Corporate CPR

On today's show, we discuss how to best navigate the culture wars in your organization.Jim Terry is a Strategic Communications Executive with nearly three decades of experience working in the state, local, and federal politics – including serving as the Political Director for the US Presidential campaign. A veteran of Capitol Hill, Jim has a special knack for helping businesses and organizations navigate the turbulence at the intersection of business and politics. From taxes to the culture wars, Jim has a unique approach to communicating in today's outrage-driven environment, including the 5 opportunities most businesses are missing. Jim has appeared on Fox News, CNN, and countless talk radio show across the country and has testified before Congress on multiple occasions.Key Takeaways:When did companies becoming more embedded in the social world?The social media environment has really contributed. Also significant is the role that college campuses have played. Issues are often presented and viewed through a moral lens. The differing opinions are viewed as evil, rather than different or wrong. Students enter the job world believing companies should fight what is perceived as evil. Social media and Hollywood strengthen this pressure. Is it better to have no stance in order to avoid having the "wrong" opinion?As with most things, context matters. It really depends on your industry, your workforce, your customer base, your size, your market, etc. Be deliberate. How important is the issue to you? Are you willing to risk your brand? What advice would you give to companies facing this decision?Be deliberate. Decide whether or not you should be having this conversation. If you do join the conversation, make sure it is in a venue where both viewpoints can be expressed. Social media lends itself to name-calling and shutting down any opposing views.Be informed. Understand the details of your own view and the opposing view.Be prepared. Choose universal values stick to them. What if employees are pressuring you to be involved?Set expectations proactively by policies and standards. Why do you think things are becoming more violent?Individuals in authority aren't condemning the violence against opposing views. It's a failure of leadership in politics and in the media. Elections are more likely to be able to make corrections. Media tends to show us the extremes, but most Americans are somewhere near the center of the opposing views. Do you think there is danger in being quiet about these issues?In America, we have a lot of options to be active in the process. Shopping and voting are less visible means of making political choices, but very powerful. What are your thoughts about the economic impact of taking an unpopular stance on an issue?Brand damage can have economic consequences. Another aspect of taking a strong stance on issues as a company is the shift of focus from your product and customer experience. If those suffer, you will absolutely have an economic impact. Connect with Jim Terry:www.tdspublicaffairs.com

On today's show, we discuss how changing customer interactions can increase revenue.National design firm Mancini Duffy – with a 100+-year-old history and tech-forward approach – is a full-service design firm specializing in architecture, planning, and interior design. Headquartered in New York City, the practice complements its century of expertise with contemporary entrepreneurial spirit and technological skill for clients.Jeff Anderson is an Associate and Design Lab Developer at Mancini Duffy. At Mancini, he conducts design research and develops architectural visualization tools. Jeff’s also an educator, architectural designer, and AR/VR software developer. He currently teaches in the Graduate Architecture & Urban Design program at Pratt Institute and the Graduate Architecture Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Jeff is a Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of The Toolbelt. A patent-pending software that allows Mancini's clients to explore and manipulate 3D models in Virtual Reality to visualize and make design modifications for their projects together in real-time. Utilizing The Toolbelt, Mancini's designers can do in 3 hours what it takes most 3 weeks to do.Michael Kipfer is a Principal at Mancini, where he spearheads research and development efforts at Mancini. A co-founder of Mancini's research and development arm, the Design Lab, Michael pushes the boundaries within architecture and design. The Design Lab was born by exploring and adapting technology such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, 3D printing, and drones to communicate seamlessly between the client and the architect. The space is where the incubation of ideas merge with technology to develop cutting-edge services and encourage dynamic collaboration with clients. In addition, Kipfer works with in-house software developers and designers to integrate technology into the firm's everyday operations using Mancini's unique 360 Design Process and patent-pending The Toolbelt software. Key Takeaways:Things don't always have to be how they've always been. This design process embedded in the discipline needed to be improvised in light of new technologies. We've found a lot of efficiencies in that and by having clients that aren't afraid to experiment, we've made things better for both the clients and the designers.These changes allow for the client to be involved in the R&D process. It doesn't always go right, but when the clients see that they are part of something special, it's ok that it doesn't always go right. Always experiment. Always ask questions. Always be completely open and transparent. Don't be afraid to test something.Being willing to try new things can have an unexpected results. The changes we made have brought in a diverse mix of clients that we didn't have before. How to ConnectMancini Duffy website: https://www.manciniduffy.comThe Toolbelt website: https://thetoolbelt.com

