Leading with the We: Aligning Executive Leadership for Collective Success

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What if I told you that the secret to solving This is to tap into the same principles of customer obsession and then applying it to your talent strategy. Shifting cultures from a me culture to a we culture can't happen without having representation at all levels of the organization. That's the game changer that we'll be talking about today with our featured guest, Christina Karsick.

acquisition integration, and [: 00:01:00

So she's had a consistent history of demonstrating a passion for driving both business and operational excellence. She's dedicated to fostering cultural transformation within. Diverse multicultural workforces throughout her career. She's consistently achieved success by spearheading transformative efforts for multi country organizations.

Christina, welcome to the show.

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[00:01:26] Dr. Jim: Yeah. Glad to have you on. And I know that we covered a fair bit of ground in the bio, but what I'd like you do for our listeners is fill in some of the gaps and specifically fill in some of the gaps. That's going to help inform the listeners of the lens that you bring to this conversation that we're going to have.

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When, during the e commerce boom, so like the initial startup stage and was able to come in on the business side of things. And so when I jumped into this, I also had some amazing opportunities to work on M& A and be exposed from an operational background, not just. Our people side, but how the organization itself comes together from an automation perspective.

And then being able with my studies graduate studies to be able to apply it immediately with transform transforming what was a tactical HR to a strategic. So those are a little bit, there's a lot more there, but definitely my passion is really understanding the business. And then how do we tie that to everything people and really enable,

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So what I'd like you to do is share with us a little bit about how that experience on the business side and navigating both boom and bust cycles has informed sort of your HR philosophy and people strategy philosophy going forward.

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a facility. So it really grew and I was able to apply the psychology that I was learning to what we were doing. So again, it's a very much, you can see I'm a practical learner. But throughout it and honestly, throughout the early part of my career, I had to navigate it on my own. There wasn't a mentor, there wasn't a program, there was no one leading me.

p and hence. Where I saw the [: 00:04:00

That absolutely transcends over to the client side.

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And you can also make the argument that HR in a lot of different industries and sectors still doesn't have a seat at the table. So when you look at. Those formative experiences, you as an individual having to work full time, going to school full time, no mentorship. How has that informed how you build out your people strategy today?

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Like people will eventually, smart people will figure it out, they'll figure out how to get there. But why? Why create so many opportunities for them to fall and granted you should fall. That's how we, that's how we learn. That's how we grow. But being able to put the right mechanisms in place, whether it's total rewards, I'm going to be honest with you.

I had two kids and I got six weeks off. That was awful. I would never want somebody to go through that. So basically taking what's been done and just trying your best to make it better. Because at the end of the day, it is going to impact the ROI and the overall business.

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And the reason why it resonates with me is that, I'm a feral Gen Xer. So basically you're describing the early parts of my career trajectory is just keep your head down and figure it out. And eventually people will rise to that depending on their capability, but that's not really what you should be pinning your hopes on.

If you want a high performance organization, you can't leave that to chance. So when you look at that experience that you had, and you look at that phrase, could have done so much more so much sooner, and you play it forward, what's your advice to. Executives, this is not an HR advice. This is the advice to executives that, pull the strings here.

What's your advice to executives on what they should be doing so that more people in their organization can achieve so much more, so much sooner, what's the support structure that needs to exist that those executives that might not be tuned into people strategy need to have on their radar.

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Building relationships is going to be how you succeed. Understanding whether pain points are and being able to unblock, being able to provide guidance, development, mentorship when it's needed is critical. That is really going to propel your organization and create a high performing team. You really have to understand where each, especially if you're talking about an executive, where are your leaders at?

What support do they need? Do they have what they need so that they know, say, for example, a VP, do they know what they need to do transitioning from a director to the VP? That's a very big transition. Did you put into the supporting mechanisms so that they can excel and continue to grow? Then what are they looking to do?

hem for that? Are you giving [: 00:08:00

We have to model the right behaviors. If we really want to impact how the rest of the organization works, say it all the time. You're a Gen X or I'm a Gen X or, our parents would always turn around and say, do as I say, not as I do. That doesn't work anymore. And for anybody that doesn't want to believe the younger generations are smarter than us, you can't do it.

The world of not being transparent, not leading with the appropriate behaviors. I'm sorry. You're going to, you're just going to end up, creating a situation where you're no longer needed. You have to understand what we're dealing with now and what's expected of us.

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I want to take it one step further. And talk about that concept of support. One of the [00:09:00] common problems that we often see is that if you're looking at the front lines of your organizations, your high performers typically will end up getting promoted into management, and then they flounder for six months.

