Building Better Workplaces: Leadership for a Post-Pandemic World

Welcome to Good Company, the podcast redefining leadership to create workplaces where people thrive! In this debut episode, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren share their vision: inspiring leaders to transform culture and drive meaningful change. With personal stories and fresh perspectives, they explore the challenges facing today’s organizations. The discussion examines the pandemic’s lasting impact on workplace culture, raising questions about resilience, recognition, and the disconnect between leadership efforts and employee well-being. What makes people feel strong at work? Are organizations doing enough to address collective trauma and foster recovery?

Drew and Brett offer thoughtful insights on building environments where employees feel valued, autonomous, and connected. With practical strategies like improving communication and redefining recognition, this episode offers actionable ideas to help leaders build better workplaces. Listen in for a candid, thought-provoking conversation that will leave you inspired to create positive change!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to hosts, Drew and Brett, and the origins of this podcast. [0:01:11]

• What people would like to improve when it comes to their organizational cultures. [0:04:34]

• Examining the pandemic as a collective trauma and how businesses can address it. [0:06:55]

• Reflections on whether the pandemic is over in the context of work. [0:11:52]

• Unpacking the nature of happiness and what brings people joy at work. [0:14:11]

• The range of pandemic workplace experiences from positive to traumatic. [0:25:18]

• Debating a company’s responsibility for employee mental health. [0:31:23]

• Key areas where people are feeling weak and unable to access resilience. [0:41:06]

• Evidence-based approaches for creating safer more resilient work environments. [0:47:17]

• Effective strategies for showing recognition and appreciation in the workplace. [0:51:51]

• Final insights and data concerning today’s topics. [01:06:30]

Quotes:

“I don't think human beings – were meant to live in perpetual states of uncertainty. And that, to me, is what's lingering [from the pandemic] – the uncertainty persists when the pandemic has stopped.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:12]

“I'm wondering if we're asking the right questions of employees when we say, ‘Are you happy?’ As opposed to asking them, ‘When do you feel happiest?’” — Drew Dudley [0:19:52]

“Strength is a prerequisite for happiness.” — Drew Dudley [0:23:31]

“70% of employees who are heavily monitored report higher levels of work-related stress compared to people that aren’t.” — Drew Dudley [0:45:30]

“She goes, ‘I learned a long time ago, this simple practice where whenever something negative happens, there's really only one question, that's effective. What did I learn from that experience? That's it.’” — Brett Elmgren [0:50:46]

“94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.” — Drew Dudley [01:07:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Power of Habit

Supercommunicators

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership