Employee motivation is important when management is looking to meet the company’s goals. This is especially important when wanting to achieve higher levels of output. Watch an enthralling talk by Cheryl Ferguson, music clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor, on motivating people to excellence. Delivered with great energy and passion and filled with insights that you can easily translate into work and life. But don’t just take our word for it, give the video below a watch and get ready to be inspired. We were so inspired, we developed 4 steps you can build on to create your own personalised strategy to motivate your employees.
Step 1: Define a vision
People can accomplish amazing things when they have a clearly defined vision. With vision, people are able to put into place exact steps to take in order to reach their goal. Without this clarity, people will venture aimlessly not knowing whether they are making any progress and, therefore, slowly lose motivation and feel that the task is hopeless.
Step 2: Give employees the resources they want and need
You wouldn’t eat your soup with a fork, so why would you expect an under-resourced employee to perform? Lack of resources is a common and often overseen, barrier to progress. Resources could be money, personnel, time and support. If you are unsure about what you’re lacking, don’t be afraid to ask your employees.
Step 3: Communicate effectively
Often when communicating, something goes wrong. We say one thing which gets misinterpreted, leading to misunderstandings, frustrations and conflict. What you need to consider is the intentions and emotions behind the shared information, as people tend to pick up on non-verbal messages. One also needs to listen in a way that ensures the person speaking feels that they were heard and understood or validated. Effective communication goes beyond the mere act of exchanging information.
Step 4: Recognise progress
Don’t just extend hollow gestures of recognition, like “good job” or “nice work on that task”. Be specific with your compliments. It can give more depth to them and make employees feel that you truly recognise their efforts.
In the talk below on motivation, Cheryl Ferguson provides the perfect anecdote in her talk that sums this idea up, “… if you say something like the way you played that note at the end of the second movement made my heart flutter and it took me back to the moment I saw my son, Nate, for the first time. Their eyes get wide and they say: well, thank you, excellent!”
Understanding and implementing these steps in your organisation can help you deepen your employees’ connection to your business as well as build greater mutual trust and respect.
