Get All Access for $5/mo

Keeping Your Team Connected and Productive Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Georgene Huang and Romy Newman, Co-Founders of Fairygodboss, about managing and connecting with remote employees.

By Nicole Walters

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

What decisions helped some businesses survive and thrive during the pandemic? Nicole Walters, founder and CEO of Inherit Learning Company and star of USA Network's She's The Boss, asked Georgene Huang and Romy Newman, co-founders of Fairygodboss, what they did to keep their company functioning during these tough times.

"First, we just started talking to everybody. And more important than talking, listening," answered Huang. She and Newman reached out individually to all 50 of the company's employees with no other agenda other than checking in to see how they were doing. In doing so, they were able to see just how much outside stress their employees were dealing with, from homeschooling to elder caregiving challenges, and were able to make adjustments to their workloads and schedules to keep them productive without burning out.

The calls also gave Newman insights into her pre-pandemic managerial style. "I didn't realize how much I relied on non-verbal communication as a manager before," she explains. Whether it was a friendly smile in the hallway or someone looking tense at their computer, she says she had a much better grasp of how team members were feeling. "I feel like the rug was pulled out from under us in terms of seeing how people are doing, so it is very important to be deliberate about checking in with team members through video chats."

Besides providing a barometer of team members' mental health, constant communication also helped signal to employees that the co-founders were doing everything in their power to control every aspect of the business that could be controlled during this uncertain time. "We focused on sharing our business results, staying close to our customers, investing in product and technology at a time when sales and revenue were out of our control," says Huang. "And we made sure that everyone at the company zoned in on the top three things they had going on." Being able to focus on goals that were attainable, she says, helped all members feel more secure about the future.

Nicole Walters

Founder & CEO Inherit Learning Company and Star of “She’s The Boss” on USA Network

Nicole Walters is a former top-selling corporate exec who quit her six-figure sales job in front of 10,000 people, took what she knew and built a million-dollar business in one short year. Walters is the Founder & CEO InheritLearning.com and star of She’s The Boss. All episodes of She’s The Boss are available now on USANetwork.com and the USA Network app.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

More from Prepare to Succeed

Succeed by Staying Flexible in Business

Building Confidence While Building Your Business

How to Use Technology to Keep Your Teams Connected

How to Find the Right People to Power Your Small Business

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer

Jacob Shaidle launched his barbecue cleaning business Shaidle Cleaning in 2021 when he was just 15.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Says This Is the One Question to Ask Before Selling Your Home

Barbara Corcoran sold The Corcoran Group in 2001 for $66 million.

Starting a Business

This Ex-CIA Officer's Near-Death Experience Inspired Her to Start a Business That's Earning Over 8 Figures a Year: 'I Have a Higher Risk Tolerance Than Most'

Emily Hikade, founder and CEO of luxury sleepwear and home company Petite Plume, had an unconventional path to entrepreneurship.

Marketing

Why The 'Freeze to Death' Collaboration Between Liquid Death and Plunge Tubs Might Be The Collab of The Year — And What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From It

Edgy, unconventional and highly shareable content is why this might be one of the coolest brand collaborations of the year.

Business News

Google Says It Won't Follow Amazon's Lead With a Return-to-Office Mandate — Yet

In a town hall, Google leaders told staff the current hybrid plan will stay in place.

Life Hacks

5 Work Ethic Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Elite Athletes

If you want to learn the keys to success, champion athletes offer ideal lessons.