How to Energize and Motivate Employees

The truth is, most employees fall into one of three distinct groups. First there are the star employees. These people will do whatever it takes to get the job done – and done well. Next is the "good soldiers" category. These employees do what they are supposed to do, with a fairly positive approach, but not much more. And finally there are the "pitts." Workers in this category have a decidedly negative attitude, do as little as possible to get by, and are extremely unmotivated to improve.

For businesses to succeed in today’s rapidly changing world, we must have employees who are motivated to go beyond "acceptable" and have the energy and enthusiasm necessary to take action. Our star employees do that already, but unfortunately, they make up only a small portion of our workforce. There are, however, eight specific things we can do to create the kind of environment where the good soldiers and the pitts are motivated to get outside their self-limiting ruts and become productive, valuable assets to your team.

1. Highly value the goose. Think of each and every employee on your team as the goose that provides the golden eggs. Yes, that’s every employee, even the ones who don’t act like it. Here’s why: If we want our employees to become top producers, we need to first treat them as such. We have to let them know immediately, continually and sincerely how important they are to us. Seeing them as your most important asset goes a long way toward creating it as a reality.

2. Look for what’s right today. Most of us walk around with an unspoken question playing on a continuous loop in our head. The question sounds like this: "What’s going to go wrong today?" When we ask that question, we only pull up negative answers related to it. Consequently, we start finding a plethora of wrong things.

Researchers tell us that we have an average of 40,000 thoughts per day, and as much as 80 percent of all those thoughts are negative. Now we know why. That underlying negative question draws us to negative observations. To combat this challenge, when you arrive at work tomorrow start asking, "What right things are occurring all around me that I have not noticed before." Keep asking that question and you will continue to pull up positive answers. When you do, acknowledge people for those actions.

3. Reward right actions. If we want people to continue the behaviors and attitudes that are conducive to a productive, energized environment, then we must reward those actions when they occur. Acknowledging employees can be one of the most potent forms of reward and reinforcement. In fact, limited praise and lack of recognition is one of the primary reasons why employees leave jobs, according to Robert Half International.

Telling people how much you appreciate them and the contribution they make is beneficial because it meets one of their most basic needs: the need to feel important and valued. To effectively manage people we must do so in a way that builds self-esteem. Letting employees know how much we respect their good work does just that.

There are other effective ways to recognize and reward employees that can renew their sense of commitment, motivate them to do good work and let them know they are valued. For maximum benefit, ask your employees what rewards they would like. The mistake a lot of us make is thinking that because we respond positively to a certain reward, other people will also.

4. Walk your enthusiastic talk. Effective managers are basically trying to persuade employees to access their own energy, passion and enthusiasm. Accordingly, it absolutely doesn’t work to take the "do as I say, not as I do" position, because at its most basic level, persuasion is transference of feelings. If we don’t have those feelings, we can’t transfer them. As a result, our words ring hollow, our credibility is compromised and people feel justified in simply marking time.

5. Uncover hidden talents and interests. To make employees feel like part of the group, find out what they love, what they are good at and how they feel they might incorporate those things into their work environment. You can accomplish this by sending out questionnaires, holding meetings and having informal conversations with people.

Is someone really good at interior decorating? Give her a small budget and ask her to submit ideas for sprucing up the office. Is someone else passionate about sailing or car maintenance? Why not sponsor a brown bag "Learning Lunch" series and once a month have people sign up to teach what they know. Is there someone who is community minded? Let him organize a campaign to provide food for the homeless or adopt a family during the holidays. Find out what people love and let them express it through their actions. It gives people a sense of purpose to know they are contributing to others through their talents.

6. Keep people informed and answer all questions. To the best of your ability, give people as much information as possible about what is going on. If you don’t have any information, let everyone know that you don’t have anything to communicate. Your silence can be misinterpreted as withholding.

7. Laugh it up! Studies show that humor promotes creativity and innovation. It also promotes a fun work environment and reduces tension. It shifts perspectives, minimizes negativity and contributes to our good health. Here are some examples of how to bring humor to the workplace:

• Create a costume day and contest on holidays.
• Sponsor a Friday karaoke contest. Upper management goes first!
• Have a 50’s Day or a Weird Shoe Day.
• Sponsor a Joke Day with best joke winners receiving a prize.
• Have an employee baby picture contest.
• Publish funny stories or anecdotes about employees’ experiences in the company newsletter.
• Put a small toy (slinky, Rubik’s cube, magnet puzzles, etc.) on people’s desks. Encourage employees to play with the toys.

8. Communicate one on one. Each week or two meet individually with all your people and find out what they need from you, how you can better serve them and what challenges they are facing. A great question to ask is, "What one thing can I do to make your job run more smoothly?" Listen attentively. After you have heard them and responded to their concerns, you can share what one thing they might do that would make your job run more smoothly.

One of the most important things to remember about motivating employees is that you must employ many strategies and techniques – and change them often. We are all creatures of habit, and when we begin to expect a certain reward, it no longer serves to motivate us. That Christmas turkey we get every year has become a right, and as such, it no longer provides much incentive. In fact, if my turkey weights six ounces less than your turkey, there could be trouble!

The bottom line is this: when we provide the kind of environment that tells employees they are valued, that we notice the contribution they make to the team and that we appreciate and respect their efforts, they quite simply feel good. And to get more of that good feeling, they understand exactly what they have to do to get it. They become more energized, motivated and productive. In the end, everyone benefits.