In this comprehensive episode, Lakia Elam, Founder of Magnificent Differences Consulting, shares how her strategy for culture-building goes beyond the hiring and onboarding process and focuses instead on the prolonged employee experience to create lasting, impactful cultures.

You will discover:

– How talent acquisition doesn’t stop when your new hire starts
– What you shouldn’t hire just to “fit” culture and what you should do instead
– The true test of your ability as a leader

Episode Transcript

Scott Ritzheimer

Hello Hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the secrets of the high demand coach and I have an absolute treat for you. Our guest today is Lakia Elam. She’s an HR in career coaching veteran with more than 20 years of experience. She specializes in dei hiring and culture building, and is the founder of magnificent differences consulting, but he bases her holistic approach to business on empowering and valuing employees, which results in the best work, but pa believes that many workplaces hold individuals back by pressuring them to change who they are to fit a specific mold. And she is here with us today. The Kia so excited to have you on the show had a blast researching for this episode. I’ve got all kinds of questions. I don’t know how we could possibly get to all of them, but we’re gonna go to shot. So welcome to the show. I’m wondering if you could just start off with what were you doing before getting into before founding your business? And how did ultimately ultimately lead you to make the leap?

Lakia Elam

First, good morning. Thank you for having me, Scott, I’m so happy to be here to talk to you and your listeners today. I was again I was in infused in the HR world prior to starting MDC, I was the director of HR for a nonprofit of about 100 employees or so and really lead in the day to day operationalizing the strategy so I would we had a chief people officer, I will work closely with her on strategy. And then that was the infuser. You know, my space has always been with the people keep me with your people put me what your people and you’ll see amazing things happen is what I always say. And we were right in the throes of of the pandemic. And that was just seeing online how so many people, businesses, business leaders were confused. They were just people had all these questions, things weren’t happening. organizational leaders did not know what to do to and I’m saying ready their workforce like to continue to like support their workforce in the midst of the pandemic. And I wanted to scale my ability, skill, my you know, efforts. And so one day, I was in a meeting with my manager, and I was just like, today’s the day. And she said, she said I knew it was coming. I was like, today is the day. I am submitting my resignation. And the thing that I appreciated about that conversation. She did not try to hold me she didn’t try to keep me she said okay, well, can you because I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just knew that this was today. And she was like, Well, can you can she say, Well, I talked to you know, the CEO and we want Can you consult for us for a while and it was like a big brick just hit me. That’s it. I am starting my own consulting business. This is our scale. This is how I help organizations at scale, not just one at a time. And it took me 45 days, roughly 45 to 60 days to get MDC up and running. And we have not looked back since.

Scott Ritzheimer

That’s awesome. Now there’s two big areas that you guys tend to focus on. And as you mentioned, working within the nonprofit space folks in the mid market kind of one to 200 range. Is that right? And so there’s two kind of big emphasis and I want you to define these fours real quick and then show us how they work together. So the first one I noticed was talent acquisition. Right? So I’m going to have you just what is it? Why does it matter? And then talent experience? What is it? Why does it matter? And and then how do those two work together? Can you have one without the other? Do you need both? So let’s start with talent acquisition, what is it? And why does it matter?

Lakia Elam

Talent Acquisition is all about getting the right people bringing the right people in, or moving the right people around it already in your organization getting the right people in the right seat. So cool. We hiring and I always say we are hiring or we’re promoting the person that is going to not a person that’s going to fit a mold. But a person who’s going to help to continue to push the agenda to push the mission to help us excel at whatever it is that we’re trying to do. So talent acquisition, getting the right person in the right seat. And again, not fitting the mold, not somebody who’s going to fit this culture but someone who’s going to help evolve the culture help to excel at the mission and talent experience is all about once you get those people How are you treating them? How are you making them feel? What are you doing to add to this person to grow this person to help this person to see beyond? What even they think is possible, right? By every role, every job every organization that a person go to in touch I always say that organization should help to leave that person better when they go on to something That was, and that person should help lead that organization or that role a little bit better than what they found that it’s a two way street.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, that’s so powerful. I want to unpack something that you had in there, because I think this is really smart. A lot of folks will have an acquisition strategy that has nothing to do with promotions, right? It’s very much about going out hiring, recruiting all of that kind of stuff. Why is it that it’s so important to you to pull that acquisition strategy together and say, hey, it’s both hiring and promoting getting the right people in the right seats?

