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How to Use LinkedIn As a CEO: Turning ‘Connections’ into ‘Profits’

After seeing my content on LinkedIn, a friend whom I hadn’t spoken to in 20 years connected me with a lead who trusted his recommendation and became a high-value client. Had I not made that post on LinkedIn, my company would have lost out on a $50,000 business opportunity. 

CEOs and other C-suite leaders are hesitant to put themselves out there for any number of reasons: They don’t have enough time, it’s not a priority or they don’t want to seem full of themselves. But companies that don’t activate their CEOs on LinkedIn lose revenue opportunities by failing to connect a key thought leader to their brand, meaning that they are quite literally leaving money on the table by staying silent. 

The costs are more far-reaching than just missed revenue. Let’s dive deeper: 

READ: Cracking the Code of Business Marketing — 10 Strategies for Success in a Dynamic Landscape

Unrealized revenue and investments 

LinkedIn and the broader business context revolve around forging human connections. Instead of anonymous corporations, individuals seek meaningful interactions with real people. They desire conversations with industry leaders, the chance to relate to each other’s work or personal challenges, and a sense of belonging to a community.

CEOs often possess natural networking abilities and charisma. Consequently, they can establish a more profound emotional bond with their audience through their personal profiles, as opposed to official company pages. Research underscores this, with 93% of respondents agreeing that CEOs actively engaging on social media can cultivate stronger links with customers, employees and investors. These emotional bonds and virtual connections frequently translate into tangible outcomes, such as business transactions, attracting investors or forming other enduring relationships that pay dividends over time. 

READ: Chat GPT isn’t Always the Answer — 4 Reasons for Human-Generated Copy is Still a Marketing Essential

Poor or nonexistent brand identity

The CEO is an extension of and often the face of your company. Being active on LinkedIn can help CEOs build the credibility required to be regarded as a thought leader or subject matter expert in their industry, which is key to building a positive, transparent brand identity. A striking 91% of surveyed employees recognize social media as a potent tool for nurturing thought leadership and enhancing the credibility of C-Suite executives among various stakeholders, including the press and media.

Additionally, 75% of respondents believe that C-Suite social media engagement makes a brand seem more honest and trustworthy. Creating this kind of visibility elevates the entire brand image and can open doors to speaking engagements and media opportunities. 

On the flip side, an inactive LinkedIn profile may indicate to potential customers, investors and employees that the CEO is a mysterious figurehead in an ivory tower who isn’t concerned with interacting with his or her stakeholders. It may also give the impression that your company isn’t a forward-thinking organization that values social media marketing and regular connection with its audience. Failing to cultivate a brand identity means that your audience won’t be able to distinguish your company from your competitors. Or worse, they’ll prescribe their own perceptions of your brand. 

Isolation from important industry conversations

LinkedIn serves a greater purpose beyond aiding job seekers and salespeople seeking prospects. It’s also a place where important conversations about leadership, business, specific industries, consumer trends and the future of work are happening.

CEOs who remain inactive on LinkedIn risk being uninformed about pivotal news that could directly impact their company. Furthermore, they might find themselves excluded from vital conversations that offer insights for navigating various business, economic and political landscapes.

Neglecting to participate in these important conversations happening in the zeitgeist can be costly. A telling instance is the CEO of PagerDuty, who invoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in an email announcing company layoffs. Her email attempt to link the fight for civil rights with her leadership challenges went viral and resulted in damaging backlash and media coverage. Had she paid attention to conversations happening on LinkedIn around the all-too-common phenomenon of co-opting social movements for corporate gain, this tone-deaf catastrophe could have been avoided. 

Lost opportunities to attract top talent

Posting regularly allows potential applicants to get an inside look at the company culture and who they would be working for. One of the companies I work with hired 18 people who cited the CEO’s LinkedIn posts as the reason they applied. That’s because people want to work for companies with leaders who are visible, approachable, and have clear values. A radio-silent CEO lacks the means to personally connect with potential candidates, ultimately failing to motivate top-tier talent to seek opportunities within the organization.

The power of personal connections forged by a CEO on LinkedIn cannot be understated. Opting for LinkedIn silence might not appear overtly detrimental. However, just as I hadn’t realized my friend-turned-customer was following my content, you might be unaware of who isn’t engaging with yours and the unrealized value of a missed connection. 

 

Justin NassiriJustin Nassiri is the Founder and CEO of Executive Presence, a full-service social media management provider for CEOs and top executives. He has served in the U.S. Navy onboard nuclear submarines, founded and sold three companies, and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS from the United States Naval Academy.

Mastering Leadership in Times of Economic Uncertainty: 3 Strategies for Success

When it comes to stressful life events, economic uncertainty can be right up there with grief, divorce and purchasing property. Poor leadership can have a catastrophic impact on a team and the organization altogether. This is especially so when the economy is fluctuating. That’s why powerful leadership strategies are so important.

A good leader is open-minded, passionate about their work and builds solid relationships through clear communication and positive reinforcement.

