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Tag: Employee Morale

  • How to Motivate Your Unmotivated Employees | Entrepreneur

    How to Motivate Your Unmotivated Employees | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a first-time leader, you’re expected to do more than manage operations. You’re also faced with the responsibility of motivating your direct reports. That’s a big ask, given that Gallup’s annual worker engagement survey shows that barely three out of 10 employees feel engaged on the job. Yet, it’s not a duty you can shirk. The sooner you help your team feel more connected to your department and company mission — and each other — the sooner you can start revving up productivity and showing your leadership moxy.

    This begs the question: How do you motivate the unmotivated? You can start by understanding why disengagement occurs. When employees feel burned out, unappreciated and devalued, they naturally pull back emotionally and performance-wise. Eventually, they either quietly quit or seek out other work. Either way, that ends up having a negative impact on your business, and it also puts a negative spotlight on your ability to manage.

    Your job, therefore, is to build camaraderie and cohesion as rapidly as you can. Doing so will inevitably improve productivity, which can further encourage everyone to row in the same direction. It will also put a “winners” spotlight on your team as a profit-boosting center. If your leadership efforts can cause those effects at your company, you’ll be doing well for both your career and your team’s reputation.

    To set the right tone and fuel success among your employees, consider these steps.

    Related: 12 Ways You Can Immediately Start To Motivate Your Employees

    1. Iron out your training

    A 2022 jobseeker survey from The Muse showed 72% of respondents regretted accepting a position because it wasn’t as advertised. This starts with training. Unfortunately, many organizations underestimate the training needed by newer employees. Often, the process goes like this: The business hires someone, has that person shadow somebody else and calls it a day. This is not training.

    You have to invest in your employees from the get-go and not expect them to fully ramp up right away. Consider salespeople. Hoping they’ll meet their quota too fast — and without training — is a surefire way to demotivate them. You can’t expect 100% productivity from anyone if you’re giving them minimal training.

    Having a consistent training system shows that you’re putting measures in place to help team members reach success. For maximum efficiency and consistency, the training you give your people needs to be a clockwork process with key results tied to the training. Consistency is key when it comes to unlocking higher morale because it establishes a sense of stability, predictability and fairness within a team or organization. When team members experience consistency in their training and development, their efficiency, productivity and confidence increase exponentially.

    2. Create A-player scorecards

    It’s the everyday activities that separate the best from the rest. Every position can be boiled down to daily standards that need to be met. A-players go through the same processes to do well. But anyone can be a winner if they have a scorecard to follow.

    Think about your team’s different positions. For each, write down three to five objective, trackable metrics that successful team members should complete on a daily basis. For instance, one of our company’s sales metrics is the number of daily appointments made. You can then weigh each activity to develop a final score. For instance, if you had four activities, you might want to weigh each at 25%. An employee who meets two in a day would score 50%, whereas one who meets three would net a 75%.

    These metrics for each position will become your A-player scorecards. They’re clearly defined and simple to evaluate. Someone either reaches the scorecard goals or does not. There’s no middle ground. Everything’s transparent between you and each of your direct reports. Employees know what you expect of them, which takes away any guesswork. It’s easy to see where someone is lagging or leading, which gives you the opportunity to intervene with personalized coaching, upskilling and reskilling.

    Related: How to Find and Assign a Production Statistic to Every Single Employee — Even the CEO

    3. Put the spotlight on success stories

    Success isn’t just about reaching scorecard targets. It’s about celebrating wins in big and small ways. Showing recognition improves morale and reinforces positive behavior and hard work. It shows you’re paying attention, too. Pew found 57% of people who quit jobs reported feeling disrespected. What could be more respectful than putting the spotlight on good people?

    Your celebrations don’t have to be huge and expensive. Experiment with what works to encourage your team to strive for something a little more. Certainly, you can hand out your version of an Oscar now and then. However, just identifying and thanking top performers who keep exceeding their daily scorecard metrics can be good practice.

    You can use scorecard results to figure out who wins sales contests. Or you may want to up the bar and add other metrics to sweeten a contest. Never be afraid to celebrate wins just because the same people keep getting kudos. A mid-performing employee may need to see a high-performing colleague receive continual nods to finally up their game.

    By taking the time to consider how to lead, you’ll end up becoming a much stronger leader regardless of your experience. Start by focusing on training, scorecards and celebrations — you and your team will benefit from your investment.

    Related: Do Your Employees Feel Recognized? 10 Powerful Ways To Set Up Employee Recognition Programs

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    Eric Watkins

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  • How to Gain a Competitive Advantage With an Outcomes-Driven Approach | Entrepreneur

    How to Gain a Competitive Advantage With an Outcomes-Driven Approach | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    For generations, most leaders have followed a fairly consistent formula to keep pace with their competitors. That is, they measure achievement based on worker time and activity. In other words, when employees put in more hours, they are expected to get more of their to-do lists accomplished for the betterment of the company. Though this model used to work, it’s starting to unravel. As a result, more progressive organizations are gaining competitive advantages through the power of purpose-led and outcomes-driven approaches.

    Why the change? Workers are craving something different from their jobs. No longer are they satisfied with just having a transactional employer-employee relationship. They want to feel a sense of belonging and connection to their workplaces. For many workers, having a hand in the bigger picture matters because they know how and what they’ve contributed.

    This desire for deeper engagement was amplified when remote and hybrid work became the status quo during the global healthcare crisis of 2020. Talented people realized that they no longer were willing to be tethered to a geographic office or evaluated by numbers on a timesheet. They wanted to be valued and treated like equals with all their colleagues — including their bosses — and not treated like children who required constant monitoring and supervision. In essence, they wanted to apply their innovation and creativity toward a higher purpose.

    Unfortunately, only some organizations seem to have gotten this message (or been willing to acknowledge it). Gartner’s research shows that less than half of the employees they surveyed felt like their employers saw them as whole people. That’s not a surprise to those of us in the people management business. We’ve seen an uptick in companies using so-called “productivity tools” to keep tabs on their workers‘ every screen movement and keystroke.

    Unfortunately, these half-baked solutions are disheartening and oppressive. They are also fast ways to lose the competitive opportunities that come when you make a switch to an outcome-focused way of evaluating success rather than an antiquated “time plus energy equals profits” approach.

    Related: How to Balance Ethical Growth and Competitive Advantages

    How to actually increase innovation amidst competition

    Just how can you help everyone row toward the same outcomes and let go of the way you’ve been managing your people? Try implementing the following techniques:

    1. Revisit everyone’s roles

    Pull out all your job descriptions, and go through them carefully. How you describe people’s roles makes a huge difference. Do you notice that all your job descriptions outline a list of tasks rather than the purpose of the job? This is a sure sign that you’re not enabling employees to reach for outcomes. On the contrary, you’re defining them by how many and what things they do each day or week.

    Now is a good time to refresh the language in all those job descriptions. Your objective should be to outline the purpose that the position holds for the company and the outcomes to be achieved — not detail every task the employee will do. What you’ll find after going through this exercise is a deeper understanding of the value that each position plays within your organization. When you focus on outcomes, you’re creating energy and excitement, which leads to greater innovation and results.

    A side benefit of revamping your job descriptions and roles is that you’ll begin to attract and hire more purpose-driven candidates. A full 70% of workers told McKinsey & Company that their purpose came from their careers. People looking for meaningful work naturally will find a purpose-led job description appealing. Just be sure that you give your interview process an overhaul to ensure that you’re evaluating applicants the new way rather than an old one.

    2. Stop being power-stingy

    Are you honestly focused on evolving with an outcome mindset at your company? Then give team members the power to do their jobs. Period. The distribution of power allows everyone to move faster. Whenever possible, push decision-making to the closest possible level and avoid all the trappings of bureaucracy.

    This may feel very counterintuitive, particularly if you’ve kept most decisions at the executive and director levels. However, you’ll soon find that when you trust people, they typically want to live up to your expectations. Additionally, your actions may spur greater loyalty and tenure. A PwC study indicated that nearly half of workers were willing to forgo a 20% salary bump in exchange for increased autonomy.

    To make this work, you’ll need to be the first to role-model empowerment behavior. Look for areas where you can hand over decision-making power not just to direct reports but to their direct reports. In time, you should see a marked change.

    Related: How to Turn Micromanagement Into Empowerment and Unlock True Employee Satisfaction

    3. Reinforce your purpose often

    People have short memories sometimes. They can lose sight of their purpose and may need you to guide them back. Rather than treat your purpose as just another checklist item during meetings, fold it into conversations. Point out how what someone is doing will get you all closer to the organization’s desired outcomes. Never assume that everyone will see how they’re making a difference. Sometimes you’ll have to show them.

    You can do this in innovative and unique ways sometimes. For instance, Gartner has talked about the importance of companies encouraging workers to take care of their health and well-being. But what many employees don’t realize is that something as seemingly unrelated as taking extra PTO before an expected time-crunch surge can have purpose-related benefits.

    Salesforce emphasizes the importance of employee well-being and work-life balance. The company understands that a well-rested and healthy team is more productive and better equipped to serve its customers. To support this, Salesforce offers various wellness programs, flexible work options and generous time-off policies. By encouraging employees to prioritize their well-being, Salesforce ensures that its workforce remains energized and capable of delivering exceptional results.

    After all, a well-rested team is more capable of handling all the stressors related to a heavier-than-average work week or month. Consequently, that team will be able to keep productivity high and make well-informed decisions because they won’t be depleted from the start.

    Related: Why a Purpose-Driven Business Is the Real Key to Success

    You may not be 100% comfortable with hybrid work, remote employees or purpose-driven management. Nevertheless, they’re the future of work — and that means they’re going to be essential if you want to remain an industry leader. Take time this quarter to talk with the other leaders at your company about moving everyone toward an outcome mindset. You’ll be glad when you find yourself looking at competitors in the rearview mirror.

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    Gloria St. Martin-Lowry

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  • Why Healing From Your Past Trauma Makes You a Great Leader | Entrepreneur

    Why Healing From Your Past Trauma Makes You a Great Leader | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, leaders face numerous challenges that demand adaptability, empathy and resilience. However, many leaders may first need to learn how their past emotional and psychological wounds impact their present leadership style. The growing interest in trauma and its effects on individuals has shed light on the significance of trauma integration as a competitive advantage in business.

    By actively working to heal and integrate their childhood trauma, leaders can develop greater self-awareness, empathy and comfort with vulnerability, ultimately creating a desire to uplift others. This article explores the benefits of healing for leaders and organizations, highlighting how trauma-informed leadership cultivates a distinct competitive edge.

