Inspiring Greatness In Your Organization's Employees

 

One of the most important tasks you will face as a business owner is convincing employees to believe in your vision for the company and take ownership of their roles. A disengaged workforce can devastate a company's productivity and financial growth faster than almost any other factor.

Every day, the people you hire to be your company's hands and faces are out there representing you - either happily showcasing all the wonderful things about your company, or bringing it down with poor attitudes or a lack of enthusiasm.

So, how do you motivate those who work for you to be great? How do you foster a culture of inclusion, ownership, and high morale in the workplace?

Allow them the freedom to do things their own way.

There are no two people who are the same. We all approach problem solving and communication from a different perspective and with a different set of skills. When you require employees to only do things your way, you risk preventing them from doing their best work. You also prevent them from bringing to the table all of the unique skills and abilities that they possess.

Micromanaging employees is a surefire way to create workplace dissatisfaction. It not only adds to your already-overburdened plate, but it also subtly communicates to the people you've hired that you don't trust them to figure out how to do an exceptional job on their own.

However, if you did a thorough job vetting candidates when you first hired them, you should be able to trust them to do the job for which they were hired. Not only that, but you should be able to give them the freedom to develop in that role and approach their work in the way that best suits their personality and perspective.

If you hire a bubbly and vivacious client manager who enjoys small talk, don't make it a requirement for him or her to tone it down when speaking with clients. Perhaps you would not spend five minutes chit-chatting with a client before delving into the details of an overdue invoice or scheduling their next appointment, but that does not mean it is inappropriate for your employee to do so work that way.

Allowing them to bring their own voice and perspective to their tasks empowers them to take ownership of that role. Not only that, but they will be more likely to stay with your company in the long run because they will feel appreciated, needed, and invested. Assist them in learning and include them in company growth discussions. One of the quickest ways to alienate employees and drive them away from your company is to exclude them from conversations, procedure changes, and policy changes that directly affect the jobs they were hired to do. Forbes reports that "Employees want to make a difference. Allow them to participate in your company's innovative projects by allowing them to get their hands dirty.

Ideation is important, but being a part of bringing those ideas to life can be a more exciting and meaningful learning opportunity for your employees, inspiring them to perform... When given the right tools and resources, the best employees will challenge themselves to be more innovative in their work - and will perform better as a result. Focus on providing opportunities for your employees to increase their individual value while also serving the needs of the company." When you are given the opportunity to grow and develop an ownership perspective in your company, chances are you will eliminate the "I am just punching a timecard and then leaving" mentality that plagues so many workplaces. Display Your Appreciation Take the time to recognise your employees' efforts and reward a job well done if you want to encourage them and make them feel seen, respected, and valued. This could include performance incentives, employee-of-the-month recognition, and quarterly staff appreciation meals - the possibilities are truly limitless. Consider your specific employee pool and create something that will meet them where they will appreciate it the most. Remember that, while private, individual feedback and praise are important, it is equally important, if not more so, to recognise and applaud employees in front of their peers.

Recognition fosters an emotional bond between employer and employee, which is an important component of employee engagement, and it satisfies employees' basic needs for esteem and belonging within a group. The best part is that recognition is practically free! It can be as simple as sending a thoughtful email (or, even better, a handwritten note) to your team members praising their outstanding work. So the question should be "why shouldn't I recognise my people?" rather than "why shouldn't I recognise my people?"

Inspiring greatness in your employees is simple; you can begin today by calling out a few of your team members and speaking words of encouragement and life over them and the work they do for your company. You can take it a step further by scheduling something larger on the company calendar, such as a team lunch or a morning meeting where you provide treats and go around the room recognising everyone's recent accomplishments.