27 May

4 Ways To Help Your Struggling Team Get Out Of Its Funk

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 27.05.16 by John Meloche

Teamwork and team spirit - Hands piled on top of one another with a multi-ethnic group in the backgroundIn yesterday’s blog, we returned our focus to our beloved Toronto Raptors. Well, to be more specific, we revisited the topic of helping your team improve its performance when it is struggling. And saying that the Raptors struggled in their last game would be putting it mildly. Here’s hoping, on behalf of the entire country, that the Raptors have a much better performance in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight at Air Canada Centre.

As we’re prone to do, here at Synergy Marketing, we liken the ups and downs of pro sports teams with the successes and missteps of Canadian businesses. Just like coaches, team leaders, office managers, supervisors and the like are all required to find ways to inspire their teams to improve upon their performances when they are struggling on the job. So what are the best ways to help your struggling team get out of its funk?

Here are four ways:

1. Remove obstacles that may be impeding performance. Is there any unnecessary red tape in the way of your staff members performing at their best? “You are often in a position to help remove unnecessary obstacles to your team’s effectiveness,” reminds David M. Dye on TrailBlazeInc.com, “When you have motivated team members who are trying to make a difference, getting needless frustrations out of their way can make you a candidate for manager of the year.”

2. Implement one-on-one coaching. There will always be opportunities to help your company’s productivity by holding meetings and providing information that will benefit the team at large. However, you should never underestimate the power of one-on-one coaching. Sitting down with various members of your team in order to pinpoint each of their specific needs and opportunities to improve will vastly help performance overall.

It’s important, however, to dig a bit deeper into each individual situation. Learn about your reps and find out the unique and specific ways that each of them could benefit from your assistance. According to Tim Donnelly on Inc.com, too many managers fall back on something called “spreadsheet coaching”. This is “where the focus is on whether the sales staff is hitting its numbers. Instead, you should be working closely with the individual sales representatives to understand the context of the problems.”

3. Help your staff members to help themselves. It’s always important to provide feedback, tips and advice to the members of your team who need it. Being able to depend on your assistance will give them greater confidence in asking for help when they are struggling. However, you can’t do their jobs for them. Giving your team members the tools to fix their own problems will give you a stronger team. Encourage them to be self-reliant.

“I spent too many leadership years giving people answers to their questions or solving problems for them,” admits Dye, “It felt good to be needed and it was easy…but it was NOT helpful. One of your most important leadership coaching tasks is to help your team members learn how to think about their challenges.” He encourages team leaders to ask their staff members specific questions so that they can help to devise solutions on their own.

4. Reward standout performances. In the midst of your struggling team, there are bound to be members who have performed well. Don’t forget to acknowledge their achievements and reward them for it. In many cases, team leaders and managers offer gifts by way of promotional products to reward members of their team. At Synergy Marketing, we proudly offer the best promotional products in the business!

To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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26 May

How To Help Your Struggling Team Perform Better

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 26.05.16 by John Meloche

Handsome man pointing his finger to youWhat an utterly dismal performance. There aren’t many other ways to describe the Toronto Raptors game last night as they lost 116-78 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Many pundits were expecting the Raps to lose, given that they haven’t won a game in Cleveland all season. However, as Cathal Kelly writes in The Globe and Mail today, they weren’t supposed to lose that badly!

“How bad was it?” he poses, “The Raptors trailed by 31 at the break – the largest half-time disadvantage in the history of the NBA conference finals. After three quarters, they were losing by 40.” We could be wrong, but from where we sit, here at Synergy Marketing, it’s the worst loss in Raptors franchise history. Especially when you consider what’s at stake – a first-time trip to the NBA Finals – last night’s game was just a disaster of epic proportions.

Readers of the Synergy Marketing Blog are well aware that we’re not just sports fans (and staunch supporters of our hometown Toronto teams), but we’re also prone to drawing comparisons between the pro sports world and the business world. Working with Canadian business owners on a daily basis, our staff knows very well the importance of having strong teams and strong team leaders.

So what does it take to help a struggling team? While Raptors coach Dwane Casey will have his hands full trying to answer that question for his team, over the next 24 hours, we’d like to think that we can shed some light on that topic for Canadian business owners. The way we see it, it all starts with having a great team leader. This is the type of person who isn’t just an expert in his/her particular field, but is someone who has great people skills.

