PLAY!

[00:00:01] Welcome to Profit First Nation, the official podcast for entrepreneurs who are operating their businesses in the zone of permanent profitability.

[00:00:10] I'm Mike Michalowicz, the author of Profit First and now here is your Profit First Nation guide, Danielle Mulvey.

[00:00:19] Welcome back to another edition of Profit First Nation and today we are so lucky we have the author of not only Profit First but the author of all in Mike Michalowicz joining us today.

[00:00:32] Hey Danielle, it's great to see you.

[00:00:35] Yes and this episode is all about play and being a playful leader and you know it makes things fun and exciting and really bonds the team.

[00:00:47] So Mike tell us about what you do on a daily basis to integrate play into your leadership.

[00:00:55] Yeah, well to your point first of all it is absolutely critical.

[00:00:59] There is this whole human component and one term that I realize has been hurting at least my perception of my colleagues is this concept of human resources.

[00:01:09] Seeing someone as a resource meaning an asset or a tool to use but not the whole human there's a great book that came out which I wrote it called super communicators by Charles Doohig.

[00:01:20] And he explores how we build confidence and trust in each other.

[00:01:24] The surprise here is through play as your questioning is through reciprocity, it's through active dialogue but what found interesting is it's got a build.

[00:01:33] If you show up for your first day of employment like hey we're going today to the water park and that's played a it can be two intense so we have to start slow and let it grow.

[00:01:43] Foundationally you know we were talking offline we have a daily huddle and that's a perfect platform to start some experimental stuff.

[00:01:51] One thing we started was at the end of the huddle and employee picks their favorite song of the day and some of us get up and dance around some of us don't there's no pressure like hey we're all doing this you must do it but we just do it.

[00:02:03] No more time more people start doing it while my one colleague who you sometimes talk with Aaron she's my personal assistant.

[00:02:10] She is by the book she is is button down and she doesn't feel comfortable expressing herself that way particularly based on her past work experience which was a large corporation.

[00:02:19] And so we do as dance often seven she was sit there and she would ingratiate us with a smile but she wouldn't do anything beyond that and then one day it was her turn to pick the song she loves a grateful dead.

[00:02:29] And it was a grateful dead tune and we all start dancing you see a kind of look around and she gets up and she does like one of these things like I guess I'm in and she starts dancing and now she's leading it.

[00:02:39] It's interesting play just like with children where the same as adults someone's got to take the risk of doing it moving that matchbox car around or playing with that doll.

[00:02:48] And then the other kid seasons is well I want to do that too leaders initiate the play I found and like you said it's going to take everyone different levels of comfort and warming up to things and such.

[00:03:01] And so what's important I think about when you bring in play to your environment is that you are intentional about it to a certain degree and making sure that you've got those elements coming in on an ideally a daily basis.

[00:03:18] But then being consistent with it you don't want to start the song of the day and then two weeks later or three weeks later someone forgot.

[00:03:26] Then the next day someone forgot and then it becomes gone it really as the leader you got to keep the ball going you got to do moving and if it drops, you know you need to make sure that it gets picked up don't let the team hijacked that so you know it's interesting.

[00:03:41] And I think to the daily huddle is such a tremendous opportunity to make sure that everyone is starting the day in a great state like a physical and emotional date and obviously incorporating the music.

[00:03:58] I mean opportunity to insert more energy into it and such.

[00:04:03] I like to look at the daily huddle as a way to kick off our day and again make sure everyone is operating in a great state so even as the leader you know sometimes especially with kids at home and getting them ready and getting them out the door and off to school things don't always go according to plan and such and.

[00:04:19] And so there could be some frustrations at home, but I make sure that I leave them at the door and I show up as the leader for my team and I put a smile on my face and I need making sure that I'm bringing everyone up to a great state.

[00:04:36] Hey there my friend this is Mike McCallow, it's the author of profit first.

[00:04:40] I really exciting news my friend Casey Anton wrote the definitive book for restaurants and hospitality businesses called profit first for restaurants.

[00:04:48] You don't have your copy yet as a website to go to it's profit first for the number four restaurant stop com when we're starting our day and when we're starting our daily huddle and so I know we follow very similar structure to the daily huddle so I want to break it down a little bit and share some of the secrets to it.

[00:05:05] Because doing this for over 20 years in our businesses at first we made some mistakes so what's important about daily huddle is that you everyone's standing.

