Jeff Wahl of Big Blue Marble Academy: Five Things Business Leaders Can Do To Create A Fantastic Work Culture

Instill Strong Values. At Big Blue Marble Academy, our values drive our work and provide the “why” behind everything we do. This year, for example, we’ve focused on our value of diversity by offering regular programming, guest speakers, resources, recommended readings, and more centered on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

As a part of my series about how leaders can create a “fantastic work culture”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Wahl.

Jeff Wahl is the CEO of Big Blue Marble Academy. He has 35 years of management and leadership experience in services businesses, dedicating the last 20 years to the early care and education industry. Jeff joined BBMA in 2019 as Executive Chairman and was named CEO in 2020. Prior to joining BBMA, Jeff supported Avathon Capital as an Executive In Residence. He was previously the Chairman of Glynlyon (Odysseyware and AOP) and CEO of EdisonLearning. Jeff also held numerous senior executive leadership roles at GE for over 15 years.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Both my wife and daughter are early education teachers, and after witnessing their passion for this work for many years I chose to join them in the field of early care. It was inspirational to see the difference they made for children and families which only reinforced my own decision to shift my career focus. As a result, I have dedicated the last 20 years to the early care and education industry. I joined Big Blue Marble Academy in 2019 as Executive Chairman and subsequently was named CEO a year later.

I believe we can do well and do good and do good and do well at the same time, and I believe Big Blue Marble Academy is an example of this. We are creating a new standard of care and learning in early education that will impact the next generation. This legacy is at the very core of our mission which is to nurture little minds and grow big hearts.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

When I took the helm at Big Blue Marble Academy, we had just completed the first phase of implementing COVID-19 protocols. I don’t think any of us realized that the pandemic would have such a lasting effect — both personally and professionally. Our staff and team of educators came together to put the health and safety of our students at the center of all that we did. As a result, we were able to quickly develop solutions and pivot when necessary while still remaining aligned with our core values. This has in large part helped Big Blue Marble Academy thrive in the wake of one of the most challenging business and societal inflection points in recent history.

Are you working on any exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

One project that I am excited about is elevating a sense of personal attention and care in our interactions with our employees as well as in their interactions with the students and families we serve. In the corporate world, we call this customer service. With the proliferation of technology and automation, in some ways, we’ve moved away from customer service and the pandemic added an additional challenge to how we connect and relate with one another.

We have chosen to make creating an environment that supports more authentic and positive interactions a priority. We’ve partnered with The Ritz-Carlton, which is known worldwide for its exceptional customer service, and are translating their work for our schools. Thanks to our COO, Kim Kross, our staff are being provided critical training on the importance of simple but meaningful attention and care, such as knowing each child’s and parent’s name within the first day of introductions. These important interactions can help better express our appreciation for our families and retain their loyalty as well as contribute to a more positive work environment for all of us. We want our relationships with our families to be generative and uplifting every day.

Ok, let’s jump to the main part of our interview. According to this study cited in Forbes, more than half of the US workforce is unhappy. Why do you think that number is so high?

I think we need to acknowledge the impact the pandemic and other financial and societal challenges have had on all of us over the last few years. It would be surprising not to see symptoms of fatigue and burnout in the workplace after a period of chronic stress. We also lost an important ability to support each other in person when the most acute moments of the pandemic required the need to self-isolate.

We as leaders are now called on to redefine how our teams and organizations can collaborate and contribute to a thriving environment that sparks excitement and passion in our daily work. In my own work, I know the positive impact meaningful interactions can have — whether between a supervisor and a staff member or a teacher and a student. We all want to feel seen and valued.

Based on your experience or research, how do you think an unhappy workforce will impact a) company productivity b) company profitability c) and employee health and wellbeing?

An unhappy workforce will impact an organization negatively at every level. There are countless studies and surveys that outline what an organization loses when staff are unsatisfied or resign, including preventing innovation and creativity, disrupting culture, and impacting the bottom line as it costs more to hire new employees than to retain the ones you already have.

At Big Blue Marble Academy, we’ve made intentional investments in employee initiatives. We know our staff is essential to creating a caring environment for our students and families, and we want to ensure they are cared for as well. We have developed new staff offerings and programs by first asking what they needed. The simple act of acknowledging and acting on feedback can go a long way. And when your teams feel cared for, your organization can improve retention and reduce the disruption that staff turnover can cause. I would like to add that in the midst of the great resignation, Big Blue Marble Academy has less than five percent of open positions unfilled. We walk our talk.

Can you share 5 things that managers and executives should be doing to improve their company work culture? Can you give a personal story or example for each?

