Join us for a discussion about leading people so they feel appreciated and understood. Allen Cooper is the President/CEO of Ancilla Ventures. One of my favorite parts of this interview was when he discussed his approach to his feedback loops so he understands what his employees need and how he can align them with the company’s goals.

You can get the Magic of Feedback Guide (and other business system guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.

Highlights from the interview:

1. Servant leadership approach

Allen describes his leadership style as a “servant leadership” approach, where he tries to remove barriers for his employees, hold them accountable, and enable them to be their best. He believes in getting the most out of people by being a mentor and sounding board.

2. Prioritizing and balancing work

He discusses how he helps employees prioritize their work and balance “shiny objects” (new, exciting tasks) with necessary routine work. He uses a Scrum-based approach to spread work across all projects and clients, allowing employees to gain breadth of experience.

3. Feedback loops and core values

He explains how he has implemented monthly reviews of the company’s core values, including clearly defining what each value means. He also has a “monthly shout-outs” program to recognize employees who embody the core values. This helps reinforce the culture and gives employees a voice.

4. Documenting processes and continuous improvement

He discusses how the company has documented standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various processes, which helps with onboarding and ensures consistency. These SOPs are regularly reviewed and updated to adapt to changing needs.

You can learn more about Allen Cooper over at Ancilla Ventures. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

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Karl Staib Systematic Leader

Karl Staib founded the SOPguy Method and author of Bring Gratitude. He trains people to create processes that fit the employees’ and the company’s personality. He has been featured by Forbes, NPR and Zen Habits and has worked with great companies such as Philips Global, Southwest Research Institute and Pioneer Nation.

He has been helping clients develop SOPs since 2020, he would likely be utilizing his expertise in workplace happiness and productivity to design effective, efficient, and enjoyable procedures. SOPs are essential for businesses to ensure consistency and quality in their operations, and someone with Karl Staib’s background could bring a unique perspective to this task by focusing not only on the functionality of the procedures but also on how they impact employee satisfaction and morale.