Kerry Siggins Podcast

What exactly is a digital employee experience? It's how your employees engage with or use online software and apps. Examples of digital employee experiences include:
• HR systems that include self-service access to policies, compensation, PTO, performance management information, etc.
• Communication and collaboration such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and easy to use phone systems
• Productivity and Workflow such as project management, document storage, and collaboration tools
• Education and training such for professional and personal development
The best teams and companies will have high levels of engagement and use the tools to be more productive. It's 2022, and I get that most companies now use software like Asana for project management and Zoom for communication. Still, the issue is integration and where creating a digital employee experience comes into play. No one wants to use 15 programs to get their jobs done.
I'll give you an example of what we did at StoneAge. There was a lot of confusion on what collaboration platform to use for different types of communication. We use Teams, OneDrive and Asana, and several employees didn't know when to use each. We created a simple flow chart that people refer to, and we've experienced a high adoption of the tools since clearing up the confusion.
People use seamless technology in their personal lives –think how Apple has made everything interconnected. Think about how easy it is to pay with your phone. Your employees expect the same seamless interaction at work, too. If it's too hard for your employees to access information or use the tech tools you provide, they will get frustrated, negatively impacting their overall work experience. But when technology is well-integrated with a company's culture, there is a five times higher likelihood of employee engagement and a 47% lower chance of attrition, according to O.C. Tanner's 2021 Global Culture Report. The role of technology can't be overstated when it comes to creating a connected workforce, especially with employees more dispersed than ever before.
Applications must be personalized, integrated and easy to use. And the good news is that most employees feel good about the future of technology in the workplace. Based on the O.C. Tanner study, 77% of employees believe advanced technology will improve their work experience. They know that it will establish a greater connection with the organization and one another.
How do you go about creating a seamless digital customer experience? According to an article published by the Academy to Innovate HR, they suggest the following steps.
1. Start with the endgame in mind
2. Define what you want to achieve
3. Communicate your vision
4. Assemble a cross-functional team
5. Research and choose the technology
6. Don't expect to transform everything at once
7. Provide sufficient training
8. Measure digital employee experience
9. Work on improvements
I agree with these steps, and it's exactly the process we use at StoneAge. While it takes time and is a lot of work, we are making progress. We are utilizing tools more efficiently and getting ready to roll out a digital customer experience platform that will make it even easier for our employees to interact with our customers. The hardest thing to wrap your head around, at least in my opinion, is how much work it takes to roll out a successful digital platform. It always requires more resources than you expect, and if you don't properly resource the project, and let's face it, what the company does will take longer and probably cost more. My advice is to set your expectations appropriately. There will be delays and added scope.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from an old friend who reached out to me on Facebook and said, "Kerry, I am in a rut at work. What can I do to get out of it?"
Listen to find out what I told her!

Guest: In 2003, Jimmy Peck joined MPW Industrial Services in the role of Management Trainee, learning the business of industrial cleaning through hands-on, in-the-field experience for two years. Jimmy has held many different positions from Branch Manager, District Manager, General Counsel, and President of Environmental Services. In 2006, Jimmy originated MPW's legal department before being promoted in 2008 to his current role — General Manager for the Industrial Cleaning Group.
Before joining MPW, Jimmy worked for the Ohio Attorney General's office in the Charitable Law Section. Jimmy graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor's degree in Business and from the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University with a J.D. Jimmy received his license to practice law in 2004.
Jimmy is an active member of numerous legal and industrial groups, including the WJTA-IMCA Board of Directors, Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and the Columbus Bar Association (CBA).
Jimmy enjoys spending time with his family—his wife, Molly, and six children- in his free time—and he strongly supports local youth initiatives. He is a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Episode in a Tweet: All leaders need a good mentor or support system — someone who tells you, "You shouldn't have done that; it wasn't good."
Background: I've known Jimmy for almost a decade now as we are in the industrial cleaning industry. I am always impressed by Jimmy's humility and willingness to make the room laugh. His story of climbing the ladder at MWP Services is remarkable and one that many leaders can appreciate. I sit on the Waterjet Technology Association (WJTA) board with Jimmy and have the pleasure of working with him on industry initiatives. I know his honesty, humility and down-to-earth style will inspire you.
During our conversation, Jimmy and I talk about what it's like to work in a high-stress industry. Jimmy shares his philosophy on owning mistakes and leading by example. He shares some tough feedback he received from a mentor and how it changed his leadership style. Finally, Jimmy shares heartfelt advice about why you can't look in the rear-view mirror and move forward effectively and safely.
I know you'll love this fun and frank interview with Jimmy Peck.
How to find Jimmy Peck
www.mpwservices.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-peck-0166b8158/

