How to Motivate Employees for Better Business Results

As an entrepreneur coach, my clients have one challenge in common: how to get the most out of their staff.
My clients are concerned about the lack of motivation, low productivity and lack of commitment in their staff.

Whether you are a boss, business owner or manager, you are responsible for achieving results and business success.
To achieve, you need productive, trustworthy and committed staff. 
In an ideal world, every staff member will be accountable, taking full responsibility for their role in achieving business success.
In reality, this is often not the case.

Managing people is the most important part of your job.
It can also be the most difficult.
To build an enthusiastic team, you need to lead, motivate, inspire and encourage people.

You can learn to be a good manager, but you need to take matters into your own hands.
As a starting point, do you step back to assess what you’re doing?
What can you do differently?
Recognising where you can do better is a crucial first step.

Here are some tools to help you do that.

Plan A – because there shouldn’t be a Plan B 

Sally’s formula

Think about Sally, your top sales performer. She’s a vibrant woman who rakes in the sales and exudes enthusiasm and attracts success. She’s a joy to watch, and a rare, precious asset in your business. How can you channel her high-driving power and commitment into the rest of your staff?

Hire higher

Advertising mogul David Ogilvy would give each new office head a set of Russian nesting dolls as a gift.
At the center was a note that read: “If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”

In other words: hire people who are greater than you.

What would happen to your business if you only hired staff who are capable performers, productive, self sufficient and excellent people managers?
Staff that make you check your t’s behind closed doors and after work…

Be aligned

Humanitarians and social workers do what they do because they want to and because the job aligns with their own purpose.
People work more effectively when they are doing what they want to do, not what they have to do.

If you hire people whose personal motivation aligns with your business objectives, you’ll build teams of enthusiastic, motivated people.

Break down the barriers

People remain focused when they are working without barriers, in a space that generates energy and enthusiasm. If you remove barriers, you can create the right environment for your effective performers to thrive. In this way you can encourage people to do work that is right for them and in turn contribute to your business success.

Coaching

Even if you’re not a coach, you can apply coaching techniques to help you motivate and enthuse your staff.
Just like a sports game, your team are the players; you are their coach and supporter.
In this role, you can offer clear feedback because you can see the full picture of what’s happening in the game. 
This will equip the players with the knowledge they need to win the game.

If you are involved and spend time with your staff, authentically caring for and encouraging them, acknowledging and recognizing their needs, wants and challenges, you can build the foundations of a strong, enthusiastic team.
You can then set goals, define strategies and take action that will drive your staff to achieve the rewards for helping your business succeed.

Reap the rewards

The most crucial step in gaining peak performance from your staff is to recognize them for their potential and their achievements.
Praise them when they succeed.
Incentivize and encourage engagement and give continuous feedback.
Doing this will help your staff feel they are mastering their worlds.
A mastered staff member oozes enthusiasm, generating more business, happier customers and more profits.

Goal!

Tony Robbins says:
“The size of the hero is determined by the size of the evil they struggle against.”
Great leaders develop through adversity.
They are flexible when times change.
They stand up and persevere. As the rules change, times can get tough.
The most difficult times can be your time to shine.  

You’ve now built up your team.
The next step is to acknowledge you.
You are now the leader that inspires positive change, enthusing and empowering your staff.
It may have been a challenging journey that took you into a different territory, but with the results you’ve achieved, you’ll know it was well worth the effort.

Now go on holiday and know your business is not just in good hands but making money whilst you enjoy the beach.

Edited, as published in leading business journal ASA February 2012.