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Tag: Employee Morale

  • 8 Ways to Build a Business That Can Run Without You | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Entrepreneurship is a hard road. There’s no rule book, and as a business owner, it can feel like you’re always on call.

    Each summer, before my children start school again, I put that life on pause. We load up our RV and head out for a multi-week trip. I don’t invite distraction during this time: in fact, my team knows that I’m off limits. This time is for me, my family and our relationships.

    Building a culture that can persist when I’m not in the office is crucial — not only to the success of my business but for my personal life. Creating culture takes intention, but the payoff is worth it. I won’t spend my waning days on vacation worrying about what I’m stepping back into.

    I know. That’s because I work to decentralize myself from my business.

    Not just short-term gains

    Decentralizing yourself from your business isn’t just about the short-term gain of getting to go away on vacation or finding time to incorporate personal passions into your life outside of your business.

    It’s about building a significant company.

    Significant companies are ready to transition at any point. To have value in the eyes of a buyer, my business can’t just be about me.

    That’s not to say that my mark isn’t on the business. Far from it. I put the work in on the front end with my executive team to craft eight “trust accelerators” that allow for clarity, alignment and informed decision-making.

    Related: Lack of Trust—What Does It Do to Your Company? Here’s What Leaders Need to Know

    Beyond core values

    Almost every company has core values. We have them, too. But, right about the time that the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we all noticed that they weren’t working. While core values are general north stars for any organization, sometimes they can feel like they’re a galaxy away from the day-to-day issues that every person in a business must take accountability for.

    What makes us unique is our trust accelerators, which are married to our core values. More than just guiding principles that we put on a wall, trust accelerators are active rules that we follow interaction to interaction.

    In fact, we don’t put these on a wall somewhere in our waiting room: each trust accelerator is printed on a card that each member of our team carries with them.

    Your culture is yours alone. These are the trust accelerators that we live by:

    1. No meetings after the meeting

    How we live it: If everyone is in a room to make a decision or discuss an initiative, they’re there by design. It’s inauthentic to invite input and then have two executives go into a room to debrief and make the real decision.

    If a member of our team has something to contribute, we want them to do it in the room where the actual decisions are being made.

    How it builds value: If people work at a place where they have obvious input into real decisions, they take more accountability for their contributions.

    2. Put yourself in other people’s position

    How we live it: We’re not just interested in the “how” of people’s actions; we’re interested in the “why.” After all, they may have good reasons that unlock clues about how we should operate. By seeking understanding, we build connection.

    How it builds value: Empathy is a critical skill — not just for connecting with colleagues but for connecting with customers.

    Related: 5 Foolproof Strategies to Help You Let Go and Trust Your Team

    3. Listen while avoiding judgment

    How we live it: My business, Exit Planning Institute, focuses on educating, credentialing and empowering Certified Exit Planning Advisors as they guide business owners through value creation and successful exits. While advisors have witnessed the factors that contribute to an owner’s success, every owner’s journey is unique — and there are many ways to build a significant company. Only through listening can we understand each other’s motivations and values, and embrace perspectives that might be counter to our own.

    How it builds value: If a conversation is necessary, it deserves to be full-throated. That’s only possible with a listener who is willing to be curious, not judgmental.

    4. 100% preparedness and participation

    How we live it: Collaboration is crucial to an empowered workforce that can function without its leader. Our culture runs on every person showing up prepared and participating.

    How it builds value: Every member of our team knows that they were selected for a reason. They can’t reach their full potential unless they are ready to contribute — and actually do.

    5. Deliver the mail to the right address

    How we live it: If we have an issue — or reason to praise someone — we don’t go to a trusted colleague or a supervisor. We go right to the correct address: the person we want to discuss with. It allows for more authentic communication — see “Listen While Avoiding Judgement” — and limits gossip, an incredible culture-killer.

    How it builds value: Every member of our team knows they’re accountable to every other member—and our doors are open to have a conversation with each other.

    6. Honesty without repercussion

    How we live it: We’re not at work to be well-liked or adulated (although that happens sometimes, too!). We’re at work to advance our business. By cultivating an atmosphere of respectful honesty, we get to offer our insights and listen to how others might do things differently.

    How it builds value: When every person on the team feels like they can contribute, we see how they might grow into their careers at the company — in the short- and long-term.

    7. Respectful

    How we live it: We’re bound not to see eye to eye. However, these trust accelerators do a lot of work to help us understand that we’re all working towards the same goals. When we put respect first in every interaction we have with each other, it reinforces that our differences aren’t personal — and can sometimes be assets to our business goals.

    How it builds value: We can’t tackle the hard stuff until we see each other as humans. If everyone knows that their perspective is respected, we tap into each other’s skills.

    8. Confidentiality

    How we live it: We have to move past surface-level conversations if we’re going to be a significant company. We’re not shooting for good. We’re going for best-in-class. That requires trust—and in this case, trust that if something is shared confidentially, it stays confidential.

    How it builds value: When we have deep trust, we believe that our colleagues—the ones we depend on to bring our goals to life—will do everything they can do to help us all achieve something great.

    Related: 7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships

    Empowering your leaders

    It isn’t easy to be an owner and not be in total control. However, there’s a multiplier effect that comes with empowering your employees and building trust across the organization. To build a culture where every person feels a sense of ownership, there must be two-way trust: employees feel trusted, and leaders actually trust the people they work with. Additionally, as I empower our leaders to build a culture where they are trusted to make informed, quick decisions, I’m also sure to:

    1. Train the executive team on my long-term vision.
    2. Be transparent about our profits/losses, our operations and even my salary. It takes a great deal of time to educate the leadership team, but it enables them to know the short-term impact of every decision.
    3. Over-communicate. I’m shocked by how many owners don’t communicate with their leadership team. They can’t make decisions that I’d ultimately agree with if they don’t know what I’m thinking.

    Related: How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team—5 Strategies for Leaders

    Building a culture of trust is something I think about every day, and not just because I know that culture will ultimately pay off with a more successful exit.

    Culture also comes easily to me — it’s what I like to spend time on.

    If you don’t, you can still build culture. Finding a Certified Exit Planning Advisor who specializes in company culture can help you start building human capital at your company.

    Scott Snider

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  • Here’s the Real Reason Your Employees Are Checked Out — And the Missing Link That Could Fix It | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Only 21% of employees are engaged at work, according to a global Gallup study. That means most people are physically present but emotionally checked out, simply going through the motions.

    It’s easy to blame burnout or post-pandemic fatigue. But a big part of the problem lies in how organizations communicate — how they welcome new hires, train employees, run meetings and celebrate success (or fail to).

    Think about it:

    • We create lengthy culture decks without explaining why those values matter.
    • We overwhelm new hires with info dumps labeled as “training.”
    • We run meetings on autopilot.
    • We throw around buzzwords like “empowerment” and “alignment” without making people feel truly seen or connected.

    And then we wonder why engagement is so low.

    The truth? Engagement starts with connection — and connection starts with better communication.

    That’s where storytelling comes in.

    Storytelling isn’t just for marketing or TED Talks. It’s one of the most powerful ways to build trust, share values and spark genuine human connection. If you’re not weaving a story throughout the employee journey, you’re missing one of your strongest levers for engagement.

    Related: Quiet Quitting Is Dividing the Workforce. Here’s How to Bring Everyone Back Together.

    Where storytelling makes a difference

    1. Recruiting: Share the story, not just the specs
    Recruiting shouldn’t feel like filling out a resume checklist. Instead of leading with pay and perks, lead with why your company exists. What problem are you solving? What inspired you to start? When candidates hear authentic stories — especially from founders or early team members — they don’t just see a job. They see a mission they want to join.

    2. Onboarding: Make it stick through a story
    Most onboarding feels like drinking from a firehose — policies, procedures, manuals — that quickly get forgotten. But stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone, according to research. Wrap your onboarding content in stories: how your product changed a customer’s life, challenges that shaped your culture, lessons learned along the way. Think of onboarding as the opening chapter in an employee’s personal work story — make it compelling so they want to keep reading.

    3. Engagement: Keep the story going
    New hires start excited, but that enthusiasm often fades when storytelling stops after onboarding. Engagement isn’t a one-time event; it’s a rhythm. Make storytelling part of your team culture. In meetings, invite people to share wins, challenges, or moments they felt connected to their work. Sharing stories builds empathy, energy, and belonging — even over Zoom.

    4. Recognition: Celebrate with heart
    “Great job” is nice, but “Great job, and here’s why it mattered” is powerful. Recognition tied to stories shows the whole team what behaviors and values are truly important to the company. It shows what “great” looks like, making appreciation tangible and meaningful. For example: “James stayed late to fix a customer issue, followed up the next day and turned frustration into loyalty. That’s living our value of going the extra mile.”

    Related: Are You Recognizing Your Employees? If Not, They’re Twice as Likely to Quit

    Engagement is built one story at a time

    Humans are wired for story. It’s how we understand the world, remember lessons and connect with each other.

    If only 21% of employees are engaged, maybe it’s time to stop relying solely on policies, programs and PowerPoints — and start speaking to the human side of people.

    Storytelling isn’t fluff or extra. It’s a strategic communication tool that transforms how employees relate to their work, their teammates and your mission.

    So whether you’re hiring, training, managing or recognizing — start with a story.

    Your people will thank you for it.

    Only 21% of employees are engaged at work, according to a global Gallup study. That means most people are physically present but emotionally checked out, simply going through the motions.

    It’s easy to blame burnout or post-pandemic fatigue. But a big part of the problem lies in how organizations communicate — how they welcome new hires, train employees, run meetings and celebrate success (or fail to).

    Think about it:

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    LaQuita Cleare

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  • How to Build a Workplace Culture Centered on Love, Abundance and Purpose | Entrepreneur

    How to Build a Workplace Culture Centered on Love, Abundance and Purpose | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In recent months, the job market has sent mixed signals, particularly for college graduates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report, the pace of hiring is down to levels not seen since 2009 in business and professional services. Unemployment rates for recent grads have risen, challenging young professionals to find positions that offer more than just a paycheck. As companies grapple with inflation and economic uncertainty, many leaders are shifting focus to build workplace cultures that foster loyalty and fulfillment beyond financial compensation.

    This shift is especially relevant for companies employing Generation Z, a generation deeply affected by mental health struggles linked to financial stress. How can companies create an environment that thrives beyond monetary incentives?

    Use the framework below to build a workplace culture centered on love, abundance and purpose.

