Join us for an insightful exploration into the intricacies of workplace culture with Eric Stone, author of "Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture." Listen in as Eric reflects on navigating pivotal challenges like 9-11, offering practical strategies and a human-centric approach to transform organizational dynamics. His insights underscore the potential for innovative thinking in reshaping the way organizations operate. We discuss the critical role of one-on-one interactions in understanding motivations and management styles. Our conversation introduces the "hourglass approach" as a strategic framework for operationalizing insights, emphasizing the importance of mission, vision, and values in decision-making. As we face technological shifts and unforeseen events like the global pandemic, this approach helps realign strategies with core values, ensuring a cohesive and engaged work environment. Explore the importance of embedding organizational values throughout the life cycle of an organization to ensure they remain vibrant and influential. We also examine the key role of talent management, especially when it comes to promotions, emphasizing the need for transparency and linking advancement to cultural and values alignment. Finally, Eric shares his "John Wick School of Management" approach to fostering resilience in hybrid work environments. If you’re interested in how to build a peak performing and highly engaged culture, this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn: • The importance of aligning mission, vision, and values with the "hourglass approach." • Using "30 minutes of fame" to enhance employee-manager relationships • Embedding organizational values from the ground up  • The critical role of diversifying award systems • Why you want to hire for a match rather than hire for fit • Transparency is the key ingredient when it comes to talent management and advancement • Leveraging the "John Wick School of Management" approach to foster resilience in hybrid work environments. Podcast Timestamps: (00:00) – How to Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture (13:11) Building Employee Engagement Through Relationships (18:58) – The Crucial Role of Values In Fostering a Strong Culture (27:09) – Hiring and Promotion as Levers to Drive Culture (42:28) - Building Resilient Organizational Cultures (49:55) The John Wick School of Management Success (53:12) Shrinking the Leadership Gap More of Eric: Eric Stone is a seasoned leader and the founder and CEO of Clear Path Ventures, dedicated to helping organizations cultivate high-performance cultures and address complex challenges. After a remarkable 26-year career at Enterprise Holdings—one of North America's largest privately held companies—Eric became one of the company’s most decorated regional vice presidents, renowned for his skill in fostering resilience and engagement across diverse teams. He led through pivotal moments, including 9/11, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately deciding to retire in 2018. However, inspired by his network, he soon returned with a new mission: to share his wealth of experience and insights through international keynote talks, workshops, and his award-winning book, Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture. Today, Eric collaborates with leaders to enhance employee engagement, improve customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth. Through Clear Path Ventures and his roles on nonprofit boards, Eric remains committed to empowering businesses and bridging opportunity gaps for marginalized communities. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-stone-clear-path/ Mentions: Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture: A Road Map for Igniting High Performance by Eric Stone Key Topics Discussed: Leadership, Company Culture, Workplace Culture, Values, Mission, Vision, Moral Management, Promotions, Talent Management More of Do Good to Lead Well: Website: https://craigdowden.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linke