What makes a robust and effective team? How do you rally everyone around the same vision and goals? How do you ensure that everyone exhibits the company's values and meets expectations around how to communicate and behave on the team? To answer these questions and more, you need to draft "Team Operating Principles."
Developing team operating principles is the topic of this week's episode on Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO.
I was inspired to draft them after I read the CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break Leaders by Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer. The CEO Test is part manual, part experiencing sharing. The authors line out seven tests that examine what makes CEOs excel and what traps they can fall into that cause failure. The tests involve developing a simple strategic plan, creating culture, building teams, leading transformation, developing listening skills, handling a crisis, and managing the conflicting demands placed on and within leaders.
My favorite section of the book was Test #3: Can You Build True Teams. I spend a lot of time developing my executive team, and Kevin's story of creating leadership operating principles at his company, Amgen, was inspiring. And I read it right when a key employee left the senior management team, and I was focused on hiring the right person for our company culture. So, I worked with my team to create our operating principles, and it was incredibly eye-opening and motivating. Having this clarity is helpful for current team cohesiveness, but just as importantly, it clearly defines expectations for future executive team members.
During the episode, I discuss how we created our operating principles and the benefit we've received from having a clearly defined team vision, purpose, mission and articulated behaviors outlining how we work together as a team.
Question of the Week
Someone on LinkedIn asked this week's question after reading something I posted about meeting my publisher. She asked, "Why did you decide to go with a hybrid publisher? And what does that mean?"
During the episode, I share the difference between self, hybrid and traditional publishing and explain why I chose to go with a hybrid publisher for my upcoming book.
Thanks for listening, and please like, share, rate, write a review and/or subscribe to my podcast. It always helps with the algorithms.

Guest: Roger Zalneraitis has learned how to be a CEO through "trial by fire." And what's gotten him through tough challenges is being nimble. Roger is the CEO of MODSTREET, a manufacturing company that build outdoor parklets for restaurants and city municipalities. Before joining MODSTREET, he spent over 15 years in community and economic development. Roger utilizes his economic development experience to help MODSTREET's clients shape their communities, making them more outdoor-friendly.
Roger holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a Master's degree in Urban Planning from Virginia Tech.
Episode in a Tweet: One of the biggest challenges of being a first-time CEO is scaling your expectations and skills as the company grows and matures.
Quick Background: Roger Zalneraitis is a first-time CEO determined to build his company and become a leader worth following. After joining MODSTREET in early 2021, he's learned just how hard yet rewarding it is to scale a startup. During our conversation, Roger shares how being nimble has helped him overcome the challenges that startups often face. He candidly tells us how he's grown in his role and how learning by making mistakes has made him resilient.
I've known Roger for many years and hired him as the Executive Director for the La Plata Economic Development Alliance back in 2011 when I was the board president. I've watched Roger grow as a person and leader and was thrilled when he and the co-founders of MODSTREET asked me to join their Board of Directors.
My favorite line from Roger's interview is this – "Some of the things that I thought were a challenge when I first started are things I look at now and say, "whatever!" I look forward to new challenges because it means I'm growing as a leader."
I can relate. I rarely get worked up about much these days, and it comes from dealing with difficult situations repeatedly. The more adversity you overcome, the less adverse things feel over time.
Roger leaves us with excellent advice at the show's end, reminding us that we don't have to have all the answers as leaders. We don't have to be the smartest person in the room. Instead, we should lead with humility because that's what makes us leaders worth following.
You can find out more about MODSTREET here: https://modstreet.co/
You can find Roger on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-zalneraitis-1899045/