A good leader is also aware of the facts. Take Colorado’s economic situation. Despite high inflation and interest rates in the first half of 2023, Colorado’s startup and entrepreneur market remains healthy with startups raising $2.3 billion in the first six months of 2023 ($1.7 million more than a year ago). So it’s not all bleak out there. Far from it.

But a good leader is aware of the need to be ahead of the curve and prepare for the unexpected. Let’s see what that looks like.

READ: Navigating Economic Downturns as a Business Owner — A Guide to Sustained Growth

So, what is good leadership during uncertainty? 

During periods of economic change, the greatest leaders are:

  • Empathetic and supportive.
  • Understanding, honest and transparent.
  • Adaptable and open.
  • Resolute and inspiring.
  • Authentic and genuine.
  • Inclined to value the opinions of others.
  • Supportive of a work-life balance.
  • Technologically aware.

Talking of technology, AI is becoming part of the leadership landscape. Used by leaders to unlock new opportunities and innovations, there are many benefits of artificial intelligence in the workplace to be aware of. 

Incorporating AI into leadership strategies provides valuable data-driven insights, as well as tailored feedback and a personalized training experience through adaptive learning. So, with all of the following strategies, it’s advisable to see how AI might be factored in for maximum advantage. 

READ: AI Revolution — Unveiling the Transformative Power and Unforeseen Consequences

3 Leadership strategies to navigate economic uncertainty

Here are three leadership strategies to clear your path to calmer waters.

1. Adopt flexible communication

Poor-quality communication from various leaders around the globe leads to heightened anxiety and reduced trust and adherence to the cause. And the same can happen with your employees and customers if you’re unable to clearly communicate your message and vision to them.

As one of the most crucial skills a leader can have, a flexible communication style can be adopted by:

  • Putting active listening skills into practice; fully engage with the other person.
  • Being transparent, honest and sincere.
  • Being clear and concise — keep it simple.
  • Providing constructive feedback.
  • Be yourself and avoid using confusing corporate jargon.

Good communication extends beyond one-to-ones. It also includes how the business embraces its environment. 

It follows then that the best leaders are also utilizing the latest search engine optimization tools to their advantage. From sourcing a Qatar domain name to bump up search engine rankings and improve traffic to harnessing thought leadership to stimulate outcomes, understanding the value of SEO within leadership strategies is fundamental in driving growth in uncertain times.

READ: What are Your SEO Content Gaps? Plus, 3 Ways to Fix Them

2. Create a culture of collaboration

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton.

In times of uncertainty, encouraging teams to work in harmony and share expertise can work wonders for developing new ideas, solving problems and improving internal processes. Helping you to steer clear of uncertainty in the workplace, a supportive team is a safe, happy and trusting team.

Moreover, investing in leadership development initiatives can play a pivotal role in nurturing and sustaining a collaborative culture. These programs empower leaders to not only facilitate teamwork but also to lead by example, demonstrating the value of collaboration in achieving common goals. Consider incorporating leadership development as a cornerstone of your strategy for fostering collaboration and adaptability in the face of economic uncertainty.

Nurture a culture of collaboration by encouraging open and honest feedback and ideas through regular brainstorming sessions and Q&A discussions. Organizing interactive team-building activities is also a good call for increasing collaboration, communication, motivation and job satisfaction.

3. Take the risk or lose the chance

Being willing to take risks is an integral part of embracing change as an influential leader. Research even shows that leaders who take risks are more likely to be positively perceived by employees, despite whether they succeed or not. 

By making informed decisions that weigh up the potential risks and rewards, leaders can make calculated decisions to take the best risks for lasting success. Having the courage to succeed is worth its weight in gold. This is true for leaders of new enterprises, just as it is for those in charge of established businesses.

Be the leader you wish you had

Unite consistent collaboration with an unquenchable desire to connect and understand others situations and behaviors and you will quickly turn uncertainty into an enviable strength. So, no matter what life throws at you and your team, you’ll remain calm and headstrong through uncertain economic times and safely reach the other side.

 

Grace Lau 1Grace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, an AI-powered cloud communication platform for better and easier team collaboration. She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Here is her LinkedIn.

Best Hybrid Work Strategies: Success in the Post-Pandemic Corporate World

Three years after millions of Americans worked remotely for the first time, remote and hybrid work is a staple of the corporate world. Many businesses, including major corporations, offer hybrid schedules for their employees. According to 2023 data from McKinsey, 80 million Americans would rather participate in flexible work schedules if given the opportunity.

Nonetheless, some employers remain skeptical of the benefits of hybrid work, believing it harms productivity. Businesses that once embraced 100 % remote work are now reversing their policies and requiring employees to come into the office up to three days a week. Not only can abrupt policy changes lead some workers to quit, but they can also cause controversy if they roll back benefits employees have come to rely upon.

Businesses questioning remote work may first wish to reevaluate their policies. With a thoughtful and well-developed remote work policy, based on communication, remote and hybrid work models can flourish. Leaders who want to refine their policies should gather data, test pilot programs and communicate openly.

