Real Life of an MSW

Celebrate everyone Frank Blake, the former CEO of The Home Depot, is a big believer that “you get what you celebrate.” There are many ways to practice this philosophy, but one is how Frank applied it to caring for his team. Every Sunday, Frank sat down and composed handwritten notes to his employees, including those who worked at different stores. He estimates he sent approximately 25,000 notes.

Frank knew how to make people feel appreciated, and that pays off in employees’ happiness and productivity. I don’t write handwritten notes to my team, but I do quarterly check-ins, surprise bonuses and public shoutouts (in front of the team and more importantly clients)

Above all, when things don’t go as planned for an employee, I make sure to remind them of other wins and great work they’ve accomplished. Even your best employees will have hard days or weeks and when that happens, clearing their work reminds them that they don’t have to be perfect. This tends to create an environment where there’s more happiness, creativity, and quality work.