    Related: 5 Ways Our Emotional Past Manifests in Leadership

    Understanding trauma and its influence on leadership style

    Trauma encompasses various experiences that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope and can leave lasting imprints on their psyche. These experiences may range from childhood neglect or abuse to traumatic events in adulthood. Trauma disrupts safety and trust, leading to potential long-term effects such as conflict avoidance, self-limiting thoughts and emotional dysregulation. Unresolved trauma shapes leadership styles. It can result in aggression, control, resistance to change and difficulty forming connections. Leaders with trauma may also struggle with trust, delegation, openness and effective communication.

    The benefits of trauma integration for leaders

    By recognizing the influence of trauma on leadership, individuals can embark on a journey of healing and integration. That leads to more conscious and effective leadership, fostering trust, collaboration and healthier work environments for all.

    1. Increased self-awareness and personal growth

    Trauma integration promotes self-reflection and understanding, enabling leaders to gain insights into their triggers, patterns and emotional responses. Leaders can identify and address unresolved issues that may hinder their growth by consciously exploring past traumas. This process allows them to develop deep self-awareness, leading to personal transformation and enhanced leadership effectiveness.

    For example, a leader who experienced neglect in childhood may unconsciously seek validation from others, leading to overwork and burnout. Through trauma integration, they can recognize this pattern and learn healthier ways to meet their emotional needs, fostering a more balanced and sustainable leadership approach.

    2. Enhanced empathy and emotional intelligence

    Trauma integration enables leaders to develop heightened empathy and emotional intelligence as they better understand their pain and struggle. Profound leadership demands leaders confront their trauma. Honing their ability to comprehend the emotions of others. That produces a positive work atmosphere that nurtures empathy and compassion throughout an organization.

    Empathetic leaders are better equipped to support their teams, understand their needs and create an environment where individuals feel valued and heard. This leads to increased employee satisfaction, engagement and overall well-being.

    Related: How Emotional Intelligence Can Improve Your Productivity

    3. Embracing vulnerability and building trust

    Trauma integration helps leaders become more comfortable with vulnerability as they confront their fears and insecurities. Leaders create a safe space for open communication and vulnerability within their teams by sharing their stories of growth and resilience.

    Building trust is essential for effective leadership. When leaders model vulnerability and authenticity, it encourages team members to do the same, fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety. This trust enables teams to collaborate more effectively, innovate and take calculated risks, ultimately driving organizational success.

    Read More: How to Understand the Link Between Childhood Trauma and Entrepreneurship

    Organizational advantages

    1. Improved employee well-being and reduced attrition rate

    Conscious leaders who have integrated their trauma create an environment where employees feel seen, heard, respected and valued. This sense of psychological safety reduces employee turnover and attrition rates, as individuals are more likely to stay in an organization where they feel supported and understood.

    Research on post-traumatic growth supports the positive correlation between trauma-informed leadership and employee well-being. Working under trauma-informed leaders significantly benefits employees by reducing stress levels, promoting positive mental health and increasing job satisfaction overall. These factors ultimately lead to a more engaged and resilient workforce.

    2. Increased employee loyalty and productivity

    Trauma-informed leaders foster loyalty by cultivating solid interpersonal connections with their teams. A workplace that values employee well-being will likely cultivate a committed workforce loyal to the organization’s vision. Leaders who exhibit genuine care and support can foster such an environment.

    Additionally, trauma-informed leadership enhances employee productivity. Leaders enhance workplace performance by creating an environment that respects and appreciates employees. Investing in their growth and well-being fosters a culture of excellence that inspires extraordinary achievements.

    3. Enhanced organizational culture and profitability

    Trauma-informed leadership positively influences organizational culture by promoting inclusivity, collaboration and empathy. By focusing on employee well-being, leaders can establish a workplace that fosters growth, learning and innovation in a culture of support.

    A healthy organizational culture, fostered by trauma-informed leadership, directly impacts profitability. Research from Gallup has shown that organizations with positive work cultures experience higher employee engagement, customer satisfaction and tremendous financial success.

    Related: Career Trauma Is a Real Thing. Here’s How to Recognize and Recover From It.

    The case for trauma integration in leadership

    Numerous examples demonstrate the transformative power of trauma-informed leadership. Successful leaders who have integrated their trauma have experienced personal growth and achieved remarkable organizational results.

    The works of renowned experts such as Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Nicole LePera provide valuable insights into trauma integration and its impact on how we show up in all aspects of our lives. Their respective books are resources that deepen the understanding of trauma and its effects and provide guidance on how trauma-informed leaders can effectively integrate their experiences for personal growth and enhanced leadership influence.

    In short, leaders experience personal growth, enhanced self-awareness and increased emotional intelligence by addressing and integrating their past traumas. Consequently, this positively affects the organization’s culture and employee wellness, ultimately improving overall performance. Trauma-informed leaders are competitive over wounded leaders, as they create supportive environments, foster trust and drive success.

    Trauma integration is the new competitive advantage for leaders seeking new levels of potential. By actively working to heal and integrate their past trauma, leaders create safe and empowering environments for their teams. Organizations led by trauma-informed leaders experience reduced attrition rates, increased employee loyalty and improved productivity, leading to higher profit margins and a sustainable competitive edge.

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    Kelly Campbell

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  • Ways of Increasing Employee Productivity And Boost Morale | Entrepreneur

    Ways of Increasing Employee Productivity And Boost Morale | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business owners and managers are always looking for ways to boost productivity in the workplace. A company can’t succeed unless everyone is motivated and willing to work hard to achieve shared goals. Being hyper-critical and micromanaging your team often backfires and makes employees feel more stressed and resentful.

    Instead, you should work toward creating a happy workplace, relaxed environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated. Happiness and productivity are known to go hand in hand. So, if you want to see revenue increase and goals met at a faster pace, don’t just look at the bottom line but also consider the attitudes and mindset of your team. Here are a few tips to help you do so.

    Give colleagues positive feedback

    When a colleague does something that makes your day, be sure to let them know. Everyone loves to feel appreciated, yet far too many people neglect the simple acts of kindness that make others feel like their effort is being valued.

    Related: Simple Techniques for Boosting Morale That Many Leaders Miss. Are You One of Them?

    It could be work-related or any simple gesture that helped you out. They may have offered to chip in on a project to help you meet a deadline or met their work goals for the month. Any positive action, no matter how small, should be acknowledged with positive feedback to encourage similar behavior in the future. If it’s something small, a simple thank you may suffice, but if it’s more significant, you may consider sending them a card or a modest gift. Just be sure to be specific about what they did and how it affected you.

    Congratulate colleagues on their wins

    In addition to providing positive feedback, you should also congratulate colleagues on any wins or achievements. No one wants to feel like their hard work is going unacknowledged, especially in the workplace. So, take the time to give recognition for employee achievements — large or small. Maybe they exceeded their monthly sales goals or brought in a new client.

    Related: 50 of the Best Work from Home Jobs That Pay Well in 2023

    No matter what the victory, make sure to acknowledge it and encourage them to keep it up. A simple email may suffice, or if possible, congratulate them in person. You may even consider hosting a regular meeting to acknowledge staff accomplishments. But don’t sandwich it in between feedback and requested improvements – let the kudos stand on their own and find a different way to address improvement if necessary.

    Create shared plans

    Humans are social creatures, and we thrive when working in groups. So, make an effort to create shared plans and communicate goals and expectations. Employees can quickly become frustrated and stressed out if they feel they need a clearer sense of what is expected from them, or they can’t effectively communicate with colleagues and management. So, creating shared plans helps to ensure employees aren’t wasting time trying to figure out how to best serve the company or team. It also helps encourage teamwork and collaboration so that no one feels isolated or left out of the decision-making process.

    Encourage an open dialogue

    Communication is essential to a happy, productive workplace, so encourage open dialogue between employees, management, and other key partners. Have regular conversations about the team’s progress and get feedback on what works well and what can be improved.

    Set aside time at your regular staff meetings to answer a few questions:

    • How can we help each other use time more efficiently
    • What are our biggest time wasters as a group? (Email, chatting?)
    • What types of breaks are essential to help us focus longer?

    Keep in mind that email and conversation are essential aspects of a healthy work-social life, but too much socializing can reduce focus. Also, remember that breaks are scientifically proven to improve focus in the long run. However, you must be strategic about when and what types of breaks you employ to improve productivity and avoid creating unnecessary distractions.

    Related: The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here’s What You Should Do

    When creating this open dialogue, try to center it around how the group can improve and not single out particular individuals. That will make it easier to provide constructive criticism without feeling like you’re chastising anyone in particular.

    Set clear goals for productivity and happiness

    Finally, you should also prioritize discussing goals for productivity and happiness in the workplace. While it’s essential to set objectives related to earning or completing tasks to keep everyone on track, this shouldn’t be your only concern. Also, discuss ways you can improve the workplace’s overall happiness and comfort level by eliciting feedback from your staff.

    You could set a goal of hosting one pizza party per month or regularly recognize one person in the office for their hard work. Once you realize that happiness and productivity go hand in hand, you’ll start making a consistent effort to improve the mindset and well-being of your team. Everyone will be more productive if they feel their personal source of happiness is being recognized and fed.

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    ReadWrite.com

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  • Boost Morale With a Low-Cost Golf Party Game | Entrepreneur

    Boost Morale With a Low-Cost Golf Party Game | Entrepreneur

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    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.

    Creating a positive workplace can often be the key to retaining your team. Something as simple as a company celebration and a game might help increase morale, and you can get it started with a fun outdoor game. PutterBall combines golf with classic party games, and you can get it for the best price online during the Father’s Day Sale for just $159.97 (reg. $229).

    Boost morale and employee retention.

    Get your team together on a warm summer day and go out for some morale-boosting games that put your golf skills to the test. All you need is a flat surface to play on, but some tasty drinks could raise the stakes.

    This game could be ideal for company picnics, group tailgates, and even a relaxing Friday afternoon. The rules are simple: players take turns putting a ball back and forth until one of them makes it into their opponent’s cups.

    One verified buyer writes, “Fantastic and so much fun. This product is great for all ages. Easy to set up and to put away. Box makes it easy to transport.” Company parties could be a hit for everyone with a game that’s easy to learn and fun to play.

    Once you’re done playing, the game mat folds into a compact square, and you can store the putters in their own included putter carrying bag.

    Get the best price online for PutterBall.

    Boost morale and increase employee retention with something as simple as a fun game you can keep in your car. Plan for a company barbecue or get ready for a fun Friday with this game that combines golf with a classic party pastime.

    For Father’s Day, get PutterBall Backyard Golf Game and Travel Bag on sale for $159.97 (reg. $229).

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • 9 Strategies to Help Your Employees Find Their Purpose | Entrepreneur

    9 Strategies to Help Your Employees Find Their Purpose | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Studies show that people’s hunger for purpose and meaningful work is at an all-time high. It’s one of the top reasons people give for leaving a job and it’s what they’re looking for in their next one.

    While leaders set the tone for a purpose-driven organization, managers are the ones who bring it to life. Or bury it. Managers matter because their daily words and actions create the work environment for 90% of any organization’s workforce.

