Cal Wilson / December 13, 2022

At Schooley Mitchell, we’ve always worked hard to ensure giving and gratitude are a part of our workplace culture. Not only do these values go hand-in-hand with what we do, but they make for a supportive workplace environment, where everyone is enthusiastic about helping one another.  

Recently, thanks to the generosity of one of our incredible franchisees, we were once again reminded of how powerful empathy and giving can be when practiced as a team.  

In this article, we explore a wonderful experience from the perspective of the staff at Schooley Mitchell Head Office.  

A generous Thanksgiving gift.  

One of our cherished Schooley Mitchell franchisees is David Dow of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Not only is David a genuine pleasure to work with, but the work he does with nonprofits in his professional and personal life is truly inspiring. In fact, we recently asked David to present on his experience with nonprofits at our annual Schooley Mitchell Conference; in true David fashion, he took the assignment and blew us all away with a thoughtful talk on the importance of empathy in our work.  

Needless to say, David’s personal commitment to his values is a big source of motivation for us here at Head Office. Part of this is because, every Thanksgiving, David has made the incredibly generous gift of donating in our name to a nonprofit he knows and trusts. 

This year, David gave both a donation and an incredible experience when he introduced us to Kiva. Founded in San Francisco in 2005, Kiva is an international nonprofit that “uses crowdfunded microloans as a force for good, creating a space where people can have one-to-one impact, and together, expand financial access for all.” 

David made a donation of $25 to every department at Schooley Mitchell Head Office, with the directive that each team do a bit of research into the different loans available on Kiva and choose a loan to give the donation to.

Teamwork and the Kiva process.  

Kiva has over four million borrowers across 79 countries worldwide. As you can imagine, there are countless loans to deserving recipients available, all asking for money for important local efforts. For example, one that stood out was a young man in Ghana, looking to raise money to provide his community with an accessible Wi-Fi hotspot, which would help many business and educational pursuits.  

The challenge for the teams at Schooley Mitchell Head Office was not to find a loan they wished to give their donation to, but rather to narrow the options down to just one. This meant each team had to sit down, discuss options, values, and try to find a solution that had meaning for them. 

Our Head Office team often feels like a big family; especially within our departments, our staff tend to be very close. However, doing an exercise like the one David’s donation afforded us, allowed us to become closer in a new way. Learning your coworkers’ values, which parts of the world they’re connected to, and what causes motivate them, are all part of the core of who everyone is but are not always a part of our day-to-day in the workplace.  

Each department also got to learn a little bit about the other teams on staff when we shared who we chose amongst ourselves and with David. Here are a few examples: 

• Client Relations & File Prep – Susan, a single mother from Kenya, and a crop and dairy farmer of over seven years. Susan “will be using the loan to purchase farm inputs such as fertilizer and agrochemicals for growing onions and the rest to pay school fees for her children.” 
• Waste – Carine from Kigali, Rwanda, is a 20-year-old student pursuing project and risk management and entrepreneurship at Kepler College. Carine’s loan will help her purchase a laptop for school, and aid in her goal of running “her own business to contribute to the country’s economy by paying taxes.” 
• Telecom – Sunday is a refugee living in Yumbe, Uganda, and a father of six. With his loan, Yumbe plans to start a roosting place to sell chicken and eggs to “pay school fees and offer his family a better life.” 
• Communication & Marketing – Gisele is a businesswoman living in the Lake Kivu region of Congo (DRC). She operates a pharmaceutical business which helps supply health centers around her region with crucial supplies.   
• Franchise Development – Jean Marie is a businessman from Rwanda who has recently invested in a franchise location. His loan will allow Jean Marie to equip his franchise with a storefront build-out, staff training, and more. His business will “ensure access to basic human necessities, with water as an anchor product.” 
• Programming – Farzona is a young businesswoman from Tajikistan working in cattle breeding. Her success and expertise so far have been very promising, and a loan will allow her to expand her business with more cattle.  

At Schooley Mitchell, our whole mission is helping businesses and business owners. Being able to expand this mission in a new way, across the globe, has been very meaningful for us.  