    Related: Why You Must Stay Focused on Your Culture in Times of Economic Uncertainty

    1. Shift from scarcity to abundance mindset

    Most organizations operate under a scarcity mindset, constantly focused on bottom lines and immediate targets. This fear-driven approach can stifle creativity and limit an employee’s sense of belonging. To transition to a culture of abundance, leaders must first acknowledge that fostering genuine care and connection with their team is essential. One practical step is to take a “Clarity Break” — a dedicated time for leaders to reflect on their business and the culture they want to create, away from the daily grind.

    At EOS Worldwide, I emphasize treating employees as individuals with unique talents and contributions, aligning them with the company’s larger vision. This shift to abundance helps boost morale and encourages innovation, allowing employees to thrive beyond the confines of monetary incentives.

    2. Align your team with a shared vision

    A key to fostering commitment in the workplace is ensuring that employees are aligned with the company’s mission and long-term goals. People are far more motivated and engaged when they understand how their daily work contributes to a greater purpose. My business, for example, uses tools like Rocks, the 1-Year Plan, 3-Year Picture and 10-Year Target to ensure all employees have a clear sense of the company’s future and their role in achieving it.

    When employees see how their individual roles directly contribute to the company’s larger vision, they feel a deeper sense of purpose and ownership. Leadership also regularly communicates how their work ties into long-term goals and provides specific examples of how their efforts are moving the needle. This strategy helps increase motivation and fosters a stronger sense of belonging as employees understand they are integral to the organization’s success.

    3. Foster open, honest communication

    A workplace culture based on love requires open and transparent communication. Leading with heart isn’t always easy — it involves navigating tough conversations and addressing uncomfortable issues head-on. By fostering an environment of open dialogue, leaders can build trust and ensure that employees feel seen, heard and valued. It’s about thinking through the lens of the greater good and having genuine care and concern for all involved and impacted.

    Take Microsoft as an example. Under CEO Satya Nadella, the company underwent a significant cultural shift, prioritizing empathy and collaboration. This change in leadership style has made Microsoft a leader in innovation and employee satisfaction, demonstrating that when workers feel they are part of an open, supportive environment, they bring their best ideas to the table.

    Related: Open Conversations Are Often Stifled at Work — Here’s How to Break That Silence and Reach Your True Potential

    4. Encourage work-life balance and time for passions

    Abundance isn’t just about what happens within the workplace; it’s also about enabling employees to live fulfilling lives outside of it. A well-rounded culture must provide fair compensation and allow employees to pursue personal passions. At EOS Worldwide, employees are encouraged to read EOS Life, which offers advice on how to do what they love with people they love while making time for personal growth. Whether traveling, pursuing hobbies or contributing to nonprofits, this philosophy nurtures a more fulfilled and balanced workforce.

    This concept is also embraced by companies like Google, which allows its employees to spend 20% of their time on personal projects. Many of Google’s most successful products, including Gmail, originated from this policy. By encouraging employees to invest in their passions, companies can cultivate a more creative and engaged workforce where people feel valued for more than just their work output.

    5. Celebrate your people, not just their work

    Finally, building a culture of love and abundance means recognizing employees as people first. Celebrating individual milestones, personal achievements, anniversaries, upcoming weddings, births of new babies and non-work contributions can enhance the sense of community within a company. Work-life harmony isn’t about perfect equilibrium every day — it’s about harmonizing the demands of work and life in a way that allows employees to flourish in both. At EOS Worldwide, my team celebrates components of daily life in channels such as “pets-of-EOS,” “children of EOS,” “happy-place,” and “podcast-lovers” with pictures, videos and shares.

    Take a page from Southwest Airlines, which is known for its people-first culture. They don’t just recognize professional accomplishments — they celebrate personal milestones, too. By acknowledging the whole person, not just their work, Southwest creates an environment where employees feel truly valued, which in turn drives loyalty and satisfaction.

    Entrepreneurs can apply this by building recognition into their own companies, from small celebrations of personal wins to regular check-ins on employee well-being. This focus on individuals can lead to higher retention and improved team morale, boosting overall company performance.

    Related: Unlike Raises, You Can Afford to Give Your Team All the Recognition and Praise They Have Earned

    By embracing a culture of love and abundance, leaders can create workplaces that transcend the limitations of financial incentives. This approach aligns employees with the company’s mission and fosters an environment where they feel deeply connected and fulfilled. Through heart-led leadership, transparent communication and a focus on personal passions, companies can ensure that their teams thrive at work and in life.

    Kelly Knight

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  • We’re In a ‘Performance Erosion’ Crisis. Here’s How To Break Your Business Free. | Entrepreneur

    We’re In a ‘Performance Erosion’ Crisis. Here’s How To Break Your Business Free. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I want to talk to you about something important: the price of pho. A few years ago at the Vietnamese noodle joint around the corner from my office, a large bowl cost $12. Now it’s $17.

    How did my bill for the exact same meal jump almost 50%? It’s no mystery. Businesses of all kinds are wrestling with unprecedented inflation. But that’s not their only challenge.

    Even as the cost of doing business keeps climbing, geopolitical tensions are hampering trade and rattling stock markets. Meanwhile, employee engagement is in the dumps, and finding the right talent remains elusive. Then there’s AI, which is disrupting work in ways we’re just starting to grasp.

    The result is a business survivability emergency. It’s no exaggeration to say that companies today are facing an existential threat on multiple fronts. No wonder almost half of CEOs believe that if their business stays on its current path, it won’t be viable in 10 years.

    Here’s why companies find themselves in such a tough spot and how they can turn things around by better understanding the one resource that’s right in front of them — their people.

    Related: AI Will Radically Transform the Workplace — Here’s How HR Teams Can Prepare for It

    Unpacking the “performance erosion crisis”

    Despite all of our technology, people — the basic driver of any business’s success — remain a black box at most companies. Today, we can get real-time insights on customers and prospects through modern sales and CRM tools. But when it comes to the people working alongside us, we’re often flying blind.

    We’ve had people analytics for generations, of course, but they’ve been confined to spreadsheets and limited to HR wonks. And even when information about people is available, it’s typically siloed and inaccessible to the managers who need it most. At the same time, performance isn’t systematically tracked.

    The result is a performance erosion crisis. Productivity, in no uncertain terms, has flatlined. In fact, it’s now at a 75-year low and is the number one challenge, according to executives.

    Meanwhile, half of employees are disengaged, making them more likely to be unproductive or simply walk out the door, and three out of four businesses are having trouble hiring skilled talent. As a result, 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could remain unfilled in the U.S. by 2033.

    And don’t forget the elephant in the room: AI. Employers reckon that almost half of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years. For companies, uncertainty about who to hire leads to inefficiency and churn. If people are expensive, that makes things even worse.

    Just ask blue-chip stalwart Intel, which is laying off 15,000 people — 15% of its workforce. With revenue declining, the tech giant admits that it’s failed to benefit from AI.

    In short, growth expectations are as ambitious as ever. But as productivity has stalled relative to operating costs, businesses everywhere are headed in exactly the opposite direction.

    How companies can come out on top

    To pull through in these uncertain times, businesses must capitalize on their most valuable resource: now, more than ever, they need real-time insights that connect the dots between their people and business results.

    What I’m talking about is categorically different from the people analytics of yesteryear — dense tables reserved for HR analysts. What’s needed are on-demand insights accessible across the company, in real-time. For people data to be useful, it must be intuitive enough for managers to use to drive daily decisions, big and small.

    The good news is that while AI is a catalyst for disruption, it’s also giving businesses a workforce edge when it comes to tackling the performance erosion crisis.

    Think of the questions that every company has about how people impact business outcomes. Who are our top performers? Who’s most at risk of quitting? Where is productivity dipping?

    Related: AI Is Changing the Way We Look at Job Skills — Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare.

    New platforms let managers ask those questions in plain language — and instantly deliver a clear, actionable response. The best of these draw on a vast database of millions of anonymized employee records across industries to deliver tailored results and accurate benchmarks.

    Pay is yet another area where real-time people data can be a game changer. Even though most companies have a detailed compensation policy, the managers who make pay decisions often shoot from the hip, letting bias cloud their judgment. AI-powered smart compensation tools help managers make more informed choices, factoring in not only industry standards but individual employee performance while flagging pay gaps linked to racial, gender and other biases.

    Indeed, new platforms can serve as a one-stop shop for many of the repetitive questions that employees typically lob at HR, whether it’s about salaries, vacation days or benefits. Turning all of that information into a self-serve function liberates HR teams from manual toil, freeing them up to focus on what really matters: ensuring the business has the right people to propel it forward.

    Of course, technology alone is not a panacea. Companies that want to capitalize on real-time people data must also be willing to make a culture shift. This starts with a willingness to share insights on people and performance once hoarded by HR. People represent most companies’ biggest budget line-item and single most important driver of business success. A commitment to understanding how they work best and to sharing that information in ways that are consistent, understandable and safe is a prerequisite to getting the most out of AI-powered tools.

    Confronting the workforce challenge at the root of the performance erosion crisis isn’t rocket science. To get the most out of people in an unpredictable world, you need to understand them and how they impact business outcomes. In my experience, the best way to do that is by tapping the real-time insights that AI can deliver. Like my bowl of pho, running a business won’t get any cheaper, so it’s time to gain an edge by working smarter.

    Ryan Wong

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  • 4 DEI Lessons from the Paris Olympics That Can Help Entrepreneurs Succeed | Entrepreneur

    4 DEI Lessons from the Paris Olympics That Can Help Entrepreneurs Succeed | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    For the very first time, the world witnessed the first all-black podium in women’s gymnastics Olympic history. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade joined Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles from Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they were captured in an iconic photo showing the power of women of color in sports. This Olympics hit a groundbreaking milestone, with 50% of competing athletes being women and more than half of all medal events open to female athletes.

    This year, many moments of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were demonstrated. So, what DEI lessons can we learn from the 2024 Olympics that entrepreneurs can apply to their businesses today? The short answer is quite a few.

    1. Take care of your mental health

    In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the world was stunned when Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time, dropped out because of the “twisties,” a dangerous break in the brain-body connection causing the gymnast to lose sense of where they are in the air. She took a step back and let her teammate, Suni Lee, perform and subsequently take home the all-around gold in women’s gymnastics — an achievement Biles was perfectly poised and expected to win. Biles taught us that no matter what the stakes are, your mental health should come first. How can you perform at the highest levels of business and entrepreneurship if your mental health isn’t in a good place? The answer is that you can, but it’s not even what the G.O.A.T. would do. If no one’s told you today, here’s your friendly reminder that self-care is not selfish; it’s productive.

