I hope your July has meant at least a little bit more slowness in your life in some way. I imagine it might have also involved stress - the political environment in many parts of the world is deeply distressing. Leading through this is even more complex as you aim to support your team and yourself while things around you at times feel out of your locus of control. I hope that some part of this month's newsletter supports you.
Let's get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue.
Something Bold - Talk To Your Team About Their Personal Values I led a workshop this month for a global audience with incredible nonprofit leaders from over 10 countries. The title was "Identifying Your Personal Values." I took them through a 14-step process to determine their most closely held values and determine how and with whom to share those values. Understanding the values of your colleagues is a key culture lever because conflict often lies in the tension between what we value. You might value efficiency while someone else values fairness, and you can imagine how both of those worthy values can be at odds with each other when deciding how to proceed. Ask your team to reflect on their values (feel free to show this image I made if folks need some ideas to start with), narrow them down to their top 3-5, and then discuss them with each other. If you need help leading a session like this at a team meeting or retreat, let me know and I'm happy to help.
Something New - Support the Parents on Your Team Back-to-school season is full of extra to-dos and more things to think about for families. Whether it's the mountain of paperwork sent home by the school district, the school, or the teacher, or the parent communication apps to download and sign up for, or the shopping for new shoes, backpacks, and supplies - it's a hectic time for anyone with school-aged children. It's always a smart business strategy to understand your employees' home lives. Whether it's back-to-school season for working parents, important holiday seasons like the Jewish High Holidays or Ramadan, or when someone is dealing with a sick family member or a death in the family - all of your workers are also human beings, and treating them as such is going to pay off in higher retention, better engagement, and over the long-term, more efficiency and effectiveness as a team. Start by asking your employees what would be most supportive as they head into back-to-school season. Consider moving or canceling meetings during the first week of school with the understanding that many schools have shorter days than usual in those first days and weeks. Make sure that staff know they can come in a little late on that first day of school - there are classrooms to find and cute pictures of backpack-clad kids to be taken. Maybe send gift cards to a local pizzeria for that first Friday of the school year - everyone is exhausted and an easy dinner would be a welcome reprieve. Even an email to the entire team with a note of "We're thinking about everyone who has children heading back to school in the next few weeks - please connect with your manager if you need flexibility to meet the needs of your family during this extra-busy time," could be well-received and quick to do. Importantly, don't forget that your non-parent staff have lives outside of the workplace, too - ensure that they are not treated as "less than" simply because their home lives do not have children in them.
Something Borrowed - The #1 Reason People Leave Jobs NBC News covered research by OC Tanner about why folks quit their jobs, and an astounding "79 percent of employees who quit their jobs claim that a lack of appreciation was a major reason for leaving". In the April Management Memo I shared some appreciation ideas if you need them. Another idea? Set a weekly reminder for appreciating folks on your team - that's the frequency research shows people need to be recognized in order to maximize employee engagement.
Something to Pursue - Affordable Headshots If you need headshots for yourself or for an entire team, Shoott is a great company I've worked with for both personal (family) and professional photos. The shoot itself is free, and then you just pay for the images that you like at $3 - $18 per photo, depending on how many you choose. They work in many spots across the US, so check out their site and see if they are available around your area.
Bring your team, I'll bring my A-game. I love helping team with workshops on topics of productivity, team culture, and effectiveness at work. Find out more and book a free chat to see if I can be helpful for your organization.