7 Keys to Optimizing Team Dynamics for Elevated Profits

All businesses need engaged employees. All businesses must have sustainable models, ecosystems or designs in place to keep the company progressing and remaining relevant and competitive in today's faster-than-ever changing climate.

At the heart of any business is culture, embodied by it's employees. Employees are the front line of how your customers experience your brand. If employees are not engaged, profits will suffer extensively - up to $370 BILLION annually according to Gallup!

To optimize team dynamics it's crucial to have a solid culture that allows employees, if not invites them to thrive.

ASK YOURSELF THIS?

1. Are your employees a good fit for your culture and goals?

2. Are you providing an environment that promotes collaboration and idea sharing?

3. Are you investing in your employees and setting them up for success?

4. Are you listening, relating and communicating clearly with your tribe?

5. Are you providing employees with inspirational leadership that stimulates growth and passion?

6. Are you enabling innovation and encouraging if not inviting change?

7. Are such values as love, respect, gratitude, kindness and appreciation a default setting within your culture?

As a former artist and team captain in Cirque du Soleil, I can attest to the value of culture and team dynamics - it's impact on performance is undeniable and heavily effects the customers overall experience beyond the stage.

Every customer interaction must leave a positive impression on every level of that experience. A great show experience could be compromised because the service provided by one disengaged team member at the popcorn stand or bar was lousy if not frustrating.

But imagine, if you could raise the applause level of your customers as if they were experiencing a memorable and amazing show from A to Z. How would that effect your bottom line?

Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results - Andrew Carnegie

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THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

LEVERAGING YOUR TRIBE TO ELEVATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

The summer is over and companies are returning to full swing in preparation for a succesful year. It's not easy to keep focus and maintain employee motivation. Your growth and profits depend on how engaged your employees are and what levels of customer experience they provide.

In the words of Shep Hyken, "Customers are smarter than ever and looking for more value. More than just customer service, they want a great customer experience."

At ENGAGE we partner with our clients to offer relevant, actionable and impactful team development trainings, keynotes and workshops that elevate employee engagement. We build happier teams. The ultimate objective is to grow and strengthen your brand and increase sales.

Without happy engaged employees, the most efficient processes, the best products and premium environments only cater for the transaction slice of sales that are void of the necessary emotional connection tying the brand, story and experience to the guest. Companies cannot ignore the value of their employees if they are to grow, succeed and provide the cusomers with great experiences.

Everything within your culture and everybody within your tribe must be aligned in a cohesive way that best communicates or shares your brand promise. Your happy employees will be more attentive, more helpful, more aware, and tuned into your customers needs and expectations. Your HAPPY EMPLOYEES, reinforced by product, process, environment and culture, will inherently provide eleveated customer experiences. 

3 FACTS about happy employees:

1. Happy employees have a 10% lower absentee record.
2. Happy employees will have a 10% lower turn over rate.
3. Happy employees will be 5% more productive.

Creating a happy culture with positive and engaged employees translates to more $$$ for your business. It can't and shouldn't be overlooked. More importantly, investing on building happier teams is a fundemental need in today's highly competitive business climate as your clients are looking for a memorable experience delivered by YOUR TEAM.

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THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

What is employee disengagement costing your organization? How to fix that?

According to Gallup, disengaged employees now cost the US economy $500 BILLION annually!

The human element, the power of leadership, strong team dynamics and the value of a happy and engaging cultures can no longer be denied. In this age of the consumer, the people element has become more relevant than ever.  

Business is becoming more and more about collaboration and information sharing. Modern leadership is less about hierarchy and power but more about autonomous decision making, empowerment, flexible schedules and employees (in particular Millennials), having a sense of purpose and opportunity within your company.

HAPPY ENGAGED teams win championships.

Your people are your front line to providing elevated CX. As we move into the information age where the customer expects more and has access to more, it is crucial that the human or people element be valued, nurtured and respected. 

The ROI is simple:  HAPPY ENGAGED teams win championships. Elevated Customer Experiences minimize pain points and build strong emotional connections with their customer through a multitude of platforms, strategies and action plans.  

