Page 89 - Entrepreneur-November 2018

Six Ways

Lift Your Team’s Spirits

Not every day (or week or month) will be a good one. That’s just reality. So we asked six entrepreneurs:
When your team seems down in the dumps, how do you boost their optimism and drive?

1/ Rally together. 2/ Open up 3/ Work it out. 4/ Remember the 5/ Investigate it. 6/ Plan ahead.
“When morale is low, communication. “We’ve been through a mission. “To understand causes “Like healthcare, the
it’s usually because of “I find it’s not difficult few transitions recently, “We’re all about our of problems, we have a best way to lift morale
a challenge that’s situations or choppy which put a strain on our customers. We serve semiannual engagement is prevention! We prac-
affecting us all as a business performance company culture. To get the millions of women survey our whole team tice team bonding twice
company. Maybe pro- that tends to drag down us realigned, we decided who have been under- takes. We talk about a week in the form of
jection numbers are morale. It’s a lack of to do a fitness challenge. served by retail their lowest-scoring parts of ‘Questions’ and ‘Shout-
low or certain strate- communication. Per- For the month of May, whole lives. We’re con- our culture and use a outs.’ Questions is a
gies aren’t working as ception of tough times we scheduled fitness stantly collecting stories sticky-note exercise to simple game where
well as we’d hoped. is often much more classes with our team from our customers let the team express someone asks a per-
We find the most damning than reality. I and offered weekly about how our service why they feel that way. sonal question that
effective thing to do is try to lay out the situa- incentives like gift cards, has impacted them, and Recently we made can’t be answered with
to bring everyone in to tion in direct terms and an extra vacation day, we share those stories some hard personnel a yes or no; Shoutouts
become part of the walk through how the and some cold, hard in a dedicated Slack decisions, and this exer- is about gratitude,
solution. We empower team will not only sur- cash. We created a pri- channel and in a daily cise helped us realize where every team
the team with all the vive but thrive down the vate Instagram to keep email that goes out to that leadership hadn’t member expresses
information possible road. Then I look for a each other accountable. our entire company. communicated well. We something they really
and encourage them rallying cry, like a new It really bonded the team These are valuable fixed it, and things liked that another
to come up with and product launch, to keep together. And healthy resources to tap into improved. We finish with member did in the past
execute potential solu- everyone focused and employees equals a when we want a morale a social event—it’s a week. It helps build a
tions. The team’s spirit to use as a celebratory healthy work boost. Those stories benefit of running an community of people
is often lifted knowing moment for future environment.” deliver inspiration when- alcoholic beverage who work hard and get
we’re all in it together.” success.” —IVA PAWLING, ever it’s needed.” company!” recognized for it.”
—ERAN ZINMAN, —CHRIS TERRILL, CEO, CEO and cofounder, —NADIA BOUJARWAH, —GARRETT —DANIEL CLARK,
cofounder and CTO, ANGI Homeservices Richer Poorer CEO and cofounder, BREDENKAMP, CEO, CEO, Brain.fm
monday.com Dia&Co Kombrewcha

30 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / November 2018 Illustration / MICHELE MARCONI