Show Your Team You Care and They’ll Show Up for You
I step into the conference room for the annual meeting.
It looks like Santa Claus has made a delivery to my chair.
I find my seat among a pile of wrapped gifts, which include AirPod Max headphones and a bottle of Camus wine, complete with a personal inscription, and my favorite candies: Twizzlers and Peanut M&Ms.
I should be surprised—shocked even. If this was any other client, I would be.
But this is Statlinx, and CEO Steve Showalter is hands down the best gift-giver I’ve ever known. So although I am delighted and extremely grateful—this is what Steve does. It’s who he is.
“How did you know about the candy?” I say. Steve grins. “I called your wife to ask her.”
***
Other gifts from Steve over the years have included a Remarkable (I use it constantly… very cool tech item…no more notebooks) and a VIP trip to Disney with his team. And every quarter, like clockwork, I get a package of cool stuff in the mail…just like every other Statlinx client does…
Keep in mind that Steve is MY client. I work for him, not the other way around. But he treats me like a member of the team, and he does the same with anyone else from my company who works with him.
And…what can I say? I believe I work extra hard for Steve and for Statlinx. I see my team operate as the best version of themselves. They feel the love, and it makes a difference in how they show up. We work hard for every one of our clients, don’t get me wrong. But being on the receiving end of that kind of care and attention does something to a person. It inspires people to do more than great work. It impacts who they are.
***
You do not, of course, need to be a lavish gift-giver to build a successful business. But I think Statlinx is proof that caring for your team does not make them unappreciative, or entitled, or lazy.
On the contrary.
Actually caring (step 1) and showing that you care (step 2) inspire loyalty and the kind of work ethic that fear or money never could.
I often say that if you don’t love your people, you shouldn’t own a business.
Statlinx is proof of the success that can happen when you aren’t afraid to demonstrate that love. (LINK TO CASE STUDY)
Find a way to show your team you care. Whatever way you show appreciation, I guarantee there’s room to dial it up a notch or two.
You can still hold people accountable (you must). You can appreciate them without making excuses when things go wrong. You can even make difficult decisions when it’s time for a team member to move on.
In the meantime, though, embrace them completely. Show your team you care, and they’ll show up for you.
