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Mike McKay and Jackie Zach explore the concept of the “energetic stack” and how a leader’s emotional energy impacts their team and workplace. The stack comprises various emotional states, from negative emotions like shame and guilt at the bottom to positive states like joy and bliss at the top. They emphasize that leaders must take responsibility for their energy, as

In another insightful discussion, Jackie Zach and Mike McKay explore three essential tips for catalyzing greatness in teams. The first tip is setting clear expectations, emphasizing the importance of mutual clarity to avoid misunderstandings. Leaders should provide measurable results and avoid assuming that employees automatically understand their expectations. The second tip focuses on creating a positive culture, which is shaped

In this episode, Jackie Zach and Mike McKay discuss the importance of seeing situations from others’ perspectives and how this mindset can improve communication in both personal and professional settings. They highlight a response from a DarrenDaily episode, where an employee realized that instead of constantly seeking attention from a busy boss, the best approach was to handle their own

In this episode of the Make More Work Less podcast, Mike McKay and Jackie Zach dive into the importance of ensuring employees are effectively generating revenue for a business. Mike emphasizes that the primary purpose of employees is to drive revenue, and every hiring decision should have a direct impact on the company’s financial growth. He explains the need for

In this episode of the Make More Work Less podcast, Mike McKay and Jackie Zach discuss the concept of a unique hiring proposition (UHP), which is essentially the reason why someone should work for a company over its competitors. They emphasize that UHP is akin to marketing, not just to clients but also to potential employees, and the key component

In another insightful discussion, Mike McKay and Jackie Zach explore the importance of formalized processes in family-owned businesses and the challenges that arise from a lack of structure. They emphasize that many family businesses operate with informal, inherited methods that can lead to inefficiencies, ambiguity, and stagnation. This lack of systematization hampers growth, as employees and customers face unclear expectations,

Mike McKay and Jackie Zach discuss strategies for addressing hiring challenges in this podcast episode. The conversation focuses on the importance of using a cash flow forecast as a tool to evaluate payroll decisions, such as raises or new hires, and their impact on financial health. They emphasize that while many businesses are hesitant to increase wages, effective cash flow

In this episode, hosts Jackie Zach and Mike McKay delve into the “6 Cs of Leading,” a leadership model introduced by Linda Krei. The first two Cs discussed are competency and character. Mike emphasizes that leadership begins with competency—leaders must constantly improve their skills and learn to lead more effectively. He also explains that leaders’ character influences their competency and

In this podcast, Mike McKay and Jackie Zach explore the difference between efficiency and effectiveness in business. They discuss how efficiency focuses on achieving goals quickly, sometimes sacrificing important details, while effectiveness emphasizes the best path, even if it takes longer. Jackie notes that, especially in customer experience, the quickest route may miss key touchpoints that add value. Mike highlights

Join Mike McKay and Jackie Zach as they delve into the “Ladder of Adult Learning,” which explains the process adults go through when acquiring new skills, particularly in goal-setting. They break down each step, starting with unconscious incompetence—where individuals are unaware of what they don’t know—and move through conscious incompetence, where they become aware of their knowledge gaps. The conversation