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    Britt Andreatta

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  • 1 in 3 Office Workers Under 40 Admit to ‘Quiet Quitting’ For This Singular Reason | Entrepreneur

    1 in 3 Office Workers Under 40 Admit to ‘Quiet Quitting’ For This Singular Reason | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Imagine the frustration of trying to fill a bucket with a hole at the bottom; it’s a frustrating, losing battle. That’s exactly what’s happening to businesses, except the bucket is the workplace, and the slow, steady leak is disengaged employees quietly withdrawing their enthusiasm, productivity, and loyalty, through what’s known as “quiet quitting.”

    Now, consider this finding from the Ivanti 2023 Report: Elevating the Future of Everywhere Work — an astonishing one in three office workers under 40 admit to this form of psychological resignation. It’s the corporate equivalent of a slow leak in a tire – hard to spot, but just as capable of deflating your workforce as a sudden blowout.

    Related: If You Want to Remain Competitive, You Need to Overhaul Your Workplace Training. Here’s How.

    Identifying the culprit: The rigid office environment

    So, let’s take a moment to channel our inner Sherlock Holmes and trace the footsteps leading to this quiet quitting conundrum. Over 40% of office workers report burnout from excessive workload, and another 46% cite a lack of motivation as the perpetrator. Imagine these issues as a pair of invisible gremlins, silently wreaking havoc, pushing employees closer to the exit with every passing day.

    Now, here’s the interesting bit: Both these mischievous twins seem to have a strong preference for traditional, in-office settings. That’s right, folks; the villain in our plot isn’t an economic downturn or a competitive job market. It’s the conventional, four-walled, cubicle-filled, nine-to-five office environment.

    The irresistible allure of flexibility: Balancing office and remote work

    What can act as the silver bullet to slay these gremlins? Let’s call it “The Great Balancing Act.” Much like a skilled acrobat deftly navigating a tightrope, modern employees crave the ability to balance their time between the office and their homes. According to the Ivanti report, while only 43% of workers currently enjoy this freedom, a whopping 71% desire it, creating a gaping 28-point “preference gap.”

    Visualize this gap as a vacant dance floor, eagerly waiting for the dancers. It’s a space brimming with potential — a chance to increase employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. The dance floor is ready; all it needs is the right tune.

    Hybrid work: A CEO-endorsed lifeline

    Fortunately, the eagle-eyed executives perched at the top of the corporate ladder are starting to take notice. An encouraging 71% of global CEOs and a stellar 84% of U.S. CEOs are singing praises for hybrid working, recognizing it as a positive force for employee morale. They’ve sensed the winds of change and, instead of futilely trying to shield their organizations, they’re adjusting their sails to ride the gusts.

    Picture it like this: hybrid work is the Swiss Army Knife of modern work practices — a versatile, multi-purpose tool that empowers employees to tailor their work-life balance. By contrast, much like Swiss cheese, rigid office schedules are filled with holes that gradually siphon away employee satisfaction.

    Unleashing the potential of everywhere work

    It’s time to roll out the red carpet for Everywhere Work — an innovative approach that drives productivity, retains top talent and enhances employee satisfaction. It’s about tearing down the rigid walls of traditional office settings and fostering an environment of trust, autonomy and flexibility.

    Imagine a jazz musician improvising a stunning solo on stage. Just like this musician, an “Everywhere Worker” is given the liberty to sync their work rhythm with the melody of their life. They are no longer forced to straitjacket their personal commitments into the rigid confines of a 9 to 5 timetable. Instead, they’re given the freedom to create their unique work-life symphony, blending the notes of professional commitments with the harmony of personal life.

    Indeed, the Ivanti report shows an improvement in such flexible work over time. In the 2022 Ivanti Everywhere Workplace Report, 49% of survey respondents say they have been negatively affected in some way by remote work, and 9% claim that they have been passed over for a promotion. By contrast, in the equivalent Ivanti 2023 Report: Elevating the Future of Everywhere Work, only 34% say they have been negatively impacted by such work, and 2% believe they have been passed over for a promotion due to hybrid working. This change indicates an improvement in the ways both individuals and organizations handle remote work and a reduction in proximity bias.

    Related: Employers: Hybrid Work is Not The Problem — Your Guidelines Are. Here’s Why and How to Fix Them.

    The power of flexibility: Fueling productivity, retention and satisfaction

    Consider this: The flexibility inherent in Everywhere Work allows employees to switch work locations based on the nature of their tasks. Need to collaborate with a team? They can head into the office. Require deep focus for a project? Working from home provides a sanctuary from office distractions. It’s like choosing the right tool for the job, a choice that amplifies productivity and job satisfaction.

    Moreover, this flexibility allows employees to optimize their work schedule around their most productive hours, just like a nocturnal owl or an early bird choosing to hunt when their energy is at its peak. The result is a workforce that is not just more engaged, but also more effective and satisfied.

    When we dig deeper into the benefits of Everywhere Work, we unearth an often overlooked, yet critical aspect — mental health. By reducing commute stress and providing control over work-life balance, hybrid work is akin to a soothing balm for the weary souls of employees. It’s like the protective shell around a delicate egg, shielding employees from the crushing pressures of burnout and overwork. The upshot? A significant dip in “quiet quitting,” as employees find renewed joy, motivation, and satisfaction in their work. Indeed, that’s what my clients find as I help them figure out a flexible return to office and hybrid work policy.

    The bottom line: Embrace the future of work, today!

    The conclusions drawn from the Ivanti 2023 Report are crystal clear, echoing like a clarion call for businesses: adapt or risk becoming relics. As we journey deeper into the 21st century, the workplaces that will not just survive but thrive are those that offer flexibility, respect work-life balance, and prioritize employee mental health.

    The future of work isn’t a distant dream; it’s here, knocking on our doors. It’s not about packing employees into offices like sardines in a tin can. It’s about giving them the reins to control their work-life balance, nurturing their mental health, and respecting their needs. It’s about understanding that work is not a place you go, but a thing you do.

    As you chart the course for your organization’s future, remember: the key to preventing your employees from quiet quitting isn’t in chaining them to their desks — it’s in unshackling them. So, embrace the future, close the “preference gap,” and let your workforce dance to the tune of Everywhere Work. The stage is set, and the audience — your employees — are eagerly awaiting the performance.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • Salary Is the Most Important Job Factor to American Workers | Entrepreneur

    Salary Is the Most Important Job Factor to American Workers | Entrepreneur

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    Despite the old adage of “do what you love and never you’ll never work a day in your life,” salary is still the top priority for most American workers, a new survey found.

    A Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 1,148 workers between ages 18 to 64 highlighted the breadth of changes that have happened to the workplace over the past few years in regard to priorities and norms. Of those surveyed, 45% ranked pay as the most important factor in a job—a significant lead to the No. 2 most important factor (having a good boss) at 14%.

    When it comes to working from home versus time in the office, money was still the top priority — 65% of remote-capable workers reported a willingness to take a higher-paying job even if it required regular time in the office, and only 35% said they would take a lower-paying role if it meant they’d be able to work from home.

    However, among survey respondents already working from home, 55% said they’d accept a job with less pay if it meant they could continue to work remotely.

    The biggest reason remote workers want to stay home? Avoiding the commute (45%), followed by childcare (14%), and the ability to focus better (13%). Of those who work remotely at least once a week, seven in 10 reported that the hybrid environment made their work-life balance easier.

    Related: Tesla Employees Were Reportedly Asked to Leave Company If They Couldn’t Move Closer to an Office

    Still, there are tradeoffs. About six in 10 hybrid and on-site workers reported having close relationships with coworkers, compared to less than half of those who are fully remote.

    Since the widespread adoption of remote work during the pandemic, working from home has become a hot topic — and companies, workers, and CEOs appear to be split.

    While some big companies like Airbnb have embraced a fully remote option for workers, others like Tesla have given workers an ultimatum if they don’t return to the office. Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared his stern opposition to remote work, calling it not only a productivity issue but a “moral” one.

    Related: CEOs Are Blaming The Need For Mentorship to Justify The Forced Return of All Employees. Reality Calls For a Very Different Approach.

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    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • 6 Critical Reasons Why Culture Should Be at the Top of Every CEO’s Agenda | Entrepreneur

    6 Critical Reasons Why Culture Should Be at the Top of Every CEO’s Agenda | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s fast-paced business world, we are constantly bombarded with buzzwords like “innovation,” “disruption,” and “growth.” It’s easy for CEOs to get caught up in the relentless pursuit of the next big thing, neglecting the fact that the most important element of a successful business is its culture. Culture is the secret sauce that enables companies to thrive, and it should be at the top of every CEO’s agenda.

    Here are six reasons why culture should be the number one priority for every business leader, along with tips for improvement.

    Related: What Makes a Great Company Culture (and Why It Matters)

    1. Culture drives employee engagement

    When employees are engaged, they are more productive, more innovative and more likely to stay with the company. A strong culture fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, creating an environment where employees feel valued and inspired to give their best. Engaged employees are more likely to become advocates for your company, spreading positive word-of-mouth and contributing to a stronger employer brand.

    If you regularly recognize and celebrate employee achievements this will help boost their engagement. Encourage open communication channels to allow employees to voice their opinions, ideas, and concerns. Provide opportunities for professional growth and development, such as training programs and mentorship. Implement team-building activities to strengthen bonds and collaboration among team members.

    By focusing on creating a culture that prioritizes employee engagement, CEOs can unlock the full potential of their workforce and drive their business toward greater success. A culture of engagement not only benefits individual employees but also impacts the overall performance and reputation of the company.

    2. Culture attracts top talent

    In an age where talent is the most valuable asset a company can possess, it’s crucial to create a workplace that attracts and retains the best of the best. A company with a positive, supportive culture will be a magnet for top talent, ensuring that you always have the right people to drive your business forward. A strong culture not only attracts high-caliber candidates, but it also reduces turnover and helps retain your existing top performers.

    To attract the best, offer flexible working arrangements and prioritize employee well-being to attract top talent. Showcase your company culture on your website, social media channels, and during interviews to give prospective employees a glimpse into your work environment. Provide competitive compensation packages, but also focus on non-monetary benefits such as opportunities for career growth, a healthy work-life balance, and an inclusive and diverse workplace.

    A robust talent pool is essential for any organization aiming for long-term success and growth, and CEOs who invest in cultivating an attractive culture will reap the benefits of an engaged, diverse and highly skilled workforce.

    3. Culture builds a strong brand identity

    A company’s culture is the foundation upon which its brand is built. When your employees truly believe in your mission and values, they become passionate ambassadors for your brand, both internally and externally. A strong brand identity can set you apart from competitors and create a loyal customer base that will keep coming back for more. Moreover, a culture that aligns with your brand will reinforce your company’s image, making it more authentic and credible in the eyes of customers, partners and investors.

