Valuing Your Teammates

With both the season of giving and the end of the year upon us, this seems like a good time to discuss ways in which we value our teammates. Whether your team consists of only yourself and your sales assistant / secretary [ignoring, of course all of the other support people who make your success possible], or includes partner(s) and other associates, this is a great time to really examine the many ways they have contributed to your success in the past year and to communicate genuine appreciation for all their hard work.

Today seems more than ever to reflect the "ME" generation. As if each of us is solely responsible for our successes and someone else is solely responsible for our failures. A brief review of all the things others do to help free our time and attention so that we can focus our strengths on what's most important now, might help us to recognize where we would be if all of our successes really did depend solely upon our personal efforts.

So, with Christmas right around the corner, take a moment to thank each person who has affected your business this year [e.g., referral sources, administrative staff, the bond specialist on the other side of the country who helped you solve a client's problem, the compliance staff who's timely intervention helped you avoid a costly mistake, etc.]. A card, a small gift, in some cases a check or even just a few minutes of your time won't cost much but can have a real impact on their work and motivation in the coming year. Remember, communicating to someone that you value them is the single most important message you ever send. Have a Merry Christmas and a very successful 2011. Thanks. kfg