[00:05:15] So again, it's getting into that right state it's putting a little effort but the other thing about standing is it makes it go a little bit faster than if everyone's sitting and when we moved offices this is back in my.

[00:05:27] Myvert group days and when I had an advertising marketing agency we moved offices and when we moved offices we ended up like having this really cool loungy area.

[00:05:38] That had some amazing couches and such and I realized that at some point.

[00:05:44] People started sitting and then the meeting started happening when we were sitting and then can I'm like gosh why is this taking so long and then everyone's enjoying the comfy lounge area where we were doing it a little too close.

[00:05:56] And so now when we have daily huddles it's in a room that literally doesn't have chairs like everyone gathers around a tall table there's no chairs.

[00:06:05] So I'm not going to fall into that trap again of people sitting down but that is one secret to it.

[00:06:11] Yeah, it's absolutely is you know so interesting is sitting puts us in a passive state you'll notice if you get into a forward state you actually lean forward you lean in or you stand up.

[00:06:21] People present a lot more confidently and a lot more succinctly it brings energy up but also in dynamic nowadays I just had to call yesterday with a team that was talking about huddles how do you do it.

[00:06:32] They're purely remote I said I'll stand up and like well we're remote I'm like the energy is the same like right now as I'm doing is we're both standing.

[00:06:39] It's not practical because the cameras are set up and you can't do it you can intersect that or intercept it with standing moments so use a timer if you have to do it seated for whatever reason.

[00:06:53] But then insert break dance a break and then not break dancing but take a break and dance or take a break and move so I really want to challenge anyone listening in do your huddles standing.

[00:07:05] But if you have a significant reason why that's not practical you need to get motion going now share the kind of structure we use I'm curious about the parallels and differences.

[00:07:16] Of course structure is we run our meetings for 15 minutes regardless of the size so I run huddles with 30 people and 15 minutes and run huddles with 7 people and 15 minutes.

[00:07:26] We do use a timer we start off with metrics saying here's the significant KPIs for the organization just because everyone on page.

[00:07:33] And then someone that's responsible metrics says here's our big issue currently we're trying to sort out whatever that may be.

[00:07:40] Then we go around and say give a personal update each person now if you're a larger organization we do it is the leader of each division and they have sub-huddles prior or post but usually prior.

[00:07:49] We go around each person say what's the big thing you committed to accomplishing yesterday that move the organization forward did you get done or not.

[00:07:55] And if you didn't tell us why and how you can resolve that and if you did what's been the impact yes you can do that in 10 seconds my big one was appear on 10 podcasts I got them all done.

[00:08:05] I think we spread the word to 10,000 new potential listeners 10 seconds then next thing is what's your big commitment for today.

[00:08:11] And sometimes it's just dynamically we hear the KPIs and say oh I have to actually adjust I had planned this but I'm doing that the third thing is a personal update and personal update is just a share story about what's going on through life.

[00:08:22] What so interesting is according to Charles do hex super communicators it's a little insight it's a little connection and because everyone's even update there's a sense of reciprocity and stories happen after that we can have discussion point last thing we do is there any red flags is there any issues that you want to raise the red flag on that's impeding you and able to work or another capacity.

[00:08:40] One hot list was many years ago but one person said my computer keeps dropping off the internet and another person there and there said my computer keeps dropping off the internet and another person our IT guy heard this and said when I heard the first person I said I work in their computer and it was taking me an hour to diagnose it when I heard it replicating I knew it was none of the computers it was in the server room and he fixed it so much quick as a result.

[00:09:00] Then the last thing we do for a huddle is we have the big sign off it's a form of tradition you may have a dance out as we do at our office right now where we play music and you can dance out some do a clap like the old football huddles others are first professionals we say proud to be profitable and then we raise our hands so you can end it anyway you want to but there has to be a clear conclusion just like the football huddles.

[00:09:25] Struggling to turn a profit in your business profit first nation shares the proven systems used by thousands of entrepreneurs to transform from barely surviving to permanently profitable.

[00:09:36] Mike Michelleowicz and Danielle Mulvey have been in your shoes now they pass on what they've learned.

[00:09:42] The exact financial hacks and mindsets ships to drive profitability through the roof real stories from the entrepreneurial trenches.

[00:09:49] A clear path to earn great money doing work you love.