On today's show, we discuss how to effectively manage global teams. Dr. Rajesh Kumar is a consultant and a retired business academic specializing in global business. He has an undergraduate and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Delhi, an MBA from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in International Business from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He is also a Certified Global Dexterity Trainer.Dr. Kumar specializes in the art of doing business across cultural boundaries. As companies go global they must deal with suppliers, customers, and even employees coming from different cultural backgrounds. This impacts all facets of business operations ranging from how you negotiate business deals to how you motivate employees and manage them.Dr. Kumar has led training programs for global companies on Doing Business in India, Negotiating Cross-Culturally, and Managing Strategic Partnerships. Global Strategic Advisory, of which Dr. Kumar is the principal, offers training programs to companies seeking to enhance their global presence. Dr. Kumar is also part of the Partner-Alliances Collective, a group of professionals involved in managing alliances.Key Takeaways:What kinds of challenges have companies faced with multi-national teams?Communication. Not only is there a language barrier, but often different areas communicate differently. Example: Indirect vs direct communication Building mutual trust and relationshipsGetting the best out of different peopleStereotyping rather than finding strengths For people on a global team, what should they be doing to build trust and help team dynamics?Be careful about making judgements based on culture. Trouble with English doesn't equate to incompetence.Honor everyone for their contribution. Each one has a particular expertise.One nationality might dominate. Avoid sub-groups within the group and encourage contribution from everyone.Be in person rather than remote when possible. In the US, employees are not as familiar with working globally. How do you help facilitate the proper awareness?Provide cultural training, highlighting differences and potential problems. Give solutions proactively.Plan for teambuilding exercises. What are some pitfalls companies have when they don't plan for cultural differences?Can have a complete breakdown between headquarters and subsidiary team, causing projects to miss deadlines and fail to meet expectations. This can cause team members to place blame on each other and degrade rapport.Can have failed negotiations where you don't get the contract. Can have a situation where you produce the wrong product for a client because of bad communication. To hire the best people to work on an international team, what skills should a manager look for? Emotionally attuned Strong relational orientationEmpathy, compassion, patiencePositive attitude in challenging circumstances Top 3 Tips:Seek awareness and recognition that there are differences between cultures.All cultures have unique strengths and weaknesses. Celebrate and utilize the strengths.Don't try to control everything. There are a lot of moving parts. Too much control can destroy trust.Connect with Dr. KumarWebsite: https://globalstrategicadvisory.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-kumar-81aa6a10/

On today's show, we discuss why adopting AI is critical to the future of your company. Guillaume Herve, co-founder and CEO of Zetane Systems, is a serial corporate entrepreneur who brings 25 years of leadership experience from technology-driven industries, including aerospace, healthcare, defense and modeling and simulation. He was President and CEO of Presagis, Founder and CEO of CAE Healthcare, held various senior leadership roles at CAE Inc., is a highly sought-after consultant in strategic planning and innovation, and successfully published Winning at Intrapreneurship. Guillaume has also been very active mentoring founders of technology start-ups at FounderFuel, Techstars, Concordia District 3, and CTS Health and is Chairman of the Board of CTS Health and CMLabs. Key Takeaways: What is AI?Wide field that has been around for a long time. Started with basic statistics. Evolved into machine learning and deep learning. Massive models ingesting data to identifying patterns to predict outcomes. No independent thought. Can only do what it is trained to do, not react to unexpected input. In the customer service space, how well does AI work at determining tone?Culture is a big piece. The AI will have to be trained in differences in geographical regions. That is very difficult and limited in scope.Three important things to consider in the early stages of deciding to