One of the common themes I commonly hear from business owners is around the concept of how to motivate employees. So many people feel that their employees just aren’t motivated, and if only they could figure out that puzzle, all would be well.
First things first… you really can’t motivate another person. They have to motivate themselves. They have to have their own “why”, and their own stake in the process. So where does that leave us? There are a couple of things you can do to help your people find their motivation.
The first, and most important is to communicate with them. Do you have conversations with them? Or if your company is large, do their supervisors and managers have conversations with the employees? Actually talking with each person can help you understand their “why” – or what motivates them. Get to know them a bit and find out what is important to them. Then, you can tie performance measures into a system that they will respond to.
Another reason that employers often feel that their employees aren’t motivated is due to the fact that the employee isn’t working towards any specific, measurable, key performance indicator, or KPI. If someone doesn’t know what they should be shooting for, it’s pretty hard to be successful. Again, in the conversation with your employees, discuss appropriate measures – what should they be focused on, how will they measure & track their progress and what are their targets? Once those are determined, check in with them periodically to provide encouragement and support.
Remember to do two simple things 1) Have a conversation with your employees to discover their why and 2) set out (ideally with their input) specific, measurable key performance indicators that are trackable throughout the year. You will be amazed and the newfound motivation you begin to see.
