Encouraging Volunteering at Work Pays Off for Your Business!
Community involvement is a big deal at Motivation Excellence. At both our office locations, in Schaumburg, IL, and Traverse City, MI, our company sponsors volunteer activities several times a year AND allows employees to take two days off a year to help a favorite cause on their own. This call to community action comes right from the top with President and CEO David Jobes, and former owner of VIKTOR Incentives, now Motivation Excellence, Mark Bondy.
Why Volunteering through Work Matters
If you’re not sure why encouraging volunteerism at work matters, read on! According to a study from Deloitte, employers who encourage volunteering among their staff see boosted morale, improved office environments, and enhanced brand perception. Here are some more interesting stats:
- 89% of employees think organizations that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment
- 70% believe volunteering efforts are better at boosting staff morale than company-sponsored happy hours
- 75%+ say volunteering is critical to employee well-being
Business News Daily recently did a nice breakdown of the Deloitte survey with great takeaways on how volunteering helps employees and companies at the same time.
Benefits for Employees:
- A happy employee means a more productive employee, who is excited to go to work
- Increases camaraderie with coworkers and builds teamwork
Advantages for Companies:
- Younger employees, especially, want to feel good about the company they work for and social responsibility plays a big role in attracting top talent
- Active volunteers tend to become leaders at work too
- Positive community recognition of your company’s brand is powerful
How to Get Your Volunteer Program Going
If the reasons above have you excited about starting or expanding your work-based volunteer program, there are many ways to begin. With so many deserving charities in each community, you can start by polling your employees to see what their favorite causes are. Here are some other easy steps to take on the journey to community involvement:
- Connect with your local government office to see what the greatest needs are
- Schedule time during a workday to inspire your employees to get involved with the selected effort
- Take photos and share them with the office – even print some out to remind people of the positive influence they had outside of work
- Share your efforts on social media and encourage your followers to suggest an idea for your next volunteer day
- Encourage employees to share with the team when they volunteer outside of work
- Incorporate participation in your employee rewards program
Examples to Use
Still feeling stuck about how to help and where to start? Motivation Excellence has a long history of promoting volunteerism – take some of our efforts and make them your own, we don’t mind!
- Our Traverse City group is involved in the Michigan Department of Transportation Adopt-a-Highway program.
- In Schaumburg, we spent an afternoon working at the local Feed My Starving Children branch, making nutrition packets for food-deprived regions of the world
- One year, at our summer company-wide event, we designed a scavenger hunt for teams of employees to find essentials needed for the homeless in our area and then stuffed them into tube socks – to benefit Journeys – The Road Home
- We have a history of volunteering at the beverage tent each July at the National Cherry Festival held in Traverse City, MI – a 90-year tradition that builds up and supports our waterfront community
- Using our two charity days off a year, our employees have individually helped out at school fundraisers, animal rescue groups, JDRF efforts, youth education events, cream puff assembly for charity and so much more
- In our office, we made tied-edge fleece blankets for kids with cancer and hand-made holiday cards for active military
- Our Snack for Charity initiative raises money for a different organization each month – at $1 per snack, we end up donating anywhere from $25 to $100 a month
- Many of our employees are active industry volunteers as well, for foundations like SITE and The Above and Beyond Foundation
- Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, we adopt several families, providing food and presents to help make the holidays a little better for those in need
- Another summer event saw us creating cards and care packages for cancer patients at Phil’s Friends
- We work closely with Ingage Unlimited, helping with their fundraisers and offering their charity as a donation option for award points programs
This is a small sampling of what we do to give back to our communities; now it’s your turn. Whether you want to use volunteering as a team bonding experience, or offer days off so employees can bring outside enrichment into the office, encouraging community involvement is a great way to build a cohesive work community, positively impact your surroundings, bolster a strong office culture, create new leaders and promote your brand.
So get out there and make a difference! April is National Volunteer Month, but you can celebrate all year long.