use AI in your company:Clear use case. Have a clear situation that you are trying to solve. Is AI the right tool for this, or is there a better solution?Proof of concept. Start with a small dataset and see if AI will give the expected outcome.Risk analysis. The decision makers that understand the real world consequences of AI failure need to be involved in the process and feel secure at deployment that all of the risks have been addressed when developing the AI solution.Should AI be an internal or external process?There is a lot of open source material available, providing companies better access to get started. There are models developed by researchers available for free that can be used as a great starting point. However, you will need employees that understand how to use them. A company could choose to:Build its own AI teams internallyDecide on the use case, and then outsource the AI solution buildingHave a combination of a small AI team internally that will work with an external teamWhat are some key failure points?Explainability - Risky use cases for AI need better explanation. Unlike software development, we can't go to lines of code to explain behavior. We need to be able to explain its decision making to those in charge of the task it will do.Robustness - We have to understand that AI is not perfect. It needs to be as good or better than a human at a particular task, while being faster and cheaper. Executives need to understand when it will work and when it will fail. Top 3 takeaways for businesses regarding AI:Move quickly. Get informed and understand what it can and cannot do.Be cautious about how to implement in your company.Don't make the mistake of letting your team or consultants develop in a vacuum. Involve the decision makers in the process and get the buy-in along the way. 80-85% of AI projects are never deployed, mainly because of lack of buy-in. Connect with Guillaume HerveCompany website: https://zetane.comEmail: guillaume@zetane.com

On today's show, we discuss how to operate in tight labor markets. We are certainly in what is called a "candidate's market" right now. How can an organization compete for the best employees? With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Cindy Klein has started her career working for top firms of the industry. After 15 years of experience in recruitment marketing and sales, she eventually became the SVP of Sales for Talent.com, overseeing the whole North American market. Key Takeaways:What types of things are important to candidates in today's market?Salary and salary increasesHealth benefitsPerks like employee referrals, 401K, gym memberships, etc.Value alignment. Example - What are you doing for the environment? What types of companies do you partner with? Do you have group efforts for volunteering in the community? Culture fit. People want to feel a part of something.How do you scale while maintaining the "feel" of a startup?One size does not fit all. Different leadership teams for each country or region helps to maintain a great culture for the area.What things should companies focus on when trying to compete for the best candidates?Branding. Set your company apart when you post a job. What makes you different? Why does someone want to work with you?Ease of application. Make the application process easy to navigate so the candidate can find the job they want.Response time. Respond the same day they apply. If you wait, you may lose them.Follow through. Make sure you are getting an appointment on the calendar right away.Interviews. Don't require more than three interviews. Ideally, you'll have a one on one interview and then a committee interview so the candidate has a chance to understand the culture. If a company is reviewing their process, how can they self-diagnose?Look at the process from when a recruiter gets the applications. How long does it take for the recruiter to get through the results, and how are they prioritizing candidates? What are the different steps in the process? Are there steps that could be removed? Are there steps that could be done simultaneously to reduce time? Example - background checks/offer letters togetherFor small to mid-size companies, how do you get known and seen?Pay per click advertising is affordable. It gives opportunity for mid-market companies to compete. Make sure your job title simple and you have a very strong bulleted job description with relevant keywords for searches.Where should a company be posting jobs?Multiple sites. Candidates are likely to visit 8-15 sites to apply for jobs. They may apply for the same job on multiple platforms. Be in front of them multiple times. Examples - Indeed.com, LinkedIn, Talent.com Top 3 points:Shorten the candidate experience. Evaluate the overall application process and see where you can eliminate or combine steps.Review your job descriptions and ensure you are posting the key words applicants will search for.Look at the candidates coming in for transferable skills. If they aren't a great fit for the job they applied for, would they be a great fit somewhere else in the organization? Connect with Cindy KleinLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindymklein/Email - cindy@talent.com

