How One HR Fail Became a Leadership Breakthrough

Julie Deane: [: 00:00:00

And I think that was just I was mirroring what I had known. But I just. Didn't feel good in that regard. However, the story gets a little, a nice hallmark ending that Travis, ended up leaving the company. We got on good terms. I, we worked to repair the relationship and to get him the training that he needed to feel more successful.

And my own training, right? And I had a good leader that was there backing me up. So things started changing and he ended up leaving the company. He was from North Dakota, went back to North Dakota, and his sister owned a printing company, really small town. And we needed, this was before digital recruiting materials.

supply us with a lot of our [: 00:01:00

Alexa Beavers : what would you do if you were called into your boss's office and found a direct report waiting? With a hidden diary of grievances, Julie could have crumbled. Instead, with the help of a wise and compassionate boss, she turned a career defining failure into the foundation of her entire leadership style. Today on Transformation Unfiltered, we welcome Julie Dean. Julie Dean joined KAS Bio as Chief People Officer in September, 2021. In her role, Julie is responsible for leading KCA s's strategic human resources, vision, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and talent develop.

head of Human Resources for [: 00:02:00

Additionally, KCU under Julie's leadership was honored with healthiest employer by the Kansas City Business Journal. The Cigna Wellbeing Award and Healthy KC Platinum, the highest level awarded by the greater KC Chamber of Commerce.

ips the lake, cooking on the [: 00:03:00

So everyone, welcome to the show. Julie Dean, I'm really delighted to have you here. Today we're gonna talk about your transformation unfiltered moment. Welcome, Julie.

Julie Deane: Hi Alexa. Thank you so much for having me.

Alexa Beavers : Yeah, I'm delighted that you're here today and we've had a couple of conversations, so shall we just cut all the mess and get right to it and hear what your big moment was, where you learned a big lesson, rewinding back earlier in your career.

Julie Deane: I think that's good because the moment's kind of messy, so we can just get right to it.

Alexa Beavers : So tell me what actually was the moment when you were like, oh my goodness.

Julie Deane: I think my oh my goodness moment would be really pretty early in my HR career. I was coming out of restaurant operations and going to the corporate office position to start in head of recruiting.

ferent type of workforce and [: 00:04:00

Through that transition coming out of operations and coming into a different type of professional environment when I was under duress, unbeknown to me I had some issues with probably the delivery of my comments or feedback or if you caught me off guard. And I've definitely learned, from that experience and really what happened, this story that caught me off guard that I would call definitely a learning lesson, a mistake messy was I had a new leader starting a new vice president of human resources after I'd been there a few months, and it was her second day that I was meeting her.

And her name was Joanne. And [: 00:05:00

That was my first encounter with her, and it was probably one of the first times that I had to start regulating and not showing on the outside how you feel on the inside. And Travis began to start and a again, the real shocker came that he called it his diary. And he had been documenting over a course of three months things that I had done or said to him that he found offensive or that hurt his feelings.

ppreciate to get a candidate [: 00:06:00

And those of you in recruiting know how important that is. You cannot wait. And I was short with him. Other things that I had done when I was interrupted, I wasn't conscientious really, is what he was telling me or the delivery. And I made him feel that I was, talking down to him in some regards.

And so this went on. It was a pretty lengthy meeting, probably a half hour meeting. And Joanne was really the facilitator in the mediator here. As a seasoned HR professional could only handle, so Julie, I think what Travis is trying to say is you've made him uncomfortable and the way that you're delivering things.

So I, in that moment actually felt really remorseful. Not defensive, but really remorseful. 'cause I could see it in his eyes that he was coming in every day to just do the best he knew how to do. He was new as a recruiter as well. And I felt really bad that I had created that type of work environment for him, and he didn't find me to be approachable to have that conversation with me.

really wanted to be humble. [: 00:07:00

And it was definitely a teaching moment in that regard prior to what happens after when Joanne, coached and talked to me. But just in that moment, that feeling, I felt kind of a pit in my heart and in my stomach. I have a love for service and really felt like I disappointed myself and Travis quite honestly.

