Posted by Kaitlin King on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 @ 11:54 AM
By Michael Gunther
I was in the hospital room of my 86-year-old mother a few weeks ago, assisting and watching over her through recovery from surgery. It’s strange to feed your mom breakfast as if you were feeding a child. Here is the woman who raised you, who guided and nurtured you, but now the roles are being reversed. I realize it’s part of the transition of life. It saddens me, but at the same time endears me to her even more.
Caring for her in that childlike state must be what a parent feels towards a child--the immense love and compassion, the ping in your heart at their frailty. I wanted to take care of her and protect her even more.
I wonder what it’s like to be on the receiving end of this care. She was once a strong and active woman, bearing and raising 17 children, taking care of them through all the trials and tribulations of their youth well into their adulthood. How vulnerable one must feel to finally let go and allow those that you once cared for to begin taking care of you. Isn’t one of the greatest acts of love not only giving of yourself to others, but being open to receiving similar actions by those you love?
I continue to learn from my mom, even at age 46. Watching her accept her limitations and allowing me to assist her in this next phase of her life makes me realize the connection between my mom’s life transition and the transition of a business owner. There is a period in every business owner’s life when it comes time for them to step aside and let the next generation begin to drive the growth of the organization.
Over the past year we worked with many business owners who wanted to transition their role within their business--whether shifting that role to their management team or selling to key employees or an outside third party. These owners spent many years building and growing their businesses, creating entities that fulfilled them both intrinsically and extrinsically. Their customers and employees became a part of their family, but the time came to move on to their next phase of their lives.
This may sound like a welcomed change of pace, but for many individuals this transition is incredibly difficult. They have to learn to let go and allow others to start making the decisions and assuming the roles they had always managed. They must begin to take a step back, which can be scary because they spent so much of their lives leading the pack.
One way to approach this process is for these individuals to identify what they will do with their newfound time. What activities, hobbies, new ventures, etc. do they want to explore? In addition, these individuals can define a business advisory role within their organization and continue to contribute their wisdom, experience and knowledge to the new leaders or owners. Most importantly, they must be willing to accept this new stage of their career and their business. Otherwise, as we have seen, many individuals attempt to control more and more of the organization, this eventually can strangle the growth of the business, and even cause the departure of key personnel.
The Bottom Line
Businesses, just like life, are full of transitions. Strong leaders recognize this fact and develop solid succession plans and exit strategies for themselves and their organizations. The more one can accept their current stage and be open to the adjustment of roles, the stronger the individual, the organization and the team will become.
On a side note: My mom is doing great and getting ready to continue crossing things off her ‘bucket list.’
This is the ninth article in a series on Michael’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Kaitlin King on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 04:33 PM
By Eric Hubbs, Business Development Manager
Have you ever found yourself finishing up a very busy week, checking your calendar for the next seven days, and realizing there’s nothing on it?! No work scheduled, no sales appointments, no consultations, nothing! You are not alone. We see it so often in our clients, we have given it a name: “The Sales Roller Coaster.”
For those of us who have sales responsibilities, in addition to client/customer work, this is a very common problem. We get so busy writing our proposals, working with our co-workers or assisting customers, that we forget to generate, cultivate and close leads! We end up starting from scratch, desperately recruiting leads and attempting to close business. Does it work? No. Does it create unnecessary stress for us, our team, and our bottom lines? Absolutely.
What is the answer to avoiding this roller coaster and keeping business consistently coming in at a growing rate? Balance. The balancing between your current customer work and the three essential pieces of bringing in new business:
- Building leads
- Nurturing leads and turning them into relationships
- Closing the sale
Here are some very helpful hints to avoid this stressful situation and stay off the Sales Roller Coaster:
- Look at your calendar a month out and find those holes--weeks, not days before they are set to occur.
- Review on a weekly basis who you have in your sales pipeline. Are you getting in front of new people? Are there individuals who are ready to close for business?
- Spend at least 2 hours each week working on leads and relationships, and schedule this time into your calendar.
Once you begin to balance the three steps, you will gain momentum which will carry over in your month-to-month sales. The feeling is exhilarating and you will surely sleep better at night knowing business is growing!
Join Us At the Next Jump Start Your Sales Seminar!
