Chief Customer Officer at Xero, Rachael Powell: The Power of Positive Psychology: Creating Authentic Company Cultures

Guest: Rachael Powell, Chief Customer Officer at Xero In this episode, we cover: How Rachael's current company, Xero, is focused on improving lives across the globe through its cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. (4:59) ... How Rachael's 'natural curiosity' helped her build a broad skill set. (7:55) ... ‘I'm definitely a builder': The apprehension Rachael felt before taking the Chief People Officer role at Xero — and why she took the job. (10:44) ... This is absolutely a vocation for me': Why Rachael loves her job and is invested in Xero's purpose. (16:32) ... 'Don’t ask, show': Why Rachael believes that results come from ‘showing what you’re capable of’ and not by asking for them. (20:26) ... ‘The human ripple effect’: How enthusiasm for a company can transfer from employees to customers — and the benefit of putting all elements of the customer journey under one executive. (23:33) ... Recruiting talent: Why Xero focuses on having a conversation with job candidates to gauge their values, passions, and strengths. (27:17) ... How to develop new talent and build a strong foundation of wellbeing within an organization with ‘positive psychology.’ (30:40) ... Why Rachael hired communication, recruiting and diversity roles when she became Chief People Officer at Xero — and how the company tries to foster an authentic workplace environment. (34:07) ... Why putting 'play' into an organization is crucial for innovation. (38:58) ... 'It is an enormous opportunity': Xero's strategy for bringing their product to market in the Northern Hemisphere. (44:10) ... How Rachael defines the word grit. (51:21)