On today's show, we discuss insurance and risk management for your organization.Clay Ogden could easily be described as the ace of the SRA Team. In his role as National Business Development Manager, Clay does it all as he interacts with business owners and advisors to identify risk management strategies. As a former professional Golfer on the Nationwide, Web.com, Canadian and mini-tours, Clay nurtures many of his business relationships on the course and brings more than 12 years in risk mitigation to identify opportunities and consult with clients and representatives.  Key Takeaways:Many businesses think they are insured for everything. The pandemic showed us some risks that are actually typically uninsured that could potentially cause a business closure. These include:Supply chain interruptionsDispute resolutionLoss of a key employee to an accident/illnessBrand/reputation damageHow is the 831(b) insurance program different from typical policies like errors and omissions, directors and officers, general liability, workers' compensation?Utilizing the 831(b) tax code, a business can complement these policies and fill in the gaps with tax-deferred dollars.How can a business decide if this is right for them?This is for a business that has some excess funds to set aside. There will be no access to the funds for a 12 month period. Ideally, you want to take excess profits from good years to prepare for bad years. In the first year, funds are only available for claims. In the second year, some surplus funds will be available in the 831(b) to defer, loan from, or dividend from.  What is the ratio between investment and coverage?Typically, the amount of coverage for this type of program is 2x the premium. For the more traditional insurance policies, underwriting will determine coverage limits. This program offers ways to be more efficient with the dollar investment. One example would be raising the deductible on the more traditional policies and setting up a deductible reimbursement through this program. What questions should an organization ask when contemplating insurance?What issues have there been in the past?What things keep you up at night as a business owner? What kinds of things are you afraid might hurt your business?Top 3 TakeawaysThere are lots of businesses that are not aware of these special insurance programs. 831(b) can be a great option for the uninsured or even for the traditional insurances. There are a lot of avenues where you can benefit the business, from both cash flow and risk management standpoints.Our eyes have been opened about what is and is not typically covered.Those that plan ahead do well in good and bad times. Those that are more reactive struggle in the inevitable bad times. Contact Clay Ogden:Website: http://831b.comLinkedIn SRA:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sra-831b/LinkedIn Clay:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-ogden-547123103/Vimeo:  https://vimeo.com/831bYouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8QJwR1FlAzdAgmC8UYsnWgFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SRA831b/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sra_831b/

Today, we discuss how you are doing social media wrong and ways to be more effective.Katie Brinkley is the owner of a successful boutique social media marketing agency with a focus on trending social media platforms and how to leverage them to grow your business. A trained media professional, Katie quickly found her passion for social media with the advent of MySpace and is now the leading Clubhouse coach in the fast-paced, everchanging space of digital marketing. Next Step Social Communications provides a variety of services from training and coaching entrepreneurs on their finer points of social media, to a full-blown, done-for-you social media management. Her expertise is highly regarded and sought-after.  Especially after the pandemic, we are realizing how important it is to have a presence online. How do you determine how to show up on social media?Which social media platforms are most of your customers on?What are the different ways you can engage with them on those platforms?See which ways make the most sense for your business and show up in the right way for your customers.Different customers will have different preferences on their individual feeds - single images, carousel posts, reels, etc. Make sure you are putting out content in the different formats so that your customers will see it.When you don't have a product that is visual, how do you "make a splash" on social media?Make it personal. Do some live video content. People want to do business with people. Your customers want to get to know you.How personal should you be when posting for your business?Make sure you are being personal with a purpose. Post with intention. When someone sees your post and clicks on it to learn more about you, will they still find you relevant? Think about what's in it for the people seeing it. Clearly show: what you do who you serve why youIs it bad to reuse content across platforms?Yes. There are ways to be efficient, but you should be careful with it. Don't leave the watermark from one platform on another. The audio needs to be the platform's native audio. Not all content will translate to other platforms well. What about TikTok for businesses?TikTok has expanded demographically, so it can be valuable to post there if you are comfortable on video. Talking head videos giving