“To lead people, walk beside them... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate... When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 550 BCE
| Salary does not increase motivation, it decreases demotivation. If it is all about the money in the company, than the management is doing a pretty shitty job. And if you don't know how to motivate people without money than quit your job and go into other line of work ... or go plant seeds or something .... because you will never be able to lead people. The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur and manager can possess. And if you don't have those skills, hire someone who does, or people will leave you as soon as they can, word will spread, and you will end up with employees who have no other option but to stay in your company...and you really don't want that to happen. With the help of expert managers ( who HAVE to be profficient in the field they are managing, not some "general" managers who are usually useless ) and good team leaders ( if you don't have those, promote your best people from operations...and reward them for the extra effort ), company owners can start to build a new company culture, but also create a passionate, hard-working teams that are committed to growing and improving the company. So let's start with some things you can do without money. And no, I will not mention company parties...I really despise those. |
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1. Be generous with praise
Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the manager goes a lot farther than we might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others. And when you praise them publicly, be consistent.
2. Get rid of bad managers
Projects and companies don't run without management level people. We all know that. But...everybody knows who are good and who are bad managers. So, make a fair and relevant evaluation criteria, take a sufficient amount of time ( six months sounds reasonable ) and get all the information about your managers that you can - from their subordinates, clients they work with, etc. And when you are confident you know who are bad managers, and you believe you can't teach them, fire them. Simple as that. Because a guy from operations can make mistakes, but in a serious company his mistakes can be corrected...but a constant mistakes from middle and senior management can bring a company down. And how will you replace them...don't...give a chance to the guy in operations who's been waiting for his shot. Maybe you have a great guy waiting, and remeber that he already knows the people and has the respect of his team.
3. Make your ideas theirs
People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done, ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?” Change your approach in this and you will immediately see the results.
4. Never criticize or correct
No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger. And you will earn the respect of the guy and the team as a whole.
5. Make your best people champions...and NEVER make bad examples of low performers
Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader. And for those that are not doing so good...find their interests and teach them how to improve in what they are doing...or find them another type of work in the company. But NEVER say to others: "Don't be like him" - it is insulting, breaks the team spirit and destroys any motivation that that person ever had or will have.
6. Give recognition and small rewards
Surprise your employees. These things come in many forms. For instance, literally walk up to the team and give them free lunch vouchers at the nearby restaurant. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work. Or give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished, or run contests/internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like trophies or spa services.
7. Share the rewards - and the pain
When the company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent
8. Allow employees to cross-function
Facilitate it for above average talent, especially when employees are early in their career, for example after school and still deciding what is they want to do. I personally would always take a lower wage salary job to be able to cross-function, it gives me more knowledge and experience, more value for the company ( if it knows how to use it ) and for me when I choose to move on if my talents are not appreciated. And any smart company will fight hard as it can to keep those people, because there is always a competitor that is willing to grab them giving them things they should have gotten in the first place. Instead, I was once asked to say in my current function "for just a few more years" against my will because I was a high performer there and effectively roadblocked. I left the company - had I cross-functioned, I would have probably stayed and been so happy - because it was in so many ways a great company.
9. Unexpected raise
We all know how it looks like - you beg and cry and then you get a 10% raise and should be happy. Well, that's crap, humiliating at best, and demoralizing at worst. And if you do get it, soon it becomes obvious the amount was based on what other employees were making ( who are not high performers ) and not reflective of your value to the organization. Bottom line: People want to feel important and valued. And yes, money can make them feel this way. And then make something new in your company - give an unexpected nominal raise! You will be surprised what that does for feeling appreciated. And if you time it in a manner when you know that the guy will come looking for a raise you will a huge moral boost.
And for the end...some personal thoughts on the subject
No amount of motivation will work if you do not meet the basics like paying timely salaries. Many entrepreneurs do not realize this and try to motivate the employees without providing the basics. It can help, but when you don't get the raises when you work hard, it just won't work. The one thing that does motivate me personally is being given responsibility and being allowed to have fun on the work floor, have a chat, listen to music, play balloon volleyball for a few minutes. Trust makes you feel good too, if an employee for example, calls in sick, believe it, empathize. If it was true, he will feel understood and cared for, if it isn't you might make him feel conscious about it, not believing will only demotivate. To conclude, we all have bills to pay and obligations that tug at us every day. What better way to motivate or reward someone than to give them something that they would not normally do for themselves that is is not going to impact their obligations in life or precious time with their families? That is a true reward. A treat. A thank you. One of the problems today is that far too many people are negativity focused as expressed below.
Life these days is complicated. We spend much of our adult lives working. For most of us, ours and our families' futures are supported by the money we make at our jobs. Treat people well in the work place, show them they make a difference, empower them to work together to achieve great things and that ripples out into your private lives as well. Not to mention building one hell of a productive and profitable business. And to note, you can't motivate anybody with pure action, motivation comes from within, it is true however that everybody is motivated...all the time. You can however inspire people. You do that by finding what they want (as individuals) and then by showing them how they, by assisting you, will get them what they want.
For the final point - everybody's motivation changes constantly so a lunch last week may have been fine whereas time off for a personal chore may work better this time. The methods above are like throwing a bucket of spagetti at a wall and hoping something sticks. Ineffective and a waste of resources and time. Thank you for your time and I hope you found something interesting in this article.
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