READ: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Workplace — Struggles, Solutions and the Return to Office Culture

Evaluate the impact on the bottom line

Business leaders first and foremost must understand the impact of remote work on the bottom line. Three years since the coronavirus pandemic led to unprecedented levels of remote work, many employees are accustomed to a hybrid or remote schedule. Rolling back remote work options can lead to backlash and implementation challenges. For that reason, if leaders want to make changes to their approach, they need to justify the costs, both financially and culturally. One way to do so is by using KPIs to develop their strategy. 

Every business should develop its own useful KPIs to measure the impact of remote work on their financial bottom line, but when assessing remote work, it is equally important to use KPIs to track the impact on organizational culture. Quarterly anonymous employee surveys can assess job satisfaction and sense of belonging, both of which support an engaging work culture and may be impacted by remote work. In addition, businesses can examine methods of tracking worker engagement to understand if remote work is hurting or helping. In a best-case scenario, businesses will have access to historical data from similar surveys so leaders can make a direct comparison with the pre-remote work era.

After gathering these KPIs, leaders should analyze trends in the data to understand how remote work affects their business. From there, they decide if their current strategy benefits the business and can develop a new strategy or explore additional data if needed. For example, should employees report dissatisfaction at work or poor work-life balance, then a more detailed, anonymous survey with long-form answers can help unpack why and how remote or hybrid work may play a role.

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

Test programs

After gathering data, leaders can synthesize these trends to shift remote work strategies and can implement pilot programs to test policy changes. A pilot program approach is not right for every organization but can offer practical insights hard data cannot. Nor do these pilot programs need to impact the entire organization. While in some cases, the entire business could take part in these pilot programs, departments or teams are also helpful testing grounds.

Through a pilot program, leaders can better understand the impact on the organization. For instance, moving from a mandatory rotating three days in the office, to a preset two days in the office. These changes may seem simple in theory, but in practice, every hybrid or remote model offers pros and cons, which may not become clear until the new model is already in place. This testing phase, based on hard data, is critical to understanding the impact on employees and on the business.

READ: Battling the “Data Wheel of Death” in Business Development

Communicate openly

Fundamentally, whatever work-from-home policy businesses choose to implement, they need to be transparent with employees. Workers may feel surprised or upset if they feel a policy change reduces their flexibility, so it is important to engage them in a conversation about why these changes are necessary.

That begins with making it clear to workers that their feelings about remote work matter and reflecting the sentiment by asking them regularly about their happiness with current policies. Then, should businesses decide to pilot a new program or change policies, workers should be informed well ahead of time, so they are not caught off guard.

Leaders also need to communicate the reasons why policies are being changed. Workers will feel most invested in changes to remote work when they feel the business has carefully considered the impact on them as individuals.

The bottom line

While remote and hybrid work strategies may not be right for every business, they can offer benefits such as increased work-life balance and employee retention. Leaders who feel the need to change current work-from-home policies should collect data, consider implementing a pilot program and communicate with employees frequently along the way, so they can identify the most effective policy for their business.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a managing director of client implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.  

Building a Better Future: 4 Strategies for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Workplace

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy is only as effective as the employees who are responsible for executing it. This means that you need to build a workplace culture that values lean quality and social responsibility equally. 

As a business leader, you can build a better future by embracing motivational strategies that help employees embody your corporate social responsibility program. Even small changes, like recycling within the office, can make a big difference to your workplace culture.

READ: Unlocking the Power of DEI — Building Better Programs for Business and People

Implementing the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to ensure that all workers have equal access to the tools they need to be successful. As a business leader, you can take proactive steps to make your workplace more accessible like: 

  • Instal ramps and handrails 
  • Buy visual fire alarms
  • Implement automatic doors 
  • Ensure signage is accessible to all 

Go above and beyond your ADA responsibilities by giving staff access to accessibility tech like screen readers, magnifying tools, closed caption or sign language translation and large print materials. This will show that you’re serious about inclusivity and will build a better corporate culture in your workplace.

As a business leader, you’re also responsible for ensuring that consumers and clients can navigate your workspace. Current ADA guidance asks all businesses to make “reasonable accommodations” to help companies better serve folks with disabilities. Start simple by removing physical barriers to exit and entry. Over time, you may need to make more thorough adjustments, like sign language interpreters. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, consider speaking to your clients to find out what they want from your business. 

READ: 6 Simple Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness — Key Strategies and Benefits

Carbon neutrality

As a business leader, you can help combat climate change by building a carbon-neutral company. This may take time, as businesses use a lot of energy, but the motivational boost will be well worth the effort. Start with simple steps like: 

  • Reduce emissions by hosting virtual conferences instead of physical ones
  • Rethink your supply chain and opt for low-impact vendors
  • Instal solar panels and switch to renewable energy sources
  • Offset any carbon that can’t be mitigated via reduction schemes

These changes may incur some short-term costs. However, climate-conscious staff want to work for businesses that take their commitment to climate change seriously. This means you’ll recoup your expenditures due to lower turnover and increased day-to-day productivity.  

