Episode 92 - Grounded Leadership and Employee Experience with Tony Martignetti

What is business all about? Is it about profit? Or people? Or both? Another question we can ask is why is there the belief that if you are profitable, then you cannot be people focused, or even people concerned. Such a philosophy is going to seep into every aspect of workplace culture, creating a situation in which people are not only disconnected from the organization, but from each other. One of the things that early sociologists explored is the way that people become disconnected from one another in modern industrial society. The bonds that used to tie us together are now severed. We enter into relationships with other from a purely transactional point of view. We work because we are paid, not because we believe in what we are doing, or are supporting one another. 

And as was said in the movie Office Space, “That will make you work just hard enough not to get fired.”

So, the question becomes how do we create this new workplace culture, or employee experience, that will facilitate these connections. Not only does this make us feel better, but also work better. Rather than calling managers, maybe we need to rethink of the role as facilitator, helping people to achieve better versus threatening them to do better. Or, in summary, make work more human. 

Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we’re excited to welcome Tony Martignetti. Tony is a leadership coach and consultant who specializes in helping leaders and teams navigate change. And leadership is all about navigating the interface between self and other. We dive into strategies around being authentic at work, the need for feeling safe to express oneself, and overcoming the challenge to prioritize collective leadership over individualism. 

It’s chock full of good advice for creating sustainable, intentional leadership focused on lasting impact. And with that, let’s get to it.