Companies that are customer-centric in their culture and philosophy are more competitive and generate more income. WHY? Because those happy employees value and care more for the customer beyond the basic transaction. They will go the extra mile and make each and every customer feel valued and important, thus strengthening your brand and loyalty.

FACTS

1. Companies whose leadership rated high in ethics, employee motivation, and employee communication enjoy 20% higher profits! 
2. In contrast, the lost productivity of actively disengaged employees cost the US economy $500 BILLION annually.
3. Teams with a positive attitude will provide a 26% higher return on assets.
4. Companies with a highly engaged workforce improved operating income by 19.2%.
5. A 1% increase in employee commitment can lead to a monthly increase of 9% in sales.

At ENGAGE we understand the challenges of employee engagement and provide a multitude of actionable tools through our dynamic, memorable and impactful trainings, keynotes and workshops. Please contact us for a proposal and to help us understand how we can be of value to your organization.

If this blog was of value, please feel welcome to borrow and or share.  

THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

3 Actionable Steps to Build a Championship Winning Group of Employees.

In today’s faster-than-ever changing business trends and economic globalization, the business paradigm has inevitably shifted. The challenge of becoming and remaining relevant or winning championships has become more testing than ever as the consumer becomes more and more spoiled for choice. Success ultimately boils down to leadership and culture.

There is so much more to leadership today than having people follow you. We’re becoming a networking society where collaboration is key, innovation essential and responsibility belonging to many individuals, not just one.

Our influence on others needs to be more about empowerment rather than authority if we want our business or company to achieve, succeed and thrive.

The 3 actionable pillars to winning a championship in the business world are as follows:

1: CREATIVITY

Incite your team to be more engaged by leveraging their ideas.  The only way to achieve this is by promoting a more creative, expansive and encompassing mindset that enhances their ability to generate novel and relevant ideas, conceive innovative concepts and envision or embrace new strategies and methodologies. It will broaden your team’s horizons and change their perspectives.

Invite more collaboration and idea sharing. Embrace mistakes and fail quickly. Most ideas initially disappoint, yet create a path to accomplishment by default of having planted a seed with potential that if correctly watered will blossom.  The expression of one bad idea often initiates a reaction that leads to a great idea.

In addition, humans have a fundamental need to express and be creative (Maslo’s Hierarchy of Needs  - Self Actualization). When employees are engaged in this process they feel vested in a project and take pride. They will nurture their contribution like a little baby they gave birth to, filled with pride, joy and love.

2: CONNECTIVITY

When a team works cohesively void of speed bumps caused by ego’s or lack of personal and emotional connections and relationships, they open up and become more receptive and inclined to collaborate and excel through the support, trust and encouragement of their peers.

It’s a question of putting down our guards and focusing on the bigger picture or the common goal from which the unified team takes pride in achieving.

Talent, teamwork, expertise, commitment, determination and desire fueled by passion, wins championships. If not, add a more cowbell!

3: FUN AND HAPPINESS

Gallup surveys show that 1 in 2 employees are unhappy or disengaged at work due to failing leadership and mediocre organizational culture. A happy employee is an engaged, productive and efficient employee. The math is simple.

1.    Companies with a highly engaged workforce improved operating income by 19.2%.

2.    Increased employee engagement and commitment can increase customer satisfaction.

3.    A 1% increase in employee commitment can lead to a monthly increase of 9% in sales.

It can’t be denied that happy teams that are in sync and have fun playing together are more inclined to thrive, reach higher and win championships.  

Contact us today at ENGAGEteams.com for a customized team development training program, designed to inspire greatness, leadership, creative ingenuity and happier lives in the workplace.

If this post was of value, please feel welcome to borrow or share. 

THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

What Impact Does Attitude Have at Home and at Work?

ATTITUDE affects behavior, our approach to life and work. Our perspectives are either broadened or narrowed as a result. Attitude will ultimately determine the outcome of any endeavor or pursuit. It is the heartbeat of our personal mindset and everything else that follows. It is the blood that runs through the veins of an organization. It is the oxygen that those around us breathe and it drives us forward when faced with challenges.

