Episode 11 - Dr Cyndy Donato’s Tips for Team Building: Connecting & Creating Belonging with Your Team
About this Episode
In this week’s episode, Spirit Consulting connects with Dr. Cyndy Donato, an expert HR leader with over 30 years of developing people strategies. Cyndy champions meaningful relationship building as the gateway to reducing turnover and creating a resilient sense of belonging.
Cyndy began her career in HR across agricultural, chemical, and IT industries, to name a few, before shifting into healthcare. Seeking to connect her expertise to her empathetic ambitions, Cyndy found healthcare to be the ideal field for her. Most recently, Cyndy has served as the Chief People Officer for Novus International and a vice president of HR for BJC Healthcare.
From her experience, Cyndy is passionate about fostering connections with team members as a universal catalyst for organizational performance. Each relationship must be founded on trust and earned as a leader by listening to the specific needs of individuals. This forms the basis for respect, an integral component of success as a leader. Further, it fosters a sense of belonging that reduces turnover, improves performance, and enables tough conversations going forward.
Cyndy additionally emphasizes authentic connection as a means of boosting individual performance. By learning her team members’ “superpowers”, Cyndy is able to apply individual strengths better and set up her team for success. In turn, individuals feel more productive, valued, and better applied. Beyond fulfillment, these ripple effects create a sense of belonging and enable individuals to be their authentic selves. This comfort allows team members to then better focus on producing quality results in a safe and productive environment.
Cyndy’s passion for connection as a road toward success is not arbitrary but the result of decades of experience. Now reflecting, she shares the practical lessons she has learned on the Tips for Team Building Podcast.
More About Our Guest:
Dr. Cyndy Donato is a Senior Human Resources leader skilled at creating a collaborative and innovative culture built on trust. She brings global experience leading, building, and redesigning business structures and human resources functions across Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
