It is finally 2021!  We will be into our second day back at work of this seemed-like-it-would-never-get-here new year by the time you read this. As I sit here sipping my first cup of coffee and reflecting, I realize there are days in all our lives that we will never forget where we were or what exactly happened. That day this last year was March 17. After an incredibly busy January and February, I was taking a breath in Beavercreek, Colorado when the whole world shut down. What I remember from that week is the slow trickle of texts, then more emails and calls…increasing anxiety and bewilderment about what was happening with the virus from my team, colleagues, and clients. When I called an emergency meeting, the Steople team came together, discussed a strategy, and executed our plan of action.

Our Rallying Cry during that time was “Support Our Stakeholders Through the Pandemic – Whatever It Takes”. I would conservatively say we touched over 5,000 lives in the ensuing 9 months working our hearts out to deliver on that promise. We gave away services, we checked in relentlessly, we improved processes behind the scenes, we consulted with the intent of ensuring the viability of our client’s businesses, we adapted to needs, we created new content, we bent over backward to make sure our clients were supported, we doubled down on our marketing and branding efforts, we dug deep with the clients we had, we donated money to the Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and New York City food banks, we focused on profitability, and we supported one another as a team during times of sickness and times of loss.  In the end, we didn’t lose a client relationship and we grew 28% in a year in which many people would have said a leadership development company might have to close the doors and give up.

But it wasn’t just about us.  We also saw how you continued to take the best care of the people you are charged with leading. We acknowledge the long hours, the almost impossible decisions, and the sacrifices that you made. Job well done getting through 2020!  We encourage you to keep the faith… this year has promised to be better. We hope and pray for a year filled with a renewed sense of purpose, innovative ideas, a fresh perspective on challenges, and leadership that will live beyond you. People will remember how you led through these adverse conditions and in the end look back with appreciation for how you persisted.  Let’s all agree that in this new year, we will dig in, get back on track, be a Boss, make a difference, and kick the sh#$*& out of 2021!

We. Stand. With. You.

This is a moment in time that you will be remembered for.  How you lead and how you treat people will be talked about for years to come.  All of us have at least a dozen stories of leaders we have served under or even stories of leading teams ourselves during challenging times…those days (like now!) when you feel as if the plane is being built in the air.  To illustrate some of the concepts of this blog,  I wanted to share just a few of my stories from over the years:

Scenario #1:
Sitting at my desk on an early morning conference call a number popped up on my phone.  It was a good friend of mine who was a VP of HR at one of our longest-standing clients.  I remember feeling something must be wrong so I switched over to the incoming call.  “Cristina, one of our leadership team members passed away unexpectedly last night and we need some support for our employees who are traumatized by the situation.”  At that moment, we developed a go-forward strategy that stayed true to their core values and led in a way that embedded the parameters of care and concern that truly was part of their employee proposition.

Scenario #2: 
Looking across the boardroom I had the PowerPoint up and ready to go.  I knew the data I was about to present to the leadership team was going to be devastating.  This was a hospitality group that had gone from one small “mom and pop” to 12 top-notch locations across the Eastern Seaboard.  However, their culture was in shatters and I was about to deliver that news that no team wants to hear.  When the analytics were laid out, the CEO proceeded to act out in a way no one expected.  After his outburst, we retired for the evening and upon reconvening the next morning he stood up and said “This is a make or break moment in this company.  We have to take responsibility as a leadership team and if we are going to make it we have to come together as one and be intentional in every action we take to right this culture back to its original intent.”  Inspiring!

Scenario #3:
While on a family ski vacation to Beaver Creek the reports of a virus swept the nation.  I began getting calls from my team, emails from clients, and texts from our colleagues in Australia indicating that things were changing swiftly.  After clicking on the news and essentially seeing our federal government declare a state of emergency the evidence was clear that a crisis was upon us.  I called an emergency internal (virtual) meeting for the next day to manage expectations and give clear direction on the next steps and keeping everyone safe.   There was room to discuss personal fears, but also collaboration about how we would support our clients in the dark days ahead.  It really was a moment that will live in the Steople lore!

