Company Culture Archives - Marla Tabaka

Emotional Strategy: The Secret to Better Leadership and Team Performance

Marla Tabaka — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:18:14 +0000

Every person has an emotional strategy—whether they are aware of it or not.

It’s not something you find in a spreadsheet or strategy session. It’s the subconscious pattern behind how we respond to change, pressure, conflict, tough decisions, or even success. Your emotional strategy shows up in the heat of the moment—when a plan unravels, when feedback stings, or when uncertainty looms. It’s the subconscious pattern behind how we respond to change, pressure, conflict, tough decisions, or even success.

Everyone has an emotional strategy, but here’s the kicker: most people have never taken the time to examine theirs.

As a leader, understanding your own emotional strategy—and helping your team understand theirs—is one of the most underrated tools for building a strong, emotionally intelligent workplace. In fact, I’d argue it’s essential for sustainable leadership and personal growth.

What Is an Emotional Strategy?

An emotional strategy is your go-to emotional response when you're triggered, challenged, or stretched.

It’s the inner program that runs when things don’t go according to plan:

Do you get defensive?
Do you shut down?
Do you take on too much?
Do you fixate on worst-case scenarios?
Do you lash out, people-please, or blame others?

These emotional responses aren’t flaws—they’re strategies your brain has learned over time to stay safe. The trouble comes when they go unexamined. What may have helped you survive earlier in life can sabotage your ability to lead, grow, and thrive today. Think of it as your operating system for handing emotions.

Why Emotional Strategy Matters in Leadership

Leadership isn’t just about vision, execution, and results. It’s also about regulation, communication, and modeling the emotional tone for your team.

Leaders with unexamined emotional strategies tend to:

React impulsively rather than respond thoughtfully
Create emotionally unsafe environments for themselves and their team (even unintentionally)
Avoid difficult conversations
Misinterpret their team’s behavior as laziness or incompetence

Leaders who understand their emotional strategy tend to:

Pause before reacting
Lead with empathy and clarity
Create space for others to grow through mistakes
Model emotional resilience during change and uncertainty

In other words: when you know your emotional strategy, you stop being run by it.

How to Identify Your Emotional Strategy (and Others’)

Self-awareness is the first step. Start by observing your emotional patterns in challenging moments. Ask yourself:

What emotions come up most often under pressure? (Fear, anger, shame, overwhelm?)
What do I tend to do next? (Withdraw, control, blame, fix, freeze?)
Where did I learn this pattern? (Was it modeled for me by a parent, mentor, or early boss?)
Is this strategy still working for me—or is it keeping me stuck?

To spot emotional strategies in others, watch for:

Repeating patterns when things go wrong
Reactions that seem out of proportion
Avoidance of certain tasks or conversations
Emotional shutdown. blaming, or over-explaining

Once you’ve identified a pattern, don’t label or diagnose—get curious.

How to Talk About Emotional Operating Systems with Your Team

Helping someone explore their emotional strategy is a gift—but it requires trust, tact, and timing.

Here’s how to approach it:

Lead with Empathy and Ownership

“I’ve noticed that when we’re in tight deadlines, I tend to get anxious and over-function. I’ve been working on that. I’m also wondering how that dynamic plays out for you?”

Use Neutral, Observational Language

“In a few meetings now, I’ve noticed that when feedback gets tense, you get really quiet. That’s not wrong or bad—I just want to check in. What’s going on for you in those moments?”

Ask Open-Ended Questions
- “What’s your internal response when projects take a sharp turn?”
- “What’s your first instinct under pressure?”
- “What kind of support helps you the most when things feel chaotic?”
Normalize the Conversation

“We all have emotional patterns—we're just trying to bring more awareness to them so we can grow stronger as a team.”

Practical Ways to Improve Your Emotional Operating System

Practice the Pause
Create a habit of taking 3–5 deep breaths before responding to emotionally charged situations. I call this, Practicing the Pause.
Use Reflective Journaling
Encourage team members (and yourself) to write down what they felt and how they reacted after high-stress events. Pattern recognition begins here.
Debrief After the Storm
After challenges, ask: “How did we handle that emotionally?” not just “What did we learn operationally?”
Offer Emotional Vocabulary Training
The better your team can name their emotions, the less likely they are to be ruled by them. (“I feel overwhelmed” is more productive than “I’m just pissed.”)
Model Repair Conversations
Leaders who admit when their emotional strategy took over—and talk about how they’re growing—create a culture of safety and self-awareness.

Final Thought: Everyone Has a Strategy—Few Know It

Emotional intelligence isn’t just about staying calm or being nice. It’s about understanding how your emotions operate and helping others do the same.

The emotional strategy you and your team bring into work each day is either helping or hindering your growth. The good news? These strategies are adaptable. They’re based on wiring—but wiring can be rewired.

Start the conversation. Model the awareness. Make emotional growth part of the strategy—not just the culture.

The post Emotional Strategy: The Secret to Better Leadership and Team Performance appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

Fair Compensation Blueprint: How Small Business Owners Can Build Equitable Pay Scales

Marla Tabaka — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:56:37 +0000

Sally, a small business owner, generated about $120,000 in gross sales. After expenses, including a part-time employee, Sally took home about $30,000 in exchange for 50–60-hour work weeks. This situation lasted for five years and was unsustainable, so Sally knew she had to take action to change her circumstances. That’s when she decided she needed a business coach and found me.

Today, four years later, Sally’s business employs 15 individuals and generates about five million in gross sales; her salary is generous. Yet, among the growing pains of a small business, achieving equitable pay scales for her employees has been challenging.

