“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails” – Dolly Parton

 

Here on the New England coast, I’ve sailed my whole life. So whenever I’m looking for a fitting analogy to explain how important strategic planning is, I inevitably think of the adventures and mishaps that can come with sailing.

 

One weekend when I was a kid, we set sail for Block Island, a beautiful island off the coast of Rhode Island. We planned to take the journey in two legs, anchoring in Newport for the night. It started out as the perfect day with the winds on our beam, and we quickly cruised along. 

 

The chill vibe didn’t last long. Lacking the weather apps we have today, we were unprepared for a squall that came up, bringing high winds and lightning. Instead of arriving in Newport, we were forced to pull into a shelter harbor to regroup. 

 

The next day, as we headed out from the bay into the open ocean, the wind was directly in front of us. This meant we had to tack the entire time, which is basically like zigzagging your way to your destination. Three hours later than planned, we motored into New Harbor on Block Island- exhausted and excited.

 

Sailing is basically a crash course in why strategic planning at your company is so important. It’s not hard to say what sunny destination you want to arrive at. But how often are you pausing to regroup and take stock of where you are compared to the course you set?

 

In sailing, any number of factors can affect your progress: the winds, the tide, the weather, the odd lobster pot that wraps around your rudder (especially when the job of watching out for pots is given to an 8 year old). We make regular adjustments- big and small- to respond to the unexpected.  

 

So too in your company: talent gaps, external competition, proper estimation, crucial activities not being prioritized- can affect whether or not you make it to your destination. If you’re not periodically pausing to assess where you are, you may eventually find yourself wildly off course, unsure of how you got there.

 

So avoid putting off your next strategy session because the day-to-day feels more pressing. When you regularly reflect on how far you’ve come and where you need to go next, you’ll be in the best long-term position to succeed. In my next article, I’ll share the key questions to ask in your strategy session.

 

This is Part 1 of a strategic planning series. Stay tuned for the key questions to ask in your next strategy session.

A founder I coach reached out to me with an all-too-common pain point. A negative comment on her company Facebook page sent her into a tailspin–not only wasting a workday, but consuming her with self-doubt.

 

While the occasional negative Facebook critique may be inevitable, the accompanying self-doubt doesn’t have to be.

 

Here are the transformative beliefs I share with  founders in a similar situation:

 

Concept #1: Your feelings are created by your thoughts which alter how you experience a given event.

 

According to cognitive psychologists, our thoughts create our moods- like self-doubt, anger and depression. In Feeling Good, David Burns explains that our brain takes in an “event” and we interpret that event as a “thought.” The thought triggers in us certain “feelings” and our “actions” follow.

 

Here’s a look at how the process works:

 

 

Let’s apply this to the situation with the founder I referenced above– I’ll call her Jane. Jane read the negative Facebook post (the “event”) and thought, “this proves I have no idea how to run this business”. As a result, she felt overwhelmed and anxious. She then spent an unproductive evening questioning whether she had what it takes to be successful. 

 

Jane saw the Facebook post as causing her bad night. But that’s not the full story. She may not have been able to control the critical comment, but she did have power over the downhill spiral that she subsequently went through.  

 

Concept #2: An event doesn’t always result in the same thoughts, which proves that the downward spiral is not as inevitable as it might seem in the moment. 

 

An event may trigger irritated thoughts in us one day, and yet the same situation barely hits our radar the next. 

 

A few months ago, a team member approached another founder I work with, who I’ll call Tim, requesting more responsibility and a big raise. He immediately thought, “this employee is so entitled”. He then spent the next hour feeling irritated and complaining to his co-founder.

 

However, when a different employee reached out to Tim and made a similar request the following week, his reaction was more measured and open-minded.  

 

Even though it was basically the same situation, he had totally different thoughts, leading to different feelings and actions. Since an event can cause multiple thoughts, we therefore have more freedom over our feelings than we often believe. 

 

Concept #3: Our negative thoughts are almost always fueled by irrational or inaccurate thoughts. 

 

Irrational or inaccurate thoughts- also known as distorted thoughts- don’t serve a positive or constructive purpose in achieving our long term goals. Cognitive psychologists share many types, but here are some that I frequently see:

 

“All-or-nothing thinking” is where we view things in black and white categories. Jane did this when she read one critical comment and immediately concluded that she wasn’t good enough. 

