✅ Today's Checklist: 

• Coaching teams to be more productive
• Joanna leverages Chatgpt for performance review prep
• Recipe of the week: S'mores Dip

🤔 Trivia: What kind of pet did Salvador Dalí famously take for walks on a leash? Find out.

👀 See all of the October 2024 Wellness Wednesday Trivias.

🗓️ HR & L&D pros: This is your chance to close critical skills gaps at Hone's Universal Skills Day TODAY 10/30 @ 10am PT / 1pm ET. This power-packed day will arm you with practical strategies and insights from leading brands to elevate your employee development playbook. Spots are limited—register to secure your spot for free.

🌍 10 ways to create a sense of belonging with your remote team.

💸 Therapist tips on how to talk about money with your partner.

📈 12 best SMART goals templates.

🚽 Why your toilet has ring stains—and how to prevent them for good.

 

Coaching teams to boost productivity isn't just about cranking out more work. It's about creating an environment that nurtures growth, resilience, and collaboration. Let's dive into a few key strategies:

Understand the Power of Collective Coaching

Instead of only focusing on individuals, look at your team as a whole. When you coach the group collectively, team members start leveraging each other's strengths, working towards shared goals and challenges together. This shift builds a sense of accountability and unity, which naturally amps up productivity.

Create Space for Struggles

This might sound counterintuitive, but giving your team the space to struggle can actually help them thrive. When they're given the autonomy to navigate challenges, they develop resilience and problem-solving skills. The goal? Let them find their way while you stay ready to guide and support when needed.

Set Clear, Shared Goals

Everyone needs to know what they're working towards. By setting specific, shared goals that align with your organization's larger mission, you're giving the team a common purpose. Think SMART goals—clear, achievable, and time-bound.

Foster a Culture of Open Communication

Open communication is everything. Encourage your team to speak up, share ideas, and give feedback freely. This not only helps you solve problems faster but also builds trust and strong connections.

Invest in Skill Development

Keep your team's skills sharp and up-to-date. Tailored training programs help everyone stay competitive and equipped to tackle current and future challenges.

Utilize Technology and Tools

Use project management tools like Asana, Trello, or monday.com to keep tasks organized and progress clear. When it comes to communication, Slack and Microsoft Teams help keep collaboration smooth and effortless.

Regular Feedback and Recognition

Feedback isn't just guidance—it's a motivator. Keep it constructive and tied directly to progress towards the team's goals, and don't forget to recognize wins, both big and small.

 

Take a few minutes to organize your upcoming work week with monday.com.

It's perfect for anyone who is struggling to...

• Prioritize tasks
• Fight overwhelm due to the amount of projects flying around
• Keep teammates on the same page
• Manage time throughout the workday

You can customize your space, color code, set deadlines, collaborate with teammates, and more.

Like any tool, we suggest you try it out for yourself to see if it covers all the bases.

Get started here for free.

When Cameron, my direct report, asked for a performance review last month, it was a proud moment for me as a mentor—but it also made me realize it's been a while since I've given a formal review.

We're a small start up, so we don't have a rigid performance review processes. So, I used Chatgpt to help me prep for a 60-min performance review (it recommended I do 45-60 min btw). Here are 2 prompts I used to help me prep:

Prompt #1: Use this for getting your thoughts together.

Chat, need your help prepping for my direct report's performance review today. Can you ask me some good questions and help me form my performance review for him/her?

This prompt was great for brainstorming and refining my key feedback points. ChatGPT helped me structure questions around Cameron's recent wins, areas for growth, and development goals.

Prompt #2: Use this to structure your performance review.

Act as a top HR leader in the U.S. and help me structure a 60-min performance review.

I also provided ChatGPT with more context, including:

• Background on our company
• Cameron's working history with us (including any promotions, raises, etc.)
• I added this exact sentence: She hasn't asked for an increase in pay, but we anticipate that she will. As founders, we agreed that a [xx] salary increase can occur if Cam can [xx].

Then I ended the prompt with: How would you structure this performance review and what statements should I be preparing?

ChatGPT responded with a detailed agenda and key statements that balanced validation, feedback, and next steps. ⭐ Check out the results from the prompts here.

Additional prep tips:

• Anticipate and strategize for key topics. If you think a pay raise discussion might come up, prepare in advance. Map out what benchmarks or goals justify an increase and have this ready to share.
• Tie your feedback to goals and company vision. This helps make it clear why certain behaviors or results matter to the team and the company's success.
• Collaborate on an action plan. After gathering feedback and goals, wrap up with a clear action plan that both parties feel committed to.

Can confirm this structure worked really well for my performance review with Cam, and we're both aligned on her professional dev plan for Q4 🙌.

Joanna (TA Co-Founder)

Managing HR can feel like a juggling act—between handling payroll, managing benefits, onboarding new employees, and keeping track of endless paperwork, things can quickly spiral out of control. And when these processes aren't streamlined, it leads to wasted time, costly mistakes, and frustrated employees.

Here's where BambooHR can change the game:

• Stuck in the Open Enrollment Grind? BambooHR helps you streamline benefits administration, turning a 3-week ordeal into a smooth process in just a couple of days.
• Manual Payroll Taking Up Hours? With BambooHR's payroll system, companies have saved up to 20 hours each week—saving time and serious money.
• Overwhelmed by Employee Data Management? BambooHR provides clear admin controls and reporting tools to keep you compliant and organized, without the stress.

When HR is easy to manage, your team can focus on what matters: building a great culture and growing your business.

See BambooHR in action.

Have a recipe you love? Share it here.

🧥 Stay warm and effortlessly stylish with this cozy fleece fall jacket—perfect for layering when temps drop.

🎉 Looking to spice up your next virtual hangout? Try Virtual Friendly Feud by Outback Team Building for guaranteed laughs.

👖 Live your best lounge life in these comfy wide-leg sweatpants.

📚 Get into Good Energy and explore how boosting your metabolism can unlock a healthier lifestyle.

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