Team leaders need to have the ability to build rapport, gain trust and instil confidence in their team members. It’s not enough to simply have a good attitude that seeks to cheer people on. Being able to provide solid feedback and offer assistance when necessary are just two small components of what it takes to drive a struggling sales team to new heights of success. And not everyone has what it takes to be an effective team leader.

This is communicated by Tim Donnelly on Inc.com. “Many companies make the mistake of promoting their top salespeople to manager positions, but often the most skilled salespeople don’t have the coaching dexterity needed to effectively guide a whole team,” he writes, “In fact, research by the Corporate Executive Board says sales representatives strongly prefer coaching to come from their direct supervisor.”

How important is training? It couldn’t be more important to adequately train the members of your team. And we’re not just talking about new hires. Regularly offering your long-standing team members additional training will keep them sharp. It’s no different than the fact that professional sports teams require practice on a regular basis. Team leaders need to schedule “practice” for their teams in order to foster consistently strong performances.

On TrailBlazeInc.com, David M. Dye writes that in addition to proper training, reliable equipment and tools are also necessary in order to have a team perform at its best. “Regularly monitor your team to make sure they have the tools and training they need to be effective,” he advises, “You can’t do this once and then forget about it. Tools wear out. New challenges require new skills.”

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we list some ways to help your struggling team to get out of its funk.

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20 May

4 More Ways To Develop Chemistry Among Your Team Members

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 20.05.16 by John Meloche

Successful business woman standing with her staff in background at modern bright officeAll week long, the Synergy Marketing Blog has been focused on the concept of the team. Celebrating your team when it is successful and supporting your team when it has opportunities to get better is a huge part of your job as a business owner. There are a variety of ways that you can help to foster team building, as we pointed out in yesterday’s blog. In today’s blog, we’ll continue to look at ways to develop chemistry among your team members.

Here are four more ideas:

1. Get to know your team members personally. Your place of business holds a very important place in the lives of each of your team members. Consider the fact that your business name pops up whenever your employees are asked “What do you do for a living?” They should each be just as important to you as your business is to them. Do your part to learn about your employees personally.

Jennifer Britton of the UK-based Team Building Directory writes that getting to know your team members will help you to find out exactly what they are looking for to enhance their work and efforts. “One of the most common pitfalls of team building initiatives is that it does not match the needs of the team,” she writes, “Ensure you invest enough time before the event itself to assess what team members really want.”

2. Implement team-building activities in the office. Quite often, the activities that best help to build a team are the ones that are not directly related to the job. Giving your team members opportunities to grow their relationships with each other in more of a relaxed, social setting can go a long way in strengthening the team overall. Consider some activities that you can give your team that are fun and interactive to help encourage better chemistry between its members.

On Time-Management-Guide.com, Dr. Sergey Dudiy champions this suggestion. “Allow your office team members build trust and openness between each other in team building activities and events,” he recommends, “Give them some opportunities of extra social time with each other in an atmosphere that encourages open communication. For example, in a group lunch on Friday.”

3. Create an action plan. “Create an action plan to make the team building part of your everyday work or life,” writes Britton, “Often retreat days or team building programs have few links with everyday business or organisational objectives. Ensure that when designing the program you create links to the organisation or to everyday life so that participants can ‘bring the learning home’. This can be done by building into the program formal action planning time, and having managers follow up during regular staff meetings.”

4. Don’t be afraid to have fun once in a while. If you really want to develop a strong chemistry between the members of your team, allow them to have a little bit of fun. Whether inside or outside of the office, getting your employees to interact with each other in fun ways can really help to boost productivity. “Team building initiatives should be fun and engaging for all staff members,” says Britton, “They should be relevant and meaningful for the team.”

At Synergy Marketing, we always advocate for the giving out of promo gifts – not just to customers, but to your team members as well. Sending them home with great gifts that bear your company’s name and logo reminds them that they are important parts of your team. To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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19 May

3 Effective Ways To Foster Team Building

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 19.05.16 by John Meloche

Depositphotos_10825393_xsThe Toronto Raptors have a tough task ahead of them tonight as they prepare for the second game of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. The heavily-favoured Cleveland Cavaliers, lead by all-star LeBron James, soundly defeated our hometown Raps by a score of 115-84 in the opening game of the series Tuesday night. Evidently, the Raptors will have to rally around each other and shake off the loss if they wish for a better outcome this evening.