Lakia Elam

Well, first of all, you get people you have really great people. Like why not? You’ve already this person already knows your culture, they already committed to the mission. They all they all they understand the business, or they should in the best that they don’t, that’s a different conversation. But they already committed they’re already in house, why not do something to infuse your culture and to show other people a, I can grow here? It’s okay. If your growth eventually lead you somewhere else does it get a different story, but I can grow right here. Let me do more. We want to get people invested in what it is that we do at the deepest level possible. Because they’re bringing their best selves, they’re showing up authentically, right? And then they’re helping again, us to grow into get this mission accomplished in the best way possible.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, I was just having a conversation about this with a nonprofit leader in in the San Diego area leads a relatively large ministry there. And he’s looking at, you know, different promotion strategies and succession plans and all of that. And one of the things that he said, he said, I feel like if we have to hire from outside, then our leadership development has failed. Do you agree with that?

Lakia Elam

Not always, no, I hear it. But sometimes, you know, this is what I always say a little churn is good. A little churn is good, right, like so some people leaving and new people coming in, because the people that are in and depending on how long they’ve been in, right, they already know, the organization, then you start to get more of the same, bringing people in from different industries from different backgrounds. It doesn’t have to be nonprofit, to nonprofit. So for a lot of the nonprofits that we support, I go look in the for profit space for people, because we need different ideas, we need different experiences. Diversity is more than just, you know, what we see right? Like race? Are those things that we always think about diversity of experience? How did they get that experience, right? Where they exponential learners? Did it come from different colleges than most of the people that we we have to really think about what diversity is. So external hires can be good as well, is not a failure on the part of the leadership team, then, just depending on how long it’s been, since we’ve promoted from within, then we may have to do something different.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah. That’s so good. I love that, that draw toward one again, diversity is not just what we see, we could probably spend about five episodes on that, in and of itself, but, but I couldn’t agree more. And I think that the healthiest organizations I’ve seen are really, really good, both. They’re really, really good at developing leaders, but they’re also really, really good about hiring in new talent to keep things moving. And so that kind of brings us to this idea of of talent experience. And what all in your mind what all goes into town experience. Or maybe if we can make it a little more specific, what did like the really big pieces that a leadership team needs to get right to significantly improve their talent experience.

Lakia Elam

Oh okay. I think the first thing is understanding who they are as a leadership team. That’s number one. What, how do they lead what is getting on the same page, I cannot tell you how many leadership teams are not on the same page. I was just thinking about where I’m about to go with this because I can unpack this in a deep way. But first of all, they need to understand who they are as a leadership team and have some guiding thoughts on this is how we lead they need to speak the same language, when they go out and talk to their respective teams. Right? They need to understand I’m talking about can recite it like we can recite the alphabet, what it is that this organization is trying to get done. So I’m talking about you know, how we sing the alphabet together, they need to be able to say that in unison, right? Like, this is what we’re going to do this way, all of their each respective division or department or whatever it is, they’re hearing the same message. It’s not different messages and everybody within this organization is going toward that same goal, but that’s number one. Then the second piece is understanding the culture and not trying to create a sub culture. So here it is this organization we have a culture of respect, we have a culture of acceptance, we have a culture of whatever those you know values are that are organization, they, these are outward, you know, core values, individual leaders cannot, nor should they go and start to create those micro cultures, because they, you know, this is how I am, when you’re at work and you are put in a position of leadership, it is your job, to embody those core values of that organization and to live them in these from nine to five, and not do things to, you know what I mean, like to disrupt what that organization is trying to do. And no matter how many times you know, Mary may be your favorite, we have no favorites, we are treating people fairly and equitably, right, in all ways, and we’re showing that for our people in different ways. There’s no one way to lead, if you will, right. Right.

Scott Ritzheimer

There’s a real tension around that. And I would say in a really positive sense of the word. Because, you know, with any person, absent may be the founder, right, there’s going to be at least a degree or two difference in the values of the organization and your values as an individual. And you’ve talked a lot leading up to this in terms of kind of diversity of thought and opinion and culture contribution, as opposed to just fit or helping us evolve a culture. How do we do that and embody the organization’s values? Right? Is it should we kind of put our own values to the side? What does that look like wrestling between kind of the authenticity of the individual and the values of the organization?

