In this episode of the Customers First Podcast, Tacey is joined by Eric Stone, founder of ClearPath Ventures and author of "Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture: A Roadmap for Igniting High Performance." We discuss the importance of aligning values and behaviors in workplace culture, debunking the myth that it's solely an HR function. We explore communication, measuring culture, and the role of "culture carriers." We touch on remote work challenges and the shifting workplace culture landscape. Timestamps 0:00:14 Introducing the Customers First Podcast with Tacey Atkinson 0:02:06 Transitioning from Enterprise to Speaking and Consulting 0:04:14 Importance of Employee Engagement in Customer Interactions 0:08:01 The ABCs of Communication: Amplify, Buffer, Convey 0:10:21 Measuring Workplace Culture: Pulse Surveys and Six-Point Inspection 0:11:51 Measuring Success: Customer Experience and Employee Satisfaction 0:13:37 The Importance of Relationship Building and Consistent Behaviors 0:15:16 The Hourglass Approach: Gathering Information and Setting Priorities 0:17:36 Creating Culture Carriers within Organizations 0:21:26 Identifying Culture Carriers and Remote Work Challenges 0:27:19 Colorblind Dress Mishaps and Funny Stories 0:29:28 Family: The Most Exciting Part of Life 0:31:44 Building a High-Performance Culture and Accessibility Eric stresses the significance of transparent communication of expectations and goals and comprehensive training and coaching programs in building a solid and productive workplace culture. He refutes the common misconception that workplace culture is a vague and ambiguous concept and points out that a workplace culture's foundation is employees' behaviours and actions, with no gap between the company values and the actions that follow. Stone's book, Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture, provides a step-by-step guide for organizations to create a culture that fosters high performance and productivity by implementing effective communication strategies while creating a sense of purpose and belonging among employees, and setting up a system of recognition and rewards to incentivize great work. Employee engagement in customer interactions, though members' actions and behaviours shape a workplace's culture, and successful organizations demonstrate a seamless alignment between their stated values and actual behaviours. Building employee engagement is predicated on clear communication of expectations and objectives, comprehensive training and coaching, and regular recognition of effort and achievement. Engaged employees drive positive outcomes such as improved customer service, higher retention rates, increased profitability, and business expansion. All leaders must possess effective communication skills, including the ability to amplify, buffer, and convey messages. Measuring workplace culture can be achieved through various methods such as pulse surveys, engagement surveys, and a six-point inspection that encompasses employee engagement, customer experience, understanding of company values, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. A strong focus on inclusivity is pivotal to building a diverse and thriving workforce.  To build a high-performance culture, Eric shared that it is essential to start with employee engagement and utilize visual methods, such as the hourglass approach, to gather information, set priorities, and reinforce consistent behaviours. The organization can create a roadmap for success while recognizing and rewarding the individuals who inspire and lead others. It's essential to develop culture carriers who become the region's voice and spread the message to scale the culture organization-wide. These individuals can help reinforce the company culture's values, beliefs, and behaviours. These culture carriers don't necessarily have to be in leadership positions, but they need to earn the respect of others by embodying the organization's values and always doing the right thing.  Eric's closes with enco