Hey, y’all! Brent Perry with Business on Purpose.

I was coaching with a client this week and we were talking about his first team meeting of the year. He was excited about it. After the holiday season, he was excited to get all his employees and agents in the same room, to get on the same page, to talk about the upcoming week, month, and year. 

He then told me he wanted to take it a step further this year. 

After he gathered with his entire team, he had set up one-on-one meetings with each of them over the next week. Something he had done in the past, but had stopped during the pandemic. 

He said he felt like it was time, and in a safe and healthy way…he wanted to get his time back with his team members. 

I think this is brilliant. And needed. 

I’m not a huge fan of much social media, I don’t have accounts of most platforms (not against them, just not for me)... but some clips become so viral that you can’t help but see them at some point. Whether it’s my wife, friends, co-workers, even on the news… you name it. 

There was a video I saw a couple of years ago from a 5th-grade teacher out of Charlotte, NC that was incredible. 

The video was simple, it showed the teacher, Mr. Barry White Jr., standing at the door of his classroom and his students in a single file line waiting to enter. One at a time each student walks up to their teacher does a handshake and then walks into the classroom. 

Every single student. And when I say handshake, I don’t mean any kind of simple stick your hand out, firm grip, 4 seconds of eye contact handshake. These were complex and fun and usually had a little dance move at the end of the video.

Each student, and if memory serves me correctly, there were at least 20 kids in his class that got that personalized handshake from their teacher. 

That didn’t just happen. That took time for Barry to learn and engage each of his students in a way that celebrated them, and made it personal. 

In your business, I am not telling you to do what Barry did with his 5th graders in North Carolina. That wouldn’t translate the same to your employees like it did for an elementary school kid. 

I am saying there is a lesson to be learned. 

One-on-One time matters. 

Take some time to meet with your team. And don’t just talk about numbers and goals. Or problems and solutions. 

Yes, those topics do matter and can also be discussed. But spend a little time getting to know them. What makes them tick. What motivates them to walk through your door (or since it’s 2022 maybe turn on their computer and open that phone from their home office). 

It can make a difference, and get you on the right track for a 2022 year of FLOURISHING. 

Thanks for listening. 

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