tEEmatters, LLC Tip #5 on Improving EX We spend our days chasing targets, striving to hit the numbers, and checking boxes to get our yearly review. And then, one day, we get that promotion only to realize it’s the wrong type of growth. In fact, we’ve been climbing the wrong ladder. This is the fifth post in my series on how leaders can impact employee experience. Last time, we talked about recognition; today, it’s all about growth. How does it feel when we’re encouraged to keep developing and expanding our skills? How does it feel when opportunities to learn are stifled? Growth opportunities have an outsized impact on engagement and retention. Employees want to know their full potential can be realized. I once had a leader who gave me a piece of advice that has served me well: always look for - and seize! - opportunities to learn and grow. It was permission to take risks, make mistakes, look across (and not just up), and become more than I was the day before. That simple advice unlocked new possibilities and set the foundation for my future success. Great leaders support their teams in this way—they push their people to grow, fail forward, continuously seek new challenges, and help them find new opportunities. I’ve been blessed to have had a few such leaders, and my engagement skyrocketed as a result. One of my team members once gave me a framed quote by John Quincy Adams that still hangs in my office: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams This quote perfectly captures the essence of what leadership is all about.  As leaders, we should all strive to create an environment where people are empowered to take on new challenges. Where fresh perspectives are valued. Where people are rewarded for initiative, not just results. Imagine if everyone on your team woke up excited to push themselves. That’s the type of culture that breeds innovation. So ask yourself: What can I do to encourage growth? How can I help my team level up? The answers will lead to better business outcomes and human outcomes. Ready to help your team level up? Contact me today to learn how tEEmatters can help you foster a culture of growth and development.   marybethcrawford@tEEmatters.com   410-963-3971   tEEmatters, L.L.C.

The Employee Experience  matters! A Riddle of Sorts It's early Monday morning.   You have a busy day ahead, and you grab a cup of coffee to kickstart your day. You trip and spill coffee as you traverse the hallway with your phone and coffee in hand. Question: Why did you spill coffee? Hint: It wasn't because you were distracted by your phone or even because you had a clumsy moment. Answer: You spilled coffee because that was what was in your cup. If you had been carrying a cup of tea, you would have spilled tea. Lesson: Before you can answer any question, getting to the root of it is essential. tEEmatters, LLC is Live Now I have spent my career (primarily in Corporate America) getting to the root of questions and designing creative strategies to achieve the best possible outcomes. My career encompasses almost 30 years of experience advancing culture, employee experience, organizational/talent development, change management, and people and business strategies as a senior human resources and business leader at Walt Disney World Co., Independent Executive Management Consulting, and Allegis Group, Inc. I have a successful history leading HR and serving as a coach and strategic partner to my C-suite leadership peers.  Throughout my career, I have worked in Consulting, Operations, Business Planning & Development, Communications, and HR. No matter the role, the foundation for success was simple: get to the root of the question/issue/problem/opportunity and build a compelling strategy using a people-first mindset. The employee experience matters; execute accordingly. So... I'm thrilled to announce the official launch of my consulting firm, tEEmatters, LLC, where I am leveraging my extensive experience and expertise in a new capacity. tEEmatters is a Delmava-based consulting firm that offers an impressive portfolio of strategic management consulting, leadership coaching, strengths-based performance development services, and transformation support that are entirely customizable for your business. What led me to this decision? I felt ready to return to work after a year-long sabbatical focused on family health and well-being (long story for another blog). But, getting to the root of the question, why this particular path? Fundamentally, I am passionate about collaborating with inspiring leaders who prioritize their people as they strategize and solve business problems. My enthusiasm lies in assisting leaders in maximizing their teams' potential and fostering their organizations' growth. I'm eager to make a difference. Wish me luck, and please reach out if you are an inspirational leader experiencing a gap between strategy and results. I can almost guarantee it has everything to do with people. tEEmatters can help. Want to Learn More about tEEmatters, Employee Experience, or People-first Mindset? Putting your people first does not mean that your business results, customers, clients or stakeholders will suffer. In fact, it means the exact opposite. When you put your people first, they are empowered to show up as their best selves and are supported to maximize their potential and excel in their roles. You as a leader will become more effective by understanding who your people are, what they need and what support they require from you. The organization benefits by having engaged employees who want to show up to work and do their best each and every day.  It’s time for us to once and for all bury our antiquated beliefs about the best way to achieve results. In my experience, when you put people first, the results will follow. Sinive Seely Former Forbes Councils Member, Forbes