It’s not difficult for entrepreneurs to decide what and how to pay themselves, but it’s more challenging as you build your team. How much should you pay employees? How can you keep salaries fair and reflective of experience and contribution? How do you prevent your company from overspending on payroll?

Your first employee comes on board, and you think, hmm, I have about $40,000 remaining in my budget, so that’s what I’ll pay this person. That can work, but then your second, third, and eventually tenth and eleventh employee comes along. The $40,000 you pay your current employee isn’t enough to attract new talent, so you pay them more. This cycle perpetuates itself, and before long, you have a valuable and experienced team member who’s been with you for two or more years, making less than the new person with less experience. Payroll is a mess, and when word gets out, morale is even worse.

Use equitable pay scale ranges to solve this payroll dilemma.

Is it time to grow your team? There are many things to consider, and most entrepreneurs fail to look at the future financial picture before they take this important step. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know, right? Here’s a simple plan to help prevent a division in your culture and a negative balance in your business bank account.

Create an organizational chart.

Looking three to five years into the future, what positions will you hire for to achieve your projected growth? Create a list of job titles (not names of existing employees).

Research pay scales for each listed position in your geographical area. If you are a remote business, you must research the areas where your employees live. Some websites, like payscale.com, charge a fee to keep national and local averages up to date, but as a small business owner, you can use ziprecruiter.com or indeed.com to do your research. There, you can find a scale for the job you intend to fill, from low to high.

Create a pay range for each position.

Now that you know the salary range, separate it into three sections so you have three pay ranges within each pay grade. For a pay grade with a $50,000 salary limit, it might look like this:

$39,000 – $43.500

$43,501 – $47,000

$47,701 – $50,000

Now, assess what skills, experience, and qualities are for each range in your pay scale. For instance, say you’re hiring a coder. You will pay someone right out of school a different wage than someone with three to four years of experience. You’ll pay someone with eight to ten years of experience, eager to help your company grow, and a great fit for your culture, far more than you’d offer the newcomer to the industry.

Now, list the levels of experience. Identify,

How applicable must the experience be to your industry and goals (how much training is necessary)? Will a software engineer from the banking industry seamlessly fit into your software development company?
What level of education is the bare minimum your new employee needs?
What skills would be ideal for each pay grade level? Again, how much training will they require?
Whether they will manage other employees.

You can identify any markers that apply to your company and industry.

A pay scale will make your payroll system fair and equitable.

As you answer the questions above, you will create a clear, easy-to-understand scale with bullet-pointed qualifications, which is important on many levels. It will:

Prevent pay bias in the hiring process.
Take the guesswork out of your process when making an offer.
Help you offer clarity to employees who ask for unreasonable raises (more on this later).
Help to prevent your business from overspending on payroll.
Create a fair and balanced payroll system.

Before you conduct an interview, use the CV and your new system to get a general idea of the pay range for your candidate.

How do you create equity if payroll is already imbalanced?

This pay scale system will prevent future discrepancies, but what if your pay scales are already imbalanced? Using the computer engineer example, what if the person you hired three years ago earns $50,000, but today, you must pay a second person of equal talent and experience $65,000? Unless you are willing to lose your original person, you will have to adjust their pay to match (at the minimum) your new employee. Keep this in mind as you hire new talent; the payroll cost will increase substantially because of this pay adjustment if one is necessary. If your original computer engineer is amenable, you can make this adjustment over time, but you would risk a morale issue.

How to manage raises and promotions.

There are many different types of raises, but I usually suggest that a small business owner focus on only three:

Cost of Living (COLA).

The US Department of Labor determines a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Since 2021, the increases have been on the rise since living in the US has become more costly. However, just because the Department of Labor says the COLA is 4.5% does not mean you must offer 4.5%. Offer what your company can afford; otherwise, your employees could be at risk if your company struggles financially.

Completion raises.

I often suggest that my clients begin a new employee as a contractor (1099) for about three months before converting them to W-2 status. This tests if the employee and employer are a good match, whether or not the employee can deliver as anticipated, and if the job will keep the person engaged and productive. At the 3-month mark, if you bring your contractor on board, a pay increase is a great show of faith and goes a long way to keep your culture intact.

A completion raise is also applicable to goal completion and increased education experiences. A significant raise is certainly appropriate if your team member completes a training program or returns to school for an applicable degree. When you do a performance review and offer a list of goals to an employee, a raise may be in order once they successfully achieve the goals. Large project completion may merit a bonus or increase in pay.

Merit raises.

Each time you do an employee performance review, giving them goals and suggestions for advancing skills, education, or goals is wise. This is the time to discuss how they get along with other employees and customers. As they achieve these benchmarks, a merit raise is advisable. Hitting benchmark years at your company is another reason for a merit raise.

Side note: Many small business owners neglect ongoing or annual employee feedback. Remember this: Your employees are your number-one asset. Do not neglect them or fail to acknowledge them. In terms of importance, they come first.

Promotions.

Too often, I hear that employers add to the responsibilities of their employees without proper compensation. This is especially true when an employee is asked to manage others. The salary for a manager is higher than someone whose responsibilities end at their own performance. Promotions are based on performance, need, and team members' ability and willingness to grow.

Generally, reviewing pay structures regularly is a good idea to ensure that all employees are paid at levels comparable to those for similar positions in the market. Keep your team members happy and engaged, and your life will get easier—your business will be more profitable!

The post Fair Compensation Blueprint: How Small Business Owners Can Build Equitable Pay Scales appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

3 Ways Small Business Owners Set New Employees Up to Fail

Marla Tabaka — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 14:43:26 +0000

You know it's time to do more to grow your small business, but your hands are bound by a clock that only allows you 24 hours a day.

