Ways to motivate your staff at work: 5 tips from EO Melbourne Members

One of the factors of a successful business is having a strong and dedicated team that keeps the organisation running like a well-oiled machine. However, no matter how passionate, hardworking and talented your people are, they still experience exhaustion, burnout, boredom, frustration, disappointment and all other things that may slow down or hinder your progress.

Your workforce is an important asset of your business. It is just fitting that you look after their welfare and keep them motivated at work to inspire them to do their best, perform well and hit their targets. EO Melbourne members share various ways on how to encourage your team members and inspire them to keep going.

Communicate your vision and plans

Having a shared vision and goal, such as where you want to bring the business and how you want to get there, is essential in leading a team. Apart from being transparent when it comes to your objectives and plans for your enterprise, there are also advantages when you present to them how they can grow and develop within your organisation because it helps them to visualise and understand that when your business advances, it also has a positive ripple effect on them.

A helpful tip from John Liston, Director at Liston Newton Advisory is “I try to communicate clearly the vision of the business and where we are going together. The vision of the business is that we grow in size, and there are more opportunities for career growth, development and personal wealth for all those involved. The price of admission to be on that journey is that all staff own their numbers and hit their targets.” 

Give affirmation

Sometimes, all it takes is a little push or a few words of encouragement to bring out the best in them. Trusting in your team’s capabilities enables them to prove themselves worthy of such trust and empowers them to come up with strategies and plans that will help them achieve their targets. Affirming their good works also emboldens them to always put their best foot forward in everything they do. That is why Carlo Santoro, Founder of RetailCare, makes sure that he is “standing alongside the team at all times and giving them deep confidence in their skills and ability.”

Conduct regular huddles

Constant interaction and communication is key to a stronger team. And even when some of your staff may be working from home or in remote locations, find time to have regular contact and huddles to discuss various updates, concerns and other aspects of their job and areas that may also be affecting their work. Take this also as an opportunity to talk about light matters that can make your regular meetings more interesting and fun.

As an example, Punchy Digital Media Managing Director Anthony Lam shared, “One of my favourite things that we do is we start our Friday weekly huddle with a communication starter and go around the team. These can range from light-hearted to some very deep questions that let us learn more about each other.”

Jason Ellenport and his team at Edison Partners also do something similar to what Anthony imparted. “During the lockdown, we ran regular short 30-minute daily WIP sessions to ensure the team was on the same page. This was supplemented by a ‘Friday drinks’ session to maintain informal team interaction and culture,” Jason conveyed.

Have some fun activities with the staff

Organise some fun activities and interesting initiatives for you and your team outside of your regular meetings. You can do team building sessions or have monthly or quarterly get-togethers or arrange for small put a hobby corner at your workplace. There are many things you can do and you can even tap on your staff to take the initiative on this. Sometimes, it’s good to see the various sides of your team members where they are not confined to stiff and structured environments.

Professional EOS Implementer and the Director/General Manager of DWM Solutions Jeni Clift shares a brilliant idea on how to inject enjoyment in the workplace. “I am an eDISC Practitioner and run some activities around the different behaviour styles to give people a greater understanding of how different people behave. One of these is set in a pretend café and is always different and fun.”

Reward them for a job well done

Having a reward system is one of the methods business owners implement in organisations because it’s a key motivation as well as a form of recognition to those who do their job well and even beyond expectations. Some rewards may come in the form of incentives, awards, promotions or gifts. It’s also important that you understand the kind of remunerations that will appeal to your team. There may be those who appreciate getting material gifts while others may prefer having a one-of-a-kind experience.

One example is going on trips like how Nathan Chan, CEO and Publisher of Foundr Magazine, and his team has done. “We did an all-expenses-paid trip with our team to Thailand for hitting our annual revenue goal targets. It was an incredible shared experience and brought the team closer together.”

There are various ways to encourage your staff to perform well and achieve their goals and targets. Please share with us your experience on how you have done it in your organisation through the comment section below. We’d love to hear your story as it may also inspire others to do the same.

EO: A strong business support system during challenging times

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

– Helen Keller

A few years back, no one has ever imagined that we would be experiencing this tough global crunch that we have today. Every corner of the world has been affected by the pandemic, affecting many industries and economies. It is undeniable that it has also taken a lot of toll on business owners.

However, being among peers and colleagues and surrounded by like-minded individuals who are going through the same worries and lending support to each other can be a huge help during this time of crisis. As depicted in a fable, a single stick can be easily broken while it would be difficult to do it on a bundle of sticks.

