My Great Aunt Kitty had 16 children and they adored her.
I imagine it had something to do with her affectionate way, as well as her ability to provide stability, despite having each day inevitably present new challenges.
Family folklore says Aunt Kitty adhered to three habits that she was quick to share with new mothers:
- Sweep the kitchen floor every night before you go to bed.
- Always have a full gallon of milk in the refrigerator.
- Bake a chocolate cake every day.
Leaders,
With each day presenting new challenges, consider how you can offer stability to your team.
· Have Standards - Be clear with all on your ways of working. Align on standard business processes that are definable, repeatable and predictable. This way when change is needed, your leaders can quickly agree on what you need to stop, start and continue.
· Ensure Everything Works - Insist on the daily maintenance of your systems and monitoring of your processes including staying caught up with security patches and quality improvements. This way your innovative thinkers won't be hindered by the limitations of your infrastructure when faced with a new challenge.
· Show Appreciation - Daily demonstrate your affection to those with whom you spend most days, even when you are exhausted and feeling stress yourself. It can be as simple as a sincere smile, a genuine compliment or a "liking" their post.
When you make a daily effort to promote stability and show your team you are there for them, they will be there for you, no matter what comes.
Great Aunt Kitty's Chocolate Cake and Frosting provided by her daughter Kathy Gerrits
Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients
-2 cups white sugar
-2 eggs-1/2 cup lard
-1 cup sour milk - to make milk sour add about 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the milk and stir.
-2 tsp of baking soda
-2 1/2 cups of flour
-3 T Hershey's Cocoa
-1 t vanilla
-1 cup cold water
Mix the sugar, eggs and lard together in large mixing bowl. Put baking soda in the cup of sour milk and stir holding the cup over the mixing bowl because it will foam over the cup and into the mixing bowl. If it doesn't foam, add a little more vinegar to the sour milk. Pour sour milk into mixing bowl and mix. Add flour, Hershey's Cocoa, vanilla and water and mix. Put in greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 to 35 mins or until you when you insert a toothpick into cake and it comes out clean.
Chocolate Frosting
Melt 1 stick of butter (1/cup)
Stir in 1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
Mix in 1/2 cup milk
1 t vanilla
Key Points:
- In times of change, leaders who provide structure, consistency, and appreciation foster emotional stability and performance within teams.
- Implementing clear standards, system reliability, and daily appreciation creates a culture where teams thrive—even during uncertainty.