Destination Spotlight: Fairmont Canada
In this month’s edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series, we’re sharing information on what makes Fairmont properties in Canada’s rugged Western Mountain Region so special for group travel experiences. Fairmont is one of the luxury brands in the Accor line-up of properties.
The four properties we’re highlighting are Chateau Lake Louise, Chateau Whistler, Jasper Park Lodge, and Banff Springs. All offer luxurious accommodations and, perhaps, even grander surroundings! Wild animals, majestic mountains, sparkling lakes, and some of the best outdoor activities (in all seasons) will spark the adventurer in you and your travel incentive participants.
As of April 1, 2022, visitors into Canada no longer need to obtain a pre-entry COVID test; however, proof of vaccination is still required. The ArriveCan mobile app walks tourists through the steps of entry. For up-to-date information regarding travel rules for Canada, you can visit www.Travel.GC.CA.
Now, take 20 minutes to watch our friends from Accor, Isabel Mahon and Dion Kiernan, give updates on the Fairmont properties and passionately discuss the four beautiful locations in the mighty Western Canadian mountains.
Destination Spotlight: Belmond
If you love a good story and unique places to stay, Belmond has exactly what you want! Each of their luxury properties and experiences is steeped in history, a fantastic origin story, and luxurious surroundings. Whether you are on a Belmond safari, riding the Orient Express train, or staying in a one-of-a-kind hotel, the Belmond brand will surpass your expectations!
Join us for a tour of three key properties, with brand ambassador April Hays, in this latest edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series. For 25 minutes, you’ll be swept away in storybook fashion, complete with vivid photos to really get you imagining what’s possible!
Look for a new Destination Spotlight each month. Coming up next…Fairmont properties in Canada.
Make Working from Anywhere Work for You!
Photo credit: Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
There was a very recent time when working from home was a special circumstance. Perhaps a once a week, or even once-in-a-while situation. Once the pandemic hit, industries that never thought they could offer WFH found themselves surprisingly thriving – even on-air TV news employees! By the end of 2020, 71% of American workers who could were working from home.
At Motivation Excellence, we had remote workers before the pandemic, although most of our employees were still full-time in the office or had a hybrid schedule. The technology was in place though, so our transition to home working environments in March 2020 was smooth. As of February 2022, most of us now enjoy a hybrid balance.
Most prefer a hybrid work environment
In a recent LinkedIn poll we ran, being hybrid is the overwhelming choice for a preferred work environment. It’s the best of both worlds when you love your coworkers, but, maybe, you’re slightly more productive without office distractions.
The Workforce Happiness Index shows remote workers score 75/100 versus their in-office counterparts, who score 71. Over the last two years, it’s been shown working remotely can be beneficial to employees, efficient for the company, and a draw for new talent.
As a group of people who were used to a hybrid setup before the pandemic, we are happy to share how we make working from anywhere a success. Keep reading for tips and tricks the Motivation Excellence team uses to make the most of any working environment.
How to work from anywhere: tips and tricks
For Brad Hecht, VP, Travel, a regular workday is a must so that work time doesn’t bleed into personal time. He cautions against doing too many personal things during the day that will push working hours into the evening.
For Michelle Lien-Burdick, our Merchandise Buyer, scheduling at least one break in the day is important to keep her energized. “I block out my calendar for lunch every day. If it is on your calendar, you are more likely to “remember” to get up and walk away from your desk. I find it is key to have that time to clear my thoughts, engage with my spouse and relax. When I get back to my desk, I have renewed energy and better mental clarity.”