Posted by Kaitlin King on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 12:19 PM
By Lee Johnson
It takes a lot to simply earn a living in sales, for instance:
- Product knowledge
- Customer awareness
- People and organizational skills
- Consistently asking for the business
- Having the drive for success
But what separates a great sales person from merely a “good” one? Having worked with hundreds of sales professionals over the last 20 years, I believe it’s the sales people and teams who have an accountability method in place that not only tracks the end result but also tracks each step in the process. While monitoring sales, commissions and closes is important, it does not tell the whole story. To ensure that you can reach the highest levels of sales success, you need to be able to measure each step in the process to accurately assess your skills, process and sales strategy.
The sales process can be complex, and managing your sales pipeline from lead generation through to the close and then beyond is critical. I have seen many sales people who were considered successful but they did not know and track their sales process every step of the way. When they put these critical measurements in place and used them to improve their skills, processes and sales strategy, they were able to become much more successful. They went from being in the middle of the pack to way out in front!
The most successful sales organizations I have worked with have had methods in place to monitor at least 5-7 key steps in the process. They measure the activities related to these steps daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly. They do it day after day and year after year. Collecting this information allows them to precisely look at their process and determine where they need to focus their energy to continuously improve the results.
When you know how many lead generating activities it takes to generate "x" number of leads, how many leads turn into sales presentations, how many sales presentations turn into proposals, and how many proposals turn into closes, you know your sales process. Once you know your process you can begin to look at your skills, processes and sales strategy to make changes in how you sell. You’ll improve your success and separate yourself and your business from the rest of the pack!
Posted by Kaitlin King on Mon, Aug 02, 2010 @ 07:10 PM
By Jennifer Porcher, Vice President of Educational Services
“Is your team in conflict?” would be better stated, “Are you creating an environment of healthy debates?”
So often we find companies are more concerned with keeping their team in harmony than challenging one another’s decisions. It sounds right to not have people in disagreement, and it seems like the perfect situation to have constant harmony in the workplace. Isn’t that what we work towards, having a compatible team? We hire different personalities to balance out our strengths and weaknesses, but we don’t always take the time to listen to all perspectives or create an environment where people feel valued and heard.
As Dee W. Hock of Fast Company says, “Never hire or promote in your own image. It is foolish to replicate your strength and idiotic to replicate your weakness. It is essential to employ, trust, and reward those whose perspective, ability, and judgment are radically different from yours. It is rare, for it requires uncommon humility, tolerance, and wisdom.” The point is that we need to see different perspectives to be successful.
Then there are the companies who hire right, but don’t know how to maximize their resources by allowing discord. Why work so hard to create a diverse team if you are not allowing them to voice their individual views? Leaders can break this pattern, and encourage an environment of healthy debate by understanding and applying the following:
- First, know your people. You should have a good idea of how each member of your team makes decisions. You should know each member’s motivation and what drives them to succeed. The better you know your people, the more effectively you can manage the debate.
- Second, develop trust amongst your team. People will not expose themselves if they do not feel they can trust those around them. The best way to gain trust in any situation is to start by exposing vulnerabilities, to encourage team members to let down their guard. This is the most important action a leader can take, but they must lead by example and demonstrate their own vulnerability first. This takes time and consistency to establish, and once it is in place teammates must be given a safe place to reveal their true opinion and feel heard.
- Third, invest in a tool that helps team members understand one another. A personality profile like Myers-Briggs, DISC, or Worktraits™ is an excellent exercise to help with the process of understanding personalities and temperaments. Knowing these differences helps to honor individual uniqueness rather than allowing differences to be a source of irritation. It is not only important for you to know your people, but for your people to know one another.
- Finally, be a leader who is not afraid to “put it out there.” This process requires courage to look at an issue with a genuine desire to work through it. Willingness to hear everyone’s opinion and proof that the opinion is truly heard are vital. Leaders must demonstrate patience, and not take things personally. It’s not always about getting everyone to agree—the process of agreeing to disagree can even be a solution. It’s about hearing all perspectives.
Most people aren’t willing to challenge a thought process because they don’t have all the answers. However, creating a safe environment for healthy debate can encourage your team to express their opinions. By engaging in productive conflict and revealing individual perspectives and opinions, a team can increase a company’s capabilities.
Take the time to know your people, encourage your team members to share their vulnerabilities, invite them to build a strong level of trust with one another, and invest in a resource that provides further understanding of personality differences. Ultimately, allowing your team to feel heard by engaging in healthy debate will inspire a united front of individuals who are determined to see their group succeed. Their determination to collaborate for the greater good will sustain accountability and become your most powerful source of profitability.