 

“Labeling” is an extreme form of overgeneralization, which Tim was doing when he thought of his employee as “entitled.” Labeling the employee may have felt cathartic in the moment, but probably didn’t reflect the full picture.

 

“Disqualifying the positive” is when we refuse to acknowledge anything positive about a person or situation. Two co-founders I’m working with have been struggling with their partnership. They’re solely focusing on their negative beliefs about the other. This helps them each feel “right”, and it’s making it impossible for them to view their partnership with mutual purpose.   

 

Concept #4: Be aware of the thoughts that benefit you, and re-write the ones that don’t. 

 

The thoughts that benefit you serve a constructive purpose in your life. They help you achieve your true goals. They help you accurately problem-solve and process the world around you, without negatively affecting your or others’ self-esteem.

 

Thoughts that don’t benefit us- like those that trigger self-doubt- get in our way. The first step to addressing it is to recognize the way in which it’s inaccurate or irrational. Then, we challenge the thought by rewriting it. 

 

Jane rewrote her “I’m not good enough” all-or-nothing thought with, “even though this customer’s criticism is valid, it doesn’t mean there’s anything fundamentally wrong with me or my company. I’m sure my team can figure this out.”

 

Tim rewrote his “this employee is so entitled” labeling thought to “our views on this are totally different. Why might he think he’s ready for more responsibility and money?”

 

And the co-founders are challenging their negative beliefs about each other by asking themselves: “Is it really true that the other person brings nothing to this partnership? What’s at least one valuable thing they add to this company?”

 

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Self-doubt is the ultimate saboteur, chipping away at our confidence and our highest aspirations. It’s an unproductive emotion that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. 

 

What’s more, these distorted thoughts can destroy our dreams and our goals if left unchecked. 

 

Learning these tools will take consistent practice, but the payoff will be priceless. 

 

Even when I’m driving in my car listening to the news, I focus on how leaders share their ideas and opinions. The most effective messages focus on mutual purpose, and the most successful people know this.

 

As an executive coach and longtime fan of the Crucial Conversations methodology, I regularly study how people communicate. Recently, I heard Dr. Anthony Fauci being interviewed for his latest views on coronavirus. Fauci has become a household name these days as the country’s top infectious disease expert. But, he could also teach a masterclass on how to maintain mutual purpose during critical moments.

 

Simply put, mutual purpose is the common goal that you share with someone else. Whether we realize it or not in the moment, we’re all constantly working to create (or nurture) mutual purpose with the people in our lives: with our spouses, kids, co-founders, clients and team members. And what differentiates our more successful days is when we’re aware of that in our communication. 

 

For instance, it feels like a battle to get my kids to eat nutritious foods, but on our better days, we find a balance because we mutually agree that being healthy is important. Likewise,  challenging a client to see where her communication style isn’t serving her could be an uncomfortable conversation, but we share the goal of helping her run her company better. 

 

Each time I watch him speak, I’m struck by Fauci’s gift for staying focused on shared goals. He rarely, if ever, gets sidetracked by politics, rumors, below-the-belt comments or his own ego. All on top of having little sleep and a crushing schedule; two stressors that make quick work of the rest of us. Instead, he seems to stick to the facts as much as possible, speaking with patience, humility, and positive intent.

 

This is a guy who is probably under the worst strain of his life. And yet, he seems to be totally devoid of the styles under stress that derail the rest of us during crucial moments. 

 

Usually when we feel threatened- that is, when our reputation or safety or ego is at stake- we become silent (to protect ourselves) or violent (to win at all costs).   If we become triggered, our original goal gets replaced by a new one: either to protect ourselves or to win. Which means that we’re no longer focusing on the thing we really want, and sabotaging our chances of real success.

 

Let’s take two co-founders, whose mutual purpose is to successfully launch their product, be hugely profitable and pay back their friends and family’s investment. Things are going pretty smoothly until a serious issue comes up and their plan needs to be refactored. Their launch gets pushed out by six months, diminishing their chance at being first to market. 

 

Co-founder A, who’s been promising their beta customers that it would be ready next month, is irritated that his reputation will be affected. And his maxed out credit cards remind him daily that failure isn’t an option. He goes violent: verbally attacking the team and controlling communication by cutting people off and dominating the conversation. Co-founder B feels responsible for the screw-up and is starting to dread that his parents invested their savings in this venture. He goes silent; sarcastically responding to comments and withdrawing from the conversation altogether. 