Jillian Fehrenbach, one of our amazing customer service experts, says having a distinct workspace in her home is important to her. And, just as importantly she says, make sure you set it up to work for you, not against you. “Don’t let your WFH office wreck your back or neck. The two most important factors are chairs and monitor risers. I use a chair that is highly adjustable (legs/arms) and ergonomically superior (lumbar) to run-of-the-mill swivel chairs. If you get one used (online), you’ll also find that they’re very affordable. A good chair will last longer and help you avoid repetitive strain injuries. Next, let me just say two words: monitor riser— and two more, mic drop! Positioning your monitor at eye height is important to keep your neck and head at the proper angle. And it doesn’t have to be one from an office supply store. My husband uses a vintage table leaf on top of a metal basket, so he can set up his speakers next to his oversized monitor. I thought it would be janky, but it honestly works!”
Rebecca Steiner, Business Development Director, wholeheartedly agrees with Jillian! The photo above shows her daughter’s WFH desk set up with adjustable keyboard and monitor risers, which allow for standing while working too. As someone who has worked largely from home for more than 20 years she shares these other tips that keep her motivated and productive:
- Schedule time in-between the ever present COVID Zoom calls for sanity to move, stretch, take a quick walk
- Get up early and get dressed as if I am going to an office or meeting with clients
- Stay connected with my clients and team via Zoom
- Schedule in-person lunches at nearby restaurants
- Block time in my calendar to get work done vs all meetings
Finally, Rebecca recommends having a home office where you can shut the door and leave it closed at the end of the workday.
Our VP of Sales, Rhonda Brewer loves the flexibility a remote work schedule allows. She does suggest making efforts to see co-workers in person too though. “You need to schedule some time to meet with others you work with on a regular basis if you don’t go into an office. That drives connection.”
By now, we know we can work from anywhere and make it work for our customers, bosses, and coworkers. You may know people working from vacation homes during the summer months, or, working while taking care of a sick loved one on the other side of the country. This is no longer a trend, but a legitimate option for many of us today. It is up to company leadership to ensure the culture of an organization continues to positively thrive as we adapt to the new business environment. As long as productivity remains high and dedication to staying engaged with coworkers is a priority, working from anywhere can be a benefit to anyone able to take advantage of it.
Destination Spotlight: Cruising!
Did you know the cruise industry is the only sector of travel that reports health issues of crew and passengers to the CDC? That’s why we are all familiar with any kind of outbreak that happens on board. But when it comes to COVID, there’s much more to the story than an alarming headline and that’s what our longtime cruising partner Karen Devine with 3D Cruise Partners wants to share.
In this installment of our series called “Mission Engage, Destination Spotlight: Cruise,” Devine gives us a full look at where the cruise industry was in 2020 to where it’s at in 2022 and beyond. Take less than 15 minutes to get the latest information on all types of cruising options. Find out why Devine says the data proves cruising is safe and back better than before.
Some fast facts to get you ready to embark:
- All crew members must be vaccinated and get regularly tested
- All passengers older than 12 must be vaccinated
- Ships are well equipped with medical facilities able to treat positive COVID cases as needed
- 85% of the worldwide fleet is back in the water
- River cruising is more luxurious than ever – and very flexible
Whether you’re looking for your next incentive travel experience or want to enjoy a cruise with your family, our presentation with Devine will answer your questions and get you excited about your next voyage!
Set Your Mind to Growth and See How High You Go!
Each month, we select a theme to help our readers learn more about a specific personal or professional topic meant to expand all of our horizons. This month, it’s no accident our theme is “growth mindset.”
Earlier in January 2022, we announced the acquisition of VIKTOR Meetings & Incentives. This too, was by no accident. Motivation Excellence CEO & President, David Jobes, made it very clear to all of us when he purchased the company in 2018 he planned on growing Motivation Excellence partially through acquiring other businesses in the industry. He set a plan, shared it, moved through obstacles, kept on course, and now here we are…growing!
Fixed versus Growth Mindsets
Someone with a fixed mindset gets stuck in the muck and can’t see around an obstacle. A growth mindset allows a person to see possibilities even when they can’t figure out the best way to reach them, yet. According to this Understood.org article, people who are set on growth reframe challenges and are motivated to improve.