Experts will tell you to hire employees to take the load off so you can focus on business growth. As a business coach, I often suggest that clients onboard employees as they scale. However, a few key components must be in place before you expand your team.

Most often, small business owners skip over game-changing business-building steps because they're too occupied to put thought into them, but this lack of diligence always backfires.

Don't be that small business owner.

You decide it's time to take the plunge and hire your first (or next) employee. You think about what that person can do and how much time a new hire will free up for you. So, you whip up a job posting or spread the word through your community, and, voila, you find someone. You ask the standard interview questions, size them up, and perhaps check a reference or two, and your new employee starts on Monday. Cool!

Or, maybe not so cool. You may think the hard part is done at this point, but that's far from true. At this point, budding entrepreneurs need to learn to think like a leader rather than someone in the trenches. Now, you not only have to protect yourself from failing but also your growing team.

3 ways to set employees up to fail.

1. You don't give your new hire a steady foundation.

You may have a job description, but you don't have any training, implementation processes, or written documentation in place. Without a solid foundation, you throw your new person into the deep end without a raft. Rescuing your employee is time-consuming and frustrating; it was easier when you were solo!

Many entrepreneurs put these oversights in the category of employee empowerment and tell themselves they will not be a micro-manager. Really, this belief only serves to make the business owner feel better, but you can't hide behind it for long. Empowerment is built upon solid training and an understanding of the company's signature goals and direction. Your employee may attempt to do things right, but without consistent guidance and processes in place, they will struggle and most likely fail to meet your needs. There's a big difference between micro-managing and providing your team with education, support, and training.

2. You're unclear about your small business's growth vision.

Entrepreneurs have plenty of ideas for future growth and expansion. The problem appears when all these ideas merge murkily, causing a lack of clarity, confusion, and overwhelm . These murky waters lead to a team that also lacks clarity and feels overwhelmed and confused by your inconsistent leadership and direction. You may hire for the wrong positions and skill sets, leaving you with one or more team members who may be decent employees but cannot grow your small business with you. They just won't be a good fit for your ultimate vision.

3. You have not designed your company culture.

You have yet to think about what you want your company culture to look like or what values will guide you to that goal. Understanding your company and personal values to design an internal and client-facing culture gives you a roadmap for everything you do, including who and why you hire. For instance, if you hold a value that indicates honesty, integrity, or trustworthiness and hire a salesperson who promises anything to get the sale, you will have very unhappy customers. This person will also cause conflict with other team members who do represent your culture of integrity.

You don't know what you don't know about growing your small business.

Leadership development is a new stage of growth for most small business owners, and this process has many layers. While it may not seem apparent, your leadership abilities need to kick in before you hire employees, not after. It is difficult for most people to figure out how to

Make the time to develop processes, identify culture goals, and develop a vision
Get your ideas out of your head and into play
Gain clarity about the what, how, and why
Implement your ideas
Just about everything else!

This educational piece of professional and self-growth is why business coaches and mentors exist. No, you don't know what you don't know, and you're not meant to do it alone. Surround yourself with a supportive team of non-employees before you become an employer, and you will save yourself much disappointment, money, and time!

Are you interested in growing your business to add more freedom, security, and well-being into your life? Please contact me to see if I can help. Let’s chat and learn more about one another!

The post 3 Ways Small Business Owners Set New Employees Up to Fail appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

3 Ways Small Business Owners Set New Employees Up to Fail

Marla Tabaka — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:11:46 +0000

You know it's time to do more to grow your small business, but your hands are bound by a clock that only allows you 24 hours a day.

Most often, small business owners skip over game-changing business-building steps because they're too occupied to put thought into them, but this lack of diligence always backfires.

Don't be that small business owner.

3 ways to set employees up to fail.

1. You don't give your new hire a steady foundation.

2. You're unclear about your small business's growth vision.

3. You have not designed your company culture.

You don't know what you don't know about growing your small business.

Make the time to develop processes, identify culture goals, and develop a vision
Get your ideas out of your head and into play
Gain clarity about the what, how, and why
Implement your ideas
Just about everything else!

Are you interested in growing your business to add more freedom, security, and well-being into your life? Please contact me to see if I can help. Let’s chat and learn more about one another!

The post 3 Ways Small Business Owners Set New Employees Up to Fail appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

Culture Changes Might Mean Saying Goodbye to Original Employees

Marla Tabaka — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 19:24:56 +0000

Part 4 of a 5-Part Series from a Business Coach Perspective:
Top 5 Leadership Growing Pains Seen by This Business Coach

When original employees don’t adjust well to culture change, tough decisions lie ahead!

You hired Sally 5 years ago, and she's been your righthand person, confidant, and friend. You are Sally were the company culture. As you grow, you'll introduce automation and new team members and identify and document the processes and procedures for a stable growth strategy. Suddenly, you're not sitting elbow to elbow with Sally anymore. Other team members may be more experienced and qualified to contribute in ways that Sally only wishes she could. She may feel threatened and displaced, even angry.

I've seen business owners hold on to original team members to the point of the employee becoming a detriment to the company. Even though you've provided additional training and have had multiple reassuring discussions, some employees can't tolerate that they are no longer your one and only. Sadly, they may need to move on. Still, the thought of this difficult conversation leaves entrepreneurs with a great deal of guilt and worry about this now underperforming employee's future outside the company.

How to determine if a long-time employee is no longer a culture fit.

You'll usually see developing resistance and something resembling a temper tantrum or the cold shoulder treatment. I've seen original team members employ emotional manipulation to sabotage a growing culture and the newcomers contributing to it. This behavior comes from a place of fear and insecurity, which frankly might be warranted. Sally may have been your right-hand person, but now there's a good chance the company's needs have outgrown her skillset. Some may consider her ways “old school” at this point.

