HEATHER EWING: The CRE RUNdown
Are you intrigued by Commercial Real Estate? Join Heather Ewing, CCIM each week as she dives into CRE trends, Deals, and Developments throughout Madison, WI. Learn the crucial role of Mindset in CRE and Marathons! Success leaves Clues.
HEATHER EWING: The CRE RUNdown
Ep. 52 Denise Graziano - Leadership Mastery and Navigating Workplace Generational Dynamics
What if you could transform your career and personal growth by tackling self-sabotaging behaviors? Join us as we engage with Denise Graziano, a leading expert in organizational transformation and growth. She shares her invaluable insights on navigating the ever-evolving business landscape, focusing on solving intricate challenges in management, communication, and people strategy.
Denise's advice is especially poignant for those amidst career transitions, and she brings a unique perspective from her work in industries such as insurance, financial services, and manufacturing. Her approach to leadership, intertwined with personal anecdotes and an athletic mindset, offers listeners practical strategies for enhancing productivity and stress management.
Navigating the complexities of a multigenerational workplace, we explore how organizations can harness the diverse strengths of different age groups. Denise discusses the evolving role of commercial real estate and how younger professionals are reshaping client interactions with their social media savvy.
As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize business processes, Denise emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity and human connection in communication. With the growing influence of Gen Z in the workforce, companies face both challenges and opportunities, and Denise provides thoughtful insights on how to adapt and thrive in this dynamic environment.
Whether you're a seasoned leader or an emerging professional, there's something here for everyone aiming to embrace change and drive growth.
Welcome to Heather Ewing, the CRE Rundown. I am your host, Heather Ewing, and today I have a perfect guest that you are going to want to connect with. Her name is Denise Graziano. Her business, Graziano Associates Denise. Welcome. Thanks, Heather, Great to be here, Definitely Well, it's so nice to connect with you. We've stayed in touch little bits over the years. Was it four years ago that we met in Texas? I think so. I think so. Yeah, it's amazing how time flies Exactly as we get going. I've known you for a few years, but please share with our audience a little bit more about you so they can start to get to know you.
Speaker 2:Sure, you know, my work has been over the last decades let's just say decades helping leaders to navigate organizational transformation and growth, and we are doing a lot of exciting work right now because there's just so much constant change and the work that we do kind of it spans management, communication and people strategy, and I love solving problems that are kind of intertwined between those three areas.
Speaker 1:Perfect and to your point, there's definitely a lot of shakeup. We see it in all different sectors and I think it's really started people to start wondering kind of about the whole entrepreneurial path and things of that nature. What would you say are a few tips that maybe they should look into, or what are, what's your advice for people that find themselves in that space?
Speaker 2:For entrepreneurs I would say really look to solve a problem right. It's not, it's not something that you've developed that you want somebody to buy, but really you're filling a need. You identify the problem, you know the customer and you really feel their pain and that way you can deliver on those kinds of solutions.
Speaker 1:Solving pain points. Right, that's where it's all at. Yeah, what would you say? Are some good resources, maybe for identifying ways to get beyond that? Let's say, someone didn't know you, right? What's a way for them to kind of navigate the new terrain?
Speaker 2:The new terrain? Be more specific about which area.
Speaker 1:Sure, let's say they just went through a corporate downsizing or their position has been eliminated. Maybe they haven't had the you know the good fortune of meeting you or someone you know in your group. What's something they can do to kind of help get beyond?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, the work that we do is with usually larger corporations and often going through change. So you know, when you're trying to get your bearings on that, you really have to understand. If you have people working for you, you need to understand them in the context of the work that you have to get done. You are, if you've left a company and you're going on to something new.
Speaker 1:I would say again you're looking to fill a need where you can add value to that organization, definitely. And what would you say is your sweet spot for the size of organization, or are they in any specific?
Speaker 2:areas as well. We work with mid-market and larger companies and I would say, you know, it doesn't matter in terms of the type of company we work with, but in terms of verticals. We've worked with the insurance sector, financial services, some hospitality, manufacturing and then some others in between there.
Speaker 1:Okay, great, and I know you had sent me this really neat assessment that I enjoyed taking the other week and I think it was called was it the saboteur or some type of assessment. Share with my audience a little bit more about that. I thought it was great.
Speaker 2:So the saboteur assessment is from a tool we started using a couple of years ago with clients navigating change and turmoil, and it's from positive intelligence and what it does is really identify. You know we all have things that hold us back the way we self-sabotage whether it's being maybe too much of a pleaser, too much of a controller, too much of a, you know, hypervigilant around things that could go wrong or hyper rational. There are a number of ways that we might be holding ourselves back and this assessment I think it takes maybe less than five minutes can identify those things and it's the basis of what positive intelligence then applies as a solution. It's a toolkit really to help to navigate and change how you handle stress, to create more productivity in the workplace, to handle pressure Like imagine your work is high pressure sales.
