We recently connected with Julie Riga and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Julie, thanks for joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
In today’s business world, companies need to focus on more than just profit margins and shareholder returns. In order to thrive, corporations must prioritize the personal purpose and engagement of their employees.
Personal purpose is the driving force behind an individual’s career aspirations and goals. It is the reason why they wake up each day and go to work. Engaged employees are those who feel connected to their job and are motivated to perform their best work. When employees are aligned with their personal purpose and engaged in their work, they are more productive, innovative, and committed to the company’s success. Employees need to get up everyday to work at a job they get to do where they can utilize their passion and purpose to fuel their day.
Therefore, it is essential for corporations to create a work environment that encourages personal purpose and engagement. Here are some ways in which corporations can do so:
Encourage Open Communication: Creating a culture of open communication is essential to understanding employee’s individual purpose and goals. By fostering an environment where employees can voice their concerns, ideas, and aspirations, corporations can ensure that their work aligns with their personal purpose. This, in turn, drives employee engagement and leads to a more productive workforce.
Provide Professional Development Opportunities: Employees want to grow and develop in their careers. Corporations can provide opportunities for professional development through training, mentorship programs, and leadership development programs. When employees see that the company is invested in their growth, they are more engaged and motivated to succeed.
Recognize and Reward Employees: Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and accomplishments can go a long way in fostering engagement. This can be done through bonuses, promotions, or even just a simple thank you. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to the company.
Encourage Work-Life Balance: Burnout is a significant contributor to disengagement in the workplace. Corporations can help prevent burnout by encouraging work-life balance. This can be done through flexible scheduling, remote work options, and generous vacation policies. When employees have the freedom to balance their work and personal lives, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated at work.
In conclusion, corporations must prioritize the personal purpose and engagement of their employees to succeed in today’s business world. By fostering a culture of open communication, providing professional development opportunities, recognizing and rewarding employees, and encouraging work-life balance, corporations can create a workforce that is motivated, productive, and committed to the company’s success.
Julie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Julie Riga is haled the master of mindset and is Accelerating Future Leadership. Julie has been teaching executives worldwide on the importance of leaving a legacy through personal and professional initiatives. Julie’s inspiring message of battling a serious illness, a challenging divorce and inspiring her way to the top has touched the lives of professional communities worldwide. A prolific speaker, musician, author and mom who had the odds stacked against her motivates audiences to understand anything is possible if you stay on course.
Julie Focuses on:
LEARNING EXPERIENCE CREATOR- Strategy, Design, Soft Skill Expert, Trainer
LEADERSHIP & TEAM COACH- Team Development, Leadership Workshops & Meetings
SPEAKER- Key Note, TEDx, Trainer, Podcaster, Event Host,
EDUCATION
BA Communications and MBA
CERTIFICATIONS
ICF and Mentor Coach, MBTI, Diary Detox,
The hardest person to lead is yourself.
This is the foundation of Julie Riga’s purpose-driven teachings. Julie has done the research, invested in the work, earned the credentials and serves multi-layered tiers that are applicable to your professional journey.
We are all born to be leaders. Yet, the leader within is muted by a lack of clarity, purpose, effective communication and strategic engagement. Julie is changing the trajectory of big businesses and clients searching for a new brand of leadership.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Julie was a single mother pursuing her MBA when her life took a turn. Her parents moved to Florida, and her marriage unexpectedly ended. She felt abandoned, powerless, and called out to God for help. She was looking for answers and found comfort in self-help books. When she enrolled in a 7 Habits class of Highly Effective People, she had the opportunity to create a mission statement. It showed her where to focus and what she had control over, which shifted her from being a victim to understanding how to overcome.
Julie spent hours with her journals, writing down her long-term and short-term goals. Through this experience, her purpose revealed itself, and she discovered her life’s mission. She knew what she should say yes to and what to say no to. Her mission statement became her compass for making better choices, and she understood what it meant to live with intention.
In 2015, Julie received an email with the subject line “Ennio’s Book.” Her father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and had many great stories to share. One of his life goals was to write a book, and he felt his time was running out. Julie ignored the manuscript until her father called her a week before he died, telling her to keep the family together and pass on his stories to the world.
Julie thought about her mission statement, and finishing the book fit into her purpose. She asked herself how she would manage a project at work and decided to pull a team together, hire experts, and have them guide her. She opened a Go Fund Me page to raise money to create the book in lieu of flowers.
By saying yes to publishing the book, Julie forced herself to learn about her father’s legacy in unexpected new ways. She realized that her father’s life story was full of resilience and high energy, just like her own. Julie found strength in her darkest hour, and her father’s stories inspired her to keep going.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
The future of work is here! We have been disrupted… We cannot navigate this new world with the old maps we had for leadership. Digital Transformations are happening now we need to reskill and reflect on new ways moving forward. We need purpose driven leaders that are passionate about what they do, and we need equip leaders with tools, resources, and capabilities needed for success. We need to develop our leaders to have the confidence, reliance and grit needed to thrive as we journey through the 4th industrial revolution or digital transformation. We need to ensure leaders look after their emotional and physical well-being so that they in turn help to lead our organizations back to a place of balance, harmony, and success.
Jobs have been significantly impacted and skills need to shift to focus on:
• Emotional Intelligence: Managers with strong emotional intelligence can effectively manage their own emotions, empathize with their team members, and build strong relationships. This is essential for building a positive and productive work environment.
• Leadership Skills: Developing strong leadership skills is essential for managers to effectively lead and motivate their teams, set goals and objectives, and make critical decisions.
• Communication Skills: Effective communication is critical for managers to build strong relationships with their team members, collaborate effectively with other departments, and ensure that everyone is aligned towards the organization’s goals.
• Change Management: As businesses evolve, managers must be able to lead their teams through change and manage the impact of change on their team members. This involves identifying potential challenges, communicating changes effectively, and supporting team members through the transition.
Managers need experiences to help the navigate this new world and I have created an amazing solution to help the Discover their Purpose and Stay on Course so they can be the best version of themselves possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: stayoncourse.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stay_on_course_studio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieriga/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvS-imwTjZ72TzCV_VrnyA
- Other: TIK TOC:https://www.tiktok.com/@stayoncourse.io PODCAST: https://www.podpage.com/stay-on-course-ingredients-for-success/
Image Credits
Julie Riga