# 1 - Recognition and Respect Great employees continue to prove themselves every day. Recognition and respect from peers and leadership further solidifies the bond between a great employee and the company. Respected employees stay because they would have to start over at ground zero at a new company. Once again working to earn recognition and respect from a new employer. Respected employees: help set and maintain the productive rhythm of the company. mentor others. step up when needed without being asked. have unique talents and expertise that are obvious. In return, the great employee's work and contribution earns them recognition and respect at all levels of the company, especially leadership. Again, the key word is "earned."

One of the main concerns business owners have when first introduced to open-book management is related to what information will be shared. They fear that revealing details of the company’s financial picture will create stress and tension within the organization. For example, owners are often concerned about whether employee salary information is to be revealed. They even worry about the competition gaining access to their financials.

“My business is unique. I’m not sure Great Game® will work here.” For-profit businesses of every size, shape, and industry have embraced the Great Game of Business over the past 35 years. Now, lessons learned by SRC have spread into the nonprofit and social sectors in a program called the Great Game for Social Sectors. In recent years, leading organizations such as Missouri Southern State University (MSSU), Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks (BBBSO) and Greene County, Missouri have embraced the open-book management principles taught by the Great Game as a way to improve their financial sustainability. Since the launch of the Great Game for Social Sectors in February 2017, 24 organizations have adopted the proven principles of the Great Game to transform their not-for-profit organizations.

The Huddle cycle consists of a series of meetings where financial and operational numbers are shared and forecasted. These meetings include a Pre-Huddle, Main-Huddle and Post-Huddle, all with different focuses and objectives. When performed properly, the Huddle Cycle saves time despite the additional meetings by providing improved communication within your company, better execution of your tasks and strategies, and a clear understanding of how each employee affects the success of the company.

Your company Huddle is your weekly opportunity to intentionally communicate with your team. This list of ideas and tips will help you refresh, expand, and even strengthen your Huddle and ensure your whole team is engaged and informed. Check out these best practices for getting the most out of your Huddle, whether it be in person or virtually! Use these tips to make your next team Huddle a big success.

What if each of us in a leadership role simply made a point of working to make hope happen for the people we work with every single day? Within a few weeks, hope levels would have certainly gone up. By the end of a year, we’d have hope deeply embedded in the workplace culture; the climate of the organization couldn’t help but be significantly sunnier than it would have been before you started.