I could easily share more than five steps to improving company culture, however, let me say this: it takes dedication and compassion to create an environment in which organizations thrive. As a leader, it is my job to instill and live by my organization’s values. Here are a few strategies I employ to achieve this:

1. Get to Know Your People. It goes a long way to get out of the office and physically meet your employees where they work. I made a commitment to visit all 56 of our Big Blue Marble Academy sites and that personal, face-to-face interaction made a difference both to inform my decisions as well as reinforce for our staff the important role they play in our organization.
2. Recognition Matters. We know students thrive with encouragement, and I don’t think that is something any of us outgrow. We want our contributions to be appreciated. For example, one of our Center Directors was excelling at her school, and we had planned to spotlight her work publicly on social media at a time when she was feeling underappreciated by management. When the Center Director saw the post, she felt seen and valued. Through this small act, we unknowingly retained one of our most valued Center Directors.
3. Show Up for Employees. When staff asks for help, it is essential to pay attention. We must prioritize listening to employees and incorporating their feedback into creating a more thriving work environment for everyone. We recently changed the content of our town hall meetings to provide employees with the topics they truly wanted, as opposed to what we thought they needed.
4. Check-in with Employees. Related to number 3, don’t wait until there’s a problem to respond to staff. Make an effort to check in on a consistent basis to find out how things are going, what issues they may be facing, and how the leadership team can help. Holding one-on-one check-ins has significantly improved our staffing and retention at Big Blue Marble Academy. When I visited our 56 sites, I had incredible conversations with staff and parents that led to several positive improvements across the business.
5. Instill Strong Values. At Big Blue Marble Academy, our values drive our work and provide the “why” behind everything we do. This year, for example, we’ve focused on our value of diversity by offering regular programming, guest speakers, resources, recommended readings, and more centered on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It’s very nice to suggest ideas, but it seems like we have to “change the culture regarding work culture”. What can we do as a society to make a broader change in the US workforce’s work culture?

In education, mindset is an important part of learning. I believe leaders today require a change in mindset. Rather than viewing employees as a company asset that is ours, we should view employees as another kind of customer stakeholder. As we would with our other customers, we need to better understand what employees value in a work environment, learn what truly excites them, what they are passionate about, and what are their professional goals. For example, we are hearing more and more that employees would like more flexibility in their work schedules. While remote work is not necessarily possible for classroom teachers, Big Blue Marble Academy has moved from offering two set work schedules to creating a process where we can co-create schedules together. We understand the importance of accommodating the needs and values of our team members. As a result, they truly bring their best selves to work. It’s a win-win for everyone.

How would you describe your leadership or management style? Can you give us a few examples?

I have found that I have been most effective at work by practicing Servant Leadership. This leadership style focuses on serving the people within an organization versus focusing solely on profits and productivity. In other words, putting people ahead of projects. A servant leader focuses on others’ well-being and empowers them to perform at their full potential.

In Servant Leadership you must first develop trust at all levels. A sense of trust is created by being authentic yourself and fostering personal, meaningful interactions. Once trust is solidified and an authentic relationship is built, leaders can better identify how to support staff. And once you’ve developed those strengths and capabilities in your staff, you can provide the resources they need to succeed.

Transparency is also an important part of Servant Leadership. At Big Blue Marble Academy, we try to create a culture of trust where we encourage diversity of thought. We regularly ask our employees where we’re falling short and ask our centers what they need to be successful — we try to act on everything we hear.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have been fortunate to have had several interactions over the course of my career that have been pivotal moments in my development as a leader. One executive coach taught me about the importance of being accountable and fully owning who I am as a person and the actions I take. He taught me not to expect my staff to perform tasks or meet goals that I would not do myself. As leaders, we cannot truly hold our teams accountable until we can do the same with ourselves. I use the DESC framework for accountability: define, evaluate, support, and coordinate their activities.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I have made it a priority to share my life experiences with others. Whether it is professional knowledge from my years of work in the C-suite or simply life lessons I have picked up along the way, I believe it is important to share my knowledge not only with my own team but with aspiring leaders across other industries. Mentorship has never been more important than in today’s changing world, and I take this responsibility to help encourage and educate the next generation of leaders seriously.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I have two. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” is a favorite quote of mine from Leonardo DaVinci. It perfectly defines both my professional and personal life philosophy. In an increasingly complicated world, keeping things simple as a leader allows me to focus on my purpose, prioritize what is most important, and be clear in communicating those priorities to others.

Having worked at General Electric for 15 years, I also have a second “life lesson” I live by which is the late, great Jack Welch’s “3 S” business plan. It focuses on: maximizing speed, simplicity, and self-confidence. As CEO of General Electric for two decades, Jack understood the brilliance of simplicity in leadership and how not to overcomplicate situations in general. I would encourage leaders to focus on his “3 Ss” to increase productivity and continue moving the needle for growth.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

An issue that is close to my heart and has personally impacted my life is mental health. While there is a growing awareness of and de-stigmatization of this since the pandemic, there is still much more that can be done to educate and inform others. We need better mental health support and services in schools, workplaces, and within healthcare and community organizations.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you continued success!