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Meet the CIO’s | Inspire:San Franciso

This interview is a part of the Inspire: Cities series – meet the Chief Inspiration Officers. Inspire: Cities is the local arm of the global movement from Inspiring Workplaces. Our mission is to change the world, with you, through the world of work. One workplace, city and community at a time. View the full list of Cities here.

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What does an Inspiring Workplace mean to you?

At The Starr Conspiracy, we feel people are at their best when they create with a strong sense of purpose. An Inspiring Workplace offers more than a flexible work schedule and snacks in the break room. An Inspiring Workplace provides purpose, vision, and opportunities to grow as a professional and human-being.

Do you have a personal purpose? A why? Something that drives you daily?

As creators, we push ourselves and each other to create great work. Our clients judge us by this standard, and we don’t fear high expectations. We surpass them. The great work we do makes our jobs great. It fulfills us and gives us pride and purpose. It’s also the way we pay it forward into the world. Our great work helps our clients create great companies and the great companies they create will change the workplace — and the world.

What do you think is the top priority when it comes to people at work this year and why?

In 2021 and beyond, organizations must continue to put people first. When you focus on employee and customer experience, you can’t lose. Listen to your team and listen to your customers.

The past 12 months has seen an acceleration of positive change, mostly due to it being enforced upon employers. Change like trust, empowering choice, flexibility, investment in wellbeing and the reduction in the stigma around mental health. Our question is, how many employers stick to this path and how many revert to type?

We’re optimistic that this trend will continue. Post-pandemic, the competition to recruit and retain the best talent will be fierce. The best organizations will continue to win by empowering, trusting, and providing flexibility for their current and prospective team members.

A follow up to the last question. How do they stay the course should they wish to?

Ask questions and listen. Listen to the needs of your teammates, partners, and customers. These are unprecedented times and understand that no individual has all the answers. Be flexible and be willing to learn.

You’re a founding Chief Inspiration Officer for Inspire: Cities. What are you most looking forward to learning/sharing with your local community?

We’re eager to explore this unique event format with our community of workplace innovators.

Tell us something about your city or the people that make it. Something the rest of us won’t know.

San Francisco is a resilient city. While Elon Musk and your favorite podcasters might be ditching California, Silicon Valley still has a stranglehold on global Work Tech investment to the tune of $4.23 billion and 104 deals total in 2020.

Do you think in-person events will be valued more than ever before after the past 12-18 months?

We believe people are eager to attend events, but they will be more selective in the number of events their organization attends.

How do you think attendees will react to The Inspire Ring and our unique event format?

It will take some getting used to. Not all attendees will be familiar with the new Inspire Ring format or formats like Clubhouse chats, so it may take a few speakers before attendees catch on.

What are three areas of focus for organizations looking to improve the people experience?

We’ll break it down into three areas:

Customer Experience — Ask for feedback and focus on the needs of your customers in real-time
Employee Experience — Continue to be flexible and supportive
Candidate Experience — Gaining and retaining talent is tough, listen to your candidates needs and make changes

What do you think is the most important quality in a leader?

Empathy

What’s your go to productivity trick?

Last year, The Starr Conspiracy implemented 90-minute blocks of uninterrupted “quiet time” each day to encourage and enable our team to better structure their day or, if needed, flow on larger pieces of work. Having dedicated time to focus each day, no matter how much or how little, is imperative.

Who was the last person to inspire you at work and why?

We’re fortunate to work with a lot of amazing individuals and are constantly inspired by all of the working parents that continue to thrive and produce amazing work despite the unprecedented conditions surrounding them.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

Treat people like you would like to be treated. Various sources.

Name one song that fires you up, when you need to get motivated and fast

San Francisco, as interpreted by Michael Marshall

Best place, (other than your own city) that you have ever visited?

Fort Worth, Texas