How does your intuition play into decision making and how do you leverage it to make better decisions? We talk about this and more in this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO.
Psychologists define intuition as "immediate understanding, knowledge, or awareness, derived neither from perception nor reasoning." It's an automatic, effortless feeling that quickly motivates you to act.
We all know there are two parts to the mind, conscious and subconscious. The conscious mind is where we make rational decisions, and intuition is all about your subconscious. When you make intuitive decisions, you are relying on your subconscious experiences.
Our brains are powerful information processing machines. As we go through life, we store information in our subconscious, just in case we need it for future decision-making. To access this information when needed the most, the brain files is as pattern schemes that make it easier to make sense of our thoughts. Then the brain compares what's happening in the moment to past experiences, knowledge and memories.
So, when you're making a "gut decision," it's not based just on feeling or emotion but on the logic created from past experience. You just don't realize it in the moment, which is why it feels like you are making a gut decision.
If you are like me, your gut shares just as much info with you as your rational mind does. These feelings show up as "I know this is the right decision in my heart." Or "I have a pit in my stomach over this decision."
During the show, I explain four ways to use intuition to make better decisions:
1. Be Curious about what you are feeling. Heart vs. head. Where is this feeling come from?
2. Draw on past experiences: intuition is pattern recognition
3. Anticipate different outcomes
4. Try the snap judgment test. On a piece of paper, write a question you're struggling with, such as, "Will accepting the promotion make me happy?" Then write "yes or no" below the question and walk away. After a few hours, or the following day, come back to the paper and immediately circle the answer that feels right to you.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from a friend who asked me, “I have to have a hard conversation with one of my employees. What’s one thing I can do to ensure that I deliver it well?”
My advice was to be really clear on the outcome she wanted. I encouraged her to picture a positive result, then plan her communication accordingly.
For example, if she wanted the person to turn things around and remain on the team, she should approach the conversation so that the person knows she believes in them and is going to help them get back on track. She should be prepared to brainstorm solutions and offer to coach them. She should be honest, direct, and kind when delivering the feedback, and the employee should feel like they have a plan of action to turn things around.
Listen to the full episode for more!

Guest: Jessica Matlock is LaPlata Electric Association’s (LPEA) first female CEO in the co-op’s 80-year history. Before this role, Matlock served as a member of the executive leadership team for 13 years at the nation’s 11th largest public utility (Snohomish Public Utility District). In her last role – Assistant General Manager of Customer, Energy Services, and External Relations – she directed customer engagement, legislative and policy strategy, and the development and implementation of the utility’s solar, electric vehicle, and demand response programs.
Prior to this, Jessica worked as an energy expert for the U.S. Senate and held numerous positions with the Bonneville Power Administration. She has served in various board and leadership positions with the Large Public Power Council, National Hydropower Association, American Public Power Association, the Alliance to Save Energy, Washington State Clean Technology Alliance, and GridForward.
Episode in a Tweet: Leadership is about being empathetic and knowing that you’re not always right, and you must have the courage to admit you are wrong and then course correct.
Quick Background: Jessica is a dear friend of mine and one of the most respected leaders in the power generation industry. Jessica recently founded and is the co-Chair of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Women in Power professional network. This group convenes women working in public power throughout the country to share ideas, develop professional connections, and support female advancement in a predominantly male industry. Let’s just put it this way; she’s a total rockstar.
During our conversation, Jessica keeps it real. She shares how she gets herself back on track when she loses her way. Jessica talks about juggling what’s fair with the reality of constraints and tradeoffs in both the industry and the workplace. She is candid about how her team gives her feedback and how she’s learning how to respond to it with gratitude and action.
Jessica also gives us an inside look at the innovative ways she looks at bringing traditional and renewable power to rural Colorado. She’s truly a remarkable leader, and I’m confident you’ll enjoy this interview.

In this week's episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, we talk about the pitfalls of complacency and how to jumpstart yourself so you don't allow for mediocrity. If you allow yourself to be complacent or mediocre you won't drive success. Being mediocre won't build trust and respect. If you are complacent, you'll be left behind. You have to want and expect more from yourself and your team. Try new things, hold yourself accountable, ask for feedback, and don't drink your own Kool-Aid.
Question of the week comes from a follower on LinkedIn who said, "I've been told that I come across as aggressive in meetings and that people are afraid to speak up. I don't think I am being aggressive. People are just too sensitive. What should I do"
I love this question! Be sure to tune in to find out what I told him!

