disturbance calls. But all of this is accomplished, willingly, by the men and women serving this nation in law enforcement. At the same time, there are unique things that must be considered in managing the financial affairs of the men and women in blue. Car loans, mortgages, credit lines, direct deposit, credit cards, etc. (only to name a few). But most banks and credit unions are not geared to the needs of the law enforcement community. Typically, they are “general” in nature and try to serve everyone. This works…to an extent. But what if there was a unique organization that served the needs of the law enforcement personnel. That would be great, right? What if there was an organization that specialized in the sharing of ideas and helping the front line organizations, especially credit unions, coordinate their benefit programs. This would help those that are helping those that are serving our communities. Well, my guest today, is part of such an organization. The Police Officers’ Credit Union Association is where institutions that serve the law enforcement world can find resources and support.  And they do not need to be large, multi-billion-dollar, multi-branch organizations either. The Police Officers’ Credit Union Association helps organizations of any size.  The Police Officers’ Credit Union Association not only provides a forum for networking and the sharing of ideas, but also helps to create avenues for true collaboration. This collaboration provides the organizations that are serving the LEO community the ability to develop revenue-generating programs and business-growth programs in order to serve the LEO families at a higher level. Ken Bator has more than 20 years of experience in helping organizations reach new levels of effectiveness by helping them to align their brand, their culture and their strategy. Ken hosts two podcasts himself. The “Beyond the Call” podcast for Law Enforcement Professionals and the “Cool Culture Culture” podcast for service based businesses. Ken was born and raised in Chicago. He has a BS in Finance and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from DePaul University. He is the founder of both, the Bator Training & Consulting firm and also the Police Officers’ Credit Union Association. Ken is the author of “The Pocket Guide to Strategic Planning: The 90 Day Quick Fix for the Business Owner or Manager” and also the book “The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S,” both of which can be accessed through the links in the show notes below. Tell us about the “Four Pillars of Soundness.” And how does the “Police Partner Program” tie into that? Now, you had a rough time in the past – which directly led to you being the entrepreneur that you are. You lost your job unexpectedly which led to your “Formula for Success” book. Tell us about that time in your life… So, “Brand, Culture and...

Episode 119 of Cool Culture Corner Starbucks used to be a prime example of Brand, Culture, and Strategy alignment. Today they seem to have a confused Culture that is perplexing to employees and consumers alike. Learn more about our sponsor, Bator Training & Consulting, at www.btcinc.net. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kenneth-bator/support

In today’s podcast, we’ll talk about tips on how organizations in states, counties, and cities that have approved a minimum wage increase can manage this going forward. We’ll also discuss the new overtime rule that may be headed our way this October. Our guest today is Ken Bator, owner of Bator Training & Consulting. Ken has 20-plus years of experience in helping organizations reach new levels of effectiveness.

Ken Bator has over 15 years of experience helping businesses create environments where employees actually want to come to work and customers want to keep coming back!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kenneth Bator is the founder of Bator Training and Consulting Inc; he has more than 15 years of experience in helping organizations create environments where employees actually want to come to work and customers want to keep coming back. As a facilitator for training and strategic planning sessions and an expert in brand concept, culture building and management, Kenneth has helped 100’s of organizations since 2001. In additional to his career working with managers and entrepreneurs, he has also served as an executive of 3 different institutions throughout the United States of America and has assisted many small to medium size businesses to reach new levels of effectiveness. Kenneth is the author of The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S, The Pocket Guide To Strategic Planning: The 90-Day Quick Fix For The Business Owner or Manager and The Strategic Planning Workbook and Guide For Financial Institutions, his articles has appeared in many trade publications including the Credit Union Journal, Lifestyle Entrepreneur, CU Business Magazine and ABA Bank Marketing. Born and raised in Chicago, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from DePaul University as well as a Certificate in Integrated Marketing from The University of Chicago.   Question Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey As a management expert, how do you feel about customer service or customer experience on a global level? Your book The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S, B is the brand, C is the culture and S is the strategy. Why do you believe that all of these three things need to be cohesively aligned in order for a business to reap success? In your experience as it relates to the brand, the culture and the strategy, what role do you think leadership plays? What would be 3 characteristics you believe a leader should have in order to be successful in these 3 areas of brand, culture and strategy? What are some important considerations that you would recommend to business owner they take into account moving into the online space in order to be successful? What advice would you give an employee or business owner in a business about sustaining a service culture? How do you stay motivated every day? What is the one online resource, website, tool or app that you absolutely cannot live without in your business? What are some of the books that have had the biggest impact on you? If you were sitting across the table from another business owner and they said to you that they feel they have great products and services but they lack the constantly motivated human capital, what’s the one piece of advice would you give them to have a successful business, specifically as it relates to constantly motivated human capital? What is one thing in your life right now that you are really excited about – something that you are working on to develop yourself or people? Where can our listeners find your information online? What is one quote or saying that you live by or that inspires you in times of adversity?   