by I first met Lona Smart at the very first #DisruptHROmaha in April 2018. She was one of the speaker and her company, Revela was one of the Ultimate Sponsor. For the record, I am doing this voluntarily and was not asked nor paid to do this endorsement. I just really dig their staff and their business model. Their community give back is also something I admire in an organization.
As a #HRPro and new to Omaha, Nebraska, I wanted to learn more about the organization and at the same time learn more about Lona. I wanted to share my interview with her and some information on Revela so that anyone who is looking for leadership development within their organization can get a glimpse of what they have to offer.
Lona Smart is a Facilitator and Organizational Behavior Specialist at Revela located in Omaha, Nebraska. She has experience in leadership positions, private-public partnerships, business ownership and managing complex teams. Her analytical approach and strategic-thinking make her the go-to person in the area of organizational change and leadership development. Lona has her Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa. She has a passion for helping organizations, communities, families and individuals reach their full potential which explains her time spent volunteering and her background in behavioral health.
Lona Smart will be one of the breakout session speakers at #SHRMNE18. She will talk about how to “Create the Employee Experience” on Thursday (August 23), from 11 am to 12 pm.
GT: You’re speaking about how to “Create the Employee Experience” at the SHRM Nebraska State Conference 2018. Is this your first time speaking at that conference? Who should attend your session?
LS: It’s my second time as a speaker for SHRMNE. My session is for people who are looking for a different way to look at the employee onboarding and retention process.
GT: Briefly tell us what is Revela?
LS: We facilitate conversations with leaders so that they can more clearly articulate their 3-5 year picture, where the company is headed and how they can support the anticipated growth in terms of number of employees, revenue, organization structure, etc. Then help align the organization to execute on the plan.
GT: Why did your company choose a squirrel as part of your branding?
LS: Sometimes leadership teams can feel like they are chasing the squirrels when running their business. At Revela, we help leaders to “focus on working on the business, not in it”.
GT: What is the most memorable feedback you’ve received from your clients?
LS: After working with a leadership team for several months, as we were wrapping up, a manager shared with me that I not only helped him communicate better with his co-workers and staff but also with his wife; improving his marriage.
GT: What do you think is lacking in many leaderships training these days?
LS: Connecting the development to how it applies to the long term strategy of the organization. It’s important to know “why is it important to be better today than yesterday.”
GT: In anticipation of AI as a part of future of work, how would this change your business offerings?
LS: We’re exploring how to deliver training in the way people expect it to be delivered. Looking into Learning Management Systems as an example. Our trainings are already provided on audio recording as well as hard copies, but we want to use technology to improve how we connect and interact with participants between sessions.
GT: 3 Take-aways for those who will be attending your session.
LS: 1) Importance of key moments and how they leave a lasting impression, 2) Assessment of your own employee experience to look for potential pitfalls, and 3) New or different ideas to intentionally make key moments to create a positive experience that employees want to share with their friends and family.
Follow Revela on Twitter: https://twitter.com/revelagroup
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