    Related: Radical Self-Care Isn’t Nice — It’s Necessary. Redefine Boundaries Between Your Life and Career to Perform Your Best.

    2. Don’t be afraid to be the first

    While some entrepreneurs dream of being the “first” to invent or discover something, others feel intimidated when finding their niche or area of genius in their industry. When faced with the daunting opportunity to be the first person to start or lead in a certain area, the fear of failure or high visibility might make some entrepreneurs squirm. Despite the nerves and fear that come with innovation, it’s okay to be “the first” in something and confidently walk into that arena with a bright idea. That’s what fencer Lauren Scruggs did at the Paris Olympics this year. She became the first Black American woman to win a gold medal in fencing, and I’m sure she was nervous. But she came ready to win and kept her eye on the prize. Entrepreneurs who are nervous about stepping into the space of being the “first” should take a deep breath and know why they’re there, then bravely step into their arena with confidence and focus.

    Related: The Burden of Breaking Barriers is Pushing Black Leaders to Breaking Point. This DEI Expert Reveals Where We Are Going Wrong

    3. Lift others up with you

    As entrepreneurs, we wear numerous hats and fight for our business success. However much success we gained, we didn’t do it alone. We must always remember to give people their flowers and lift them up as we grow. For example, while running the preliminary heat 100-meter race, South Sudanese runner Lucia Moris collapsed to the ground in the heat of the day and was unable to get up and finish the race. As soon as fellow competitor Silina Pha Aphay from Laos finished her race and realized Moris was on the ground in pain, she stopped and ran back to make sure Moris was okay and offered comfort and support while waiting for the medical teams to arrive. The business world can often feel cutthroat and like every person is out for themselves, but the heroic and noble athletes at the Olympics remind us that as we grow, we must lift others up with us. We’re not winning if others suffer as a consequence.

    4. Create value and set yourself apart

    Like most athletes that go to the Olympics, the goal is to win, and they know winning requires them to stand out. Most athletes don’t get an opportunity to stand out when the other competitors are neck and neck with them. But Simone Biles certainly has. After having several gymnastic moves named after her, she reminds us all to be aware of what we contribute to our areas and how we can set ourselves apart by doing what others aren’t doing. Creativity and innovation are the name of the game, and exceptional athletes like Biles show how our creativity can inspire others in business and entrepreneurship to imagine more.

    Final thoughts

    When it comes to business, we all want to be number one and become entrepreneur of the year. But the best of the best in the world of sports can teach us a thing or two about how to get there. Lifting others up when they’re down doesn’t give your competitor the upper hand; it gives your competitor a compassionate hand. Creating value and being the first to do something sets a standard for others in your sphere to strive for more and reach higher, too. Finally, taking care of your mental health isn’t selfish; it’s one of the most productive things you can do for yourself and others. While the Paris Olympics have come and gone, the lessons live on. Let these lessons seep into your mind and business, and see where you go. Who knows, you might just get the gold.

    Nika White

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  • Take This Radical Approach to Customer Retention to Boost Employee Morale — And Your Profit | Entrepreneur

    Take This Radical Approach to Customer Retention to Boost Employee Morale — And Your Profit | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There are few guarantees in business, but this one is certain: If you don’t keep customers, you won’t have a business for long. Yet, at a time when most companies are desperately trying to maintain customer loyalty (retention is more profitable than acquisition, after all), there’s often a missing link in their efforts: Understanding the powerful connection between customer satisfaction and employee engagement — and how to unlock it.

    As a Chief People Officer currently overseeing my company’s customer organization, I’ve seen first-hand how connected they truly are. At its most basic, losing customers can have a direct impact on employee morale and even lead to regrettable talent turnover. But there’s more nuance to this connection: nearly everything employees do has the potential to deeply impact customers. In turn, customer feedback and outcomes can have a powerful effect on an employee’s sense of purpose, achievement and satisfaction.

    Related: 7 Surefire Ways to Turn Your Low Customer Retention Rates Around

    I’ve witnessed how establishing a customer-centric approach across the entire organization can lead to growth opportunities that benefit both employees and customers. But to get there, businesses need to leverage that connection by making customer success the forefront of every employee’s experience. Here’s how.

    Make customer success everyone’s responsibility

    Most companies take a siloed approach to customer success, relegating it to a single department, while others remain largely insulated from customer interaction. But I’ve come to realize that the more we empower all of our cross-functional teams to contribute to customer success, the more purposeful, impactful and engaging their roles become, and the more they can drive customer loyalty and retention.

    For a more holistic approach, I am a fan of the bowtie model. In contrast to the traditional marketing funnel, which ends when a customer converts, the bowtie provides a more end-to-end representation of the customer journey. It’s a better way to ensure everyone in the company is maximizing engagement with the customer over the long term — whether through strategic ongoing communication and marketing efforts or more integrated processes and practices designed to deepen this relationship.

    One way we do this at my company is by encouraging every department to evaluate every task — and every ask — from the perspective of how it benefits the customer. Whether it’s marketing, sales, product or engineering, this filter is applied to all decision-making. Of course, we also look to metrics like Customer Satisfaction Score, customer retention, and revenue expansion with existing customers to ensure our efforts translate into results.

    Supercharge customer touchpoints

    I recently traveled overseas to meet with a customer, and as I was leaving, their CFO turned to me and said something I’ll never forget: “Don’t get me fired.” It’s a powerful reminder that our view on customer success must be broader than just ensuring product integration or stability. Everything we do has a ripple effect on their company’s success, which can impact their personal reputation, too.

    The concept of radical empathy isn’t new in customer service. Cultivating a deeper understanding of customer needs is crucial for effective product development, marketing and sales, but it can easily get lost once a customer is onboarded. Building more proactive touchpoints with customers —and even baking them into the early stages of product development — can help overcome this oversight.

    For us, that means attending industry events and building out strategic channels and information-sharing communities to better understand their sticking points. We’ve also established customer segments and verticals to identify and interact with the unique needs of different types of customers to deliver a personalized service approach. When we understand how customers are using our product — and particularly their pain points — we can better target everything from our marketing and sales campaigns to all product-focused initiatives

    Everyone in our organization knows customer retention is a team sport. Reaching out to customers to help solve product issues or when launching something new is not only possible but preferable. That’s precisely why we launched a customer retention program that treats flight risks as a pipeline and leverages tightly coordinated collaboration across departments to deliver impact to those customers.

    Most importantly, these frequent and proactive touchpoints also allow us to learn what is working for our customers, which we’ve seen be a powerful motivator for our team.

    Related: 3 Ways Founders Can Connect With Their Customers to Drive Sales

    Don’t overlook the link between employee experience and customer experience

    Being on the receiving end of an exceptional customer experience can radically shift the way we perceive a business. It turns out that when an employee has a hand in making that happen, it can be just as impactful for them.

    This shouldn’t come as a surprise: today’s employees are looking for purpose in their work. Who doesn’t want to make a difference in the lives of others? Connecting this desire to customer success initiatives only makes sense — it improves the ability to deliver on customer promises and makes the workplace more satisfying for all.

    And I believe organizations can take this connection a step further: pouring the same energy into employee experience that they do in fulfilling customers. In one of my previous roles, we would actively measure customer retention against employee retention and found a strong correlation between the two. These results were interesting but not shocking: prioritizing employee experience leads to more engaged employees, who, in turn, are motivated to create better customer experiences. Simply put, boosting satisfaction in one camp can effectively raise retention and productivity levels for both.

    Of course, this balance isn’t always easy to get right. But in my experience, incremental improvements are what add up over time. Starting small is better than not at all. At the end of the day, the more your employees know, understand and care about your customers, the better they’ll serve them (and the more they’ll enjoy the results) — regardless of the role they are in. And that’s a true win-win for the bottom line.

    Christine Park

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  • Feed Your Company Spirit with This $200 Restaurant.com eGift Card That’s Only $35 | Entrepreneur

    Feed Your Company Spirit with This $200 Restaurant.com eGift Card That’s Only $35 | Entrepreneur

    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    As an employer, you might forget what it’s like to be on the team instead of leading it. Employee motivation is complex, and sometimes, it’s the little signs that you care that can boost team spirit. In fact, something as simple as providing meals for your employees occasionally could give your team a huge boost. One Edenred report even found that companies that provide food services saw a 25% increase in employee satisfaction.

    Now, that doesn’t mean you have to hire a food truck to come around every day. A low-cost alternative is to invest in a service that gives you more food for less capital. Restaurant.com is home to thousands of deals for eateries across the United States, and you can get a $200 Restaurant.com eGift Card for just $35, but this deal may not last long.

    Save on meals for you or your employees.

    If you want to search for low-cost dining options all over the country, here’s how the process works:

    1. Buy your Restaurant.com eGift Card right here.
    2. Redeem them on Restaurant.com for credits.
    3. Use your zip code to search for qualifying eateries.
    4. Spend your credits on gift certificates for restaurants around the U.S.

    You don’t have to use all your credits at once. That means you could help take the team out for a celebratory dinner or treat yourself a few times while traveling. Suddenly, there’s another reason to have business partners around the country.

    Plus, you can use your eGift Card for dine-in, delivery, or takeout, but check the fine print for every restaurant. Some meals, drinks, or days might not be covered by your gift card. It’s also a good idea to search restaurants in your area (or where you’re likely to travel) before purchasing.

    Raise office morale with meals.

    Maybe the missing ingredient in your employee retention plan was a good meal.

    For a limited time, get a $200 Restaurant.com eGift Card for $35.

    StackSocial prices subject to change.

    Entrepreneur Store

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  • Employees Are Unhappier Than Ever — Here’s How Employers Can Emerge From the ‘Great Gloom.’ | Entrepreneur

    Employees Are Unhappier Than Ever — Here’s How Employers Can Emerge From the ‘Great Gloom.’ | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I recently watched a six-person panel made up of spa and hospitality leaders discuss how they are making a real difference in the overall happiness of their teams. One of the main points of concern was the lack of employee connection. In fact, industry-wide, it was observed that the deeper the connections were between staff, the less issues there were with daily operations like getting shifts covered.

    The issue of employee happiness isn’t isolated to hospitality — in fact, a recent survey released by BambooHR showed travel and hospitality is one of the rare industries that is seeing steady improvement in employee net promoter scores since the pandemic (although looming staff shortages still threaten that stability).