READ: Becoming a Zero-Emissions State — How Alternative Fuels Are Transforming Transportation in Colorado

Ethical leadership

An ethical leadership model foregrounds the importance of your business’s values and champions the dignity of others. To become an ethical leader, you’ll need to audit your current policy and procedures to ensure that all of your corporate social responsibility values are aligned. 

Promote ethical leadership in your company by opening lines of communication. This will help you pick up on missteps and help you better understand the challenges that your staff face. Beware of bias when becoming an ethical leader — it’s easy to believe you’re doing a great job when, in fact, folks are scared to tell you the truth. 

Identify biases by offering anonymous reviews. Once you’ve gathered some data, use the reviews to make policy-level changes to your firm. 

Employee empowerment

Your employees are the backbone of your business. Without highly engaged, motivated staff, your company will fail. As a modern employer, you should do everything in your power to ensure that your people feel empowered at work and proud to say they work for your business. 

Start by overhauling your benefits and policies to include everyone. For example, if you’re about to run a new recruitment drive, review your job advertisements to assess the materials’ inclusivity. You need to recruit a diverse cast of employees if you want staff to feel empowered at work, but may accidentally alienate some applicants with gendered or restrictive language. 

Find unique ways to reward employees who champion your values at work. Put aside a budget for these boons, and give your star employees a chance to decide how they’d like to be rewarded. This ensures that your staff feels valued and can make full use of your empowerment program. 

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

The bottom line 

Corporate social responsibility is key to the long-term success of lean workplaces. By embracing CSR, you can build a better future for your business and your employees. Embrace simple changes at first — like using more inclusive language — and build on these by reviewing your CSR performance every quarter. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Mastering Leadership: Top Tips for New Business Owners to Empower and Guide Their Teams to Success

Starting a new business is an exciting journey, but it comes with many challenges. One of the most important tasks for any new business owner is learning how to effectively lead and manage employees. At ChamberofCommerce.org, we frequently work with entrepreneurs who are eager to get their businesses off the ground but need guidance on the leadership side.

In this article, we’ll provide tips for new business owners on how to start strong by setting their employees up for productivity and success.

READ: From Employee to Entrepreneur — Top Tips for Making a Successful Switch 

Set clear expectations upfront

When bringing on new hires, don’t just hand them a job description and leave them to figure things out. Take time to explain your vision for the company, their role, and what success looks like. Clarify how their performance will be measured and share any metrics you’ll use to track progress. Define not only the required daily tasks but the overall goals and results you expect them to achieve in their position.

Providing clear expectations from day one equips employees to stay focused. It also makes managing performance easier down the road, as you’ll have predefined standards to reference in feedback discussions.

Create opportunities for input

Employees who feel heard and valued are more engaged at work. While the business founder naturally has the final say on major decisions, create opportunities for staff to share ideas and provide input.

You might hold periodic brainstorming sessions to collect innovative ideas for improving processes or services. Or send out anonymous surveys asking what’s working well and what could be better. Employees on the front lines often recognize issues or notice customer needs that those in leadership roles miss. Gaining their perspectives leads to better-informed decisions.

READ: How to Craft an Ideal Employee Experience Strategy — 6 Easy Steps

Help employees understand how their role contributes

Micromanaging is demotivating. For optimal productivity, employees need some autonomy in carrying out their responsibilities. But be sure they understand how their individual role ladders up to broader company goals.

Explain how the tasks they complete each day, whether it’s developing products or serving customers, contribute to the success of the business as a whole. This helps them feel invested in the work rather than just going through the motions.

Check in regularly to provide feedback

Don’t just evaluate performance during formal annual reviews. Consistent feedback is key for productivity, as it allows you to reinforce positive progress and promptly address any issues.

Schedule weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with individual employees. Discuss what they’ve accomplished and any challenges faced recently. Recognize their wins and contributions. Then share constructive input on areas for improvement.

Effective feedback frameworks are critical, as a recent survey found 83% of employees have an annoying coworker. Top complaints included laziness, arrogance and excessive chatter, which regular check-ins can address. Regular check-ins also show employees you’re invested in their growth and make mid-course corrections easier.

READ: 6 Simple Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness — Key Strategies and Benefits

Support Work-life balance

Burnout is bad for business. While occasional overtime may be needed during busy periods, take care not to drive employees into the ground.

Monitor workloads across your team. If someone constantly seems overwhelmed, bring in help or shift assignments. Make sure staff take meal breaks and use vacation time. Model healthy work-life integration in your own schedule as the founder.

Supporting employees’ physical and mental well-being through work-life balance policies leads to higher and more sustainable performance over time.

Balancing employee needs is key, as one report found that professionals dislike overused workplace terms like “new normal” and excessive perks like company swag. With data showing annoyances are common, minimizing them boosts engagement.

Starting a business while effectively managing a team is no small feat. But setting clear expectations, soliciting input, providing feedback and supporting work-life balance places employees on the path to productivity. With engaged and empowered staff behind your vision, you’ll be well on your way to business success.

