Podcast ¦ CX Passport: The One With The Culture Shock Absorber – Eric Stone E219

Key Takeaways

1. Developing a high-performance workplace culture requires deep personal and professional relationships within an organisation.

2. Culture initiatives must be consistent, not cyclical, to gain lasting traction.

3. A “think tank” of top-performing employees can drive meaningful cultural conversations and initiatives.

4. Trust is fundamental to culture change and is built through proactive leadership engagement.

5. Stay interviews are valuable for assessing employee sentiment and tracking fulfilment of organisational promises.

6. Onboarding should foster relationships and align new hires with organisational values from day one.

7. Culture must be embedded into everyday practices, including hiring, performance assessment, and recognition.

8. The hourglass model effectively illustrates cultural transformation phases: discovery, implementation, and assessment.

9. Strong leadership presence on the front line is critical for understanding and improving employee experience.

10. Culture and operations are interdependent; excellent execution depends on a strong organisational culture.

11. Using tangible, real-world examples (e.g., “Johnny the Bagger”) helps consistently illustrate cultural values.

12. Continuous learning and iteration based on direct employee feedback are essential for sustainable culture change.

Key Statistics

• Approximately 60–70% of culture initiative ideas should originate from a select group of managers.

• Focus on “three to five key initiatives” to reinforce culture and operational success.

Key Discussion Points

1. The influence of personal history and experiences on professional perspectives of culture.

2. Using storytelling and metaphors (such as road trips) to make culture discussions relatable.

3. Building trust through open communication and active listening.

4. Ensuring consistency in cultural messaging to avoid “flavour of the week” syndrome.

5. The importance of assessment processes in gauging cultural health.

6. Hiring mistakes can disrupt culture and negatively impact performance.

7. The symbiotic relationship between strategy and culture for operational success.

8. Recognition programs celebrate employees who embody cultural values.

9. Organisational silos affect culture perception and implementation.

10. Visual models like the hourglass facilitate understanding of cultural processes.

11. Collaborative approaches engage employees across departments to foster unity.

12. Culture significantly impacts employee engagement and overall business performance.

Podcast Description

In this episode of CX Passport, host Rick Denton speaks with Eric Stone, a leader in cultivating high-performance workplace cultures. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Eric shares his journey transforming organisational culture from the inside out, using relatable metaphors like road trips. Listeners will gain actionable strategies to embed trust, develop strong relationships, and create sustainable cultural initiatives. Covering topics from onboarding and frontline feedback to the interplay between culture and operations, this conversation offers valuable insights for leaders aiming to enhance customer experience through a robust workplace culture.