Is your workplace the tops?

Employees have the chance to spotlight the businesses that succeeded during this challenging year in a way that would earn them the title of Top Workplaces.

It’s no secret that it’s been a tough year for many Hampton Roads businesses.

Some shut down completely. Some had to reduce employee hours and lay off workers as they tried to survive during the coronavirus pandemic.

And some, even ones struggling in an extraordinarily tough time, took extra measures to make their employees feel valued. Now, employees have the chance to spotlight the businesses that succeeded during this challenging year in a way that would earn them the title of Top Workplaces.

The yearly recognition program is now accepting nominations for the 2021 edition. Employees can nominate their

workplace through an online survey that takes five minutes to complete.

It’s important that employees have a voice in recognizing their businesses, said Marianne Walker, director of media sales for Virginia Media, parent company of Inside Business,

The Virginian-Pilot, the Daily Press and other publications.

“I’m a big believer that our employees are everything,” Walker said. “We’re family, and as an organization, they’re our brand.”

The confidential, 24-question survey asks about topics like employee compensation, company leaders and whether employees feel valued.

Each participating company also receives a free summary of its survey results, so leaders can know what’s working and what needs to be fixed.

“They can take it back and continue to improve internally,” Walker said.

Last year, 363 organizations were invited to participate and 40 were surveyed. Inside Business received responses from more than 3,000 area employees.

The national independent research firm Energage conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 55 markets and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 7,000 organizations in the past year.

Any Hampton Roads organization — including public and private companies, nonprofits and government agencies — with 35 or more employees can participate.

Employees can access the survey online at insidebiz.com/Topworkplaces or call 757-612-4309. Event registration is free.

The deadline for nominations is April 2. Winners will be recognized in a fall issue of Inside Business.

One of the most valuable attributes of a good business professional and leader is to be able to control emotional outbursts, to maximize your credibility and respect, and to maintain your own health.

Commit to the following strategies to keep cool: 1. Train yourself to always look for positives. Optimistic business leaders see value in every new business challenge, rather than stress and risk. 2. Write down your top 5 core values and review them often. Pressure and emotion in business is often an indication of core value conflicts. Once you see and understand the conflict, it’s easier to make a decision, respond rationally, or simply remove yourself from the role.

3. Create a short to-do list at the beginning of each day.

4. Never schedule more than 80 percent of your time.

5. Put more focus on building the right relationships. Find time in your work schedule for networking, where you can test your ideas, learn, and generate support.

6. Define a clear break between work and private activities.

Practice a ritual, such as a cup of coffee with a peer, to define your workday beginning, and maybe tea with your spouse to reset to family time. Use the transition to reset stress pressures and emotions.

7. Take satisfaction from wins to balance against setbacks.

8. Maintain at least one non-work passion for energy balance.

Emotional outbursts and losing one’s cool are often indicative of burnout.