Ever had an employee come to you and say they need motivation? I liken it to a child who whines, “Dad, I’m bored.” If you’re a successful entrepreneur the chances of you being bored for more than a minute with anything – are slim at best. But unfortunately most employees still need some form of motivation. I guess when you consider that they don’t own the company and do not have the same level of vision and hope that you have for it, we can begin to get their drift.
Take a look at your employees, whilst I don’t believe in pigeon-holing, it can be advantageous to work out just whom you believe belongs where:
a) Employees who perform efficiently and deliver the best results. These are Keepers.
b) Employees with potential but perform just up to par. These are Potentials.
c) Employees who waste time, lack emotional involvement and do not contribute. These are Replaceables.
To motivate keepers and the potentials, we need to increase their awareness of the company – it’s vision, its plans and what it means to them. Let them know what is expected of them and keep them in tune with the growth and progress of the company. Some employers think that paying their staff a good salary is enough, but if you really want to get your people involved and giving you all they’ve got, your staff will need motivation.
Here are just a few of the things we do at 10X:
1. HIRING. Make sure that person is someone who is interested in becoming involved and in advancement. You want the Keepers and the Potentials, not those Replaceables who are just in it for the money and will not give you much in return. You know the type, slow to get moving in the morning and first to leave at night. Rewards, bonuses and incentives are good but if you haven’t got the right people in the first place then no amount of motivation will get these people moving.
2. WORKING ATMOSPHERE: Think about the tasks your employees have to perform and about what sort of environment would best encourage work performance. If you are in a factory music may be a stimulation, if you are in an office it may well be a distraction. Talk to your employees about their ideas, whatever you decide make sure your working environment is clean, friendly and has everything workers need to get the job done properly and increase productivity.
3. PARTICIPATION: Get your staff involved, often they will come up with some great cost saving ideas, new product concepts and other improvements within the business. Involving your staff is motivating your staff, because everyone likes to feel a part of something. Being kept in the dark and fed the proverbial – that’s only for mushrooms.
4. SOCIALISATION: Let loose – activities can create friendship and harmony among employees. Think about holding an annual Family Day, Christmas party, Team-building activities or Sports day. On a lesser scale regular team meeting that tell everybody what has been happening and what is going to happen all works towards building team motivation.
5. RECOGNITION: Let’s face it, people love a bit of recognition. Whether it’s employee of the month, the greatest achievement award, the best customer service person or any other accolade, a reward system for the employees can do wonders for a company. Bonuses and incentives can be anything from certificates to cash, appliances to holidays and scholarships to promotions.
Staff motivation is critical to the company’s advancement so it is something that the employer must understand and practice. The company’s development relies heavily on the kind of employees it hires. Thus, having top employees (Keepers and Potentials) can help propel the company into the big league in no time.
