Rodrigo Tajonar

▶0:01HostWelcome to the Built by People podcast,

▶0:03Introwhere we share the stories and insights of the world's top HR leaders. Join us as we dive deep into the minds of HR executives, uncovering their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in shaping today's workforce.

▶0:44HostI'm excited to welcome Rodrigo to the Built by People podcast. Rodrigo, thank you so much for joining us. And as a starting question, I always love to ask if you could share a little bit more about your career journey.

▶0:55GuestSure. Thank you so much for inviting me to this session. I'm delighted to be here. And so I would like to keep it short and sweet. I'm born and raised in Mexico. All my career in HR, I started working for DuPont, which was a big corporation at the time. And I had the opportunity to move in different business units and functions, all of them within HR and in Mexico and Latin America. Then DuPont decided to spawn off the global coatings business to a company that became an independent public company called Axalta Coatings Systems. So with that company, I moved with them and then my family and I relocated to the US 6 years ago. I kept on working between DuPont and Axalta for 24 years. I had an opportunity to work for 1 year in a company, life science related. And then I had the opportunity to be headhunted by a very good person that brought me to the Boston Globe. After a very nice process, I'm blessed that I had the job. So I now, a chemical manufacturing coding guy from HR with no media experience, got the job in the media environment. For me, it was a success. I'm having a blast. So I'm delighted to share that I'm almost, it's almost going to be 3 years after working at the Boston Globe Media. That's me in a nutshell. And family-wise, love my family, love to play golf as much as possible, and just enjoy life.

▶2:28HostRodrigo, how do you ensure that the company's mission, vision, and values are truly integrated into the culture rather than just statements on paper?

▶2:39GuestSo I would say that there's, there isn't a one-size-fits-all formula, but the first question that we should ask ourselves is how did we or how should we create our mission, vision, and values, right? If they are already in place, we also need to consider how often do we review them and how do we assess their understanding among our employees. I would recommend that the creation of mission, vision, and values to be a collaborative process with senior leadership. Even better, involve employees from various functions and departments to provide input. I think this approach will ensure that the final statement does not reflect only the perspective of the board or the CEO or the C-suite, but also resonate with the broader organization. If, and let's call it MVVs because we're gonna talk about a lot of vision and values. So if the MVVs and are merely a document that are handed down from top with no engagement or involvement from employees, there's really a risk that they will not connect meaningfully with the team. So finally, keep it simple. The clearer and more memorable the statements are, the more likely that they are to be embraced and lived by the organization. That would be my suggestion.

▶3:53HostRodrigo, can you share examples of how senior leaders demonstrate values daily and how their behavior sets the tone for the rest of the organization?

▶4:02GuestSure. So let me give you my current example at Boston Globe Media. So our values are integrity, respect, excellence, innovation and experimentation, and finally, independence. So Dave, you don't need to respond, but if I ask you, can you repeat them? I'm sure you will say, no, let me, let me go back to our recording session and I'll repeat them in a second, right? So I think asking leaders to consistently demonstrate the MVVs is like asking them to wear a, a, a shirt every day that proudly declares, I'm living our mission, vision, and values, right? The key difference is that while employees may not see this shirt, they should still feel its presence in the actions and behaviors of their leaders. So this might sound straightforward, but it's far from easy. So we're asking leaders that in addition to managing their daily responsibilities, to meeting their goals, to handling stress, to balance the— balancing personal lives and countless other tasks, to continuously embody and remember our MVVs, right? This requires ongoing effort. So to your question around examples, some, not limited to, consistent communications. I've seen leaders constantly share mission, vision, and values with their teams, whether verbally in meetings, presentations, follow-up communications, summaries. I would say these reinforce that the MVVs aren't just a statement. It's a living part of our daily work. Recognition of alignment. I think that's an important one. I've seen leaders recognize and celebrate employees who exemplify our values. This can range from individual acknowledgments to public recognition like we do in our town halls. Support for coaching. I would say leaders I've seen that, and I'm proud that they reach out to HR for guidance when delivering coaching or feedback to employees who may not be aligned with values or policies. And one, not necessarily least, but annual goals. Some leaders I've seen set specific goals around their personal commitment to living mission, vision, and values. So I would say demonstrating vision, vision, and values is a matter of personal commitment. It's an ongoing practice that requires leaders to not only model the principles, but to make them a tangible part of the organization's culture.

▶6:26HostRodrigo, what strategies do you use to help leaders communicate and embody the company's mission and values within their teams?

