Motivating Your Team to Success
By Paul Montelongo
What does it take to motivate your employees to perform better, be more productive and have a happier existence in your company? The first and most popular response is GIVE 'EM A RAISE. Sure money talks, "but it don't sing and it don't dance and it don't walk", so the song goes, I think.
If you want your employees to sing and dance for your company, give them what they want. What do employees want most in order for them to be happy and satisfied in their job? A recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota revealed that an increase in wages was actually fifth on the list of things employees desire most. That's right, fifth.
I won't keep you in suspense. Number four on the list was "Job Security". Number three was "Sympathetic Help with Personal Problems". Number two was "Feeling In On Things", and as you play the drum roll in your mind, the biggest determining factor that contributes to employee satisfaction is "Full Appreciation of Work Done".
If you take a close look at the survey results, they seem to indicate that relationship issues far outweigh financial issues. In fact the first three results in the survey are clearly relationship-oriented factors. In order to motivate and inspire your employees to succeed in your company it take vigilance and creativity.
Here is my top ten list for motivating your employees to perform at peak levels, consistently.
1. Be flexible. Be grateful. Thank You is such a simple phrase that is overlooked and under used. Rigidity is not a very attractive quality when trying to motivate your employees to perform. Give a little and you will get a lot.
2. Appreciate and acknowledge your team. Regular expressions of gratitude and praise are a requirement to keep your team happy and engaged. When asked, most employees require specific praise and appreciation two or three times a week. Oh, by the way, the acknowledgement should be sincere.
3. Think of your team as a team, not employees. Can you imagine Phil Jackson calling his players employees? I mean after all, they are employees of the Laker franchise. If you want your employees to play like a team, then start thinking of them as team players and call them your team.
4. Make the vision of success clear for your team. A clearly stated set of goals and the big picture of the direction of your company is essential to your employees. They need to know what they are working toward. That means that you must know what you are working toward.
5. Set challenging goals for your team. Lay out a clear set of attainable goals for individuals on your team. Have team goals also. These goals should encourage your team members to stretch a little out of their comfort zone. When they reach their goals, remember to praise and acknowledge.
6. Focus on the strengths of your team. Each member of your team has specific strengths and personality traits. Let your people work with their strengths. When people work with their strong traits, they expend less energy and get more done.
7. Give your team regular, constructive feedback. Your team needs to know how they are doing. Follow this simple rule. Encourage, encourage, and encourage. When an issue arises, ask your employee how the two of you, together, can work through the challenge. Feedback should be direct and measurable, so that both of you know exactly when an issue is resolved.
8. Allow them to fail and to grow. What would have happened if your parents quit on you the first, second or third time you didn't respond to your potty training? Sometimes you have to be persistent in training your team members so that it prevents a mess in the future.
9. Let your team help you. Delegate. OK, all you control freaks out there are squirming in your chairs, I know. The fact is that you will get more accomplished when you give away some of your power and delegate to your team. Train them and they won't disappoint you. (see point #8)
10. Let your team grow and let them go. It is like rearing children. When they fly away from the nest and become productive members of society, you know you have done your job. Train your team with the mentality that your want them to spread their wings and fly on their own.
Until next time, may you prosper when managing your team to success.
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