Lakia Elam

It’s funny, because, you know, No, we cannot put So certain things we cannot put to the side in terms of who we are and how we show up. But we it’s that level of understanding and emotional intelligence, to understand how to get the two to work together, and sometimes a lot of soul searching. It’s a lot of questions being asked externally, to make it make sense. And then internally, right, internalizing how do I show up, and sometimes just maybe, sometimes, in that quest, we may feel like this is not the organization for us, because it’s so an audit. Because if you’re trying to show up, as someone else day in and day out, that becomes a rug, that’s hard to get away from in and of itself. So I say that people really need to start again, at that talent acquisition process. I always tell people, you have to interview the organization, as much as they interview you to make sure you know, at least at the onset that you are getting with an organization whose values are more closely aligned with yours. Right? And then as you see things I’m sorry, changing, make sure you have those conversations with whatever leaders because like, we, these are our values stated, and this is what we’re doing. How can we, you know, we need to get back in alignment. That’s a tough conversation, but it’s necessary.

Scott Ritzheimer

It is it is, you’ve you, you’ve mentioned this several times, and even showed up in in your story at the open of the episode. But that it’s not always a bad thing for an employee to leave. And I feel like especially in the nonprofit space, that’s, that’s really hard, right? Because it’s almost like, if they’re not here, then they they don’t love us anymore. If they’re not here, we failed, or if they’re not here, you know, they can’t support the mission anymore, or like there’s all these kind of strings that we attached to, to people being with and staying in one organization forever. But that’s not really the reality. How can we think differently about that to be more open to and supportive, when it’s no longer a fit for an employee?

Lakia Elam

You know oof, you know, lead as leaders we have to, so change is inevitable. We always say it when we’re in an organization, and we’re changing from one CRM to another or one thing to the next, or changing leaders at the top. We went out, we went out, we want our staff and our population to accept change, we got to be willing to do the same thing. So you know what you’ve grown here so much, and we have nothing, your role, you have expanded this in ways that we couldn’t imagine, right? Like, you’ve taken this PD, we’ve given you 10 different roles. And now as an organization, we are staff of 100, you are ready for director level position. And the only way for you to get that here is if I leave as someone I’m you know, to direct, there’s nothing, you know, so yes, go and be great. I think all to all all too often. Leaders, you know, trust start holding people back because they don’t want them to go because they are a strong contributor. But I say what speaks more to your leadership style and to this organization than sending people off to do the next best day. That speaks volumes as to who you are as an organization, which your culture is, you grow a person so much they evolved you over the last 135 years, whatever it is, and then now they’re all doing something bigger and better, right? You applaud them but you can also pat yourself on the back as well.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, that is so true. It is search is so hard, but it’s So true, it’s hollow. It I’ve got a question for you. I’d like to ask this of all I guess the question is this. What would you say is the biggest secret you wish just wasn’t a secret at all? What? What’s that one thing you wish everybody watching? You’re listening today knew?

Lakia Elam

The one thing that I wish everyone watching and listening today knew, is that people really no, people really know. So as much as we think we can hide disdain, as much as we think we can hide the fact that we’re just not right with a person that will thing or, as an organization behind closed doors, we say, you know, outside, we say one thing and behind closed doors, we say another, we speak ill about people, we don’t really care about the growth and the development of our people. People really know. And because they know, that is how they show up for you. So I say get right behind closed doors, so that then you can do the right thing, you know, out in the open and watch, watch, watch the change in your people. Watch how they start to show up for you, your organization, your mission, your members, do the right thing, behind closed doors and out in public, in the world of work will start to change.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, yeah, I could not agree more. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the episode. One last question here. Before we let you go. There’s folks listening to this and every word is resonating with them. It’s the right word at the right time. They need a little more likea in their organization. How can they find more out about you in the work that you guys do?

Lakia Elam

Certainly so they can visit our website at hiremdc.com. They can find me on LinkedIn Lakia Elam or Magnificent Differences Consulting on LinkedIn. We’re also on Instagram and Facebook. Look for us, find us, call us. I love meeting new people. Always happy to connect.

Scott Ritzheimer

Fantastic. Well, hey, thank you so much for being on the show. Just an honor having a what a brilliant conversation. And for those of you watching listening today know that your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.

Contact Lakia Elam

Lakia Elam is an HR and career coaching veteran with more than 20 years of experience in the industry who specializes in DEI, hiring, and culture building. She is the founder of Magnificent Differences Consulting. Lakia bases her holistic approach to business on empowering and valuing employees, which results in the best work. Lakia believes many workplaces hold individuals back by pressuring them to change who they are to fit a specific mold. Lakia prides herself on blending decades of professional experience with her authentic personality to provide unique insight as a culture builder and HR leader.

Want to learn more about Lakia Elam’s work at Magnificent Differences Consulting? Check out her website at https://hiremdc.com/

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