Introducing: Template of the week

Houston, we have tip-off — March Madness has officially commenced. If you don’t already have your brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments, maybe you should block off time in your calendar for some “heads-down research time.”

Hot off the SMB press this week:

• How to drop the habit of micromanaging and learn to delegate.
• Want highly engaged employees? Concentrate on these three areas.
• And the weekly gift that will get you documenting faster than ever.

But first, here are some headlines that caught our attention this week.

TL; DR

This week's highlight reel

• This is how we do it. When we say “it,” we’re talking about how to design a winning employee onboarding strategy. When we say “we,” we’re talking Trainual — named the #1 place to work in AZ and recognized on Inc.’s 2021 and 2022 Best Workplaces lists. Find out in our company’s first-ever behind-the-scenes video — ready to view now. More episodes coming soon!
• Can I please have Samoa? Nope. Because ICYMI: There’s an official shortage of Girl Scout cookies. (Whomp, whomp.) But wait! If you’re looking for a box of 2023’s new flavor — Raspberry Rally — you’re not out of luck just yet. You can do-si-do your way on over to eBay where boxes can be $35 (a whopping 500% increase from their normal price). Worth it? Probably.
• I care, you care. We all care for daycare! That’s why the number of workplaces providing on-site childcare is steadily increasing. In fact, for some companies, it’s their biggest attraction and retention tool. Daycare is expensive (like, mad expensive) so parents looking to return to work will surely be on the lookout for the companies that dish it out for free.
• “One, you’re like a dream come true.” Two, just wanna eat with you. And the man himself Brian McKnight might even be our server if we hit up Chili’s according to their newest throwback commercial. Warning: The nostalgic jingle advertising the restaurant’s “3 for Me” deal is stuck in our heads in a perpetual loop. Viewer discretion is advised.

DELEGATE TO ELEVATE

Stop micromanaging. Start delegating.

But I know how to do it. They don’t.

If the thought of delegating important tasks to your team brings you physical pain, you’re not alone. Letting go and putting the future of your company in the hands of your team — one task at a time — can feel like quite the gamble. But it’s absolutely crucial — especially for small businesses. 

Believe it or not, a shocking number of tasks you do today can be done by anyone on your team as long as you give them the know-how (psst — you can do that in Trainual). And when you delegate those tasks, it gives you the bandwidth to do what only you can do: grow and scale your business.

And if you’re not sure what tasks you should delegate, here are four factors to consider when deciding what to hand off to your team:

1. Task frequency.
Processes that you carry out repeatedly (especially those that are relatively straightforward) are the first you should delegate to your team. Why? They’re likely the ones bogging you down and keeping you from doing the important processes that only you can do.

And remember: You have to document these processes before delegating them to your team. If you don’t, there’s a chance your team could get it wrong. Which — when they’re relied on so frequently — could have a massive negative impact on your business. 

2. Cost efficiency. 
Picture the tasks you do that fall way below your experience level or skill set. Got ‘em? Now it’s time to scrape them right off your plate and into your business playbook. 

And while you’re at it, be sure to firmly reject and re-assign the tasks that come to you that someone else can handle — whether it’s from a client, investor, supervisor, or anyone else. 

👉 View the other two delegation considerations.

PUT A RING ON IT

3 focus areas for producing highly-engaged employees

We say the words “engaged employee” pretty often.
And that’s because when SMBs are trying to scale, we realize that the most important people working in those businesses (barring leadership) are going to be your engaged employees.

We’re talking about the people on your team who are excited about the work your business is doing — the ones who are putting in that extra effort to bring your mission and vision to life. 

A little extra effort goes a long way.
We’re talking massive benefits: Having engaged employees is known to increase productivity, lower burnout, and increase sales — all of which contribute to higher revenue. Plus, having engaged employees can help boost your talent recruitment and ease those hiring woes. 

Basically, win after win after win — and that means you’ll want to find ways to turn up the engagement amongst your current team.

So, how does one improve employee engagement?
In a recent report from enterprise management company Workday, they found that highly engaged organizations outperformed their peers in three key areas — AKA, where you’ll want to focus your attention to start engaging your employees:

1. Strategy. There can be a lot of uncertainty in the world, and sometimes your business needs to make pivots to accommodate. But make sure your strategy is in line with your overall mission so that employees know what to expect long-term. And it’s even more important to communicate when your business is making moves — loudly and often.
2. Growth. Engaged employees want to see opportunities for personal growth and career advancement — which means you want to promote a culture of continuous learning. 

👉 Read the full report for area #3.

STARTER PACK

Template of the week: Employee Wellness and Mental Health Policy

Let’s talk facts: Documenting your business’ processes and policies can make your life so much easier. It helps you onboard and train your employees, improves consistency and productivity, and streamlines your operations. Basically, documentation is absolutely critical for any business looking to grow and scale.

But we’ll be honest: Documentation is tough. It can be time-consuming, requires a lot of focus, and can easily overwhelm anyone — especially if they’re starting from scratch.

Here at Trainual, we’re in the business of making documentation as easy as possible. So, every week, we’ll showcase a template — for a policy, process, or role (with responsibilities) — that you can take and use in your own business playbook. All it needs is your personal touch, and then it’s ready to share with the rest of your team.

👉 This week, we’ve got a policy that will definitely help you engage your employees: The Employee Wellness and Mental Health Policy template outlines your business’ commitment to employee wellbeing and provides tips and resources to help them take care of their mental health.

Can’t wait a whole week for your next template? Check out our entire template archive — free, customizable, and available to copy straight into your Trainual account. Start a trial today.