What is quiet quitting?

This week’s inspo: Shane Hawkins.The son of late Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins took the stage on Saturday to perform “My Hero” with the band, channeling his dad’s ferocious energy and just generally killin’ it on stage. Who’s chopping onions around here?

Hot off the SMB press this week:

• Resetting your SMB’s priorities when things don’t go as planned. 
• Crafting a mission statement that’ll make investors weep. 
• Okay, but seriously — what is quiet quitting?

WHERE’S THE RESET BUTTON?

Things going haywire at work? It’s time to reset your priorities.

For startups that have experienced success, a lot of “number one priorities” can start to pile up — trying to do them all is just asking for things to go haywire. Continuing your success means focusing on what really matters and saying no to the rest.

I’m an entrepreneur — I got to where I am by saying yes.
We get it. Being a leader of a growing business means chasing down a lot of opportunities. But think about this: Unlike other resources, our time and attention are finite. And according to Trainual certified consultant Elizabeth Yarbrough, prioritizing isn’t just deciding what’s most important — it’s deciding what gets our time and attention and what doesn’t.

Makes sense. So, how do I start?
You may already have a list of to-do’s that needs to be whittled down to what’s most important. Here are four guidelines for setting those priorities:

1. Settle on a few. No more than three priorities at any given time.
2. Document them. Make sure your current top three priorities are written down.‍
3. Make them visible. To stay clear on your priorities daily, put them somewhere where you can’t tune them out. A sticky note on your desk is a good option.

👉 Check out the last guideline.

GET IN, WE'RE GOING TO PLAYBOOK

Because you’re not just an SMB leader. You’re a *cool* SMB leader.

Oh yeah, we’re talking about Playbook 2022. Join us September 21-22 to steal winning plays from today’s biggest names in small business.

Don’t believe us? Just take a look at our all-star speaker roster. In fact, you’ll have the opportunity to ask Drybar franchise co-founder Alli Webb and marketing whiz Seth Godin anything you want to know about growing and scaling your business. Plus, you’ll hear from the people behind today’s fastest growing companies like Basecamp, Hubspot, The Giving Keys, PandaDoc, Little Spoon, and The Cupcake Collection.

PLUS: One lucky Trainual customer will be chosen to participate in the first annual Extreme Home Makeover – Trainual Edition! Two of our success coaches (wizards, really) will optimize your account live on stage so that you’re running leaner and meaner than ever before. Interested in volunteering your business? Fill out this form today to be considered!

Remember: This event is FREE, totally digital, and completely candid. All you have to do is save your spot today.

👉 Register now.

MISSION POSSIBLE

Is your mission statement strong enough?

What it is:
Your mission statement is how you communicate your purpose, values, and ideas. When done right, it gives you a framework for the future and provides direction for leadership and decisions.

But who even looks at our mission statement?
While not everyone will read your whole “About Us” page, here’s who you’ll likely talk to through your mission statement:

• Candidates. Lure in the right applicants and set up work culture expectations.
• Employees. Reveal the impact you’re trying to create so your whole team is on the same page. (Be sure to add it to your business playbook so everyone can refer back to it and stay up to date on changes.)
• Customers. Limit confusion about your company’s intentions, and persuade customers to buy from you rather than search elsewhere for a more trustworthy and relatable brand.‍
• Investors. Generate excitement in potential stakeholders with what you’re working toward and what a future with your company looks like.

I kind of just whipped one up… but I think it’s fine.
A mission statement is essential to consistent branding and operations, so it’s important to get it right. Here’s what’ll make a killer mission statement:‍

1. Showcase an authentic philosophy. By infusing your philosophy into your mission statement, you tell everyone what you stand for and how your values guide your operations.

👉 See more mission statement tips.

PHONING IT IN

Quiet quitting: What is it and what should you do about it?

Quiet quitting: when employees who are burnt out or dissatisfied put in the least amount of effort possible to do their jobs. It stems from the belief that work is not the most important thing in people’s lives, but rather, pursuing interests outside of work.

This idea isn’t new.
Remember the phrase “phoning it in” from the ‘90s? Disgruntled employees would deliver sub-par work performances and do just enough to get paid — sound familiar?

But the 2022 version is slightly different. For one, workplace happiness is a much bigger priority for employees — if they don’t like your culture, they’ll quit (either officially or quietly).

Plus, because almost everyone has a smartphone, there’s this expectation that an email or a Slack message should be seen and responded to ASAP. While some companies believe it leads to more productivity, it’s actually resulting in burnout.

So what should business leaders do to manage quiet quitting?
You want to improve employee happiness and protect your workplace culture. Try these tips:

• No more weekend work. Unless it’s an emergency, it can wait ‘til Monday.‍
• Praise is free. Employees want to feel valued, so always take time to share how they’re appreciated at your business.

👉 Plus, when it’s appropriate to fire quiet quitters.

TL;DR

This week’s highlight reel

• Challenge accepted. ChallengeHer is back, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Missed it the first time? It’s an initiative that helps women-owned small businesses gain access to government contractors at networking events (along with those sweet, sweet federal contracts). The next one is October 5 in San Antonio, with more cities coming soon. 
• That’s a latte money. Pun(kin)s, notwithstanding — seems like Starbucks’ beloved/reviled Pumpkin Spice Latte isn’t immune to the effects of inflation. The price of fall’s favorite (?) accessory is up 4% year-over-year. But come for our avocado toast, and *one, two, three, four, we’ll declare a thumb war*. 
• It’s about damn time. Twitter’s testing “Edit Tweet,” a new feature that’ll allow users to… edit tweets. They’re rolling it out to Twitter Blue users later this month for further testing before letting the rest of us finally correct all those embarrassing “there/their” mix-ups that autocorrect (ahem) gets us into. 
• Reduce, reuse, and rock on. That cup of beer someone spilled on you at a concert? Don’t get big mad. They’re just doing their part to help the environment. See, Live Nation’s pumping $5M into Turn Systems for a new reusable cup initiative. When your drink is done, scannable codes at the bottom of the cup will open customized collection bins and hopefully reduce the sea of Truly cans at your next T. Swift concert.