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Your Employees Are Burned Out

Share the goods.

Woman with hands on her head with people walking behind her

Your employees are burned out. They are tired, distracted, short-tempered and just over it. First, the pandemic, then work-from-home and now they are expected to return to work as if nothing happened in the last 15 months (feels like five years). 

Honestly, it’s a recipe for disaster. Work as we know it has changed, and there is no going back, so stop trying.

In a survey conducted by the Harvard Business Review in 2017 of more than 14,500 workers across industries, approximately 85% of them said they were not working at 100% of their potential.

This was five years ago, and then shit got real…you know, a pandemic.

If you want the best out of your employees, you have to listen, adapt your approach and put it into action. The people working for you deserve more than lip service (what a weird phrase).

Give a sh*t

Empathy, look it up. 

If you want loyal, committed and hardworking people working for your company, you need to create an environment where honesty, flexibility and purpose are the norm.

A few tips:

  • Let them ask questions and be clear with expectations.
  • Don’t micromanage. Focus on the work results, not the process it took for them to get there.
  • FFS cut back on the meetings. Set aside time for them to get work done, empower them to step away from email and chat to really focus and crush things.
  • Be observant, notice when an employee is “off.” Offer encouragement and just listen.
  • Inspire your employees by sharing your company’s purpose for being and show how they fit into the big picture.

When you show you truly care for and respect them, they will want to work hard for you.
Basically, don’t be a d*ck.

The example you set will always be more powerful than words.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. 
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. 

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. 

@crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. 

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan 
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.
You asked, we delivered.

Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership.

Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it.

Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business.

You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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