Join Jason for a powerful conversation with Wendy Rummler, Chief People Officer at Credit Acceptance. Wendy shares the inside story of how their organization transformed from a conventional, in-office workplace to a high-performing, remote-first organization, while earning multiple workplace awards year after year. The secret, she says, is fostering a culture where listening leads to meaningful action, and where transparency and feedback are non-negotiable.

Key lessons highlighted in our conversation include:

👉 True “listening cultures” require managers to close the feedback loop every time. Either by implementing suggestions, explaining their reasoning for declining, or seeking more information.

👉 Organizational change is a long-term journey. The best results occur when leaders approach engagement as a continuous and rigorous discipline.

👉 Transparency about “why” decisions are made, especially about difficult topics, builds trust, even when the answer isn’t what people want to hear.

👉 The most valuable employee feedback often points to operational obstacles, not just perks or benefits. Addressing these issues directly enables your people to do their best work.

👉 Remote work success hinges on proactive onboarding, strong mechanisms for relationship-building, and frequent, meaningful leader check-ins with every team member.

👉 Strong cultures assume positive intent. Leaders who communicate trust and aspire to help everyone succeed redefine performance expectations and team cohesion.

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Connect with Wendy:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-rummler-69777611/

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JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.

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Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

#Leadership #PeopleFirst #CompanyCulture #FeedbackLoop #WorkplaceExcellence

Join Jason for an enlightening conversation with Mike Ferone, Vice President of Organizational Development and Performance Excellence at Benchmark Gensuite, as they explore how his company has created a “culture of opportunity”—one where promotions are based on demonstrated competencies and potential, not rigid timelines.

Together, they examined how this approach shapes engagement, enables rapid development, and makes workplaces more human-centered and successful.

Key lessons highlighted in our conversation include:

👉 The power of flexible, individualized promotion timelines, so everyone advances when ready, not just at review time

👉 How transparency and public clarity about why someone is promoted removes frustration and builds trust within teams.

👉 Why rigorous accountability, through regular manager and HR check-ins, ensures that every advancement is both earned and supported.

👉 How promoting based on demonstrated potential can accelerate growth for ambitious, early-career talent.

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Connect with Mike:

Company: https://benchmarkgensuite.com/

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelferone/

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JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.

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***

Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

Join Jason for a deeply engaging conversation featuring Karen Rieck, the Vice President of Human Resources at Farm Bureau Financial Services, as she shares her journey on building “presence with a purpose” work.

Karen’s inspiring approach to employee connection, especially through their innovative “Real Stories” internal podcast, offers real-world lessons every manager should consider. They talked about how powerful it can be when people are encouraged not just to do their jobs, but to show up fully as who they are, even with everything they’re carrying.

Key lessons from our conversation include:

👉 The game-changing shift from “return to office” mandates to designing intentional in-office experiences that fuel genuine human connection.

👉 Practical, low-cost ways to foster community that make the workplace a destination.

👉 The transformative effects of storytelling through initiatives like the “Real Stories” podcast, which invites employees to share impactful experiences

👉 How inclusion is amplified not by policy statements, but by allowing people to own their stories and truly be known by their colleagues.

👉 Strategies for balancing work-life integration with organizational productivity, especially as employee expectations evolve in today’s workplace.

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Connect with Karen Rieck:

Website: www.fbfs.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-rieck-6148446/

**

JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.

Subscribe to our newsletter:

https://jasonlauritsen.ck.page/950d3cff1f

***

Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

#HRLeadership #EmployeeExperience #WorkplaceCulture #FutureOfWork #Inclusion #HumanConnection #RealStories #PeopleFirst