    Overall, employee happiness has steadily declined at the rate of 6% since 2020 and is trending in the wrong direction. This year, employee net promoter scores have decreased 9% since January — 10 times faster than the previous three years.

    From tech to education to healthcare (which had the lowest happiness score amongst all eight industries surveyed) we’re experiencing a crisis of unhappiness in the workforce, which some have cleverly coined as “The Great Gloom.”

    As we head into the holidays, which for many only increases stress, here are three unconventional ways employers can cultivate employee happiness at work.

    Related: 3 Proven Ways to Keep Employees Happy

    Prioritize connection at work

    When it comes to cultivating happiness at work, many professionals have focused on the importance of feeling connected to an organization’s purpose. While this is a valid point of view, we cannot forget the importance of also fostering connection amongst employees.

    In 2024, it’s expected nearly 32.6 million Americans — approximately 22% of the workforce — will work remotely, and even a higher number will hold hybrid positions. While remote and hybrid work offer employees much-needed flexibility, if not implemented with intentional ways of cultivating team connection, working remotely can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

    Even in in-office environments, we’re increasingly relying on digital channels as our primary means of communication. While sending an email or text is efficient, it’s not effective at cultivating real, human relationships. While it may seem counterintuitive to achieving workplace productivity, initiating downtime at work is one of the most effective ways leaders can foster employee connection and happiness at work.

    In fact, research has shown employees who take breaks from actively working have greater mental focus, broader perspective and are more productive. Initiating downtime at work can be as simple as organizing a group lunch where everyone watches an inspiring Ted Talk together or a snack break (virtual or in person) where the primary focus is to socialize and check in.

    Downtime at work doesn’t have to be a big-budget initiative, but it does have to be prioritized so all leaders feel empowered to create opportunities for their teams to connect on a human level.

    Related: 5 Easy Ways to Create Stronger Workplace Connection

    Make flexibility a non-negotiable

    Our company is proudly women-founded, women-led and employs predominantly women. As such, many of my colleagues take on the role of mothers or caregivers for aging parents or loved ones, in addition to their full-time job.

    Expecting my team to show up for our company before they’ve shown up for themselves or the people they care for, sets us all up to fail. So, it’s crucial we have flexibility in our culture to allow for varying schedules and processes that still meet our shared company objectives.

    Every company has a diverse DNA, and offering flexibility to meet shared company goals — whether it be through schedule, location or process — is a key factor for cultivating happiness in the workplace. A study published by the Harvard Business Review showed nearly 96% of U.S. professionals said they wanted flexibility, but less than 50% had it.

    When employees have greater flexibility to balance their personal and professional lives, it creates less stress and also fosters a culture of trust where people are empowered to take ownership of managing their work and achieving targets.

    As a leader, my primary concern is creating an environment where everyone on my team can work hard and feel valued, and there’s no better way to do this than by providing structured flexibility.

    Related: Want Happy Employees? Make Sure Your Leaders Have These 4 Key Characteristics.

    Offer economic transparency

    Over the past few years, economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living have become a huge concern for employees and employers alike. It’s hard to cultivate a sense of happiness amongst employees if there are concerns around job security.

    A 2023 work monitor report by Randstad showed 52% of respondents were worried about the impact economic uncertainty would have on their job security, and 37% were explicitly concerned about losing their job. While no company can fully predict how macroeconomic factors might affect their business, leaders can be as transparent as possible.

    In our company, we review company performance numbers with our entire team on a daily basis. Goals, projections and sales revenue are all reported as part of a mandatory company huddle. We lead with the idea that every team member, regardless of their title, is a leader, and as such, everyone is invited to address concerns and put forward solutions without waiting for someone to ask them.

    By being as transparent as possible about company performance, leaders can create a culture of empowerment over fear. Even when things aren’t going well, it offers employees an opportunity to be part of the solution and impact the outcome. If hard cuts do have to be made down the road, employees are also more likely to have an emotionally positive experience if they understand the full picture than if they are left in the dark about company hardships.

    As leaders, the onus is on us to evaluate our company cultures and implement strategies to strengthen them. Not only do deeper workplace connections create happier employees, but they help build a sense of belonging, increase employee loyalty and support a culture everyone can be proud of.

    Noel Asmar

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  • 5 Ways to Turn Every Employee Into a Sales Master | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways to Turn Every Employee Into a Sales Master | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I admit it. For years, I hated the idea of selling. In fact, I turned down sales jobs. However, when I started my own business, it became a priority. Most small business owners love what they do. They enjoy developing the product or service. They love doing the work and are excited when someone buys what they make. Selling-not so much. Over the years, I have changed my attitude. I don’t sell. I don’t need to. Instead, I have conversations with clients. I ask questions. I listen and offer ideas. In short, I educate and consult.

    But I am not the only one who sells at my company. In fact, selling is everyone’s job. Why? It is simple. When you run a small business, you do not have a machine to grind out leads, vet them, and close the deal. You need every person on your team to generate business for the company. Not to mention selling your company to potential employees and partners. Skeptical? Don’t be. Even the most introverted person can sell with a little bit of help. Here is how to turn every employee into a sales superstar.

    Related: Why AI Won’t Replace (Great) Salespeople

    1. Develop business literacy

    Engaged employees are good for business. In many cases, it’s why they choose to work for a small business, where there is more opportunity to be hands-on. We need to ensure employees understand the business — all parts — not just their individual roles.

    In my organization, this means having an employee shadow someone to learn more about the process. We routinely do a debrief so employees know what we are working on. We show how we quote jobs and the financial picture. In other words, we are constantly educating. We also encourage questions and ideas. When employees understand the business, they are more comfortable talking about it and can sell others on the organization.

    2. Ramp up communication skills

    Think presentation and communication training is just for supervisors or employees on the fast track to promotions? I say no, and it comes from experience. I have developed and presented communication seminars for various individuals, from people on the plant floor to frontline call center workers, sales trainees, and company CEOs. Want to energize your team? Help them develop personally and professionally? Create a bond with your company?

    One way is to invest in them by offering communication workshops. This shows employees you care enough to provide an opportunity to learn new skills and connect with others. Those skills come into play in day-to-day interactions and conversations. Remember I said I don’t sell; have conversations. Your employees’ conversations are just as important, if not more important, to selling your products and services. They are on the front lines and may discover customer needs before anyone else does. If they are good communicators, they can spot the opportunity and then connect customers to the right source.

    Related: Why Every Employee in Your Company Should Have Communication Training

    3. Share your sales toolkit

    If you want employees to help champion your efforts, they need to understand your sales and marketing toolkit. What strategies are you using to grow the business? Show them how you present the company brand to customers. They connect their work with the end result by helping them get familiar with all of your sales tools. Use company meetings or gatherings to feature company videos, display marketing collateral or demonstrate new products. You can also send links for employees to watch presentations or take part in webinars.

    Related: 15 Strategies for Quickly Expanding Your Business

    4. Give employees facetime

    For a long time, business owners or salespeople were the face of the company. That’s because many are under the false impression the person with the title is the best one to communicate or sell. That is not necessarily the case. Today, progressive companies are looking to broaden their efforts and feature employees at every level of the organization in critical communications, from recruitment to customer sales.

    I like to involve employees in meetings with clients. First, they listen and observe. Later, we discuss how the meeting was conducted and the strategy. The next step is to have them participate in a targeted way. Employees who participate or are featured in customer interactions have a more intense connection to the company. They are proud of their work and love to serve up their expertise. For example, have them share a story about how they built a product. Ask them to describe a process or give them a “tour” of your facility.

    Confidence comes from ability, and ability comes from practicing or doing a task. When you give real people facetime, it is a powerful sales tactic.

    5. Offer rewards and recognition

    Do employees value recognition? Yes. In fact, Gallup and Workhuman have research that shows there is a direct correlation between employee recognition and business outcomes. That is why it makes sense to recognize employees who take part in customer meetings, sales efforts or employee recruitment.

    I love to do a “shout-out” during a company huddle and share details about how the employee helped make an impression or close a sale. If you have a company communication, feature them. As for rewards, there are options. You can send employees home early on a Friday or give them an extra day off. Gift cards are popular. Bonuses are even better.

    Cynthia Kay

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  • These 10 States Have the Happiest Workers: Report | Entrepreneur

    These 10 States Have the Happiest Workers: Report | Entrepreneur

    No job is perfect, and even dream jobs come with high-stress days. But does where you live impact your overall happiness at work? According to a new report, some employees in certain states are far happier than others.

    A new report by human resource platform SelectSoftware Reviews found that Alaska has the most content employees. Georgia, meanwhile, grapples with the lowest job satisfaction levels.

    The report was compiled through an analysis of various performance metrics (annual incomes, resignation rates, workplace injuries, commute durations, legislation regarding paid time off (PTO), weekly working hours, and overall state happiness scores) across all 50 states with a max score of 100.

    Related: These Are the Most (And Least) Happy States in the U.S. 2023, According to a New Report

    Alaska earned the distinction of having the happiest employees, with a total score of 69.96. Factors such as short average workweeks (31.3) and average annual salary of $52,000 (fourth highest across the country) contributed to its No. 1 title.

    In second place, Rhode Island boats a total score of 56.64, and stands out due to a modest quit rate of 2.4%. It also has the lowest injury rate among all states, with just five fatal incidents reported in the previous year. Followed by Rhode Island is North Dakota, which clinched the third-place position with a score of 56.40.

    As for the unhappiest employees, workers in Georgia take the lead (or lag?) with a score of 29.62. The level of unhappiness is reflected in the state’s quit rate, which was the highest of all 50 states at 3.6%. The state with the second-lowest score for happiness was Texas at 30.36 and also had the highest rate of fatalities per year at 533.

    Florida had a total score of 30.46 coming in at No. 3 for the least happiest workers. Despite earning an average wage of $38,470, Floridians contend with a lengthy working week of 41.5 hours, resulting in an average hourly rate of only $18, compared to the $32 earned in Alaska.

    Here are the 10 states with the happiest and unhappiest employees, along with their total scores.