The same can be said for entrepreneurs who have strong support from a group like EO. For members of EO Melbourne, the chapter is a huge help and comfort as they navigated through the crisis. One of the benefits that they pointed out in belonging to this group is the Forum.

Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners, echoed this sentiment. “Above all else, it was my forum which assisted me to navigate the crisis. We went to twice forum meetings per month to ensure we were there for one another.”

Information sharing

At a time when movements were limited and things were at a standstill, connecting with people is essential and helpful. It is also necessary for business owners, especially in getting the necessary information about various industries and recommendations for leads.

“The (EO Melbourne) WhatsApp group helps a lot by quickly sharing information and links to resources. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 crises, it was good to have information shared so quickly and, more importantly, verified or dismissed as a rumour. We changed our forum to twice monthly, which helped to disengage from the frenzy and take a higher-level view of life with the other forum members,” said Liston Newton Advisory Director John Liston.

These sharings also includes first-hand experiences, especially on products and services that others have availed and used. For RetailCare Founder Carlo Santoro, the network of connected like-minded people has helped him ensure that he stays on top of all the latest ideas and government regulations by learning from the experiences of others.

Relatability

Having someone or a group that understands what you are going through is very important at this crucial point of our global events. People who can empathise with your situation can often help lift the burdens that you have been carrying all along.

According to Cesar Aldea, Founder and Managing Director of Aldea Consulting, “As a group of business owners, we shared our challenges, fears and wins during these difficult times. The level of relatability makes the group a safe platform to share EVERYTHING that’s happening to you personally or with your family and business.”

Supporting each other

When one is going through difficulties, whatever kind of help – big or small – can go a long way. “Certainly, having my forum has been the biggest support,” Cesar declared.

Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder, still remembered how it was when the pandemic started. “I was fortunate enough to start EO at the beginning of COVID. I remember clearly my forum training with Carlos the very day everything went haywire. One of my first experiences was a breakfast meeting where listening to so many EO members already having lost their entire business – but with the resolve to turn things around – was a humbling, emotional and pivotal moment.”

She further elaborated, “When I was placed in a forum, I had no idea what to expect. It’s taken me a long time to understand exactly what forum is about. But now that I do, I can honestly say my forum has pulled me through some of the most difficult times I’ve ever experienced in business and life. I said this just recently, ‘I am so lucky to have stumbled into this forum at the perfect time.’ Having a group of absolutely awesome humans with such vastly different but often with the same core experiences is priceless. It’s such a blessing knowing you’re not alone. And all the things you go through as an entrepreneur, while it seems as though everyone else is breezing through it, most have been there or will be there. Oftentimes, we can’t see the gold because we’re too absorbed in digging through the dirt. My forum had helped me see the gold in so many situations. I’m forever grateful for joining EO.”

At this time, we may still not know what the future – short-term or long-term – holds for every one of us. But having a strong support business during a challenging entrepreneurial journey can help you stay on track and continue towards your goals by a considerable margin than when you’re all by yourself. Helen Keller’s inspiring quote “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” still rings true in our present time.

On trends and predictions: how it will help chart your business growth

Setting targets and goals is an important part of keeping a business running. It provides the team with the direction of where the company is heading and allows them to come up with strategies based on the objective set. Looking ahead may include forecasting, which helps gauge if the target is attainable and feasible within the given timeframe and resources on hand.

Entrepreneurs prepare for the future by looking at trends and coming up with a prognosis of what is to happen. EO Members share how they keep themselves updated on the latest trend in their industry.

• I talk to suppliers and partners to get to understand where the business is changing, as well as to the leading businesses in each industry category that we work in. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• Being an avid reader certainly helps with staying abreast of the latest trends in the translation and localisation industry. In my spare time, I regularly read global industry news, blogs and reports. When I am on the move, I also listen to industry podcasts. I also enjoy exploring research papers from academia to help understand how research and evaluation can help influence our translation company. Finally, staying connected with other professionals in the industry, including attending networking events, as well as arranging one-on-one meetings has been incredibly valuable. – Costa Vasili, EthnoLink CEO and Founder

• I read a lot of books, listen to podcasts and follow thought leaders on LinkedIn. – John Liston, Liston Newton Advisory Director

• Edison has M&A Advisory, Strategy & Transformation Consulting and Private Equity business lines, so it’s important I’m up-to-date across all three areas. To do so, I read extensively, listen to podcasts – including www.Disciplinn.com (which Edison proudly sponsors) – but most importantly, I engage with entrepreneurs and business owners to understand their priorities and listen to how their respective landscapes are changing. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

Watching out for trends and conducting research enable business owners to have a foresight of what to come. It may not be 100% accurate, but it gives one a preview of what to expect and prepare for possible opportunities and threats. It also provides a different perspective on how we would be doing things and have a better understanding of things around us.