So when you're connecting that to what leaders at the executive tier and the senior tier need to have on their radar, what are the supports that need to exist further down in the organization that builds a leader full the organization? Culture that gets your individual contributors ready to lead.

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You need to create a solid foundation and that means incorporating a full job architecture. So people understand. How they can grow within the organization and leaders can help guide them. That's number one. It's a tactical piece, but it's [00:10:00] absolutely critical. Once you have that component to it, then you really need to ensure that your performance management system is able to pick up on the competencies that are needed, whether it be for leadership or for growth, so that this way you can be giving real time feedback and allowing them to go into those roles and feel more confident about it.

And that's often really. Not supported. And like you said, typically, in most situations, let's pick sales. You're the top salesperson. You're gonna be the leader. No, that might not necessarily be their best fit within the organization. So I do before I go too off on a tangent, it is critical to think of Individual contributor roles that sit at the leadership level and contribute from more of a mentor perspective so that people your high performers will not leave because they have opportunity for growth, but they might not be the ones leading a team.

are eager and taking it. You [: 00:11:00

Who's really born with it? No one is. There are natural leaders, right? But even natural leaders constantly have to be learning and developing. So that's my perspective. It has to start with a robust system and it starts operationally and you build up.

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You're either moving up or you're going to be out of the organization. And one of the things that, that I remember like later on, or I learned later on is that if you really want to maximize what you're getting out of your people strategy and the people within your organization, you need [00:12:00] to. Be hammering the idea that everyone needs to think of their career as a lattice, not a ladder.

And you hinted on that earlier, where maybe for certain people moving up isn't what they want to do. Maybe they want to broaden their skills, and that's often forgotten in a lot of organizations, at least when I was coming up. And I think a lot of organizations still think in that linear fashion, which actually does a disservice To the people that are in their organization and is probably one of those hidden factors.

That's costing organizations a ton of resources and cash. I want to tie this back. So when I opened the show, I talked about. The challenge that a lot of organizations face, which is we can't find enough talent and developing and retaining that talent is also something that many organizations are not good at.

When you think about those dual issues, those dual challenges, how did you tackle those and solve those and build high performance organizations while satisfying those two challenges?

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We'd love to hire all this great talent, but at the end of the day, we have to think about creating a growth and development culture so that we can support bringing in. More junior employees and developing them. And there's a lot of lessons learned that I can talk from there, but that really enabled me to build a diversity strategy into our DNA.

I'm going to go off and I'm going to preach a little bit, but I swear I'm going to bring it back. But with diversity, oftentimes The strategies, honestly, they, they don't go anywhere. And I can't tell you how many professionals I spoke, I have spoken to and are like, I just don't get, how do you create this?

on universities. And then we [: 00:14:00

What stands behind The meaning of diversity of thought is you're bringing in people with different experiences that are going to challenge each other. No, granted, you have to create a culture where they can do that. But what we did there was we took the opportunity and we went into communities that do not have access to our world and we gave them the opportunity.

And honestly, you know what they had that, right? That we really needed. They had the grit, they came in and they just, they were so happy to be there. The organizations that are dealing with all these entitlement issues, it right sized it, right? Because both it, again, I don't think it should ever lean one way or the other.

nities for people to come in [: 00:15:00

One of the things that we did wrong that I, did wrong, but it was a learning. When you're building that type of culture, you really need to have a couple of pillars within each of those groups that have the expertise. So you do have to invest. It doesn't need to be the leader like we're talking about, right?

It needs to be someone who has been there and done that. When you bring an entire team and they're all trying to figure it out, unfortunately it can create chaos. Chaos and be hard to navigate. You need somebody that could be like wait, guys, I've seen this stop or say, Hey, we need a process.

For example, did we define our customer journey? These are the things we'll leave it on. I can't tell you how many organizations miss because they don't have that expertise. So I would say that is really critical. And like we've been talking, you have to have the support structure in place so that they grow.

ng because of many different [: 00:16:00

[00:16:02] Dr. Jim: I want to zone in on a couple of different things that you mentioned specifically in the space of DEIB. And I want to offer a little bit of context. Now when you look at DEIB, the thing that I'm wondering about is whenever you mention the phrase diversity, you, it automatically gets polarized, or there's a high likelihood that discussion gets polarized in a way where some people are automatically shutting off, that conversation.

So my question to you is you came into this organization. Where the CEO is pointing out a vision for the future. How was the conversation from a diversity lens carried forward where it wasn't isolating people and turning it into a politically charged discussion?

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What are we trying to do? And more I'll be honest, what am I trying to do? Because I take this outside. This isn't just something that I focus on from a professional perspective. And I realized, The barriers of not having access. It's not just color. It's also social, economical status. There are rural areas within our country that don't have access to our world.