 

This article was produced by the team at ChamberofCommerce.org, your go-to resource for tips, guides, and reviews to help small businesses succeed.

How to Prevent Loud Quitting: Strategies to Boost Employee Engagement

After learning of “quiet quitting” earlier this year, leaders can turn their attention to a new subject: loud quitting, or active disengagement at work. Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report exposed almost one in five employees engage in “loud quitting.”

The ranks of loud quitters are smaller than disengaged quiet quitters, who make up 59% of the workforce. However, even a minority of loud quitters can negatively impact morale and culture. Loud quitters engage in behavior to actively undermine the organization, reaching the point of direct opposition due to a complete breakdown in trust and communication.

Loud quitters can pose a serious obstacle to an organization by reducing efficiency and hindering its ability to achieve key goals. To prevent loud quitting from harming their business, leaders should keep a few strategies in mind.

READ: You’ve Heard of ‘Quiet Quitting,’ but What About ‘Quiet Leadership?’

Understand employee engagement

Employee engagement is critical to motivation, productivity and culture. However, between loud quitters and quiet quitters, up to seven in 10 employees may feel passively or actively disengaged in the workplace. To sidestep the pitfalls of loud quitting, it is important for organizations to understand what factors keep employees engaged and happy and how they can improve engagement overall.

The starting point for understanding engagement is gathering data. One useful way to measure engagement is using anonymous surveys to poll employees several times a year. Direct conversations can also help leaders uncover the truth about the employee experience at their organization, but anonymous surveys often solicit more honest feedback.

Understanding employee engagement takes time. One survey might not reveal the whole picture, but it is a springboard to make change. Leadership must remember: When a survey is conducted, employee communication and/or action to address any obvious concerns is paramount. Over the course of months to a year, leaders can experiment with policies promoting engagement and interpret the data points to guide them in the right direction.

READ: How to Craft an Ideal Employee Experience Strategy — 6 Easy Steps

Train managers 

The best way to address loud quitting is to prevent employees from loud quitting in the first place. The cause of quiet quitting goes beyond employee disengagement. By the time employees reach a point where they deliberately undermine leadership, their relationship with their employee has usually been deteriorating over months or years. Managers have many opportunities throughout that process to intervene and course correct.

Organizations should thoroughly train their managers in how to have difficult conversations with employees and work with different types of personalities. If an employee seems disengaged, managers should take the initiative as soon as possible to uncover why and re-engage the employee. Once an employee begins to show signs of loud quitting, managers urgently need to step in before the employee can hurt the organization.

Culture plays a key role in loud quitting as well. In an organization culture where employees feel valued, trust will remain high, and employees are less likely to become loud quitters. Organizations can collaborate with managers to foster a thriving culture within their teams, where workers feel both supportive of and supported by one another. Whether through training managers, intervening early or building culture, the most effective solution to loud quitting is prevention.

READ: 5 Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment

Hire for culture fit

The unhappiest employees in an organization are often those who do not fit into a culture. While that might not mean the employee is a poor worker, a bad culture fit can lead to low engagement, intrapersonal conflict and eventually, loud quitting. HR can and should try to help employees struggling to integrate into corporate culture, but the most effective way to ensure culture fit is to focus on culture during recruitment. 

There is no single solution to hiring for culture fit, but organizations need to define their culture before they can hire for it. Once leaders have identified what makes their corporate culture unique, recruitment materials should emphasize core mission and values embedded in company culture. Recruiters should also receive training on the best ways to talk about culture with candidates and how to identify candidates who can function well as a team with existing employees.

No organization wants a loud quitter in their midst, just like no employee wants to become a loud quitter. To avoid the unwanted outcome, employers should focus on employee engagement, teach their managers to address loud quitting and embrace culture fit during recruitment. In doing so, they can build an organization of happy, productive employees. 

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Director of Service Operations with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.  

Managing Stress as an Entrepreneur: How Stress Can Impact Your Work, and How to Regain Control

If you’re an entrepreneur working to get your business off the ground and you’re experiencing headaches or you’re constantly tired, you’re likely experiencing stress. Everyone manifests stress in different ways, but if you don’t control it, it could make building your business much harder. Let’s talk about how stress can impact your work as an entrepreneur and how to regain control.

READ: From Employee to Entrepreneur — Top Tips for Making a Successful Switch 

Stress affects your physical health

One of the most obvious ways that anxiety can hurt you as an entrepreneur is through physical pain. If you start to notice obvious signs of stress, like headaches, insomnia and stomach pain, look at your workload and determine if you’re overdoing it. 

There are also some less obvious physical signs you may experience, like teeth-grinding, which can lead to more significant oral health issues. If you’re getting so stressed that you’re causing yourself harm, then set healthy boundaries and strict working hours so you don’t push yourself so far.

Stress affects your work performance

Stress can also affect your mental health because when you’re not getting enough sleep, or you form bad habits like drinking alcohol, then you could lack the concentration that you need to create your brand. You might also try to overcome the stress by working harder and longer hours and getting caught up in hustle culture. 

