Culture Course Correction with Sophie Theen: Lead to Succeed 108
A toxic workplace culture can result in decreased happiness and satisfaction, and performance at work, particularly with startups. In this episode, guest Sophie Theen shares her tried and true advice on how founders and leaders can improve workplace culture.
Sophie Theen is an award-winning Human Resources and Diversity and Inclusion professional. She has been featured on the “Women in FinTech Power List” since 2017 and is the first HR professional to win the “Standout” spot. Theen is also widely recognized for her innovative influence on how Human Resources works in technology companies and startups. She now works with companies around the world as an advisor.
Listen in and learn more about the importance of workplace culture.
Key Talking Points of the Episode:
[02:56] Who’s responsible for accompanying culture? And what strategies does Sophie find useful for people in creating the culture.
[06:59] How Sophie helps leaders balance between working and building the human relational culture aspect of their business.
[10:15] Advice for leaders to ensure that they have a positive culture.
[11:09] How does Sophie help the companies that are struggling with their broken culture to set themselves on a better course moving forward.
[13:38] What leaders can do - when their company is still in conception - to ensure as much as possible that they never get to a place where the culture goes off the rails.
[15:20] The distinction between startups and accomplished companies on the environment level and the amount of people involved.
[17:16] Sophie’s 3 indicators of a good/bad culture.
[20:14] How to measure the difference between people who give feedback in any data collection tools because they’re enthusiastic and those who give it because they’re desperate for change.
[22:09] Sophie’s process of helping leaders who are misaligned to change.
[25:06] How Sophie helps leaders become comfortable in asking for feedback.
[26:48] Sophie’s biggest mistake and what she learned from it.
[27:48] Rapid-fire questions.
[31:00] Sophie’s life lesson.
Standout Quotes from the Episode:
“Culture cannot be sustained on its own without the hard work and collaboration of each and every person in the company.”
Connect with Sophie Theen:
Connect with / follow Naphtali Hoff:
Get Naphtali’s book, “Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader's Guide to Sustained Success”
Please subscribe to, rate and review the show. Your feedback gives social proof and encourages more folks to listen.
Find Lead to Succeed on:
Please share this recording with your networks and tag Naphtali as well.