Fostering Innovation and Belonging: Insights with Chad Greenlee and Sailu Timbo on Cultivating a Thriving Workplace Culture

Speaker 2: 0:03

This is the Rebel HR podcast, the podcast about all things innovation in the people space. I'm Kyle Rode. Let's start the show.

Speaker 3: 0:14

Welcome back Rebel HR community. We are joined with a couple awesome guests here With us. We have Chad Greenlee and Seylo Timbo, and they are going to be talking to us today about innovation in the HR space With us. We have an awesome bump track in the back here at this conference, so hopefully that adds to your listening pleasure today. Welcome guys, thank you, thanks for having us. Well, absolutely, and so I think, before we jump into it, I'd like to give you an opportunity to introduce a little bit about the organization you work for and what you both do.

Speaker 4: 0:47

Yeah, so I'm Chad Greenlee. Business advisor was creative planning, business services and creative planning. We for business, we are the business arm creative planning. So if you think of creative planning traditional, it was a wealth management Do that very well across the country. We joined back in July as the business arm and think of everything that a business touches, whether it's outsourced, it's automated through business accounting, tax, audit and what we do on the advisory side, all the way through payroll. That's really what we tackle. Yeah, seylo.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Timbo. Well, my name is Seylo Timbo. I'm a business advisor here at creative planning and, like Chad said, we get an opportunity to really holistically support businesses, namely aspect and specifically for the areas that Chad and I play in more on leadership, development, diversity, equity, inclusion, elements of HR, go on and on and on. We really can help. You know, so to speak, scratch for it inches.

Speaker 3: 1:49

Yeah, whatever it's needed Business has Absolutely yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:53

You know and support. And that's cool is that we can be very customizable, knowing that it's not a one size fits all approach, it's not out of the box, it's. We can be createable, which makes us relatable and allows us to put our own spin on things.

Speaker 3: 2:07

Yeah Well, the name makes sense, right? So creative planning. So, and it's fascinating we just tapped on this a little bit earlier here in a discussion earlier today, where you know that the ability to think creatively, the ability to have actual new ideas and new ways of doing things, is that's, that is, the key skill set in today's economy and the ability to actually stand out. So one of the things we were talking about before you record was was innovation and where that stems from and how to foster innovation. And, say Lou, you mentioned something that I think is absolutely true, and so give us, give us a little bit of your perspective on innovation and how that fits within an organization.

Speaker 1: 2:47

Well, I think innovation really starts with employees having a nice sense of belonging. You have to have the culture that allows that. You know, I recently just wrote a blog and talked to a friend of mine who's super sharp, super intelligent, moved up the chain of his company and you know, he said the the higher he went, the less he was trusted to open a meeting.

Speaker 1: 3:09

And so he lost a sense of belonging in this. Basically, I might hear I don't need to be here if I'm just coming into lunch clock, or do you want me to help you with some innovative ideas? Right, and so you know we talk about a lot is like who in the room has a million dollar idea that they hold so close to the chest that it couldn't be something. It could be something to help company forward. Absolutely. The fact that they want to hold it so close to the chest, knowing that it may not go anywhere, it's just you know. You have to build that level of trust that an employee can say hey, I belong. I want to share this idea with you. I feel like this is something to help us forward and better serve our clients and customers to a business.

Speaker 3: 3:48

Absolutely yeah, and I think you know it's, it's, it's interesting and I love, you know, I love the approach on belonging because I feel like it's it's evolved from the conversations that we've had for years and years about diversity, equity and inclusion, and now belonging is a part of that conversation. So and I you know, as I talk to HR professionals out there, I think every single one of us agrees, you know, diversity, equity and inclusion is a is a great goal, but so many of them are stuck in. Okay, but how do we get there? You know, how do we, where do we start? How do I, how do I actually even walk through this journey? So, as you think about belonging in the context of human resources, what are some of the, the things that we need to be thinking about, or some of the steps that we need to take to truly get out of just diversity, equity and inclusion and into true belonging within our workplace culture?

Speaker 1: 4:41

So I think it's. You know, I've worked for some very smart, intelligent business people and I had one that sticks in my head is that you have to bottom line everything you do. There has to be a monetary value to everything. And you know, we just talked about the fact. If I have an idea I can't get across the table to implement to help us grow, there's loss opportunity right there. There's also loss opportunity where you have to continue to bring people into your organization just to push them off the cliff, and if you don't have a sense of belonging, that's exactly what's going to happen.