And what are some of the business predictions entrepreneurs have for the rest of the year? Here are a few we’ve gathered from our members:

• I believe many businesses have simply realised the number of unnecessary processes-protocols-routines that are nothing more than decorative stuff, mostly a waste of time and energy that until now has never been questioned. Today, we know that people can be more productive working from home and managing their own time. We know that we don’t always need fancy offices; that you can maintain relationships without travel; and that Zoom overtime sucks! I’m predicting a simplification to the way we do business. This is the time when we have the opportunity to adjust our work our lifestyle and start living the life we always wanted. – Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director

• Heightened activity in M&A markets, with continued domestic and cross-border inbound interest in ANZ assets. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

• Integrations and automation is the biggest growth area for business in 2021. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• Staff will not go back to normal pre-COVID work. As a business, we’ve seen the fall out of extended lockdowns and the way it’s affected how people prioritise work-life balance. Several team members have decided that travelling 2 hours every day for a job they love with an incredible culture - isn’t enough when they can work 5 minutes from home and be home at 5 every day. Priorities have shifted with people working from home and I am expecting many offices will see their people demanding to spend some of their time working from home with more flexible hours. I think we’ll also see a lot of people changing careers. – Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder

• Increased volatility in listed-equity markets will likely drive an increased appetite for alternative private equity investment classes. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

• E-commerce and digital products will be bigger than ever. I can see that the convenience of having everything accessible online at any time is something that won’t be going anywhere. And I think this world will see a lot more exciting innovation in the coming years as companies have pivoted their technology and operations to adjust to a covid normal. But I think the businesses in the tech space who will do best are those who have a broader purpose clear to the consumer. Even though we’ve gone online people still crave connection and genuine care. – Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder

• High growth for all business that is focused and listening to their customers. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• My biggest prediction is that people will prioritize happiness; spending more time doing the things you love with those you love, over money and career. Therefore employers will need to shifts their focus from KPIs to KHIs to motivate, retain and attract new people. – Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director

How about in your industry? What are the trends you currently see and from those, what predictions can you formulate for the rest of the year and the coming year? Share with us your thoughts through the comment section below.

Entrepreneurs' biggest lesson learned in 2020

EO Members share the biggest lesson they learned from the past year, with the hope of taking their learnings with them as they move forward in their entrepreneurial journey.

Acknowledge your vulnerability

“The power of vulnerability.” This is the fundamental realisation that Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director, has gained from his experiences last year.

“At the start of the pandemic, our business was booming. We had 10 full-time doctors working with us across 4 states. As a General Practitioner Locum Agency, we thought COVID will bring more work for us. However, the 40% drop in patients attending GP clinics forced our clients to cancel the service. The impact on our business: we went from 10 FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) dropping to 1 FTE within 72 hours. Our revenue fell by 90%. The worst part, and at the same time the most relevant, was having those hard conversations with the doctors (90% of our workforce) to let them know they’ve lost their jobs,” Cesar recounted.

But he didn’t let these ordeals get the better of him. “I knew the way we handled this challenge was going to be paramount for the future of our company. Looking back, I remember the stress levels needed to quickly come up with a contingency plan to save the business, as well as the relationship with our workforce and our clients. The option taken was simply to be vulnerable and share our fears, hopes and plans, something as a business owner you often keep to yourself. Six months later, the result was that we managed to bring back all of those who once we lost, and the relationship with our people and clients certainly has strengthened. Today, our business is no longer driven by the fear of losing people or clients but by a much stronger sense of purpose and service,” he shared. 

Don’t forget to Take care of yourself first

For Gry Tomte, Director + Founder of HÜD Skin + Body, “There are no lessons better than those who smack you in the face. So thanks to the year that was 2020!”

It was not an easy year for Gry and her team. “Being in an industry -- amongst many -- that was closed for pretty much eight months, the biggest lesson I learnt was that you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. When we first went into lockdown, the adrenaline kept me working 18-hour days consistently to ensure that not only we could pivot in terms of operation but also we could pivot the way the team worked and felt engaged and connected to their brand new roles - much different to what they’d signed up for. There were so many challenges thrown my way every day that I completely forgot to look after myself. In a normal world of running a business, this is fine for a short amount of time. But sustaining this type of adrenaline over eight months can be detrimental. The result was a business and a team that made it through in good shape, while for me, having adrenal fatigue and burnout,” she recalled.

