Tradewinds Group Inc.

Attraction and retention is not simply a matter of compensation... but compensation IS a critical component when it comes to finding and keeping quality employees. So what's the "right" way to do it? Here are 7 key things to consider when evaluating your compensation program:

Is your company compensation program a work of streamlined art? Or, like most companies, are raises and bonuses awarded randomly on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis? Having an intentional and transparent compensation program is essential to creating a positive and productive work environment for your team. Here are some questions to ask yourself: 1. Do your employees have a clear sense of what performance measures are rewarded and when and how to expect raises? 2. Do you have clear criteria for the dispensation/evaluation of raises, bonuses, economic wage adjustments? 3. Are you clear on the ways in which you reward and compensate employees beyond bonuses/raises/profit sharing (ex: skills development opportunities or benefits packages) and whether or not your employees understand, value, desire those programs? 4. Are you able to consistently deliver on the promised compensation program without eating into your own salary or otherwise damaging the business? If the answer to any of these questions is "no," you have a great opportunity for improving attraction, retention, and engagement in your business!

When our clients come to us, their businesses are succeeding! They're usually proud of the success they've built... But not ENJOYING the success they've built. The reality they've come face-to-face with is that not all business growth is sustainable, and that first leap of success is as likely to kill a business as it is to sustain it. (We call this painful stage in the success journey the "Doldrums.") These business owners are burning out. Their key players are burning out. They know their business is viable... but at what cost? The secret to sustainable, life-fueling growth? Stable growth in all three of the wisdom "tracks" we teach in our Tradewinds program. Check them out here 🔽

"How do I support my team in growing more efficient?" "What do I need to do to get my employees on board and motivated around growing as a team and a business?" "How do I keep my employees happy AND prioritize growth?" Tomorrow we'll be talking about the ins and outs of Maximizing Engagement, Equity, and Value in Small Engineering Firms on Ontario Society of Professional Engineers' Thought Leadership Thursday! This is a virtual webinar and all are welcome! (Free for OSPE members. Non-members pay a small fee.) Grab your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/gr7CSVih

We had a great time at the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers' annual conference yesterday. It was a day full of valued conversations and insights, and we hope to see you all again next year!

There is one thing you can’t go into 2025 without. (And knowing us, you probably know exactly what we’re going to say.) A plan. Not a hope or an idea or a strategy – those are all important, but won’t get you anywhere fast. A real plan lays out exactly what you’re hoping to achieve in the coming year, and exactly how you’re going to get there. There’s nothing vague or pedantic about a good plan. A good plan inspires you to action. It moves you. It gets you excited. Not just because it’s a space to dream BIG. Not just because it brings CLARITY. Not even just because it gets you into the right MINDSET. But because it makes it REAL. It makes it BELIEVABLE. The thing is, most small business owners tend to skip the annual planning process… -   Many owners just don’t know where to start -   What’s a reasonable vs unreasonable goal, anyway?? -   It’s hard to make time for things that don’t feel urgent -   Lots of annual planning models are intense and daunting - They don’t really believe they’ll follow through… so what’s the point? But crafting your annual plan doesn't have to be intimidating. We run our Do This Next workshop to help small business owners like you tackle the process with greater ease and confidence. We work together to use YOUR OWN financials and business data to craft an annual action plan that makes real sense without ever being boring. Register today https://www.bit.ly/dtn2024

You know that friend? The one who has a really clear 5-year vision... but every time you ask about it it's STILL a 5-year vision? 👀 It never manages to be a 4-year vision or a next-year vision. 🔭 It's always off in the far distance. Or maybe you know that other friend? That hard-working, no-time-to-waste-daydreaming friend? They keep their nose to the grindstone, day-in and day-out, but don't necessarily know where they're hoping that hard work will get them 🐝 Well, maybe those friends should team up... Because you need BOTH. You need a compelling long-term vision to light the way... As you take intentional day-to-day action towards concrete milestones along the way. The next right choice is the one that takes you one step further along the path to achieving your long-term goals - for your business... AND your life. ⛵ 📢 Ready to work out the best way to tackle YOUR 2025 to make meaningful progress towards building a business that pays off in lifestyle? Our annual Do This Next planning workshop is for you. We're helping you build REAL momentum in your business by looking at YOUR goals and YOUR financial data to craft a concrete action plan for YOUR 2025. Register for the full-day workshop at bit.ly/dtn2024

Setting long term goals can be daunting. What if I can't figure out how to meet them? How do I know what's "sensible"? What if they're too big and audacious? What if they're too small and boring? Plus, it's hard to motivate yourself to work on something that feels so far away - so imaginary and intangible. It's a lot easier to just keep on dealing with the day-to-day tasks, and wait for everything to start paying off. But whether you name them or not, you have long term goals tucked away in your head. You have a vision you're afraid to look too closely at, of a day when your business is paying off, and what that might look like when it comes. Better still, there's a whole pile of goals you had for your business when you first started it, goals you've maybe slowly let go of or re-negotiated. When you take the time to let yourself set those big, audacious, long-term goals, you take the first step toward being able to realize them. Good things rarely happen by accident. Dreams rarely spontaneously come true. What's your biggest 5-year hope that could be shaped into a 5-year goal?

So why DOES business strategy get stalled? There are lot of different reasons a strategy might fail. Here are 5 of the most common stumbling blocks that can trip you up along the way 🔽

If you've ever gotten so caught up working IN your business that you forgot to work ON your business... You are not alone. The day-to-day chaos of running a small business can quickly and easily devour the best of plans. (That's why one of the first steps we take with new clients revolves around working to tame and calm the chaos so that there is SPACE for growth and progress.) And even in relatively streamlined corporations, it's common for new strategy to fall by the wayside. But we believe in our clients' ability to rally and execute on a well-designed strategy. And we believe in you too. What important strategic actions have fallen by the wayside? Take a moment to really consider WHY. What got in the way? What fell through? Understanding the problem is always the first step!