If you go into communities like I grew up in, there are There is a diverse group of people that all look different that don't have access. So I do think there is an opportunity to be more inclusive and broaden what that means. Because unfortunately, poverty does not discriminate. So obviously, it's going to impact certain demographics more.

o people who've had to fight [: 00:18:00

[00:18:01] Dr. Jim: No it absolutely does and it brings me back to something that is central to a lot of things that I often talk about is that when you're trying to solve the talent challenges in the world of work it's not out of a shortage of talent. There's a shortage of access to opportunity.

That's the issue there. Talent is universal. There's talent all over the place. It's how do you bridge the gap from that talent to the opportunity that you have that a lot of people don't really think about? How are we removing the barriers to access to get into our environment? So I'm glad that you brought that up.

There's another thing that I want to pull out on this conversation. And you mentioned just like anything else, when we're trying to build a. Talent strategy that is inclusive, that is broad based, that is bringing in a lot of folks from a lot of different backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses.

is that I've talked to John [: 00:19:00

So what I'd like you to do is define out what the appropriate support structures is for you. In an organization that cares about diversity and is caring about embedding that across the entire organization, what is the appropriate level of support structure that needs to exist for any of those diverse diversity initiatives to be successful?

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They are so critical, granted. I love the fact that we can celebrate and we can do all that fun stuff, but I feel like sometimes we forget about the most important part of that is being able to have a safe place to go [00:20:00] with people you, you feel look like you and, have the same cultural background as you so that if something is happy happening, you feel comfortable saying, Hey, I'm struggling with this.

Have you experienced this here? And how do we take it forward? Without that, sometimes people just feel completely isolated and then it's something that just bubbles up in them and either they're going to leave or something's going to come of it. So I feel ERGs are critical for many reasons.

You can learn from them and so forth, but it does create a safe place where Things are going to happen. Even the best laid out effort. You're going to miss something. We're human. It gives an opportunity to constantly stay close to that group and make sure they're receiving what they need. Also too, they become the voice in what they need because you know what?

oundtable probably about six [: 00:21:00

So I sat back and I'm really listening to what's being said, and this woman of color stood up and she said, look, you all are not getting what happens when somebody is shot within our community and just went through the impact. And she said, look, all I need is a call. Just recognize, see me. And that was such a powerful message.

So when everything happened with George Floyd I got on a call with the CEO, the CPO, and I was like, all right, guys, this is what we need to do. Created a plan, created a strategy of communication and said, we have to reach out to our people of color and make sure they're okay. And it was interesting. I had a couple of people had one person on my team whom.

I adore. I actually she's come with me to several companies and honestly, I love her because she challenges me and that is amazing. And she said, I don't know. I think you're isolating this group. And I said, no, you know what? I listened and, I'm going to go with my gut. And if I fail, I quit.

I have to own it, [: 00:22:00

What we received back was beyond even just, okay, like we handled it from a corporate perspective, but it was as humans, they felt seen, they felt heard and it connected them closer to the organization. And that's where that connectivity and that sense of belonging comes, right? If you're not in those conversations, if you're not learning, you don't know what they need and it is not.

A one size fits all, but of course the basics are making sure that you have what we spoke about before the establishment put in place so they have the opportunity to grow. Otherwise you bring them in and they're going to be lost. I'll be honest. That was me when I came in. I, I came from a working class family.

you. I just even, I grew up [: 00:23:00

I was like, wait, I have to dial it back. So it's a different world and making sure that you put in place some of those things. And like mentorship is critical. Training is critical. And again, having the foundation so they visibly can see how they grow, that transparency is critical.

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[00:23:57] Kristina Karcic: I'm going to say what they don't want to hear. In an environment [00:24:00] where they want to run, I want to say pause. And I'm actually going to use an analogy and then I'll bring it back. And I'm going to steal this analogy from Stephen Covey. Question for you, the Redwood Forest, I'm sure you're well familiar with it in California.

It's strong. It's mighty. It's absolutely beautiful. How has it been able to withstand earthquakes, fires, everything? How, where is this strength?

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[00:24:23] Kristina Karcic: It's nothing we see. It has to do with the roots and the interconnectivity. It is the power behind we. And the reason why I'm bringing it up is for startups, they forget the very Fundamental thing in building a sustainable company, you have to start with a foundation, build operational excellence, build diversity into that DNA.

But like we talked about, people probably are laughing at me, but that job architecture, if you build, if you start with that operational excellence, and then you build upwards from there. Then you're going to have the framework in place. And yes, some of it, you're going to be building in tandem,.