“Having reflected on the lessons learnt throughout, I can see I have become very familiar with the term amygdala highjack. I forgot to put on my oxygen mask before attempting to help others around me, which made it hard to function at my optimal,” Gry added.

Then, one of the lessons she picked in a learning event came to mind. “I had the pleasure of spending three days with Warren Rustand at a conference in Vietnam, and I remember his story of when he went through a very tough time. What he said was when he was faced with extreme pressures, he carved out MORE time for all the things that made him a better person. Double the time on gratitudes, more time exercising, more time doing the things that filled his cup, such as spending time with family. By doing so, only then can you have clarity of intent and laser-sharp focus on the road ahead. Somehow I’d forgotten this very valuable lesson. So my biggest takeaway is: the more consistent you are at taking care of yourself, the more consistent your results will be. And of course, like most business owners, I learnt that having a cash reserve is a must!”

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Transparency and constant communication have been key to many businesses, given the limitations and restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. Many have to work from home and conduct most of their transactions online. With the lack of physical interaction, people often miss certain things and can put some strain on them. This is where one’s presence, albeit virtual, can be of value to individuals or groups.

“Our success in 2020 has been communication with customers, suppliers and team,” stated Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder. They have achieved this because, according to Carlo, “We have over-communicated across the board to ensure everyone knew we are there for them.”

Stay connected with others, empathise and be resilient

“The biggest that I learned in 2020 was the power of resilience. Resilience is what gets you through the toughest of times,” EthnoLink CEO and Founder Costa Vasili remarked.

He pointed out, “Since EthnoLink was founded in 2011, we’d had a reasonably steady growth trajectory and never experienced a recession. The year 2020 was truly challenging for the world, and what I discovered was that resilience was a skill I needed to develop — quickly. I did this in particular by staying connected with my networks and speaking with our team, as well as our clients and suppliers. By staying connected, it enabled me to feel like I was in control. I could empathise with the situations that others were going through, which helped keep my situation in check.”

Meet the challenges with confidence and adapt fast

In the case of Liston Newton Advisory Director John Liston, his biggest lesson from 2020 is that “everything can be taken away from you very quickly, whether that is your freedom, your business or your life.  When I realised it can all be taken away so quickly, it makes me want to go for bigger and bolder goals.”

Having experienced such difficulties in 2020 have even made John bolder and more determined than ever. “As far as business conditions go, it couldn’t get much worse than last year, so I feel that surviving this is like surviving all the things you fear in business. You realise that you can adapt and operate in these conditions, which give you more confidence in yourself and your business,” he noted.     

Be Proactive

“In the challenging and uncertain times, a proactive approach to determining the future will almost always outperform a reactive approach to ‘weathering the storm’,” said Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners. This has been his biggest learning last year.

He cited how they made a proactive stance during the crisis and the benefits it has brought to businesses. “During the COVID lockdowns of 2020, Edison reached out to over 200 privately owned businesses to better understand their needs and understand how we could be helpful. Fast forward 6-12 months, those businesses that established operational clarity, a strong team and cultural alignment and a proactive strategic outlook (despite all the uncertainty) have fared demonstrably better than their more reactive and conservative counterparts.”

The previous year, due to the pandemic, may have created a huge dent in economies, markets, industries, businesses and people’s lives. Some of the damages may be irreversible. However, instead of shrinking from the difficulties, it is an opportunity for business owners to stretch their entrepreneurial muscles, learn from the experience, move forward with more resolve.

Share with us your biggest lesson you learned in 2020 through the comment box below.

Music Makes Better Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs live busy lives as it is, which are often filled with stress and pressure from various angles. With the challenges that the current crisis brings and the uncertainty that the future beholds, they need more than ever to turn to methods and solutions that can contribute to their mental health. Music is one tool that brings energy to a lethargic mind and respite to a weary soul.

Let’s see how busy entrepreneurs use music as they go through the rigours of their journeys.

“Music has a significant effect on my mood and my emotions.”

– Kym Huynh

WeTeachMe Founder Kym Huynh finds music as an integral part of the human experience. “I use it to lift my mood and comfort, boost general happiness, and reduce anxiety. For me, music is an easy – and powerful – way to transform how I feel and, consequently, how I think.”

