1.
BUILDING A
POWERFUL
INTERNAL
BRAND
APRIL 5, 2019

2.
I’M DENNIS W00D
Strongly introverted. Data. WWII. Surfing. Containers.
Connectors. Volleyball. Fastlane only when passing. INTP.
Barely Graduated from High School. Cum Laude in College.
Late Bloomer. vLookup. Oxford Comma. Hyphens.
I ONCE: Was a DJ. Did Shirtless Hot Bikram Yoga in London.
Had Near-Death at Mount Whitney. Surfed with Dolphins.
I CAN: Play Flute, Drums, Banjo. Sign Language. DJ. Put a
Plastic Hanger Through a Wall.
I CAN’T: Keep up with my wife. Stand Utah Drivers.

3.
Four Key Stages
• Text
Product: Ideation/ Beta
Revenue: $0 to $2mm
FTE’s: 1 to 20
Processes: None
Systems: None
VALIDATION
Product: Shipping
Revenue: $0 to $25mm
FTE’s: 20 to 120
Processes: Scrummy
Systems: Spreadsheets,
Dropbox,, Quickbooks
TRACTION
Product: Version 3+
Revenue: $100 to $BB
FTE’s: 1000+
Processes: Known and
working for highly-optimized
efficiency
Systems: ADP, Workday,
Oracle….and Spreadsheets.
SUSTAINABILITY
INCEPTION/ SEED VENTURE GROWTH LATE
Product: Version 2+
Revenue: $10 to $80mm
FTE’s: 100 to 400+
Processes: Adopting Rapidly
Systems: Spreadsheets,
BambooHR, Netsuite
SCALE
Mercato Partners - Slide Library | 3
WHAT IS IT? WHO CARES? HOW FAST CAN IT GO? HOW BIG AND FAR?

4.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
Enthusisam
Ability to Execute

5.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
Leadership Strategies

6.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
• New team.
• Unclear roles, rules, norms
and boundaries.
• Orientation through testing.
• Strong seeking for, and
dependence on on leader.
• First focus on the vision.
(Hint: It’s about emotion)
• Be grandiose on long-term
outcomes and realistic on
short term objectives.
• Force communication
settings.
Explain
Leadership Strategies

7.
• Critical Conversations are
happening around table.
• Stakeholders begin having
educated frustrations.
• Dissonance turns to tension.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
• New team.
• Unclear roles, rules, norms
and boundaries.
• Orientation through testing.
• Strong seeking for, and
dependence on on leader.
• First focus on the vision.
(Hint: It’s about emotion)
• Be grandiose on long-term
outcomes and realistic on
short term objectives.
• Force communication
settings.
Explain
• Listening may be more
important than
demonstrating (because of
complexity).
• Find common ground.
• Facilitate conversation.
• Manage conflict.
Demonstrate
Leadership Strategies

8.
• Critical Conversations are
happening around table.
• Stakeholders begin having
educated frustrations.
• Dissonance turns to tension.
• A few “Wins” have begun to
manifest.
• Stakeholders actually see
and value differences.
• Conflict slows, but some still
hold out.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
• New team.
• Unclear roles, rules, norms
and boundaries.
• Orientation through testing.
• Strong seeking for, and
dependence on on leader.
• First focus on the vision.
(Hint: It’s about emotion)
• Be grandiose on long-term
outcomes and realistic on
short term objectives.
• Force communication
settings.
Explain
• Listening may be more
important than
demonstrating (because of
complexity).
• Find common ground.
• Facilitate conversation.
• Manage conflict.
• Offload power.
• Pick the right leaders.
• Be selective with battles.
• Learn to trust the team.
• Be willing to let them fail.
Guide
Leadership Strategies
Demonstrate

9.
• Critical Conversations are
happening around table.
• Stakeholders begin having
educated frustrations.
• Dissonance turns to tension.
• A few “Wins” have begun to
manifest.
• Stakeholders actually see
and value differences.
• Conflict slows, but some still
hold out.
Forming Storming Norming Performing
Time
• New team.
• Unclear roles, rules, norms
and boundaries.
• Orientation through testing.
• Strong seeking for, and
dependence on on leader.
• First focus on the vision.
(Hint: It’s about emotion)
• Be grandiose on long-term
outcomes and realistic on
short term objectives.
• Force communication
settings.
Explain
• Listening may be more
important than
demonstrating (because of
complexity).
• Find common ground.
• Facilitate conversation.
• Manage conflict.
• Offload power.
• Pick the right leaders.
• Be selective with battles.
• Learn to trust the team.
• Be willing to let them fail.
• The legacy of success
begins.
• Performance and
optimization.
• Leadership is shared.
• Respect & trust underlies.
• Feedback flows respectfully.
• Set the team free.
• Be self-effacing as a leader.
• Optimize.
• Watch and Empower.
• Continue to share the long-
term vision.
Empower
Leadership Strategies
GuideDemonstrate

10.
Growth Defined
Mercato Partners | 10
Top-Line Growth
Creation
Vision
Unknown, Data Unavailable
Create “MVP”, Validation
OJT & Hired Skills
Agile – “QA Kills”
Seed Venture Growth Late Stage
Innovation Efficiency
P&L Focus
Brand & Value
Prod Management
KPI’s
Objective
Training
Development Environment
Margins Expansion
Building
Conjoint Analysis
Data and Analytics Rich
Traction, Preserve Position
Sophisticated Systems
Waterfall – “QA Saves”
Broad
Upside Oriented
Hiring
Internal
Capability
Risk Tolerance
Culture Build
Locus of Control
Focused
Certainty Oriented
Training
External
ENVIRONMENT
TALENT NEEDS