Posted by Eric Hubbs on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 10:16 PM
By Michael Gunther
I don’t know about you, but in the past I’ve had a hard time asking for help with my business. It’s kind of funny since I’m a management consultant and people hire me to help them with their businesses. But the reality is I had the same fear as many people often do. How would sharing my own fears impact people’s perceptions of me and my abilities? Would it be a detriment to my business as opposed to a benefit?
Maybe that fear came from living in a society that tells us asking for help is perceived as weakness. Or maybe it was because I have helped hundreds of businesses grow, and as an expert, I believed I should know what to do. I would always think of the old saying, “a cobbler’s kids have no shoes,” the concept being that even though he had the skills and knowledge to build shoes, he was so busy building shoes for others that he didn’t have the time to build shoes for his own family.
I have to believe this self reliance in part stemmed from growing up in such a large family. There were so many of us—17 children—we each had to rely on ourselves early in life in order to thrive. It didn’t help that my personality (according numerous personality assessment tools) is a ‘pleaser.’ I never wanted to inconvenience anyone by asking for help, and it’s now very clear how limiting those perceptions can be.
A few years back something occurred to me. Many of the most successful leaders I knew or admired had trusted advisors. They had confidants at their sides to comfortably share their fears, insecurities or uncertainties, as well as communicate ideas and opportunities—no matter how crazy or seemingly far-fetched. They were the ultimate self learners.
I always considered myself a ‘learner,’ constantly seeking out knowledge to improve myself and my company. But I began to understand that I was missing a key component of a true ‘self-learner:’ the ability to admit that sometimes I needed help, and that I didn’t always have all the answers.
After much thought and reflection, I finally said to myself, “Self, it’s time to change your perception.” I began my quest to locate a coach or mentor. I asked many respected leaders for suggestions and met with several candidates, but nobody I believed was the right fit for my needs and personality. I knew from my own practice that finding the right fit between consultant and client was crucial to the success of the project.
Finally, I met a gentleman named Ed Cox. Ed owned a family consulting practice, and had a background in psychology. He had exceptional interpersonal skills to identify issues and behaviors that prevented people from achieving their goals, and he never judged anything I shared. Most importantly, we clicked.
I saw myself beginning to grow as a leader again. In fact, asking for help and applying what I learned had a positive impact on my business as well. I think I had fallen into the trap of being the ‘cobbler.’ Working with Ed made me realize it wasn’t just about having a willingness to admit that I didn’t have all the answers, but a desire to change my behaviors to achieve my ultimate goals. This is such a simple concept, but self-reflection can be challenging. It can also, more importantly, lead to tremendous growth.
The Bottom Line
The most successful people surround themselves with individuals they admire and can easily access to share different skills, knowledge, and ideas to assist them in achieving their goals. Who do you have on your team? True strength is not just realizing what you do not know, but understanding where to find the answers.
This is the eighth article in a series of articles on Michael’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Eric Hubbs on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 03:43 PM
By Michael Gunther
*Gunther family photo for editorial purposes only, and does not reflect the cousins referred to in this article.
You know how the story goes. A leader is having performance problems with an employee and is struggling to figure out how to ‘fix’ the employee. For a quick fix, he or she sends the individual off to a training program to learn new knowledge and specific skills that will surely improve the issues at hand. The employee comes back from the training program, after the leader has spent time and money to ‘fix’ the issues, and the performance continues to lag. At this point, it’s time for the leader to realize that the issue may not just be the employee’s competency level, but an organizational or management issue as well.
I have seen this situation unfold numerous times both in my personal and work life. The leader sends a subordinate to get professional business training without also addressing and changing some of the fundamental issues causing the problems.
This process was present in my family household growing up. My parents ran a pretty tight ship – how could they not when they were responsible for so many people. With strict rules and guidelines that had to be followed, we had a fairly high functioning and productive family unit. Because of this, we had aunts and uncles who would send their kids to our house during the summers so that my parents could ‘fix’ their children’s discipline and performance issues. Our cousins would come to visit and fall right in line with the rest of the family; they were good kids and just needed a different type of parenting (or management). By the end of the summer, they seemed ‘fixed’.