The Unexpected Leadership Classroom I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership development lately. How do we actually learn to lead? Is it something we’re born with, or is it a skill we pick up along the way? Whatever the mix of nature and nurture, one thing’s for sure: the unexpected moments in life often leave the deepest mark on how we understand leadership. Take, for example, one childhood memory that stands out vividly for me. It was my first real lesson in courage, speaking up, and standing my ground in the face of authority—all served with a side of unforgettable terror in the principal's office. That brief encounter provided longer-lasting leadership lessons than I could’ve ever anticipated. "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear." – Mark Twain Picture it The year was 1970-something. A second grader (me), bouncing along on a rattletrap yellow school bus. Faux-leather seats that stuck to your legs like Velcro, floors that were always inexplicably sticky. It was an hour-long ride to elementary school, and life was simple: metal lunchboxes, juice-filled Holly Hobby thermoses, crayons, and endless chatter to pass the time. The bus driver described me as "effervescent," which I learned was adult code for "this kid never stops talking." But honestly, bubbly and chatty were my survival tactics for that long, bumpy ride. The Bully Until… Bus Patrol-Pants came along. Fifth grade. Bully. Orange sash. Shiny badge. Swollen ego. She wore her little authority like a crown and ruled the bus like a pint-sized dictator. Every. Single. Day. The moment I stepped onto the bus, she’d silence me—for the entire hour—threatening eternal detention if I even thought about speaking. What the??? This wasn’t just a bus ride anymore—it was medieval torture with a side of sticky seats. It didn’t take long to figure out that the bully didn’t care about me. I was just target practice for her beef with my older brother, a fellow fifth-grader. Classic abuse of power. And since my momma didn’t raise no wallflower , I wasn’t about to stand for it. The Rise of the Rebel After a week of enduring this medieval bus-silencing, I’d had enough. I tried reasoning with her, deploying my best second-grade diplomacy (“ Excuse me, but you’re being super mean, and I don’t appreciate it .”). Shockingly, this didn’t work. So, like any independent 7-year-old with a cause, I escalated to the highest authority: the school principal. The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword (or so I thought) Armed with a No. 2 pencil and wide-lined paper, I sat at the kitchen table and wrote a letter that detailed the egregious power abuse happening on Bus 12. In a stroke of strategic brilliance (or so I thought), I signed it "Anonymous" but added “Bus 12” because, you know, that was critical evidence. I should’ve been braver and signed my name. But hey, I was 7. How could I have predicted how the principal would interpret my "signature"? (Foreshadowing). My plan was simple: drop the letter on the principal's desk the next day, and justice would prevail. The following morning, my mom waved me off proudly with a thumbs-up as I boarded the bus. The Big Backfire The Big Backfire Victory was mine! Or so I thought. The principal, with Sherlock Holmes-like precision, immediately sniffed out "Anonymous" (thanks to my atrocious handwriting). I was summoned to her office, my stomach flipping like an Olympic gymnast, and before I knew it, I was perched on a chair that swallowed me whole, feet dangling helplessly above the floor, staring into the cold, unforgiving eyes of authority. But instead of addressing the bullying, I was met with a booming reprimand for the "audacity" of speaking on behalf of the entire bus (which, for the record, I absolutely was not ). The lecture that followed was nothing short of a verbal smackdown—a brutal, dismantling tirade that left 7-year-old me squirming like a bug under a magnifying glass. By the time I was sent back to class, tears were streaming down my cheeks, and I felt utterly crushed. It was clear to me then—Bus Patrol-Pants must have learned her leadership style straight from the principal herself! This wasn’t just a backfire, it was an all-out crash-and-burn. Definitely not the ending I had envisioned for my first solo act of bravery. But don’t count out this little blonde leader-in-the-making just yet. A quick SOS to my mom’s best friend, Miss Jackie—the first-grade teacher—triggered an emergency response. One phone call and my mom swooped in like a superhero in a station wagon. Enter Mama Bear Fast forward to the front-office confrontation that was less Star Wars and more Desperate Housewives, my mom waging verbal warfare against a startled principal who clearly missed the memo: never dismiss the voice of a diminutive defender of justice—especially when backed by mom powers. The Turnaround Before long, I was called back to the principal’s den, but this time, the atmosphere was completely different. The principal was quick to