You need to know when to stop and take a break. Failure to do so could result in burnout. When you’re tired and burned out, your work can suffer because you’re more prone to make mistakes, and you may even get so exhausted that you give up on your business.

READ: Avoiding Founder Burnout — A Guide on Fighting Hustle Culture for Entrepreneurs

If you’re working excessively long hours, you’re probably also losing sleep, and the effects of sleep deprivation can be catastrophic for your life as an entrepreneur. The function of sleep is to rest your brain so you can take on the new day. When you don’t sleep, you wake up with limited cognitive function. That means you may have trouble thinking, learning and remembering important information. 

When you sleep, you also rest your eyes, and if you’re not allowing yourself seven to nine hours of shut-eye, you could experience vision-related ailments like blurry vision and eyelid twitches. These are unhealthy distractions you don’t want to experience when trying to concentrate on your business. 

Stress affects problem-solving 

Your problem-solving skills could also be under attack. In a recent study, two groups were asked to complete tasks testing their verbal problem-solving skills. One group had additional stress while the other didn’t. The result was that the stress affected the participants in different ways. The stress did not phase some participants, but researchers did see that the stress affected the functional connectivity of others in the survey. The point is that sometimes stress can keep you on your toes. But you don’t want to be stressed all of the time.

READ: 7 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress in the World of Finance

Stress affects your relationships

Anxiety can also affect your personal relationships with customers and business partners. Psychologists have found that stress can make you feel more withdrawn and distracted. That’s not how you want to be, especially if you sell to and deal with customers all day. Stress can also make you much less patient than you typically are. Patience is often required during the primary stages of starting a new company, so don’t let stress rob you of that quality.

Get control of your stress

If you feel like stress is taking over your entrepreneurial journey, then you need to manage your anxiety right now. You can try many strategies, from taking time to laugh to breathing exercises. You also need to try to seek joy when you can. Think about how lucky you are to be an entrepreneur who can start your own business, and the excitement could trump your anxiety.

When DIY stress reduction techniques aren’t working, you may need professional help. In 2021, Denver Psychologist Terri Finney began offering free therapy sessions to small business owners in Colorado, and she saw positive results. During the sessions, the business owners talked with her and each other and realized the stressors they faced and the methods to try to get over them. If you think a session like this might benefit you, research resources in your area.

Stress can affect you and your company in many ways. By recognizing the risks, you can avoid them and continue on your journey to business success.

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Navigating Economic Downturns as a Business Owner: A Guide to Sustained Growth

Small- and medium-sized enterprises account for 90% of the U.S. business population. And when the economy takes a nosedive, as it’s doing now in some sectors, many of these companies can suddenly feel like a drummer who’s lost their rhythm — there’s a beat, but they aren’t hitting it. Instead of a coordinated symphony of growth, there’s a disjointed scramble just to keep pace.

Economic downturns can be either a slippery slope that knocks a flourishing company off its feet or a unique opportunity to pivot and continue to thrive in totally new ways. Flexibility is essential in business, and being ready to throw plans out the window to make deals happen is crucial.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves and dive in. We’ll explore the principles behind sustainable growth and discuss strategies for keeping your company afloat and thriving when the economy takes a turn. Spoilers — it’s about being nimble, creative and committed to meeting needs, even as those needs shift. 

READ: Preparing for Economic Downturn — 4 Tips for Colorado Business Owners

How well are you expressing your business identity?

First things first — are you clearly communicating your business offerings? As a publicist who spends much of my time decoding messaging to help companies better illustrate their services to key targets, I regularly see a gap between how companies think they’re being perceived, and how they actually are. It’s easy to get caught up in the way you talk about your business, but changing your viewpoint can be seriously effective. 

For instance, a few years ago, our clients often asked us for recommendations on graphic designers, SEO agencies and web development firms when we actually offer those services. Understanding that we weren’t communicating that clearly to our targets prompted a recent rebrand (and company name change) that has since helped us grow those areas by orders of magnitude in the last 18 months. 

In short, don’t play hide and seek with what services you can provide. Did your company design a snazzy new rebrand for a business? Be loud, be proud and say clearly, “Hey, we do that!” Leave no room for clients to seek additional services elsewhere. When the tides begin to shift, be sure to look inward to audit your own offerings and take advantage of any gaps. 

READ: Boost Your Organization’s Impact with a Successful PR Strategy — A Guide for Purpose-Driven Businesses

Position yourself as a “need,” not a “want”

Your business isn’t just providing a product or service — it’s solving a problem. As the old saying goes, “Your customers don’t want a quarter-inch drill – they actually want a quarter-inch hole.” Did you know nearly half of companies fail due to a lack of market demand? That’s why understanding your market is essential. If there’s a gap between what’s needed and what you provide, it’s time to close it and take hold of these missed opportunities for growth.

Audit your company messaging to ensure you’re speaking directly to your target audience. Use language they can connect with and make sure the value of your solution is evident. I’m here to tell you that while landing the New York Times is great, you might see more direct value in speaking to a group of highly targeted “buyers” through opportunities in a trade publication. Know your audience and meet them where they are.