    Top 10 States With Happiest Employees

    1. Alaska

    Happiness score: 69.96

    2. Rhode Island

    Happiness score: 56.64

    3. North Dakota

    Happiness score: 56.40

    4. Colorado

    Happiness score: 55.76

    5. Minnesota

    Happiness score: 55.26

    6. Nebraska

    Happiness score: 54.91

    7. Maine

    Happiness score: 53.98

    8. Ohio

    Happiness score: 52.05

    9. Arizona

    Happiness score: 51.69

    10. Indiana

    Happiness score: 48.84

    Top 10 States With Unhappiest Employees

    1. Georgia

    Happiness score: 29.62

    2. Texas

    Happiness score: 30.36

    3. Florida

    Happiness score: 30.46

    4. South Carolina

    Happiness score: 31.65

    5. New York

    Happiness score: 31.51

    6. Alabama

    Happiness score: 32.68

    7. Pennsylvania

    Happiness score: 33.26

    8. Virginia

    Happiness score: 33.89

    9. New Jersey

    Happiness score: 34.09

    10. New Mexico

    Happiness score: 34.25

    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • Why Unaddressed Grief is Hurting Your Company’s Bottom Line | Entrepreneur

    Why Unaddressed Grief is Hurting Your Company’s Bottom Line | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s no mystery that continued major waves of layoffs in the tech industry are causing suffering for those who are being laid off. But a major elephant in the room is overlooked among remaining employees: grief. Ignoring the grief that the remaining workers are experiencing threatens to impact the remaining workers’ well-being and companies’ bottom lines negatively.

    More than 234,000 tech workers have been laid off this year. Major companies like Amazon, Spotify and Meta have cut tens of thousands of workers’ jobs this year, including Google’s recent round of layoffs this September. Obvious to most business analysts is that these large-scale layoffs create instability and inefficiencies within teams. What is less obvious, however, is that many remaining employees are dealing with grief around the loss of coworkers, work rhythms and stability amidst continued layoffs.

    Research demonstrates and experts have long warned that layoffs cause detrimental effects on both individual employee performance and corporate performance. Additionally, major layoffs can cause issues for companies in future employability because future candidates remember how companies handled economic uncertainty through massive layoffs.

    What is notably missing from the conversation around the current tech layoffs, however, is that many major companies are now facing a grief problem amidst their remaining workers. Failing to address this issue may make workers suffer and cost companies a lot of money through the loss of worker productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction.

    Related: What the Future Looks Like for Fresh Graduates in the Tech Industry

    The remaining employees at these companies are currently experiencing two major types of grief. The first is the actual grief of losing colleagues, work friends, team structure and dynamics, and often work schedule and range of responsibilities. Unfortunately, most companies and managers fail to acknowledge the psychological stress and grief their remaining employees might be experiencing after losing valuable team members.

    The second form of grief is anticipatory grief, which refers to grief around the potential of losing someone or something. Most remaining employees remain under constant stress of worrying about losing their jobs, another member of their team, and stability within their role.

    Because most of these layoffs are happening remotely, there is often an added layer of loneliness and isolation experienced by remaining employees. Remaining employees often lose meaningful social connections by being suddenly unable to reach their coworkers, many of whom they only had means of connecting via workplace channels. All this is happening against the backdrop of a loneliness epidemic in the U.S., as declared by the U.S. Surgeon General.

    Related: How to Combat the Growing Epidemic of Loneliness in the Workplace

    Following layoffs, remaining workers suffer. Prior research indicates that after a layoff, 74% of remaining employees report a decline in their productivity, 69% report the quality of their company’s product or service declines, 87% report being less likely to recommend their organization as a good organization to work for and 77% report making more errors and mistakes.

    Moreover, the most commonly reported feelings after a layoff are anger, anxiety and guilt. These are all common symptoms of grief. The post-layoff period is a fragile time within a company, one in which employers should provide adequate support and communication with their remaining workforce.

    Whether employees are experiencing grief, anticipatory grief or both, the best way for companies to support their workforce is to address the grief head-on through open, candid conversations. Grief research shows that avoiding conversations around loss only delays the healing process and worsens things.

    The translation for companies is that their employees will remain bitter, stressed and potentially angry about the situation if they do not feel seen or heard or their feelings remain unacknowledged. This, in turn, can reduce worker productivity and prevent new teams from forming positive and supportive team environments. Team dynamics are one of the biggest and best predictors of workplace efficiency, so ignoring this problem will be costly in the end, both in terms of well-being and productivity.

    Companies hold a lot of power to course correct during this unstable time. Prior research indicates that following layoffs, workers who feel their managers are visible, approachable and open are 70% less likely to report drops in productivity and 65% less likely to report a decline in their organization’s quality of work or service.

    Managers must communicate with team members through one-on-one conversations, allowing their direct reports to process their feelings. This open, candid and empathic communication can create space for a new and positive team dynamic to emerge.

    The best places for companies and managers to start are with key communication tactics that work in supporting those who are grieving and promoting resilience and growth:

    1. Acknowledge how remaining employees might be feeling
    2. Normalize experiencing feelings of guilt, anger, sadness, uncertainty, denial or regret following a major layoff
    3. Be candid about reasons for downsizing and layoffs
    4. Focus on the future and how employees can move forward with the company’s new vision
    5. Connect employees with their new teams in meaningful ways to create social cohesion

    Throughout the entire trajectory of layoffs, from announcing that they are coming to laying off individuals, companies should be mindful to keep their communications candid, consistent and transparent. Resources should be devoted to training managers and team leads in empathic communication. Designated spaces and meetings should be created for discussing the topic of layoffs. Employees should be given ample opportunities to ask questions.

    Avoidance is the enemy of good communication, whereas transparent, empathic, and person-centered communication can go a long way in creating trust, stability, and vision in an organization’s very unstable time of grief. This will, in turn, improve the company’s bottom line as well.

    Megan Shen

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  • 5 Small Gestures To Make Your Employees Feel Appreciated | Entrepreneur

    5 Small Gestures To Make Your Employees Feel Appreciated | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a business owner, you’re probably wondering what you can be doing to retain your best people, particularly in today’s tight labor market.

    Having a happy workforce is a surefire way to avoid employee turnover and produce a team that is highly productive. Positive relationships at work between the employee and employer are well worth the time and effort.

    Here are five ways you can make your employees feel valued and respected.

    1. Say happy birthday with a gift

    More than nine out of 10 workers surveyed in a new study said that receiving birthday gifts makes them feel valued and loved; employers who give birthday gifts to workers have higher company morale and employee retention rates.

    Acknowledging an employee’s birthday with an announcement, email or a card is appreciated, but let’s not deceive ourselves — people like gifts. So much so that, according to the survey, workers prefer that either their company or their boss spend an average of around $60 on a gift for them.

    Related: Tele-Mental Health in the Workplace is Crucial to Employee Morale

    2. Acknowledge milestones

    Remembering an employee’s milestone – such as their work anniversary – is also very important. Payroll company ADP reports that people switching jobs currently receive about a 10% pay bump, which is almost twice the typical salary increase offered to employees who remain at their jobs.

    Of course, you should be paying your employees enough to keep up with inflation. But almost as important is recognizing loyalty. Sticking at a job for two, three or even five years is a big deal nowadays. Make sure everyone knows how much you care about that.

    3. Offer regular rewards

    Good management regularly rewards their people for doing a good job. Rewards platforms like Bonusly, Awardco, Worktango and Motivosity have all proven to be effective, and all of these applications work in a similar manner.

    Employees start a period with a points balance and are required to award these points to their colleagues based on a job well done. This way, not only managers participate; others on a team can show their appreciation to their coworkers. The points can then be exchanged at the end of a period for a myriad of benefits, including cash, paid time off, gift cards, company bling or a charitable contribution.

    Acknowledging your staff’s accomplishments with a small reward can go a long way and help improve morale and retention.

    Related: 5 Easy Things You Can Do to Boost Company Morale

    4. Make a contribution to their favorite charity

    Americans are among the most charitable people in the world, and I’m betting that most of your employees are involved in some sort of charity or non-profit organization.

    Showing your generosity is a great way to tell your employees that you care about the things that they care about. Offer a matching program or volunteer your staff and resources to support charities and nonprofits. Management can also set up a system where they exchange vacation with their employees for a charitable contribution.

    Related: Your Company’s Biggest Threat Is Already Infiltrating Your Team

    5. Spend time with your team

    Making charitable contributions and giving out cash, gifts and other perks is certainly appreciated, but there’s one thing that I’ve found is appreciated the most by employees – the boss’s time.

    One of the biggest advantages of working for a small business is that employees can really feel like they’re making a difference. Unlike being at a large corporation, people at smaller companies can be part of a team where their opinions and their actions have a much greater impact on the overall success of an organization. And because there are fewer layers to the organization, they also have better access to the boss. That’s a huge perk that we often don’t appreciate.

    If you’re not a big fan of celebrating birthdays and anniversaries or implementing a rewards system, try this: Spend more time with your people. Walk around the office. Chat. Invite people to lunch. Show up at a happy hour. Take an interest in their families. Talk about sports, television, Barbie or their last vacation.

    Above all, engage. You don’t have to get too personal or look within the soul of a person. You don’t have to be their mom or dad. But you can be a positive role model and a supporter. People appreciate a good boss. We look for mentors. We are humans and want to connect. We feel more loyalty and a greater connection to those that we spend time with, and the better and more positive your personal relationship is with your workers, the harder you’ll make it for them to leave you.

    Gene Marks

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  • Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Employee Wellbeing. Your Business Will Suffer The Most. | Entrepreneur

    Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Employee Wellbeing. Your Business Will Suffer The Most. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, one critical yet often overlooked aspect is the workforce’s wellbeing. Where success is driven by constant innovation and growth, wellness often falls short. The barriers to investment in workplace mental and physical health remain significant.

    So why do these limitations still remain? From insufficient knowledge of the best practices to scarce research on why such investments have a positive impact, this topic is still full of prejudices and stereotypes. As a result, they hinder many entrepreneurs from prioritizing this vital area of their business growth.

    The growing mental strain many employees experience often drives them to lower performance, meaning the business is presented with the threat of losing its valuable workforce. At the same time, replacing an employee with a new hire is not only a logistical challenge but also a costly affair. It typically costs one-half to two times that employee’s annual pay. With talent at a premium and the competitive landscape intensifying, you can expect the financial toll to lean toward the higher end of the spectrum. This cost can go unnoticed without paying enough attention to the wellness costs of operating a business.

    Undoubtedly, all entrepreneurs understand the significance of assembling a talented and motivated long-term team. However, the true impact of neglecting employees’ wellbeing on the overall success of a business is often underestimated. Fostering a healthy environment is the future of workplaces worldwide, so explore the tangible benefits of integrating it now.