In my experience, most business owners do an excellent job of redefining this person's role, but the employee may need more than that. They no longer feel as important, capable, and significant to your success. Soon, you and your devoted employee are miserable, which takes a toll on you and your newer employees.

Unhappy employees are often unwilling to adapt their style or grow their skillset.

The employee stuck in the old way of thinking is performing tasks using outdated technology. When asked to upgrade their skills to adapt to new technology, they may rebel, saying their way has always worked just fine, so why fix it if it isn't broken?

Employees who feel left out and threatened may treat the newcomers rudely and attempt to sabotage their success. This behavior comes from a desire to prove their worth; to you, but also themselves.

You may feel that this employee has become suddenly needy. The truth is they miss being your confidant and spending hours a day with you. They may feel like a lackey as their duties are siphoned off and given to someone more qualified to meet your growing needs.

Is it time to say goodbye?

In my experience as a business coach, it takes time for long-time employees who are stuck in their old-school ways to adapt to the changes brought about by company growth. It also takes a lot of patience and commitment from the founder.

Before you dismiss a once loyal employee who was critical to your success–and probably your sanity–make every attempt to include them in your developing culture and growth plan. Think about their qualities, what they love doing, and the areas where they thrive. Is there a place in the company where his or her skills, personality, and positive traits would be valued?

Could you allow this employee to be a part of the big-picture discussions? While you may now consider their skills outdated, the fact that they know you well and understand your idiosyncrasies (yes, we all have them) is valuable. Get creative, avoid typecasting, and discuss exciting options with your employee. Mostly though, give them time.

Then, if all else fails, the final ultimatum is presented: Find a home in this company or find what you deserve; a workplace that makes you happy.

There is one thing I can say for sure: If an original employee becomes miserable due to your growth strategy, they are as distraught about it as you are. If they are unbending, the healthiest, happiest opportunity for both of you is kindly letting them go their own way. I witness this frequently, and most of the time, both parties end up happy.

The post Culture Changes Might Mean Saying Goodbye to Original Employees appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

How (and Why) to Build an Intentional Company Culture

Marla Tabaka — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:08:38 +0000

Earlier this week, I shared my 51 Rules of Leadership Excellence. I put them in random order because they are equally critical to success, but Rule 11 begs further discussion:

Consciously build a powerful company culture. Otherwise, it will build itself…and you will not like the results. — Marla Tabaka

What does it really mean to build a strong culture? For some entrepreneurs, the very word conjures up images of employees dancing on desks, playing pool in the break room, and napping away in comfy, soundproof enclosures. While providing a fun environment may be one component of a thriving company culture, there's so much more to it.

If you want to stand out from your competition, keep your rock star talent from jumping onto another stage, and glean nothing but the best from employees at all levels, always remember Rule 11 from my 51 Rules of Leadership Excellence. Build a company culture based on your own values, but don't forget these eight musts.

1. If you want to be trusted, you must trust.

A culture of mutual trust is imperative. If you behave like a helicopter parent, overseeing, or worse, taking over every project, it will directly conflict with building trust. What if they make a mistake? I think any successful entrepreneur will tell you there is no mistake you cannot recover from. Give your employees clear guidelines and let them spread their wings.

Also, always do what you say you will unless there’s a good reason not to. If an employee is due for a raise, give it to them on time. If you say you will have weekly team meetings, be there. If you promise to add a team member to lighten the load, make it happen.

2. Determine your purpose.

Everyone needs a purpose in their lives; this is just as true in businesses. The purpose is the “why” behind what you do. If your company's purpose is only about making money, employees won't stand behind it for long. If the purpose is compelling and gives them a great reason to work at your company, it will attract passionate employees who want to fulfill your company's purpose.

If you create a purpose that benefits humankind, not just your company, you will attract and retain employees, which will produce the same effect on your customers.

3. Create a compelling vision.

If you don’t have a vision, you can’t get there. A compelling vision is short, clear, and achievable—albeit out of reach in the current moment.

For example, ex-Dunkin' Donuts CEO (and son of the company founder) Robert Rosenberg created this vision for Dunkin's future: “To become the dominant doughnut and coffee provider in each and every market” in which it competed.

Clear, concise, and probably achievable, but how? Metrics, KPI’s, and consistency.

The key is to sift through all the possible metrics and KPIs to determine the goals that best define success. Dunkin’s early objectives were:

To have earnings per share grow at 15-to-20 percent per year.
To have store-level economics achieve at least a 15-percent return on investment on average.
To have debt never total more than three times EBITDA.

The company measured plenty of other things, but these objectives mattered most. This meant other goals had to support those objectives; otherwise, they weren't important.

Do your best to make your vision short, memorable, and repeatable. Long or confusing paragraphs cannot guide employees' thoughts, decisions, or actions, mostly because they can't remember or repeat it.

4. Clarify the values within your company culture.

Values let your team and the outside world know what you are all about. To come up with your company's values, first, explore your own personal values and use those to create values to guide your company toward success. Avoid double-standards.

For instance, most entrepreneurs value freedom, both personal and financial. Yet, many don’t extend that value to their team. If you wish to be financially independent and have flexibility in your schedule, wouldn’t it make sense to extend the same opportunities to your team, within reason, of course. If financial freedom is essential to you, pay your team well, and you’re more likely to achieve the goal. They will be committed, hard-working, and focused. If your employees feel safe financially, it gives them one less thing to worry about so they can concentrate on their job.

You can have any number of values; it's up to you, but remember that your values will direct how you do things in the future, so choose wisely.