All week long, we’ve been drawing parallels between the pro sports world and the Canadian small business landscape. Obviously, both worlds involve teams that must work together in order to perform to their best abilities and achieve success. And while it’s important to celebrate those successes, it’s just as important to work on team building whenever tough times are experienced. Much like the Raptors, you team is bound to go through hard days.

So what are the most effective ways to foster team building? Here are three ideas:

1. Clearly define each team member’s role. In many cases, people play positions that they are best suited for. Whether it’s on the basketball court or in the office, there are often particular team members who specialize in certain areas. Sometimes, it’s important to remind everyone on the team which position they are required to play. Working together means allowing each team member to fulfil the unique requirements of his/her role.

Dr. Sergey Dudiy explains the importance of making sure there is complete clarity in who is responsible for what on Time-Management-Guide.com. “Do your best to avoid overlaps of authority,” he advises, “For example, if there is a risk that two team members will be competing for control in certain area, try to divide that area into two distinct parts and give each more complete control in one of those parts, according to those individual’s strengths and personal inclinations.”

2. Give your team that confidence that they have your support. This past week, Toronto Blue Jays’ manager John Gibbons was suspended by Major League Baseball for three games. The reason? He returned to the field during a brawl after he had already been ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes. Later, when asked by the media why he returned to the field when he had already been ejected, he simply replied, “That’s my team out there”.

It’s of vital importance that your team knows that it has the support of its superiors. “Supervisors and managers play a key role in ‘keeping the learning alive’,” says Jennifer Britton of the UK-based Team Building Directory, “Ensure that supervisors, managers and owners are following up with staff regarding what their needs are, and how team building efforts can be enhanced. Managers also play a key role in ensuring that the learning from team building initiatives is brought back to the office.”

3. Involve everyone on the team in important decisions. It’s important to make each member of the team feel that his/her contributions matter. And that’s because they do! Don’t neglect feedback. Each team member has a unique experience representing your business and based on those experiences, they can likely provide you with valuable information about how to best please your customers.

“For issues that rely on the team consensus and commitment, involve more the whole team in the decision making process,” insists Dr. Dudiy, “For example, use group sessions with collective discussions of possible decision options or solution ideas. What you want to achieve here is that each team member feels his or her ownership in the final decision, solution, or idea. The more he or she feels this way, the more likely he or she is to agree with and commit to the decided line of action.”

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we continue to examine ways to effectively develop chemistry among your team members!

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29 Mar

3 More Ways To Make Sure You’re Employing A Happy Staff

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 29.03.16 by John Meloche

Portrait of a charismatic multi-ethnic business people working at a laptop in the officeIn yesterday’s blog, we revisited the topic of happy employees and highlighted their importance to your business. Not only are happy employees the most productive kind you can have, but when your staff is excited to work for you, your customers will take notice. Optimum customer service is pretty much a guaranteed result of employing happy people. So what are some other ways that you can make sure you’re employing a happy staff?

Here are three more to consider:

1. Lead by example. It’s an age-old piece of advice, but it is entirely relevant and worthwhile to heed. Most employees will not follow through on their commitments to their jobs if the people in charge aren’t doing so themselves. Happy employees are proud employees. It’s important to give your staff members reasons to feel like it is worth it to work for your company. Show them exactly what you expect from them by never slouching on your own dedication to excellence.

“The manager sets the tone for the office, so one of the best ways to get your employees excited is by being excited yourself,” advises Annette Hazard on Under30CEO.com, “If your employees see that you are uninterested in what you are doing then they are going to care little about their own work. Not only act excited about your work, but be serious about it. Your employees will take note and act accordingly.”

2. Don’t allow your managers to hurt your brand image. We’ve all had experiences with office managers who simply make work harder than necessary. If you have anyone in positions of power who may be bringing down the energy of your office, it’s time to make a change. The people who manage your office have a huge impact on the happiness of the employees who work for you.

“People don’t quit companies; they escape lousy managers,” says Verne Harnish on Fortune.com, “One recent survey showed that 65% of workers would prefer a new boss over a raise. If your team is underperforming, take a close look at how your lieutenants manage their direct reports. Do they know how to coach your employees so that they can excel — or make the people around them feel alienated and stupid? If it’s the latter, get them into management training ASAP.”

3. Publicly acknowledge jobs well done. “Besides just giving them a check, you should also recognize good effort and performance from your employees,” encourages Hazard, “For example, when you have someone that reaches a specific sales goal, give them service awards and recognize them in front of everyone. Having some kind of an awards banquet may also be a good idea to recognize your top performers.”