Positive attitudes make for happier people. When we are happy we tend to be better: we are better leaders, better employees, better lovers, better friends, better parents… better everything.

BUSINESS AND WORK: Happy, collaborative, revitalized, focused, motivated and engaged teams with positive company cultures win championships!

At ENGAGE we partner with our clients to offer relevant, actionable and impactful team development trainings, keynotes and workshops that elevate employee engagement. We build happier teams. The ultimate objective is to grow and strengthen your brand and increase sales.

Successful teams and companies have a winning mentality at the heart of their culture that is reinforced by strong leadership. They have positive attitudes filled with optimism, belief, passion, strong communication, a collaborative mentality and a clear focus on the goal.

 

FACTS:

• Companies whose leadership rated high in ethics, employee motivation, and employee communication enjoyed 20% higher profits! 
• In contrast, the lost productivity of actively disengaged employees cost the US economy # $370 BILLION annually.
• Teams with a positive attitude will provide a 26% higher return on assets.
• Companies with a highly engaged workforce improved operating income by 19.2%.
• A 1% increase in employee commitment can lead to a monthly increase of 9% in sales.

 ASK YOURSELF:

• How does your attitude benefit your team?
• How would you rate your attitude and could it improve?

 ATTITUDES ARE CONTAGIOUS:

It is necessary to regularly self-evaluate, keeping our attitude in the right place, ensuring it has a significant and beneficial impact on our team, company culture and those in our personal lives too. It's all about what you do next, not what happened. Attitude is everything. Have a positive one. It's a choice.

For more on ENGAGE, and how our team development services can inspire relevent and meaningful paradigm shifts, log onto www.ENGAGEteams.com

If this post was of any value, please feel welcome to borrow and share. 

THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

The ROI of Respect in the Workplace... and life.

More people quit jobs because of a boss who makes them miserable. And why does failing leadership and mediocre cultures make employees miserable and want to quit? Lack of respect. 

"One of the best forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say." - Bryant H. McGill

Respect begins with the self but should be complimented with a heavy dose of humility and love. Employees thrive when valued, appreciated and heard. We must listen. Respect is, however, a two way street. Respect invites respect. 

When leadership respects their teams, they establish a platform that invites more participation and commitment. A respected employee feels valued and important. A respected employee will be more loyal, more productive and simply put... better.  

Probably the most effective way to show respect is to listen and hear what a person has to say or offer. Empower your employees by listening and making them feel respected. It's that simple.

The effort required to show respect is zero. The ROI is limitless - guaranteed!

THANK YOU for reading - Vital Germaine

3 Simple Steps to Inspiring and Achieving Greatness

Many pursue and desire greatness but don't know how to achieve it or inspire it. Fortunately, through years of experience and extensive research, ENGAGE has created relevant and meaningful guidelines or tricks, approaches, attitudes and mindsets that can enthuse, activate, and enable extraordinary results on a personal and/or professional level. 

There is no quick fix, singular formula, pill or overnight solution to inspiring or achieving greatness. It is a process a never-ending pursuit that can be attained more easily than one thinks.

At ENGAGE, we have broken down the process into to 3 simple to follow steps listed below.  We call them: FUEL - AMMUNITION – TOOLS (F.A.T)

Establishing the “why” behind any pursuit or goal, and understanding the purpose and meaning is paramount. The more significant, expansive and encompassing your “why” is, and the greater its positive and relevant impact is on others, the easier it becomes to realize. We are always more driven by a cause that is greater than ourselves.

Here are the 3 SIMPLE STEPS (F.A.T).

1. FUEL

• Determination (drive, resilience, persistence)
• Courage (inner strength)
• Happiness (joy, love, humor and gratitude)
• Belief (conviction, confidence)
• Passion (desire, determination, feelings
• Patience (endurance)
• Respect (appreciation, acknowledgment, recognition

2. AMMUNITION

• Meaning (significance)
• Sense of Purpose (the why, the motivation, objective)
• Social Relevance (who benefits)

3. TOOLS

• Creativity Ingenuity (envisioning, trying new possibilities)
• Awareness (self awareness and of our environment/people)
• Childlike Approach (the love of exploration and discovery)
• Adaptable Perspective (willing to change)
• Positive Outlook (yes or why not)
• Willingness to fail (without risk there is little reward)
• Connectedness (egoless, authenticity, empathy) 

Contact ENGAGE today and allow us to inspire your team to greatness.