When Travis left the room Joanne was in there and she indicated to me, she giggled a little bit and was like, I haven't really seen anything like that before. But it's something to always be aware of, some of the things that he's bringing up and mentioning You probably had a right to be short fused, right?

gosh, I, is my job gonna be [: 00:08:00

Or, will I have the support, to continue after this? 'cause I was so new in the role and really what Joanne taught me, I was so grateful for her because I was in my early twenties and she'd been doing this a long time. Was just the psychological safety that came with being a good leader.

That, he had the ammunition and he wasn't wrong and I didn't deny anything. And the fact that she stood. Beside me and then agreed to work with me in the regards to look, you're always on stage when you get into leadership and you're always on stage when you're in HR to be role modeling behavior and you're gonna trip up again.

But she used to be an emergency room triage nurse and or medical assistant, and she started teaching me in that moment, everything is fixable. And my team uses that exact same phrase today. It was talking to one of my directs that accidentally sent an email to the long, wrong distribution list over the weekend and, didn't panic normally like she would have before we start working together.

at we do. And so that really [: 00:09:00

Really the vehicle that you use through the people that your tone of voice matters more probably than your messaging that you're creating, a warmth and sense of security throughout their experience as your employee.

Alexa Beavers : This was such a meaningful share, and the reason I say that is because it contains so much humility, and I appreciate that. When you were, walking in, you mentioned, okay. In the very opening I was under duress, unbeknownst to me, so you had an eye-opening moment when you got in there, but what did under duress, unbeknownst to you, maybe look like to other people besides Travis?

t and leveraging it in a way [: 00:10:00

That, and again, this is a life lesson, right? 'cause you get older and you understand your worth differently. And when you get into a new career and you're given leadership roles, and I've always been a naturally ambitious person, I just wanted to do a really great job and.

That was getting missed in translation through the way I was making, Travis feel. Now, the operators loved it, right? Because, we were gonna get it done and we were gonna get Canada tired and nothing was gonna slip through the cracks. And my boss will still tell you that now if you're gonna turn on a requisition under Julie's team, you better know it's gonna get filled under 20 days.

So that's just part of who my makeup was. But I was definitely under duress just trying to feel like I wanted to get the results and I wasn't going about it in the right way.

Alexa Beavers : [: 00:11:00

Can't, nothing's good enough. We always have to strive. Is that fair?

Julie Deane: I think so. Yeah. I think that's definitely fair

Alexa Beavers : when you're in strive mode. What is ambitious and psychological safety look and feel like?

Julie Deane: I think ambitious for me still means the same thing, right? Wanting to do good a job and having goals. But where I've grown just as an individual and in my leadership role is there's really two distinct Julies in my life.

And so life circumstances created this new one. And I definitely have a calmness when it comes to deliverables and. A lot of that probably is experience that comes with that, that you've been there, done that, and proven how you can achieve what expectations are of you, and also learning through your ambition what to commit to.

ood advice. It's not popular [: 00:12:00

Sticking with that same motto that everything's fixable and really just grinding through.

Alexa Beavers : I love that you said that. I don't know if you used these words, but you took some pressure off yourself a little bit. Definitely you didn't have to come out the gate and be that Clydesdale. And I imagine that back in the early twenties and you were in this new environment, what are some of the things that you might have felt on the inside that you weren't paying attention to that could have said, Hey, you're being the Clydesdale you're in that mode.

Anything that in hindsight?

Julie Deane: I always [: 00:13:00

Alexa Beavers : Outpacing is very interesting and I think that sometimes ambitious people are at the head of the pack, so that can be a clue. It doesn't mean you wanna stop doing that, but it could mean, is there more I should pay attention to Any other clues you saw along the way?

Julie Deane: Yeah I guess it was just. Ultimately I didn't, I wasn't feeling great, I mean I was burning at the both ends as well, just physically, and I started allowing work to be my only avenue of happiness in my earlier years. That was definitely a clue. I used to, I started skipping body pump at five 30.

ng up with my friends that I [: 00:14:00

Alexa Beavers : It sounds to me like you had some things that. Created imbalance in your life that you didn't listen to 'cause you were hyper-focused on these goals, which is awesome. And at the same time, some of the important things in your life slipped to the wayside, which were, that 5:00 AM body pump.