5. Create unique/WOW factors.

Unique/WOW factors for your company may be the single most important thing in business today. Why should anyone want to work with or buy from your company? What is unique or WOW about it? Does what you sell or deliver stand out from the rest?

Having a unique/WOW factor should not only be for what you sell, but how you deliver it. This is especially true for a commodity or a service, as in those cases, what you sell may not be that unique in the first place. Be different! If everyone is building fences, dig a tunnel!

6. No jerks allowed.

I can't say this often enough: Hiring for skill alone will doom you to misery. Hire people who fit in with the intentional design of your culture. Hire people who have a proven work ethic and are team players. Hire for creativity and personality. Sure, experience and skill are important, but not nearly enough to take you to the top of your industry.

Create an interview process with questions that will compel your candidate to discuss their values, vision, skills, and professional and life experience. Don't rush through the search and hire process to get a warm body onboard; know your new hires.

7. Your company culture should encourage growth and ownership.

A strong company culture isn't just about teamwork and camaraderie; it's about encouraging your employees to see their job as more than just a job–to own their job and their ideas. Once you've built this collaborative, trusting environment, your employees will bring ideas to the table. If it's their idea, put them in charge of it! If an employee wants to learn something new, provide the support for them to do it. Today, innovative companies don't hire employees to remain in one job for an eternity; they hire innovators who will contribute to the future of the company in a powerful way.

8. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Poor communication issues are at the root of many failures, and where I see entrepreneurs fail most often. You have a recipe for disaster when one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. But communication about processes and workflow aren't enough. Drill your values into your employees with ideas like those above and demonstrate them in your own behavior. Be authentic and, at times, vulnerable. If an employee isn't performing up to par, don't let your frustration and disappointment grow; engage in thoughtful conversations about it and create an improvement plan. If an employee has a win, celebrate!

Building a distinctive culture is not an overnight event, and it's not always easy. You'll hit some bumps in the road; remember Rule number 6: Never forget that your team, not your product, not your bank account, is your number-one asset.

The post How (and Why) to Build an Intentional Company Culture appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

51 Rules for Leadership Excellence

Marla Tabaka — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 22:14:03 +0000

Achieve the rank of a genuine leader when you live and lead by the leadership rules on this no-fail list.

If you're familiar with the “head slap” made famous by NCIS character Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you know that this non-injurious action is usually meant as a reminder when a team member violates one of the Gibbs rules. Gibbs's rules originated from his first wife, Shannon Gibbs when she told him at their first meeting that “Everyone needs a code they can live by.”

I have my own rules as well. I call them the Tabaka No-Fail Rules for Leadership Excellence. The Rules are born out of my personal and professional growth experiences and that of my clients. So much of the angst (and failure) that leaders experience is due to poor choices and a lack of clarity around values and vision. Much of their loss and regret could be prevented if business owners would carve out the time to identify their values, vision, and company culture.

So here, my friends, are my Rules. Live and lead by them, and the successful, influential trailblazer in you will take you far in life and business.

Take responsibility; never, ever place blame elsewhere.
If you want to control your future, let go of the control.
Learn to be a strong communicator. No, this does not mean sending a lot of text messages.
Listen, don't judge.
Don't make excuses; when it comes to being a respectable leader, there are none.
Never forget that your team, not your product, not your bank account, is your number-one asset.
Give your team the tools and freedom to be extraordinary. There is no better investment.
If you promise to do something, do it–and do it well.
Let your ego know that it's really smart to surround yourself with people who know more than you do.
To work with a coach or mentor is a sign of a successful mindset, not a weakness.
Consciously build an intentional culture and powerful company culture. Otherwise, it will build itself…and you will not like the results!
If you consistently work through the night, you're doing something wrong.
Employee meetings are not a disruption, waste of time, or inconvenience. If you feel that way, it only means you don’t know how to run them.
Never enter into a 50-50 partnership.
Do not launch a product without doing market research that goes well beyond family and friends.
Before you even think about stepping into a leadership role, define and understand your values. Otherwise, you have no road map to lead yourself or others to success.
You are only as successful as you believe you are. Mindset is everything.
Don't think your idea is excellent because you believe in it and have worked hard for it. It's only great if your customers believe in it too.
Honesty is a code to live by; choose your words carefully.
If you think it's time to quit, it probably is.
Make friends with your numbers, even if you don't like them very much.
Don't jump into a partnership because you're excited. Partner because you have a great idea, the combined skills to make it happen, and a viable plan in place. Then see a business lawyer.
Always stay in check on social media. Yes, even on your personal accounts.
Don't take advice from people who haven't been there, done it, and succeeded.
Only borrow money from friends and family who are willing to lose every penny of it and not hold it against you.
Build your personal brand even if you think you don't matter to your customers–because you do.
Don't wear your overwhelming schedule as a badge of honor. Be proud when you can get everything done and have plenty of time to enjoy life.
It's only a failure if you beat yourself up for it instead of learning from it.
You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will.
It's alright to have self-doubt. It's not alright to let it consume you.
Experiencing fear is natural and normal. Allowing it to keep you from your dreams is just sad.
Don't make the mistake of believing you can be a full-time parent and achieve your business success on the timeline of a single person.
Stop saying there's never enough time; there is if you stop doing the things that a real entrepreneur doesn't do.
Know your strengths, and don't dwell on your weaknesses. Just hire someone to fill in the gaps.
If you believe you can't afford to do something to the betterment of your business, then you can't—and never will.
When stress is getting the best of you, focus on helping someone else.
The customer may always be right, but they are not your ideal customer if they cost you more than they pay you.
There is nothing in the world worth missing your kid's birthday for.
Only make friends with your employees if you can put on the boss hat and not feel guilty or uncomfortable in it.
If you can't trust your employees, it's for one of two reasons: You are too controlling or don't know how to hire right.
Ask interview questions that will tell you if your candidate is a good culture fit. Most skills can be taught. Personality, not so much.
Take care of you first and you'll have the energy and clear-headedness to take good care of your company.
Meditation isn't just for hippies anymore.
Never forget the healing power of laughter.
If you hold on to poor performers, you are the one who needs improvement.
Don't exhaust yourself grabbing at nickels and dimes. Know where the real profit comes from.
Always give back.
If you're in it just for the money, you'll never know true success.
Without a vision, you can't get there. But remember, your vision matures as you do.
Angel investors aren't really angels.
Don't shut off your emotions. They aren't in the way; they are there to help pave the way.

