Debbie Shotwell
Chief People and Culture Officer
Stack Overflow
Episode 294
Navigating AI & Culture: The Essential Role of Transparent Leadership
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 20, 2025 · 14:29
Thesis
“A thriving company culture, effective learning & development, and successful technological transformations (like AI adoption and M&A integrations) are fundamentally driven by strong, transparent leadership, clear values, continuous communication, and proactive employee engagement that fosters psychological safety and adaptability.”
Show notes
Navigating Culture and Technology in HR with Debbie.
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo welcomes Debbie, a chief people officer with extensive experience in HR, including mergers and acquisitions.
Debbie shares insights into building a thriving company culture through leadership, values, and daily practices. She discusses the evolution of learning and development initiatives with AI and new technologies, balancing technological transformation with maintaining company culture.
She also highlights the crucial role of culture in successful mergers and acquisitions and provides practical advice for integrating companies post-acquisition. Debbie's parting advice emphasizes the importance of mentorship and continuous learning in a successful HR career.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:16 Sponsor Message: Previ's Employee Benefits
00:44 Guest Introduction: Debbie's Career Journey
02:05 Creating a Thriving Company Culture
04:00 Evolution of Learning and Development
06:31 Balancing Culture and Technological Transformation
09:16 Measuring Success in Culture and L&D
10:54 Managing Culture During Mergers and Acquisitions
13:38 Parting Advice and Closing Remarks
What you'll take away
- 1A thriving company culture is built on a clear mission, strong leadership modeling values, transparent communication, feedback loops, and employee recognition.
- 2Learning & Development has evolved significantly with AI, enabling personalized skill development and internal career opportunities through platforms like 'My Academy' and 'Opportunities Module'.
- 3Successful AI integration requires proactive, transparent communication, addressing employee fears, empowering employees by automating repetitive tasks, and investing in upskilling/reskilling.
- 4Measuring culture and L&D success goes beyond basic metrics, now relying heavily on employee engagement surveys, inclusion surveys, and eNPS, with transparency even when scores decline.
- 5Culture is the primary reason mergers and acquisitions fail; early culture audits, leadership engagement, fostering trust, and structured onboarding are critical for successful integration.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Many view M&A as purely a business decision, but Debbie asserts that 'the biggest reason why mergers fail is culture clashes.'
In Debbie's words
“Culture requires a combination of leadership, values, and daily practices that align with the organization's mission.”
This defines the foundational elements of a strong company culture.
“The most important thing about L&D at Stack and how it's been really lucky for me is a core value of our company is learn, share, and grow.”
This highlights how deeply L&D is integrated into their company values.
“The most important thing is to communicate and be transparent and be proactive. Be very clear on the why. Explain how AI will enhance business processes and not replace employees because there is a fear there.”
This emphasizes the critical communication strategy needed for AI adoption.
“Today, so much easier when you can utilize tools like employee engagement and measure engagement from an engagement survey. And then what actions you've taken based on that employee engagement survey and continue to measure that.”
This showcases the modern shift in how HR measures success and impact.
“Culture plus L&D equals a successful merger.”
This concisely states the intertwined importance of culture and L&D in M&A success.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Companies struggle with culture clashes during mergers and acquisitions, leading to prolonged integration difficulties (e.g., 'taken more than, you know, 12 to 18 months').
- •Organizations face employee fear and resistance during technological transformations like AI integration due to concerns about job security and role changes.
- •HR teams need robust methods beyond basic metrics (like turnover/hiring) to effectively measure employee engagement, inclusion, and the impact of L&D initiatives.
- •Establishing and maintaining a clear company mission, vision, and values that employees truly understand and align with is a challenge for leaders.
- •Ensuring leaders consistently model company culture and values is critical but often difficult to achieve.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
You've been in human resources for more than 20 years
Lucky in HR: Susan Flannery
What do you believe are the key elements that create a thriving company culture
What Makes a Well-Developed Company Culture?
Debbie has a passion for learning and development at Stack
Teaching at Stack: Learning & Development
How do you balance maintaining company culture during technological transformation while addressing employee concerns
How To Manage Company Culture During AI Integration
How do you measure and track success of your culture and L&D initiatives
How to Track the Success of Your Culture and L&D Initi
A well-managed culture integration ensures alignment, engagement, and productivity
What Role Does Culture Play in Merger Integration?
Debbie has worked in human resources for more than 20 years
A Human Resources Professional's Last Words
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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