(Excerpted from the Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business) It’s been almost thirty years since I first started learning about visioning in the context of workplace leadership. At the time that I heard about it, I can’t say I was particularly open to the concept. I don’t think it came up in any sort really formal way—it was likely more just hearing about it from people like my partner Paul and others around me who had some experience working with it. At best I was probably moderately receptive, and more than likely, almost actively resistant at first.

As Jack Stack says, “One of the challenges in leadership is you need to know when to push, when to hug, when to cheer, when to boo, and when to kick people in the butt.” For any individual in a leadership role, there are endless responsibilities, people and tasks to keep in order. We've compiled a checklist of tips and questions to help our Great Game leaders reflect on their leadership styles and stay on track. Check out our best practices for GGOB leaders below!

If you are just getting started with The Great Game of Business, let me begin by saying that last year I was you: sitting in the audience at The Gathering of Games, at the beginning of our Great Game journey. Fast forward a year, and we are a 2018 All-Star Rookie of the Year finalist.

“Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen.” - Robert Van Winkle Amy’s Ice Creams is back with a brand-new invention. As open-book management businesses, we know that when we harness the wisdom of our team, stick to an empowering vision, and measure progress, no problem is too hard to solve. But ask yourself this, “what problems should your team focus on?” There is a plethora for company leadership to choose from, but sometimes the right issue is hard to find.

Everybody loves a great story. So what’s yours? The benefits of good storytelling ripple out from gaining exposure to new customers, partners, and even employees—all of whom may be inspired to join your cause. Your story should be part of your brand and, at a minimum, be part of your website. But you don’t have to stop there. You can also use your story to connect with the media, or as an internal tool to help on-board new employees to help them understand what your company culture is all about.

Business leaders often ask, “I know we need to keep people informed. But what kind of information do they really need?” I’ve been studying this issue for more than 30 years. Our research is pretty clear about what information people need to perform at their peak. There are five information categories:

I can’t remember a single piece of advice my grandfather gave me, but I recall very clearly that as a child he took the money his family collected from selling eggs to the bank, and walked into the middle of a bank robbery. I remember that when he was a young parent, his sons became lost in a cornfield and it took a search team to find them. And I remember that last summer, shortly before his 93rd birthday, he tried water skiing.

Workers want a good salary and other financial rewards, but non-financial rewards for employees may be just as important – sometimes more so – in encouraging employees to give their best effort. Through the years, open-book companies like New Belgium Brewing (a craft brewery located in Fort Collins, CO) and Tasty Catering (a full-service caterer out of Chicago, IL) have learned how to best incentivize and motivate employees in creative and meaningful ways — without merely handing out money.

The top three reasons people leave their jobs are these: lack of clear expectations, lack of recognition and lack of supervisor’s willingness to listen to them. Even if you don’t believe the numbers you hear, I believe we can all agree that the cost of replacing an employee is significant. In fact, it costs you anywhere between 2 and 4 times that employee’s salary. Needless to say, it is in most people’s best interest (at least financially) to decrease turnover.

“Can you help me?” a woman whispers during the intermission. “There’s a person in this room I despise so much that I can’t even look at him.” I inquire, “Do you want the ‘fix-it,’ approach, the easy-to-do-but-won’t-really-change-anything answer…or do you want the transformational, hard-to-do-but-I’m-serious-about-changing solution?” She’s desperate, and is ready to get past this barrier once and for all.