    To strengthen your brand identity encourage your employees to share their experiences and stories on social media to strengthen your brand identity. Develop a consistent internal and external communication strategy that reflects your company’s culture and values. Involve employees in the development of your brand’s mission, vision, and values to ensure a strong alignment between culture and brand. Hold regular culture and brand workshops to maintain awareness and alignment throughout the organization.

    By nurturing a culture that is closely aligned with your brand, CEOs can create a powerful synergy that drives success in the marketplace.

    4. Culture enhances customer experience

    A positive and customer-centric culture will be reflected in every interaction your employees have with clients. When employees are empowered and encouraged to go above and beyond, they will provide exceptional customer experiences that will leave a lasting impression. Exceptional customer service can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and word-of-mouth referrals, ultimately driving business growth and profitability.

    Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging employees to share feedback and insights from their interactions with customers. Create a feedback loop between employees and management to ensure that customer insights are used to drive improvements in products, services and processes.

    By prioritizing a culture that emphasizes outstanding customer experiences, CEOs can create an environment where employees are motivated to exceed customer expectations at every touchpoint.

    Related: 6 Ways to Keep Your Staff Feeling Happy and Supported

    5. Culture fosters innovation

    Innovation is the lifeblood of any business, and a thriving culture is the perfect breeding ground for creative thinking and problem-solving. When employees feel supported, trusted, and encouraged to take risks, they are more likely to come up with groundbreaking ideas that can propel your company to new heights. A culture of innovation helps companies stay ahead of the curve, adapt to changing market conditions, and seize opportunities that competitors may miss.

    Establish a culture of psychological safety, where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and taking risks without fear of negative consequences. Encourage collaboration and cross-functional teamwork to spark new ideas and combine diverse perspectives. Allocate resources and time for experimentation, allowing employees to test and refine their ideas. Recognize and reward innovative thinking and the willingness to challenge the status quo, even if it doesn’t always lead to immediate success.

    This focus on innovation not only drives business growth and competitiveness but also helps employees develop their skills, expand their knowledge and contribute more meaningfully to the company’s success. In the long run, a culture of innovation can be a key differentiator that sets your organization apart and ensures its continued relevance in an ever-changing business landscape.

    Related: 7 Reasons Why Creating the Right Culture Should Be a Leaders Top Priority

    Culture improves financial performance

    Multiple studies have shown a direct link between strong corporate culture and financial performance. Companies with a healthy culture consistently outperform their competitors, demonstrating that investing in culture is not just a “nice-to-have” but an essential component of long-term success. A strong culture creates an environment where employees are more engaged, productive, and innovative, leading to better business outcomes and a stronger bottom line.

    You should be regularly monitoring the key performance indicators (KPIs) related to culture, such as employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction, to gauge the impact of your efforts on overall business performance. Share the results of culture initiatives with employees and stakeholders, highlighting the connection between a strong culture and financial success. Collaborate with HR and other departments to ensure that cultural values are integrated into recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and other key processes.

    By making culture a top priority, CEOs can lay the groundwork for a high-performing organization that consistently delivers strong financial results. A focus on culture not only leads to a more engaged and productive workforce but also creates a competitive advantage that can set your company apart in the market. By recognizing the critical role that culture plays in financial performance and taking a proactive approach to strengthening it, business leaders can create a powerful foundation for lasting success.

    Remember, it’s not just about the bottom line; it’s about creating a work environment where people are inspired to bring their best every day. And when that happens, there’s no limit to what we can achieve. Make culture your number one priority, and watch as your business flourishes, your employees thrive, and your legacy stands the test of time.

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    Gordon Tredgold

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  • What CEOs Can Learn from Sports Coaches | Entrepreneur

    What CEOs Can Learn from Sports Coaches | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Regardless of the size or industry of your business, the responsibility of creating success falls on the shoulders of the CEO. Although most CEOs have teams that work as a united front to achieve their company goals, everyone looks to the person in charge to lead the way.

    While there are many strategies you can use to drive success for your team as a CEO, one of the most effective approaches might be to learn from sports coaches. Yes, you heard that right.

    Sports coaches know a thing or two about team building, goal setting and strategic execution that can be applied in the corporate world.

    So, take a page from the age-old book of sports and start implementing some of the following rules and lessons into your business strategy.

    Related: 5 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Pro Sports Teams

    1. Never start a game without a game plan

    Whether you’re talking business or sports, effective execution must start with a clearly defined strategy. Key business decisions, both long and short-term, are based on a strategic plan that guides your organization forward. But regardless of how strong your strategic plan is, it can only serve its purpose if all involved parties know and understand the plan.

    As a leader, your responsibility is to properly communicate the strategic plan from the top down to ensure all team members are on the same page. Everyone must understand what the end goal is and which steps they need to take to get closer to achieving it.

    2. A good game plan is flexible

    Like any nail-biting sports game, the market can change quickly and unexpectedly, as we’ve seen time and time again over the past few years. The businesses that survived the global pandemic of 2020 did not do so because of luck.

    Rather, they were able to quickly adapt to the changing circumstances and pivot during a time of crisis, the same way that sports teams must be able to assess the changing circumstances of the game and adjust their strategy as necessary.

    While it’s critical for all team members to know the primary plan, it’s equally important to be prepared to change it up. Plan B and C are just as important as Plan A.

    3. A team is greater as a whole than as individual players

    In every team, each member has a role that contributes to reaching the overall goal, but it’s the team’s ability to work together that drives real impact and creates value. A great team captain will give credit to the other team members when it comes to their success, as a cohesive team is better than a single great player on their own.

    Good business leaders know how to play to the individual strengths of team members and work out the best ways to help them utilize their strong suits to complement each other and perform as an aligned whole.

    4. Winners and losers are determined by score

    In sports, the score is the ultimate measure of success or failure. Similarly, in business, subjective opinions just aren’t enough to accurately gauge performance.

    Smart business decisions are driven by data, not emotions; therefore, it’s essential to collect and utilize data as much as you possibly can. Tracking progress on business goals with OKRs and KPIs (Objectives and Key Results and Key Performance Indicators) helps you know whether your team is on track or not. Regularly measuring progress toward your goals will help you make informed decisions and optimize your strategic execution.

    5. Check the scoreboard frequently

    Because the score determines the ultimate result of a game, the scoreboard is largely broadcasted and continuously relayed to players, coaches and fans so that everyone knows who is winning and by how much.

    In business, it’s equally important to provide visibility of progress to all team members so they can see how they are performing, which targets are on track and which may be falling behind. Lagging indicators help provide insight into why a team member might be behind on a goal, and catching these flags early will give them time to work with their manager to reassess the goal and tasks at hand, and course-correct as needed.

    Several businesses use software tools to create this kind of visibility. Align, for example, provides KPI dashboards that display all your data in one view, including historical data for each target visible to any and all team members.

    Related: 25 Ways to Lead, Inspire and Motivate Your Team to Greatness

    6. All team members must know their role (and each other’s)

    In sports, each player has a specific role and responsibility — the offense looks to score, the defense defends the goal and so on. Furthermore, all players understand how their specific role contributes to reaching the overall team goal.

    Clearly defining roles and responsibilities in a business helps ensure that all team members do their part and are aware of what each other is working on. Every task or priority should be covered by a designated team member, even though other team members might jump in to help. This clear assignment of roles helps eliminate the need to micromanage and lessens the likelihood of miscommunication about who is responsible for what.

    7. Trust your team, and teach them to trust each other

    Whether you are talking about sports, business or life in general, trust is the foundation of strong relationships. In sports, coaches must be able to trust that their teams understand the game plan and will do their best to execute it properly, while players must be able to trust one another as well.

    As a CEO, you must be confident that your managers are well-equipped to lead their teams, and that their teams are able to function as unified fronts. This involves providing your team members with the tools and resources they need to be effective and trusting that they are capable of functioning properly without micromanagement. Trust enables CEOs to foster a culture of collaboration, creativity and open communication, and it also helps build morale that drives strong performance.

    8. Motivation matters

    Imagine a sports game with no fans. No cheerleaders, no cheering, no noise. Seems awkward, doesn’t it?

    Cheering fans show support and appreciation to players, encouraging them and making them feel valued. People are motivated by this kind of peer encouragement and are more likely to perform well when they have a supportive and acknowledging fan base.

    The same goes for business — team members need moral support and recognition for the work they do. As a company leader, recognizing and rewarding your team members for their achievements is a great way to show appreciation and encourage strong performance. Celebrating wins as part of company culture motivates team members to reach higher goals and drives morale.

    9. Communicate constantly

    As mentioned in the first point, a strategic plan has no value unless it is properly communicated to all team members. But communication does not stop after the initial plan is relayed.

    Coaches often coach from the sidelines, giving their players feedback and advice as the game goes on. Players must also be in constant communication with one another on the field. It’s their responsibility to call out for help when they need it and offer help when they are open.

    Most errors in business are caused by miscommunication or a lack of communication altogether. An easy way to improve communication and make a habit out of doing it constantly is to hold frequent, well-structured check-in meetings. Whether it’s a team meeting or a 1:1, having a time on the calendar creates a recurring opportunity to provide feedback and engage in an open dialogue to help ensure team members are in sync and on track.

    Encourage your team members to ask for help when they need it and to help one another when they have the time and capacity to do so.

    Related: 15 Quotes on Success From America’s Top CEOs

    10. Always be improving

    Win or lose, sports coaches close every game with a debrief and a pep talk. They discuss what worked, what didn’t work and what needs improvement for next time.

    Similarly, in business, regular debriefs and retrospectives can help you identify areas for improvement and set new goals for the team. This involves reviewing progress on goals at least once per quarter, addressing lagging performers and adjusting your strategic plan as needed to ensure you hit your targets.

    Continuously striving for improvement and growth is essential for long-term success.

    No team can win without a good coach. As a CEO, you are responsible for setting up your team for success by capitalizing on their strengths, improving their weaknesses and creating alignment and motivation around a common goal.

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    Doug Walner

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  • Why Spending the Most Really Does Win the Most Customers | Entrepreneur

    Why Spending the Most Really Does Win the Most Customers | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    “Whoever can spend the most, wins.” This is an adage in marketing that happens to be 100% true. If your business is prepared to meet the ever-increasing customer acquisition cost in today’s hyper-competitive digital and traditional media landscape, you are well on your way to dominating the market.

    However, this does not mean that you can simply throw money around willy-nilly and hope to get the results you want. Being willing to spend big to win big is great, but it’s only half of the battle. You also need to be strategic about how you spend your money to win over the competition.

    Related: Why the Best Days of Digital Media Are Ahead of Us — and Other Trends for 2023

    Companies with deep pockets that can spend more to acquire a customer will get more customers. If this sounds like you, keep reading to learn the most effective ways to put “whoever can spend the most, wins” into practice.