Scenario #4: 
One night in Vegas (many great stories start that way, right?), a good friend of mine, who also happens to be a consultant colleague, was relaying a harrowing story to me about a crucial turning point in her company history.  It had been a cold night in Chicago years ago when the company CEO was on his way from the airport to the hotel for a keynote speaking event.  During that Uber ride, he was involved in a car wreck that came close to ending his life.  While he was in surgery, my friend spoke emotionally about how the team came together in the hotel room and how she quietly broke the news to them.  She was committed to remaining calm, being the driving force in staying hopeful and consult with the team on how they would handle the situation both internally and externally.  Inspiring!

All of these stories are real…some of the details were altered for confidentiality, but they all have a common thread.  What really stands out to me is calm, decisive leadership that emerged during that time of crisis.  In each of these scenarios, leaders were… Ensuring that their people were taken care of.  Maintaining that big picture that leaders are known for.  Not being dissuaded by obstacles.  Collaborating to make sure whatever actions were taken were in the best interest of all stakeholders.

Companies in Crisis
The truth is that no company is immune from crisis and chaos…we all know that from the last several months – from the pandemic to the economy to the social justice movement…whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made problem, how a business responds when things go wrong can mean the difference between a swift resolution and making the problem a whole lot worse.

We all inherently realize that it’s far easier to “do the right thing” when the chips are up. When the ship’s sinking, though, things can get ugly.  That raises some important questions: What is the right way to handle a company crisis? Of course, situations differ, but surely there are some guidelines on what businesses should do when things do not go as planned, right?  According to research, these are 5 actions that leadership should take in order to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to a crisis:

1. Continue to Convey Strategic Intent.
In the field of management and organizational development, strategic intent is defined as a compelling statement about where an organization is going that succinctly conveys a sense of what that organization wants to achieve in the long term.  Key to that is the core purpose, core values, and the envisioned future of the company.  If employees know your strategic intent prior to a crisis and have an “owners” mentality, initial reactions and decision-making become that much easier.  Kudos to you if you have been doing that…if not, now is the time to start and continue to convey strategic intent.  During times of crisis being able to “get back to the basics” provides much-needed stability to your team and organization.

2.  Provide Perspective To All Stakeholders During The Crisis.
As much as we like to see senior leaders pitch in and help with the heavy lifting, there is a limit. If he or she is engaged too much in front line responsibility, then who is setting the direction?  Many leaders still enjoy doing that hands-on work; they like the rush of adrenaline that comes from direct action. That is not their job anymore.  Leaders have another important role during a crisis and that is to provide perspective.  Remember, you will feel as if you are over-communicating this perspective at times…however, just know that is not possible during times of crisis – most people need to hear it at least 7 times before it is embedded in their memory.

3.  Manage Expectations Both Internally And Externally. 
When trouble strikes, people want it to be over right now — but seldom is a quick resolution possible. It falls to the leader in charge to address the size and scope of the crisis. You don’t want to alarm people, yet do not be afraid to speak to the magnitude of the situation.  One of the best examples of managing expectations is the “Miracle on the Hudson”.  Sully, a pilot for US Air, upon learning his engines were compromised by a flight of geese, and understanding his limited options, alerted both air traffic control and the passengers that they would be landing on the Hudson River.  He was calmly decisive and determined…setting the expectation that there would be a limited loss. The airline’s care of Flight 1549’s passenger truly become a model for crisis management.

4.  Keep Loose And Creative In The Moment.
Not only does this apply to personal demeanor — a leader can rarely afford to lose composure — it applies to the leader’s ability to adapt rapidly. A hallmark of a crisis is its ability to change quickly; your first response may not be your final response. In these situations, a leader cannot be married to a single strategy. He or she must continue to take in new information, listen carefully, and consult with the front line experts who know what’s happening.  Interestingly enough, the kind of work we do in organizations gives us an opportunity to not only work pretty closely with leadership teams, but, at times, even be able to get a peek into those natural leadership traits that individuals might have.  We utilize the Hogan Assessment for both selection and development. One Scale entitled “Adjustment” is especially good at measuring the stress-tolerance, resilience, optimism, and composure of an individual. This is key – people prefer being led by someone who is calm under pressure.

5.  Be Accountable For Your Losses And Celebrate The Victories.
Good leaders own up to when they make mistakes. After all, we are human, and someone who is too proud to admit their own mistake is not likely to be someone that others will follow. Taking responsibility for any actions that you have taken that could have contributed to the crisis will be a good way to prompt your employees into working on the situation with you wholeheartedly, instead of just because they have to.  On the flip side of that being able to celebrate a win with the team after conquering pretty big obstacles is the hallmark of well-developed leadership and a great morale boost for the employees.