Everyone enjoys the feeling of being appreciated. Your staff works hard. When certain members perform exceptionally well, it’s only fair that they are acknowledged for it. This is another way to use Synergy Marketing’s promotional gifts. Offering prizes, gifts or rewards for special accomplishments gives employees extra motivation to perform at their best. And you know where you can get the best promotional gifts in the business, right?

To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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28 Mar

3 Ways To Ensure The Happiness Of Your Employees

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 28.03.16 by John Meloche

Portrait of smiling business people against white backgroundAt Synergy Marketing, we talk a lot about customer satisfaction. A huge part of our mission statement is to not only satisfy our customers, but to provide ways for them to satisfy their own customers as well. Working with business owners across Canada for so many years, our sales reps have learned that one of the most important ways to ensure that a company has happy customers is to have happy employees.

Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, it would be entirely impossible for your company to function. It’s of vital importance to your brand’s success that you have employees who are completely on board with your own mission statement. And if you want customers to keep coming back, you’ll want to have employees who are happy to work for you. That way, you can ensure constant pleasant interactions between the public and your brand.

Here are three ways to ensure the happiness of your employees:

1. Invest in the happiness of your employees. As with everything else that is necessary to run your business, you’ll need to devote some money and time into making your workers happy. That includes offering them free lunches every now and again and even taking them on retreats from time to time. Offer them free tickets to sporting events and concerts and provide flexible work hours so they never feel that coming into work is a burden.

2. Involve them in decisions that promote company development. Naturally, the big decisions will come from up top. But when you’re the one up top, it’s a good idea to consider the views and opinions of the people who report to you. When you give employees the opportunity to contribute to the changes being made at your business, it empowers them and gives them greater senses of self-worth and importance.

On Fortune.com, Verne Harnish suggests that you give your staff members the freedom to express what it is they may wish to change about your company culture. That way, it will help them to do their jobs better. “Ask staffers today what stupid processes and obstacles are slowing their work — whether it’s long meetings, endless paperwork, or incompetent colleagues — and then free them from those hassles,” he advises, “My prediction: Their productivity will double.”

3. Provide worthwhile incentives. “Few things motivate employees like more pay,” says Annette Hazard on Under30CEO.com, “People like to be able to make more money than they’re already making. Once they get up to a certain point, this fails to be a motivating factor. However, it works well for most employees. Offer them some type of a bonus if they accomplish certain goals for the company.”

It’s practically a no-brainer to suggest that when you supply your employees with opportunities to earn more than just their paycheques, they will be a lot more likely to put in harder efforts at completing jobs well done. Synergy Marketing’s promotional gifts are highly effective in this regard. Your incentives don’t always have to be monetary. Free water bottles, flashlights, wine stoppers, USB chargers and other great gifts work wonders!

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we continue to explore ways to make sure you’re employing a happy staff. But, to place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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26 Jan

4 More Ways To Re-energize Your Employees

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 26.01.16 by John Meloche

Excited successful business team of diverse multiethnic young people sitting at a table in the office cheering exuberantly as they celebrate a successful outcome on the laptop computerIn yesterday’s blog, we revisited the topic of boosting employee morale and pointed out that the end of January is usually a good time to start implementing some ways to do so. The holidays are long gone and the everyday working grind is beginning to affect your staff members. Doing what you can to boost their spirits and re-energize them will go a long way in helping your business to be successful.

Here are four more ways to re-energize your employees:

1. Be willing to accept feedback from your employees. It’s always a good idea to reward your employees. But, arguably, there is no greater reward than accepting their feedback and implementing changes based on it. Your staff members want to know that what they have to say matters. Proving that their opinions are of consequence will give them all the more reason to work hard to make your brand great.

2. Don’t shy away from offering promotions. Your best employees are characterized by the ones who wish to move up in your company. While some may be happy simply to receive pay cheques, there are those who wish to stay with your company for the long haul. Those are the members of your staff who will go all out to make your business great. Reward them by making them know that there are opportunities for growth.

“Forty percent of millennials expect promotions every one to two years,” says Sujan Patel on Inc.com, “To maintain employee morale among a new generation of employees, you need to emphasize the viability of your promotional tracks. Be clear about opportunities to grow, not just during recruitment but on a regular basis.”

3. Grant time off to employees to pursue projects they are passionate about. Maintaining an appropriate work/life balance is important for everyone. That includes you. According to Marcus Erb on Entrepreneur.com, when you offer your employees the ability to take time from work to pursue personal projects, it can serve as an “energizing break from regular responsibilities and can serve as a source of innovation for a company.”

