Ladderburners Unite!

Colleagues Will Hines, Davin Stavroplos, Alex Ostermann, and Ben Larson continue their discussion on how, as young professionals, their experiences and insights as they maneuver moving through the early stages of their careers. Insightful discussion about right off the bat about the difference between performance and judgement of performance. This discussion is highly instructive for a group of college students as they hear firsthand what to expect when they leave education and enter the world th of work.

Dan Castle has traveled far and wide in his career, a jouney of emotional and spiritual growth. His career reaches across a range IT positions, yet he is grounded in the pursuit of meaning and purpose. Dan is a story teller, which makes listening to him nothing short of thought provoking to your core. Podcast Notes This dialogue reveals the extraordinary life journey of Dan Castle, who navigates through pivotal moments from his upbringing in Hoboken, New Jersey, to surviving the 9/11 attack while working at Sun Microsystems in the World Trade Center. Dan's path takes him through a series of professional changes, from thriving at BlackRock to Cigna, and eventually facing a life-threatening stroke, coinciding with the loss of his job. Despite these challenges, Dan finds solace and meaning in education, with degrees in psychology, philosophy, and organizational dynamics, and in his roles as a father and husband. Through his experiences, Dan continually re-evaluates his concept of success and purpose, emphasizing relationships, continuous learning, and the importance of staying true to oneself over conventional markers of success. The dialogue encapsulates a profound reflection on work-life balance, personal growth, and the quest for meaning beyond career achievements.  

In this case study, George Wheaton, CFO, (not his real name) embarked on a journey to change the image of the accounting and finance from that of policeman to a one of supporting the business. Everything was up for discussion - the structure , processes, roles and responsibilities, and use of new skills. The overarching objective was to change the culture by aligning the F&A organization with the business units for more effective decision making . For every ten culture change initiatives that fail, George Wheaton was the one that succeeded. CASE NOTES Case Study: Strategic Talent Development at Real Resources   This script studies the case of Real Resources and its CFO George Wheaton. Faced with a rapidly evolving post-Covid business environment, a retiring baby boomers population, and a distinct view of work by new workers, Wheaton initiated a strategic transformational initiative. Wheaton's quest aimed to transition the finance and accounting department's image from that of a 'policeman' to that of a valuable business partner. The transformation focused on not just changing the department's culture but also attracting, developing, and retain talent, positioning finance as a vital part of the decision-making process. Challenges included overcoming organizational inertia, generational differences, and short-term thinking. Real Resources implemented various strategies for this transformation, including fostering a talent development culture based on specific behaviors, a structured recruitment and selection process, on-boarding through clarifying expectations, and the crucial role of ongoing coaching and mentoring. The final sections of the case study discuss approaches to employee retention and separation, demonstrating that managing talent is a holistic process. The script concludes by contemplating study questions surrounding the initiative, its implementation, the role of leadership, and potential vulnerabilities.        

While the need to change the culture is as great as I've seen it, the commitment and perservance needed is one of the toughest initiatives to implement - and even harder to sustain. George Wheaton (not his real name), was one such person who pulled it off. Here's how. SHOW NOTES Case Study: Strategic Talent Development at Real Resources   This script studies the case of Real Resources and its CFO George Wheaton. Faced with a rapidly evolving post-Covid business environment, a retiring baby boomers population, and a distinct view of work by new workers, Wheaton initiated a strategic transformational initiative. Wheaton's quest aimed to transition the finance and accounting department's image from that of a 'policeman' to that of a valuable business partner. The transformation focused on not just changing the department's culture but also attracting, developing, and retain talent, positioning finance as a vital part of the decision-making process. Challenges included overcoming organizational inertia, generational differences, and short-term thinking. Real Resources implemented various strategies for this transformation, including fostering a talent development culture based on specific behaviors, a structured recruitment and selection process, on-boarding through clarifying expectations, and the crucial role of ongoing coaching and mentoring. The final sections of the case study discuss approaches to employee retention and separation, demonstrating that managing talent is a holistic process. The script concludes by contemplating study questions surrounding the initiative, its implementation, the role of leadership, and potential vulnerabilities.

Patrick Walters is a childhood friend, colleague, and among the world's best people who care - a lot. In this brief session, he explains how asking for permission comes from a number of sources, including growing up in a loving and "chaotic" family. But it was a boss at roughly mid-career that gave Patrick and his colleagures self -confidence to bypass the issue of permission and foregiveness. He paints a protrait we can see and relate to.

In the first of two installments, four colleagues - Will Hinz, Ben Larson, Davin Stavroplos, and Alex Osterman, share their experience in moving from college into their careers. They discuss the importance of taking responsibility for their own career development, the concept of perfectionism, the role of failure, the pressures of education, and the need for a sense of community in the workplace.

Why is that people feel the need to ask permission? Members of the Ladderburning Crew- Jenny Knuth, Nick Pretesky, and Alan Patterson discuss the impact that needing permission has on personal competence and organizational capacity and culture.

It doesn't matter how much experience you have in the work world — truly listening, caring, connecting, and helping other people be successful will ALWAYS get you ahead in your career. If it doesn't, you're working at the wrong place or with the wrong people. In this bonus episode, we chat with a young professional, William Hinz. It's 8 mins of your life that will inspire you and fill you with hope regarding the next generation of leaders.

Doesn't matter whether you're a new or seasoned manager. There are three common mistakes that will sneak up on you when you least expect it. Take note!

What is it with trust? Nobody argues with its importance, but yet we never really spend the time needed to break it down to better understand it. When was the last time you unpacked trust? Join Alan, Jenny, and Nick as the dig into the components, behaviors, and feelings of trust. There are three unique takes on trust shared. Is trust more head or heart? We hope you make connections to this discussion. Reach out! We would love to hear from you.