    Related: We Need a Real Commitment to Mental Health at Work. Here’s How (and Why).

    The wellbeing of leaders amounts to the wellbeing of the entire team

    Investment in yourself is the best investment, particularly for the people who drive the entire workforce with them. Any great organization starts from a leader; similarly, the leader’s wellbeing and resilience directly impact that business’s success. Here are a few ways that a leader’s wellness affects the bigger picture:

    1. Improving retention rates

    This is not evident, but investing in leaders’ health also indirectly impacts employee retention rates. When leaders show genuine care and support for their team members’ mental and emotional wellbeing, it fosters job satisfaction and loyalty. Employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover and retaining top talent.

    2. Prioritizing human-centered approach

    A human-centered approach is essential when building a business. Being mindful of their own wellbeing allows leaders to understand their team better and be more empathetic and connected to them. For example, 10 people who joined BetterMe right from the start are still a part of the team years later.

    3. Leading effectively in challenging times

    Leaders who prioritize their stability possess the skills needed to navigate difficult situations. They can manage stress, make informed decisions, and stay composed under pressure. Resilience enables them to guide their teams through challenging times, inspiring confidence and giving energy to overcome fear.

    Making wellness a priority: Let’s talk numbers

    Prioritizing wellness and resilience in leadership development is not just a good idea on paper. It has proven to yield substantial returns on investment (ROI) for organizations. Multiple case studies give insight into workplace wellness’s positive, tangible benefits to employee engagement, productivity and overall business growth.

    Let’s take research conducted by Gallup, a leading analytics and advisory company, as an example. Its study reveals a strong correlation between employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives. Companies with high employee engagement experience significant benefits, reporting 41% lower absenteeism rates and 17% higher productivity. These findings show a direct correlation between such targeted initiatives and business performance. Research proves it’s an important metric to start taking seriously.

    BetterMe, with its headquarters in a country amid war and crisis, provides a compelling case study of how prioritizing wellness and resilience in leadership development can lead to exceptional growth, even in challenging circumstances. Despite the adversity, the BetterMe team members demonstrated innovation and creativity in providing solutions for customers worldwide. As a result, the company experienced significant financial and headcount growth in 2022, reaching an impressive 20%.

    This case again shows that crises can be both tests and opportunities for growth. It only emphasizes how organizations handle challenging situations. By investing in leadership development programs prioritizing wellness and resilience, companies can equip their leaders with the skills to navigate crises effectively, manage their energy better (not time), and drive business growth.

    Related: Why Mental Health and Well-Being Should Be Your Top Recruitment and Retention Priority

    Corporate wellness: Create a business case

    As the topic of corporate wellness continues to grow, organizations are seeking ways to measure the impact of wellness tools on leadership effectiveness. Seeing the evidence can help them realize the potential benefits and make an informed decision toward that first step.

    One effective way to measure the impact of wellness tools on leadership effectiveness is through ROI analysis. According to Deloitte, companies implementing wellness programs for three or more years achieved a median yearly ROI of $2.18 CA (estimated $1.65 USD). We cannot argue with numbers — the benefits are evident.

    As the CEO of BetterMe, I myself can serve as an example for all these findings. Through consultations with various companies, I have observed a considerable demand for reliable and engaging corporate wellness programs. Simply put, wellness is a hot topic in the business world. With a potential boost of over 50%, it becomes clear that the returns on investing in wellness are worth serious consideration.

    Seeing the indisputable benefits of integrating the employees’ wellbeing as one of the business priorities, a few industry professionals can remain indifferent. Whether you’re a manager, a business, or a team leader – hop on that train. Explore new possibilities for growing a prosperous, healthy workforce by all means to build better businesses.

    Victoria Repa

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  • 8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Some people may have natural leadership abilities, but the hard work combined with that ability creates a true leader. Moreover, good leaders who are willing to do the work of continuous improvement can learn to become great leaders.

    Here are eight skills that can get you there:

    1. Practice self-awareness

    Awareness of oneself is how an individual consciously knows and understands their character, feelings, motives and desires. Through self-awareness, leaders can inspect and improve their behavioral patterns and, as a result, their contributions to successful outcomes. In addition, a high level of self-awareness opens the door to ongoing self-improvement.

    Related: Why a Self-Aware Leader Is a Good Leader

    2. Look past yourself

    The key to helping senior leaders become great is teaching them to look beyond immediate outcomes. In doing so, they become adept at seeing how their decisions and actions will play out in the next two fiscal quarters, at the end of the year, at the end of the next year, and beyond. Good leaders play checkers; great leaders play chess.

    Related: 9 Reasons Humility Is the Key Ingredient to Exceptional Leadership

    3. Embrace humility

    You are not the only one with great ideas. This means leaders must take an honest view of their own importance, which often requires an outside perspective to achieve it. It also means being humble enough to listen to and act on valid feedback, regardless of who offers it. It’s great when someone can offer truthful feedback in a friendly, constructive way. But even if the delivery is less than cordial, resist the temptation to “get them back.” Instead, focus solely on the core of the message, not the delivery,

    4. Maintain a beneficial schedule

    A beneficial schedule enables leaders to do their best thinking consistently. It requires the right amount of rest and time away from work — even thinking about it. It also means incorporating whatever is needed for a healthy body, mind and spirit, since they all work together.

    There are two specific benefits of keeping a beneficial schedule:

    • It fosters strategic and creative thinking. You can’t lead an organization if you don’t look ahead at different time horizons and think strategically about them. This is where creative thinking happens. Getting into that z one requires you to be physically, mentally and spiritually best.
    • It models healthy work-life balance. Many leaders look to the boss for how long they will work each day, when to begin work, etc. If you respond to emails over the weekend, everyone will think it’s the norm. The brain needs to rest and rejuvenate; working or thinking about work 24/7 is the exact opposite.

    5. Learn impulse control

    The ability to hit the pause button on emotion-driven impulses allows you to truly hear and digest what is being communicated by another person or within a group, respond with reason and intention, and logically document shared thoughts for further analysis. This skill enables you to think more rationally and deeply and consider all ideas – or combinations – to devise the optimal plan for achieving the best outcome. It also requires you to set your ego aside and really understand that finding the best solution is all that’s important.

    6. Meet people where they are

    Learning to listen and seeking to understand are common characteristics in all great leaders. The trick is lowering your own filters so you can stop making assumptions based on your perspective. A good coach can help you do this and provide tools to hone inquiry skills so you can ask great questions at the right times to bring others along — the kind of questions that don’t simply elicit information but provide a window into what makes that person tick.

    Related: The 6 Steps From Startup to Thriving Company Culture

    7. Speak kind truths and hear them

    Kind truths are important building blocks of trust in strong working relationships, which are essential to being a great leader. You can’t do everything yourself and be a great leader; you must achieve through others via collaboration and influence. How do you influence? By building trust.

    Examples of kind truths:

    • Call out the obvious. Call out the elephant in the room. Everyone already sees it, anyway.
    • Give direct feedback in a kind way. Refer to the action, not the person, avoiding “shame” language” – when the word “you” is used along with “should” in the past tense, i.e., “You should have known better.”
    • Speak clearly. Often, we try to soften our feedback, not wanting to hurt the other person. However, this makes the feedback muddled and unclear; kind truths are clear.
    • Invite and receive direct feedback. Most people are afraid to tell the boss where they can improve. Instead, ask them, “What I hear you not saying is…do you feel like this is true?” Say it in a non-confrontational, inquisitive way; you will be shocked when they say, “Yes, wow, that’s right.” The key is to do something about it then.
    • Act on the feedback. When someone gives you feedback, mirror it back, essentially asking what change they’d like to see. You can then speak about its plausibility and shape it to pinpoint exactly what needs to change or improve. Then, commit to doing it, with a date when you will check back with them on the changes they have seen. Then, set up whatever system works for you to make this behavioral change rapidly and permanently.

    8. Adopt reciprocity

    Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. You can’t be a truly great leader if you do not give to others for their benefit. They are always giving to you; the higher your role, the more they are giving. Give back to them; give to everyone. All the great and successful leaders of our time did more than just take every beneficial thing that was given to them; rather, they gave at least as much, if not more, than they took.

    Karen Brown

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  • Concerned About a Coworker’s Burnout? Here’s How to Approach the Topic Safely and Tactfully | Entrepreneur

    Concerned About a Coworker’s Burnout? Here’s How to Approach the Topic Safely and Tactfully | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When a coworker starts showing signs of burnout, it’s only natural to feel a strong urge to assist them. Yet, many of us are uncertain about how to approach the situation or even whether we should intervene.

    Drawing from my burnout coach and advisor expertise, I recommend approaching this topic without forgetting about your own best interest too. However, if you hold a managerial or HR position, you may require specific guidance beyond what is provided here.

    Related: How to Spot Entrepreneurial Burnout (Before It’s Too Late)

    Joanna Kulbacka

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  • 9 Traits to Watch for When Hiring in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    9 Traits to Watch for When Hiring in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every business owes its success not just to its leaders but also to the employees who carry out the day-to-day operations. But how do you find the right employees for your business?

    You can develop a more effective hiring strategy by prioritizing certain traits. Focus on building relationships with the best candidates who show the following qualities.

    1. Personable

    Even in an age of email and chatbots, strong interpersonal skills matter for client-facing roles. And all employees, even remote workers, need to get along with their team members.

    Look for applicants who demonstrate strong people skills: smiling, shaking your hand firmly, maintaining eye contact and mirroring body language are just a few. This trait isn’t about hiring an extrovert over an introvert; instead, it’s about finding a candidate capable of interacting in a likable, relatable manner.

    Related: 10 Strategies for Hiring and Retaining New Employees

    2. Goal-Oriented

    Asking job applicants about their five-year plans may sound cliché, but it’s an easy way to gauge their level of personal ambition. An applicant with a clear plan for the future will tend to be goal-oriented, which extends to how they carry out their day-to-day duties.

    You might also understand a candidate’s aspirations by looking at the awards and achievements listed on their résumé. Previous accomplishments point to an ambitious, goal-driven attitude that will likely carry into the future.

    You can also nurture this trait by providing opportunities for professional development and advancement, which maximizes the talents of your new hire.

    3. Problem-solving

    Business is all about overcoming challenges. The most valuable employees can think through these challenges and develop workable, efficient solutions.

    You know that problem-solving abilities are essential for those in technical fields — but you should also cultivate these skills in everyone who works for your company.

