6:00 in the morning, the alarm rings, what do you do? Do you turn it off straight away or take a few naps?
You wouldn't think it, but you're already in bed early in the morning, deciding what to expect in the hours ahead. You might as well start in front of the mirror with the well-rehearsed phrase: "Don't wait for tomorrow, take control and find your inner motivation."
Am I right in thinking that as a manager, one of your main goals every day is to keep your employees with you? Do you think this is a big challenge for you? Are you looking for the right solution to make your employees come to the office more motivated every day?
First, there is no need to despair, there is a solutionbut you should know that you need to be part of it. Without self-motivation, it's futile to expect them to be more motivated than you ever were. First, face yourself and find what gets you up every day. Keeping motivated is something you need to do almost every day, the question is, how much are you willing to give up from your current way of working, or would you just reach into your pocket and pay to solve the situation?
Instead of getting bogged down in material solutions, read on and you're guaranteed happy faces every morning.
Where do I start to rearrange my whole schedule so that I can even fit in making them happy?
Talk to me. Talk to me. Talk to me. You couldn't start anywhere else. Without hearing what they want, you'd just be back where you started. Once you learn the cliché fact - which of course you already knew, but you've just stored it away somewhere deep down-, proof everyone wants recognition. In order to be seen as valuable, you must it's important to reassure them that they're heading in the right direction.
They will see this as a glory, which in itself is a huge incentive. A motivated employee is worth his or her weight in gold, not to mention being the company's most important resource. Make them do what you want them to do. Not because you want them to, but because they want them to.
I start motivating him, he'll want more and more and more, will it never end?
Maybe you are one of those who believe that if you pay your employees enough, they will get on with their projects more efficiently and keep their smaller, bigger problems to themselves. Then it's time to realise that you're on an outdated path. Try to look at the world from a different perspective, give yourself a chance to stay in control, but still give room to others. Let them tell you what they want.
Real motivation comes from within, it's about pure human emotion, it all comes down to understanding whether you are willing to make compromises that may only pay off for you in the long run.
Forget the classic model, do not rely on "if then" rewards. - If it's on my desk by Friday, I'll give you a big compliment-. That alone is not enough to keep your employees. Sit at the other end of the table, look at the situation through their eyes, and give them satisfying rewards that make them happy, and from then on they will work with an unstoppable work ethic.
If there's a nice word for every day, can I sit back because their loyalty remains? That seems easy enough.
Today's workers are most loyal to themselves, know and assess their options and choose the best option for them. To get them to be loyal to your company, a few words of praise are not enough. Make them feel like self-aware employees who have joined the company for their own reasons, but you have opened new doors for them that make it worth their while to stay. Believe me, they'll support you as long as you give them the opportunity to grow and break new ground. Find ways of working that create alignment around purpose.
Money is not enough, fine words are not enough, so how do I do it?
Workers don't wait to see who can pull the wool over their eyes or threaten them with a sharper weapon if they don't do something the way they are expected to. You have to bring out that invisible driving force in them that makes them want to do things for themselves, to act because it is important to them..
Remember, what motivates you may not motivate others. With the right tools, you can have an effective, productive and enthusiastic team behind you, who will also be loyal to you. I trust that while reading this article, you've had that much talked about motivation to find out how to do it better.
After that, do you think it's worth taking that nap more than once?
