Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Employee Motivation
http://bit.ly/wpkO49
I often get questions about motivating employees. My overall belief is, “you can’t motivate anyone to do anything, just give them an opportunity to motive themselves”. That being said what do you do to give them an opportunity to motivate themselves?
As a business owner, you don't want employees who are only motivated to perform well so they can win a ‘prize”. You want employees who are motivated to perform well every day, no matter what carrot you're dangling in front of them. What you really need is a team of employees who are emotionally invested in your company. A feeling of ownership. To cultivate that, you need family support.
No amount of job awards can out-influence the home front. You can offer praise and gifts left and right, but you won't see much improvement in your employees performance if she goes home to a partner who says, "How much longer are you going to work there if you’re not happy?"
Please don’t mis-understand, I'm not suggesting that your employees need to have a love affair at work. It's just that the men and women your employees go home to at night that have the power to motivate (or de-motivate) far better and faster than you could.
Here's the key to winning over an employee's family: Start from day one. The first thing your newly hired staff member will likely hear from a significant other when he gets home is, "How was your first day?" If he spent it mostly filling out a three-foot stack of forms, ordering his own business cards and eating lunch alone, he might rightfully answer: "Lousy." His better half will quickly get down on your company, too, and hardly encourage the top-notch performance you want to see.
There's a full-proof way to get employees—and their loved ones at home—excited about working for your company from day one. First, really make them feel welcome. We want to be liked and accepted. Start a new employee program at your company. Have all employees (depending on the size of your organization) make a point through out that first day to stop and say hello to the new employee and welcome them. I also really like the idea of a sign at the front door that says, “welcome Jane Smith We are glad you are here”. Additionally a welcome cake at lunch for all to stop by and enjoy is a great idea as well.
So, what happens if your new recruit comes home with a great story about his amazing first day? His better half will realize the opportunity he has—and she'll become the ultimate motivator, rather than detractor.
Keep in mind, there are many definitions of family. Your new employee may be single (or soon to be). It's your mission to find out who makes up his or her support system and give accordingly—perhaps a gift card for a night out with pals or a matinee with Mom.
When your employees hear daily words of encouragement from their closest confidantes like, "I can't believe how lucky you are to be working for that guy!" their motivation rises to levels you've never tapped before. It's worked for me in all of my companies. And even if you can't afford more than a home-baked cake or thank-you card, giving your new employees a best first day ever is the key to keeping them motivated for years to come.
There are so many statistics about when your employees feel good about working for you, the better and more productive employees they are. We spend lots of money to recruit, and hire a new team member. Lets not forget their value after they are hired.
Greta Schulz is Sales Consultant for Businesses and Entrepreneurs. For more Sales Training Tips and Tools or to ask Greta a question that may appear in a future column go to http://SchulzBusiness.com or email greta@schulzbusiness.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