Entrepreneur.com reports that people who believe they can reach their goal look at failures as opportunities and thus catapult themselves forward even when others in the same situation crawl back under the sheets and go back to sleep. They offer 10 steps to achieve a growth mindset in business, which include becoming an expert in what you love, not being concerned with what others have, and being 100% accountable.
Cultivating a growth mindset is not always an easy task. If you want to start on that journey, you’ll need support. Here’s a tip: be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all. That’s right, lifelong learning is critical, and lucky for you, we wrote about that too.
Forbes explains in their article why a growth mindset should be part of your business strategy. They offer three actions to encourage such a mentality. Number one? Foster continuous learning. Here’s the reason: people who accept they have more to learn, search for more education. Those who feel like they already know everything, have nowhere to go but horizontally – ever seen a flower that grows parallel to the ground? It’s pretty rare; they must embrace a growth mindset!
Go, Go, Grow
The Growth Institute says mindset is the number one predictor if a business will scale into success. Leaders who encourage a growth mindset attract teams of proactive, accountable, and motivated solutions-seekers. They offer several ways to nurture a go and grow mentality, like embracing change, being self-aware, and having perseverance.
Carol Dweck is the original source of the mindset theory. In her book, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, she posits that success is more about a person’s outlook than intelligence and talent. Of course, motivation, gumption, and level of support help play a part in someone’s ultimate success, but an individual’s attitude can be a boost of fuel or a nail in a tire right from the word go.
How do you best foster growth in your personal or professional life? Comment on whichever social feed you read this blog, so we can share experiences and learn together. That’s another important factor in a growth mindset: being open to discussion.
Destination Spotlight: Istanbul
If these attributes sound good to you
- Center of the world
- Easy access
- Something for everyone
- Comfortably exotic
then keep reading for more information on our Motivation Excellence destination spotlight on Istanbul! You can also see for yourself some of the beautiful and unique venues perfect for hosting your next meeting or travel incentive by watching a roughly 15-minute webinar hosted by destination management company MEP.
Istanbul straddles both European and Asian continents! It’s the most connected city in the world as far as air travel goes, and is full of ancient history and modern wonders. The lifestyle and business environment is very Westernized, making it “comfortably exotic” for Americans to visit according to MEP Managing Director Eda Ozden.
Keep reading for a summary of why Istanbul should make your next list for future travel.
Venues
Options here range from events in cisterns more than 1,600 years old to modern art museums. The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel is an actual Ottoman palace operating now as a 5-star luxury hotel. The brand new cruise port and waterfront complex offers many new venue options. From old to brand new, Istanbul has it all covered.
Group Size
The perfect group size for a personalized visit is up to 150 people. Although there are many venues and hotel options that can accommodate much larger groups, Ozden recommends capping the attendance to keep the experience more meaningful and individualized.
Food
While you may think of kabobs as the best-known Turkish cuisine, in truth you’ll find food from many different influences in Istanbul. As a Mediterranean country, fresh fruit and veggies are popular, along with olive oil, yogurt and hummus dishes. Russian staples, Steak houses and pizza restaurants are also plentiful.
Best Season
While both fall and spring are preferred times to visit, the summer offers great weather and the best pricing options since it’s the off-season for business travelers. Istanbul does get occasional snow in the winter months, but nothing compared to the Midwest and East coast of the United States.
If you’re interested in learning more about Istanbul or Turkey, please connect with us! You can email ME@MotivationExcellence.com or reach out directly to our VP Travel Brad Hecht at B.Hecht@MotivationExcellence.com.
Look for more destination spotlights coming in 2022!
Making Resolutions & Keeping Them: Your Guide to Starting the New Year Off Right
Whether you are a New Year’s Resolution person or not, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one tends to make us reflect on what we’d like to change going forward. What can we be better at? What can the turning of a new year bring that we didn’t have in the past year?
The stats on resolutions aren’t horribly impressive, however, keep this mind: according to verywellmind.com, people who set resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve behavior change than those who don’t. In the Forbes article about how to keep your New Year resolutions, it’s reported 19% of people who make them actually stick to them.