Maybe you skipped a happy hour with your buddies and before you know it, you found yourself in drive mode and that maybe happened. Is that true?

Julie Deane: Yes, that's definitely true. But I have to correct you. I would never do 5:00 AM that was 5:00 PM

Alexa Beavers : oh, 5:00 PM

Julie Deane: That was the pre happy hour workout, Alexa, that is not the, I didn't do that.

And then have [: 00:15:00

Alexa Beavers : Super important to yourself.

Julie Deane: It's very important.

Alexa Beavers : I give you kudos for that. Yes. Keep me straight here. So missing out on the important things that help keep you well-rounded, being singularly focused, all for something that was good, which is wanting to show up and do a great job. What I also really appreciated about your retelling of this is how you were in that moment and you were like, oh my goodness. And wow. I never had any idea, oh my gosh, I need to apologize. Can you tell me more about that? Cause I really appreciate the certainty with which you were like, ugh. I'm sorry. And I almost feel that way. So tell me more about how that looked.

Julie Deane: What, it was just an epiphany that, when I was in there and this employee was coming with emotion, that I had missed it, that I knew when I was, driving and, coming with an intensity that it probably, it didn't feel good 'cause I worked with people that had that.

't feel good in that regard. [: 00:16:00

And my own training, right? And I had a good leader that was there backing me up. So things started changing and he ended up leaving the company. He was from North Dakota, went back to North Dakota, and his sister owned a printing company, really small town. And we needed, this was before digital recruiting materials.

And so we used her organ, her, her business to, it was a big corporate restaurant organization to then, supply us with a lot of our printing needs. And kept in touch with him for a long time after that because he was a really pivotal lesson for me. As I formed, I guess the next version of me through his, feedback and experience that I had given him.

ngs that you think helped to [: 00:17:00

Julie Deane: Well, I don't think you can ever over promote the importance of recognizing you're wrong. And I knew I was wrong and I didn't hide that from him, right? Or from my leader. That although your intention is not, is normally not from people to be offputting or to create a negative.

eam. And so that really led, [: 00:18:00

And take accountability as a leader of that team and for the organization that admission that we're not perfect and that, I messed up and that I was genuinely sorry for it.

Alexa Beavers : Yeah. You internalized his feedback, you were able to do something about it, and you really committed it sounds like.

And then you could say, okay, maybe she's just a human too. I don't know. Now, something that you said in the course of this, there's so many different. Points of view to unpack was Joanne did something surprising after Travis left the room. Can you talk to me a little bit more about that?

Julie Deane: She just, she started giggling quite on, once the door closed. 'cause she's seen a lot at that stage in her career. And now I have seen a lot at this stage in my career and, there's always the unexpected with employees and how they process things in the workplace. And the leader I'd worked for prior to her was not so understanding.

ou handled that beautifully. [: 00:19:00

To where we could then discuss what happened and talk about, where I can improve and what's learned by her own admission of tone and things that had gotten her in, hot water a time or two. And so it was surprising to me that she turned that into, a lesson, but also a dedication to me, as a professional and somebody on her team that just made me feel like I was an extension of her and that she wasn't gonna let me go down.

We're in it together.

Alexa Beavers : It's so nice to be in it together with somebody that has your back, has compassion, and maybe has been there, done that. So you turned all of this into some big lessons, which we've touched on a few along the way, but what do you think are the biggest lessons that you would like to underline through this story?

ge myself, so I'm five years [: 00:20:00

So definitely how you deliver your message and create unity instead of division internally. We see it all the time in hr that companies typically don't fail because of the product or the service, right? It's the internal conflict. So I think watching your tone 'cause it, you are the leader and you're creating that microculture within the organization, and also for me, if I know one your question's probably coming up is, 15 years earlier advice, right?

So I'm gonna tie that in here a little bit, is enjoy the journey and. Don't try and get everything you wanna accomplish and done in one year. 'cause it's a long time, you have to climb for quite a while, improve yourself. And it's through daily interactions, not just one big project or not just one big success that I think I misunderstood, right?