[00:09:54] Join the profit first community transform your business from a cash eating monster to a profitable money making machine.

[00:10:01] Subscribe now on Apple podcasts, Spotify and more.

[00:10:05] Passion, profit and play a weight in the profit first nation.

[00:10:13] So I run multiple teams like you and so we have in office teams and then we have purely remote teams.

[00:10:19] The in office team as I mentioned we go into a room where just a tall tables and gather around there we start with the daily celebration so again some positive and again you know kind of raising the state and.

[00:10:34] I always have something in my back pocket sometimes the team has this daily celebrations they have something I let them take the stage and I just keep that one back in my back pocket maybe for you later.

[00:10:45] I'm so smart. Hey, it's Mike McCallowicz and you are listening to a brand new episode brought to you by profit first for contractors written by Sean Van Dyke.

[00:10:53] I think the leader this is your job to always be prepared and to always be bringing up the team.

[00:10:59] So after the celebration we go around and everyone shares the three things they did yesterday and the three things that they're going to do today and you track it like we write it down we have a.

[00:11:10] I think it's really important that there's that accountability that it's being tracked someone can't change it up or you know if they forgot something it's like oh well what about this you know from yesterday and such.

[00:11:21] So that's a big awesome thing in terms of just ensuring accountability across the organization then different departments the head of the department will share metrics as part of their three things so they'll kick off with their metrics and then they'll give their three things from the day before and the three things that they're going to do today.

[00:11:38] And as the leader when I'm listening for kind of like you're listening for two are the red flags is there something that just seems to be they're not getting much progress on and there's a bottleneck and sometimes it's just making a call to a higher level up contact than our person has in an organization.

[00:11:58] And so after that our team throughout things when it's their time on the floor and they're sharing their three things they can give shout outs to other team members hey Peter was awesome he went and picked up the check that was ready from the general contractor in Diamond bar and that was a big help.

[00:12:16] And so we track the shout outs again on our 11 by 17 sheet and then at the end of the week whoever has the most shout outs gets to spend the wheel and then we have just a prize book you can get the wheel at IKEA and we just have a notebook that has the numbers and there's different prizes behind each number so whatever they land on.

[00:12:39] We flip to that page in the book and they win that prize and we have gift cards cash fund other things and such and so that has been really fun and I mean we track everything in our organization and so we actually include any bonus PTO that they get so when we close the office early we track that and it's shown on their pace subs.

[00:12:59] But then when we do their annual review and create their total compensation and such we include highlighting all of that about how many the bonus PTO days they got in addition to everything else.

[00:13:11] But I also share with them because it's super easy to track how much they won in the prizes on having the most shout outs and what's really interesting is it's not like one person just dominates everyone.

[00:13:25] Like if everyone is like within the prizes varying it's just luck of the draw what prize you get in such but I think it was like less than a 10% variable when you totaled up each team members winnings over the year from the prize wheel.

[00:13:43] That shows that you have a great team everyone is stepping up and one thing we also do since we have that prize wheel in that prize package is sometimes if we're having a meeting about something or you know and I'll just throw out like oh okay does anyone want to guess how many people replied to the opt-in last week and we play by prices right rules whenever we guess.

[00:14:05] And so it's a fun way to insert a little energy a little fun a little the unexpected I love that there was a thing we did we said back in great school what are all the games we played and like oh when someone did something great we do fireworks that's where you clap your hands you go shhh.

[00:14:24] All right let's do that to celebrate someone we said oh show in towel everyone loved show in towel so we do show in towel we sell someone this is your week bringing something and tell us about what's interesting is when we're having fun it doesn't need to be a cost and expenditure necessarily you can and those gifts are great but there's other ways of expressing it you also want to occasionally add to or change up the routine so for us the dance off is popular now.

[00:14:49] But we'll introduce something new at some point the show in towels are popular now introducing us we also learned from the old school days that the overnight sleepovers in camping was love.

[00:15:00] So right all right we'll do sleepovers now it's not you're going to sleep some in house we do retreat but we'll get a big home or in certain cases as the organization gets bigger and you can do an area we can be right in homes near each other and then we're all hanging out.

[00:15:13] And what's so interesting is around the campfire or while making dinner together we will cook dinner together those activities we don't talk business and yet the greatest connections come about which supports the business.

[00:15:23] larger organizations like a few ideas start teams you know if you internally are a proponent something you are a leader you don't have to be the owner or have.

