How an Investment in Your Team is an Investment in your Business

Recently, a former employee was talking about a company event at their new company. She said it was fine, but that “it was no Fortiviti event.” And, this distinction was not because we used to throw extravagant parties or expensive events. It was because when we hosted an event for our team, it was for our team.

We made it about them. We showed them that we appreciated them. We included unique touches that were personalized to them.

And this wasn’t just how we did events. This was how we ran our company. Our team WAS our company. Without them, we wouldn’t exist. They put in the work. They took care of our clients. They made the difference.

We had a line item in our budget called Team Appreciation. We were intentional about showing our team that we appreciated them. Whether it was a surprise pizza lunch during a busy time, their favorite candy bar on their desk to say “thanks”, or lottery tickets for the whole office with dreams of hitting it big, the little things mattered to us.

So often as small business owners, we focus on treating our customers like royalty. Giving them the gold star treatment. Creating “Wow” moments for them. And, while it’s great to roll out the red carpet for our customers, it’s important that we don’t forget about our team. We wouldn’t have customers without our team. And, how we make our team feel contributes to how they perform their jobs and how they take care of our customers.

We also invested heavily in professional development. I once heard someone ask “what if we invest in our team and they leave? And, the response was “what if you don’t and they stay?” Our business was in a technical space and continuing education was important, but that’s not the only reason we did it. We believed in helping our team grow in their careers. We wanted to see them learn and develop new skills. We cared about their professional development, because we cared about them.

While you may not be able to see a clear black and white return on the investment you make in your team, you will reap the rewards. A happier team is a more productive team. An appreciated team shows appreciation to your customers.

Not only will your business benefit from the investment in your team, it will have a lasting impact on the lives of your team members. Just a few weeks ago, I had a former employee reach out to me out of the blue to say thank you for something I did for her more than 10 years ago.

“I was just an accounting clerk when I started with you and the first gift I received for a job well done was a Coach wallet!!  I had never had anything name brand before. I suddenly felt worthy of such a luxury item.  That changed my mindset going forward in a way I can’t put into words.  It raised the bar for me and my vision and goals for my life raised along with it.” 

The day I received this in my email, I remembered why I have always put such a focus on team appreciation. It really does matter.

What are some ways you can invest in your team?

• Can you send them to an industry conference?
• How about bringing in coffee and donuts for the next team meeting?
• Maybe you could start a book club to help with learning.
• What if you gave a team member a gift card for their favorite restaurant after they finish a big project?
• Can you treat them to something special once per month? Maybe chair massages or a happy hour?
• How about buying season tickets to your hometown team and sharing them with your team?
• Maybe you could give everyone a surprise day off after a busy period.

The gesture does not have to be significant and it doesn’t have to be every day, but showing your team that you value them, that you appreciate them, can impact more than just your bottom line.