The buzz from Nola

The buzz from Nola

Hosting your own ‘funference’ is a lot of work, y'all!?


But worth every minute. Last week we had the sincere pleasure of bringing together 35 thought leaders - and all around great humans - to talk all things culture & employee experience.?


We learned, we laughed, we cried, we connected. It sounds like a motivational poster, but it’s true. I’ll be sharing out Q&As for the excellent, thought-provoking questions you all submitted (thank you!), but for today I want to focus on the big insights we’re walking away with.?


We have a list of 10 take-aways (below!), but there were 3 big themes that really struck me:

  • Vulnerability: We asked a lot of our attendees, and they dove right in - sharing candidly, reflecting honestly, and leading with vulnerability. The group placed great trust in us, and we led by example. The lesson: People are willing to be open, but you must model it yourself first - no matter how uncomfortable - and that requires deep self-reflection?
  • Community: A sense of community holds the workplace together. Strengthening it is the answer to many of the challenges organizations are facing. The lesson: How organizations build culture & community is critical, and being underestimated
  • United, not Divided: Together, we represented companies from 50 to 250,000, newbies & near retirees, start-ups & global enterprises, deep DEI chops, HR lifers & business die-hards. But the challenges we’re facing are very similar. We didn’t agree on everything (far from it!), but the “airport beer theory” held true. The lesson: there’s more that connects us than divides us, focus on that & leverage it?


Have any of these themes showed up in your work lately? We saw them connect across all 3 days of the Kunik Collaborative, and you’ll also see them reflected in our top 10 take-aways:

  1. Know thyself: Deepen self-awareness to understand how & why we lead. How does identity influence policies, culture, employee experience & leadership practices? Perspective thinking guides decision making
  2. The Buck Stops Here: “No one owns culture. Everyone owns culture.”? This mantra must be repeated. From the C-suite to the factory floor. Values must be practiced every damn day
  3. ‘Mo headcount, same problems: No matter how big (or small) the org, HR/EX/DEI/Culture building can feel really lonely - breaking down silos helps. Remember, our challenges are more similar than they are different. Harness collective experiences to design cross-functional solutions
  4. Intent vs Impact: Reflect on how our best intentions drive outcomes - including unintended consequences. Much of what we’re doing now is new. Ignite, iterate & sustain to drive impact
  5. Power of Story: Nothing connects as well as story. Find common ground with others and lead with vulnerability. Connect your story with others, your purpose & the org’s mission. Leverage storytelling to drive influence & outcomes?
  6. Empathy is essential: It’s critical to “walk in others’ shoes” to build the organizational understanding & empathy required to develop an inclusive culture. This means active listening. How are you equipping managers to do this? Remember, empathy is a habit that must be practiced
  7. Invest to get: We are quick to make asks of our employees but we need to “fill the cup up” by investing equally in our people, networks, and communities to maximize benefits for all. Shift from transactional to strategic?
  8. Pinpoint purpose: People want to know why they’re gathering. Be intentional & specific. Consider the common goals, challenges & experiences that unite people - whether to laugh, learn, or share. This is true no matter where/how you work
  9. Digestion Period: Interaction needs to be balanced with pauses. After bringing people together, provide intentional time to reflect/pause. Especially true with off-sites, which are gaining momentum as a way to gather with purpose and intent?
  10. Bring it home!

  • A strong community increases belonging and connection. Remember: communities exist virtually & in person, macro & micro?
  • Leadership, Managers, DEI/ERGs, & employee feedback improve & deepen community relationships. But remember, if you ask, you must react
  • Employee connection must be integrated across every portion the employee experience

How do these take-aways resonate with what you’re thinking about for 2023? What are the big challenges and goals you’re working on?

If you have questions or are curious about how Kunik is helping our partners tackle these challenges, we’d love to hear what’s on your mind! This is part 1 of a 2 part newsletter. Next week we’ll take a look at how employers are innovating and solving for these problems, and what new challenges might crop up in the year ahead.?



What we’re reading:

Chelle O'Keefe, SPHR

Chief People Officer helping high-growth organizations build common culture, scale people processes and increase company valuation.

2 年

It was the most unique conference I have attended! Thanks again.

Kate Snowise

Executive Coach & Founder at Thrive.How | Speaks about Resilience, Leadership, Stress Management & Building High Performance Cultures.

2 年

Really appreciated this insights and key themes Liz!

Amy Haworth

I meet you where you are to help you get where you want to go.

2 年

Thank you for sharing the outcomes and themes from this braintrust and funference. So helpful.

Ariel Serber

Advocate for financial education, literacy, and independence. Advisory solutions and problem solving for businesses; risk management, business planning, building brand equity, capital raising and more.

2 年

This is great to takeaway and think about how to apply to all businesses.

Pete Bowen

CEO, Giving Children Hope | Speaker-Consultant-Coach on Life, Leadership, and Culture | Kunik Expert

2 年

Liz and Kunik--Sounds like a great conference with fantastic takeaways. Thanks for doing this! Know Thyself and Digestion and Intent vs Impact and Story--You must constantly reflect on who you are and the results (impact) of your work to write the story of who you are becoming as both an individual and as a community-team. Otherwise, you are moving forward blind and recklessly. Thanks for bringing people together to learn deeply important things together.

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