Perhaps you’re motivated by beating the odds? Well then, making and keeping a New Year’s resolution is for you!
Making a Resolution
Resolution is really another word for goal. Aiming for a better body, salary or lap-time is natural and entirely human! How often do you wake up each day and think about the one or two (or dozen) things you need to get done? Perhaps at the start of a month, you mentally tick off items you don’t want to push off until the last minute.
As you can surmise, we make resolutions quite often. Declaring your intentions is the easy part. Fulfilling them is where things get tricky. There are ways you can help yourself to achieve your goals though (we have a whole blog on goals you can read here too).
- Make small goals that build up to something bigger
- Be very specific and realistic
- Pick one or two goals at a time
- Write them down and track your progress regularly
- Don’t wait for a special day of the year, month or week
Keeping a Resolution
There are a plethora of reasons why we tend to fail at keeping resolutions.
- Lack of motivation
- No accountability
- Poor time management
- Not truly serious
- Get bored
- Lack of daily dedication
Despite the above reasons, Psychology Today reports goals are important to growth, direction and happiness. If you can map out the why and the how of your resolutions, you can create a path that avoids the common pitfalls. Just saying you want to lose weight doesn’t make it happen. Here is an example though of how you can meaningfully prepare to make that your resolution AND see it through.
Resolution: Lose Weight
Mini goal: Lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks
Tracking: daily calories and exercise minutes
Motivation: pick a pair of pants you want to fit into – hang them up as a reminder
Dedication: work on it daily
Accountability: Share your resolution with trusted people, have them check in with you
Losing one pound a week is likely a goal that is attainable for most people with the proper diet and exercise structure. The resolution is reasonable in other words (check with your doctor to be sure). And we’ve given ourselves a way to track, motivate, and be held accountable. Once you’ve put all that effort in (OK, it’s not that much effort really), you have already dedicated yourself to the ambition at the very least. After that, it’s just one day at a time!
Maybe, reading this blog was your first step to tackling your next goal…we love to be helpful like that. Good luck!
On the Road with Motivation Excellence: November 2021
Things are changing quickly when it comes to travel. At Motivation Excellence, our goal is to keep our followers and clients informed on the latest protocols, trends and tips. In our On the Road series, we’ll highlight our own travels for leisure and business, as well as report on current client trends in the incentive industry. Look for the latest On the Road post at the end of each month. If you ever have travel questions during this uncertain time please reach out to us at ME@MotivationExcellence.com.
In November, an industry event brought thousands to Las Vegas and one of our travel planners visited Portugal. Read below for the highlights and takeaways from our travelers.
A Family Getaway in Portugal
Traveler: Joe Reise, Manager, Supplier Relations & Sourcing
During a recent visit to Lisbon, Sintra, and Porto, Portugal, I was able to enjoy and explore one of Europe’s most fascinating countries with two of my sons, Trevor and Max. Lisbon is continental Europe’s oldest capital city and offers much in the way of historical sightseeing, distinctive hilly neighborhoods, and excellent and interesting seafood choices. The people are very nice too! One of the coolest things we did was visit The Padrão dos Descobrimentos on the edge of the Tagus River (see middle picture). You can go to the top and view the city from there.
Just 30km away from Lisbon, we enjoyed the city of Sintra, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. It’s considered to have the perfect symbiosis between nature and its built heritage. The town has been adored over the years by artists and writers from all over the world. We visited the medieval palace called Palácio da Vila (see picture on the right). It’s one of the few medieval palaces in the world that survives to this day practically intact.
Finally, in Northern Portugal, we enjoyed Porto, another World Heritage site. We did a walking tour and visited a palace, a cathedral and St. Francis church. The architecture and history here are stunning. We ended our tour with an unbelievably beautiful and relaxing river cruise on the Douro River, one of Europe’s most scenic rivers. Of course, you can’t visit Porto without tasting some Port wines. We did a tasting at Graham’s and found the offerings exquisite!