offer profuse apologies for silencing my voice. Under my mom’s spirited guidance, the principal understood that I wasn’t trying to represent the entire bus—I was simply standing up for myself and identifying my bus. In the end, I wasn’t asking for much—just a chance to be heard. Leadership Lessons Learned From that first trip to the principal's office, I learned an unforgettable lesson about the difference between intent (I was just trying to indicate which bus I rode on) and impact (it appeared to her like I’d declared myself spokesperson for the entire bus). Was the lesson painfully administered? Absolutely. But was it valuable in the long run? Without a doubt. I also learned to never give up – even when the odds seem against you. Of course, having someone in your corner can make all the difference in challenging times. On that note, I’m fairly certain the principal walked away with a lesson or two herself—like the importance of listening carefully to even junior justice-seekers and never underestimating the power of a wee warrior backed by a mom wielding full artillery. But the real question remained: Did my leadership efforts pay off? Could I finally speak on the bus? Well… the bus patrol bully lost her sash, and I got my right to speak restored. Victory! Key Leadership Lessons from That Day: Speaking up takes courage – Keep standing up, even if your approach isn’t perfect (and be prepared to own intent versus impact). Pro tip: anonymous feedback usually isn't the best plan. Asking for help isn’t a weakness. Sometimes, you need reinforcements. I always tell my team that I’d rather they ask for help and get it right than struggle in silence and miss the mark. And, while I try not to attend every argument I’m invited to, trust me—if the help you need is with a bully in authority, I’ll have your back any day, all day long. No one’s a perfect leader. Great leaders know this and work to improve every day. I’d like to think the principal, the bus patrol, and I all grew in our leadership journey as a result of this experience. Oh, and a fun postscript: Twenty years later, I ran into the principal at a ski lodge. I strode right up and introduced myself: "Mary Beth. Bus 12." The look of recognition on her face was priceless. Now, who wants to hear about the time I organized a walkout over tater tots? Want to level up your team's leadership? Let's connect and build a stronger, more collaborative work environment!   #Leadership   #GrowthMindset   #LeadershipDevelopment   #Teamwork   #Collaboration   #CourageToLead

In 1996, I was working for Walt Disney World, Co. (and loving it). At that time, WDW's vision was " To Make People Happy ," and WDW HR's was “ To Make Magical Memories for All Who Work and Play Here ." My experience? Happiness. My memories working there? Magical.  A few decades and a handful of leaders and corporate cultures later, I can see that my "employee experience" had everything to do with my leaders and the culture they created. I put a ton of incremental effort into working for those leaders. Gallup states, "Those who strongly agree with 'I feel connected to my organization's culture' are 3.7× as likely to be engaged at work." Yep. I was, in Gallup terms, "highly engaged." I was living first-hand that  Employee Experience Matters .  The recipe was simple: WDW leaders could only have long-term success if they exceeded expectations with Cast, Guest, and Business Results. Two out of three wasn't enough (aka no brilliant jerks!). I didn't realize at the time how exceptional this practice was. The best leaders intuitively knew that a happy Cast led to a happy Guest, which led to financial results, and those leaders prioritized the Cast Experience. The results? Magic.  Foundational to what made it all so incredible was that Walt's legacy was omnipresent, his voice everywhere. Walt knew it takes people to make dreams a reality, and the leaders after him embraced that. And they delivered. There's much talk today about the future of work, including commentary about how companies need to respond to changing employee expectations post-COVID-19. That may be true for many companies. But as a Disney veteran, I'm here to tell you that the best companies knew that focusing on the Employee Experience was a difference-maker long before 2020. If your company's leadership team isn't actively focused on the Employee Experience as part of its strategy already, it might have some catching up to do. The good news is, as novelist George Eliot said, " It's never too late to be what you might have been ." All you need to know is that success will follow once you focus on the Employee Experience; your employees are the bottom line.  WDW wasn't the first place I worked nor the most recent, but the leadership, culture, and development there shaped me more than any place before or since.  I am forever grateful that my career—and everything I know about the Cast and Guest Experience—all started with Walt's mouse.