The post 51 Rules for Leadership Excellence appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

How Solid Are Your Leadership Skills? Review Your Leadership Mindset

Marla Tabaka — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:18:50 +0000

Part 2 of a 5-part Leadership series. (If you missed Part 1, see it here.)

You launched your company, how long ago now? And you've spent much of that time doing whatever it takes to grow the customer list, sell, and deliver. But lately, you've realized you're not getting beyond the point of making just enough money to survive if you're lucky. The good news is that if you're making just enough, there's probably a market for what you do. The bad news is that if you continue to mop the floors, you won't grow much—as a leader or a company.

This realization is one reason that drives many business owners to seek me out as a life and business coach. Odds are, you're a natural-born leader, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot to learn. It's one thing to operate your company and quite another to take it to the next level with solid leadership skills. Let's look at some of the common stumbling blocks I encounter with the founders who are ready for a change but aren't making it happen.

Business owners who are stuck believe they can't afford to hire.

I always say, “If you believe it, it's true!” I have yet to coach someone who couldn't afford a new hire. That's because, together in coaching, we quickly identify creative ways to secure the ongoing funds for a new hire.

You create a game plan when you work with a business coach. You'll have a growth strategy, and when you bite the bullet and hire someone to do the work that takes up much of your time, you'll be free to bring in new business. However, if you transfer your time from one mundane task to another, you'll fail. You must have a plan to increase the company's profits before outsourcing or making a hiring decision. Sometimes the answer lies as close to your existing client list, a company or individual willing to increase their spending. Don't hesitate to go after this low-hanging fruit; all they can do is say yes or no.

Get an employee training process in place.

Before you delegate anything, have a training process in place. If the work that keeps you from growing your business is computer-related, record your screen as you go through each step of every process. Find a way to easily document the work you do and use this documentation in your training. Your new employee can do the work to make it pretty, so don't worry about how it looks.

Be courageous about delegation.

Your new people are more likely to do things differently than you and less likely to do it all wrong, which is what most entrepreneurs fear. Different isn't bad if it gets the same or better results. If they make mistakes, correct them. Yes, it is that easy. Time-consuming? Sometimes, but in the long run, not so much. This mental adjustment is one of the most challenging for entrepreneurs. I hear it all the time, “By the time I teach someone else to do this, I could have done it myself.” Oh sure, that's true, but how often do you want to repeat tasks that don't grow your business? Bite the bullet, do some excellent training, and let these jobs go.

Leadership means building a team you can trust.

Whether you hire one or multiple people to help you grow, they must be the right people. It's one thing to outsource small tasks or hire a bookkeeping service, but you must select your team members carefully.

The biggest problem with new business coaching clients who already have people on board is that the founder hasn't developed a desirable culture before onboarding. We'll get into some of the nuts and bolts of this in the culture development article two weeks down the road, but for now, suffice it to say that you need to hire people whose values coincide with your own.

If, for instance, you want an organization where people feel fulfillment in their work, but you hire someone who wants to punch the clock for the paycheck, neither of you will be happy. Work with your business coach to identify the core values to introduce into your company culture and create an interviewing process that explores the values of your applicants. When your people possess values that identify closely with your own, you will build mutual trust and respect.

Great leaders mentor their employees.

Some entrepreneurs have strong opinions in opposition to mentoring employees, to the point where they call it babysitting, which they claim they don't have time for. I assure you that mentoring your employees will substantially increase retention and job satisfaction. Solid mentorship opportunities will attract high-potential job candidates eager to learn and advance. As you lead and mentor your employees, you will notice that sales growth and other goals are achieved faster. And lastly, things will be done right, which brings us full circle to why you probably don't want to delegate in the first place—a fear of things not being done correctly. Teaching and guiding your employees is the only way to guarantee your desired results.

Set mutually agreed-upon goals for your employee(s), and don't let those targets linger in the ether. Do brief weekly and longer monthly meetings with your team members to review and guide them. This time will come back to you tenfold.

Hire slow, fire fast.

Hire slow. Have a process that will help you locate, interview, and onboard individuals who will contribute talent, skill, and positivity to your culture. If hiring for a critical position, take your top candidates to dinner or another activity. Invite their significant other, even their kids. Talk about hobbies and interests outside of work. Make sure your values are aligned.

Fire fast. Again, do what it takes to train, support properly, and mentor your employees. When they make mistakes, review them honestly and restate your expectations. If costly mistakes continue, it's time to let go.

One bad apple can spoil the whole team. It's not easy to let go of an underperformer or someone with a negative attitude, but these characteristics are toxic and contagious. Whether it's due to attitude or poor performance, don't be afraid to fire someone. I've seen entrepreneurs hold on to a poor fit out of fear, which never bodes well for the company.

Are you afraid that you'll get stuck doing the work? That you won't be able to find a replacement? Perhaps it's simply conflict avoidance on your part. If that's the case, know this: If you have an employee who is a poor culture fit and an underperformer, it inevitably means they too are unhappy. Everyone will find happiness on the other side of their walking papers.