short tips work well. TikTok is casual, so your content doesn't need to be overproduced. Benefits of Social Audio? It can help you figure out what kind of tagline you should have. Join some of those stages. You'll learn how to quickly share what you do and how can you contribute to the conversation. It can help you learn what is important to your customer base. You'll have opportunities to engage with people you may never have crossed paths with. You can go in and listen as well. Find out what some of the struggles/trends are for your customer base and then tailor your content for that.Top tips for executing a social media strategy:Have a solid strategy that is intentional.Post consistently, not constantly. Pay attention to your bio. This is the first impression of you.Make sure your content is in alignment with what you do.Pay attention to and prepare for the coming trends in the world of NFT, metaverse, AR. Find people to learn from. These things may be the future of the business world.Connect with Katie BrinkleyLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/katiebrinkleyInstagram: @iamkatiebrinkley Podcast: Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast

On today's show, we discuss how to appropriately balance your company's cyber security with your employee experience.  Denis O’Shea founded Mobile Mentor in New Zealand in 2004. Since then, the company has helped millions of people unlock the full potential of their technology. In 2017, O’Shea moved to Nashville, Tennessee to launch the company’s US business, with a focus on securing the mobile workforce in industries such as healthcare, education, finance and government services.   Mobile Mentor is a global leader in the endpoint ecosystem, helping clients to navigate the right balance between security and employee experience. The company was named Microsoft’s 2021 Global Partner of the year for Modern Endpoint Management primarily for their work helping Alive Hospice safely treat patients during COVID 19. In addition to being a top Microsoft partner, they are also certified by Apple and Google. Mobile Mentor has recently worked with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Michigan Medicine, Mayo Clinic and the US Coast Guard.  Key Takeaways: How has the pandemic shifted the way employees work and shifted the balance between employer and employee? Increase in employees working from homeIncrease in cybercrime with cyber criminals going after healthcare, government, schools, etc.Global chip shortage which brought about the "bring your own laptops" policiesHiring and onboarding done remotelyThe Great Resignation What is the biggest risk of employees using personal devices? Password hygiene. - Employees are typically reckless with passwords, writing them in a notebook or in a note on their phone.  We have too many passwords, and we are managing them badly.  What is the solution to rampant bad password hygiene? Be password-less. Do away with passwords, and instead use: Biometrics Single sign-onMulti-factor How can we combat a lack of balance leaning toward companies being too strict with conditional access policies?  Allow exceptions by request, when traveling for example.Allow trusted devices already approved. Remote workers and Generation Z employees both bring about a "Shadow IT" - employees using their own devices and apps/tools. How can we combat a lack of balance leaning toward employees being too lax with cyber security? Involve these groups in the decision-making process when choosing collaboration tools. They will pressure-test them and point out weaknesses.Use technology tools to detect what apps/tools are being used.Re-frame "company security" to "privacy". Younger employees care about personal privacy, and are better able to relate that to customer privacy and ultimately company privacy. What do you see being different in 5 years? Quick and efficient onboarding. This will go from a 3-day painful process to a scenario where the employee will be the first to touch the device. They'll have a one-time access code and the device will self-configure, giving access to everything needed, set up properly. Rather than a 3-day process, they will be up and running within an hour.No Passwords. Biometrics used instead.More personal devices, rather than company-provided devices.  How do we combat security breaches? Give only the minimum amount of access to do the job. Use time-restricted access when more access is needed temporarily. Create dynamic groups as the privilege set, rather than users. Add users to the group, and remove as needed. Connect with Denis O'Shea: Research data - https://endpointecosystem.com Company website -

