Kelsey Ruwe is the Chief of Staff at Carson Group, overseeing Talent, Human Resources and Corporate Communications. Currently, she oversees the construction, design and development of Carson’s new $80M headquarters.
Liz Ernst is a Training Specialist at Flywheel, working with both the Training & Development Manager and Sales leadership to ensure the Sales team has the tools they need to be successful in their work.
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Resources
Miro – Visit Liz’s website to learn more about Miro: Where distributed teams get work done. The online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring teams together, anytime.
Liz’s LinkedIn – Connect with Liz on LinkedIn.
Flywheel Website – Learn more about Flywheel; helping designers do what they love since 2012
Kelsey’s LinkedIn – Connect with Kelsey on LinkedIn.
Carson Group Website – Learn more about Carson Group.
3 Value Bombs
1) Don’t be afraid of doing things that don’t scale. It’s worth making sure that you keep it as part of your company.
2) Culture means so much. Focus on it. Always listen to your stakeholders. Adapt to it. Favor the stakeholders because if you give them an edge, they will give you a mile.
3) We still need to meet our goals and be productive, just in a different way. We all need to do that by giving each other grace.
Sponsors
ZipRecruiter: Let ZipRecruiter take hiring off your plate so you can focus on growing your business. Try ZipRecruiter for free at ZipRecruiter.com/fire!
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Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: Workplace Pioneers with Kelsey Ruwe and Liz Ernst
[2:01] – Kelsey and Liz share something interesting about themselves that most people don’t know.
- Kelsey grew up with six lakes and campers as her neighbors. Such a wonderful scene – she misses it today.
- Liz started playing golf during quarantine.
[3:33] – What does company culture mean right now in light of this pandemic?
- Culture at companies shouldn’t be changing because of the world we live in. We still care about the same work and have those main drivers that help in making decisions.
- The integral piece that has been added is having more grace and flexibility when it comes to navigating uncharted waters.
- We still need to meet our goals and be productive, just in a different way. We all need to do that by giving each other grace.
[6:49] – A lot of companies are going virtual nowadays. How do we navigate remote working, and will it be expanding or disappear post-pandemic?
- Kelsey thinks that flexibility will be there, but we’ll always miss our stakeholders.
- Liz believes in the energy and collision that happen when we walk by our co-workers.
[8:56] – Liz shares some of the business technologies she has implemented over the last 6 months.
- Liz supports customers by selling digital products and softwares, and giving support to those who have websites. They are equipped to be remote.
- One of her favorite products is Miro. It is an online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring teams together, anytime.
[10:40] – Kelsey talks about the business technologies and innovations that Carson Group has implemented over the last 6 months.
- Kelsey developed a newsletter called The Bottomline talking about what went on that week and what they are looking forward to. They add fun ways to get through this COVID world.
- They’re making sure to have updated content and to share it in new ways to reach their stakeholders.
[12:12] – A timeout to thank our sponsors, ZipRecruiter and Creighton!
[14:50] – Where is traditional office design headed? How do we go from traditional to something different?
- Rethink what stakeholders should experience the first time they enter the building.
- Flexible workspaces, movable furniture, and conference rooms should be there.
- Video-conferencing or Zoom capability in every room
[17:36] – How does company hospitality change when you’re not in the office space?
- Some ideas include sending things in the mail, or it could be anything that can be done to stimulate feelings and experiences from the office to remote spaces – this has been central to every meeting.
- Rethink ways to make employees feel that sense of belonging – this has been something that’s top of mind.
[19:00] – We need to keep employees engaged and prioritize their well-being. How do we do that?
- Be flexible with using different amenities available in the office.
[21:40] – Liz and Kelsey’s key takeaway for Fire Nation
- Liz’ takeaway is to not be afraid of doing things that don’t scale. It’s worth making sure that you keep it as part of your company.
- Kelsey’s takeaway is that culture means so much. Focus on it. Always listen to your stakeholders. Adapt to it. Favor the stakeholders, because if you give them an edge, they will give you a mile.
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