The feedback fix: Grow your team, grow your career

Modern Mentor

Macmillan Holdings, LLC

Careers, Business, Management

4.3 • 720 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the second of a series of shorter form interviews, Rachel sits down with Mike Jacobson, VP of People Operations at Steno. They discuss why traditional feedback methods often fall short and how to create a more effective system for career growth. Mike shares insights on building customized learning environments that incentivize genuine engagement, as well as the hidden value of lateral career moves for long-term fulfillment. He also tackles the common challenge of prioritizing dedicated learning time and explores how empowering leaders to tailor their feedback approach can foster a culture where employees thrive. Mike's candid advice offers actionable strategies for transforming feedback into a powerful tool for both individual and organizational success.

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right. Well, Mike Jacobson, VP of People Operations at Steno, what a pleasure it is to have you on the Modern Mentor podcast.
0:27.4	It's such a pleasure to be here for so many reasons. We've known each other a long time. We found a way to connect in our professional lives all these years later, even though we knew each other in our childhood.
0:37.2	And I couldn't be more excited to chat with you about a subject that makes me experience. professional lives all these years later, even though we knew each other in our childhood.
0:41.9	And I couldn't be more excited to chat with you about a subject that makes me excited.
0:44.0	Oh, man, that is awesome.
0:49.7	And for listeners, you should just know, Mike is a friend of my little brothers from preschool, elementary school.
0:51.6	I'm not really sure.
0:52.6	So we have known each other for so many years and
0:55.7	probably seen each other do many, many foolish things in the younger ones, hopefully less so in
1:00.6	more recent years. But it is so fun to have this conversation with you now in this professional
1:05.6	context. You have done some really impressive things with your career. And I'm excited to
1:10.5	pick your brain and pull
1:11.5	through some insights whenever you're ready. Feeling mutual. Bring it on. Awesome. So we talked about
1:16.9	how we are doing these kind of miniature interviews, these three question interviews as an experiment
1:23.1	on the podcast. And so, as you know, my first question to you is, what is something that you are
1:29.9	excited about or proud of having achieved? Could be within your current organization, a past
1:35.0	organization, but something you have delivered or developed or put out into the world that has
1:40.1	helped your talent be more successful. And what can we learn from that? I'm really proud of the learning and development environment motion that we've created in the
1:49.1	company, because I think a lot of companies sort of like talk the talk on this subject, but they
1:53.5	don't actually do a good job of encouraging and incentivizing people to spend the time to actually
1:59.8	absorb the stuff that's in their LMS.
2:02.4	You know, a lot of people think of it as like, I've got to do a compliance course and there's an
	...

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