|
Home / Business / Small Business
Top Ten Ways to Motivate Your Employees As You Go
By:Martin Haworth
Rather than, 'We're doing Motivation today', making your place being a great place to work, it becomes a whole lot easier.
Yes, there is a place for those external 'raft-builds', 'away days' and 'paintballing'! Get them in context; there is work to do up front to leverage those experiences and get the best value from them. Just build great relationships in your business or organisation, one-to-one - then have the fun day out and grow even more!
"Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top ups." Peter Davies
So a 'people-focused' way of being in your business generates motivation permanently and ongoing.
1. Start at the Beginning
You can't motivate people to get excited if the core basics aren't right. So you have to get the financial reward appropriate. Then you have to ensure that working conditions are right. How? Ask your people if they are! Example? Folks don't feel motivated if they are cold.
2. Dig Deeper
Apart from the basics, there is another level you have to get just right. How they are feeling. This is where it gets a bit more challenging. You have to ask them about this too. By creating the right sort of trusting and encouraging open relationships with them that they feel comfortable to tell you. This is about how you go about it. Big, important actions for you.
3. Fix It!
To motivate your people the 'hygiene factors' have to be sorted out first. That's your job and you can't afford to miss anything. Nor can you start doing the smart stuff till you get this lot right. You can't super-enthuse your team if you are not personally connecting with them at a high level.
4. Moving On
Get all the basics sorted out, create feedback loops to ensure that you find out those little irritations for them early, and create the ongoing and open atmosphere. You can't rush this stuff though - if you do, it won't work.
5. It's Personal
Now you can get to the individual. Right now you have 'comfortable' people in a trusting and helpful workplace. Here's where you have to build your personal relationships with individuals. There no quick way around this. Get to know what turns them on, one by one. Understand their strengths and preferences - and the bits they love about their work. Give them more of it!
6. Become Emotional
By giving them more of what they want to do, they will be ready for more. And you can create that for them. Stretch and challenge them - build their confidence. People get motivated when they are excited. They get excited by being confident and looking forward to their work.
7. Ask Them 1
Now we are on a new level. So here's the thing - to find out what your people need more of in their working life, you need to ask them. 'What else do you need to get more from your work?' Find out how you can help them.
8. Ask Them 2
This is a bit trickier. You can't ask them this. Observe what it is that you do, in your interactions with them, that gives them a buzz. Because it will be different for everyone, you will have to use a bit of trial and error here. You need to work this out for yourself.
9. Things Like..
Saying 'Thank you'; encouragement; personal coaching; laughter; resources; physical help; conversation; touching base; actions; celebration; rewards; praise; acknowledgement; (private and public); standing up for them. There are lots more and to be honest, everyone is different. That's why motivation is so challenging. But it's also why you are the boss - because it's your job to deliver this.
10. What Happened To..
The raft building/paintballing/away days? Well, motivation kicks in here at the very highest level. You can really motivate your people with these exercises. Use them before you've got the basics right and you won't get a return. This is where it often goes wrong. And when it does, it's like pouring petrol on a fire to put it out - it makes things a whole lot worse. Don't chose this wrong level as an 'easy' option too soon.
Remember - people want to have fun; enjoy themselves; feel successful at work. Creating the culture that works for you and them is the best step-by-step you can take.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: motivate, motivation, team, success, culture, workplace
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
© 2005 Martin Haworth is a writer, trainer and business and management Coach. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.
|
|
| Top Small Business Articles |
- 1). Taking Business Phone for Granted By : Kingston Amadan
Located in Manhattan, my company occupies a small space in the basement of a upper east side brownstone. Because the space is so limited, we store our servers and phone equipment in the boiler room. I know what you're thinking, and you're absolutely right. It's not a good idea to put your most expensive equipment in a tiny room that feels like the foyer to hell.
|
|
|
- 3). Small businesses main problem? They need more customers. By : W. Dave Free
In September of 2005 our company sponsored a survey of small businesses in the service areas. The purpose of the survey was to ask the business owners, many of them franchise owners, what their significant business hurdles were. The key areas of the survey were customers, growth, technology and research, and employees. You can see the complete results at http://seedsofgrowth.
|
- 4). Preparing Your Business for a Bird Flu Pandemic By : Bird Flu
How would your business operate if half your work force were out sick? Would your business continue to function if several of your top key employees died? How many employees are cross-trained in other positions?
A recent study showed the threat that most preoccupies the world's business leaders is a global influenza pandemic. This is why you need to start asking these questions now so your business can be prepared for a possible bird flu pandemic.
|
- 5). Phone Sales not Ready to Yeild to the Internet By : Kingston Amadan
There is no question that the internet has revolutionized business. Many people are not only paying their bills online, but also ordering products and services at an ever expanding rate as well. Businesses with a web presence have opened themselves up to new market where many consumers take advantage of the ease of shopping from pages visually no different from a catalog.
|
- 6). Small Business Computer Consulting: Additional Qualifications for the Sweet Spot By : Joshua Feinberg
To find the ideal clientele for your small business computer consulting, you want to target small businesses by their number of PC's, (10 to 50) as well as their revenue. Generally, companies that have anywhere from 1 million to 10 million in revenue are the sweet spot of small business computer consulting. In this article, you'll learn why you should target this type of business.
|
|
|
|
|
- 9). New Vending Machines – Where And How To Buy Them By : Peter Crump
When you purchase new vending machines, you are getting the latest models with all the bells and whistles that make them attractive to customers. However, you do have to look for the cheapest prices so that you can save as much money as possible in the investment of getting started in the vending machine business. This is one of the businesses that is easy to get started with and you can determine the type and number of vending machines you do want to start with.
|
|
|
| New Small Business Articles |
|
|
- 2). How to Choose a Watch Wholesaler By : Dustin Cannon
Choosing a watch wholesaler is not quite as easy as it may sound. Sure, you could just find a company that offers this service and get started. But do you really want to take the chance of getting mixed up with the wrong people?
|
|
|
|
|
- 5). Reasons Why Home Businesses Fail By : Terence Young
The decision to start a home business can often be one of excitement and promise. There are many reasons why people start a home based business but to fail is not one of them.5 Reasons Why Home Businesses Fail
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