Our cousins would go home and lo and behold their old ‘undesirable’ behaviors would appear once again. This showed me that part of the issue wasn’t just a competency issue but a system or management issue. Since their household or family structure hadn’t changed and the parenting skills of my aunts or uncles stayed the same, my cousins fell back into the only way they knew how to operate in that environment. In the end, the summer program at the Gunther household didn’t ‘fix’ the issues.
At Collaboration, we see this often in our consulting practice. We offer management and sales training programs where business leaders send their key team members to attend, learn new skills, and gain strategies to become higher performing leaders and managers. Throughout the training, we sometimes have participants who struggle to implement the suggested changes within their organizations – which is precisely the thing the business owners sent them there to do. What we discovered is that the existing management systems were hindering the employee from implementing the necessary changes. The employees becomes frustrated, their performance stalls, and the business owners wonder why the person is not improving.
This experience taught us that it’s essential for the direct manager of the employee who is sent to training also be actively involved in the training process. We have actually modified our leadership training program so that the direct managers go through simultaneous training (okay, not as intense of training) as their employees go through their training program. The direct managers also receive updates on course topics and employee homework assignments. This has not only increased the success of the implementation of the knowledge being learned but also has improved the communication within the organization since the leaders are learning that their management style or structure has to be adjusted as well.
The lesson here is that the key to ‘fixing’ an underperforming employee is to not only provide competency training but also to evaluate internal management systems and structures. As a business owner, if you expect change from your team then your systems, structure, and processes also need to change to reflect just that.
The Bottom Line
If you plan to send your employees to a training course to develop their skills, take a closer look to determine if there is a system, leadership, or management issue that can also be improved to increase performance and productivity. Leaders need to understand that their roles and behaviors directly affect performance – for the better and sometimes for the worse.
This is the seventh in a series of articles on Michael’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Kaitlin King on Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 12:05 PM
By Michael Gunther
When you hear the word diversity, what comes to mind? For many people, diversity equates to a group of people of various nationalities and cultural backgrounds. But for me, it goes beyond ethnicity and background. Over the years, I've gained the perspective that diversity encompasses differences in thoughts, opinions, management styles, education, etc.
I'm sure you've known an organization in which everyone is cut from the same cloth; their thoughts, opinions, management styles, etc. are homogeneous and/or people with different beliefs or experiences are seen as outsiders or trouble makers. In these organizations, managers typically hire people like themselves. And why shouldn't they? Their team members will all agree and everyone will get along, right?
Well, I believe that creating an environment in which diversity of thought, expression, or opinion is discouraged hinders an organization's growth and potential. This belief is as much a part of me as my memories of growing up with 10 brothers and 6 sisters - which is exactly where it originated. In a household with so many people, I had to work with many different personalities just to survive. Imagine having to negotiate everything from what chores to do to what games to play - with so many different people! In the Gunther household, we had no choice but to listen to all different perspectives in order to generate an end result; sometimes a win-win for everyone, sometimes not. As the old saying goes, you can't please everyone all of the time. Whatever the end result, we certainly did learn to value diversity.
I learned another side of diversity - in the workplace - from my Dad, who championed differences amongst his team as a manager at RCA in the 1960's. I remember him telling me a story about his peers giving him a hard time because of the team he assembled; RCA's most ethnically diverse team at the time. He believed in hiring for the right skill and attitude for the position, regardless of background and nationality (not a common belief at the time). Ultimately, those were the traits that made his team strong and successful.
Accepting diversity of thought and opinions can be challenging for many managers and leaders, particularly those who believe it's their personal role to have all the answers. In reality, it is collective participation that creates strong solutions and opportunities within an organization.
My business partner, Lee Johnson, spent 18 years with the Maersk Line - the shipping arm of AP Moller-Maersk (Maersk). Now the #1 largest shipping company in the world, Maersk was ranked #10 when Lee began his career there. Ask Lee and he'll tell you that the diversity within Maersk was a key factor that led to the organization's growth and success. Methodologies to promote diversity were infused throughout the company's management and human resource processes. Leaders were measured each year on the diversity of their teams as well as the leader's ability to be open to and encourage differing thoughts and opinions. In addition, managers used a communication assessment tool to better understand the different communication styles of their employees in order to improve and enhance the communication of the overall team. It was this constant focus on welcoming diversity, understanding others, and encouraging opinions that set Maersk apart both as a great place to work and as an industry leader.
When is the last time you analyzed the diversity of your team? Does each team member offer different opinions, viewpoints, and skill sets that in the end will provide for a collaborative team?