4. Offer real lunch breaks. Let’s be honest. Most lunch breaks don’t allow people enough time to leave their work stations, eat their meals, use the restrooms and return comfortably back to their jobs. There usually isn’t enough time. If you notice that your employees are feeling constrained by the times they are given for their lunch breaks, try to come up with ways to make such breaks more enjoyable and relaxing.

“Research suggests that only one in five people take lunch breaks and that white-collar workers are least likely to step away from their desks for a break,” informs Patel. He goes on to point out that research has shown that when people stay inside to eat their meals at their work stations it is, “really detrimental to creative thinking.” “Get managers on board to take a coffee break, go for a walk or check out a new restaurant every day,” Patel recommends.

And, as always, remember to reward your staff with your company’s promotional gifts. To place an order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am to 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com!

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25 Jan

4 Ways To Boost The Energy Of Your Staff Members

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 25.01.16 by John Meloche

Successful young business people showing thumbs up signWith nearly a month of 2016 already in the books, you may be noticing a bit of a lag in the energy around your place of business. Generally speaking, each New Year starts off strong but, by the time January winds down, there is a dip in enthusiasm. By now, people have gotten used to the everyday grind that comes with working, as the holidays are long gone. So what can you do to boost the energy of your staff members?

Here are four ideas:

1. Design a company outing based on employee feedback. It’s always nice to give your team some time away from the office. Setting up company outings that reward your employees’ hard work is a great morale booster. But allowing them to choose where and how they’d like to celebrate their accomplishments is an excellent way to motivate them to perform at their best well into the future.

On Inc.com, Sujan Patel agrees that to boost employee morale, you crowd-source your company outing ideas. “How many times have you been to a company outing that missed the mark?” he asks, “Instead of putting your HR team in charge, ask for anonymous nominations for a company-wide outing — then let your team vote for their favourites. Giving employees the opportunity to shape rewarding activities ensures that your effort serves everyone.”

2. Celebrate their accomplishments. The more you make your employees know that their contributions matter, the more they will be willing to contribute to your business. Don’t shy away from publicly acknowledging the jobs well done by your top performers. “It’s natural to focus on what’s ahead rather than reflect on how much has been achieved,” says Marcus Erb on Entrepreneur.com, “Taking time to reflect, though, helps employees appreciate how much they have done.”

3. Remove negative influences from your staff. Firing people is generally not a recommendation that makes many lists of how to boost employee morale. However, the old adage about there always being a “bad apple in the bunch” is often true. As a result, you may need to seriously take a look at the dynamics of your staff and find out if someone is just not gelling with others. Patel bluntly describes such people as “jerks”.

In fact, he quotes executive coach Rodger Dean Duncan who describes jerks as those who “intimidate, condescend, or demean, swear, behave rudely, belittle people in front of others, give only negative feedback, lie, act sexist or racist, withhold critical information, blow up in meetings, refuse to accept blame or accountability, gossip, and spread rumours, use fear as a motivator, etc.” If that sounds like someone you’ve employed, it’s time you let that person go.

4. Give out promotional gifts as rewards. Don’t assume that promo gifts only work as advertising methods. Giving them out to customers will work wonders for boosting your client base. But giving them out to your employees will also inspire loyalty. Be sure to acknowledge the contributions of your staff while also boosting their senses of pride in who they work for by sending them home with branded promo products.

To place an order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am to 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com!

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16 Nov

4 Tips For Decorating Your Place Of Business

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 16.11.15 by John Meloche

Depositphotos_11312934_xsHaving high levels of employee morale at your place of business is hugely important. But, it can be argued that there is no time of year when employee morale is more important than right now. With the holidays quickly approaching, people naturally want to be in a good mood. But with the added stress of buying gifts – not to mention, serving all of those extra customers you have – this time of year can be pretty tough for your staff.

As a business owner, one of your main jobs is to keep your staff members energized on a regular basis. The holiday season presents you with a myriad of opportunities to do just that. And, one of the easiest ways to infuse your staff with positive energy is to decorate your office space in a festive way. It’s a simple and sensible solution to curing the holiday blues – if there are any going around. But what are the best ways to decorate your place of business?