Guest: Brenda Jacobsen, President of Mindful Communications, is an accomplished business leader in the health, wellness, and healthcare spaces, with deep expertise in scaling, multi-state business operations, and M&A. The former CEO of Lakeside Medical Centers and Life Cross Training, Brenda’s career has focused on improving the health and wellness of workforces globally, focusing first on physical wellness and now on wellbeing. Brenda is a sought-after keynote speaker and thought leader on leadership, mindfulness, and building resilience.
Brenda serves on the board of directors for LifeXT and Mindful Communications. She has previously served on the board of the Homeless Empowerment Project, the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals, and the Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas. She currently serves as the Network Chair for the Young President’s Organization’s (YPO) Women’s Business Network, an organization dedicated to elevating the global profile of female leaders to be more impactful, more extraordinary, and more connected.
Episode in a Tweet: As employers and leaders, we must be willing to lean into, support and think creatively and innovatively about how to help people be their whole selves at work.
Quick Background: Brenda Jacobsen sees mindfulness as a unique and profound approach to social change and our work as a social innovation initiative. As the President of Mindful Communications, her mission is to bring mindfulness into the mainstream, and it presents a historic opportunity to transform society. Brenda and I discuss how Mindful Communications brings mindfulness coaching into the workplace through their LifeXT program during our conversation. Brenda shares how LifeXT combines digital tools with customizable and scalable professional coaching for a unique program that increases employee engagement and optimizes wellbeing and performance.
Brenda and I also discuss the need for companies to invest in benefits such as mindfulness coaching and other mental health programs to remain competitive. Brenda makes a case for leaning into our roles as leaders and finding innovative and creative ways to support employees who are struggling mentally and emotionally.
Finally, Brenda wraps up the conversation by explaining social innovation and why leaders should create a company and culture that makes the world a better place.
To find Brenda, visit her LinkedIn page here.
To find Mindful Communications, visit their website here.

"Inclusivity means not 'just we're allowed to be there,' but we are valued. I've always said: smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things." ~ Claudia Brind-Woody – Executive at IBM
I love this quote from Claudia Brind-Woody. If you want to build an exceptional team and company, you must create an environment where everyone feels included, valued, and as they belong. Because diverse and inclusive teams go on to do impossible things.
But what does belonging actually mean? And how do you create a team that is inclusive and encourages belonging?
Nobody wants to feel like an outsider on a team, but unfortunately, many do. I can promise that you have people on your team who don't feel like they belong — who absolutely feel like outsiders. Leaders need to address belonging to create a much more inclusive, safe space for everyone on their team.
In this week's episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I discuss why it's important to create a sense of belonging on your team and how to go about doing it.
The first step is to define what belonging means to you, your team and your company. Belonging means different things to different people. Survey your team to find out what belonging looks and feels like to everyone on your team so that you can find common language and meaning.
For some contact, the Cambridge Dictionary defines belonging as "a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you."
The next thing you need to do is get to know people on your team and help them get to know each other. When you take the time to understand people and their life stories, you build deeper connections and create opportunities for understanding. As Berne Brown so articulately says, "Never underestimate the power of being seen."
Another important aspect of belonging comes in the form of giving feedback. It takes trust and respect to deliver meaningful and helpful feedback. And there is nothing kinder than saying, "I care enough to share this feedback with you." Giving and receiving feedback creates opportunities for meaningful dialog, deeper understanding and a sense of belonging.
Always lead with gratitude. As often as you can, say, "Thank you. I really appreciate you. I liked your idea and the different point of view you brought to the conversation."
Finally, create team operating principles that define the team's purpose and articulate the behaviors and attributes required to succeed. Operating principles create clarity, alignment, and healthy teams – but only when team members hold themselves and each other accountable to living the principles.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from a fellow YPOer who asked, "Kerry, how do you always stay so focused?" Listen to my tips on staying focused and getting things done.
I talk about my friend Chris Schembra and his Gratitude Experience in the episode. You can find out more here.

Guest: Gabrielle Dolan is a master storyteller and teaches executives how to use stories to connect with customers, partners, and employees. She is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, educator and author, Gabrielle’s extensive client list includes Telstra, EY, Accenture, VISA, Australia Post, National Australia Bank, Amazon, Vodafone and the Obama Foundation.
She holds a master’s degree in management and leadership from Swinburne University, an associate diploma in education and training from the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education.
Gabrielle is also the bestselling author of Real Communication: How to Be You and Lead True, a finalist in the Australian Business Leadership Book Awards for 2019. Her most recent book is called Magnetic Stories: Connect with Customers and Engage with Employees with Brand Storytelling.
Episode in a Tweet: The ability to share your ideas or instructions in an impactful way is vital for leaders and executives alike. To be an effective leader, you must become an effective storyteller.
Quick Background: Gabrielle Dolan knows how to tell stories. In fact, it was while working in a senior leadership role at National Australia Bank that she realized the power of storytelling in effective business communication. Since that epiphany, Gabrielle has found her calling as a global thought leader on strategic storytelling and real communication.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward, Gabrielle and I discuss the importance of storytelling in business. She shares the five types of business stories and how to use them effectively. We discuss why leaders are intimidated to tell personal stories and the importance of getting a bit vulnerable. We talk about how stories motivate people and why you should always make your employees and customers the hero of your story.
This is a great episode, and you’ll love learning how to be a better storyteller with Gabrielle.
How to find Gabrielle: https://gabrielledolan.com/