Employee Motivation QuickTips

Imagine with me for a moment what it would be like to have your employees or team members come into work each day bursting with excitement and enthusiasm about the workday ahead.

Imagine what it would be like to work in an electric environment with new thoughts and ideas constantly jumping around the office.

Imagine, my friend, what it would be like to work within a group that has a vision, a dream about the future of the company and is motivated to make it happen.

This doesn't have to be a daydream - you can take steps today to make it happen.

Education
The first step in the process is to create or maintain a program that constantly educates your employees about the latest trends, techniques, and methods available in your industry.

This will satisfy one of the strongest needs a human being has - growth. If we don't feel that we are growing - as employees, as fathers/mothers and husbands/wives, as people - we will feel that we are dying. People need to grow in order to work at their peak levels.

There are countless resources out there to help you complete the first step. Purchasing books or having others compile their books to create a work library is an excellent way to educate your people.

You can also send your team members to live seminars or workshops. While these can be more expensive, they can deliver a much higher return. Industry newsletters, magazines, etc. are a quick and easy way to keep your people growing without spending a great deal.

Lastly, one of the most effective methods to educating your employees or team members is to learn the information yourself and share it with power and passion. To be a great leader, you have to be willing to know your industry inside and out before you can expect your people to do the same.

Let the Ideas be Heard
This step is crucial. Millions of dollars are spent each year to further the education of employees, but upon returning to their companies, the ideas are soon forgotten. The investment was a waste.

You have to create an atmosphere in which the new ideas your people learn are valued and shared. You have to gather your people together and ask them about what they're learned and how they feel their ideas could improve the company.

Don't let the information you or your company just spent a great deal of money on be lost. If you don't make use of the ideas, you are simply wasting your and your employee's time. There is success in new information, but you are the one who has to bring it to the surface.

Put the Ideas into Action
The last stage is action. While not every new idea or gem of information will pan out, recognize and test the ideas that you feel may improve the company. This is important for two reasons.

First, the company will profit through new ideas. This is the most obvious benefit of educated employees, but it doesn't end here. While the company will improve in the short-term because of the new information, it will succeed in the long-term because of the type of employees constant education creates.

When an employee feels that he or she is needed, productivity will skyrocket. Think about how you would feel if you went to a seminar on reducing employee turnover and returned to your company without once being asked about what you learned. You were excited about the chance to grow, learned some really useful ideas that would fit well with your company, and then poof - everything you have done is wasted.

What a different situation it would be had the boss or supervisor eagerly awaited your return, anxious to tap your mind and hang on your every word. You would feel needed, important, and like an integral part of your company.

Feelings like these would drive every employee to do whatever they could to make the company better.

If your employees already have the opportunity to grow on a consistent basis, keep it going strong and follow the latter two steps. If not, get started today. The faster you satisfy the needs of your employees, the faster they will work to satisfy yours.