Ep 114 - The Culture Code: Transform Your Business in 3 Steps | Expert Carol Shen Reveals All

23/05/2025 39 min Episodio 114
Ep 114 - The Culture Code: Transform Your Business in 3 Steps | Expert Carol Shen Reveals All

Listen "Ep 114 - The Culture Code: Transform Your Business in 3 Steps | Expert Carol Shen Reveals All"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode of the Soul Inspiring Business Podcast, host Kara welcomes Carol Shen, founder of Start Culture Shift. Carol shares her expertise on how businesses of any size can create and improve their workplace culture through practical, actionable steps. With a background in industrial organizational psychology, Carol reveals her Culture Roadmap framework and explains why culture isn't just a set of beliefs—it's what people actually do in an organization.Episode Topics:Defining workplace culture and why it mattersThe three-step Culture Roadmap for embedding culture into strategyHow small businesses can implement culture initiatives without massive resourcesCreating feedback loops that build trust and improve performancePractical tools for setting clear cultural expectationsCarol's journey from corporate life to entrepreneurshipInsights:"Culture is not just a set of beliefs. It's what you do." This realization helps demystify culture and make it actionable.Small organizations can see cultural shifts in 3-6 months, while larger organizations may need more time and multi-level buy-in.Feedback is simply data that helps inform whether behaviors need to shift, removing the negative connotation.Quality trumps quantity when it comes to manager-employee check-ins; even 15 minutes can be effective with established trust.Cultural competencies can be developed using simple tools like AI prompts to generate starting points.The minimum cadence for one-on-one meetings should be every other week, with weekly being ideal.Highlights:00:00 Welcome and Intro 02:47 Understanding Work Culture 05:49 Defining Organizational Culture 08:17 Embedding Culture into Strategy 11:21 Performance Clarity and Competencies 12:44 Cultural Accountability and Leadership 14:29 Organizational Culture and Change Management 18:00 Feedback Mechanisms in Communication 21:03 Utilizing AI for Leadership Competencies 24:01 Translating Strategy into Operations 26:42 Building Trust in Remote Work Environments 29:38 Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship 30:10 Transition to Entrepreneurship 32:58 Entrepreneurship and Client Profiles 35:31 Improving Work Culture in Alternative Markets 38:12 Website Promotion and Cultural Improvement 39:19 Podcast episode ended Resources:FAST goal-setting framework: Frequently discussed, Ambitious, Specific, TransparentSMART goal-setting framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-boundAI tools like ChatGPT/Perplexity for generating competency frameworksSample culture statements and competency frameworks onlineCarol Shen, founder of Start Culture Shift, helps leaders build people-centered, high-performing cultures. She advises founders/CEOs, leadership teams and boards on how to embed culture into strategy, paving the way for improved work environments and scalable growth.Carol has spent over two decades in advisory and leadership roles including 6 years as ILPA Institute curriculum advisor and faculty, Arabella Advisors fractional Chief Learning Officer, Director of Learning & Development at CEB, now Gartner, and non-profit board and executive director roles. Both at CEB, and Mercer HR Consulting, where her career started, Carol developed her expertise in organizational effectiveness and leadership best practices.With extensive instructional design and teaching expertise, Carol also facilitates workshop experiences and leadership offsites that have a life-long impact on improving work (and personal) relationships and accelerating productivity. In her workshops, she brings a cross-functional lens that bridges private...

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