If I get [: 00:21:00

And you can't do that if you're not focused on the journey. And I continue to learn that, that's a ongoing lesson for me.

Alexa Beavers : I love that. I think, making your, for all of us ambitious humans out there. The good reminder is to think about every moment matters, and make it additive to where you wanna go.

Not one that actually cuts you out from underneath your legs. 'cause you were just going outpacing out, pushing, the rest of the folks. That's right. Yeah. I love that. I think that's super powerful. I love the idea of watching your tone and creating unity over division.

ffective or the power of the [: 00:22:00

Respect the tone and understand you were there once too. And what it takes. There's a lot of emotional control that goes in when you get into leadership. And just being a maniac at refining that and polishing yourself.

Alexa Beavers : I think that the. Being a maniac about polishing yourself with while being aware that you're also human.

Because you said early on something like, we are always on stage once you step into the leadership role eyes are on you. And tell me a little bit about how you do that without going to the Oh my gosh, I have to be perfect.

Julie Deane: I probably always preface it that right when I, my organization today knows that about me.

h others and when you make a [: 00:23:00

Fail fast. Let's fail fast. Let's try something and fail fast and move on that. Being forthcoming with your team and onboarding them effectively. If you have new people so they understand who you are, what are your hot buttons, what makes you tick to the organization? Just humanize yourself. 'Cause you got where you are for a reason.

Another piece of advice my dad always gave me was just, do you, which always helped me with imposter syndrome. And so doing me is admitting that I make mistakes. I'm not detail oriented, like I have these things about me that will probably frustrate you. But I will have your back and I come to me with anything and here's how I want you to guide yourself to make decisions based on the employee experience.

And it's been pretty effective for me because it doesn't create an over complicated microculture within my team. 'cause we all know what we're looking to do. Yeah.

nd invite other people to be [: 00:24:00

We're not all gonna get it perfect. And if they know that, hey, we're gonna fail fast, we're gonna try some things and we're not, nothing is unfixable, then we'll figure it out together. Yeah. We're all humans on this journey. And I've got your back. So I think that's super insightful and powerful.

When you think about advice to somebody 15 years earlier, one of your big pieces of advice was be yourself and create unity, not division with your tone and enjoy the journey. If you had that by advice 15 years ago, and maybe you got it from Joanne, what's possible if you follow those guideposts as you go through your career?

ty with virtual work now and [: 00:25:00

Take those opportunities and recharge yourself and not just in the cliche ways with big vacations, but, take a minute, take a pause, leave work behind don't fire off an email right away. The old trick of email yourself or leverage chat GTP to write it for you when you're feeling emotional.

'cause you have the opportunity to do that. And. Understanding that everything is temporary, that every moment in your career that might feel like either you're making it or breaking it is as fleeting as it came. And when I say enjoy the journey, it's enjoy the ops and to some degree the downs because that's how your highs are gonna feel so good and rely on a mentor, a forum.

yourself and do you always, [: 00:26:00

Alexa Beavers : Yeah, enjoying the journey means finding others to go along the ride with that. Give that, build you up that help you feel, engaged and full. And it also means not trying to get there too fast because every moment matters get there too fast, right? Yeah. Which is hard for some folks when we're really wanting to just be so good at what we do.

Julie Deane: And being over promoted isn't a good feeling either. When you're there and you haven't learned all the skills and certainly there's a lot to learn about corporate behavior and you know how to influence and work cross-functionally and it takes time.

Alexa Beavers : Time and also the intention to be in there and get in there and learn from every moment.

nded a totally different way [: 00:27:00

Let's figure this out. We're in it together. And to Travis for being brave enough to speak up and say something. All three of you really showed up in that moment and it really impacted you in a really powerful way.

Now your team knows how to be themselves. You're more calm because you know everything to be fixed and you fail fast.

All true.

All true. A lot of really wonderful lessons here. If you wanna hear more conversations like we heard from Julie Dean and the lessons that come from. The mistakes we make early on in our career that make us truly better leaders and transform teams, transform companies, transform relationships, then please tune in to Transformation Unfiltered.

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