Takeaways from My First Keynote

As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, I had my very first official keynote presentation on Friday. I was blessed to speak to the entire workforce (about 30 people) of Kingland Construction Services in Forest City. They take one full day out of their busy schedule to host an annual meeting every year and provide a number of opportunities for staff to grow and support their future work. There were 2 speakers before me-one focused on tools they used and how to safely use those-and the other spoke on financial planning. I shared on the 3 C’s of building a championship mindset in your teams and focused on what businesses can learn from championship sports team. We had a ton of fun with all of the staff (even played some rock/paper/scissors!) and had great reflections on how their work could be impacted. What great resources to provide for the staff and huge props to the owner of the company, Eric, and his leadership group for providing these opportunities and being INTENTIONAL about wanting to move from good to great and continue to grow the company.

I was able to attend a couple of Kingland’s meetings previously as well as spending the morning with them and it is clear they are a company on the rise and one committed to their employees so they have the best possible experience at work. Here are a few takeaways as to why that is the case:

• Strong leadership: there are clear expectations, goals are well-defined, and everyone understands their role in achieving success. Leadership values employee feedback and there is open communication throughout.

• Team mentality: all employees meet once a week for an hour to discuss plans for the week and to make sure everyone is clear on how the week will go. It is clear that everyone enjoys working with each other and there was a definite “fun factor” with the group.

• Growth mindset: there is as sense with everyone of wanting to improve and get better no matter what position they hold. Despite a lot of good things going on, they are looking to go from good to great through continuous learning. If I needed something built, I would be very confident that it would be of outstanding quality!

• People first mentality: KCS prioritizes the well-being, growth, and success of individuals—whether employees, customers, or team members-above everything else. People are treated with dignity, their contributions are recognized, and appreciated.

I am grateful to everyone at Kingland Construction Services for their hospitality and the opportunity to serve them and support their continued growth. They are a model for other businesses and organizations to follow!

I am looking to do more of these keynotes going forward so if you are a business or school wanting to go from good to great, I would love to work with you. My goal in retirement with everything I am doing is to provide better experiences for people, whether it is at work, teaching and coaching, participating in a sport, or anything else. Have a great week!

Coach K