Highlights Kenneth Bator shared that his journey started with basically getting let go of an executive job, he was the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for a 4 Billion Dollar Financial Institution in the Chicago area and with a change in executive management came a change in a lot of positions and his was one of the first ones but he decided that instead of going back into corporate life to do what he really loved and enjoyed which is teaching and public speaking and writing and working one on one with a lot of different entrepreneurs and business owners and he loved every minute of it. In a sense, the founding principle that he lives by as well as mentor many college students on is really find out what you love, do what you love and find a way to make a living at that, otherwise, it’s going to be a real uphill climb. He didn’t realize how unhappy he was in the executive job until somebody did him a favor and let him go. Kenneth stated that to him Customer Service and Customer Experience are two different things. Customer service is part of the customer experience, you could have customer service and it can be poor service, which means that you’re providing no experience or a very poor experience. A lot of what he teaches centers on that experience itself and he believes it first starts with creating an experience for your employees, it is very difficult to have a positive interaction with your customers if you don’t have employees that really and truly want to be there. Yanique agreed that customer experience is different because the experience forms everything that they go through; every channel that they are engaging with your business and also, it is before they come in to work with you, so a lot of customers are very informed before they come to your business, with the onset of the internet, they can do their own research, they can look for information on their own, they are 60%-75% informed about what your business offers before they even have an interaction with you or your employees.   Kenneth stated that the example that he usually use, he uses one from his banking day is that customer service is we are going to handle the customer transaction properly and efficiently maybe even wish him/her a nice day and shuffle him/her out of our bank. A customer experience is when we have a line at the teller line, we are going to have somebody come by and offer them water and coffee, we’re going to ask them if there is something we might be able to do for them in an office, we might ask them,”What was your transaction today and what were you trying to accomplish? Maybe there’s another way that we can help you.” That’s an experience, that’s a how do we create a positive environment for our customer rather than just putting them in a line and giving them service and taking care of a transaction. Kenneth shared that around the time he was let go in 2001, he started to really delve into a number of different books and even before he was let go and was an executive, he tried to be a sponge and really understand all the nuances of business to take things to the next level, so he’d read a book on reengineering and he’d go to a seminar on empowerment and he would listen to a tape on Six Sigma and he would always think, “How do we put all of this together? How do you apply this? But not just tactically but apply it where it’s in alignment with everything.” Slowly but surely he came up with this brand culture strategy concept in that, “We need to know what is the image we want to create out in the public, we need to know what experience we need to create both through and for the employees and we need to know how to drive more of the right business to our business, brand, culture and strategy.” What he found that was developing in his mind is that he would do work in one area for a client for instance, one client would call him and ask him to do a strategic plan for them and they would do a very in depth written plan but nothing would get executed because their culture, the people weren’t passionate and wouldn’t support it, so the culture was an issue there or somebody would hire him to help them with marketing and build a brand message and they would do an awesome job of that and they would drive more of the right people to their business with that brand and that strategy but maybe the culture wouldn’t provide the main point that the customer experience that was proper, therefore everything falls apart. The same thing goes when you have a great culture where you have a team that’s really engaged and want to work and you have a strategy that makes sense in terms of having the right profit margins and the right product but if you’re not getting your brand message out there properly, you’re like the best kept secret, you’re not getting the people there to work with your business, so if the B or the C or the S isn’t quite right, then your formula is not going to yield the success that your business should have. Kenneth shared that leadership in management are different things, he’s a big fan of Dr. Stephen Covey’s work and he talked a lot about that whether it was in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change or any of his other books. Management is about moving around things and categorizing items but leadership is truly working with people which is a much tougher job, so from a brand, culture and strategy stand point, it really does start with the leader, somebody that understands that we can’t have a positive customer experience without having a positive employee experience and we can’t gain profit from a positive customer experience unless we have the right brand messaging to drive more of those people to our experience. And also so from a strategy stand