Speaker 1: 5:12

Each and every one of those person has the intellectual assets from the organization that you lose when they leave. Yeah, but not only that. You have, you have clients that are tied to that person. It's the relationships already built right. So there are again opportunities to sort of start adding all that up and doing the math, and we work with accountants. I'm not an accountant, so I'm not going to sit here and act like I can do all the math right now, but we can all probably agree that it's not a cheap date. You start looking at what are some of the hidden costs that you don't necessarily pay attention to Absolutely. And then the back that costs some money too.

Speaker 3: 5:48

Well, I think you used the word and you know this is the. This is a term that I talk with HR people about a lot that we don't think about, and that's the term of opportunity cost. Right, you know there is a cost that's non-defined and sometimes that's hard for people to get their head wrapped around, but it's. You know there is a big loss there. We just don't necessarily define it on balance sheet like you would normally, as it relates to how expensive our people. So, chad, what's your perspective on opportunity-costed organizations and how we can prevent and be aware of that?

Speaker 4: 6:21

Well, it's all defined too on, you know, opportunity costs defined. If I'm going to do this, what is the cost of what I am not doing? So I'm saying yes to something, what am I saying no to? As an example, so you know, I think, when, say, lou builds, how do we get my idea across the table and how do I leverage those things? And innovation can also mean repackaging of existing ideas.

Speaker 4: 6:50

We're here at a conference where, you know, we've got talented professionals, we've got a recruiting crunch, we're trying to find more talented people. And I did a workshop earlier this week where it was decided that we have all the right people in the room but they may not be able to contribute in the way that we want them to. So what is our natural idea to do that? Well, let's go seek it elsewhere. Sure, when it may be sitting right in the people in the organization that you have.

Speaker 4: 7:19

You're just not thinking about it correctly or in a way that challenges you to say, well, how do we tap into those people? How do we say let's have you be more productive and more happy doing what you do and have you do that more often. But first we've got to identify that and if we can exploit that well, then maybe we, some of the positions that we're hiring for, some of the expertise that we're getting from the organization, some of the opportunities that we need, it lives within the people that we've already hired. We've just got to pull that out differently. And when you walk an organization through that, through those skill sets and draw those out, in the end they're sitting there going well, why didn't I see that first? Right, and you think it's this great innovative idea. But innovation can creep and just such cracks within your organization.

Speaker 3: 8:10

You may not even see them, but it takes somebody from the outside to find them Right, and again, it's being open to that diverse perspective and the point of difference, right. But I think what's so powerful about what you shared is you look at all the research and all the data as it relates to employee experience and happiness at work and retention and turnover, and so much of it ties around career development, feeling like the job that I do is meaningful and beneficial, feeling like I'm listened to at work, obviously making sure my boss isn't a jerk, and so there's all these data points, and so what you just described is a way to actually address that Right. So, as you're thinking about thinking a little bit differently or, as you called it, like catching the innovation that's falling through the cracks, what are some tactics or strategies that we can be thinking about in HR to do that for our organizations, or be thinking about how to help facilitate now in our organization?

Speaker 4: 9:08

Everybody's got assessments and there's a variety of assessments. All of them do one or two things really well and a lot of assessments say, hey, we capture it all. Whether you're doing this, you're doing PI, you have Strengths Finder, true Colors, what have you? The one in particular that's come over the last three years by Patrick Linceoni and the table group is the six types of working genius. You have six types where everybody gets two working geniuses, two frustrations, two competencies.

Speaker 4: 9:40

The reason I like it is A it's very affordable for any organization. They went out online right now to you know six types of work in geniuscom and took the assessment $25. Oh, wow, the magic is in assessing it and bringing the productivity and the team analysis together. That is a very good tool. And I'm glad that you said like what are the tools and tricks? Because everybody thinks, seems to think like, if I do this assessment, that's the thing, like that is what's going to solve it, and I try and preach that. It's a tool and a data point and you need to leverage each one appropriately to come up with your own organizations. Basically, strategy and assessment of what works well for us and if we're missing something, what's the best tool for that the six types of working genius is meant for the best tool, in my opinion, for being productive and being happy in your job, and it'll pull those things out, yeah, and then you know that's a novel idea that I actually am happy In my job.