The Bottom Line
Whether your organization employs 2 or 2,000, a team that embraces and encourages diversity will offer value to your organization, your employees, and your clients. Look around at your team and ask yourself if you have the diversity needed to grow as a leader and as an organization.
This is the sixth in a series of articles on Michael's entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Kaitlin King on Wed, Jun 16, 2010 @ 06:01 PM
By Michael Gunther
Entitlement. It's an interesting concept that seems to have worked its way into every corner of the workplace. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, entitlement is a belief that one deserves certain privileges. In the workplace, many employees feel that they are entitled to raises, days off, promotions, and other benefits, and don't necessarily think they should have to work for them. I know this because I regularly hear about this issue from business owners.
No Entitlements in Life
Entitlement is an interesting concept to me; growing up in a household of 17 kids made it hard to ever feel entitled. My parents did an exceptional job providing for our needs, but our ‘wants' had to be earned. We learned from an early age that if we wanted something, we had to take responsibility, work hard, and go get it; consequently, we all had various jobs ranging from babysitting and cleaning houses to mowing yards and managing paper routes. Eventually, we became very good at turning true wants into goals. In essence, my parents created a household of entrepreneurs.
Although there were numerous situations where I had to work for my wants, one in particular stands out. My parents initially enrolled their children in a private high school; however, they eventually stopped because of the cost. The younger siblings (myself included) would have to go to public high school. When it was my turn to go to high school, I had a strong desire to attend a private school like some of my siblings did. My parents made me a deal: they would pay for my tuition my first year (I would pay for my books and incidentals), I would be responsible for half the tuition my junior year and all of the tuition my senior year. I took the deal.
Once we made the agreement, I realized I not only had the desire to attend the private school, I had the drive. I worked various jobs - from McDonald's to babysitting to valet parking - and took the responsibility to make sure I could pay my way. And I am so thankful that my parents taught me this lesson early in life. Successfully meeting this goal gave me the confidence to know that I can create whatever I want, if I am willing to take the responsibility and make the effort. This is contrary to the entitlement attitude we hear of so often from employees in the workplace.
No Entitlements in Business
As business owners, our employees tend to rely on us to lead the charge in providing them with the opportunities to learn, expand their responsibility, and provide them with a living; however, what we business owners need to realize is that we have the opportunity to teach our employees to earn what they want, and not to expect that it be handed to them. Just recently, one of my team members, Eric Hubbs, wanted to hire a personal coach to enhance his skills and asked if Collaboration would pay for it. I told him that the company would pay for half of it only if we as a company achieved our quarterly revenue goals. This allowed Eric the opportunity to take responsibility and earn what he wanted. And he did just that!
Do your employees act as though they're entitled to that annual bonus, new sales training, or birthday lunch? You can change that by teaching your employees that they can have increased benefits, pay, and responsibilities, but that they will need to assist in creating additional revenue and opportunities to support those goals. I try to never say "no" to an employee's request. Instead, I ask "how can we make that happen within our current budget and structure?" This methodology takes the ‘entitlement' attitude and turns it into a ‘you can create what you want' attitude. It helps the employee, the business owner, and the company to grow. Bye-bye, entitlement. Hello, goal setting.
The Bottom Line
Employees need incentives and growth opportunities. Shift the entitlement attitude by offering them the opportunity to create what they want through their own hard work and focus. This approach creates an opportunity for innovation, teaches employees about goal-setting, and gives them a chance to experience the success of reaching their goals - all of which help propel an organization forward.
This is the fifth in a series of articles on Michael's entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Eric Hubbs on Thu, Jun 03, 2010 @ 01:54 PM
By Eric Hubbs
How does the saying go, "Don't count your chickens before they've hatched?" This seems to be the theme of our current economy. Word on the street is it's getting better and that there is a visible growth trend; however, it's crucial for business owners to understand what is generating the momentum and to remain cautious and calculated in our financial decisions - as difficult as it may be.
Beacon Economics presented their 2010 San Luis Obispo County Economic Outlook at the Paso Robles Event Center yesterday. Principal Christopher Thornberg and Director of Regional Research Brad Kemp spoke to a group of Central Coast professionals and delivered their economic forecast. While optimistic about the trends and growth, they remained realistic that we are not out of the woods yet. The primary sources of the spending increase are not sustainable. The equity market is up - good news - but based on the facts, the P/E ratio is overvalued, and it is evident that the market is not consistent. Even with the impact of the government stimulus, of which less than half has been spent, it's just a cushion for the moment, not a solution. And it's not an infinite resource. If we do not make educated decisions right now, we may find ourselves backpedaling.