11.
RECRUITING MATURITY
VISION
STORIES
BRAND
CANDIDATE
EXPERIENCE
TELL
WRITE
PUBLISH
SYNTHESIZE & STRUCTURE
Conversations
Email - Job & Company Description
Artifacts; Swag, Offices, Website, Glassdoor, etc
Who, How, & Consistency

12.
THANK YOU

13.
Talent acquisition must be directly
connected to, and supportive of, the
business vision & strategy.
1 VISION
The process of understanding the
capabilities and resources needed to
execute on the talent acquisition
strategy that supports the vision.
2 TALENT MAPPING
The strategies to identify and initiate
contact with qualified candidates (ie.
recruiting strategy), and continued
qualification through interviews &
diligence.
4 SOURCING & ASSESSING
The candidate experience is the well
spring of the company’s internal brand
and culture which drive the firm’s
external brand creation and execution.
3 CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
Understanding and aligning interests is
the key to understanding intrinsic
motivation and building total rewards.
How company chooses final candidates.
5 ALIGNING & SELECTING
Getting the right offer…right and
setting everyone up for sustainable
success.
6 OFFER & ONBOARDING
TALENT ACQUISITION
IMPERATIVES
VISION
VISION
SOURCING
& ASSESSING

14.
Brief Background – Dennis Wood
• Text
Mercato Partners | 14
• Executive Search – 4 Years
• Venture Capital – 8 Years
• Human Resources – 13 Years
• Sales Experience – 15 Years
• Fusion-io, Chargeback.com
• Walden University – BS; Business, Minor; HR and IT Systems
• Brigham Young – MBA
• Placed >300 Director, VP, & C-Level Executives
• Interviewed >2,000 Executives
• Former Venture-Backed CEO, Board of Directors

15.
Assessment
Mercato Partners - Slide Library | 15
• Vision
• Goals Actualization
• Golden Spur
• Need to Achieve (nAch)
• Life Situation
• Experience & Context
• Stage
• Industry
• Audience
• Technology
Motivation Knowledge & Skills
“In a time of drastic
change it is the
learners who inherit the
future. The learned
usually find themselves
in a world that no longer
exists.”
Learning Agility Success+“Anatomy of Great Executive” “Top Grading” Adapt Improvise Overcome • Orientation to Action and
Outcomes
• Culture & Accountability
• Customer Alignment
• Topline
• Margins
• Product Focus
= =
KEY COGNITIVE BIASES
• Confirmation
• Availability of Information
• Affect Heuristic
• Anchoring
• Salience
• Bias Blind Spots
• Bandwagon
• Outcome
• Clustering
• Clustering
• Over Confidence
• Projection
ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

16.
Rational Questions – Ask “Why”?
Mercato Partners - Slide Library | 16

17.
IMPACT / CAUSE
Creative
Expression
Problems to
Solve
CAREER ACCRETIONTEAM
Power to
Solve
Manage
People
Team Drive/
Pace
Vision/
Energy
Knowledge
Exchange
Build a
Network
COMPENSATION
Problems to
Solve
Manage
People
Access to
Leadership
Culture
Power to
Solve
Knowledge – to Go Deep
or Broad
Build a
Network
Brand
Association
Training
Opportunity Participate in
a Specific
Growth
Stage/ SizeManage
People
Access to
Leaders
Problems to
Solve
Location &
Facilities
Recognition
Games &
Toys
Food
Manage
People Internal
Credibility
Problems to
Solve Travel/ Not
Travel
Location &
Facilities
Hours
Food
School
Reimburse
Flexibility
Commission
Insurance
BonusBase Salary
School
Reimburse
Retirement
Savings
Stock Options Food
Other
Reimburse
Power to
Solve
School
Reimburse
Power to
Solve
Brand
Association
INTRINSIC (MASTERY, PURPOSE)
INTRINSIC – MASTERY, PURPOSEINTRINSIC - RELATEDNESS
EXTRINSIC (HYGENIC)
LIFESTYLE
MOSTLY EXTRINSIC
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
MOSTLY EXTRINSIC
Part of a
Cause
TOTAL REWARDS FRAMEWORK

18.
“THE COMPETITION’S VALUE”
IMPACT / CAUSE
CAREER ACCRETIONTEAM
COMPENSATION
LIFESTYLEEMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

19.
“HOW WE DIFFERENTIATE”
IMPACT / CAUSE
CAREER ACCRETIONTEAM
COMPENSATION
LIFESTYLEEMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

20.
Structure
• Minimal # of interviews?
• Minimal interview scenario?
• Same for independent contractors?
• Who prepares offer letters?
• Who sends?
• How is the onboarding process triggered?
• Who does what in the onboarding?
• Search Approver? How?
• Hire Approver? How?
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21.
Recruiting Stats and Datapoints
•Typical Recruiting Cost = $15k - $20k
• (Not Including Opportunity Costs)
•Cost of Bad Hires are Exorbitant $25k to $50 or
MUCH More
• (Not Including: Lost Productivity, New Training Costs, Negative
Impact on Morale and Client Relationships)
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