Challenges with Fractional Leadership
World at Work
"The more time you give for something to happen, the greater the scope creep that occurs." Notable Moments [00:01:34] Mike introduces the common misconception that fractional leadership always takes a long time. [00:02:52] Rethinking six-to-twelve-month agreements—asking “what if” it could be faster. [00:05:22] How two-week sprints provide structure, focus, and accountability. [00:07:36] Using sprints to continually assess fit between leader and organization. [00:09:44] Why a beginner’s mind is critical to avoid assumptions. [00:11:42] The difference between sprint-based work and...
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Dealing With External Allegations About An Employee
World at Work
"If it has nothing to do with the workplace, it’s not your place to address it as an employer." Notable Moments 00:03:05 – How to handle allegations unrelated to the workplace 00:04:54 – Using proper legal channels for non-work issues 00:07:59 – When a code of conduct changes your responsibility 00:10:46 – Offering EAP support without enforcing consequences 00:13:44 – Why uniforms and name tags come off after hours Tim Dyck discusses how employers should handle allegations about an employee’s behavior outside of work. He explains when such concerns warrant action, how a...
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Should You Hire Someone with a Black Mark on Their Record
World at Work
"It's not about what you did yesterday. It’s about what you’ve learned and the skills you bring to tomorrow." Notable Moments 00:01:28 – Story of a candidate held back by a past mistake. 00:02:31 – Why second chances matter in hiring. 00:05:21 – Asking about black marks during interviews. 00:09:21 – Concerns managers have about hiring someone with a record. 00:13:55 – Handling internal team perceptions after a promotion. 00:15:59 – Overcoming past mistakes and moving forward. Everyone makes mistakes, so should a past “black mark” keep someone from being hired or promoted?...
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The Benefits of Offering Career Transition Services
World at Work
“It’s not a silver bullet, but every little bit helps when you’re navigating a tough transition. It’s about doing the right thing, with empathy and intention.” Notable Moments [01:27] – What are career transition services? [03:40] – The step-by-step support offered to exiting employees [05:45] – Why organizations should invest in transition services [08:29] – How empathy improves difficult conversations [13:53] – The role of decency and dignity in terminations [16:09] – Why support changes everything for the departing employee [17:45] – How transition services benefit...
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Why Leadership Visibility Matters and How to Get It Right
World at Work
“Don’t let fear of being misunderstood stop you from doing the right thing. Just show up, follow through, and the trust will follow.” In this episode, Tim Dyck explores how leaders can become more visible in the workplace without unintentionally undermining team members. He shares strategies for building trust, communicating intentions clearly, and handling the challenges of being seen, especially if leadership visibility is new for your team. Learn why patience, consistency, and active listening are your most powerful tools in those early months of leading from the front lines. Read the...
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Build Culture By Getting Off of the Carpet
World at Work
“There’s no other leadership tool that builds trust, reveals blind spots, and improves decisions better than walking your business.” Notable Moments [00:03:48] – Buc-ees experience leads into leadership visibility discussion [00:05:27] – Lee Cockerell quote: “Get off the carpet and onto the concrete” [00:07:48] – Why most leaders nod… but don’t follow through [00:10:55] – Three reasons visible leadership matters [00:13:09] – The irreplaceable value of experiencing your own product [00:16:23] – Push past the awkwardness: consistency builds trust [00:17:33] – Do the...
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Evaluating Performance Reviews
World at Work
"Rate results, not personality. Measurable goals create clarity and eliminate the drama." Notable Moments 02:03 – Common complaints about performance evaluations 04:15 – Why rating personality traits is subjective and flawed 06:54 – Jody’s real-world example of objective goal-setting 09:59 – The value of goal-based evaluations 13:35 – Why tardiness and similar issues must be addressed in real-time 14:59 – The power of evaluation discussions 17:49 – A clear framework for monthly check-ins and progress 18:42 – How to introduce a new review system to your team 20:10 – Getting...
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How Do You Decide What to Change
World at Work
“Great leaders don’t wait for perfect. They make the best call they can and adjust if needed.” When a beloved attraction like Muppet Vision 3D closes, it stirs big emotions, something leaders face every day when making tough decisions. In this episode, Tim Dyck and Katie Currens explore what it really takes to lead through change. Tim shares his experience and insights on making informed decisions that may not please everyone but will serve the greatest good. Learn how to cut through the noise, lean into feedback, communicate clearly, and lead with both confidence and humility. for more...
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Managing Salary Expectations
World at Work
"You're not being duped if someone leaves for better pay. You’re just part of their journey. Focus on what you gained while they were with you." Notable Moments 02:36 – Setting the salary range and mismatched expectations 04:49 – When candidates leave for better offers (and it’s not personal) 05:35 – Questions to ask candidates taking a lower salary 07:52 – The value of short-term high performers 10:44 – What to do when a candidate asks for more than you can pay 11:13 – Why salary market analysis matters 13:35 – Where to get help with salary benchmarking In this episode Tim...
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Your Organizational Charts Matter
World at Work
“You're never overworked; you're underorganized. The org chart should help you fix that.” Tim Dyck and Katie Currens dive into the importance of intentional organizational charts. Tim explains how reactive decisions, like adding roles to solve immediate problems or merging jobs without reflection, can lead to burnout, confusion, and inefficiency. The episode explores how to design org charts around customer needs, include key voices from the front lines, and plan ahead with future-focused job descriptions. Whether you’re growing a team or restructuring after a departure, this...
info_outline"You cannot allow the important decision that you're about to make get hijacked by somebody else's agenda."
Notable Moments
01:02 Being strategic when choosing references for job applications.
05:29 Use references to verify professional history objectively.
06:40 Subjective questions risk skewed, unobjective performance evaluations.
11:22 Proper interviewing prevents agenda-driven hiring mistakes.
13:56 Assess each hiring step's purpose and effectiveness.
For years, I relied heavily on job references to gauge a candidate's potential. It isn't an uncommon practice. Leaders schedule reference calls, then ask for insights into a candidate’s performance, strengths, and weaknesses. You name it, it gets asked.
The problem is that this rarely gives insight into the authentic performance of someone. Instead, you end up with subjective opinions, cherry-picked praises, generic answers, hidden agendas, and non-stop bias. Employers end up getting answers that are often anything but the truth.
In fact, it took countless mistakes before I understood that traditional reference checks weren’t telling me what I needed to know. It became clear that I needed to make a shift and stop depending on references to validate what I hoped to hear. I shifted to calling references for truth verification and relied more on a robust interviewing process. And guess what? The quality of my hires improved dramatically. We started finding candidates who truly fit our roles and culture.
If you’re in a challenging season of hiring, consider evaluating and evolving your process. It may be time to part with old ways and embrace new techniques. Revamping the way you use job references can help you build a stronger team, one honest step at a time!
Connect with Tim and his team:
Website: https://bestculturesolutions.ca/
LinkedIn: Best Culture Solutions, Inc
Instagram: @best.culture.solutions
Email: [email protected]