You're going to be bringing [: 00:25:00

Maybe it's like just making sure that we have mentors that can guide individuals as they come in next step. Prioritize leadership development. It's not going to be the same for everywhere because again, the business element is so critical.

You have to understand the business element and then apply. But in general, what does it matter? Is starting with that operational,. You look at the greatest companies, you look at best in class, they start with a strong foundation. As soon as you start on a shaky foundation, and then you just start throwing things, it's not going to work.

re rolling out is of quality [: 00:26:00

And anytime you can bring in focus groups, bringing your employees, how many employees, it's hard because in high growth, you're usually extremely busy, but many employees want to be part of this. This is something that really does, especially with the younger generation have significance importance.

So bring them into it, give them the opportunity.

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What I'd like you to do is take it to the next level. If we're looking at how to solve those challenges, and it's a double sided challenge, both on the talent attraction side and the retention and development side. How do you do that? What are the things that leaders need to be thinking about from a people strategy perspective that helps them successfully tackle both of those issues?

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With the most senior executive member. And in this case, it was the CEO coming in and being aligned on what you're trying to create and aligning the values so that this way you can start to build this again. I know I said it earlier, but I can't take away if you don't have alignment and if you're not leading with those behaviors, it's not going to become real.

And that was what something that we had. People understood. Okay, this is what we're trying to create. We started with executive leadership, and we started pushing it down within the organization, and it was creating that people first. But if you want to get there and you want to think about again, I'm going to steal from Stephen Cubby a lot.

n within the organization so [: 00:28:00

Yeah. Especially at a high growth, wait, there's a gap. Let me jump in and fix it. And that's what we ended up developing. We developed a people first centric organization where people felt valued. They felt the company cared about them. And as a result, our customer obsession was incredible. And this isn't just me saying it.

Gartner recognized it. There was a lot of recognition we got on either the culture side or our obsession with our customers and our impeccable CS. And that really comes down to leading with the we. And, one other thing that I thought was really, there was a lot of components and a lot that I've already discussed and I can talk through more.

like, all right, let's, we, [: 00:29:00

And he said, I came back, he said, there's something that I rarely ever see. They all led with the Wii. And that's why we were high performing, had high productivity. We felt inclusive. We felt like we belonged. And as a result, we brought our best selves to the to work and we were able to accomplish things in incredible time and speed.

Of course, it's not perfect. Of course, they're I'm sure. And I know we miss places and, that's part of living and learning, but everybody really did bring their authentic self to work to do their very best with the end result, creating an amazing product and providing superior service.

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That's going to better help them transition or transform from a me culture to a we [00:30:00] culture.

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So start with the mindset, start with focusing on how do we convert from a if there is a fixed mindset, if there's not a, we, That is the first step. Make sure you have the right training and development. It's going to look different for each level within your organization, but start with your leadership.

And with your leadership, I think this is also another miss. Set accountability. What is your expectation of these leaders and build the we into that accountability. And that should be part of your performance management. As you go further down for CEOs, I like to build out a scorecard because obviously they're going in many different directions and they know that contract that we built is what they're going to be held accountable to.

iving the right guidance and [: 00:31:00

But I would definitely say it starts with the executive and I cannot tell you how many times people don't realize that they're stuck in a fixed mindset and making sure that's not the case. And they're truly operating at that we level. And that's critical. If you're not operating at that level, You're collectively as a team, not going to be able to come together and truly synergize.

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[00:31:37] Kristina Karcic: The great thing is my name is extremely unique. I am the only one. So please I'm on social media. LinkedIn is probably the best way to reach out to me. But you can also find me on Facebook, Instagram. I'm around everywhere.

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And when we tie that to the broader topic of the conversation, how do you build a sustainable talent strategy that gets you off of the talent attraction hamster wheel? And Puts an emphasis on development and retention of your talent. It's the things that the employee doesn't see that can often show up in ways that you don't even realize.

And here's what we mean. If you want to build a sustainable talent strategy that really helps you grow your people, you need to make sure that you have representation at all levels of the organization. And here's how that. Impacts you if you don't have it, someone like me, someone like Christina, who doesn't see people like us in the upper tiers of the organization are likely not going to raise a fuss.

t tiers of the organization, [: 00:33:00

So I appreciate you hanging out with us and sharing with us your story. For those of you who have listened to the conversation, let us know what you thought of it, leave us a review. Make sure you join the community. You can find that at www. engagerocket. co slash HR impact, and then tune in next time, where we'll have another great leader joining us and sharing with us the game changing insights that helped them build a high performance team.