Developing The Human: Erik Mendoza Invests In His People Through Various Initiatives, And Here’s Why
When you come across businesses, the first thing that comes to mind usually isn’t ‘I wonder how the team members are taken care of?’ But Erik Mendoza, Chief Executive Officer at Solar Panel Guide, is here to change that. Read on to learn about his initiatives.
The term corporate culture has grown to inherently somewhat of a bad reputation due to the way employees are treated in companies. More likely than not, increasing profit is at the forefront of most business leaders’ minds which can lead to a toxic workplace if team members are undervalued, unprioritized, and overworked. When this happens, it affects the entire company. And without a thriving and committed team, a business is setting itself up for failure.
Workplace culture is a powerful aspect that can make or break any business. With 94% of managers agreeing that a positive workplace culture creates a resilient team, it’s the evident route to take. And yet, there are still so many businesses lacking on this front.
That’s where Erik Mendoza comes in with his company Solar Panel Guide. As Chief Executive Officer, Mendoza and his team are on a mission to reduce homeowners’ monthly energy bills with the implementation of solar energy solutions. But the company’s mission starts from the inside: the team members. What makes the company unique is the time spent developing its team. Even though they are small in number, they have built a strong foundation that allows them to outsell, outperform, and outlast larger companies.
It’s not every day you come across a business with the core value of fostering a driven work environment, and at Solar Panel Guide, that’s exactly what they stand for.
Mendoza does more than just show up for his team in a positive way, he incorporates various initiatives to ensure his people are looked out for and taken care of. He not only wants to see the success of his business but also the success of his team.
For Mendoza, it’s “about helping people, helping the customer, and living life in the service of the client so they can have the best experience possible,” he emphasizes. But part of helping people involves more than just the client side of a business.
To ensure his team is set up for growth, he dedicates the majority of his time to teaching and mentoring. Each and every day, Mendoza runs a thirty-minute meeting at 8 am for his team, which he refers to as his people. The meetings are in place to discuss aspects of the company’s training program which includes lessons on solar and selling from an online University. As well as an assigned book of the month dedicated to growth.
“What we do is sales training, of course, but a big part of any sales organization is the human element, so we spend a lot of time developing the human. So, for example, basic things like making your bed in the morning, brushing your teeth, waking up early, and all these little micro wins that you're stacking throughout the day give you momentum. It's a bigger win throughout the day,” Mendoza discusses.
Developing the human means dedicating time, energy, and focus to yourself. Whether that be through positive affirmations or daily goal setting, prioritizing your personal life will only add to your work life. Something Mendoza strongly believes in.
He also holds a 10 am meeting every day to go over other aspects of what is required for the job and further meetings dedicated to sales training, future pacing, mindset training, and more.
“In this line of work, with a lot of money, it's easy to fall down the devil's path,” he explains, and “I don't want my team to acquire massive levels of success, but not have the foundation to support it and have it crumble like a house of cards.” From personal experience, Mendoza has made it a goal to look after each one of his people to safeguard them from facing a similar situation.
“It's really important for them to be based and grounded so they can build on that foundation,” Mendoza continues, something you rarely ever hear from the management level.
It will feel almost impossible to flourish in other areas of your life if the most important one is being neglected. And Mendoza realizes this and is taking every step possible to support his team.
“Everything starts from developing the human because when you develop the human, everything else will follow. So now instead of employees, you also have an organization full of leaders. And that's how we can soar and fly,” he emphasizes.
When asked what he values most about the industry he’s in, he responded passionately.
“The fact that I get to impact people,” he replies. A life led by purpose is a life worth living, and Mendoza is on a purpose-driven mission to help his people the best he can.
To learn more about Erik Mendoza’s initiatives to make a positive mark on the world, follow him on LinkedIn and take a look at his company Solar Panel Guide here.