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur Ward With this insight, Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, embarked on a unique and personal initiative. She began writing letters to the parents of her senior executives, expressing gratitude for the upbringing and values they had instilled in their children. Over the past few months, I've been decluttering my house of 20 years of accumulated stuff—a task fit for a team of hoarding cleanup professionals. It's been excruciatingly slow, and I've touched almost every item, attempting to make thoughtful decisions about what brings us joy, a là the KonMari method (aka "Does this spark joy?"). Some decisions were easy. Others, like deciding the fate of my 40 Christmas mugs, are still up for debate. One area that was clear-cut: handwritten notes. I've kept almost every handwritten note I've received in my adult life. During my decluttering, I spent hours re-reading them all (Rick didn't think that was the best use of my time, but it sparked joy!). These notes, especially those from leaders and co-workers over my 30+ year career, all went into the keep pile. In the workplace, recognition can take many forms. Some people love public praise, while others cringe at the thought. It's essential to ask your employees what they prefer. But one method of recognition about which I've never heard anyone object is the handwritten note. My advice? If you're thinking about writing a note, just do it. Re-reading my own collection made me wish I'd written more notes to others. So, I've ordered new stationery and committed to doing better. After all, recognition is crucial in building a people-first culture, and a handwritten note costs nothing.  "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." Margaret Cousins Serendipitously, just days after my nostalgic note re-read session, I stumbled upon a business anecdote that particularly resonated with me: the story of Indra Nooyi's touching handwritten note tribute during her tenure as CEO of PepsiCo. In a world where numbers and metrics often overshadow personal connections, Nooyi's unique approach to leadership shone brightly. One of her most heartfelt and well-received gestures was sending personalized notes to the parents of her senior executives. A Moment of Reflection The story begins in India, during a visit Nooyi made to her mother. As she spent time with her family, a steady stream of visitors arrived to congratulate her mother on Nooyi's accomplishments. This outpouring of appreciation made Nooyi pause and reflect on the profound influence parents have on their children's success. Back in the United States, Nooyi couldn't shake off the thought of how her achievements were deeply rooted in the values and support her parents had provided. She realized that behind every successful executive at PepsiCo were parents who had played a crucial role in shaping their children's character and work ethic. A Heartfelt Initiative With this insight, Nooyi embarked on a unique and personal initiative. She began writing letters to the parents of her senior executives, expressing gratitude for the upbringing and values they had instilled in their children. These weren't just generic notes; they were deeply personalized messages, highlighting the specific contributions of each executive to PepsiCo's success. In her letters, Nooyi shared anecdotes and examples of how the executives had excelled in their roles, attributing their achievements to the strong foundation laid by their parents. She thanked the parents for their sacrifices, guidance, and love, acknowledging that these factors had significantly contributed to their children's success and, by extension, to the success of PepsiCo. The Ripple Effect The impact of Nooyi's letters was profound. Many parents responded with overwhelming pride and emotion, often framing the letters as cherished keepsakes. For the executives, this gesture went beyond professional recognition; it touched a deeply personal chord. It reinforced the connection between their personal lives and their professional accomplishments, making them feel valued and appreciated in a way that few corporate leaders ever achieve. A Lesson in Leadership This story of Indra Nooyi's letters offers valuable lessons in leadership. It demonstrates that recognizing and valuing the personal lives of employees can significantly boost morale and foster a sense of belonging within an organization. Nooyi's thoughtful gesture encouraged other leaders to consider more personal and empathetic ways of acknowledging their teams' efforts. In a world where corporate success is often measured in dollars and cents, Nooyi's initiative reminds us of the power of human connection. It highlights how small, heartfelt actions can create lasting bonds and inspire loyalty and dedication among employees. Conclusion Indra Nooyi's decision to send personalized notes to the parents of her senior executives is a testament to her compassionate and inclusive leadership style. This story showcases her deep appreciation for her team and underscores the importance of family and cultural values in the workplace. Through this simple yet profound gesture, Nooyi strengthened the bonds within the PepsiCo family and set an enduring example of thoughtful and empathetic leadership. As we navigate our own leadership journeys and aspire to transform our organizational cultures with a people-first mindset, may we remember the impact of genuine appreciation and the power of personal connection. Taking the time to write a handwritten note might seem small, but it can make a world of difference. I challenge you to follow in the footsteps of leaders like Indra Nooyi and bring back the lost art of the handwritten note. Engagement will undoubtedly climb, and your employees just might treasure it for years to come. "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou