70. Jumpstarting Your Workplace Culture
A practical framework for sustainable culture change with Eric D. Stone
Listen now on Apple and Spotify.
There's something powerful about saying 'I used Chat GPT to create this agenda' in a leadership meeting. It breaks the ice, gives permission, and models that using AI is smart (not cheating) all at once.
Which is exactly what we explore in today's conversation about workplace culture.
In this episode, we chat with Eric Stone, former VP at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, about what it really takes to build strong team relationships and create a high-performance culture.
Eric brings a fresh perspective from outside the tech bubble, offering insights gained from years of experience in talent development and leadership. His emphasis on trust, communication, and empowerment provides a compelling framework for managers looking to level up their approach to team dynamics.
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Eric Stone is a leadership expert, speaker, and author with a distinguished 26-year career at Enterprise Holdings. Known for his ability to build high-performance cultures, he successfully led teams through major global challenges, including 9/11, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
After retiring in 2018, he founded Clear Path Ventures to mentor young professionals and businesses. Eric is also the award-winning author of ‘Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture’ and an international speaker on leadership and employee engagement.
We discuss:
The three levels of employee engagement
The "30 Minutes of Fame" framework
How to balance empathy with accountability in leadership roles
The ABCs of clear communication: Amplify, Buffer, and Convey
Creating sustainable culture change
Identifying and leveraging culture carriers for transformation
The importance of skip-level meetings for driving adoption and understanding
The challenge of letting go of control as a leader while maintaining quality
“If you want unique results, you better have unique relationships.”
Key takeaways:
Managers should prioritize building strong connections with their teams to build trust and relationship.
Eric's reframing shows how intentional relationship-building transforms standard check-ins into meaningful connections.
Strike the right balance between accountability and empathy to keep employees motivated without micromanaging.
Avoid the pitfalls of “flavor of the week” management.
True engagement has three distinct levels. Learn about each one in the episode.
Culture carriers can't just be nice people. Eric requires high performers who would politely disagree with leadership, shaping initiatives from the ground up.
Find out about Eric’s “30 Minutes of Fame” strategy and how it can transform your 1-to-1s.
Episode timestamps:
(17:17) Core Thesis of 'Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture'
(18:25) Understanding Employee Engagement
(19:04) Building Strong Relationships in the Workplace
(20:17) Leadership's Role in Workplace Culture
(23:57) Effective Communication Strategies
(26:54) The Johnny the Bagger Story: A Lesson in Ownership
(30:05) Empowerment vs. Accountability in Leadership
(31:04) Balancing Standardization and Empowerment
(32:33) Ego and Leadership: Letting Go of Control
(34:18) Identifying and Nurturing Culture Carriers
(36:12) The Importance of Clear Communication and Culture
Where to find Eric:
Additional Resources:
"Jumpstarting Workplace Culture" by Eric Stone
NVIDIA CEO's perspective on 1:1s [YouTube video]
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Best,
Beth and Brandon