Practice what you preach.

As you grow your culture (more on this later in this series), you will identify values that the company and your team live by. Let's say you have a value such as flexibility, which might mean your team can work with some flexibility and your company is flexible in resolving your clients' issues. Now let's say that you are inflexible and narrow-minded; your team and clients will become frustrated and eventually leave.

A little bit of tough love here. If you experience resistance, poor attitude, and unsatisfactory performance in a team member you've carefully selected, look in the mirror first. Most often, the leader fails, not the employee who was once the perfect fit for the job. Have you been embodying your own company culture? Have you been living up to your standards, keeping your promises, and demonstrating positive values to your team and customers?

Be a decision-maker and take inspired action.

Creative and driven employees and expectant customers want to see your products and services evolve. Too many entrepreneurs have let great plans and ideas stagnate and die. I suggest a quarterly off-site, whether it's with employees, your coach, or just you, to review growth goals and any changes that will lead to better efficiencies and an improved work environment.

There are times when circumstances prevent business owners from achieving specific goals, but most often, procrastination and fear-related issues stop us in our tracks. If you are indecisive or don't have your priorities in order, your behavior will be reflected in your team's performance.

Leaders have an appreciation for learning. Build time into your schedule to read, listen to podcasts, work with a coach, and travel to conferences. Primarily, be open to feedback and embrace change. I've never worked with an entrepreneur who does these things and still fails.

The post How Solid Are Your Leadership Skills? Review Your Leadership Mindset appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

Top 5 Leadership Growing Pains Seen by This Business Coach

Marla Tabaka — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:49:37 +0000

PART 1 of a 5-Part Series from a Business Coach Perspective

Is there such a thing as a natural-born leader? Can leadership be taught? The answer is yes to both of those questions, but even a natural-born leader has much to learn. Your business coach is an excellent place to turn.

As a life and business coach, I work primarily (but not exclusively) with entrepreneurs positioned to grow their companies from six to seven-figure businesses, but it’s just not happening. I find my work to be gratifying and sometimes quite exciting! When a small business owner suffers and struggles, they aren’t living the life they deserve and crave. When the entrepreneur enters a successful business coaching relationship, that life reveals itself; it’s fascinating to witness how things change as their world evolves.

What many candidates for business coaching aren't prepared for is the personal and leadership growth that comes with business growth. Many of the beliefs and practices that worked well when it was just you and perhaps a couple of part-time employees won’t contribute to the future growth of your company.

There are new challenges at every bend in the leadership journey, which most often lead to enriching growth experiences. Below are some initial growing pains I commonly see in entrepreneurs seeking to build their companies into the beautiful vision that was once a dream.

Over the next few weeks, I will explore each of these issues at a deeper level. I’ll offer you my best business coach advice to equip and inspire you to grow your business to the next level. For now, here’s an overview.

1. The founder struggles to grow from employee to leader.

It’s all on you. You’ve rolled up your sleeves and done everything from answering the phones to delivering your product and services. But how can you expand your marketing, attend conferences, develop new products or services, and implement growth strategies if you’re busy doing things that are, frankly, not the job of a CEO?

It’s time to build a team and one that you can learn to trust. As you may know, trust can be a big issue for entrepreneurs, and understandably so. You’ve nurtured your “baby” all on your own, and now you’re dissecting it to share the responsibilities with others who may do things differently. They may even screw it up totally! This stage is where you’ll benefit from knowing that, at the employee level, there are very few mistakes from which your company won’t recover. Delegate and train accordingly. Only then will you have the freedom to step into the shoes of a true leader.

In the upcoming series, I’ll touch on the growing pains involved in becoming a leader to new employees and employees who “knew you when.”

2. New leaders need help to determine when and where to invest.

Money is still tight at this stage, so a misstep can be devastating. Do you hire employees, get a larger space, invest in software and equipment, or spend real money on marketing? There is a delicate balance among the choices since you must have the revenue stream to support ongoing expenditures (like payroll or rent), and there is no guarantee of that happening. This decision process involves careful planning, projections, and a leap of faith.

Entrepreneurs at this stage often believe they don’t have the money to scale. If you believe that, well then, it’s true! It’s not difficult to “find” the money to hire a contractor or two, or even an employee when the time is right. Without this support, you’ll most likely remain precisely where you are. A support team is typically the first place you’ll spend your dollars. We’ll look at that closely when I expand on this thought.

3. New leaders usually botch their company culture.

I always say,

“If you don’t build an intentional culture, it will build itself–and you will not like the results!”

One sign that you have allowed your culture to fall through the cracks is when you find yourself surrounded by customers and employees who aren’t on the same page as you are. This unhealthy environment creates stress and wreaks havoc on your business and well-being. If your stress is through the roof, it’s doubtful that an intentional culture is intact.

Honestly, most clients who begin working with me don’t even understand what culture is all about. This is one of the most exciting pieces to helping entrepreneurs achieve their long-term goals. We get to uncover your most treasured values and create the foundation upon which each building block of your business will sit. My clients learn things about themselves they’ve never realized, and the company grows to reflect its founder in the most meaningful ways.

I’ve got some great culture-building strategies and insights for you – coming soon!

4. Employees don’t always adjust well to change – tough decisions lie ahead!

This one ties into the whole culture topic for companies that already have employees onboard when they begin working with their business coach. One of the growing pains we often encounter in the coaching process is the realization that long-time employees are resistant to change and may no longer be a good fit for the organization. Ouch! You know their families—they may even be people you consider friends. In some cases, they are family!