Generosity inspires generosity.  

Often, one generous and kind action can cause a chain reaction of kindness. That’s exactly what happened when David made his generous gift and tasked us with researching the individuals asking for loans through Kiva. Many staff members decided to contribute what they could, raising the initial gift to their department from David, and thereby increasing what their team could give to their chosen recipient.  

During a busy time of the year, when wallets are tight, members of staff, management, and senior leadership all came together to give. 

In total, with David’s gift and Schooley Mitchell’s contributions, we raised over $2,100 for various loans across the world. The best part is, when these loans are repaid, we get to re-give that same money again and again through Kiva, helping more incredible entrepreneurs across the world grow their businesses and help their regions thrive.  

In conclusion…  

Giving and gratitude have long been a part of the company culture at Schooley Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love the occasional push to take more initiative. That’s just what our wonderful franchisee, David Dow, did by giving us an incredibly thoughtful Thanksgiving gift.  

For any team looking for a new way to get to know each other, work together, and refresh your attitude towards gratitude and giving, Kiva was a truly profound experience.  

Cal Wilson / November 29, 2022

For business owners, the 2020s might feel like an obstacle course with no end in sight. Recently, business owners across North America have reported some significant stressors impacting their outlook heading into 2023.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we look at these stressors and the impact they can have on business leadership.  

What is stressing out business leaders? 

According to the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey 2022, North American business leaders are experiencing quite the array of concerns. The survey asked more than 12,000 business leaders to select “which five risks are the most likely to pose the biggest threat to your country in the next two years?” from a list of 35 global risks. 

It found that in the United States, the top concerns were: 

1. Debt crises 
2. Rapid and/or sustained inflation 
3. Geo-economic confrontation 
4. Failure of climate-change adaption 
5. Interstate conflict tied with employment and livelihood crises  

In Canada, the results were: 

1. Cost of living crisis 
2. Debt crises 
3. Rapid and/or sustained inflation 
4. Failure of climate-change adaption 
5. Asset bubble burst 

Business owners aren’t confident moving forward. 

Across both countries, these factors have reduced business owners’ confidence. In 2022, 29% of small businesses have worried about having to close. They’ve also reported taking the following steps to keep their businesses running: 

• 46% are working more hours than before the pandemic. 
• 33% are performing duties that were typically handled by someone else.  
• 29% have cut their own salaries. 
• 35% have had to raise their prices. 

For the time being, only 44% of business owners expect better conditions in the next six months.  

What is the impact of this stress on your team? 

At all levels of employment, employees are struggling with these same stressful conditions.  

One study from Deloitte Canada found that stress-related burnout led to 50% of managers contemplating leaving their roles since the beginning of the pandemic. Likewise, 70% reported stress impacting their ability to make decisions.  

Another study from global employee engagement firm, Reward Gateway, found that 72% of HR leaders “agree that stress resulting from cost-of-living increases is negatively impacting the work of their employees.” 

Global economic insecurity creates a baseline of unease that effects both leaders and the entire staff of your business. It’s important to check in with yourself and your team to make sure you aren’t ignoring its presence.  

Understand your feelings about money. 

For many of us, money has a stressful underlying connotation. Much of our economy-related stress is fueled by how we feel about money.  

Investigate the way money makes you feel; perhaps its anxious, avoidant, or irritated. Understanding this foundational emotion can help you rewire those associations in the future, and help you feel more calm and self-assured, even in challenging times.  

Label your feelings. 

It’s easy to push through the stress and fear that you might be feeling right now by throwing yourself into your work. Unfortunately, this is only likely to lead to more burnout and decreased quality of work.  

Michele Tugade, a professor of psychological science at Vassar College, says it’s important to acknowledge and label your economic-related anxieties.  

“It’s crucial to understand the root of your emotions by asking yourself questions like ‘how does this feel in my body?’ and ‘what is this emotion telling me about the situation?’” she says. “For example, identify where the anxiety is bubbling up in your body – your stomach? Your chest? Also, think about what made the anxiety come up – was it a news report about tech layoffs? Was it browsing the aisles at the shops?” 