[00:15:32] see in your title you could be anyone who just has an idea and says you know I really kick ball and I get kick out of it let me see if I can organize this and you've become a leader organization and are having extraordinary impact and maybe a manager of yours can support that and encourage those activities.

[00:15:49] I'll share another thing that I think is fun. I was talking with a group yesterday actually you and I were talking offline about them it's a bookkeeping firm it's growing very quickly but they're all virtual and there's time at the hotdles but they were also talking about the predicted and known time of the season.

[00:16:03] January February a little bit of March where it's crazy for bookkeepers and she was working 60 or 80 hour weeks per employee.

[00:16:12] It's predictable we're trying to everything we can to ease it up but we simply know it's coming what can we do what we brainstorm that and said if it's predictable pain let's not try to run our way out I think that's a mistake some leaders do is think so we really got this that encouragement may work for about a few seconds and that fades away and if you do too many times then it actually has a counter effect

[00:16:32] so we said why we call 60 days of pure pain and we'll just say you know the painful seasons coming but we're going to have like an ad van calendar and every day your flipping something and maybe there's a little reward for success or there's this.

[00:16:45] I think that's a fortune cookie says a funny saying about how it sucks to work so hard but with that one day closer to show progress and these were their ideas and they embraced it they said yeah instead of pretending things are good when things are tough let's say their tough but let's gamify.

[00:16:59] Yeah totally gamify this episode is sponsored by profit first for e-commerce sellers big shout out to the author Cindy Thompson thanks for supporting the show and you my friend makes me get a copy of the book today.

[00:17:10] I loved what you had to share about the retreats and overnight and such you know I mean I think that's a perfect lead in into what you and Adrian Dorison with run like clockwork have on the calendar so camp clockwork guys is October 14 through 17th in Nashville, Tennessee.

[00:17:33] You get to go to summer camp with Mike McCallowitz and Adrian Dorison and you're going to rediscover the power of play you'll reignite your creativity by just being out there in nature and hanging out with other like-minded driven exciting entrepreneurs that's the best part is the community.

[00:17:55] And then that'll help you really transform your business by getting out getting into the woods getting into nature and getting to hang with Mike and Adrian so if you guys are interested in camp clockwork just go to camp clockwork.com

[00:18:11] And secure your tent ASAP I think you're not really intense you have.

[00:18:17] We're glad you're sure.

[00:18:19] Securing your spot so you don't miss out because this is just a really amazing opportunity to hang and break bread and make s'mores and zip line.

[00:18:29] I mean you guys have so many incredible activities planned.

[00:18:33] Yeah, so that's camp clockwork.com and those dates are October 14th through 17th and so make sure you secure that spot now and then we talked a little bit just touched on it about how do you translate the daily huddle into a remote.

[00:18:49] So check out the resource for this episode and I will share with you behind the scenes I have one team that is fully remote and I'll share with you we call that meeting the daily vitamin C.

[00:19:00] And so check out the resources for episode 159 and you'll see how we run that daily vitamin C meeting.

[00:19:07] Hey, this is Mike and Calo it's the author of profit first and I'm proud report that John Briggs the author of profit first for micro gyms is supporting this show.

[00:19:16] If you haven't read that book yet, you ever do him my gosh pick it up today.

[00:19:20] Thank you so much for joining us Mike and if you would like to work with a certified profit first professional accountant bookkeeper or coach go to profit first nation dot com and click on contact and that's also where you can connect with us and sign up for our free resources as well.

[00:19:37] Cheers to another profitable day amazing.

[00:19:40] Thank you.

[00:19:45] Thanks for tuning in to the profit first nation podcast.

[00:19:47] We hope you found today's episode valuable and that's inspired you to take action towards achieving permanent profitability in your business.

[00:19:56] If you want to learn more about how to implement profit first in your business and connect with the community of like minded entrepreneurs,

[00:20:03] Be sure to visit us at profitfirstnation.com to download our how-to guides and resources.

[00:20:09] Remember, permanent profitability is within your reach and we're here to support you every step of the way.

[00:20:15] So let's do profit first right together.

[00:20:23] Have it first nation website related podcasts and videos are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute accounting legal tax or other professional advice visitors should not act upon the content or information found here without

[00:20:31] For seeking appropriate advice from an accountant to financial planner lawyer or other professional.