Kym, former President at EO Melbourne, also talked about how music has piqued his interest in the human mind.  “I'm particularly curious about how music can influence cognitive function. A tool I use for concentration –  https://brain.fm/ -- creates functional music that is optimised for focus. I find that the frequency of this music shifts me into one of focus and concentration, and the cerebral shift starts from minute 2 onwards.”

“I also listen to 432 Hz frequency music as part of my morning routine that was taught to me by Warren Rustand, called the 10.10.10. Without fail, this frequency of music, combined with the 10.10.10. in my morning routine, prepares me for an exceptional day. As a side benefit, music tuned to 432 Hz is softer and brighter. It is said to provide greater clarity and is easy on the ears,” Kym added.

“Music is good to start your day and end your night.”

– Tui Cordemans

For Tui Cordemans, Director at Koh Living, there is nothing like a hard trance to move your stress levels and get the energy flowing. “As COVID hit, I went back to my 20’s and started running and listening to hardcore trance which stopped any thought patterns and got me ready and pumped for the day.”

She described how she starts her mornings with energy-boosting music. “I have been listening to albums such as trance essential and hard trance anthems. I highly recommend this strategy if you are experiencing any negative thought patterns because the music is so intense and loud that you just have no place for any other thoughts. During stressful times, having an empty mind is potentially the best place to go to have a mental break. In the mornings, it is very easy to start with this music because your mind is not exhausted from the day.”

This is in stark contrast as to how Tui ends her nights, as well as the kind of music she listens to when she caps her day. “On the flip side, when I want to relax at the end of a night, I often enjoy pure silence. I find this extremely relaxing. I became accustomed to this after spending years doing meditation. If I do listen to music at the end of a day, it has to be classical as I find it dissolves my day into pure bliss. Pretty extreme change from my morning music, I know.  My brain is fairly exhausted from the day, so silence or listening to classical music works for me. Something like Swan Lake from Tchaikovsky, The Four Seasons, Vivaldi or even Rigoletto by Pavarotti – all great stress busters!”

“Music has a huge effect on my wellbeing.” 

– John Liston

“I would go as far as to say it’s the single most important thing in my day-to-day life,” said John Liston, Director at Liston Newton Advisory. “I have Spotify on throughout the entire day. I use it for energy and momentum when doing work. I use a good song to celebrate a win during the day or to get my energy back up if it’s been a hard day. I use it when cooking dinner and spending time with the kids to make things more upbeat and fun.”     

Apart from having it at home, music is also part of his work environment. “In the pre-COVID days, we would have a UE Boom in our open-plan office and play music throughout the day. It’s hard to always get everyone to agree on taste, but it’s a great way to generate mood and energy in the office,” John shared.

John’s top three chill songs include: “Give Me Tonight” by Dustin Tebbutt; “Old Pine” by Ben Howard; and “Fading” by Valis Alps.

“Music is core to me as an individual.”

– Dean Cherny

Dean Cherny has been in the music industry for so many years. He is the CEO and Founder of Marketing Melodies and storePlay, as well as Managing Director of DJ Dimension – all of which are related to music. “As you might expect, music plays a massive part in my well-being. It is core to me as an individual and something that compliments almost every part of my life. From training in the morning to hanging out with the kids, I love having a soundtrack to everything I do,” Dean remarked.

He shared an experience he recently had with his family. “Only last weekend, I watched my two daughters grooving and singing along to Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff as we built Lego, and it bought such a smile to my face. These soundtracks also allow me to build a bridge with my kids as I share stories about the artists and my time in the music industry.”

Outside of the home, music still plays an integral part in his entrepreneurial life. “While my company Marketing Melodies primarily focuses on using music to help create ambience in retail spaces, we also realise the importance of using music to stimulate, boost, and motivate the workforce in these environments.”

Dean stated the significance of music in a work environment. “The correct playlists can indeed help boost productivity in shops and offices. More laidback, relaxing music works best for periods of concentration, whilst more upbeat music helps to boost energy levels towards the end of the day.”

And if you’re curious as to what are Dean’s must-listen music, here are his top five ‘chill’ artists and albums:

1. David Gray - White Ladder

2. Massive Attack - Blue Lines

3. Maxwell - Maxwell’s Urban Hand Suite

4. Morcheeba - Big Calm

5. George Benson - Give Me The Night

What is music to you?

Let us know how music has played in your personal and professional journey. Comment below your thoughts or share your favourite songs that have become a significant part of your life.