We all expected the downturn in the economy…the trend with recessions has a pattern.  We all kept saying it not IF, but WHEN.  Who would have guessed (besides Bill Gates) that we would have a pandemic on our hands?  We keep hearing from you the uncertainty of the situation is most troubling.  Agreed.  We are hoping that keeping the above in mind will help.  Simple messages based on the above five principles should help you navigate these rough waters.  Hang in there and know we are here as a sounding board if you need counsel – no strings attached!

Picture this scenario…Jeff just had to lay off half of the people on his team.  Some of the individuals had been with the company since day ONE.  Last week during a board meeting he found out that one of his executives was threatening to sue the company. Just two weeks earlier an investor who was about to sign a big check pulled the plug on the deal.  All of this in the midst of a global pandemic that is deeply impacting the economy.  Looking at all of these events you might think Jeff is on the verge of losing his company.  Here’s the truth…while what is happening is definitely stressful, there were already serious underlying issues that were creating real gaps that would have hindered his growth, crisis, or not.

You see Jeff has a great product, but he is doing too many things for too many people, massively impacting his profitability.  His team is well-intentioned but fat and unfocused.  There are too many people who are not A+ players.  He is tolerating too many performance issues because he doesn’t know how to fix it.  There are no systems in place to allow his team to understand the metrics around being accountable and successful.   So he ends up wasting his day fighting fires and trying to control everything, while not being able to be the leader his company needs him to be.

The turnaround for Jeff would be if he realized that this is the season of opportunity for him.  During the impending slowdown, he can prepare his company to be ready when things speed up again.  Right now is his time to get lean and focused. Clean house and top-grade his team.  Take advantage of the talent flooding the market.  Strengthen the foundation of the company by putting the systems and leadership development in place that allow his team to flourish.  And most importantly, have the time to develop even stronger relationships with his employees, his customers, and his community.

Past Lessons to Apply to the COVID Crisis
Just as in today’s crisis, executives during the 2008 crisis were faced with making quick decisions in an extremely uncertain situation with very limited visibility. Decisions that would impact employees, customers, shareholders, and, in some cases, the survival of the companies. Now I realize that there are important differences between the COVID-19 crisis and the Great Recession, but there are definitely some key takeaways we can observe and learn from.

In the 2010 HBR article “Roaring Out of Recession,” the authors found that during the most recent recessions, 17% of the 4,700 public companies studied fared particularly badly: They went bankrupt, went private, or were acquired. But just as striking, 9% of the companies didn’t simply recover in the three years after a recession—they flourished, outperforming competitors by at least 10% in sales and profits growth. More recent research by Bain using data from the Great Recession reinforced that finding. The top 10% of companies in the Bain analysis saw company earnings climb steadily throughout the period and continue to rise afterward.  So, what was the difference?  Beyond being well-positioned financially (which is huge), those CEOs who were able to take a big picture approach – being able to focus on growth, fixing internal processes and doubling-down on relationships – were the ones who successfully navigated through tough times.

Be the Company that Survives and Thrives
Based on research these are the 3 key factors to consider:

• Focus on Growth Opportunities.  When leaders reflect on strategic decisions made during the recession and what they would have done differently, the most common answer is that they would have focused more on an opportunity mindset. They wish they had shifted from preservation to growth earlier and regretted not investing more heavily. While some companies started reinvesting in growth within the first six months of the Great Recession, others waited until after the recession was over. So, what is meant by growth opportunities?  It means you taking a good look at acquisitions, leadership development, product lines, acquiring better talent, etc. Leaders in the research group resoundingly said their competitive positioning suffered as a result of not having a change in strategy as early and aggressively as their industry peers.

• Focus on Internal Excellence.  A global crisis doesn’t have to be seen as catastrophic, but actually as a redirection. Now is the time to focus on other parts of your business that you may not have had time to “fix” for without a pandemic. Internal processes and team functioning is at the top of the list for those companies that survived and thrived. This includes restructuring roles, setting new goals, and reorganizing information. It’s time to evaluate each position and what role it plays in meeting your business goals. This may include shifting one member to a new role, restructuring what a current role does, and possibly getting rid of a specific role altogether. Bolstering a team by redefining clear goals is key as well.  Finally, taking time now to organize physical AND digital resources will allow you to put more time into shifting everything back to the physical space once the pandemic is over.