If you can think about the root of your economic anxiety, rather than allow your brain to spiral about it, you can problem solve from a better mental headspace.  

In conclusion… 

With what has seemed like a constant stream of economic crises in the past few years, it’s only normal that many business owners, leaders, and employees are dealing with considerable stress. This can have serious impacts on a business’ operations, as well as business owners’ collective outlook moving forward. It’s important to address this stress and focus on the wellbeing of you and your team.  

Cal Wilson / November 15, 2022

Many of us have found ourselves trying to learn and adapt to the newest technology while on the job. Across all industries, it seems like there are new innovations every single day.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we share advice for learning new software programs you may come across in the workplace.  

1. Have a manageable goal.

When learning a new program, your first goal shouldn’t be to become an overnight expert. Create a practical, achievable goal that helps you implement the software into your work routine and focus on accomplishing that.  

2. Immerse yourself.

While it’s great to watch videos, read articles, and ask coworkers questions – and we suggest you do all these things – it’s even more critical to get your hands on the program you’re trying to learn. Your memory retention improves with hands on learning, so it’s important to physically go through the motions of using the software.

3. Don’t be click-shy.

Oftentimes, when opening up a new program, it can be intimidating, and users are nervous to click around and make mistakes. Meanwhile, software engineers have been paid a lot of money to try to break this program and find its flaws before it landed on your PC. Click things, learn how they work, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  

4. Go on ‘do not disturb’ mode to practice. 

Sometimes when we are learning new or additional skills, we don’t feel we can prioritize them over our traditional work duties. However, if this is contributing to your work, then it should be a priority. 

Take some time to yourself, turn on ‘do not disturb,’ and focus all your attention on learning the new program. Don’t let emails, chats, or other tasks distract you.  

5. Utilize built-in tutorials. 

Most software programs have built-in tools or tutorials designed to assist new users. Whether it’s a specific tutorial walkthrough or a feature where hovering your mouse over a tool gives you an explanation of how to use it, there is almost always an aid at your disposal. Don’t rush through these tidbits; reading through them will help you learn.  

In conclusion… 

Learning goes better when you take the pressure off yourself and make it fun. Give yourself the space and mindset to put your best foot forward when acquiring new skills. 

Cal Wilson / November 1, 2022

We’ve all left a meeting and asked the age-old question, “couldn’t this have been an email?” 

On average, an organization’s staff spends 15% of their collective time in meetings. More if they’re in executive roles or senior leadership.  

 If you’re a team leader or manager trying to avoid making your staff ask this question, this issue of The Pulse is for you.   

It’s all about the clearest communication.  

We all consume, digest, and apply information differently.  

In any strong team, there’s a diversity of thinkers and communicators. Some of your team members are going to be better in meetings than others. Some will be more attentive to their emails. You might be stronger in one area than another.  

At the end of the day, it’s important that you know your team and what method of communication will be clearest and most effective for them. Even if it’s not the medium you personally prefer.  

When is a meeting necessary?  

There are certain times when a meeting can’t be avoided or is just a better choice than sending out an email notice. These include: 

• When you’re looking to build camaraderie among your team. 
• When you’re discussing a project or task that requires collaboration or input from multiple members of the team.  

When does an email suffice? 

On the flip side, it might be better to default to an email under the following circumstances: 

• If you are simply relaying information without need for collaboration. 
• If the collaboration is straightforward between one or two people.  
• If it’s an issue that can be easily resolved, or a simple question that needs answering. 
• If the group of people you’re speaking to is quite large, making a meeting confusing or unproductive.  

When to end or skip a recurring meeting.  

Recurring meetings are incredibly useful for ongoing projects or duties that are shared between multiple team members. They can be some of the most productive hours of your work week.  

However, recurring meetings likely aren’t needed every week indefinitely and it’s worth checking in for feedback periodically to ensure the meetings are still serving their intended purpose.  