 

It’s in these crisis moments that I bring co-founders back to their mutual purpose. Their real goal is not to defend themselves, deflect responsibility, or punish others for screwing up; as central as that might feel in the moment. It’s to be the first to market with their incredible product, which requires everyone on their team feeling safe to contribute at the highest possible level. 

 

The act of pausing counter-productive behaviors and remembering what they both really want resets the brain so that it’s back in control. Finding their way back to their shared goal helps them to assess options and a way forward that wasn’t possible when they were emotionally charged. 

 

I get excited when I see a skillful communicator like Fauci, because I know how hard it is to be that good. The great news is that being a great communicator can be learned. It takes practice, self-awareness, and celebrating progress over perfection.

It’s 2 AM on a Saturday and you’re facing another sleepless night. Things with your company have been moving so fast lately that you feel like you’re losing your handle on it. Come to think of it, you have good reason to feel that way. Your team has gone from five to 20 people in the last year and your culture has morphed into something you barely recognize. And at this new scale, employee feedback isn’t happening as organically as it used to. It’s all starting to feel disconnected. 

 

If your company is in the process of scaling, or you’re preparing for rapid growth, asking your team two essential questions can help you be deliberate about your people and culture through the process. No one knows what makes your company a meaningful place to work more than your employees. As a result, these questions give a quick and accurate view on how people are feeling, your company’s competitive strengths, and what’s standing in the way of success. 

 

1) What’s the #1 reason you stay at this company?

 

Answers to this question reveal what people most value in the context of the rest of their lives. Perhaps it’s being on the ground floor of something truly innovative, or an exceptional team vibe. Or maybe working 100% remote allows them to get their kids off the bus after school. 

 

2) What would be the #1 thing that would motivate you to leave?

This question gets to the heart of people’s non-negotiables. The things that they love and won’t tolerate a change to, or the fundamental problems that need to be immediately addressed. It’s also a surefire way to learn if an employee doesn’t feel supported, or the company’s protracted growing pains are diminishing confidence, or if someone feels stuck in their job.

 

Why the questions work

 

They distill everything down to the essential truth.  Requiring people to pick their #1 reason filters out all the lesser factors that can often cloud your understanding of what’s most important.

 

They point to highly specific things that matter most to a great work experience. There’s no fluff to these questions, and responses tend to be equally direct. The result is a rich understanding of your people and your company. (Unless, of course, your team is afraid to tell you the truth).

 

They highlight the greatest threats to people staying and your company’s biggest vulnerabilities. You learn in clear terms what’s at risk if you remove or change their #1 thing. This input will help you plan for the future.   

 

In my experience, pointed questions lead to pointed answers.  You may be surprised by what actually drives and motivates your people. Above all, this knowledge will allow you to prioritize what’s “nice to have” versus non-negotiable for your culture. 

 

Running a company can be thrilling and fulfilling. It can also be humbling and exhausting, especially when things aren’t going well. 

 

You know those moments: When your team drops the news that the big release is going to be delayed by months– a week before you were supposed to launch. Or when your Head of Growth abruptly announces he’s leaving the company. Or when you and your team need to make a critical decision and the discussion is unproductive or awkward.

 

What you may not have realized in the midst of these communication gaps is that your team was sending you a message with their silence. They’re choosing not to tell you the truth at critical moments because they’re afraid you won’t listen to (or like) what they have to say. 

 

It’s incredibly hard for a leader to spot that this is happening in their company. On the surface, folks may be agreeable and upbeat. You might even have the impression that they’re engaged and that everything’s on track. 

 

But people’s thoughts and opinions are more often like an iceberg. There’s the information that they feel safe sharing with you; the stuff that you see above the surface. And then there’s everything that’s below. 

 

 

Too often what remains below the surface are essential truths like, “I know how critical it is that we release next week but our scope and timeline is severely out of whack”, or “I can’t be successful at this company because you micromanage my every move”. Or, “I’d rather deal with awkward silence than have you blow up over my opinion”. 

 

After you get over your initial frustration, you might wonder: how did this happen?

 

It could have started when a critical decision needed to be made and people felt their opinions weren’t valued. Or maybe it was a series of less significant moments that added up over time; times when your team felt unheard, or where they witnessed others be subtly (or not-so-subtly) rejected. 

