We’ve been honored to celebrate our 10-year anniversary by making donations of $100, each, to 10 non-profits in 2023. This 10×100 Campaign has been our way of giving something back to the world that has given so much to us. This month, we’re donating $100 to WriteGirl, and sharing this Q&A with the organization’s Executive Director Keren Taylor.
As November unfolds marking an unquestionable change in the seasons, now is the perfect time for leaders to embrace a practice that can transform not only their own lives but also the lives of those they lead. Gratitude, often underestimated in its power, is a quality that can foster positivity, resilience, and stronger connections within your team. Consider these three ways that you can practice and model gratitude this month as a leader, and create a ripple effect of appreciation and well-being.
As a leader, most everything you say and do is amplified. Take time this month to cultivate gratitude and set the stage for a more positive workplace. Setting aside time to create a culture of gratitude will help your team develop resilience that will last long after the month is over.
Sheri Nasim | President & CEO
When my husband and I were driving our rental car from Hannover to Bremen, Germany, for a family wedding this summer, he used the down time to log into the last few minutes of his daily Team’s meeting. It was 3:12 p.m. in Germany (9:12 a.m. Eastern in the U.S.) I listened quietly on the car’s speaker system as one of the team members spent a few minutes sharing some interesting facts she’d learned about owls. After the owl talk, another team member took the opportunity to share that one of their employees in North Carolina had found a stray dog – he called it Founddog.
No one had answered local posts about the missing stray, and a quick trip to the vet revealed that she had not been microchipped, but that she had heart worms. The team member speaking then said that after treating Founddog for her heartworm condition, their North Carolina employee would look for a forever home for her. “The treatment costs around $1,500,” the speaker said. “If anyone would be willing to help offset the cost, I know that would be greatly appreciated.” In the closing seconds of the call, I heard “I’ll pitch in” and “Count me in” coming from several of the fully-remote participants on the call, including my husband. The speaker thanked everyone and added how proud he was of witnessing the company’s culture in action, ending the meeting on a very satisfying note.
Although my husband had told me about this team-building discipline that his employees had instituted during the last few minutes of their morning “standups”, this was the first opportunity that I’d had to listen in. As my husband answered a call from one of his managers immediately after the Team’s call, I took time to reflect.
I knew that, under my husband’s guidance as CEO, the company was on a hockey stick growth trajectory and that there were massive projects to deliver and commitments to keep. Yet, precious minutes sharing fun facts and personal updates like owl facts and the Founddog story was a way that his team had found to bridge physical distance gaps and create a common ground culture through topics outside of the day-to-day demands.
Although collaborating as a fully remote team can create challenges, setting aside time and energy on small talk can yield big benefits. I’m happy that I got the chance to experience this culture-builder in action. I’m also happy to report that Founddog’s heartworm treatment was successful and that she’ll be wagging her tail in a North Carolina-area forever home soon.
Sheri Nasim | President & CEO
October marks the eighth consecutive month of celebrating our 10-year anniversary by making donations of $100, each, to 10 non-profits. This 10×100 Campaign has been our way of giving something back to the world that has given so much to us. This month, we’re donating $100 to Sandy Hook Promise, and sharing this Q&A with the organization’s Co-Founders, Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden. **Trigger warning: this content contains references to themes of violence and mental health issues which some individuals may find distressing.**
If you’ve been following along in this section of CEE News this year, you’ll know that we’ve been marking our 10-year anniversary with something that we’re calling a 10×100 Campaign. We wanted to give something back to the world that has given so much to us, so we’ve decided to donate $100, each, to 10 nonprofits throughout the year. This month, we’re giving $100 to Dwell with Dignity, and sharing this Q&A with the organization’s Executive Director, Ashley Sharp.