Feel Out Your Employees

"I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

Your employees are the most important element of your business.

How is your leadership making them feel?

Are they aware that they are appreciated? Do they know that you are invested in their growth? Do they feel like they are part of a team?

Or…do they feel replaceable?

These questions matter more than ever.

Long gone are the days when people entered the workforce with plans of remaining loyal to one employer for their entire career.

High turnover is a real issue that plagues most workplaces.

It can be a  huge drain on the budget and the culture of your company.

That being said, worrying only about the bottom line, is a thin line to walk.

Your employees don't just show up for a paycheck.

They crave to be valued…to be an integral part of a community.

Above and beyond their salaries, you need to pay them authentic attention if you want to keep them engaged and motivated.

What is one way you can pay attention to your employees today?

Uncomfortable in Your Leadership Role?

"It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse." - Adlai E. Stevenson II

The best leaders are not the people seeking to grow their power; they are the people seeking to empower growth.

Those who possess this quality often attract unexpected leadership opportunities into their lives...

despite their belief that they would “look funny on a horse”.

It’s okay if ‘leading’ is a role that doesn't come naturally to you.

You might be expecting me to launch into a “fake it ‘til you make it” speech.

Instead, my call to action is to just be yourself.

When you are leading a cavalry charge – a really big and important charge,  your best ally is you.

Your authenticity.

Your belief in the mission.

Stop putting so much stock in what other people think.

So what if you look funny on a horse?!

The best way to become a better rider is to saddle up and enjoy the ride!

Work Up the Nerve to Play

When did work and play become such epic rivals?

It’s not a competition.

Don’t get me wrong, working hard can be very rewarding! And playing hard is its own kind of fun...

It’s just not a matter of 'either/or'.

What am I playing at? I’m working up to it…

We can still be taken seriously without having to take ourselves so seriously.

How?

One small grammatical shift can allow a huge change to occur in our personal and professional lives.

Right now we treat both ‘work’ and ‘play’ like two verbs in competition for our actions.

However, in terms of the way we actually live our lives…work is a noun! It’s  a thing!…a very important  thing that we all want and deserve to enjoy!

Look at all the other things you love in your life: your children, your pets, your partner, your hobbies...

Don’t you enjoy them and show them your love by engaging in play?

Why would you approach work any differently?

Let the verb  act on the noun, and these epic rivals can finally become partners.

Finally, a play on words that actually…works.

How will you incorporate play into your work today?