Hi Edwina,
Thank you for asking a question that I think every business owner has asked at some point or another asked. The first place to start is to ask:
- Do I know what motivates them? Sometimes it can be as easy as asking them, “What floats your boat?” We are all different and a lot of managers guess what their staff need rather than just ask.
- Do I include them in the business? It can be easy to ignore the ambition of our team when we are caught up in being busy. Ask them how they would make it a better business. Use some of their ideas. People become empowered when they are included and their opinions are valued.
- Have them take over the staff incentive scheme. Get them to come up what they want to do; what motivates them etc.
- Have FUN morning meetings. If you’re not the FUN type (nothing wrong with that – we’re all different) then get the FUN person in the team to run a “Today’s Challenge” meeting before you start the day. It can be a fun way to get everyone focused.
- If you find it hard to motivate your entire team on a regular basis, either do some Management Training to see of you can offer them something different or change the team. If NOTHING changes then NOTHING changes!
An effective business community is two fold – how it serves the individual and how the individual serves the business. The greatest success for all parties is when both parts are served equally. Remember to explain to your team what you need from them as well. Most people LOVE making a contribution and sometimes all they need is to be asked. Have FUN!
