Heartbeats over Headcount (With Yves Dalcourt)

Yves Dalcourt, Managing Director at Miele in Australia and New Zealand, discusses his leadership experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasizes the importance of personal connection, daily communication, and creating a positive culture. Dalcourt highlights initiatives like the "song of the day" and consistent email updates to maintain morale. He also shares his philosophy of valuing employees as "heartbeats" rather than just head counts. Reflecting on his career, he stresses authenticity, adapting to different generations, and learning from both good and bad leaders.

Action Items

-Continue to build personal connections with employees and foster a strong, collaborative culture. Implement creative, engaging activities to keep the team motivated and connected during challenging times. -Maintain consistent, transparent communication with the entire organization to provide direction and reassurance. -Adapt leadership style to effectively connect with and support the needs of younger, more tech-savvy employees.

Outline

Strategies for Leading During a Pandemic

-Yves explains the two main strategies he and his management team developed: prioritizing the health and safety of employees and ensuring the business could continue. -He emphasizes the importance of personal connection and daily communication with employees for reassurance and to build trust. -He initiated a "song of the day" activity to keep employees engaged and connected.

Building a Culture of Connection

-Yves discusses the importance of personal connection in leadership, using the term "heartbeats" instead of "head counts" to emphasize the human element. -He shares how this focus on personal connection helped create a strong company culture and engagement, even during challenging times. -He highlights the long-term positive impact on the company's culture and engagement, emphasizing the importance of not wasting a crisis.

Lessons Learned from Early Leadership Experiences

-Yves recounts his first job experience, where the CEO failed to acknowledge him, which shaped his commitment to connecting with employees. -He emphasizes the importance of being an authentic leader who values human connection and adapts to different situations and environments. -Yves shares how he learned from both good and bad leaders, taking the best practices and avoiding the negative traits.

Navigating Challenges with Bad Leaders

-Yves recommends understanding the needs and communication preferences to build trust and establish a connection. -He emphasizes the importance of not getting emotionally involved and focusing on the end goal when dealing with difficult bosses. -Yves suggests having a good network outside the workplace to vent and share similar experiences, which can provide support and perspective.

Adapting to Different Generations and New Leaders

-Yves discusses the importance of understanding different perspectives and needs. -He shares how his daughter, who is a millennial, helps him connect with this generation and adapt his leadership style. -Yves emphasizes the need to be relevant and connect with new leaders to shape them for the future of the business.

Final Thoughts on Leadership and Personal Connection

-Yves advises leaders to have fun and not take their roles too seriously, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the journey. -He encourages others to surround themself with great people. -Yves shares his belief that leaders should not feel the need to have all the answers and should be comfortable with not knowing everything. -He concludes by encouraging leaders to focus on the positive and not let stress and challenges overwhelm them, emphasizing the importance of resilience and adaptability.

Useful Links

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