• Focus on Stakeholder Relationships.  Anyone who touches the business – employees, vendors, customers, shareholders, and the community – all are stakeholders who are equally important.  Being able to take care of your employees by providing clarity, being empathetic, and supporting their efforts, is essential.  Vendors and suppliers will be anxious about the relationship and need some direction about what the next few months look like – take the time to do this because it will pay off in loyalty from that group.  Proactively work with customers who are challenged with continuing to pay for services at a time when they’re most needed. Customers will remember companies that helped them during difficult times.  Shareholders will be looking to you for directions and answers.  Be sure to over-communicate and collaborate with this group so you all stay on the same page.  Finally, the community – in an economic downturn being able to “give back” in any way that you can is key.  And with all of these stakeholders make sure you continue to emphasize your “Why” and your core values.

Our hope and prayer is that all of you are leading well throughout this crisis. Please know that you are on our mind constantly and will do anything we can to support your efforts towards continuing to build great places to work!

As I sit here on a Tuesday morning in my home office, I am astounded by how our world has changed in such a short time frame.  Two weeks ago, my family and I were going skiing on Spring Break, we were looking at adding office space, I had just purchased furniture, I was planning a big extended family get-together, and we were hitting all of our numbers in the first couple months of 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down. Markets are volatile, the Olympics are delayed to 2021, there have been runs on supplies, and many of us know people who have tested positive for the virus.  Over the past week I have been in contact with numerous clients, family and friends concerned and bewildered.  We are all worried about our loved ones getting sick, our means to make a living, our healthcare system, and our country.  First, we ask how could this happen? Next, we ask, what kind of response do we need to have as we lead our families, organizations, and communities through this changing environment?  Finally,  we begin to realize how much we have lost already.

In a State of Grief
As psychologists, we are trained in Critical Incident Stress Management.  Over the years it has come in extremely helpful with our corporate clients.  Examples include debriefing traumatic events such as when a bank robbery occurred and tellers were traumatized, when a beloved co-worker died unexpectedly and grief was overwhelming, when a tornado devastated and traumatized numerous teachers and students in it’s wake, and, of course, the horrific aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombing.  We rolled up our sleeves and jumped into these situations and saw first-hand how individuals responded when “our people”  were devastated, lost and fearful.  We, as a team, are seeing similar reactions with our current clients, colleagues and friends during this health and economic crisis.   We are seeing grief.  I had never anticipated writing a blog on a subject that is typically reserved for natural disasters and loss, but it seems very relevant this week.

Grief Response
Many of you took Psychology 101 in college and probably remember the 5 stages of grief.  This is absolutely what we are going through as a nation – we are in grief.  Many people are experiencing tremendous loss as a result of this global pandemic: loss of life, loss of loved ones, loss of health, loss of jobs and income. For those who are losing loved ones at this time, there is also the loss of the normal rituals of funerals and communities gathering to grieve together. The Kubler-Ross model outlines the five stages:  Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.  Acceptance is where you want to be.  I will say here, dear reader, that the quicker you can move your people to Acceptance and faith moving forward during this crisis, the better off we will be.  As you observe the responses at your team level and even at a national or global level, notice that they seem to break down in this way:

Stage 1: Denial
This stage manifests with statements of disbelief or challenges to given facts.  We all saw comments and reactions on social media and saw people on beaches and bars who were in total denial.  Examples might be:

• This can’t be happening?  Are you serious?
• The flu kills more people every year – what an overreaction!
• It’s business as usual and I’m not buying the hype.

As a Leader:  Ensure you are making decisions based on real projections and facts.  There is all kinds of misinformation out there.  You will have to make quick decisions that will have far-reaching ramifications. Remember to address each of the facts in a way that takes into account the diversity in thinking on your team – keep the big picture at the forefront, be logical, have the culture and people in mind and give next steps or the logistical details.

Stage 2:  Anger
Once someone realizes that the bad news is in fact real, the next response is often anger.  This is when people’s emotions start to ramp up and logic and decision making isn’t at its best.  Examples of this stage would be:

• This is ridiculous!  So stupid!
• It’s going to cost us thousands of dollars.
• Why didn’t anyone get ahead of this?

As a Leader:   Make sure you are self-aware about any anger you are feeling.  You, quite honestly, were probably having a pretty good year so far.  But letting this anger and “what ifs” get the best of you is a trap.  You don’t want to dig into that anger and make  blunders such as limiting information, passive aggressive comments, or “shooting the messenger” when you get bad news. Being as timely and as transparent as possible  in all your communication so that people aren’t having to guess at what is going on is key to moving forward.

Stage 3:  Bargaining
Bargaining is a more constructive stage and a turning point.  When I returned back to the office and realized what we were facing, at this stage, it almost felt like I was moving in slow motion…but then I started to look at the context of the situation.  During this stage, people start to gain some perspective and consider the bigger picture…and some potential trade-offs. They  might sound like this:

• This is painful, but we can learn from it.
• A temporary closure is costly now, but will save lives and get us back to normal quicker.
• I may only get mild symptoms, but if my mom gets this, it could be fatal.

As a Leader:  It can take a few days to get here, but this is where you start to reflect and take a more level-headed approach.  This is when you start to feel a sense of control over the situation and therefore a sense of calm.  While you need to keep abreast of the situation, you definitely need to monitor your media intake at this time so that you can keep focused and not get distracted by how low stocks are and how many people have gotten sick in the last 24-hours.  Stay in the present and don’t get too far ahead of yourself.  Collaborate and get input from your team as to how you can pivot effectively right now.

Stage 4:  Depression
It’s hard not to feel down about the immediate future as you look at your options in a crisis like this.  I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve shed in the past week.  It’s easy to look at postponed events, canceled work, restricted travel and gearing up to be virtual in all interactions and then get overwhelmed pretty quickly.  This stage looks like this:

• What’s the use, we’re all going to succumb in the current economy.
• How will I pay my workers?
• My business can’t survive a prolonged shutdown.

As a Leader:  The important thing is not to wallow or get stuck in that stage.  You do have to have those little breaks…you are human after all.  Allow yourself to feel the sadness and regret, but as soon as you can move to the next stage you will be energized and feel a sense of progress.  Word of warning here – do not skip over this stage with your employees either.  Listen to them and be empathetic.  Also, know that you may revisit this stage over the next few months.  Acknowledge it and move on.

Stage 5:  Acceptance
The sooner you and your team can get to acceptance and then faith you will make it through the better equipped you will be to make decisions and create and implement a solid strategy.  Having the faith to move forward is knowing that at our core we’re more than anything we will ever face, and we can handle whatever life brings us. We always have and we always will. That is the power of the human race.

• This is what is happening and this is how we are going to respond.
• We act fast and we act decisively in order to save lives.
• We know what our core values are and in what direction the business needs to move.

As a Leader:  Faith is what fuels us through times of fear and uncertainty. It is more powerful than any emotion, even fear. When all hell is breaking loose, it gives us the ability to find our center, to help ourselves and others to find answers, to find a higher meaning in the midst of our pain and in spite of our fear. And if you’re a leader, you take that certainty and transfer it into others, because human conviction has a viral effect and will spread. You bring unwavering certainty to chaotic environments through the power of your acceptance and faith in your team and your deliverables.  That steady vision and faith in the outcome will serve you and your organization well.

We Are Resilient and Adaptable
This won’t be the only crisis this world will ever go through, and it won’t be the only crisis any one of us ever goes through, and it certainly won’t be the only crisis that anyone we love ever goes through. People are shaped not by how things go when things are going well; people’s lives are shaped by the most difficult times.  We have a resourcefulness that says no matter what happens in life, who I am is bigger than anything that could ever happen to me or anyone I love. No problem is permanent, and nothing that happens establishes who I am. Take this as a time to reflect on your accomplishments to date, downshift if you need to,  leverage your strengths and re-position yourself for the future.  You will be able to look back at this time in your life and tell stories about how we all leveled up and conquered an invisible threat…together!
Leadership is calling your name…

Did you know that research shows that pessimists can become optimists?  Yep, learned optimism is a concept from positive psychology’s founding father, Martin Seligman, which argues that we can cultivate a positive perspective. With a more joyful outlook on life, he explains that we’re in a much better position to enhance our well-being.  For me, I am an eternal optimist or a silver lining kind of girl.  My parents always said I put, “10-pounds of potatoes in a 5-pound sack.”  In other words – I believe opportunities are endless.  I believe that anything is possible.  I believe we can achieve our intentions  and I believe if you set your sites high you have a pretty good shot at getting there.   Of course, you know that the downside of this is that us crazy optimists may bump up against reality…and sometimes we may even bump up against negativity.  I know for me, when I’m around negative people,  I find that they suck the life out of me.  A negative person tends to knock the wind out of my sails, demotivate me and makes me want to disengage from them.  But you know what?  Those kinds of people exist in many of the organizations we work with and, I’m guessing, there may even be some in your personal and professional  life as well.

Years ago, a friend of mine, Bryan Adkins, President of Denison Consulting, introduced me to the concept of CAVE people. These are individuals within an organization who are extremely negative and critical about any kinds of change efforts or change in direction.  They are the Citizens Against Virtually Everything.  These employees have a toxic effect, poisoning the attitudes of coworkers and building a wall of resistance. When they complain, undercut and criticize, they are highly influential. Research shows that employees who exhibit negative mindsets and behaviors can have four to seven times as much impact as those sharing positive intentions. And the bigger the change in the organization, the louder the rants from the CAVE people will be and the more negative a work environment may become.

Whether it’s office politics, hostile relationships, or lack of trust, a negative work environment can lead to disengagement, lower retention rates, decreased productivity, and sheer misery all around. All stakeholders suffer when the atmosphere at work is negative–employees, leadership, customers, and ultimately the company and its bottom line.  Research from The Gallup Organization has found that disenchanted workers who tear down what their engaged colleagues are trying to build up cost the American economy up to $350 billion a year.  So what can you do about it?  While it’s not always possible to avoid negative workplace dynamics, you can implement strategies that help create a culture that feeds on hope and helpfulness, rather than dysfunction and disillusionment:

5 Positive Actions You Can Move On Today

1. Hire Eternal Optimists. If negativity is a problem in your organization, work on hiring different types of people who are upbeat at their core. During interviewing look for candidates who show a strong belief in the good of other people and their ability to succeed. While negative people assume others don’t know what they’re doing, positive people assume the opposite. There are all kinds of strategies you can incorporate here and to leave less to chance, one option is to consider utilizing personality assessments in your hiring process (we use Hogan Assessments).  While a CAVE may be able to bluff their way through an interview, it’s difficult to hide a negative personality behind validated assessments.  You’ll be happy you took this extra step.

2. Strive For Healthy Conflict.  Another way to eliminate  negativity is to fuel passion through healthy conflict and good ideological debate. While the words “conflict” and “debate” may bring to mind negative interactions, it’s important to understand that there’s a big difference between healthy, passionate conflict and dysfunctional negativity. The difference is that healthy conflict is focused on increasing your understanding of someone else’s position, learning from each other, and finding new solutions. In other words, healthy conflict is about inquiring first and advocating second.  Healthy conflict fueled by passion helps teams find the right answers and brings everyone’s perspectives into the discussion. The back and forth may feel contentious at times, because often it is. But if that emotion is channeled towards collaborating on what’s best for the company, the outcomes will be positive, not negative.

3. Provide Complete Transparency. When people feel out of the loop and don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes at your company, it can lead to dysfunction and disengagement. You can counteract this as a leader by providing  radical transparency throughout the company, which will diffuse early seeds of negativity. Instead of letting situations fester and imaginations run amok, you can provide communication channels to foster better understanding of key issues and decisions.  Weekly company-wide meetings and consistent one-on-ones between leadership and team members can promote transparency in working relationships and a valuable feedback loop.

4. Don’t Make Work So Serious All The Time. Another way to quash would-be haters from your team is to build opportunities for fun into the workplace. Whether it’s catering monthly lunches where people can socialize, holding holiday parties during the workday that go all out (think Thanksgiving potlucks and New Year celebrations), or quarterly happy hours that begin at 4 pm, integrating some opportunities for play within work teams can foster healthy relationships and build trust among colleagues.  Promoting events like these helps to create a sense of community and knowing each other outside the walls of the office.

5. Commit To Cutting Team Killers. When you think about what’s at the heart of negativity, it’s really about people who don’t offer solutions. They see the glass half empty, focusing only on the problems, not how to work through and solve them. They’re like grenade launchers, hurling bombs around them and blowing things up, leaving others to rebuild in the aftermath. They’re poisonous to any environment, which is why it’s so important to have a strategy to deal with them.  Believe me, your people are watching and you as the leader must hold the team killers accountable.  Ultimately,  if after a discussion change is not forthcoming, leaders have to be willing to let go of that person to preserve the culture for everyone else.