Speaker 3: 10:39

You know, that's it Like it's, so it's actually. You know, if you think about it, how often do we actually talk about employee happiness? Right, you know, we talk about, talk about engagement, we talk about productivity, we talk about efficiency, we talk about effectiveness, but the but. You know, we're just now starting to scratch the surface. I'm here.

Speaker 4: 10:56

Here's how I describe it very easily for someone and then turn back over to you say, lou is when you're working in your geniuses. These are the days you go home to your significant other and you say I had the best day ever, I did this, this and this and you can't wait to talk about it. You're working in your frustrations when it's Monday morning and you wish it was happy hour on Friday at four o'clock and you can't wait for it to get there. And your competencies generally are. If you're leaving the meeting and there's those one or two tasks that are on the side and your boss says, hey, I think this is good for you, and you go back to your desk, you're like I don't really like doing this, but I know I can do it so right.

Speaker 3: 11:31

That's how you break those Sure.

Speaker 4: 11:33

Sure.

Speaker 3: 11:34

So say Lou, you know, we, we, we scratch the surface On on on. Dei started talking a little bit about belonging. I know of a significant amount of your work and has been on that, you know, helping organizations through that journey. As we think about this, this, this problem statement of finding happiness and belonging at work, identifying the things that that that really get people excited and engaged and and enthusiastic, what are some, some takeaways that you would give our listeners to be thinking about honestly, about themselves and their organization, in order to foster that?

Speaker 1: 12:10

Well, so here's this goes out to all the leaders and really anyone's a stakeholder in any organization. Food for thought, simple food for thought. You spend a third of your life at your job, while you're working, and so that means a third of it is going to dictate whether you're going to be happy or not and perpetuate your personal life. Then you have not there. Again, there's the word. We're using an opportunity to correct it. Maybe it's you put yourself in a situation or in the case of an organization working on areas to really help your employees find that. Whatever that is, some of it is just having conversations and it's relationships which COVID has made it challenging. It's been a unique thing about the, the COVID that we've all gone through, is that not all cooler talks in a workplace is bad. Some of that's had to diminish just because of the fact that we've had to isolate them. It's really these hybrid work environments allow for a space to where employees can re-engage and connect above and beyond the work that they do.

Speaker 1: 13:17

We had a thing at Bergen, now part of a creative plan called what's your, and it really just wanted to find a way to connect us together. Chad's and maybe, hey, I was a college golf. Hey, I like golf. I'm not good, I like golf, but that's something we can have some dialogue and discussion about. Who knows what's going to lead to it. Maybe someday we're thinking up some innovative ideas in the golf course for our current job, which all yields itself to happiness. I think really it's a lot of just simple things. He mentioned earlier talking about innovation as repurposing the things that have already been created. It's really bad. Just take a step back, looking and assessing, instead of trying to run that 100 miles per hour like normally.

Speaker 1: 13:56

I always try to do in our job and just pay attention to the little details.

Speaker 3: 14:01

Yeah, absolutely, find those points of connection and then use it. Yeah, good, All right. Well, we are in our time together. So, chad, what is one key takeaway that you want the Rebel HR listeners to understand from this conversation?

Speaker 4: 14:16

I took it from my son the other day is listen to those that are younger and more useful to you, that can provide the experience. He posted his first post on LinkedIn the other day and said don't dismiss Gen Zers, because the technology that you're seeking certifications on we've already had it for like five or 10 years All right.

Speaker 3: 14:37

Listen to the younger generation. Say Lou. What's one takeaway for our listeners?

Speaker 1: 14:40

Pay now or pay later. What I mean by that is now make the investments and now, so you can succeed later, because it will cost you more dollars later. Fix what you could have fixed at this time in life.

Speaker 3: 14:52

Absolutely Good. Two words never spoken and I have a lot of mistakes in my past that I can clarify if anybody wants to have conversations. Thank you, gentlemen, so much for spending the last few minutes with us. Really appreciate everything you're doing to help employers figure this out.

Speaker 2: 15:11

All right, that does it for the Rebel HR podcast. Big thank you to our guests. Follow us on Facebook at Rebel HR podcast, twitter at rebelhrguy, or see our website at rebelhumanresourcescom. The views and opinions expressed by Rebel HR podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any of the organizations that we represent. But no animals were harmed during the filming of this podcast.

Speaker 4: 15:41

Maybe,