Meg Hooper’s Post

I’ve been part of many teams throughout my career. In my experience, the most successful ones are those where people’s work-life boundaries are thoughtfully blurred. In healthy work environments, people feel open and trusting enough to share their personal celebrations and challenges. Knowing a person’s hopes and ambitions beyond job titles allows me to see how their personal and professional lives intertwine. When something positive happens, taking the time to celebrate it reinforces the value of acknowledging that we all have rich, multifaceted lives outside work. When someone faces challenges, being aware of their situation enables me to provide support and compassion for the individual and the team as a whole. Depending on the nature of the challenge, this support can range from offering a listening ear to providing practical help. It has always worked for me, and I always offer new managers this advice: see your team as whole humans—it’s the key to their best work. Be the leader who brings their whole self, show them it’s safe, and watch your team do the same.

One of the questions we get asked most often is "How is it working with your husband / wife?" We usually laugh. 🤣 It wasn't easy at first, but now we're a pretty formidable team! Our career experiences have given us some valuable complimentary skills, and we've learned how to flex them between us to help our clients solve their digital challenges. So, the answer is "good!".

Step 1: Promote a stellar work culture❤️. Step 2: Take care of your team, they have lives outside of work and that’s important to respect. Step 3: Be transparent. Be honest. Step 4: You don’t have to know everything. You do have to be willing to learn. Simple ideas to find the right people and create a positive work environment.

I was given a start in this [crazy] industry twelve years ago. I was very fortunate to have an exceptional first boss, Andre Schermel , and teammates that invested their time, extended their patience, and let me figure out things on my own. Victor Suprani Neil Macklem Nigel Smith Working as an integrator/VAR PS gave me exposure to operators across the country, technologies and products across functional domains, and let me demonstrate I was the type of tech that could be dropped out of an airplane with a backpack and come out the other side with a positive KPI. If I could tell my younger self one thing it would be that this isn't a race, it's a marathon. The industry moves so quickly between technologies, companies seem to churn through employees even at high positions, and project deadlines were always last week. To thrive or even just survive you have to see through that and focus on what matters. Part of that means aligning yourself with the company goals and serving well. Part of that means clearly defining your own goals and ensuring nothing keeps you from moving towards them. As I build up a team here at telMAX now, I see parts of my younger self in my team members. I want to encourage their ambition, but I must temper it with what I have learned. I want them to learn things on their own, but I must maintain accountability for the result. I want them to enjoy their work and maintain balance with their lives, but we have a lot to accomplish. One thing my younger self never considered was the wisdom and restraint expressed by my first boss on these matters. He had a chuckle for everything, and you couldn't pass a whiff of bullshit by him.

🌟 The first day of my job—wasn't smooth sailing at all. 🤦♂️ I recall struggling with the first task, feeling far from confident in my abilities. 👥 Then, one of my team members approached me, making me feel at ease. They asked about my background, highlighting my past achievements, and even hinted at the "superpowers" they admired. This sudden boost in confidence empowered me to tackle bugs and fixes with newfound strength. 🤝 This is what a stellar team looks like. They understand your challenges, offer support, and cultivate an environment where everyone thrives. What type do you belong to, teamwork or individual contributor? Let me know in the comments P.S. I prefer both depending on the environment and the task but I do love to know some individual contributors out here.

Hey Y’all! Let’s get personal for a moment and join forces. 💪 I often think the perfect time for us to reflect on the profound impact of unity and how we can continue fostering a culture of togetherness within our team, is around holidays. But why are we not reflecting on a day-to-day basis? When each team member feels encouraged, togetherness blossoms. If you exist as a source of encouragement, offer helpful feedback, and promote open communication, you'll see this firsthand. Creating customs and themes inside the team strengthens the bond between members. These customs, which can include anything from a weekly team meeting to a monthly celebration of accomplishments or a shared lunch, foster continuity and solidarity that go beyond the daily responsibilities. They also help to ensure alignment. The sense of unity grows when every person feels appreciated and included. By embracing the strength of unity, we strengthen our resistance to impending problems and improve the culture at work.

Working with diverse engagements over more than couple of decades for me(and may be some of you would also have same feeling) with overwhelming growth of technology and never ending newer inventions, the end of it what mattered most is our "Fellow workers", "Humanity" and "Team". That's why we see more success when a Team focuses on collective success and not the individual ones and this depends on trust, commitment and accountability and that's what differentiate a Good team Vs Great team.

Yikes! This a big one for me, as I’ve seen it happen at almost every agency I’ve worked at in the past. Ensuring that everyone on the team is held to same standard fosters an environment of fairness and respect, which, in turn, boosts morale and encourages every team member to contribute their best. When employees perceive that their efforts are recognized and valued equally, it mitigates feelings of resentment and competition, paving the way for collaboration and a collective pursuit of the company’s goals. Moreover, fair treatment and equal workload distribution help in minimizing burnout and job dissatisfaction, leading to higher retention rates and a positive company culture. The moral of the story: treasure your great employees, and remove those not up to the task so the great ones can continue to flourish and grow. 🤔💡 #AgencyInsights #BeBetter

**🌟 Celebrating Monthly Celebration This month, we are dedicating ourselves to enhancing collaboration, strengthening connections, and fostering a culture of teamwork and mutual support. In today's dynamic work environment, effective coordination and strong relationships are the pillars of success. 🤝 Our Goals for the Month. Engaging in fun and meaningful activities to strengthen bonds. 2. Encouraging open dialogue and feedback to ensure everyone feels heard and valued. 3. Fostering collaboration across different teams to share knowledge and expertise. 4. Highlighting and celebrating the contributions of team members. Throughout this month, we’ll be sharing tips, success stories, and insights on how to build and maintain strong professional relationships. #Teamwork #Collaboration #RelationshipBuilding #WorkplaceCulture #SuccessTogether