 

Whatever the case, your team stored those experiences as instruction on how they should behave at your company. If employees believe that conflict and criticism can’t be worked through safely and constructively, or that there will be blowback for disagreeing, they’re more likely to keep differences of opinion below the surface.

 

This is a silent killer for a startup, where margins are thin and missed releases can’t be afforded. When leaders don’t listen, teams don’t perform to their potential. The impact to the bottom line, customer satisfaction and employee morale is obvious. 

 

On top of that, you’re hiring people for their expertise and ideas. When folks feel like their value is being wasted, they’re  not likely to stay for long– starting with your best people.

 

Your mission is to create a culture that encourages as much information above the waterline as possible. And that starts with listening to your people, especially if you don’t like or agree with their opinion.

 

Below are several common watchouts that you need to avoid- and what to do instead.

 

#1 You Come Across as Defensive

 

 

Years ago my team and I were in the middle of a major software launch that required a ton of new configuration. It wasn’t going well because we were trying to retrofit our processes onto a platform that we were quickly learning wasn’t designed to do what we expected. 

 

Day after day, my stress and frustration built as I tried to forcefit the app to meet our requirements. I felt myself regularly losing patience: with our vendor, my team and the new software that was less than it was promised to be. I was unhappy with any answer that didn’t align with what I wanted to hear. In retrospect, I was behaving like the worst version of myself.

 

Thankfully, a teammate I really trust and respect pulled me aside and candidly told me what I was doing to everyone around me. I was shocked to realize that she was right.

 

In the heat of the moment, I had no idea that my emotions were that obvious, or that I was killing the team’s morale. It definitely wasn’t the kind of leader I wanted to be. I got busy repairing relationships and becoming way more attuned to my behavior. 

 

Thankfully, a sincere apology and having an understanding team can go a long way. I became much more aware of my actions and behavior, especially in heated moments. Ultimately, I was able to get through it and become a better leader for it.

 

It’s natural to be attached to our own ideas and decisions, especially when they’re what got us this far. 

 

As a startup, you’re bringing new people onto the team with broader and deeper expertise. If you hired right, they’ll have their own opinions about how things should be done. They likely won’t appreciate the historical context for why writing the code on Ruby instead of Python was the best option at the time. 

 

To your sensitive ears, their comments may sound naive or judgmental. The questions might even nag at some of your inner fears. This, in turn, can trigger defensiveness.

 

To avoid this, watch out for sarcasm, interrupting, or using a sharp or abrupt tone. 

 

And your body language is just as important as your words. Pay attention to your facial expression and posture. Do you look as annoyed as you feel on the inside? Is your body tense or closed off?

 

What to Do Instead

 

Really listen

Turn off your inner dialogue and seek to fully understand what your teammate is telling you, without judgment or reaction. Your body language is the most powerful way to show you’re paying attention and that you respect what the other person is saying. Stay open and just…  listen. Notice what they’re telling you, verbally and non-verbally. 

 

Probe before responding

After listening, ask probing questions before giving your own point of view. More information will deepen your understanding and prevent you from making assumptions. It’ll also give you time to formulate a more thoughtful response. “Help me understand what you mean by…” and “I’m curious about….” are great question starters.

 

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#2 You Don’t Like to Be Challenged 

 

I once had a client who was exceptionally gifted at getting the most out of her team. She knew how to harness the deep expertise of each person, and took the time to see each employee as an individual. Her people felt truly valued, and she protected them from all drama and distractions so they could do what they do best. It was one of the most technically high-performing teams I’ve worked with. 

 

Her biggest weakness? When faced with a new problem or strategic decision to be made, she’d spend a small amount of time getting input and then quickly form an opinion. Once that happened, she refused to accept alternative ideas. And she really didn’t like when people tried to push that boundary. She never became angry or intimidating; instead she would just shut down and tune out. 

 

Those unknowing or persistent souls who continued to press got shut out for good. People learned that they could only take it to her edge, but no further. 

 

As effective as she was at running her team when things were routine, this habit made it extremely difficult when the team was faced with a new opportunity or unexpected issue. Her solutions were less innovative and creative as a result.

 

What to Do Instead

 

Assume positive intent

Your team is here because they believe in your company, and that they have the potential to make an impact, and they want to be part of something meaningful. Assume that their thoughts and opinions come from a place of positive intent and shared purpose, no matter how they express it. 