    1. Invest in the right digital media channels

    Spending on digital advertising is expected to exceed $600 billion in 2023. Your business needs to be heavily invested in this space if you want to maximize your market share.

    Of course, where you spend your advertising budget is an important consideration. Google Ads provides multiple robust pay-per-click campaign options (e.g., text and display ads). With Google Local Services Ads, businesses in select industries can dominate local search results for professional services. You will likely need to invest in social media ads on one or more platforms, too.

    All of these channels are highly competitive and, therefore, expensive. However, once you determine how customers find your business (i.e., via organic and paid search, social, etc.), you can start spending on digital ads that will maximize your visibility and drive customers to you over the competition.

    2. Don’t ignore traditional media

    Investing in traditional advertising (such as television, billboards, etc.) is still well worth your time and money if it means reaching your target customers on a massive scale. Mass media is a tried-and-true strategy for bombarding the market with your message. Not everyone will convert, but spending the money to make your name inescapable will drive far more customers than a limited investment in traditional channels.

    We see this with legal advertising. The law firms you see all the time on TV, on bus benches, on billboards, etc., are counting on the millions of dollars they spend to drive multi-million-dollar cases.

    It might seem strange to invest in traditional media when digital has taken over the space previously occupied by television and other strategies. However, considering that you are likely thinking of a local law firm’s slogan or phone number, there is no disputing the effectiveness of a major investment in TV and other traditional advertising venues.

    3. Invest in your employees

    Relationships are a cornerstone of marketing. While much of the discussion centers on engaging customers digitally, you should never underestimate the importance of hiring customer-facing employees, training them to be the “face” of your business, and empowering them to bring you new customers.

    Related: 4 Ways to Provide Excellent Customer Service

    This goes beyond fully staffing your office to handle phone calls and emails. Depending on your industry, it might mean hosting community events, wining and dining business prospects, and more.

    Customers are the lifeblood of your business. You don’t want to cheap out when it comes to hiring customer success managers, event planners, and other employees who can take your business to the next level.

    4. Define your brand

    Inconsistency is one of the greatest dangers when making a massive investment in marketing. Although you can distribute your message across seemingly endless advertising channels, your return on investment (not to mention your market dominance) will suffer if the message is unfocused and inconsistent.

    Before making a big splash and getting more customers than your competitors, you need to nail down your brand identity and key messaging. The brands people love have a clear identity and a consistent message. They also know their customers and tailor their marketing and advertising to maximize sales.

    You don’t have to be a multinational corporation to dominate your market. However, you have to understand your unique offering and consistently communicate to customers why they should buy from you over anyone else.

    Related: Define Your Brand Identity in 3 Steps

    5. Follow the money

    As the saying goes, “Fortune favors the bold.” The businesses with the money and the mindset to shoot for the moon and take the biggest piece of the pie are the ones that typically find the greatest success.

    However, your dollars must be tempered with sense. You must carefully identify your target audience by age, demographic, income, buying habits and other key characteristics. In addition, you need to understand what your competitors offer and how you can stand out. Finally, you must drill down on the geographic area you want to target.

    Related: 5 Ways Small Business Owners Can Embrace Rapid Digital Change to Get Closer to Their Customers

    With all these components in place, you can develop an intelligent strategy for maximizing the business you gain from a substantial marketing and advertising spend. Both digital platforms and third-party vendors should provide detailed reporting on how your money is being spent, the results of each campaign, and your return on investment.

    You won’t achieve dramatic growth if you are overly concerned about being cost-effective. However, a strategic approach that relies on data and tracking only ensures that you spend money wisely. This reduces the customer acquisition cost and results in higher profits.

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    Sean Allen

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  • We Need a Real Commitment to Mental Health at Work. Here’s How (and Why) | Entrepreneur

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

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There’s quite a lot of dialogue about employees’ mental health taking place now in the corporate world — the importance of prioritizing wellbeing, making work a safe place to be and shifting the expectation away from dangerous stress and burnout.

    But how much is really changing?

    While workplace discourse may be shifting to acknowledge the importance of employee mental health, many are just paying lip service to it. What we don’t want – and what I sometimes fear – is that mental health awareness is becoming the latest trend without a real deep connection to how to support the workforce best. With a doctorate in psychology, more than 20 years of expertise as a psychologist, and 12 years as a coach and trainer, I am seeing firsthand little change in large organizations. Unfortunately, what continues is the negative impact on employees from working in environments where their mental wellbeing is not a priority.

    Yet it’s desperately needed. Seven in 10 people globally are struggling with mental health issues, and there’s a trillion dollars’ worth of lost productivity due to anxiety and depression in the global economy.

    In 2023, the Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 people across 10 countries and found that two-thirds of employees would accept reduced pay for a job that better supports their mental health. They found that managers impact employees’ mental health (69%) more than doctors (51%) and spouses (69%). Even the 2022 Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey data found that 60% of people are emotionally detached at work – with 19% saying they’re “miserable” and 44% experiencing stress “a lot.” Interestingly, they found that employees who are “engaged but not thriving” have a 61% higher likelihood of ongoing burnout than those who are “engaged and thriving.”

    Supervisors micromanaging their employees’ workday is a crucial issue impacting employees’ mental health. Having someone sit at your shoulder all the time and not trusting you to execute your tasks causes increased stress and anxiety for people – yet in the U.S., a study in 2020 revealed 64% of employees felt micromanaged. As leaders, developing a trusting relationship with your employees is essential. Employees and their managers will never establish a culture of trust if micromanaging is taking place.

    Something needs to change.

    We already know that a mentally and emotionally healthy workforce is essential for a company’s success and long-term sustainability. Focusing on wellbeing fosters a positive work environment, improving productivity and reducing absenteeism. And when employees feel valued, they’re more likely to remain with the company longer. We know that high employee retention rates contribute to lower recruitment and training costs and a more experienced and cohesive team. It’s a no-brainer: we need a “people-first” culture.

    So, how do we make the workplace a safe place for people to get the support they need?

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

    The importance of workplace culture

    Having a people-first workplace culture focused on flexibility, wellbeing and support is one that does not prioritize working their employees to exhaustion and burnout.

    Many companies say they’re committed to supporting mental health in the workplace, yet that’s not what they’re modeling. Instead, they’re modeling working 60 hours a week and seemingly expecting that if management adds ten items to your to-do list, you must prioritize every single one, immediately. Many employees won’t say no because they fear getting fired. There needs to be alignment between what companies say they will do and what they are actually doing.

    How can leaders and their organizations make meaningful change, and what does that look like?

    Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Protect Their Mental Health While Being Their Boss

    1. Ensure wellbeing is an integrated part of company culture

    Wellbeing and mental health are ongoing areas that must remain priorities. How do companies show employees they care? Mental health support should be part of an ongoing, ever-evolving commitment in the workplace that develops and adapts to the evolving needs of the employees.

    What policies do you have in place as a leadership team? How does the culture encourage wellbeing right now? What needs changing, what needs supporting and what needs to stop? Don’t think of wellbeing inclusion as a “quick fix.” Assess your current policies and discuss how they may need to be improved.

    Creating a Mental Health at Work Charter is one way to solidify your organization’s commitment. Tailor it to align with the business model, and it will serve as a roadmap to achieve better mental health outcomes for employees. Try starting with what you plan to do each year – and don’t forget to include time to reevaluate and gather feedback from employees on what they believe the company can do to support them.

    One option might be to communicate that mental health sick days are valid in your company. Taking a mental health day when things seem too much could mean an employee avoids burnout. Some companies in the U.S. offer once-a-month “self-care days” to their staff, which doesn’t come out of their vacation allowance, but gives employees an extra “free” day off to take time out for themselves.

    Another option may be assessing your flexible working policy. Since the pandemic began, companies now proudly display their “hybrid” policies on job advertisements — but requiring people to come into the office four days a week on specific days, with one day from home, isn’t true flexibility. What is your policy, and does it really support people’s needs?

    2. Seek to understand the needs of your employees

    Employees with diagnosed mental health or neurodivergent conditions often fear discrimination or bias or are concerned about stigma. To create a safe and inclusive environment, organizations should provide training and education on mental health and neurodiversity for managers and leaders, and ensure policies and practices are in place to prevent discrimination and bias. Managing a diverse workforce well involves learning about these differences and how they impact interpersonal relationships, communication, productivity and wellbeing.

    Support can come in many forms, but what is it that your workforce needs? This is best decided by speaking directly to your employees or doing a staff survey, to explore which parts of the culture are seen as conducive to mental wellbeing and what needs improving.

    Companies could also use mental health ambassadors to create focus groups around what they believe the company can or could do to improve its commitment. Once you have a working group, you could set up monthly workshops on different themes: belonging, inclusivity, mental health days and burnout. It’ll bring people together and gather honest feedback.

    3. Lead by example

    Modeling healthy behaviors is a crucial step in prioritizing mental wellbeing at work. Many employees may be told they don’t need to work late or answer emails on the weekend – but if they see their manager doing so, they take that as a hint that it’s the best way to be at work. It’s no good saying you support mental wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance if you don’t model it. But by doing so, your staff will feel it’s acceptable to prioritize self-care and set boundaries.

    Related: Entrepreneurship Is All About Overcoming Obstacles

    Don’t worry so much about improving your team’s mental health that you forget about your own. Let them know if you’re leaving early to get some much-needed downtime. Remind them that you go for a walk in the middle of the day to gain some clarity (plus exercise and fresh air), or let them know when you’re entirely switching off your emails and laptop in the evenings and for your vacation.

    4. Create a culture of connection

    An excellent way to commit to an ongoing conversation about mental health in the workplace is to build and nurture a culture of connection through check-ins. You may already have one-to-ones with your employees — but how are these usually structured? Perhaps an update on their weekly tasks, deadlines and ideas for the future?

    Consider making mental health a part of these meetings. A study between Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics in 2020 found that 41% of employees wanted their manager to ask them about their mental health and wellbeing. Of course, your job isn’t to be their counselor, but you can listen, learn, and identify if additional support is needed.

    A simple “How are you really doing?” or “What concerns do you have about work or outside work?” Let them know they can come to you if they have any worries or stressors, and you can work together to address their concerns.

    Related: Why Your Mental Health Is the Key to Your Success in Business

    As always, an investment in mental health — like any investment into a company’s culture — takes time. But it also requires the whole company’s deep commitment and belief that it’s needed. By investing in the wellbeing of their workforce, businesses benefit in many ways, ensuring long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

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    Dr. Samantha Madhosingh

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  • Your Company’s Biggest Threat Is Already Infiltrating Your Team | Entrepreneur

    Your Company’s Biggest Threat Is Already Infiltrating Your Team | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Most leaders spend their time focused on the external challenges their companies face. And, from rapid advances in technology to financial uncertainty, geopolitical instability and competition, there are plenty. But what if the greatest threat to the future of your company is already inside the building?

