Jackie Zach
October 29, 2024
In this episode of the Make More Work Less podcast, Jackie Zach and Mike McKay delve into the essential elements of staffing and employee retention, inspired by insights from a recent networking event. They outline six keys to creating a winning team, starting with strong leadership, which involves both inspiring employees toward shared goals and providing clear expectations. The duo emphasizes that leaders must openly communicate performance metrics to ensure alignment and success within the team.
Jackie and Mike also discuss the importance of establishing a common goal, defining workplace culture through the “rules of the game,” and creating actionable plans that connect individual roles to the company’s objectives. They advocate for supporting risk-taking to encourage innovation and highlight the necessity of 100% involvement and inclusion from all team members. By fostering an environment where all voices are heard and valued, leaders can enhance team dynamics and drive organizational success. The conversation sets the stage for deeper explorations of these principles in future episodes.
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Podcast Transcript:
Jackie Zach: Welcome back to the Make More Work Less podcast. I’m here with the always wonderful Mike McKay. I’m Jackie Zach, and today we’ve got a lot to discuss—whether it’s insightful or not, we have plenty to say! This all started because I attended a networking event where staffing was a big topic. It wasn’t just about hiring; it was also about retaining employees. We’ll have a special guest on soon to discuss this, especially relevant for the hospitality industry, where staffing challenges are significant. This guest has managed to overstaff and maintain a high retention rate, with employees who started in 2016 still with him part-time. Naturally, the question came up: how did he manage that? I thought our listeners would find this topic valuable, so we’re calling this series Cocktail Napkin Wisdom, focused on staffing and retention. (Though it’s morning as we record, maybe we should be doing this over actual cocktails!)
During the event, we had a roundtable discussion, and it was fascinating. Some attendees were struggling with staffing, while others were figuring out what younger generations need. So today, we’ll start by outlining the six keys to a winning team. We’ll go over them briefly, then dive into each in upcoming episodes. So, Mike, what are the six keys to a winning team?
Mike McKay: I’m not sure.
Jackie: No problem—I’ll go through them!
Mike: I know the first one is strong leadership.
Jackie: Yes, strong leadership. Then we have a common goal, rules of the game, an action plan, support for risk-taking, and 100% involvement and inclusion. We’ll cover these in more detail in future episodes. Starting with strong leadership—why is it important?
Mike: Strong leadership has two essential aspects. First, it’s about helping your team reach new heights because they stand on your shoulders. Second, it involves management—creating clear expectations so employees know what success looks like each day. Leadership is both inspiring people toward shared goals and providing clarity. Many leaders today avoid performance discussions, fearing conflict. But if you truly care about your employees, you can communicate without fear. As Jim Rohn said, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” You can like someone but not their actions. Strong leaders are clear: “Here are your KPIs, and if they’re not met, this might not be the right fit for you.”
Jackie: The next key is a common goal. I asked the group if their employees know the company vision, and responses varied. It was eye-opening to see the range of clarity there.
Mike: The only way to be sure employees understand a common goal is to ask them directly. If they aren’t aligned, it’s on you as the leader to clarify the goal in a way that resonates. And let’s drop the generational blame—many people want purpose and respect in their work, not just millennials. A common goal gives everyone a reason to contribute meaningfully.
Jackie: Exactly! It should be inspiring, something people want to be a part of. Moving on, the third key to a winning team is the rules of the game.
Rules of the game essentially define your culture.
Mike: That’s right. Think of it like a soccer field. When the ball is in play, the team can run any play they dream up. But when the ball goes out of bounds, a whistle blows, and the game is formally restarted—maybe with a side kick or something, though I’m not sure of the exact soccer rules.
Jackie: Football might be a better example.
Mike: Right—the referee hands the ball back, and the game restarts. It’s the same with your business. When a culture point is violated—if the ball goes “out of bounds”—you stop, reset, and restart. In the factories, safety incidents shut down production until an investigation was complete. The factory manager had to approve the restart. What are the rules in your business that prompt a “whistle blow,” where the game stops and resets in a formal way?
Jackie: One of the things people in this group mentioned repeatedly is that people work with them because of the culture.
Mike: It’s the only competitive advantage right now.
Jackie: Exactly. One person even said, “This is something I need to work on more.” He’s in his mid-60s, hiring new graduates who want a great culture.
Mike: And they want to see how the company impacts the world.
What’s the fourth point?
Jackie: Having an action plan—who does what by when, and how it contributes to the company’s overall goals. Each person’s role is tied to company growth and goals.
Mike: Five-year, three-year, one-year, 90-day, monthly, weekly, and daily KPIs.
Jackie: Exactly. The fifth point is supporting risk-taking.
Mike: What are your thoughts on that?
Jackie: I love trying new things. Some work, some don’t, but having the freedom to experiment is huge. Like the Post-it Note—it was a mistake. The glue wasn’t supposed to be temporary, but that’s how it was invented.
Mike: For leaders, the biggest risk is letting people do things their way. It’s rare that someone’s idea is illegal, immoral, or unethical—most people want to be decent. But it’s hard when someone does things differently than you. The biggest risk is realizing that “my way” isn’t necessarily the best way. The focus should be on results, not methods.
Jackie: When I owned my business, letting people experiment led to better ideas than I could have come up with alone. It reduced pressure and workload for me, too.
Mike: Same here. Your ideas often improve on how we used to do things. It may feel risky, but the goal is to guide the culture and focus on results rather than control every detail.
Jackie: The last point is 100% involvement and inclusion. What does that mean to you?
Mike: In my previous roles, after a meeting, people would gossip. So we established a rule: if you don’t say it in the meeting, don’t say it later. You’re on the team because of your skills and ideas—not to complain about others’ ideas. Involvement means that everyone on a team actively participates. This doesn’t mean everyone must attend all department or team meetings; instead, it’s about clarity on responsibilities and everyone participating fully in their own teams.
Jackie: If you found today’s discussion helpful and want to improve in these areas, click the link below to chat with us. Until next time, go kick some ass!