They cited serious structural problems, a politically motivated band-aid covering the severe financial wound. Rob Garcia of Rob Garcia Wealth Management compares it to a poorly run business thriving in a good economy - the problems don't surface until bad times, and then it becomes that much more difficult to save the struggling business. He said until structural adjustments are created and implemented to improve the business operations, "it's like kicking the can down the street."
That's not to say there is no hope, because the good news is - there is! There is opportunity, and it takes creative actions to recognize and capitalize on them. Although numbers indicate San Luis Obispo County has experienced an extended recession, greater than surrounding counties, they also indicate we have faster recovering markets within arm's reach. Businesses within San Luis Obispo County can target these outer local markets and tap into their potential. Utilizing powerful resources to gain real knowledge and understand the present trends is vital, and can have a tremendous impact on the success of your business.
To help you make more educated decisions, view or download the 2010 San Luis Obispo County Economic Outlook presentation by Beacon Economics at http://www.beaconecon.com/.
We want to hear from you. Please share your thoughts, reactions, and creative solutions by commenting below.
Posted by Michael Gunther on Fri, May 28, 2010 @ 12:04 PM
By Michael Gunther
The mantra "Work Hard, Play Hard" is one that you've probably heard more than once in your lifetime, but is it one that you actually live by? Personally, I have the "Work Hard" part down no problem; but the "Play Hard" had been more difficult to incorporate consistently. Since studies show that a good work/life balance can lead to higher productivity - even when less hours are devoted to work time - businesses can clearly benefit from employing a program to encourage a work/life balance.
When determining how to implement such a program at Collaboration, I thought back to my childhood and how my parents truly lived by this motto. Raising 17 kids, you would think they were so busy working and managing the household that they wouldn't have much time to play. While my parents worked very hard, they made playtime just as much a priority, which taught me three key lessons to balance Work and Play.
Exercise Your Body as Well as Your Brain
My Dad took the time to teach all 17 of us to play tennis. He would load us all in the Dodge Maxiwagon after school and take us to the local high school or park to play. Like a swarm of bees to honey, we filled all the courts. After exercising our minds all day at school, it was a nice balance to get outside, connect with each other, and exercise (I definitely got my fair share, chasing down all my missed shots).
Play is an Appointment - Keep It on Your Calendar
Every Sunday was family day - no matter how hard the past workweek or the schedule for the coming week. We would pack a lunch and search for a new place to spend the day together. I grew up in California, where the parks, beaches, and even museums were free; my parents never let lack of finances be an excuse to miss our time together. A lot of our time was spent outdoors, and our picnics, hikes, and games allowed us to bond as a group.
Release Energy and Relieve Stress
No TV during the week...yes, even after we finished homework. We thought it was torturous at the time, but now I recognize that the alternative - time spent on activities - was an outlet for our creativity and energy. Whether we were reading, playing games, or going on new adventures outside, we were enjoying playtime together; releasing energy and relieving stress. This downtime made us more refreshed, focused, and prepared to conquer our next day at school.
Work Hard, Play Hard for Business
Imagine what creative and energetic work environments businesses can create by implementing these three tactics. Ask yourself, when was the last time you did something active or social, outside of the office with your team; let people leave early on a beautiful day to enjoy the afternoon; or met with key members of your team without any distractions to discuss how things are going?
At Collaboration, we've been implementing new initiatives to encourage a better work/life balance. Most recently we hired a yoga instructor to come into our office to lead Yoga Fridays. Our employees are very excited about starting the Yoga classes, and I would venture to say that we all will be less stressed and more mentally prepared to accomplish our next tasks or goals. In addition, our firm's Partners meet once a month outside of the office for an hour and a half. With no agenda, we have a free-flowing conversation about things we have seen or heard from our employees and our clients, and from the marketplace. Some of our most creative ideas are generated during this time without the distractions of the office.
The Bottom Line
By encouraging your employees to add some Play Hard to their Work Hard and providing them with the resources to do so, you will create a more productive and innovative work team and work environment. The real challenge: you'll have to live by this motto too!
This is the fourth in a series of articles on Michael's entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.