Employees who “knew you when” often don’t adapt well when you become less hands-on. They may be more accustomed to having a say or being a part of your decision-making process. It’s not that your employees become less critical; it’s that your inner entrepreneur will surface as you grow your business (especially with a good coach at your side), and you’ll make decisions that your team doesn’t agree with or understand. Roles and responsibilities change, and we all know how difficult change is for some people. Sometimes, these facts drive a wedge that is difficult to maneuver around between the founder and the employee.

And yes, sometimes all of this means the employee leaves or is let go from the company, but here’s the good news: everyone is happier in the end. I see these past employees thrive as they enter a new stage of their professional growth. And the entrepreneurs, no longer hindered by the challenges of having a nay-sayer on board, also thrive.

5. You don’t know what you don’t know–but your business coach can teach you.

This is a big one. You’ve never done this before; how can you possibly know what to do as a leader? I believe true leaders have an innate ability to lead, but still, there’s so much to learn! And budding leaders often need “permission” to make the choices because sometimes these choices contradict everything you’ve been doing up to this point. You’ve been working non-stop, and now you’re thinking about taking a week off to go to a leadership conference in another state? Unheard of! But yes, leaders need education, inspiration, encouragement, and camaraderie.

You’ve never scaled a company to this level before, so there are countless things that you don’t know and wouldn’t ever give a second thought to unless someone brought them into your purview. The in-depth, ongoing process of building a full-blown, thriving culture might be a good example. In coaching, you’ll learn about things you’ve never even known to consider, and you’ll have the support to step into a whole new world. We’ll talk about some of those things toward the end of this series.

I hope you’ll stay with me over the next few weeks as we explore these topics at a deeper level. Questions? Is there something you’d like me to address in this series? Please feel free to contact me here or send them to me at marla@marlatabaka.com.

I look forward to supporting you during this very exciting time of growth!

The post Top 5 Leadership Growing Pains Seen by This Business Coach appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

Stop Marketing Products and Services. Your Company Culture Will Attract the Ideal Customers

Marla Tabaka — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 13:37:13 +0000

A good product or service practically sold itself in the past, but not anymore. Today, customers put their money in businesses that demonstrate a strong company culture with values that match their own.

A savvy entrepreneur puts the development of an attractive company culture at the forefront of their growth plans; it's not an afterthought. Your customers want to be a part of your brand; they want to support companies that represent their own global views or satisfy them beyond a typical purchase. They want their purchase to be an experience, not a transaction.

For services like my own, clients want to work with someone who has experienced similar challenges and demonstrates empathy, understanding, and the expertise to conquer those challenges. Appropriately crafted, your brand story hits home with your ideal prospect and helps them to know they are in good hands.

Of course, Apple and Nike are the kings of brand storytelling. Nike's Just Do It and Equality campaigns are iconic. In the Equality campaign, the sportswear giant positions the company as a force for positive social change. A consumer's Nike purchases represent more than just a pair of sneakers and branded workout gear. Buyers want to become a part of a collective movement by wearing Nike products. And their campaigns create brand loyalists who engage on social media by sharing and commenting about their own experiences.

One of my favorite Apple ads aired way back in 2013, but it still sticks in my mind. It's about a misunderstood teen and how he ends up creating a very touching family holiday video. This ad holds an aha moment because it teaches us that we don't have to talk about the product or service to inspire our audiences. You wouldn't even know this is an Apple ad until the very end. If you've never seen this one, check it out.

Here's what you need to know about building and marketing your culture and brand story.

Your company culture is the cake.

Company culture is just the icing on the cake to some business owners, but those entrepreneurs are way off base. Your culture is not the icing; it is the cake. Savvy consumers and decision-makers look for the story behind the company before they buy. Like the cake, your culture has many carefully measured ingredients: values, happy team members who represent the values, work environment, brand image, voice, and story, world views, product quality, and proper procedures. There's more, of course, and it's a lot to manage, but without the cake, there is no icing to entice your ideal consumer.

Your brand needs a voice.

Storytelling is a powerful marketing technique. A compelling story will build a network of brand loyalists who connect with your company because of what it stands for. It's worth hiring a content writer or marketing agency to help you identify your story. It's not enough to put a cool story on your website; it must become an integral part of your marketing collateral. Spread the news on the various marketing channels available to you. Make sure your brand is cohesive across all channels. Talk about the “why” behind your business so that people can identify with it and feel eager to support you.

You and your team members should tell the same story.

Storytelling is memorable and persuasive–statistics are not. Make sure that anyone who represents your business uses your story, not boring stats. Teach them to tell the same story; one that it's truthful and compelling. This goal means spending time with your team. Familiarize them with your values and mission statement and what they mean. Do role-reversal exercises to practice their responses to consumer questions and objections. Allow your team members to contribute to the culture with suggestions and insights.

Trust is one of the top influencers of purchasing decisions. The integrity that's woven into the fabric of your culture is demonstrated through the behavior of those in the field. You and your sales team should be armed with the same answers to challenging questions. The way you handle objections tells a story about your company; make sure it's favorable.

If you work solo, do these exercises on your own. Many coaches and consultants stumble over the tough questions. If you feel your values to the core, you will speak truthfully and passionately about your services, and that's what your future client is seeking.

Many entrepreneurs argue that they have no time to build an intentional culture. As my quote at the top of this article implies, the results of a neglected culture are often catastrophic. Begin by identifying your personal values, then what your company stands for. Think big, beyond the scope of money-making activities. Reach deep within yourself to develop your “why” and the story and actions to bring your dreams to fruition.

The post Stop Marketing Products and Services. Your Company Culture Will Attract the Ideal Customers appeared first on Marla Tabaka.