Here are four tips:

1. Keep everyone in mind. Some people are put off by the “politically correct” method of saying “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas”. It’s important, however, to remember that Christmas isn’t the only holiday being celebrated during this time of year. There are many Hanukkah and Kwanzaa traditions taking place as well. When decorating, be mindful of the various holidays taking place so that all members of your staff feel included.

That way, you can avoid problems. According to Linda Merrill on Care2.com, “the problems generally arise when there are differing opinions on what is appropriate and whose holiday is being celebrated. In most cases, we have adopted an ‘all in’ mentality – mixing Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa traditions, depending on the makeup of the office staff. In the best circumstances, this fosters a nice camaraderie between co-workers.”

2. Include nature as part of the decor. Not all decorations need to be made up of plastic. Store-bought decorations are great, but you may want to infuse a little bit of “fresh air” into your holiday festivities. As AllBusiness.com reminds us that, this time of year, “wintertime plants such as fir, pine, and holly make for beautiful decorative accents. Mini potted pine trees or varieties of poinsettias can be placed on desks or in common areas.”

3. Keep it safe. Decorating can be fun and coming to work every day to an office that is vibrant with holiday colours can be very encouraging. But, it’s important to keep it safe. Be mindful of the type of decorations you’re putting up and where they are being placed. You don’t want to create hazards by having items that can potentially cause injuries by falling on your employees or causing them to trip.

“Many organizations publish rules about what kinds of holiday displays are acceptable and what are not for safety reasons,” says Merrill, “For instance – all decorations should be flame retardant, there should be no lit candles and lights should be rated for indoor use. Walkways and exits shouldn’t be impeded by displays of Christmas trees or Frosty the Snowman and in general, decorations should not impede the daily flow of business.”

4. Use edible decorations. There’s nothing sweeter than the treats that are commonly associated with the holiday season. Don’t skimp on them! “Fill the office with edible décor,” insists AllBusiness.com, “Bowls and baskets of sweet treats throughout the office are a workplace tradition during the holidays.” The site warns, however, that you don’t want to overdo it on the bad-for-your-health stuff. Include seasonal fruits in your decor to promote better health.

Be sure to check out tomorrow’s blog as we continue to offer office decoration tips!

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30 Oct

The Importance Of Positive Attitudes At Work

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 30.10.15 by John Meloche

Pile of hands - Successful business team celebrating their success with a high fiveHalloween is here! Well, almost. Tomorrow is the big day when people will be all dressed up looking to either party (see: adults) or locate as much candy as possible (see: kids…and adults). It’s all about tricks and treats when it’s time for Halloween. But, in most cases, it’s the treats that most are after. In yesterday’s blog, we pointed out that there is another type of “treats” that business owners need to pay attention to.

How a business owner treats his or her employees is a pretty big deal. When you have people working for you who truly enjoy coming in to work every day, you’re bound to have a very productive and successful business. Yesterday, we noted that empowering your employees with responsibility, encouraging them to overcome fears and offering fair compensation are great ways to treat your employees right.

But what can you do to truly make your employees feel like they’re being treated with all of the respect, appreciation and consideration you can give them? How about hiring more employees who they’ll enjoy working with? After all, people very often make friends at work. The people they see on a daily basis are often a big reason why they enjoy coming to work each day. So, be sure to hire individuals with great attitudes.

This past Major League Baseball season, our beloved hometown Toronto Blue Jays (yes, it’s still hard for us to accept that they are out of the postseason) added a number of incredible players to their team. It was often said among sportscasters, members of team management and even players that the best part about the new additions to the team was that they were all “character guys”.

That means that, not only were they talented baseball players, they were excellent people. This made for great chemistry among teammates. Many members of the organization heralded the club’s General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos for going after players who added to the overall positive atmosphere in the clubhouse. This is one of the strategies you should employ when hiring new staff members.

Remember that talent alone is not going to improve your business. Creating a team out of good-natured people who enjoy working in group settings is going to take your brand a lot further. To make your current employees feel even better about working for you, surround them with people who they enjoy working with. According to Success Resources, you should “hire and fire employees on attitude, not ability.”

“There is no cure for a bad attitude and no training that can change it…and it’s highly contagious,” says the website, “You’re better off cutting out the infection before it spreads throughout your organization.” Why would you want people with bad attitudes to work for you anyway? Keep positive attitudes in mind the next time you’re in the hiring process. Your business will greatly benefit from it.

In our experience, employees greatly benefit from being given free promotional gifts. To help generate positive attitudes at your business, hand out useful and handy company promo gifts. To place your order, contact Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884!

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