On today's show, we discuss how mindset can accelerate change in your organization. Robert Overweg is the founder of the Adaptable Mindset program. He and his team empower people to develop their own Adaptable Mindset, to develop mental flexibility. Robert has over a decade of experience in innovation and digital transformation with clients like Vodafone, Liberty global, eBay, Heineken, a variety of startups, and innovative schools. He is also an artist and exhibited at the Centre Pompidou and the media biennial in Seoul. As a frequent speaker at institutes like MIT, SXSW, and the European Commission. Robert speaks about ways to use tech to work smarter and add value to the world.  Key Takeaways: What drives resistance to change?This is often systemic in our culture. Parents and schools typically encourage compliance, rather than critical thinking and autonomy. We are taught to compartmentalize, and openness is discouraged or punished. We need to begin to shift from factory-worker mentality to mind-worker mentality.Where do you start in an organization to make change?Usually with the CTO or head of product. First we assess how the people work and what the biggest challenges are. We may do workshops with teams to connect with what they find meaningful and energizing. Once they are in the right mindset, we can ask questions about what they might like to improve.How do you make these positive changes individually?Each person should assess how they are doing. Then think about the possibilities. Small steps, such as turning notifications off for a certain time to allow for deep thoughts. Be courageous to try it out and build on it if it works for you.Is there a systematic way to move through this and evaluate it?Expand your mind - connect to the things that inspire you. This allows you to see more possibilities and open doorways in your mind.Focus on creating brain space - how can we eliminate unnecessary time-wasters to create space? Even 5 minutes a day to look at an art piece or learn something new can make a difference. Take care of your own mental well-being - exercise, strength training, meditation, running, etc. What works for you?Change your vocabulary and how we speak to each other. Phrases like "There's no way that will work" can change to "How might we adapt things to make this work?"Quick exercise to use to help get started:Think of 5 things that really inspire you and give you energy.Rate 1 to 10 how important they are to you, then rate how integrated they are in your life. Note where you need to integrate more of the things that are important to you.Take small steps forward, and don't wait for permission. Create your own momentum, and others will join you. Connect with Robert OverwegWebsite: https://www.adaptablemindset.comFree masterclass:How to create brain space, even at a busy work environment.https://www.adaptablemindset.com/create-brain-space-masterclassDiscount to the full online program as an extra service to our listeners:Here is a link to a 20% discount for the individual program:https://www.adaptablemindset.com/offers/CXLXj26R?coupon_code=CORPORATE-CPRHere is a link to a 20% discount for the corporate program, how to create the right environment for change:https://www.adaptablemindset.com/offers/Nxv7jxQL?coupon_code=CORPORATE-CPR

On today's show, we discuss financial modeling for your organization.Ian Schnoor, CRM, CFA is one of the founders of the Financial Modeling Institute in 2017. He oversees the organization including its strategic direction. Ian is also founder of The Marquee Group, a leading provider of financial modeling training, consulting and accreditation. Over the last 20 years, Ian has taught thousands of business professionals and university students around the world. Ian is passionate about teaching and brings a hands-on, interactive approach to every course. Ian teaches at Queen’s University in Canada and is a recipient of the “Instructor of the Year” award in the Master of Finance program at the Smith School of Business. Previously, Ian spent a number of years in the Investment Banking departments at Citigroup and BMO Capital Markets. Ian completed his Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree with academic distinction from the University of Manitoba and has also attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.  Key Takeaways:Who is impacted by the discipline of financial modeling?Any role in the organization that will be thinking about forecasting financially for budgeting purposes is concerned about financial modeling. A model cannot perfectly predict the future, but we want to create competence, improving and enhancing decision-making. How do you know if you have a good model?It works well electronically. Every formula has to make sense. It tells a story. It flows and is logical.It works well on paper or as a PDF. It shouldn't need additional explanation. Starts with the answer and then with the assumptions that were made. How can an executive be assured that a business case coming across their desk has meaningful numbers, rather than rough guesses?Find out what research went into finalizing the numbers. Experience is key. This isn't a job for the new hire. You want the data to be derived from historical data from your own company, past experiences in other companies, or research of other companies. How do we know what questions to ask when building a model?Don't be afraid to ask seemingly obvious questions. Often departments have different ideas about things without realizing. Make sure everyone is aligned. The most important thing is planning and getting the right answers from the appropriate people. Your questions will build from these basic questions:What will the initial capital cost be? What will the revenues be?What will the expenses be?Connect with Ian Schnoor The Marquee Group: https://marqueegroup.caFinancial Modeling Institute: https://fminstitute.comEmail: ian.schnoor@marqueegroup.caLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianschnoor/