What Do You Bring To The Table?

Last Thanksgiving I did an exercise with my salon staff regarding what everyone would bring to our annual Thanksgiving potluck. I supplied the table and I asked them to write what dish they wanted to bring and place it on the table. They wrote down macaroni and cheese, Cajun rice, rotisserie chicken, varied desserts and the list went on and on. After everyone shared what they were bringing and the room was abuzz because we were all excited at the thought of breaking bread together, I followed up with a line of statements.

1. If you've not met your sales and retention goals every week over the last month, please remove your item from the table. 

2. If you've had a client come back for a fix in the last month, please remove your item from the table. 

3.  If you've been late in the last month, please remove your item from the table.

The Cajun rice was the only item left on the table. There was only one employee that had met all three of those standards satisfactory. What was once a room filled with laughing and social banter was replaced with dead silence. The exercise painted the picture that I wanted them to see without the tired rhetoric of "be on time and work hard to achieve your goals." As a team, when everyone fails to do their part, we have less to enjoy. Failing to do your part can be as simple as showing up to work five minutes late and sending a signal to your clients that you don't value their time and money. Failing to do your part can be you not meeting your goals, and your boss having to spend more money on bills versus spending on items with a return on investment or training.

I challenge you think about what you bring to the table when it comes to your business relationships. If you're employed by a company, how do you show up and add value daily? If you're an employer, how are you motivating your team to meet their goals? If you're looking to partner with someone, what makes that union mutully beneficial?

Sound off below.