Lauren Puff, CPCC is a Global Workplace Experience Leader who is passionate about driving growth, operational excellence, and employee engagement. Mike Petrusky asks Lauren about her career journey in the world of facility management, operations, and workplace for several well-known tech companies and they discuss the importance of leadership in organizations today. An important talking point to look forward to: change management is a critical skill for today’s workplace leaders.
Agenda
- Discussion on the importance of connection in the workplace
- The role of technology in facilitating connections
- The importance of effective leadership and management
What you need to know: Workplace takeaways
Takeaway 1: The importance of human connection in the workplace
In this episode, Mike P and Lauren Puff emphasize the importance of fostering human connections in the workplace. They believe that whether it’s between peers, leaders, or team members, these connections are crucial for a productive and positive work environment.
Puff states, “I’m a people manager. I’ve got a team. I have to ensure that my team has the resources that they need to do their job, understands their expectations, and know that they have the room to pitch ideas and solve problems within their scope.”
According to Mike P, “We, as facility management and workplace leaders, have a chance to facilitate these connections, don’t we?” This emphasizes the role of workplace leaders in creating an environment that encourages and facilitates connections between employees.
Takeaway 2: The role of leaders in fostering a positive workplace experience
Both discuss the role of leaders in creating a positive workplace experience. They believe that leaders need to be approachable, transparent, and empathetic to foster a strong connection with their teams.
Puff advises, “So those are the kinds of things I feel like can really help… people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. And I don’t wholly disagree with that. So I do my what I can to make sure that I’m approachable and someone who genuinely cares about the people on our team.” Mike P supports this view, stating, “That is something we’ve talked about on the show a lot. This need for leadership, for understanding human behavior.”
Takeaway 3: The intersection of technology and human connection in the workplace
The episode also touches on the intersection of technology and human connection in the workplace. While technology can facilitate operations, the speakers emphasize that a solid foundation and understanding of the team are necessary for successful implementation.
Puff suggests, “But when the foundation isn’t solid, then introducing a piece of technology only complicates things. I’ve seen that time and time again at many of the companies I’ve worked at where we try to use a piece of technology to solve the problem, but it’s actually a process problem or a people problem.”
Mike P states in agreement that “we need these opportunities, folks, to connect with like-minded individuals and those outside of our immediate bubble that we can learn from.”
Simply: it’s undeniably important to balance technology and human interaction in the workplace.
Workplace management insights
- The importance of connection in the workplace, both among peers and between employees and programs.
- The need for a solid foundation in the team to successfully implement technology in the workplace.
- The role of effective leadership in fostering a conducive workplace environment.
- The importance of understanding the team members outside of work to build stronger connections.
- The significance of over-communication and transparency in leadership.
Do a deep dive into more workplace insights by exploring all Workplace Innovator podcast episodes and learn more about WESO Collective.