    Companies need an engaged workforce to stay competitive in a complex and continually changing environment. But the countless hours I’ve spent coaching and consulting with executives, and my own experience as founder and chief executive of a fast-growing company, has made it clear that companies across industries are dealing with low morale and, consequently, low employee engagement.

    The latest polling shows that just over 30% of employees are engaged. That low engagement is contributing to high turnover. Last year, the voluntary quit rate was 25% higher than it had been before the pandemic, and 40% of workers are considering leaving their job this year. And turnover is contagious — one study showed 92% said they’d be less likely to stay in their job after a close colleague quits. That kind of cascade can hollow out your company quickly.

    How can you, as a leader, improve morale, inspire your workforce and increase engagement at your organization? Here are four tips.

    Related: 6 Entrepreneurs Share Secrets for Boosting Office Morale

    1. Measure twice

    First, you can’t fix something you don’t know is broken. The way we work now has made it harder than ever to sense when something is. It was easier to perceive when engagement and morale were low when we were all in the office. It hung over the office like a fog. But when you only see your peers and employees on a computer screen, it can be hard to tell when something is wrong. That’s why every company should be measuring morale and engagement at regular intervals.

    At my company, we combine a regular rapid survey with a more robust measure that we deploy less frequently. Sending these surveys and synthesizing the data they return requires an investment of time and effort, two resources that are always in short supply. But the investment returns huge value by enabling us to understand the overall health of the organization, to see what we are doing well and figure out what we can do better.

    2. Co-create your values

    Amid stress and uncertainty, employees benefit from a clear understanding of the vision and values of the organization. They also benefit from a vision and values that align with their own — studies show employees whose personal values align with the values of their organization are more likely to be engaged and less likely to quit — which is why there is a tremendous benefit to creating vision and values collaboratively.

    Imagine starting with a blank canvas, then be thoughtful and purposeful about the future you want to create. By listening to the needs of your people and paying close attention to context, you can identify a set of values that energize your team. You may try things that fail, but the messiness of intentional experimentation is mitigated by clear and open dialogue, your willingness to learn and your ability to adapt.

    Related: Leading With Transparency in Times of Uncertainty

    3. Connect with people

    As leaders, we ask our employees to spend the majority of their waking hours at work. In return, we have to make sure we show them that their time at work matters. A Gartner study showed that 82% of employees say it’s important for their organization to see them as a person, not just an employee. However, just 45% of employees believe their organization actually sees them this way. That’s probably because just 27% of organizations “guide supervisors to have conversations with their teams about why their work matters.”

    Combatting this disconnect starts with you and your executive team. There is something powerful about a leader checking in with their team. The most successful leaders I have coached set aside time to check in with each of their teams on a human level, offer gratitude for their work, ask them about the challenges they’re experiencing at work and at home and ask them how they can help.

    4. Double down on community

    Loneliness has long been a problem in the workplace. But, since the beginning of the pandemic, the problem has become even more pronounced. And that’s a big problem. Loneliness reduces our ability to perform tasks, limits creativity and reduces reasoning and decision-making. Socially isolated team members are less likely to collaborate with others, and research shows that their colleagues are likely to perceive them as unapproachable and uncommitted to the organization.

    It’s hard for your team to feel like they’re in this together when most of them have never been in the same room. More than 30% of the U.S. workforce has changed jobs since the pandemic necessitated a mass movement to remote and hybrid work. At some of our enterprise clients, there are entire teams of individuals who have never met one another in person.

    While I recognize the expense of bringing people together, the value of in-person interaction is impossible to overstate. Studies show that in-person interactions trigger the release of oxytocin and build trust and psychological safety between individuals. Google’s two-year study of its teams showed that psychological safety was the single most important factor impacting performance. Individuals on teams with higher psychological safety were more engaged and less likely to leave the company.

    Related: Why Everything You Know About Employee Engagement Is Wrong

    More than a feeling

    Improving engagement at your company won’t be easy — 36% is the highest portion of the U.S. workforce that has been engaged at work in the past 20 years. However, your effort will be rewarded. Engaged employees are not only less likely to turnover, but they also deliver higher sales, more satisfied customers, greater productivity and higher profits than their less engaged colleagues.

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    Jonathan Kirschner

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  • 5 Things Tech Employers Can Do to Mitigate Employee Fatigue | Entrepreneur

    5 Things Tech Employers Can Do to Mitigate Employee Fatigue | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    To say the U.S. is home to an enormous labor market, specifically technology, would be a gross understatement. According to data published by the International Trade Administration, an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that promotes the export of non-agricultural products and services, the U.S. is home to one-third of the $5 trillion global information technology market, thus making it the largest tech market in the world. But that’s not all; there is far more to it than that.

    The same International Trade Administration data revealed that the tech industry accounts for nearly $2 trillion of the U.S. value-added gross domestic product (GDP) and some 12 million jobs. Yes, you read that correctly — 12 million jobs. The software and electronic devices we use in our professional and personal lives helped make the U.S. a leader in the global tech market.

    As far as tech companies go, the U.S. is home to more successful ones than any other nation. And these are the same ones that have created the roughly 12 million tech jobs that help keep unemployment numbers low and the country’s economy chugging along nicely. Based on market cap, some of the largest and most successful tech companies in the U.S. include the following:

    • Apple

    • Alphabet (Google)

    • Microsoft

    • Meta

    • Dell Technologies

    • Intel

    • IBM

    • HP

    • Tesla

    • Cisco Systems

    The one thing these companies have in common is that they are all highly competitive. And that competitiveness is the mechanism that drives their marketing strategies, fuels their innovations and enables them to bring to market the software and devices that most of us use in our day-to-day lives.

    To achieve these things, many companies offer tantalizing financial incentives to compel employees to work harder and longer than they otherwise would. Some go as far as to make working overtime compulsory. Studies show that an estimated 18% of employees in the U.S. work 60 or more hours per week. And instead of the usual 40-hour work week, many are working 47 hours each week. These long workdays can and often do take a toll on an employer’s workforce.

    Related: How to Deal With Employee Burnout

    Employees in some of America’s largest tech companies report feeling fatigued and burnt out

    According to ZDNet, an esteemed business technology news website, roughly 2 in 5 tech employees say they want to quit their tech jobs due to excessive stress, exhaustion and poor work-life balance. A separate study published by CNBC echoed the same as it detailed the state of affairs at Microsoft, a multinational technology corporation and the world’s largest purveyor of computer software. The study revealed that roughly 50% of employees and 53% of managers said they frequently felt burnt out at work.

    In the fast-paced world of technology, employee burnout and fatigue have become increasingly common. With long hours, tight deadlines and a constant need to stay updated with the latest technologies, tech employees can quickly become overwhelmed and exhausted. Here are some ways to mitigate tech employee fatigue in 2023:

    Related: Become a Better Leader By Helping Your Team Manage Stress

    5 things tech employers can do to boost employee morale and combat workplace fatigue

    1. Encourage work-life balance: It is essential to encourage tech employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This can be achieved by setting reasonable work hours, providing flexible work arrangements and encouraging employees to take regular breaks. I am also a big believer in offering employees extra days off as needed, especially when they have stressful personal life issues they are dealing with.

    2. Promote a positive work culture: A positive work culture can significantly reduce employee fatigue. By fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment, tech employees are more likely to feel valued and motivated. I like to do employee game meetings with prizes, where the sole goal of the meetings is to have fun and not discuss work.

    3. Offer training and development opportunities: Regular training and development opportunities can keep tech employees engaged and motivated. It can also help build their skills and knowledge, reducing the likelihood of fatigue caused by feeling overwhelmed or unprepared. These training opportunities can be directly related to their jobs or personal skills that they would like to develop. I once paid for a cooking class for an employee because they were stressed out about cooking dinner for their family every night. The fact that this class had nothing to do with their job made it even more rewarding for this person.

    4. Provide mental health support: It is essential to prioritize mental health and provide resources and support for employees struggling with burnout or fatigue. This can include access to counseling, stress-management workshops and other resources to help employees manage their mental health. I also allow my employees to have additional days off as needed to help them decompress and not be as stressed about their job responsibilities.

    5. Recognize and reward employees: Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and contributions can help to boost morale and reduce fatigue. This can be achieved through bonuses, promotions or other incentives recognizing employees’ efforts and contributions.

    In conclusion, mitigating tech employee fatigue is essential for maintaining a productive and healthy workforce. By encouraging work-life balance, promoting a positive work culture, offering training and development opportunities, providing mental health support and recognizing and rewarding employees, tech leaders can help employees stay engaged, motivated and energized.

    Related: High-Stress Companies Need to Invest in Employee Mental Health

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    Steve Taplin

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  • Poor Working Conditions Can Impact Your Mental Health: Report | Entrepreneur

    Poor Working Conditions Can Impact Your Mental Health: Report | Entrepreneur

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    Crummy working conditions aren’t just bad for morale.

    Late shifts, job insecurity, and a lack of sick leave can negatively impact employees’ mental health, according to a new study published in April 2023 by the CDC.

    The study, which is based on the respondents (ages 18 to 64) of the 2021 National Center for Health Statistics National Health Interview Survey, found that one in every 37 working adults (2.7%) “experienced serious psychological distress” that was significant enough to cause “moderate-to-serious impairment” to everyday functioning and required treatment.

    RELATED: I Worked From Vegas Without Telling My Boss. It Was Perfect — Until I Had a Surprise Zoom Call in a Casino.

    The rates of mental distress varied by working conditions. The study found that one in 17 people (5.8%) who worked while sick reported “serious psychological distress,” which is three times greater than those who did not work when ill.

    Courtesy of the CDC – Figure 4. Percentage of working adults aged 18–64 reporting serious psychological distress in the past 30 days, by availability of paid sick leave and report of working when physically ill: United States, 2021

    Additionally, late-night shift workers and those with less-flexible scheduling were two times more likely to report mental distress than day workers with day shifts and flexible schedules.

    Courtesy of the CDC – Figure 3. Percentage of working adults aged 18–64 reporting serious psychological distress in the past 30 days, by work schedule characteristics: United States, 2021

    The study noted that those will inconsistent earnings and people who feared losing their jobs were also at a higher risk for reporting serious physical distress.

    RELATED: Retirees Are Earning Up to $20,000 Per Month With One Fully Remote Side Hustle

    Overall, the study found that autonomy in the workplace is important to mental health.

    “People need to have a sense of agency in order to avoid having a stress response,” Dennis Stolle, senior director for applied psychology with the American Psychological Association, told CNN. “When people don’t know what’s going to happen and they don’t have any control over what’s going to happen, it can lead to anxiety and to increase levels of stress.”

