4 tools for handling the emotional labor of business leadership

Got an hour or two to spare tomorrow? Then we know a great way to spend that time — especially if you’re interested in streamlining your operations and upgrading your business 👇

Hot off the SMB press this week:

• The wait is nearly over: Insider Summit is tomorrow!
• A process template for attending trade shows and events.
• How you can deal with the emotional labor of being a business leader.

LAST CHANCE

Insider Summit is tomorrow! This just in: New speakers added 👀

Small business leaders everywhere are using Trainual to scrape responsibilities off their plates, train new hires without lifting a finger, establish reliable and consistent processes, and oh-so-much more. But don’t just take our word for it.

Join Insider Summit — our annual small business leadership event — to hear from three SMB leaders who’ve transformed their businesses with Trainual. Three different industries, three different company sizes.

Plus, learn how Trainual AI can document business policies and processes for you, new product features, and the tips and tricks will help you get five times your money back in Trainual.

The event is 100% digital and totally free — and it’s happening tomorrow, August 17 starting at 9 a.m. PDT (12 p.m. EDT). So what are you waiting for? Register now!

P.S. Can’t make it to the live event? Don’t sweat it. Register anyway, and we’ll send you recordings of everything you missed!

STARTER PACK

Template of the week: Planning Trade Shows and Events Process

Pop quiz: Where’s the best place to find new customers, network and connect with prospective partners, and get inspiration for your own business endeavors?

If your mind immediately jumped to trade shows and events, then we’re definitely on the same page. From conferences to expos and industry-specific trade shows, these events are great places to promote your products and services, network with consultants and build partnerships, and engage with other small businesses.

But there are so many shows and so little time. Plus, how can you get the most out of an event if you only have the resources to visit a few each year?

👉 We’ve got you covered with our Planning Trade Shows and Events Process template. It outlines how to identify the best trade shows for your business goals, as well as what you need to prepare to reach the most customers and develop the best relationships at the event itself. Plus, it provides a step-by-step guide for how to follow up with customers and partners after the event is over.

Want more templates to help you build your business playbook? Check out our entire template archive of free, multimedia-enhanced, and customizable policy, process, and role starters. New to Trainual? Try for free.

1, 2, 3, LIFT!

How business leaders should deal with emotional labor

Being the boss is great… but difficult.
Business leaders — from founders and CEOs to department heads and managers — have the power to make important decisions about everything in the business.  

But being a business leader also means dealing with all the crises that come your way. And anyone running a small business can resonate with the fact that these problems have been piling up over the past few years (a potential recession, workforce issues, and a global pandemic, just to name a few).

But wait, there’s more.
With an increased expectancy for authenticity from employees and customers alike, business leaders have needed to open up. Sometimes, that’s admitting when they don’t have the answer or made a mistake. Other times, it’s sharing challenges in their personal lives.

And yes, while that vulnerability helps foster connection with your team and customer base, it can be hard to draw the line between what is up for public consumption and what can stay private.

All of this — on top of actually working on your business — is creating an emotional labor that’s becoming common for business leaders. Which adds even more stress to jobs that are already difficult enough.

So, how can you navigate these types of emotional burdens?
Here are four tools to help you deal with emotional labor on the job:

1. Relying on close confidants. Sometimes you need insight from people who are separated from the work you do. Close friends, mentors, and family members can speak candidly with you and will make sure private conversations stay that way.
2. Anticipating emotional reactions. This takes practice, but learning to anticipate how others will react to your actions can help you navigate the hard decisions that come your way. To start, connect with someone on your team who can help you determine the emotional reactions of the rest.

👉 See the two other tools.

TL;DR

This week's highlight reel

• Baby bump. Because of positive feedback from U.S. and Canadian employees, tech giant Amazon is expanding their fertility benefits to over 1M team members worldwide. The family-building benefit is becoming increasingly asked for by employees — in case you were thinking about which benefits to add to your own arsenal.
• Reverse, reverse. Another company joining the return-to-office bandwagon: Zoom? In an ironic turn of events, the video-conferencing company — which powered remote work during the pandemic — is requesting their employees to return to the office on a hybrid work schedule. Think their Zoom backgrounds will all look the same now?
• Not your typical car ad. You might see an ad the next time you call a Lyft for an airport drop-off. The ride-sharing app will now display advertisements when you match with a driver, while you wait, and during the drive. Guess it’s more entertaining than mind-numbingly counting down the seconds until our driver arrives in their silver Camry.