About This Episode
Tiffany and Ryan interview Val Ries, founder of Executive Muse, which offers individual and group coaching and training programs focused on leadership development and author of the book "Chief Inspiration Officer." She emphasizes the importance of communication, acknowledging and validating, and understanding different communication styles through DISC assessments. Ries highlights the significance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in leadership and offers practical advice for becoming a more effective leader, including the importance of self-reflection, resilience, and understanding one's own emotions and the emotions of others. She also provides information on her book, which outlines her approach to leadership development.

Series Summary
In the Leadership Lounge hosts Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White have conversations with business coaches and share ideas to elevate your team. Have you ever wondered how a skilled coach might be able to help you or your firm? Well, you're in the right place! In each episode we sit down with a business coach who shares their tools, insights, and practical tips. From personal coaches to strategy planning specialists and even a hostage negotiator who coaches on listening. We will explore topics like the ROI of coaching, how investing in coaching pays dividends beyond the balance sheet. Effective execution, how coaches can help your team stay on task and complete those lofty goals. Innovation igniters, unleashing creativity within corporate walls. Culture crafting, shaping cultures that attract and retain your top talent. Together, let's go on a journey of insight, inspiration, and impact. Remember, success in business is a team sport. And our coaches know how to write a game plan for business victory.

About Our Guest
Val Ries
Val Ries is the best-selling author of Chief Inspiration Officer - How to Lead the Team Everyone Wants to Be On and the founder of Executive Muse. She has trained and coached over 10,000 leaders across start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, and well-known brands like Facebook, Amazon, and Gonzaga University. "Chief Inspiration Officer" is required reading in MBA programs, and her training has helped clients achieve remarkable results like doubling employee engagement scores, reducing attrition by over 10 million dollars, and boosting productivity by over $100 million and counting.

Our Hosts
Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2, PMP – Principal/Vice PresidentSME
Project management professional with twenty-five years of experience related to the built environment. Tiffany manages a department that specializes in weld and concrete reviews. A large part of what they do is related to fabrication oversight prior to construction. Then they also follow the life cycle of the structures through the building phase, and into the maintenance phase. From lighting structures and sign trusses over the highway, to culverts and bridges underneath it, we work with owners to protect their assets.

Tiffany's specialties include program management of multi-year projects, including contract and scope negotiation, laboratory/field testing, data collection, and quality assurance of data. Our projects typically include Certified Welding Inspectors, nondestructive testing specialists, Prestressed concrete specialists, engineers, and laboratory technicians.

Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC
As PBS’ Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Ryan is regularly involved with all aspects of geotechnical projects, from exploration through construction, with wide-ranging scopes and complexity. Ryan leads the PBS geotechnical engineering team, bringing over 27 years of experience in successful project management and engineering in areas such as shallow and deep foundation design; slope stability evaluation, monitoring, and stabilization; shoring; retaining wall design; stormwater infiltration; pavement design; and seismic evaluation. Ryan’s project experience includes multi-story commercial developments, schools and universities, municipal facilities, utility alignments, water and wastewater facilities, bridges, roadways, and industrial facilities.

Lessons Learned:

• Introduction (0:00 - 3:00)
• Val Ries' Journey into Leadership Coaching (3:00 - 8:00)
• Overview of Val Ries' Coaching Services (8:00 - 15:00)
• The Importance of Acknowledgement and Validation (15:00 - 22:00)
• Understanding and Applying DISC Communication Styles (22:00 - 38:00)
• Integrating DISC and Other Assessments into Coaching (38:00 - 48:00)
• Addressing the Challenges of Transitioning from Technical Expert to Leader (48:00 - 52:00)
• Learning from Leadership Mistakes (52:00 - 58:00)
• Facilitated Book Club Discussions (58:00 - 1:03:00)
• Closing and Call to Action (1:03:00 - 1:08:00)
• Book: Chief Inspiration Officer
• FREE GIFT from Val - How to Inspire Yourself, so You Can Inspire Others

Calls-to-action:

• Connect with Val Ries: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at info@geoprofessional.org with any podcast-related questions or comments

Subscribe

• Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2, PMP – Principal/Vice PresidentSME
• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC

Senior leaders of GBA Member firms have been invited to attend Pop-Up Town Hall meetings each of the past three weeks in response to the dynamic events related to the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss issues that impact geoprofessional firms. Panels of experts have discussed operational issues, health and safety, and leadership through these unprecedented times. GBA hopes to address its members questions and concerns by sharing experiences and challenges in the hopes to learn and help each other during this trying time.

Our Panel:

• Joel Carson (host and GBA Executive Director – Link to Profile)
• Mark Kramer (CEO of SME – Link to Profile)
• Martin Laroche (VP of Operations at SNC Lavalin Inc. – Link to Profile)
• Guy Marcozzi (President of Duffield Associates, Inc – Link to Profile)
  

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Future Outlook: backlog, revenue, and profit. [min 3:40]
• What tools are being used to analyze and track business volume and billability during this time? [min 10:49]
• What business opportunities are there during this Covid-19 crisis? [min 20:25]
• How the CARES Act Provision, mostly the SBA payroll protection, can provide aid to GBA member firms. [min 27:25]
• Families First Leave Act discussion [min 32:35]
• Cutting cost: What are you doing to decide between reduced hours vs. pay cuts? [min 38:20]
• Can employee refuse a pay/salary cut? [min 40:58]
• PTO donation and extended leave. [min 46:04]
• Have any of you had employees contract Covid-19 and what are you doing about it? [min 48:46]

Calls-to-action:

• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for more information about Covid-19 resources and/or to become a member
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at info@geoprofessional.org with any podcast-related questions or comments

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principle/Geotechnical Engineering Group Manger/PBS Engineering and Environmental
• Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2 – Chief Consultant/SME
• Donald K. Blackburn, MBA – Business Manager/Blackburn Consulting
• Shawn Leyva, PE – Associate Senior Engineer/Crawford & Associates