    How do you find out whether a candidate is a problem-solver? Asking questions about when the candidate had to think outside the box to solve a workplace problem is a good start. Sometimes, the candidate’s references can point out clear examples of when the candidate addressed challenging problems head-on.

    Related: What to Consider When Hiring Employees

    4. Technically proficient

    If you’re hiring for a specialized role, you’ll want to ensure that you hire candidates who have the experience and expertise you need.

    For instance, bookkeepers and accounts receivable specialists should be familiar with basic accounting software. You might also prefer candidates who know the same software platforms that your company depends on.

    For hybrid or remote positions, your candidate must have experience using video conferencing or project management applications to better coordinate with you and other team members.

    5. Confident

    Fortune favors the bold — especially in the world of business. You want to assemble a team of decisive thinkers. Employees who delay decisions because they second-guess themselves or overanalyze the situation, will do more to prevent innovation than promote it.

    Instead, seek out job applicants who can clearly articulate their strengths and back them up with real-world examples from their previous positions. While interview jitters are understandable, an applicant who avoids eye contact or struggles to articulate might lack the confidence you’re looking for in your organization.

    Related: Workplace Issues Often Trickle Down From the Top. Have You Tried These 3 Ways to Fix Your Biggest Challenges?

    6. Teachable

    Technical proficiency is important, but every industry is evolving rapidly. Few traits are as valuable as the willingness to learn. While the ideal candidate should be confident about their existing skill set, an ability to adapt to new technologies or business models is often far more valuable.

    Ask candidates about new skills they’ve picked up or acquired from previous employers. Better yet, ask your applicants what skills they want to develop while working for your company. Their answers will reveal a lot about their ability to learn new skills as well as their eagerness to apply these skills in a new setting.

    7. Trustworthy

    Personal integrity is about more than just following the rules. An employee who demonstrates consistent honesty and integrity will contribute to a transparent company culture. You also need employees you can depend on during every business cycle phase.

    The best way to assess the trustworthiness of a job applicant is by contacting their references — particularly previous employers. Ideally, you want to learn that your applicant has a strong attendance record and that their previous employers could rely on their participation and support.

    Related: The Best Employees Have These ’31 Flavors’

    8. Collaborative

    Business is a team sport, so you need to hire candidates who play well with others. Even if the position requires much solo work, you’ll still want to know that your employees can function well as a team when called upon.

    This trait often surfaces during the interview process. When you ask an applicant to list past accomplishments, listen for clues indicating that they collaborated with other team members.

    If you can’t tell from this list alone, ask probing questions about how the candidate has worked with coworkers. You can even ask about how they’ve handled past conflicts to learn how well they’ve navigated office relationships.

    Related: Quiet Quitting Preceded Another Insidious Workplace Issue That’s Unfolding Right Now, Survey Reveals

    9. Loyal

    Employee turnover is a major threat to any company. The time and money you spend replacing an employee can be put to better use in growing your core business. The best employees commit to your company for multiple years, allowing you to build a lasting relationship and maximize their skills.

    Be wary of workers whose resumes indicate a lot of job-hopping. That’s especially true if their past work experience has been in fields similar to yours. Don’t dismiss these candidates entirely — sometimes, finding a company culture that fits takes a while. But make sure to investigate the reasons for so much past instability.

    Identifying candidates with the most sought-after traits will improve your chances of assembling an effective team. It will also make screening your job applicants easier, streamlining the hiring process.

    For critical positions, executive search firms can assist you with screening and hiring top-quality candidates. But to ensure that you staff your business with the right people at every level, look for these key traits of successful employees.

    Shawn Cole

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  • 3 Strategies to Boost Employee Engagement at Your Company | Entrepreneur

    3 Strategies to Boost Employee Engagement at Your Company | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Employees seem to be following a pattern of professional detachment. Since the beginning of 2020, Gallup’s worker engagement polls have shown steady employee-organization distancing. In the last three years, employee engagement levels dropped four percentage points. Given it can take nearly six months to break even after hiring and onboarding new talent, leaders everywhere are contemplating strategies to bring engagement numbers up again. One solution is to focus on fostering purpose for your employees.

    Why purpose? Employee engagement is the measure of a team member’s emotional investment in their job, the company and their overall well-being. In other words, it’s the intrinsic value someone feels. When a professional feels valued by their bosses, coworkers and employer, they are more likely to plant roots. As those roots take hold, these people become dedicated, enthusiastic advocates. They’re less likely to leave and more likely to become vital ingredients to the success of their organization.

    Related: 6 Employee Engagement Tips for Strong Retention

    According to McKinsey & Company’s findings, 70% of professionals noted a link between their sense of purpose and what they did for a living. When seven out of 10 people say that they equate their work with their merit, that’s a sign that it’s time to look for ways to fuel engagement among your employees.

    There’s no one way to impart a sense of purpose at all businesses, of course. You’ll need to conduct some trial and error. When you do, you’ll be able to measure which initiatives are working. For instance, when the members of your workforce become more connected to their work, you should notice an uptick in innovation, productivity and morale, as well as a lowering in your churn rates. Since replacing a worker can cost up to 213% of the worker’s annual salary, that’s a huge savings that goes right back into your overall profits.

    You might also see a spike in job seekers actively coming to your organization, whether or not you have openings. Your employee referral program will see more opportunities with an attractive culture and incentives. That’s a nice side benefit. Companies with a reputation for being employee-centered generally have lower recruitment costs because they’re seen as top places to work. When you’re known for your collaborative, supportive, healthy and trusting environment, you’ll naturally attract high performers. This will also have positive effects within your sales process, as your potential clients will appreciate working with top talent.

    If you’re struggling with engagement, try some of these approaches to become a more fulfilling workplace.

    1. Build engagement responsibilities into leaders’ profiles

    Leaders need to be on the front lines of modeling purpose-driven behavior for their employees. For example, we have a Director of Employee Engagement and Corporate Culture. This individual is in charge of knowing, communicating, organizing and measuring all engagement-related initiatives. Having this position makes sure our employee engagement is never left to chance.

    As president, I’m also tasked with fostering purpose in team members daily. I have to be the first to provide the support and mentorship that I expect to see in colleagues who have direct reports. We expect our managers to create trusting, collaborative environments where they listen to their colleagues’ needs and leverage that insight for everyone’s success. We’ve gone so far as to name “Captains” on each of our teams who report back to our Director of Employee Engagement and Corporate Culture. The Captains are in charge of ensuring everyone knows about upcoming events and fostering our culture among their individual teams.

    Our rising employee retention rates indicate that having a purpose-focused structure embedded into our organizational makeup encourages A-players to thrive. They take ownership of their projects and have no problem asking for help, opportunities and resources.

    Related: Top 10 Employee Engagement Strategies That Matter

    2. Make time for recognition and celebrations

    Work can become hectic at times. Nevertheless, it’s important to celebrate the things that are going well. In the aforementioned Gallup piece, the authors made a fascinating connection between organizations that celebrated achievements and those that didn’t. It turns out that companies that won Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award in 2022 showcased more than two times the engagement rates of non-winners. Coincidence? I doubt it. I suspect it’s because those businesses are investing in the satisfaction of their people through employee recognition programs.

    At our company, acknowledging the efforts of our colleagues is not considered optional. We participate in what we call “forced recognition,” which mandates that our employees recognize each other at least once per week during meetings. We also conduct monthly and quarterly company meetings where awards are presented, and we regularly celebrate team members in our Slack channels and through other celebration tools. We encourage these moments of recognition to be specific, timely and, most importantly, genuine.

    We provide recognition in other ways, too. This can be through verbal means or via ceremonies, rewards, you name it. When our Sales Development Representatives schedule client appointments, we host floor-wide celebrations where each team has its own silent celebration tool. All these measures add up to a more cohesive and fun culture.

    3. Offer more incentive to your employees than just a paycheck

    The best way to create employee engagement is to be people-focused. That’s not possible if you aren’t open to meeting the various needs of your team members.

    Take Nike as a noteworthy example. The company believes in supporting employees in myriad ways, such as providing access to continuing education and training, offering competitive insurance plans and encouraging participation in fitness programs. Nike promotes work-life balance in order to maintain an engaged workforce, and you would be wise to follow its lead in order to keep your valued colleagues from burning out. Just do it.

    While it can be hard to implement what you hear — and you might not always be able to adjust your company to the “wish list” requirements of all employees — it’s all about putting forth your best effort. In the end, establishing a culture where employees can feel purpose and satisfaction at work just makes sense. You’ll have stronger internal and external partnerships, not to mention sustainable business growth. Plus, you’ll never lose sleep wondering whether your employee engagement is waxing or waning.

    Related: This Is What Happens When Employees Find Meaning at Work

    Eric Watkins

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  • How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How much do you consider mental health in your overall well-being? Many business owners sacrifice their own emotional stability and personal satisfaction for what they believe to be the greater good of the organizations they run. Or they are too lost in all the noise of operating and growing a company even to consider self-care. But there is no rulebook out there that states business owners can’t have a thriving business and a healthy mind. It is all about positive psychology.

    Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It focuses on factors like hope, happiness and optimism. Positive psychology is a proactive approach to mental health, not unlike wellness, which is to physical health. We often see a doctor when we feel sick or experience the onset of a disease, which is a reactive approach to physical health.

    A more proactive approach is to adopt the kind of healthy lifestyle choices that reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place. The same thing applies to mental health. We might see a therapist if we are in the throes of a mental health crisis, but it would surely be preferable to take a proactive approach to avoid a psychological emergency in the first place.

    Dr. Martin Seligman is an American psychologist and leading researcher widely considered the “father of positive psychology.” Seligman coined the term PERMA, an acronym that represents what he asserts are the five essential elements of mental health: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. The concept of PERMA is intriguing, specifically as it relates to the business owner’s emotional journey and mental health.

    Applying the concepts of PERMA to ourselves as business leaders is a great step in the right direction. Then, fostering opportunities to advance the PERMA ideology throughout your organization can dramatically enhance your company culture. I mean, who doesn’t want a team of emotionally healthy, mentally prosperous and happy people working for them?

    Let’s consider the facets of PERMA and how business owners can apply them to foster positive psychology throughout their organizations.

    Related: 5 Reasons We Should Make Our Health a Priority Over Our Business

    P — Positive emotions

    Not to be confused with happiness, positive emotions include personal feelings of love, joy and hope, among others. Seligman posits that our thoughts and actions improve when we cultivate and integrate positive emotions into our lives.

