As business owners, we can’t solve the world’s problems, or even our employees’ problems, but we can still help our employees and ourselves during these uncertain times. An article that I read in Incentive Magazine describes 10 ways that we can keep our staff motivated and energized while at work.

I especially like the two following suggestions but read the full article for a new look at things you can do to alleviate stress in your organization.

“Hold regular team or staff meetings. Consistent communication and awareness-building are essential.  Keep everyone posted on the latest developments and be upfront about the unknowns. ”

“Emphasize the importance of looking after oneself. Provide internal and external resources for health and wellness improvement, with tips for getting proper rest, healthy nutrition, and keeping physically fit.

Check out the fantastic selection of educational seminars and workshops.  Top leaders in the gift basket industry will be sharing their best ideas! You’ll learn how to organize your design room for maximum efficiency and your displays for maximum impact. Debbie Quintana, from the Gift Basket Association, will tell you how to promote yourself and your business. Learn how to expand bridal events with Mary Anne Jacobs. Get tips on managing your inventory, handling your customer service phones and much much more.

You still have time to take advantage of special registration and hotel rates. Don’t miss this premier industry event!

Don’t know about the Gift Basket Association? GBA is a “community of gift basket professionals that work together to uplift the gift basket industry”.  Debbie Quintina launched this membership organization one year ago, and it has quickly become an essential resource for gift basket retailers. The GBA web site offers opportunities for networking, advertising, and learning. You will learn about the latest design trends, business strategies, the newest technology for marketing and promotions, and much, much more. And GBA Talk will connect you to other professionals from whom you can learn.

Get involved and join other gift basket professionals in the “spirit of support and collaboration”.

In order to encourage teamwork in the workplace, it is critical that as business owners, we recognize and value the people who work in our companies. Each employee brings a unique set of skills and a special perspective to the workplace, based upon his/her past experiences. Author Ken Blanchard says it best: “None of us is as smart as all of us”.

Check out this article on Buzzle.com for many links to articles about teamwork in the workplace, why it’s important, and how we can cultivate a workplace that emphasizes it’s importance. Our employees will thrive if we ask them to share their perspective and utilize some of their ideas. In turn, they are likely to work harder if they’ve had input about the products and services you offer. Customers will be more satisfied and your business will profit. It’s a win/win for everyone!

What you’ll learn in this article is that positive energy in your business, which starts with personal positive energy, can create a responsive, collaborative, vital organization where employees are excited to come to work and customers are anxious to visit and do business.

If you can get your hands on the January / February issue, read the full article to learn how to:

1. differentiate between good and unproductive energy.

2. lead with good energy

3. build good energy

4. protect good energy

5. monitor and mentor others’ energy

6. project your energy

7. manage group energy

8. renew energy

Increase company morale and increase sales by injecting positive energy into your life. As Weinzweig says “the more good energy you and I put out, the more we manage it well in ourselves and others, the more it will attract customers….When energy is better, sales go up, stress goes down, tensions decrease, fun goes up, everything just works better”.

Maggie Bayless, author of “Management’s Role in Effective Training”, suggests that training only works when both the trainer and the trainee have an investment in the outcome. Yes, it is your job to outline all the tasks and responsibilities that the new hire is expected to carry out. And yes, it is your job to assess whether your new hire has the skills needed and to teach him/her those skills if not. But it is also critical for you to communicate the importance of the training process to make sure that the new employee is aware of the outcomes that you expect.

To increase a new hire’s engagement in the training process, Bayless says that employers need to:

• “Provide context for the training”…make sure the person knows what will be covered and what he/she will be expected to do after training is completed.
• “Reinforce how the training supports the trainee’s success”…let the person know how he/she can get the most out of the training.
• “Help the trainee put the new learnings to good use”…provide immediate opportunities for the person to use the information learned and be prepared to give feedback.

Read the full article for more information about how to put an effective training program in place for all of your gift basket business employees.

I read something in ManageSmarter.com on-line magazine that provides some good ideas about how to be thorough when having these conversations with employees. Read the full article entitled “Seven Tips for Effective 20 Minute Leadership Conversations”. The suggestions are straight forward and easy to implement.

1. Have a plan.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Take care of relationships.
4. Listen completely.
5. State expectations clearly.
6. Write it down.
7. Follow up.

Take the time to read the article and you’ll be able to communicate with your employees in a way where everyone wins.

But there are still some last minute details that you can take care of to make these last few weeks run more smoothly.

• Chart out your employees work schedules for the remainder of the month. Make sure that all employees double check the schedule to insure that you have adequate coverage every day. During December, employees may request some extra time off to attend  their children’s school pagents,  help an aging parent with some shopping, or just need a little extra time for their own holiday preparations. Instead of being caught off guard at the last minute, plan for these situations ahead of time. Your employees who need some time off will appreciate your understanding and be more willing to put out some extra effort on the day that one of their colleagues takes some time off.

• Double check your shipping and packing supplies. You’ve been so busy thinking about your designs, now make sure that you have everything you need to pack those gorgeous baskets so that they’ll arrive safely and intact. Check your boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts, tape, shipping labels, or whatever else you use for shipping. Contact your delivery service (UPS, Fed EX, etc) and get a copy of their holiday pick up and delivery schedules.

• Take care of yourself! In an article in the September issue of Trends and Tips Magazine, author Mary Ann Jacobs lists some “life saving tips”: take your vitamins, cut down on your sugar, select your social engagements carefully, delegate to others. I would also add that it is especially important to not miss the important things you regularly do for yourself: keep up with your exercise, yoga, meditation or whatever it is that you usually do for relaxation. Remember that you will be able to take care of your responsibilities and the important people in your life only if you’ve first taken care of yourself!

But there is a way to change the tide. An excellent article, “Managing Motivation”, by Jon Gordon, offers an interesting array of ideas that leaders in any business can use to help their employees excel during troubling times. Read the full article, but I especially like the first suggestion: “focus on people, not numbers”.

When business is slow, most small business owners that I know talk about cutting expenses and trimming the fat. But this is only one part of a winning strategy. We have to pay attention to our employees and help them maintain positive attitudes and behaviors by modeling those ourselves.

Consider what author Gordon has to say and think about how you apply this to your business: “Right now, negativity and fear are probably knocking your people off balance. It’s a scientifically proven fact that the nature of our thoughts affects our lives in tangible ways. I firmly believe that if you think your best days are behind you, they are. However, if you think your best days are ahead of you, they are. Therefore, it’s time to regroup, refocus and unite your people to create a winning mindset, culture and positive team environment. Remember, culture drives behavior. You win in the office first. Then you win in the marketplace. With a winning team you create strength on the inside that can withstand the negativity, naysayers and adversity on the outside.”

If customers let us know that they are dissatisfied, we have the opportunity to do something positive and hopefully, retain that customer’s business. But for many of us, it not easy to handle complaints. Let’s face it: no one likes to be yelled at!

In an article in The Gourmet Retailer, author Maggie Bayless describes five steps for handling customer complaints:

• Acknowledge the complaint.
• Sincerely apologize.
• Make it right.
• Say thanks.
• Write it up.

I suggest that you read the full article to get the full benefit. An important thing that I was reminded is that dealing to customer complaints is not a matter of finding out “who’s right and who’s wrong”. Rather, it’s a recognition that for some reason, our customer is dissatisfied and as business owners, it’s our job to turn this “dissatisfaction” into “satisfaction”. If we can focus on this “service” aspect of doing business, I believe that success will automatically follow!