point, you need a leader who understands that you need to not only just have goals but to have all the tactics and objectives aligned where people understand and can continue to move the organization forward, so leadership is key, without the right leadership and he has seen it too many times even with a great team and a great passionate staff it’s very difficult to have a successful business. Kenneth shared that the 3 characteristics a leader should have and the first is one is self-awareness and he can speak for himself as he has a very big ego and a type A personality but being able to step back and being able to say, “I screwed that one up.” “I actually do need to back to my staff and have a little egg on my face and say that one is on me guys, I messed up and maybe I took it out on you as my employee or my staff or my right hand person. Number 1, I apologize, number 2, we’re going, number 3, if you see me do that again then call me on it.” Second is engagement which you can also call involvement, he sees a lot of leaders that maybe have good intentions but they want to do everything themselves, take advantage of the resources that you have you’d be surprised at the things your staff can do even if your running a little ma and pa grocery store, talk to the part-time cashier ask him/her, “What do you think we could do to drive more business to our store?” and you’d be surprised, you’d get some great ideas. The last one is being able to take an airplane view, and he’s guilty of this and this is way he has a consultant for his business because he’s close to it even though he can consult with other people’s businesses but take an airplane view and be able to see how everything is working from above. We get so busy in the tactical, we get so busy in the day to day, “Oh, I have to do the books today, I’ve got to do the inventory today, I’ve got to do employees reviews today.” and you’re bouncing around from one task to the other, the ability to take at least 15 minutes a day from an airplane view and look down is not only critical but also provides some really valuable prospective. Kenneth stated that he has a client that wants to take their business online, they are not getting rid of their brick and mortar but they want to engage with their customers online and one of the struggles that they have is that they do have a great culture and they do such a great job of engaging with their customers when they walk through the door, how do we transfer that into online? What they are working on is what does a personal engagement look like online for their customer? Sometimes it’s a matter of asking, “What do you want Mr. Customer?” especially if you have a long time client that you’ve been working with for a long time. What does online business with us look like? What is comfortable to you? For instance, this client is actually looking at ways through their app to actually say, “Hello, Yanique” of “Good morning, Yanique” and to make that online a little more personable. So that’s the big question to ask is, “How can I create a customer experience online that is going to be aligned with how I works with customers today?” It’s not the end all, be all silver bullet but if you start by asking those questions, then you’re automatically on the right track. Kenneth stated that for advice on sustaining a service culture and if you’re going to do one thing, implement service standards and don’t just implement service standards, implement service standards from the ground up and what he suggests is get everybody on your front lines, get everybody that works with customers most often and he sees it when a company does merge with another organization and now all of a sudden they have 5 or 6 people that are brand new coming from a completely different environment and they say, “Okay, what do we do with these folks?” if you already have service standards, then he suggests getting everybody in a room and say, “Alright, we are a new team, we are a new family now, these are the service standards that we have, let’s discuss if we need to make an changes, additions or take some these things off. For instance, if we have a service standard that we are going to answer the phone within 3 rings, if we have an operational reason why we can’t adhere to that, then we better take it off or change it or make it 5 rings because it’s written down, it’s a promise.” And if you don’t have service standards then its even better opportunity is to get everybody involved and simply do an exercise and say, “What does service mean to you? What does service look like here? What should service look like?” Kenneth has done those types of exercises dozens and dozens of times and every time he does that, they always get some amazing feedback. Sometimes they get some goofy stuff which is like, “Get more sleep” but sometimes they get some really interesting things which is, “We should be able to solve most problems within 72 hours and we usually do, why don’t we make that a standard and put it in writing that we will resolve all problems within 72 hours and if we can’t, we will call the customer or client within 72 hours to give them an update, let them know what we’re doing and what’s in line for them.” but when you do that and you create the service standards from the ground up and you get people involved then there is instant buy in, now there are service standards, they are your service standards, they are not just one more thing that’s being pushed down from management saying, “Here are your service standards that you need to adhere to everyday.” They are all involved in this and if you’re bring new people on, that’s a great opportunity to either create them or take a new look at the service standards so that you can create that buy in and get every body involve right from the start. Yanique agreed that they are good points that you definitely need buy in, it needs to have a level of inclusivity that people feel like they are apart of the process because then they are more willing to adhere and to actually own the issue, they don’t feel like it’s information being handed down to them that they have to comply with and it makes the environment that much easier for you to work with because the team members feel like it’s their business and it really is. You spend 90% of time at work. Kenneth stated that he