Speaker 2:Very often you have to get the sale done. Imagine being able to do it with more ease and grace because you aren't sabotaging your own deals with things that are that mind chatter in your head. I would also just say that you know we all have that autopilot negative thinking that comes to mind and this kind of quiets it. The tools, over the course of a matter of weeks, can help quiet it and get you more focused on more self-command of how you're thinking.
Speaker 1:And to your point, Denise, mindset is everything, as we both know. Know what are a few of the tools in the tool belt per se that you like for mindset?
Speaker 2:uh, you know, I'm an athlete at heart. I was a, you know, two sport college athlete and I don't think that kind of discipline ever leaves you. So really being focused and disciplined to get to your set of goals, that's a mindset. I think that is something that we can all aspire to, because we can get off course. The other thing is really to be very I like to be regimented in certain things so that you have this cadence and you can really, as you're a marathoner, you know you have to do certain training processes to get there and you know I personally mindset, I like to go, look to the positive. How can you find an opportunity?
Speaker 1:if there's an obstacle, try to find a way around it exactly because, to your point, you're going down the path, so you might as well find a way to make the path enjoyable, right and so that you're solving your own problem, because, as we solve our own problems, it allows us to help solve others more effectively, as you're sharing, absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's funny because I reflect back to several years ago and I think just when I got into commercial and the retail and restaurants I was not disciplined and you know, it doesn't take very long for you to realize that, like, okay, this needs to change because that has a very, very harsh learning curve. But it's very effective and I shudder at times when I reflect back to the you know 11 years ago of that. But at the same time, I view discipline now in a very different light and I see it as your key to freedom.
Speaker 2:I agree and I think you know. You bring a really interesting point up, heather. I think we all evolve in business and we get better at things. In fact, we should always be learning and trying to get better at things. But I will bring up a very interesting perspective Now. In business, you've got a lot of younger workers coming into the workplace that don't have the same perspectives, and they're also working with people who've been in the workplace a lot longer, and so I think that there's an opportunity to grow from each other or to repel each other, and so it's really in terms of achieving more productivity and peacefully in the workplace. You have to figure that out and appreciate where your differences and approach are coming from. So, but I think it's just a really interesting time and who we have in our offices.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely. And you know that's a fascinating point that you bring up to about the different ages. Because so much of commercial real estate. Because so much of commercial real estate. I'm the young one, right at 50, just about, but there are starting to be some of the younger guys that are filtering in. You know, I think fresh out of college, right, so 22. But it will be interesting to see how that evolves. And again, it's interesting because real estate is so siloed, in the sense of you see everyone in your asset class and a lot of it's over the phone and we tour, but it's nothing like residential where you're out others, and how do you take the best from everyone and put that onto the winning team per se, right?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And also in the context of how does that younger real estate agent see the customer differently than maybe somebody who's more seasoned would see them? And so is that an opportunity or is it a blind spot?
Speaker 1:I always look for and also, yeah, I think with social media too, they definitely have an edge up. I joke, I know enough to be dangerous and thank God for my assistant and things of that nature. But it's a whole nother world and I think too, whatever arena you're in, you can really take a multi-level approach, and there's so many different ways because you're going to reach different people, different age groups, different habits and lifestyles through some of the different forms of communication and connection.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that the social media that's available now creates a more emotional connection, no matter what your age is, and I think that the social media that's available now creates a more emotional connection, no matter what your age is. So, you know, I think that that kind of perspective that the younger workers can bring is it could be a real asset, definitely.
Speaker 1:I agree. How do you see this comes into conversations all of the time? How do you see AI shifting things?
Speaker 2:and everybody's talking about AI and you have to use it and understand it and play with it in order for you not to be afraid of it. I think we all have a little bit of fear of it. So using it, whether it is to cut down on redundant tasks or things that could be quickly done or that'd be repetitive, is a great way to start with it. But there's so much creative that can be used, so many creative steps that can be applied using AI and you know I'm just scratching the surface with it now but I think that the more we look at opportunities to use it to give ourselves time back is really is real.
Speaker 1:Definitely, and you hear it all the time but time is all that we have, and I think that's been a big motivation for people in real estate too of you have the stocks and bonds, you've got the real estate, but then, too, it's really how do you buy back to your time, how are you more efficient, and things of that nature. So it's creating a lifestyle in a way that you do create more time through yourself, and I agree completely. I think AI is great for some of those very simple, mundane things and kind of wrapping and creating a foundation or structure for some of the different aspects too.
