One of the lessons we were all taught by our parents was the importance of saying thank you to others. No matter how small or insignificant the interaction was, we were reminded that expressing gratitude to others was not only polite, but the right thing to do. Of course, as we got older, we also began to appreciate the impact we can create on others – and the impact others can have on us – because we take the time to share with them a word of thanks for their help or support.
While the value and benefit of saying thanks remains apparent and in use (most times) in social settings, there is still some doubt as to whether a similar value can be found in expressing gratitude in business interactions. In some cases, this is due to an organization’s culture or leadership, which may frown upon such gestures being brought into the workplace. For others, it might simply be a question of not having anything outside of anecdotal references that demonstrate the importance and value leaders would gain by expressing thanks to those they lead. In addressing this latter group, there may at last be some empirical evidence that explains how expressing words of gratitude can motivate and engage your team. Click here to continue reading »”How Two Simple Words Can Energize Your Team and Grow Your Business”
If you enjoyed this piece, I'd like to invite you to subscribe to my blog. Just click on the link below, enter your name and email address, and you'll get my latest posts set directly to your inbox - Subscribe to my blog via email
With many of us enjoying a festive long weekend, both here in Canada as well as in the United States, I was reminded about the inspiration behind one of my most popular posts from the last several months, that touched on the connection between having a fun time and employee engagement. For recent readers of my blog, I’m sure you’ll find this an enjoyable and inspiring read. And for those of you who have been reading my blog for the last year or so, this will be a pleasant reminder of how to encourage collaboration and engagement within your team.
************
Inspiration can be a curious thing.
I’m always amazed at how seemingly unrelated pieces can stir up new ideas or perspectives about our world and the way we live and conduct ourselves within it. Take, for example, this commercial released on YouTube last week by Coca-Cola called the “Happiness Machine”.
While the commercial is effective in creating this idea of Coca-Cola being a source of happiness, there’s also a valuable lesson here that can be imparted to business leaders in how they interact with their employees.
Today, the net is abuzz with the release of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s book “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose”. I was fortunate to be selected as one of the bloggers who was sent an advance copy of Hsieh’s book to review on my site (as well as a second copy of the book which I will be giving away for free to one of my readers. More on that later).
In addition to being thrilled at the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release, I was also understandably curious to read the insights of an entrepreneur who was able to take a struggling online shoe retailer and transform it into one of the decade’s biggest success stories. A few chapters into Hsieh’s book, that curiosity soon transformed into one of delight as Hsieh revealed his need to move past seeking profits to finding some purpose and meaning behind his efforts.
Hsieh’s book begins by sharing some stories from his childhood, featuring moments where his budding entrepreneurial spirit propelled him to come up with all sorts of plans on how to make money. The tales are for the most part endearing, reminding the reader of the whimsical image of the makeshift lemonade stand children create to sell beverages to the passersby.
No matter what industry your business is based in, all entrepreneurs and small business owners share one thing in common – the desire to see their business grow and become more profitable. In most cases, this drive leads to a focus on looking out for new markets or finding new ways to attract new customers. And yet, few business owners consider the importance that growing and developing their team of employees plays in helping their company to achieve greater prosperity and stability.
Indeed, in a recent survey among owners of the fastest growing small businesses in North America, over 77% of respondents said that “hiring the right people” played a significant role in their company’s ability to grow. Of course, many entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t start their companies so they can be in a position to lead others. Instead, most embrace the entrepreneurial spirit in order to ‘be their own boss’ and not to become someone else’s.
This is probably why many treat the hiring of new employees as if they were securing another vendor in their product supply chain. In other words, business owners tend to simply look for someone to pass off some of the issues they face in getting their products/services out into the hands of their customers. While this approach can help provide some short term gains, it prevents business owners from understanding the value employees offer to the future growth of their company.