• www.ENGAGEteams.com
• Vital@ENGAGEteams.com
• 702.523 1792

If this post has been of benefit to you, please feel welcome to borrow, copy and share. Thank you, Vital Germaine

How to fly without a net and achieve your goals

FLYING WITHOUT A NET is a metaphor about taking a leap of faith with love, passion, and the conviction to give it your all and achieve regardless of events and situation.

We are never victims of circumstance unless we so chose. Choice empowers us -  IF we can handle the fear, the risk and the possibility of failure. But what if we, truly desire to fly and actually chose to believe we can fly and commit to that choice? 

Flying needs courage, a willingness to fail and a childlike spirit to explore and discover the endless possibilities that await on the other side of failure and fear. 

BUY THE BOOK with its new vibrant orange cover that captures the essence of the top selling author - be inspired to overcome your obstacles, turn your attitude into one of belief and positivity and empower yourself to achieve. It's been called a:

"A Life Changer"

"A Must Read"

"Exhilarating"

"Inspirational"

Thank you for reading. If this blog was of value, please feel welcome to borrow and/or share.

VITAL GERMAINE

Life lessons

There are many lessons I learned during my years at Cirque du Soleil... some of them I now use to inspire as a speaker because they relate and lend to the business world. Other lessons focus on who we are as individuals, as humans. All the lessons have helped me grow as a person and I gadly share them.

One of the biggest take aways from my 5 years in the company were the lesson learned about integrity and being authentic - being true to who we are and not being afraid of our individuality or expressing it; qualities Cirque thrived on and inspired us to be, encouraged us to do, including being CHILDLIKE and in the moment.

Here is an excerpt from the sequel to FLYING WITHOUT A NET (still yet unnamed and close to publication) - this little "tease" gives a hint as to one of those many lessons.

CHAPTER 13 ~ The Cirque Audition… continued ~

There I stood below the trapeze; confused—a part of me fearless, the other half trembling.

The first part of the Cirque du Soleil audition had been a whirlwind of exploration, discovery, some really crazy shit, and a sturdy reminder to let go of conformity, feel and express without inhibition. Debbie Brown’s creative insanity left me none the wiser, only more curious and eager to play, be silly and have fun at the expense of the clowns, midgets and sword-swallowers I thought lived at the back in trailers.

The coach, Pierre, and his quiet assistant whose name I don’t remember, placed me into a harness. It fit snug around the waist. It squeezed my inner thighs and everything in between. They attached the belt to the bungee cords by a clip that mountain climbers use.

Pierre began my crash course like he had done to the other dancers...

...Instead of dancing up there as the other dancers had done, I played like a child on Christmas day. I made up several silly spur of the moment moves: the suspended swimming frog, followed by the flying monkey, ending with the slow motion astronaut and the seventies aerial robot. I went from zero to genuine clown in under six seconds.

 “It’s fun, non?” asked Pierre.

Debbie and Pierre congratulated me.

I had apparently captured their attention, imagination and curiosity despite having no idea what I was doing. It sometimes pays to be vulnerable and authentic and just do without a plan or a sense of direction—to be spontaneous regardless of circumstance—to reconnect with one’s forgotten inner child and just be.

"It's not always easy to be in the moment, authentic and let go of your inhibitions to be free, to be vulnerable and childlike. But when I do, good things happen!"

Vital Germaine

5 Simple strategies to improve creativity for the business professional

1. Take a walk. Exercise will stimulate ideas because more oxygen will be pumped to your numb brain.

2. Have a good glass of wine and talk to a friend (or your pet) about something completely unrelated.

3. Read a book.  Play a game (video games included).

4. Browse the Internet meaningfully.

5. Try something completely new and different (regularly): new route to work, new restaurants, new magazines, new habits, say hello to unknown people at work.

If this blog was of value, please feel welcome to borrow and/or share. 

THANK YOU, Vital Germaine