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    Sam Silverman

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  • Why People-Focused Leaders Are Crucial to Overcoming a Recession | Entrepreneur

    Why People-Focused Leaders Are Crucial to Overcoming a Recession | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As economists and financial leaders continue to debate the possibility of an economic recession in 2023, there is little doubt this hot topic is creating a great sense of uncertainty for businesses and a disruption in the workforce. While companies are likely focused on continuing operations, workers are on edge for professional and personal reasons, leading to distracted employees and reduced performance that affects the bottom line.

    Although economic indicators fluctuate, and recession forecasts are ever-changing, savvy business leaders understand the unwavering foundation of their business is people – a company’s greatest asset. Successful leaders emphasize taking care of their people — in good times and bad — to stay the course, leverage opportunities and weather any storms, leading to more resilient companies anchored by an engaged, secure workforce.

    Below are three ways people-focused business leaders can address recessionary concerns to make employees feel safe.

    1. Practice clear communication

    In a world of 24-hour news cycles filled with dynamic views about a recession, it is not surprising that employees may feel confused and concerned about the economy and their employer’s stability. Human nature dictates that workers will naturally rely on those they trust. They look to leaders for clear communication, guidance, reassurance and a path forward to help alleviate any fears.

    While practicing clear communication is key in all business situations, it is even more critical during times of uncertainty, which employers and employees are all too familiar given the last three years. Prior communication strategies serve as a solid knowledge base to inform current decision-making tactics.

    Leaders should consider what worked, what didn’t and areas for improvement. Frequent, clear and consistent communication throughout the company can help to reinforce the company’s position and its vision forward. Hence, employees feel secure and free to focus on the tasks at hand. For example, acknowledging recessionary concerns and sharing insights through CEO video messages/all-employee meetings, manager updates during team meetings with time for employee Q&As and relevant content/links posted on the intranet are ways for leaders to keep workers informed and to help them feel more secure.

    Related: 3 Steps to Help Employees Understand Your Objectives and Expectations

    2. Promote  the  culture

    A strong corporate culture can be a differentiating factor during uncertain times because employees need to feel supported and cared for by their work family, providing a critical sense of belonging that leads to camaraderie and a united front as everyone faces the possibility of an economic recession together. Therefore, promoting the culture by reinforcing existing policies, programs and benefits, or creating new ones, should be top of mind for business leaders.

    When leaders make a concerted effort to understand employee wants and needs regarding particular situations – similar to offering more flexible scheduling during the pandemic – it can go a long way toward cultivating an environment in which employees feel appreciated and leads to a confident, engaged workforce.

    For example, many employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer access to financial resources, mental health and well-being programs, and personal or professional guidance free of charge to employees and family members. Another way to support employees is through financial wellness programs that delve into developing a budget, reducing debt, understanding credit and saving for college or retirement, which can help employees gain more confidence in managing their finances.

    Related: How Leaders Should Think About Employee Benefits

    3. Offer unique financial perks

    Although the economy is uncertain, the still-tight labor market is a valid concern for many organizations. Therefore, offering unique financial perks is one way to attract and retain top talent. When employers think outside of the box by providing benefits to help ease employees’ financial burdens, it not only acknowledges economic concerns but also demonstrates empathy because leaders understand what it is like to feel financial stressors.

    There are numerous ways companies can provide financial assistance to support employees while standing out as a great workplace. For example, employers might consider offering employees lump-sum financial benefits workers can use at their discretion for groceries, gas, elder/child care, utilities and other living expenses. Additional areas to consider are assistance with student loan repayments, tuition reimbursement, access to short-term loans and company match on 401(k) accounts. When employers go above and beyond to address financial issues, employees take notice and realize business leaders have their best interests at heart.

    As business leaders face the possibility of a recession, their number one priority should be taking care of their people — the lifeblood of a company’s existence — to help ensure they feel informed, supported and secure in the workplace.

    Related: Employee Perks Might Not Be As Effective As You Think They Are

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    Steve Arizpe

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  • Why Acknowledging Your Team Members Is Critical to Your Success | Entrepreneur

    Why Acknowledging Your Team Members Is Critical to Your Success | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Great leaders of high-producing teams recognize a crucial component of team building: the acknowledgment of others. Giving people the acknowledgment they deserve will not only lift up the culture of a team, but it will increase the team’s production and performance. It’s as simple as it sounds, but it’s not always easy to incorporate this practice into your everyday habits and actions as you work with your team.

    You’ve probably experienced this in your own career — people are quick to notice when you’re not meeting expectations but fail to recognize all the times you are performing well and dedicating effort and time to your duties. It feels discouraging and it also decreases your own motivation to work harder and prove yourself. If you can master verbally uplifting your team, it will level up your business.

    Related: 5 Fantastic Ways to Show Your Team Members You Are Grateful for Them

    How to make acknowledgment part of your daily routine

    Sometimes it’s hard to focus on uplifting others when we are such individually-driven beings. We want to get the credit we deserve, and sometimes we put that above giving credit to others.

    Masterful leaders have learned to set aside their undying thirst for credit and recognition because they’re in it for the long game. They see the big picture, and that big-picture success depends on other team players who are motivated, dedicated and invested in the team as much as you are. But how do we get into this mindset of constantly uplifting others if we’re not already there?

    • Be an active listener. Focus on your conversations and the conversations that others are having. What are they proud of? What are their concerns? What issues did they spend the afternoon figuring out how to solve? What tough clients or projects are they working on? By being an active listener, you will have countless opportunities throughout the day to listen to the successes of your team members throughout the day and to shine the spotlight on their wins, no matter how big or small.
    • Be specific with your words. While we all like to hear “good job,” the compliment can feel meaningless and generic. If someone caught an error on a client project or put together a thorough presentation for your team, be specific in your praise to them. Not only does this take honesty in being genuine with your words, but it takes practice. Identify particular tactics or creative thoughts they had throughout their process and highlight the clearly defined reasons that contributed to their performance. They will feel seen and know that your words are authentic.
    • Focus on what they’re good at before focusing on what they lack. If someone is underperforming on your team, it’s easy to turn your attention to the tasks they’re failing to accomplish. Before criticizing them or giving immediate feedback on how they can improve, first focus on what they’re accomplishing or performing well at, even if the tasks are small or part of their expected duties. Build up their self-esteem with what they’re doing well, and that increase in self-confidence can spill over into the areas where they’re underperforming. When people feel like their strengths are highlighted before their weaknesses, they will feel greater reassurance when moving on to more challenging tasks.

    Related: 9 Simple Techniques Any Leader Can Use to Show Employees Appreciation

    How acknowledgment helps you and your team

    We’ve been told to uplift others our whole lives, from classrooms as children or even on sports teams and other activities growing up, but it might be hard to recognize quantifiable ways that words of recognition help the productivity and the bottom line of your business. Spreading acknowledgment could help you and your team in various ways:

    • It increases employee retention. All other factors aside, if someone has the choice between staying in a workplace where they’re constantly encouraged and acknowledged versus staying where their successes are rarely acknowledged, they will stay at the workplace of acknowledgment every single time. Employees want to stay on a team where they feel supported, heard and seen. Calling team members out on their wins could also give them the courage to speak up if they need extra help or even own up to a mistake and take corrective measures to fix it, avoiding more significant issues or financial losses in the future.
    • It enhances your teamwork and collaboration. Establishing a business culture of uplifting each other and highlighting each other’s strengths, will increase the interpersonal relationships on a team. Each team member feels like they are being supported by the other, which increases the teamwork and collaboration between everyone. Employees are more engaged and willing to go above and beyond if they feel the organization recognizes their value and celebrates their growth.
    • By acknowledging others, they acknowledge you. Fill up others’ cups, and they will fill up yours. Acknowledgment isn’t an exception to the law of reciprocity — when you acknowledge when others are doing well, they’ll do the same for you. Odds are, they’ll probably start doing it to others on the team as well. Uplifting words are easier to give when you receive them regularly, but sometimes you have to be the one to start that cycle. When others lift you and call out your wins, they can testify to your capabilities later down the road, whether you’re locking down a new client or moving into a higher-paying role.

    Related: Where’s the Love? Why You Should Work to Ingrain Gratitude Into Your Company Culture

    All great things are built with cohesive teams; nothing tears down a team faster than those who want the credit for everything. Lift people up for what they are doing instead of being quick to point out what they aren’t doing, and they’ll do the same for you. You have to do it first and do it consistently to create a winning environment for your business. If you become a highlighter of the capabilities of others, you’ll start an acknowledgment culture in that everyone will participate, leading to greater productivity and success.

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    Kale Goodman

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  • How to Lead With Authenticity and Build a Thriving Workplace | Entrepreneur

    How to Lead With Authenticity and Build a Thriving Workplace | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As leaders, it’s our responsibility to create environments that promote productivity, innovation and growth. What if we were to take this a step further and prioritize personal fulfillment as well? A workplace culture that promotes openness and transparency encourages employee satisfaction, which in turn fosters excellence and efficiency. As such, following this approach can take us much further than the traditional mindset.

    As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I faced significant challenges early in my career, with people often dismissing my opinions, actions and decisions as emotional or irrational. I learned that to be taken seriously, I had to mask my authentic self. So, I spent years teaching myself to hide my feelings, personality and passions, as I was made to believe this was the only way to get ahead. Granted, it worked, but as I gained more experience and moved up the ranks, I realized this culture was deeply flawed, regardless of how (unfortunately) common it is.

    Related: Authentic Leadership: What Is It and Why is it Important?

    The key to building a thriving workplace

    With experience, I came to realize that the key to building a thriving workplace is authenticity: an approach rooted in trust, allowing individuals to build relationships based on openness, honesty and being their true selves while actively enabling work-life integration.

    Work-life integration is based on the idea that work and life aren’t separate, but rather, that professional responsibilities, family life, hobbies and personal development can be interwoven in a way that supports and enhances our overall well-being. It suggests a holistic approach to managing work and life, where the boundaries between the two are blurred, and the focus is on creating fulfillment and balance overall.

    This approach prioritizes the well-being of individuals, inspiring them to embrace their true selves and creating a positive energy that drives collaboration, innovation, creativity and productivity. Even more so, it encourages loyalty and commitment among employees, which benefits us, our companies and our employees in the long run.

    The bottom line is simple: Employees who love going to work wake up feeling excited about their day and ultimately, as a result, drive success for the business.

    With these ideas in mind, I used principles of authentic leadership and work-life integration to create a culture that allows employees to be authentic without fear of judgment. I’m proud to say that my team has thrived under this approach, with proven increased engagement, job satisfaction and productivity.

    This all sounds great in theory, but how does it actually work?

    Related: 3 Ways Authentic Leaders Inspire and Retain Employees

    How to create this type of culture

    To bring this approach to life, you have to start with yourself. Authentic leadership is based on a leader’s ability to be honest, transparent and real with their employees while encouraging the reciprocation of these principles. Below are some tips on how you can do just that, with the goal of fostering a workplace culture similar to the one I’ve created:

    1. Lead by example: Model authenticity by being vulnerable and sharing your experiences/emotions with your team. By leading with honesty and promoting transparency, you can create an environment where team members feel comfortable and are empowered to share their own perspectives.

