It isn’t a secret that a company’s culture can make or break the employee experience. But how do you go from just knowing this on a cursory level to actually taking action? Leadership and HR need to understand their company’s current culture and how to make the changes to help them attract and retain talent, improve employee engagement, and deliver on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that result in increased satisfaction and productivity, which then translate into increased organizational performance and revenue growth. No longer can organizations hide behind the value statements they slapped on the wall, make an announcement “We’re awesome!” and expect it to actually be true. On the contrary, employees want more. This was most notable in 2021 and 2022 with the (dare I say) Great Resignation. (I actually refer to it as the Great Realization, but I digress.)
 
As HR professionals, we know culture is important. If you’re looking for support to help your organization build and sustain an awesome culture, make sure you register for the 2023 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference (October 11-13 at the Kalahari in The Dells). Randal Weidenaar, Founder and CEO of VP Culture will have an exhibitor’s booth in the Expo Hall. Additionally, he’ll be presenting twice on Thursday, October 12th:

• 6:30am-7:30am CST - Personality Science: The Key to Understanding People
• 10:15am-11:30am CST – Creating Psychologically Safe Teams, A Scientific Method

 
Both sessions are available in person and virtually. For more information, visit Conference At A Glance. Here you can filter sessions by speaker, and then select the day.
 
Read on for more information about Randal and VP Culture:
 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your role with VP Culture. What led you to VP Culture, and which part of your job are you most passionate about?
A1: I'm Randal Weidenaar, the founder and CEO of VP Culture.  As the founder, I am most passionate about what VP Culture does for the leaders and teams that I bring it to. Valuing people will transform a culture from the inside out.
 
Q2: How does VP Culture serve its customers?
A2: We serve our customers by establishing training for teams and leaders of a business or company. The VP Culture School of Leadership is available in person and through our website via video courses. I've also written a workbook to accompany the VP Culture training course.
 
Q3: What service does VP Culture offer that you think is truly unique? 
A3: Everyone knows that a company's culture is top priority. Toxic company culture leads to huge turnover. Bad for business! VP Culture's training is unique because it is based on neuroscience, scientific study and research from the past 40 years.
 
Q4: How do you define “culture”, and why is this so important to organizations?
A4: Culture is what happens between team members, leaders, and each person that interacts within your company. It's the currency of your organization. It's living and dynamic.
 
Q5: What is the connection between culture and business growth?
A5: Everyone wants to know the ROI. Here are the facts: Employee Engagement leads to 21% higher production and 22% higher profits, according to Gallup Research. 
 
According to an MIT Sloan article “High-Purpose Cultures see substantially more significant results. They had an average of 11.5% on stock returns annually over 17 years, compared with an overall market average of 6.4%. They also had employee turnover rates approximately 50% lower than competitors in their own industries. With average turnover costs estimated at 90% to 200% of the exiting employee’s base salary, these lower rates result in significant cost savings as well as knowledge retention within the organization.”
 
Q6: What information can attendees expect to find at the VP Culture booth in the expo hall?
A6: Booth visitors will find information about our training programs. I will also be presenting on two topics Thursday: Personality Science (6:30) and Psychological Safety (10:15) so would love to engage anyone on how they were impacted by these presentations. I'll also have copies of my workbook available.
 
Q7: What is the best way for HR pros and leaders to connect with you and VP Culture?
A7:  Feel free to come and talk to me after the sessions on Thursday. I love to engage with HR professionals! They are in the trenches.
 
After the conference, here's how best to reach me:

• My website: https://vpculture.com  
• Linkedin: Randal Weidenaar
• You can also book a one-on-one with me here: https://vpculture.zohobookings.com/#/customer/randal

 
Q8: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Wisconsin State SHRM Conference?
A8: I've spoken all over the nation, and I can honestly say the Wisconsin State SHRM is the most well-run of all I have attended. So it's hard to choose, but if I had to, I would say engaging with the people on all levels.
 
#WISHRM23 #SMILE23 #HRCommunity #HRShenanigans

Sometimes technology isn't all it's cracked up to be. Texting can be a challenge.

On many levels.

Autocorrect can be a nightmare. (If you want a good laugh, visit Damn You Autocorrect! Disclaimer: Website may contain content that may not be appropriate for all audience members. Viewer discretion is advised. Additionally, please follow your company's policies on appropriate use of the internet. Ideally, you should be off the clock, off work premises and off your company's wifi/server, as well as not using your company's  devices. You have been warned.)

I cannot tell you how many times I have experienced text missteps. And a few doozies! ("Deck" sounds awfully like another word that starts with "d" and ends in "ck".)  Luckily, I generally ("generally" is the key word here, folks) work with people who have a sense of humor, don't take things personally, don't get easily offended and otherwise have a pulse. So I have yet to find myself in a professional predicament due to texting failures.

And before you ask, yes, I have experienced some work-related trouble for really stupid non-work related things, like boxed wine and photobooths. (Ooooo, feathered boas are so offensive!) Those are for later posts. #HRShenanigans)

I really enjoy the people I work with. We have so much fun at work (and outside of work, I might add) - which is very refreshing after having experienced some pretty dismal work environments in the not too distant past. We laugh. A lot.  And this is supported by leadership.

People, listen up.  I don't care what industry you work in, what title you hold, or what professional standards you feel the need to adhere to.  It's ok to make mistakes. And it's ok to laugh about them. I really feel strongly about creating a work environment where people can be who they are, and where laughter is a prominent characteristic of the work culture. If you're so uptight that people can't share in laughter for fear of the punishment that follows (i.e., the "talking to"), I encourage you to re-evaluate your work culture.

Bunny Trail: Remind me to tell you about the time my husband received a verbal warning for "being too happy at work."