“Decision-making is not a quest for validation, it’s a quest for evaluation.”

This week, Mallory and Shawn are joined by Adam Lovill, VP of Customer Experience at Trainual, who dives into decision-making as a key part of driving success.

Adam pushes back on the strong, quick, aggressive decision-maker stereotype. Instead, he advocates dropping ego from the process, collaboration, and being supportive when things don’t work out as the key to making better decisions and accelerating progress.

Key Takeaways:

• Strategic decision-making is just as much about deciding what NOT to do as it is about picking a course of action. But getting there requires deep curiosity and asking the right questions.
• Employees can only make the right decisions and get results when they have clarity on the company's direction. How do we all pull in the same direction and achieve the same goals? By making sure these goals are clearly communicated and frequently revisited.
• Decision-making is a process of continuous learning. Practice, experience and collaboration, when embraced company-wide, help improve decision quality over time.

Chapter Markers

[2:37] The importance of decision-making at various levels within a company, and insights on becoming a better decision-maker.

[6:37] Creating a non-aggressive, collaborative environment to make well-thought-through decisions for the company.

[10:47] Different roles may require different advice for decision-making, with the main difference being the scale of the decisions and their impact.

[13:20] Understanding where you sit in three spheres of influence – awareness, influence, and control – and how this impacts your decision-making role.

[19:38] The power of good top-down strategy and focusing on single clear objectives that align with the company mission.

[24:21] Clear communication and transparency in decision-making ensure that all members of the team are aligned and empowered to question and challenge authority.

[27:25] Patience is crucial for making tough decisions, and the need for discipline and assessing the situation before making a quick call.

[34:19] Involve the right stakeholders in the decision-making process to get the team on board.

[40:11] Create a positive decision-making culture that brings the team together and accepts failure to make progress.

[45:15] Showcase the impact of good decision-making by choosing and telling the most important stories.

Resources

Want more resources from this episode? We’ve got an episode recap, replay and every template, process and resource we covered right here: https://trainual.com/podcast-series/inside-the-process

And don’t forget to hit subscribe to get a notification when the next episode drops!

This is one of a few podcasts from Trainual, a software platform that helps businesses build playbooks to train and grow their team. You can check out the rest of our shows here: https://trainual.com/insidetheprocess

About Trainual

Inside The Process is the real-time podcast that is a practical antidote to process headaches. In each monthly episode, we share thousands of dollars worth of free, actionable frameworks to help you take action and grow your business.

If you’re a team leader who is wasting time, energy, and money trying to solve a business problem and isn’t sure where to start, this is the show for you.

"Hire for attitude, train for skill."

In this episode, Mallory and Shawn chat with Marlowe Duran, Senior Talent Business Partner at Trainual, about finding the right folks to join your team and make a real difference.

Marlowe talked about how to put together job descriptions that catch the eye, come up with interview questions that really dig deep, and streamline the recruitment process so it's not a headache. Plus, she shares some awesome advice on how smaller, leaner businesses can nail the hiring game without needing to break the bank.

Key Takeaways:

• Hiring should align with the company's values and culture, ensuring that candidates fit well within the organizational environment.
• Reference checks and realistic job previews help assess candidates' fit and give them a taste of the role, ensuring mutual understanding and expectations.
• Effective candidate screening is crucial for efficient hiring, focusing on values and skills rather than just interview performance. Objective evaluation and consistency in the hiring process are important.
• Proper onboarding and setting clear expectations are key to new hires' success. Leaders should be prepared to invest time in training and supporting new employees.

Chapter Markers

[02:59] The importance of hiring based on company values rather than culture fit.

[04:57] Incorporating competency-based hiring and values in the hiring process.

[06:41] Using project-based hiring to evaluate candidates.

[10:14] The interview process and the benefits of showing practical skills during the interview process.

[13:49] The importance of having a mix of evaluation methods in the hiring process.

[16:16] Creating a positive and supportive interview experience for candidates.

[17:13] Being authentic and transparent during the interview process.

[21:41] Strategies for evaluating and improving hiring processes based on feedback.

[24:54] How to create job descriptions that accurately reflect the company culture and role expectations.

[36:58] How smaller companies can compete for top talent against larger enterprises.

[41:32] Supporting high performers.

Resources:

Want more resources from this episode? We’ve got an episode recap, replay and every template, process, and resource we covered right here: https://share.trainual.com/subject/e836da97-b7dd-400a-88ed-6d7cf6daa1bf/topic/4173874/step/17327333

Trainual

Inside The Process provides solutions for every aspect of the business — from process headaches and system improvement to self-management and leveling up as a leader.

Mallory Glessner and Shawn Jensen sit down with some of the brightest business minds and unpack their specialized insights to help you improve and level up the work you’re doing.

But Inside The Process isn't your typical business podcast — it's your go-to consultant (without the thousands of dollars in fees). Covering business best-practices, company culture, leadership and more — helping YOU take action and grow your business.

So, whether you’re a team leader who isn’t sure where to start or an experienced manager who wants to explore new business processes that save time, energy, and money — this is the show for you.

And don’t forget to hit subscribe to get a notification when the next episode drops!

This is one of a few podcasts from Trainual, a software platform that helps businesses build playbooks to train and grow their team. You can check out the rest of our shows here: https://trainual.com/insidetheprocess

"To really make content that actually resonates with someone, you have to know the ins and outs of their days... the wow factor with content that's relatable and goes viral within niches. You want the audience to be like, 'Holy crap, do they have a camera in my room?'"

In this episode of Inside the Process, Mallory and Shawn chat with Aidan Brannigan, the Head of Social and all around wizard behind the curtain at Marketing Millennials. He shares his secrets on turning people into huge fans of your business through social media, and some tips on handling those pesky trolls.

Aidan reveals his journey from college intern to viral content creator and shares his secrets to creating engaging content that resonates with massive audiences, highlighting the importance of deep audience research, organic growth, and the power of differentiation in a crowded digital space. Aiden emphasizes the human touch in social media interactions, offering tips on how to make customers feel valued and appreciated.

They also discuss the significance of consistency in delivering excellent customer experiences and building long-term loyalty. Tune in for practical advice, humorous anecdotes, and actionable strategies to transform your content and create raving fans.

Key Takeaways:

• You can focus on organic growth, achieved without ad spend, by creating unique and differentiated content. Look outside your industry for inspiration to stand out in a crowded content landscape.
• Personalizing interactions and showing the human side behind a brand are crucial for building loyalty. Simple actions like liking or commenting on followers' posts can make customers feel valued and appreciated, enhancing their connection to the brand.
• Consistency in delivering great experiences is more important than sporadic bursts of excellence. Building long-term loyalty requires consistently exceeding customer expectations, ensuring they feel delighted and wowed by their interactions with the brand.

Chapter Markers:

[02:41] Creating relatable content.

[03:15] The importance of research and understanding your audience, alongside differentiation and fresh perspectives.

[08:29] Organic growth vs. paid ads.

[13:08] The power of humor and personality in content while building your brand voice and persona.

Brand Voice and Persona - 15:13

[16:13] The importance of audience-centric content.

[20:52] Humanizing content and writing tips.

[24:39] Using AI tools for content creation.

[27:57] Prioritizing feedback and handling criticism.

[31:19] Balancing creative vision and client expectations.

[34:27] Consistency vs. quantity in content creation.

[37:06] Dealing with trolls and negativity.

[41:45] Avoiding burnout and staying motivated.

[45:38] Building community and customer engagement.

Resources:

Want more resources from this episode? We’ve got an episode recap, replay and every template, process, and resource we covered right here: https://trainual.com/insidetheprocess