If you’re unsure… 

If you’re still not sure whether to hold a meeting or send an email, ask yourself the following questions: 

• What is the purpose of the contact? Does it require collaboration or group input? 
• Is the issue complex? A difficult problem to solve or concept to explain might get lost in the “translation” to email process.  
• Has your team been bogged down by video meetings recently? Zoom fatigue is a real thing, and avoiding unnecessary video calls can be a kindness to your staff.  
• Will this meeting disrupt productivity on other important tasks or projects? 

Finally, the biggest question you should ask before you commit to a meeting over an email is this: is it worth company time and money to have this many staff in a meeting for this length of time? 

If the answer is no, an email notice, or conversation over another platform like Teams or Slack, is much likely a better route to take.  

Michelle Soper / October 18, 2022

Life is busy, and chances are you’re always going to have multiple things on the go at any given time. Without a proper plan in place to prioritize tasks, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but with a few simple adjustments you could be managing your tasks effectively in no time.  
 
In this issue of the Pulse, we share eight tips on how to be more effective when it comes to task management, specifically in the workforce, but many of these could easily be applied to other areas of your life as well.

Determine the urgency and importance of each task

The first step of managing your tasks effectively is determining the urgency and importance of each task. What absolutely needs to get done today? What can wait until tomorrow? Next week? If you’re unsure which tasks should be prioritized, it might be worth having a conversation about it with your team or supervisor.

Have one list

Having one lists allows you to see everything at a glance and plan accordingly when looking at the week or even day ahead. This could be a list in a physical or digital planner, or a work management tool. Larger projects may need to be broken down into smaller tasks still, which can still be done on a separate list, but including it on your main list ensures it doesn’t get forgotten.

Consider a software to help organize your tasks 

If a physical or digital planner isn’t your thing, a work management tool might be a better fit for you. Trello is a great option for teams because it allows teams to collaborate on projects, organize workflows, and track progress visually, but there are lots of options out there.

Turn off your email push notifications  

As of 2015, the average office worker received 121 emails a day, according to the Radicati Group. Having that many notifications pop up during the day is surely going to be distracting and take you away from the task at hand. Instead, consider checking your email a few times throughout the day at set times. This might mean checking your email at 9am, 12pm and 3pm, but the important part is finding a schedule that works best for you.

Block out time and set your status to do not disturb  

If you’re having a hard time getting to tasks, block out time on your calendar, like you would for a meeting with your team, and treat it as such. Don’t be late to start or allow yourself to get sidetracked. This is important time that will allow you to get some quality work done without interruptions. This doesn’t have to be a long period of time. In fact, some studies dating from the 1990s suggest that due to natural variations in our cycle of alertness, we can only concentrate for 90 minutes before needing a break.

Don’t be afraid to say no or ask for help 

If you’re too busy to take on another project, simply say no. This is easier said than done for Type A personalities, but again will leave you better off in the long run. Taking on projects you don’t have time for can leave you feeling overwhelmed and will likely either cause the project to take longer than anticipated or have you working long hours to keep up. Either way, no one wins. If you are having a hard time completing an already started project, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Our workflows often ebb and flow, so while you may be feeling like you’re at capacity, one of your team members might have a more flexible workload and chances are, they will be happy to help, as most people are.

Don’t be afraid to delegate 

It’s easy for your day to fill up, but are you spending your time on the right tasks? Harvard Business Review’s research shows that knowledge workers spend an average of 41 percent on discretionary activities that could be handled competently by others. “We instinctively cling to tasks that make us feel busy and thus important, while our bosses, constantly striving to do more with less, pile on as many responsibilities as we’re willing to accept.” However, if you can get past this and start delegating more often, you’ll be better off for it.

Don’t overwork yourself 

By taking breaks throughout the day and not working past your regular hours, you give yourself adequate time to relax and recharge, which allows you to come back to tasks with a new sense of energy and motivation.  

In conclusion… 

Managing tasks effectively can be a challenge, but there are several practices and resources you can use to make the most out of your day and ensure the most important tasks are being taken care of in a timely manner.