    First, focus on creating a culture of gratitude to help infuse positive emotions in your business. Recognize and celebrate achievements. Encourage your team to find joy in the work they do and in their interactions with others.

    Related: How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful

    E — Engagement

    Engagement is our ability to achieve a desirable state of flow in which we ditch our self-consciousness and allow ourselves to be absorbed in something we enjoy. It is about being substantively present in the moment rather than focusing on the mental baggage of the past or anxiety for the future.

    In your leadership role, provide employees growth and career development opportunities that encourage mastery, such as mentorship programs or advanced skills workshops. Implement ways to instill active involvement, autonomy and personal decision-making in the roles of every employee.

    R – Relationships

    We all know that deep, meaningful relationships with others are vital to our well-being. Seligman says that humans are inherently social creatures who thrive on feeling valued and supported by others. These social interactions may also stave off cognitive decline and physical health issues.

    As a business owner, be an active listener, reinforcing the importance of strong interpersonal relationships throughout your organization. Create opportunities for team bonding and collaboration.

    Related: How to Build a Positive Relationship With Your Boss and Colleagues

    M – Meaning

    Having meaning in our lives adds purpose and value to our actions. It is that connection with something bigger than ourselves. A sense of meaning might come from the business one runs, the causes one supports or one’s spiritual beliefs. Meaning increases personal satisfaction in our daily lives.

    Ensure your company mission and vision are meaningful to your team. Create in-house opportunities for employees to contribute to the causes they care about. Let your people know how important they are to the success of your business.

    Related: 3 Ways to Help Employees Combat Burnout and Create More Balance

    A – Accomplishment

    Being successful at the things we do can dramatically enhance our mental well-being. Accomplishment refers to the final product and the orchestration, mastery and self-motivation that propels a person to achieve great things.

    To support a culture of accomplishment in your business, set clear and attainable SMART goals for employees, departments and the organization. Celebrate big achievements, as well as little wins along the way. Understand that setbacks are often catalysts for growth, so provide constructive feedback when employees fall short of expectations.

    Proactively incorporating positive psychology and infusing the tenets of PERMA throughout your business can lead to a healthier, happier and more meaningful existence for you and your entire team.

    Jason Zickerman

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  • Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Accountability is a remarkably dynamic word and so much more than a simple promise to perform. While the concept is rooted in responsibilities, the term also implies continuous action and a healthy system of checks and balances. At its core, accountability is about showing up, claiming ownership of a task, and then accomplishing the things you have committed. And everyone in your organization should do the same – because accountability is not a solo act. Accountability is the kinetic energy that fuels every successful organization.

    Your own accountability as a business owner is a gimmie; as the leader of your company, your word is your bond. And there are also huge benefits in creating a culture of accountability throughout your organization.

    You want employees to be answerable for their responsibilities. You want your team to work toward company goals, maintain certain metrics and meet their deadlines. While these accountabilities might seem rudimentary, you might be surprised how many businesses struggle with them.

    I believe most employees want to do a good job and try hard to be accountable. If they fall short, a glitch in communication is usually at the heart of the problem. Maybe the employee was never clear on expectations. A lack of transparency possibly hobbled achievement. Or, as is often the case, perhaps the employee’s definition of success differed from that of their manager.

    Fostering a culture of employee accountability is key to the success of any business, and the formula almost certainly starts with respect for your team, their strengths and their goals. Best-selling author and TED Talker Daniel Pink says that fostering a spirit of autonomy, mastery and purpose in your employees allows them the freedom and inner drive to develop creative solutions. He is right; by affording them these opportunities for self-direction and responsibility, you create better alignment in an environment where your people feel valued and their talents nurtured. This is to say that you set the stage in your business for a culture of accountability.

    Related: How to Create a Culture of Gentle Accountability in 3 Steps

    Employees crave autonomy

    Autonomous employees are empowered to leverage their own judgment and take ownership of their decisions. Embracing a culture of self-responsibility throughout your business fosters a stronger sense of employee commitment, supports innovation and demonstrates your trust in your team’s capabilities and professionalism. By giving employees more flexibility and responsibility in their own approaches and outcomes, they become more thoughtful in their actions and decision-making processes.

    Accountability and autonomy might feel like conflicting concepts at times. Getting the balance right can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. It starts with communication and clarity. When you or your management team assign a task to an employee, ensure that the person is clear about what you want them to do and the expected results. Ask the employee to confirm what you are asking them to do. Let them know you are available if they have questions about the task. Then allow them to do their job. You can check in periodically to track their progress along the way.

    Related: Want Elite Performance? Adopt These 5 Practices Of Top Tactical Units

    Employees want mastery

    Mastery is the process of honing one’s skills to a refined level. When you provide employees with development opportunities, they become quantifiably more engaged, productive and fulfilled in their jobs. Mastery boosts employees’ sense of accomplishment, positions them for a more rewarding career trajectory, and seeds the business with increasingly capable people. I talk a lot about win-win in business. Creating opportunities for your employees to master their skills while increasing your company’s competitive edge is certainly one of them.

    Consider investing in your business’s employee development, mentorship and leadership training programs. The ROI for learning initiatives tends to be high from a financial and cultural perspective. And while an increase in accountability is challenging to track with real numbers, it is most definitely positively impacted by employee mastery.

    Related: What is the Caliber of your Company Culture and How Can You Develop It?

    Employees desire purpose

    Now more than ever, employees yearn for a sense of purpose that serves as something larger than themselves in their professional and personal lives. Millennials and Gen Zs are particularly motivated to make a difference in the world around them at both a micro and macro level. By instilling a profound sense of purpose within the vision and mission of your company, you better attract and retain those people who are aligned with similar concerns and causes.

    When employees feel empowered and impactful in their ability to support what they care about, they are more committed, intentional and accountable. Greater purpose inspires ownership in achieving above-and-beyond outcomes.

    Purpose-driven employees also tend to be more adept at tackling challenges. They have faith in their own ability to overcome adversity to achieve a desired goal, so they willingly take on more responsibility and accountability to make things happen. Purpose is a powerful motivator on so many levels.

    When employees fall short on accountability

    What if you have put in the effort to create a culture of employee autonomy, mastery and purpose in your business, but your people are still lagging in the accountability department or are regularly just not meeting expectations?

    Rather than resorting to criticism, I suggest you take a coaching approach. Ask the employee how they felt a glitchy project went. What worked well and what panned out poorly. Ask them to analyze the processes and procedures, then have them share those opinions with you. This will provide you with enormous insight, at least from this employee’s perspective, that you may not have considered.

    While leveraging the coaching approach, you will often find that the employee admits their own culpability or poor performance in the project and makes suggestions for self-correction. Which, when you think about it, really is the definition of employee accountability, isn’t it?

    Jason Zickerman

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  • 7 Things You Need to Do to Make Your Email Marketing More Lucrative | Entrepreneur

    7 Things You Need to Do to Make Your Email Marketing More Lucrative | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Did you know that 49% of consumers say they’d like to receive an email from a company every week? Email is a marketing channel you can rely on, but results can sometimes feel hard to achieve. Also, even when your emails get good reactions, you can still maximize every campaign with just a few simple tweaks.

    So, let’s get into the seven things you should checkmark to ensure your email marketing is set up for success.

    Related: How to Start Using Email to Market Your Small Business

    1. Be protective of your email list

    Your database is your main email marketing asset, and how you maintain it has a dramatic impact on your results. First, you must build it the right way, but gathering subscribers responsibly isn’t enough.

    A significant segment of those subscribers’ contacts will decay: On average, 20% of email addresses become invalid every year. Poor data quality is a prevalent reason for low click rates, as bounces cause email deliverability problems. To avoid that and land your campaigns in the inbox, validate your database every quarter.

    2. Create different emails for target segments

    Sending the same email to your entire audience isn’t a good way to go about increasing your engagement. Your customers and prospects are in different stages of interaction with your company, and each stage requires a different approach. Segmenting your database and targeting those groups with specific messages can give you a 14% higher open rate. While email list segmentation can seem daunting, once you set it up, you’ll be able to refine your strategy and see better clicks.

    Related: How to build your email list the right way

    3. Set up a welcome email

    As an entrepreneur in the email space, I subscribe to many company newsletters and I’m surprised to see how many of them don’t send out a welcome email. If you haven’t set up one, you’re missing out on the opportunity to connect with your new subscribers right away.

    Welcome emails are so popular that most people expect them. So don’t leave your new audience hanging – send out a short email packed with great resources or just a “thank you” for allowing you in their inboxes.

    4. Refine your subject lines

    Before you hit send on your next marketing email, ask yourself if the subject line does it justice. Does it convey your message succinctly while enticing people to click? It pays to spend more time polishing up your subject as 64% of people say they judge an email by its subject line. Also, if your email provider allows it, make sure to follow the subject with a compelling preview text. Sometimes, that short copy can carry more weight than the subject line itself.

    5. Adjust your sending frequency

    Sending emails regularly has two benefits: It builds brand awareness and helps your email deliverability. For instance, if you have an email newsletter, it’s best to send it out on the same day of the week or month. However, there’s something to keep in mind with marketing emails that aim to sell – such as drip campaigns. Such email sequences can be overwhelming for some of your subscribers. Your content may be high-quality, but if people can’t keep up with the number of emails you send, they won’t engage.

    To test whether your audience is experiencing this fatigue, consider sending fewer emails for three months. Any improvement in your performance will steer you toward the right sending schedule.

    6. Test your design and email deliverability

    We all test our emails to check whether they look good on both desktop and mobile. Design issues can cause your audience to abandon your email within seconds, not to mention the poor impression it leaves.

    Aside from design, you can also test your email deliverability to find out if your email will land in the inbox. Using an inbox tester, you can even get detailed results on your performance with different email providers. Thus, if your email goes to spam, you can try to fix the issue so you can reach your subscribers successfully.

    7. Run email blacklist checks regularly

    Email providers (like Google or Outlook) and anti-spam organizations maintain lists of IP addresses and domains that have engaged in spam sending. While the purpose of email blacklists is to block spammers, legitimate senders can end up blocked, too. The tricky part is finding out whether your IP or domain have been flagged.

    If your clicks suddenly plummet, it’s a sign your emails aren’t reaching your customers. But instead of guessing and worrying about it, use an email blacklist checker to get a real-time status assessment. If you find out you’re blocked, you can make changes and follow the protocols to get off that blacklist.

    Liviu Tanase

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