has seen in some circumstances where if you’ve done this properly in terms of creating the service standards, that there’s even a self-management among the team where one front line worker will tell the other front line worker, “Hey, that’s not how we do things here.” It actually begins to take some of the onus off the leader to continually be that person that cracks the whip, it actually makes things in the best of circumstances run smoother without your involvement as a leader. When you can leave for days and the place runs just as well or better than when you’re there, then you know you’ve done something right. Kenneth shared that he’s no different from other people; some days motivation comes easy and other days it doesn’t. Motivation for him is that he loves what he does and he’s really passionate about this brand, culture and strategy alignment concept. On the days when he’s not motivated, sometimes you just have to acknowledge it. He thinks that as entrepreneurs, executives, business owners, a lot of times we just want to push through things and that’s not necessarily bad but sometimes we you just have to acknowledge it like, “Hey, I’m a little off today, I’m not as motivated, I’m not as focused, I’m not necessarily doing backflips over what I need to do today.” And just acknowledging that leads you to a question in your mind of, “What do I need? Maybe I need to go out for a run or maybe I need to have one more cup of coffee or maybe I just need to take a walk around the block.” Sometimes what he’ll do if the task is not coming to him, let switch to another task, maybe instead of working on this client’s strategic plan, let’s put that off until this afternoon and let’s work on a video this morning, let’s work on another project because sometimes that gets your mind going to where you’re little bit more motivated in the day. Kenneth shared that the tool he can’t live without in his business is LinkedIn, if they took away Facebook and Instagram and every other app that he has and only left him with one, he would say LinkedIn is his best resource. It’s his best resource for information, he reads a lot of articles from other thought leaders on LinkedIn. He always find really good education on there and he connects with a number of people, there are some clients that he LinkedIn message, they don’t even email because they are on that app. So LinkedIn is number 1. Kenneth shared Stephen Covey books has had a huge impact on him especially when he read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change in the early 2000’s, that number 1. He stated that 2 others that read recently that he has been recommending a lot, one is kind of a oldie but goodie and that’s The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber, it’s a really good book on putting together systems and process which we need in every business and not taking away the people aspect. Another one that he read about a year ago that he really liked was All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line by Diana Kander, it’s somewhat of a fictional narrative an entrepreneur who’s struggling but it makes it really fun to read because it is a story but there is a tip with each of the chapters which is really interesting. Kenneth stated that the one thing he would say is, “What’s the feedback from your people?” if you truly feel they are not motivated then you have to ask. Sometimes we think it’s rocket science but it isn’t, sometimes it’s just a matter of getting people in the room and asking them really leading questions with the sincerity to listen, “What do you think is going on here? How do you think that we could take our business to the next level?” sometimes that question is a great one because you have some people that have some burning ideas in them but they’re afraid to say it and if you’re not getting the answers by simply asking them face to face then you need to try another way, maybe it’s an anonymous survey or you bring in an expert to do focus groups or something like that because you need to get that feedback, you need to the “Why”. If you’re not seeing the motivated human capital out there amongst your team then you have to get to the “Why”, is it because of the salaries, is it because of the working conditions, is it because of possibly one bad apple on the team that may be a supervisor that is not doing the job properly. You can’t solve the problem until you get the “Why’s” so you have to ask the questions. Kenneth shared that the thing that he’s really excited about right now is in the process of putting together a couple of online classes based on the brand, culture, strategy concept that he put together. He have been wanting to do that for a long time because there are people that enjoy the book and there are people who enjoy seeing and hearing him speak but there are some folks that want to learn but don’t necessarily want to hire him has a consultant and he understands that so he’s excited about giving them an option of an online class where they can take that at their leisure and work the brand, culture strategy concept through their unique business. Kenneth stated that his hope is to have it out summer 2017, that might be a little aggressive but now that he have put it out there, then it would more likely to come out this summer. Kenneth shared that listeners can find him at - www.btcinc.net Kenneth Bator LinkedIn Kenneth Bator Twitter Kenneth Bator Facebook Kenneth shared that he has a quote that he sometimes revert to and it’s one that many people have heard before, it’s Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity which is, “Doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” That kind of pops into his head, it’s like a cartoon clown jumping out of a clown car sometimes where actually a voice comes in and saying, “Okay, are we just simply doing the same thing and expecting a different result?” or “Do we need to change at least a little what we’re doing today in order to actually move forward?”   Links The Formula for Business Success = B+C+S by Kenneth Bator The Pocket Guide To Strategic Planning: The 90-Day Quick Fix For The Business Owner or Manager by Kenneth Bator The Strategic Planning Workbook and Guide For Financial Institutions by Kenneth Bator The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line by Diana Kander