A persuasive message isn’t always enough on its own — you need to back it up with proof.  By showcasing tangible results, whether it’s through success stories, case studies, demonstrations, awards or more, take the initiative to assure potential customers that you’re not just talking the talk but also walking the walk.

READ: 4 Easy Tips to Avoid Missed Business Opportunities

The right people, the right clients, the right approach

My dad always told me, “Sometimes you’re the big wheel and sometimes you’re the little wheel. Never forget what it feels like to be either.” It can be easy to get caught up in things when you’re doing well. Maybe your billable rates no longer work for one of your early clients so you’re inclined to replace them with your newer, larger clients — but the clients who stuck by you when you were starting out are the ones who helped you grow. Stay loyal to them, and they’ll be there to lend a hand when the economic winds change.

A business cannot survive without the right people and the right clients. A CNBC poll found that an alarming 52 percent of the respondents stated labor quality was their most significant problem. With this data in mind, stop and take a good, hard look at your team. Are the right people in the right seats on the bus? Are you able to adapt skill sets to meet services that are in demand (in our case, our designers work on everything from websites to infographics to presentations – depending on the needs of the client and the project)? Remember: A solid, well-fitted team isn’t just a luxury. It’s a necessity for success.

It’s time to think outside the box, get creative with hiring strategies and consider solutions like downsizing the office footprint, offering hybrid or remote opportunities and seeking out contractors or interns. Be wise, be resourceful and your cash reserves will thank you. 

READ: 5 Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment

Balancing the scales

Navigating the delicate relationship between your company’s resources (staff) and its demands (clients) is not just critical — it’s an art form. Think of your business as a scale with employees on one side and clients on the other — it’s your job to ensure each side is weighted equally. Your business will quickly suffer if one side becomes unbalanced. Whether the market is rich in opportunities or lacking them, creating a customized plan that aligns with industry trends is vital to achieving sustainable growth. Just as an idle staff is a drain on company resources, disappointing client expectations due to inadequate staffing will hurt your ability to keep current clients and add new ones. 

Last but certainly not least, know your industry inside and out. When the first-year failure rate in the professional, scientific and technical services industries stands at a scary 19.4%, you need to know the industry and target market like the back of your hand.

Sure, there’s no quick fix for economic downturns. Still, these turbulent periods test our resilience and resourcefulness, demanding us to adapt to survive or be washed away by the tides of change. While a slow market may be daunting, it also provides a unique but challenging opportunity for growth and transformation. Remember, it’s not the strongest that survive but those able to adapt. 

 

Melissachristensen Vpofpublicrelations 1Melissa Christensen is the Vice President of Public Relations at Comprise.

6 Simple Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness: Key Strategies and Benefits

Your employees are your main key to success. Healthy, happy employees are much more productive and can help your business thrive in competitive markets. That’s why employee wellness initiatives are so important.

Companies that value wellness have lower rates of absenteeism, too. This is particularly important if you work in a fast-paced industry where every day counts. 

Fortunately, there are a range of approaches you can adopt to further employee wellness and happiness. Choosing a wellness package that suits your business and budget is key to creating a workforce of cheerful, productive employees. 

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything you Need to Know

Profitability and wellness

As a business leader, you may be concerned that pouring money into a health and wellness program will reduce your profitability. However, a recent study from the University of Warwickshire shows that employees who are happy work harder than those who are unsatisfied at work. 

Take advantage of the profitability-boosting potential of wellness programs by investing in everyday happiness-boosting treats like free movie tickets or food and drink during working hours. Small gestures of appreciation lead to a 37% increase in employee satisfaction at Google and may have a similar impact on your firm. 

Nutrition and hydration

Most full-time employees struggle to prepare enough healthy, nutritious food to fuel them through an entire workday. As an employer, you can help your staff by offering a range of snacks, meals, fruits and veggies at work. Providing free food is a great way to boost employee wellness and raise energy levels at work. 

Hydration is an often-overlooked element of health and well-being. However, inadequate hydration can derail staff productivity and send employee wellness into a tailspin. Unfortunately, some folks don’t enjoy drinking water and need an extra nudge to drink their fill. 

Incentivize hydration by embracing hydration hacks. Purchase funky water bottles for staff and provide flavored or sparkling water at work. Help staff set water intake goals and reward folks who can drink their fill in a day.

Mental health services

Everyone’s mental health has taken a knock in the past few years. Global conflict, pandemics and a rising cost of living are tough on employees and may send them over their “tipping” point. 

READ: Finding the Silver Lining Amidst Rising Interest and Inflation Rates

Support your staff by providing access to mental health services. Your staff will benefit greatly from free, confidential access to therapists and trained psychiatrists. Regularly review the efficacy of mental health services by surveying staff to find out about uptake, improvements in well-being, and general feedback. 

Community engagement

As much as your staff cares about the profitability of your business, they are far more likely to be healthy and happy if they feel that your business positively contributes to the local community. Community engagement opportunities are usually cost-effective, too, as local non-profits are always looking for volunteers. 