 

Ask hard questions

Encourage your team to tell you the truth by intentionally seeking their opinion on hard questions. What’s not working here (and why)? What am I not thinking of? What’s the #1 thing that would make you want to leave this company? are some of my favorites.

 

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#3 You Gravitate Toward People Who Agree With You

 

Many leaders fall into the subconscious trap of surrounding themselves with people who agree with them. It’s like confirmation bias, and it’s rooted in our desire to validate what we already believe to be true. It doesn’t matter what’s at stake, because the subconscious is driving the process. 

 

What does it look like? When you’re trying to make a decision or get feedback from the team, you seek out the opinions of people who think like you do. You pay more attention to their comments, draw out their responses, ask more follow up questions. You make more direct eye contact with them, maybe even lean your body in their direction. They get more “air time” and your implicit approval.

 

In contrast, you hesitate to seek input from those who think differently. You rarely turn to them first when asking for an opinion. You may look away from them when they talk, or even make eye contact with someone else in the room to feel an alliance of sorts.  

 

Since much of what’s being communicated is subtle and unspoken, it’s easy for the subtext to go unnoticed unless folks are specifically watching for it. Even if your team picks up on it, it’s challenging for them to confidently describe the behavior, unless it’s a longstanding or broadly recognized pattern. As such, it also tends to happen far more frequently than other “watchout” behaviors, so the impact can be even more damaging over the long term.

 

What to Do Instead

 

Intentionally hire and support people who are different than you

Deliberately pick team members who think about things differently than you do. Not only does it cultivate the open culture you’re striving for, but it’s been proven that adding racial, ethnic, and gender diversity leads to better outcomes. 

 

Be 100% invested in their success

There’s nothing worse for your company, your culture (or the person) than to hire someone who thinks differently than you do, then be triggered by said qualities, and let them flounder (or fire them) because they turned out not to be a “fit”, or because they didn’t produce the results you expected because they were off on an island. As powerful as it can be for creating a culture of open communication, the negative impact of this person failing will leave a lasting mark on your culture. If you’re willing to take the leap and hire those who think differently than you, be prepared to double-down on the strategies above to make it a success.

 

The longer you practice these behaviors, the more natural they’ll become. And by doing so, you’ll have taken a huge step forward in creating the company culture you aspire to have. Where people are encouraged to share their opinions, where the best decisions get made, and where you also get the best possible results. 

In the early days, it’s easy for you and your small team to know exactly what’s most important. Energy is high and collaboration seems to just happen, without putting too much effort into it. Together, you collectively crush it every day to bring your concept to life.

But as your small team doubles, and then doubles again, the ease and flow of working together becomes a major pain point. This is a common challenge, especially for fast-growing companies.

Unfortunately, once you grow beyond about 10 people, the days of effortless alignment are over. It’s impossible to replicate with a team of 10 or 20 or 50 what you once had with a team of five.

But, you can create the next best thing; the version of what it should be at your new scale. Where everyone is working with high energy and is pushing in the same direction.

Achieving a collective focus in your growing team takes a few routines, done really well. One of my favorite practices is the all-hands call.

Quick Primer

All-hands calls are the ultimate alignment tool. Much like they sound, they’re meetings that bring together every teammate in the company to hear the same message and have a common experience. It’s where the CEO and other leaders convey direction and focus, going deep on topics and issues that matter most to the company. Because of this, they’re also key to building company culture.

All-hands calls are usually held quarterly to maintain the flow of communication and engagement, emphasizing what needs to be achieved in that quarter. Once in place, they’re also the practice you’ll lean on to keep the team together during periods of rapid change, or a crisis within the company or beyond.

Lately, I’ve been working with founders on their all-hands agendas in the context of the COVID pandemic. People are wrestling with a myriad of practical challenges and emotions that there’s no playbook for, that they inevitably bring to work. Protracted social distancing, working while homeschooling kids, anxiety about the illness and financial insecurity can all weigh heavily. Then there’s the impact to companies, which can range from minimal to crushing.

This is all to say that when planning an all-hands call, one size does not fit all for your agenda. Context is key.