▶6:35GuestWell, that's a great question. There, there, there's a well-known principle that to truly understand, remember, and acknowledge internalize something, it needs to be communicated about 7 times or more. So that means that communication is really never enough. It's a constant process. So to your question about strategy, one approach that I really appreciate is, for example, in the Boston Globe Media, we lead our monthly town halls. Over the years, this process has been evolving and we've designed it to be both simple and meaningful. Aligning with what matters most to our employees, right? So at the start of each town hall, we take a moment to remind them of our mission, vision, and values. As we discuss business updates or other topics, we constantly link those back to how they connect to our core principles. In addition to verbal reminders, we also made our mission, vision, and values highly visible. We printed them in large, clear formats and displayed them in high-traffic areas so employees can easily see and reflect on them when entering or leaving the office. We encourage managers to share them for remote employees that are, are not accessible to come to the office. So, and these ensures that visitors can understand our values at a glance when they come to our offices as well. So we ensure that they are present on our websites. Constantly including them in internal communications, updating them as needed. So however, as much as we might print thousands and put them in many places as we like to, but being very honest, if leaders do not actively live and embody the MVVs, all the communication in the world will, would not make a difference. That's why, just as an example, during our weekly senior leadership team, Our CEO constantly brings them up. For example, when a new project is being discussed, I'm proud to see leadership team members asking, hey, does this align to our mission, vision, and values? Is this important? So that's an ongoing reflection and commitment that is key to keeping our principles alive and relevant.

▶8:50HostRodrigo, how do you measure alignment between company culture and your stated mission, vision, and values? And what steps do you take if there's a gap?

▶9:00GuestI'm a big believer in the power of data, and one of the most straightforward ways that I would recommend to gather it is through surveys. We've regularly asked our employees and will continue to do so for their insights on our company culture and their understanding of our mission, vision, and values through company surveys. When I first joined the Boston Globe Media over 2 years ago, we didn't have a formal mission, vision, and set of values in place. While we knew these were essential, it was also clear that our employees were eagerly asking for them. So we rolled them out last year, and since then, we consistently encourage our leaders to check in with their teams, ensuring that the MVVs are clear and they address any questions or feedback that might arise. So for us, measurement is more is, is, is more than just data. It's about engaging our employees in the conversation. I would like to share one of the programs that we have in place that I'm really proud of. It's what we call Let's Connect, which includes around many actions. One of them, it's leadership lunches. So these informal small group sessions provide an opportunity for the CEO and myself to meet with employees. And create a relaxed environment for open dialogue. During these lunches, we invite feedback on various topics, include culture. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and it's clear that employees feel informed and connected to the larger mission of the company. So I would say when gaps are identified because of, brings that to our attention or else We seek to take immediate action. So finding members of the leadership team or managers and others to talk about them, to work together to create focused action plans to address any issues.

▶10:56HostEncourage employees at all levels to take ownership of the culture, helping to build a workplace that reflects the company's core values.

▶11:05GuestSo I would say that it all begins with a CEO, and it must resonate throughout every level of the organization, reaching every As I mentioned before, communication is crucial. It goes far beyond just recognizing achievements or providing feedback. It includes making visuals available to employees, including remote teams, and ensuring that information is consistently shared in various forms. Just to give you an example, one of our core values is respect. And in the context of today's conversation, it underscores how we value our employees subscribers, vendors, and communities. And we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that welcomes diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, and cultures. So we actively seek to ensure that our employees have a voice and feel heard. This is something we as leadership team prioritize consistently. So I would say there's not a such thing as a one question from employees, but I think what truly matters is that we create an environment open and two-way communication can really thrive.

▶12:15HostRodrigo, any advice you'd like to share with our community?

▶12:19GuestSure. I would love to keep it short and sweet. So something easy that I've learned and found through books, knowledge, talking to peers and others is talking about mission, vision, and values. Start where you are, whether you have few or a lot of employees, there's no better place to start than where you are. So initiate conversations with employees about what makes your workplace this distinct. Even if you are talking about mission, vision, values, or culture. Second one, define limits or boundaries. So once you have a pretty good understanding of what's working in your workplace, apply aspirational vision and mission. Your company culture doesn't happen by accident. Remember that. Ask yourself, what is the experience you want to your employees to have? Which type of behavior is expected and which one isn't? How about your customers, et cetera? So use feedback to create boundaries. Third, walk the talk. Mission, vision, and values often reside on the wall, but the company culture is how you achieve those ends. Remember, you're either building, adjusting, or rebuilding trust in every interaction with the employees. So Make your early ones count and moving forward, every one or every single conversation to count effectively. And last but not least, measure. Make sure you're getting regular feedback. Employees want to share their thoughts and recommendations. The more you ask them, the more they'll offer their best thinking to you. Employee surveys are, and conversations are always the best way. Create an open environment to seek for feedback. So that'll be my advice.

▶14:03HostRodrigo, thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast. It was a pleasure to have you involved.

▶14:08GuestThank you so much. Has been my pleasure. Thank you so much, Steve, and hi to everyone.