Facilitate community engagement by electing an engagement officer for your business and budgeting for initiatives. Setting aside funds for community projects shows that you truly care about the causes that bring your employees the most happiness and fulfillment.

READ: 5 Steps to Launch Work Volunteer Efforts

Workflow management

Every business has its own unique approach to workflow. However, inefficient workflow management can have a detrimental impact on staff mental health. No employee wants to spend their workday jumping through unnecessary hoops or filling out paperwork that could have been automated. 

Automate menial workflow tasks to support employee wellness. This is particularly important in fields like engineering and construction, where employees have to manually input measurements with a high degree of accuracy. 

Utilizing AI in your workflow management may reduce fatigue, too. Roles that involve data management and CRMs can become monotonous quickly and may undermine employee focus and mental well-being. Embracing an automated CRM can help staff focus on tasks that improve the business’s bottom line. 

Avoid the temptation to multitask while streamlining your workflow. Multitasking may sound more efficient, but will only result in errors and a sense of being overwhelmed. Instead, decrease the number of projects that staff is working on to reduce confusion and improve clarity amongst your staff. 

The bottom line

Your employees are the bedrock of your business. Keep them healthy and happy by investing in their wellness and supporting their interests. Set aside a portion of your profits to be reinvested in gym memberships and free, nutritious meals. Give folks the time and funds they need to volunteer in the community, too. Even small gestures like time off for fundraisers can help your employees feel proud and happy at work. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Training and Managing Recent Graduates: Strategies for Maximizing Class of 2023’s Success in the Workforce

This summer, millions of college graduates will enter the workforce. Like every class, the Class of 2023 will bring unique skills and face unique challenges in their early careers. To maximize the benefit of new grads to business and support their career development, employers should implement the best practices for training and managing recent graduates for their success.

While there is no one way to help new graduates succeed, the best approaches to training include performance management, rotational programs and social and emotional learning.

READ: Maximizing Your Mental Health Insurance Benefits — A Guide for Gen Z in 2023

Performance management

Every employee benefits from performance management. New grads especially benefit from ongoing conversations around their performance and benchmarks to measure progress, which can refine their existing skills and grow their capabilities. To support new grads, organizations should create a performance management strategy to maximize these benefits for both new grads and their teams.

Through performance management, employees enter into an ongoing conversation with their managers about their performance. This process allows managers to continuously coach their employees, enhancing their performance and developing their skills. While a strong performance management system may also include biannual or annual reviews, the review should be only one of many touchpoints when new grads receive feedback on their performance.

For new hires, it is critical for managers to set clear expectations during their first conversations since many new grads lack experience with a full-time role. As new hires take on greater responsibilities, they should collaborate with managers to identify realistic, timely goals and a way to measure them over time. This approach will set up new hires to continually grow and support their teams.

READ: Unlocking Business Success Through Travel: 5 Lessons Learned in Nepal

Rotational programs

Robust rotational programs are an efficient way to expose new grads to a variety of aspects of the business. In traditional rotational programs, new hires move from one entry-level role to another within their organization for a preset length of time. This allows new grads to gain knowledge and skills through exposure to multiple areas of business.

The benefits are clear in data from National Associate of Colleges and Employers, which found 43.8% of employers with rotational programs saw higher retention of first-year employees by almost 20%. By asking new graduates to start over with a new team, organizations reinforce relationship-building skills, resilience and adaptability. Rotational programs can also improve engagement by varying job duties over time and develop self-confidence for new graduates who succeed in different environments.

Perhaps most importantly, rotational programs allow new graduates to find their best fit. Many graduates enter the workplace seemingly certain of their career interests, but quickly find their first job is not what they envisioned. Through a rotational program, new graduates have permission to explore and pursue the role that excited them most at the end of the program.

READ: Want to Set your Business Apart From the Rest? Consider Apprenticeship

Social and emotional learning

Graduates may have earned their degrees, but may not have the coping skills to thrive in the workplace without additional support. The class of 2023 attended college during the coronavirus pandemic, preventing many from gaining valuable in-person experience through internships. A study from the Mary Christie Institute this March surveyed young adults with at least a bachelor’s degree, finding a majority were not emotionally equipped to navigate their workplace. Over one in three of those surveyed said their college programs did not teach them workplace skills or emotional and behavioral expectations.

These statistics reflect the importance of setting expectations around behavior for new hires fresh out of college through social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL refers to the process of developing essential skills for success in work and life, such as understanding and managing emotions, goal setting, demonstrating empathy for coworkers and forming positive relationships in the workplace. Organizations can incorporate a social-emotional learning element to their new hire training program, which can close emotional skills gaps, build culture and help new hires succeed. 

Social and emotional skills not only increase the likelihood of success in the workplace, but they also assist new hires in advancing their careers. Without the soft skills to build relationships, network, receive constructive criticism and respond to challenges with resilience, new grads may falter in their early careers. Organizations that train new grads across the board will strengthen their own culture, while providing a foundation for their newest employees to advance in the ranks.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Director of Service Operations with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.