Key Takeaways:
- Negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure was required by the airline, Portugal and the U.S.
- We needed to fill out a Portugal Locator Card prior to landing with itinerary and vaccination status
- Portugal is a great value for international travel
- Lisbon is a global city with lots of attractions, including 290 days of sun
- November is a great time to visit – mild weather and fewer tourists in the off-season
The Travel Industry Gathers Again
Travelers: David Jobes, President & CEO, and Brad Hecht, VP Travel (our writer)
I have been traveling a lot since January and have seen the mad rush of travelers…..everywhere! I was in Las Vegas again in November and stayed at multiple hotels (Delano & Aria) for an industry (IMEX) convention and had meetings with key worldwide suppliers, and also had a client attended site-inspection.
Well I can say, yes, it was as crazy as ever, busy as ever, electric as ever. The convention attendance was far better than I expected, with around 11,000 attendees as I last heard. Yes, I can say that everyone had to be fully vaccinated to attend the show, and masks, once inside the show were optional. About 90% of the attendees elected not to wear them.
Service levels were better than expected and I am seeing some normalcy! Every restaurant was packed for lunches and dinners. I was happy to see the crowds and the excitement in the air. We are hopefully turning that important corner we have been waiting to see for about the past 18 months.
Key Takeaways:
- Las Vegas is hopping, fun and energized
- Vaccines, hand sanitizer and masks are among popular COVID protocols with big conventions
Coming Up Ahead in December:
- A vacation to Turks and Caicos
- A Leadership Forum in the Dominican Republic
- Family fun all around the country
- Our Motivation Excellence Holiday Event
Buckle up and enjoy the ride with Motivation Excellence as your guide!
There’s a Reason “Grit” is in Integrity
Integrity is a heavy word, as in, not to be thrown around lightly. At the same time, it elevates the possessor high above the crowd. You see, when someone is described as having integrity, it means this person also possesses a myriad of other meaningful and weighty attributes. They’re reliable, accountable, honest, ethical…the list goes on to encompass everything you’d want to see in someone you respect. Each trait is like a step taking that person up to the pinnacle of personal adjectives: Integrity! (Cue the triumphant trumpets!)
Make It a Core Value
We love integrity at Motivation Excellence. It’s part of our core values: Respect, Integrity, Trust and Exceeding Expectation, or RITE2. When we developed these, the executive team spelled out exactly what integrity meant to them.
Integrity: Respect for lawful operations, mindful work, honest actions, honest words, correcting & learning from mistakes, accurately representing our services, being true to yourself, providing thought leadership, giving your best effort every time, quality work, not giving in to haste.
When you look up the word integrity, you will often come across some version of this saying: “Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” While that is a great sentiment, don’t you think sometimes it’s even harder to do the right thing when there are people watching (you know, for those who succumb to peer pressure, for instance)? That’s truly when a person of integrity can shine. Maybe that’s why the word “grit” is firmly in the middle of integrity – grit means you have the courage and resolve to stick to what’s right, no matter who is watching.
Anyone Can Have Integrity
A Mindtools.com post about integrity says those who have it are more likely to be promoted at work. The values of responsibility, humility and keeping promises are highly sought after in leaders. How do they say you go about securing and preserving your own integrity? It’s all about the choices you make. We each make many every day that can impact our personal values, as well as those of our business and family. Once you define what’s important to you, analyze your choices against those to keep you on a consistent path. If unparalleled customer service is a core value for your company, then each decision that’s made needs to reflect that from the president down the ranks.
The best part of integrity is anyone can possess it! You don’t need to be a CEO. You can be a kindergarten teacher, a stay-at-home mom, a little league coach or church pastor and anything else! As long as you hold yourself to the highest standards of ethical, moral and honest actions, and throw in accountability, responsibility and trustworthiness, you’re working with the right ingredients to achieve INTEGRITY!