    2. Create a safe space: Encourage a culture where critique is seen as an opportunity for growth by actively seeking feedback. Foster open communication and encourage your team to be transparent and honest with one another, including you. Authenticity goes both ways, meaning you’ll sometimes receive feedback you don’t want to hear; when that happens, put your ego aside and let go of the “I’m the boss, they can’t talk to me that way!!” mentality as it won’t serve you and will only deter your team from being transparent with you.

    3. Provide growth opportunities: Invest in employee growth and development to show that you value your team. Provide training, mentorship and career growth opportunities or a pool of learning resources (i.e., online learning platforms). Don’t skimp on the time spent on learning and development, as this investment will pay off in improved employee retention and satisfaction while creating a culture that values learning and innovation, driving success for the company as a whole.

    4. Foster a healthy work-life integration: Offer flexibility, remote work options and paid time off to avoid burnout. Accept, expect and accommodate the realities of personal life as they are inevitable. Don’t make employees waste time explaining personal commitments or apologizing for external factors during virtual meetings, rather allow them to address them and return to work with renewed focus. Life will go on, with or without the stress, so choose “without” by normalizing work-life integration instead of encouraging worry or fear of judgment when personal life overlaps with work.

    5. Build authentic relationships: If this doesn’t come naturally to you, actively invest in your relationships with your team members by engaging in conversations that strengthen your interest in their lives and well-being to develop trust, respect and empathy. Recognize that your team is your greatest asset, and create a culture where they can feel cared for. Within my team, this approach resulted in great friendships forming, boosting both engagement and collaboration.

    Related: CEO Survival Guide: Leading with Authenticity, Transparency and Trust

    While this approach can bring about incredible outcomes for businesses, it doesn’t come without implications, such as the possible challenge of putting your personal feelings aside to remain professional and objective; this can be especially tricky when you’re faced with making tough decisions involving your team.

    To avoid being blindsided, it’s essential to anticipate the potential impact of personal biases, prepare for them and take steps to reduce their impact. True authentic leaders make decisions based on objective analysis, recognizing and remaining aware of their strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs. They use these insights to guide decision-making rather than cloud it, allowing them to make more thoughtful and effective decisions than they would otherwise.

    By leveraging both the benefits and implications of the authentic leadership approach, you can promote an environment where both individuals and companies can thrive in building a positive, supportive and fulfilling workplace. After all, we spend a significant portion of our lives at work, so why not spend it happily?

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    Adi Vaxman

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  • Is Your Start Up Safe? Here Are 7 Reminders On How To Protect It From Common Threats | Entrepreneur

    Is Your Start Up Safe? Here Are 7 Reminders On How To Protect It From Common Threats | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There’s a lot of moving parts when it comes to starting a business. And always the topic of security will come up.

    Security is one of those things that has been discussed in detail, but to arm your organization, it’s about making sure that you understand what threats you are up against. It requires a number of physical, digital, and mental security measures to protect your startup; here are some tips that can help you protect your company and promote longevity.

    Proper identification

    If you want to secure your premises, you’ve got to look from the outside in. Exterior security comes in many different ways, like security cameras, security guards, or fencing, but one of the simplest methods you can use to prevent any intrusion is to issue company ID badges for every member of staff. There are a number of external components that you can leverage, but you must think about proper identification as being a simple notion that underpins your entire business.

    Communicating properly

    It is essential to make sure your employees are knowledgeable in basic security that can minimize threats. Something like phishing scams is still commonplace, and one of the biggest reasons that companies fall foul of these is because they’re not communicating security measures in simple language. When we talk about security and compliance, we can easily start to overcomplicate the language, and providing information in the most basic ways that everybody can understand means you are not suffering from oversimplification but are benefiting from over-communication.

    Related: Your Fight-or-Flight Response Can be a Good Thing at Work — Here’s How to Take Advantage of It

    Security is something we must work hard at for our business and of the major problems that can be endemic in startups is using overly complicated language, not just in security but in every other aspect of our business. Ensuring we talk about things clearly and in language that everybody understands can get our point across so the message will spread further.

    Appropriate surveillance

    Whether inside or outside of your business, you can benefit from surveillance like CCTV, but there’s more to it than just the most up-to-date security system. Surveillance is also about providing deterrence. Potential intruders will weigh up a location to see if it is worth breaking into before anything else. While a security camera can be enough to deter a thief, there are other methods, like clear signage and a professional security firm, that provide reassurance. Surveillance is easier to achieve than ever, as long as you ensure your physical surveillance is more robust you should have no problem protecting your assets.

    Internal physical startup security

    The topic of security is not just about the exterior. Ensuring that we go beyond ID badges and provide greater access to certain members of the business (and limited access to others) is about a logical approach to investing in security. There are a number of methods beyond ID badges you can take advantage of; physical barriers are one approach, but you can also limit access to more sensitive locations, like data centers, where certain members of staff would not be able to infiltrate. While this can go against the grain of transparency in an organization, if you are looking to protect a number of physical assets from within, you have to implement greater supervision. One of the more common methods of theft comes from within.

    Related: 3 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats Facing Small Businesses Right Now

    Understanding your employees can steal too

    When we place a lot of trust in our employees and someone breaks that trust, it can hurt. Breaking trust can make us feel more inclined to increase our security measures. This is partly why simple internal security measures like a security camera can do a lot, but it’s also about making sure that you recognize the signs of a fraudulent employee.

    Backing up data

    Regular backups are a simple thing but are critical to disaster recovery. The act of regular backups to a cloud system is one approach. However, if you are not utilizing the cloud yet and are still using hard drives, these can be physically stolen. Keeping them under lock and key is one simple approach. On the other hand, you should implement company policies that stipulate backups need to be stored securely.

    Embedding a culture of startup security

    To increase your security measures, you need to prioritize a security-oriented culture. Many startups are aware of the importance of culture. They see it as a way to increase trust and help onboard new team members. Whenever somebody comes into your business, this is the ideal opportunity to reiterate your security-based objectives. When you start to bring new team members on board, you can start bringing in new rules. You can also start fine-tuning those security practices. We should take advantage of bringing in new practices especially if we found our security methods have been underwhelming in the past.

    It is such a simple thing. When you start to bring newer team members on board, you can give them greater understanding in what makes a more secure business. The foresight to adopt new measures and adapt to older ones will provide greater reassurance. A culture of security within your business has nothing to do with your budget or your employee skill set, but it is one component that greatly improves a business in subtle ways.

    When employees have a greater level of autonomy, they will work better. For this to work for your business, you’ve got to fine-tune the culture. Fine-tune what makes a great culture in the first place. Employees need to have that peace of mind. However, you must also ensure you are running a safe company. Placing trust in your employees and implementing autonomous practices can significantly enhance your business’s security. This can be done without necessarily requiring additional equipment investment.

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    Under30CEO

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  • 5 Ways to Successfully Encourage, Empower and Engage Your Team | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways to Successfully Encourage, Empower and Engage Your Team | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When I was growing up, I often heard the phrase, “don’t let that get to your head” when someone was given a compliment for something they did well. I even got in the habit of curbing my own “big-headedness” by downplaying my achievements. I’d say or think things like, “it’s not a big deal” or “I’m just doing my job” to combat the fear of growing too big a head. If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, I mean the ego, the “I am.” That ol’, mysterious ego.

    Here’s the thing: This is much more than just ego. What I’m talking about is encouragement and how to foster that necessary part of us — all of us. I wonder sometimes how I might be different if I was allowed to let a few things “get to my head.” I wonder: Where would I be, and how would my career look if I got a little big-headed early on? And while there’s no going back (if you have or know of a time-travel machine, please let me know because I need to say something to my third-grade teacher), there’s always the going forward part that I prefer to focus on.

    As professional leaders, we have an obligation to build up the people around us. We want them to be stronger, and we want them to grow. Leaders cannot just direct others around like a herd of sheep. And yes, sheep have their place in this world, but leaders should be more like the captain of a ship. They are in charge and respected but leave room for everyone else to do their jobs and to do them well, or the ship goes down. Is this an easy task? Depends on how you see yourself — but I don’t have time for that! I do have time, however, to share my thoughts on how to empower, encourage and engage your team:

    Related: 25 Ways to Lead, Inspire and Motivate Your Team to Greatness

    1. Compliment your team often

    Tell them they’ve done something well. Congratulate them on a big win. Say it out loud or in an email —and do this all the time. What happens when you reward people with words only leads to a more motivated team. And they’ll continue to do their jobs well.

    2. Ask for clarification and an explanation of what they’re doing

    Ask questions, and pay attention to what your team is doing. How can this help? When people are asked to explain something that they’re either learning or processing, it can actually help them grasp the concept even better. When this exchange is done, it creates a teachable moment for everyone involved — including you, the leader.

    3. Let them play with fire

    Here’s the good news: Not everything will burn down if you give your team some freedom to play with fire. The other good news: Eventually your team will learn not to get burned (just like a two-year-old who touches a hot stove. It’s an a-ha kind of moment). No one likes the feeling of making a mistake, getting reminded or scolded for something they’re still learning. But when you allow your team to get close to the fire, be sure to let them know you’re also there to help with the burn. They’ll be better for it, and you might even learn something about yourself, too.

    Related: 8 Ways to Motivate Employees Into an Unstoppable Team

    4. Demand opinions

    When you’re making changes that will affect others, or if you’re deciding on something that will involve your team, get into the habit of asking for their input rather than just assuming everyone is going along with your one-person show because they’re too afraid to voice their opinion. Take a look at your company culture. Does everyone just agree with you? Has anyone ever said, “Hey, how about this?” I can assure you, though they don’t say it to your face, your employees definitely have opinions. Make an effort to open them up. True transparency cuts both ways. It may even involve a few cuts to your ego (see what I did there?), but it is worth it in the long run.

    5. Walk away

    Leave the room! This one’s for you, micromanagers. Allow your team to learn to lead without you hovering over them. Let them show integrity for the work they’re doing. After you’ve asked their opinions and let them explain how they work, leave the nest. If you have a strong company culture, you can be certain that if they have any questions, they’ll be open and honest and unafraid to come to you to ask. If you’re concerned that your proverbial office walls are too small for all the future big heads, then make more room. There’s plenty of space.

    So, remember to compliment your team often — words of encouragement go a long way. Ask for explanations, because when they explain, they also learn. Let them play with fire so that they can learn from their mistakes. Demand opinions, because true transparency gives way to honesty and trust. And finally, leave the room — don’t micromanage. Following these tips will help you to successfully encourage, empower and engage your team.

    Related: 4 Leadership Methods for Empowering Employees and Building Strong Teams

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    DeAnna Spoerl

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