Speaker 2:Definitely. I mean. The only thing I would say is that whenever you're using it for generating ideas or creative, that you always have to put your own spin on it too and put your own print on it, Otherwise it kind of loses your voice and personality.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, and I think authenticity that you bring up that's huge right. That's really, I think, a big social currency right now, whereas I think several years ago it was more so images and you know, having this and that. Not that it's still not there, but I think there, years ago, it was more so images and you know having this and that. Not that it's still not there, but I think there's a larger gap where people are looking for the authentic message and someone that can connect with them and understand what they're experiencing and and help them to that next phase.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean whether it I mean real estate. Certainly you need a high level of trust, but in any business relationship you need to be able to trust the person you're working with and if you don't have that authenticity in whatever your messaging you're using, you will kind of diminish that amount of trust.
Speaker 1:Definitely and rapidly, yeah. So what do you see occurring really in the next, let's just say, three, five years, you know, in the sense of business, of entrepreneurship, of companies restructuring, how do you see things shifting and evolving?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I think it's going to be more of the same because of all the shifts. You know AI is going's going to be more of the same because of all the shifts. You know AI is going to eliminate some jobs, but add others, and so jobs will change. There's also this massive shift of, or influx of, the Gen Z people in the workplace, I think in 2025, they're saying it's over a quarter of the workforce. So, as there's more and more young people, there are going to be more shifts and more change in the workplace.
Speaker 2:So good for me, because that's the kind of work that we help companies navigate, but it could be a bumpy ride, and I think people have to be very resilient, and they have to be able to look at things, to embrace change, instead of being weary and fearful of it. So that's one thing. I also think things are going to accelerate and change more rapidly because of it. So that's one thing. I also think things are going to accelerate and change more rapidly because of AI. It's affecting every corner of our lives, and I also think, though, that people are very discerning. Customers are very discerning whatever industry they're in, and they're looking for that connection. They don't want to be handled by bots. They do want that personalized experience. So I think that it's going to be really interesting and quick developments over the next three to five years, as you say, and I don't know. I mean it could be massive shifts in within five years really.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely. Yeah, I can't help at times to think about some of those futuristic movies, right, I'm like, ok, you know which parts of that will be coming true and hopefully some of the others really don't, right. But it is kind of interesting to think of future, forward and just in either of our lifetimes, of all of the different changes that have already occurred. And you know, at some point we'll be in those 80s, 90s and we'll be like I remember when. But what would you say is is the driving force in what you do. I know you solve complicated issues for people. You're really helping them. You know these different companies from one stage to another. What's another part of that that just fuels you, that speaks to your heart?
Speaker 2:You know, because I work with senior leaders, I really I feel their desire to succeed. They want the right thing for their people and their companies, and sometimes they don't have all the answers. So when they, you know, can reach out and get a solution that we can provide, it's very gratifying. Quite honestly, you know, I really do appreciate that kind of impact that we can bring.
Speaker 1:Which is huge because you're not just affecting, you know, a few people. It is on a much larger scale. So it is neat to see how an idea or just a different way of approaching something can have such a profound impact. Definitely, yeah. How do you? How do you unwind? What are a couple of your tips on unwinding and kind of finding that, that space of relaxation and rejuvenation?
Speaker 2:I'll give you two opposites with a workout. That's my sanity, you know I roll out of bed and I go work out for an hour and nobody should bother me then, and so that's just how I ground myself and get myself started and I guess the other three things. I always laugh and love being with my husband and just kind of seeing the fun in life. And then if I just really need to disconnect this is the funny one I just love to go to a store a Marshall's or a TJ Maxx and just look at things and, you know, just kind of wander around and disconnect.
Speaker 1:Right, it's kind of like a kaleidoscope of artistry, right. I'm the same way. I love color, you know, and that's where, for me, obviously, it's the marathon training, running. But time in nature, too, for me, is just like, oh, you can just let it all go and it feels good. So that's the physical exertion. I think is is a big one for a lot of us, yeah, so what would you say is one other tip for people just to keep in mind in the marketplace, with all these different changes happening and the fast pace, something else that they should keep on the near horizon.
Speaker 2:I guess I would say keep an eye on customer trends, because no matter whether you're dealing with B2B or B2C, I would really say you know, pay attention to that, because there is, they're the ones that drive the market, and I think more so now than before, because there's a very quick shift that they make a decision and you have to be agile enough to adjust to it, otherwise it could be a long corrective cycle.
Speaker 1:That makes perfect sense. So my final question this is always the hard hitter, denise is what does living fully mean to you? Living fully.
Speaker 2:I think. Well, the things I shared with you about that I do every day. That's living fully, you know. But my faith, my family and really doing everything that you do so that you can make an impact for someone else, I really do think that we're all here for each other in some way, and so you know, as corny as that sounds, I do believe that.
Speaker 1:You're in good company. I'm a firm believer in it. Definitely so well, denise. Thank you so much for joining me today. How can people connect with you?
Speaker 2:I guess the easiest way is you can find me on LinkedIn or you can go to our website and just go to the contact us page and send me a note.
Speaker 1:Perfect, Denise. Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for having me, Heather. Bye-bye.