Case Study: COVID-19 All Hands Call

I’ve been working with Groove for the past couple of years*. After a major product launch last year, they started 2020 strong, with an ambitious strategy to expand their influence in the customer support space. While growth has slowed since the COVID pandemic, cash flow is solid so they don’t expect any crushing blows. Their strategy and expansion into a broader platform remains the same, but the roadmap will change based on new projections and some recent insights from their net promoter scores.

With this in mind, here’s how we planned their latest call, along with tips for how to plan your own:

All Hands Plan

#1 Plan Ahead

Time: 1 hour work effort plus 1:1 time with employees, two weeks before

Two weeks before the call, set aside time to reflect on where you’re at as a company, how you’re feeling about progress on your main priorities, and what the team needs right now. This will ensure your agenda is relevant and you’re making the most of the time.

If an employee survey is part of your normal routine, try to sequence it so that you get results before the meeting. This way, you know what’s on people’s minds ahead of time and can proactively address important and timely topics.

What we did: 

Since Alex Turnbull and his cofounder weren’t sure of the team’s frame of mind in the midst of the pandemic, they decided to move up their quarterly 1:1 meetings with each team member to get an accurate pulse. They learned that the team is generally energized and the impacts of COVID don’t seem to be their key focus. This enabled them to tailor their key messages based on where the team is at; going deep on the business versus broader or more personal impacts.

#2 Decide on Your Key Messages

Time: 1 hour work effort, one week before

Now that you’ve taken time to personally reflect and done your homework to find out what the team needs, decide on the two to three key messages you want to share with the team. When the call ends, what do you want to make sure people know? How do you want them to feel? What do you want them to do the same or differently as a result of what they’ve learned?

People process info in different ways and different speeds, and need lots of repetition. Use a small number of slides to reinforce key points and important details.

What we did:

Alex sketched out two main topics that were most important:

1) Where the company is at right now given the pandemic, and

2) What’s changing re: priorities and why.

He also wanted to create an experience for the team to feel connected to each other and their impact on the company. He wanted them to know that the company is going to feel some effects, but they’re staying the course on the strategy, with some modifications. He wanted the team to leave the meeting feeling excited, focused and confident in their ability to get it done. And he wanted everyone to think about how they might need to readjust their own work priorities based on changes to the roadmap.

#3 Set the Agenda

Time: 30 minute work effort, one week before

Next, set an agenda that achieves your key messages, with enough time that you don’t have to rush and attendees  stay engaged throughout. Make the experience dynamic by having multiple speakers, by varying formats, and by including opportunities for employees to participate.

Here’s what the agenda looked like:

Agenda: 60 minutes

• Team activity (20 min):  Each team member shares what core value they’re most vibing on right now in their work. We chose this to encourage engagement, reinforce what makes individuals and the team great, and reinforce their strong culture.
• Where we’re at right now (15 min): Review company roadmap and metrics, the bigger economic picture, how customers are responding, and cash flow overview.
• Update on goals (20 min): What’s changing and why
• Close (5 min)

#4 Prepare Your Talking Points and Other Logistics

Time: 15 minute work effort, 1 day before

Confirm all final details. Finalize your slides; decide if you’re going to facilitate team participation through chat, live discussion, or a combo of both; and confirm flow of handoffs.

Do a mental run-through and jot down specific points you want to make. Practice talking out specific messages that you want to go smoothly. This also ensures that you make the most of your team’s time and keep folks engaged.

#5 Have a Great Call!

Time: 60- 90 minutes

Take a few minutes before the call starts to mentally prepare for how you want to show up. Make sure everyone’s on video. Remember to record the call.

Decide on a position that’s comfortable and helps you maintain high energy throughout the call (e.g., standing at a table versus sitting at your desk).

#6 Debrief

Time: 5 minute work effort; more if you listen to the video recording

Get informal feedback from your leadership team and teammates who will give you an honest opinion. Verify that people understood your points and ask whether there were questions that weren’t covered in Q&A. Check how people reacted to the messages and how they’re feeling about what they learned.

Review the video recording to assess how effectively you conveyed your key messages. Was your tone and tempo engaging? Were your points crisp or did you meander? What went well and what would you change for your next call?

With just a few hours of strategic preparation, an all-hands call can be transformed from simply a company event to something much more. Use your next one to get your team pointing in the same direction, collectively working on the things that matter most, and sharing in your company culture.

 

* Thanks to the Groove team for agreeing to let me share the deets on their company and our work together.