There are seven keys to motivating employees.
First, you must give him his fair share of pay if you really want to motivate him.
Second, give him enough security so he can concentrate, but not false security that will allow him to goof off. I was talking to an executive the other day. He said, "You know what's wrong with my team? The fellows don't feel like they are on it permanently. They are so afraid that they will make a bad move that they don't make any good moves."
Third, give him recognition. I know of nothing that makes people work as much as recognition will. At Mobil Oil we had an interesting program. We picked up four pieces of jewelry: cuff links, tie bar, one other piece and a money clip. The first time someone did something outstanding they got the cuff links, then the tie bar, and so forth. The fourth time they did something significant they received a letter with the money clip saying, "Use this to hold your raise." It was highly successful!
People love recognition. How often do you call to say, "Joe, I haven't got anything to criticize, I just wanted to tell you I appreciate you. You have been making progress. You have been doing a good job." Take the next step — tell his wife, "Your husband makes a great contribution."
My good friend Zig Ziglar always says, "Catch somebody doing something good!"
Fourth, give him an opportunity to feel accomplishment. So, give him jobs that he can finish, see personal achievement and say, "I did that." Everyone wants to do something that is worthwhile.
Fifth, let him feel that he is experiencing personal growth. Let him feel that he is a better man than he was last year. I would like to run a program sometime, "One Year Older or Old Year Better?" You know, a lot of people are just one year older. The attitude you have is that the man gets better as he gets older. That is one of our leadership responsibilities, isn't it? We need to see that those around us have opportunities for personal growth.
Sixth, give him the right to exercise his pride. People are proud because they want to be proud. The first thing a man wants to be proud of is his boss. He would like to brag about who he works for. There is no end of enjoyment for me to brag that I worked for and with Maxey Jarman for nearly 40 years. Leaders need to people who give others pride in being part of their organization. What one thing can someone be proud of by working for you? What kind of associates are you hiring that will make the others proud? A large insurance agency uses one internal question in their recruiting process that has a make or break answer: "Would you be proud to introduce this person as your associate?" If the answer from the others in the agency is no, then the offer is not made. You want your team to know that everyone else who wears the uniform deserves it.
Seventh, he wants to be energized. He wants to be excited about the work environment. Is there anything exciting going on around your company? What about the rate of growth? How about the development of new products or processes? What creates energy in your place?
These seven keys will help the leader motivate and grow a team, a workforce or a company. The energized employee will be committed to personal development, group advancement and the company's mission.
