The Top Ten Ways to Motivate in Challenging Times

These are challenging times. Our original intention was to write about the leadership challenge of keeping people motivated when there is a downturn in the market, or when there is job uncertainty. But with the horrific acts of terrorism last week, there are even greater demands on us all to keep ourselves, and those around us, positive and focused as we return to work and try to get on with our lives.

The focus of this top ten is on how to motivate your people, we do want to make some basic but important points about allowing time to grieve. First and foremost it is important to know that the grieving process takes much longer then we anticipate. For instance when a person close to you dies it takes an average of two years to move through the process of healing. The beginning stage is that of shock and denial. The middle stage involves depression and anger, and finally acceptance and recovery. You do not progress neatly through these stages but rather can bounce back and forth between them. In the acute phase, it is important to give yourself permission to have your feelings, share them with others, and have realistic expectations of the healing process. This is a time to turn to professionals with the expertise to assist us through the recovery process. At the end of this ezine there are links to other informational sources that we believe will be helpful.

The top ten points below are a checklist for leaders to evaluate how to inspire and motivate their employees.

1. Do your employees feel appreciated and listened to?

Take the time to get to know your employees and to understand their priorities and desires. If you know more about them as individuals and their lives outside work you will begin to understand each person, and what motivated them.

2. Does your organizational vision inspire?

People become motivated if are excited about the purpose of the organization and how they can contribute towards achieving it. If you communicate a clear vision with passion and enthusiasm, you will rally the troops. Each employee needs to understand how their work contributes towards the company achieving its goals.

3. How effective are your teams?

Working as part of an effective team can be very powerful and motivating. Unfortunately the converse is also true. Even the most self motivated individual cannot maintain enthusiasm if they are part of a dysfunctional team that is not meeting its deliverables.

4. Are you a good role model for the rest of the organization?

The attitude and behavior of the leader sets the tone for the whole organization. Make sure that you are a role model for your organization -- your employees are constantly watching you and will take your lead to inspire enthusiasm. At times this may mean that you need to pump yourself up, or use the services of a colleague, coach or mentor to keep you motivated and focused.

5. Do you communicate with everyone with respect?

Respect is at the heart of building business relationships. Make sure that you communicate with everyone respectfully. Respecting the right to differ is a concept like apple pie and motherhood. We all agree with it but do we truly foster it?

6. Are your employees given the opportunity to be creative?

People will feel more motivated if they work in an environment where they are given the opportunity to be creative. Give people freedom to make some of the decisions. Encourage collaborative problem solving. Ask questions of the team to get feedback on issues and ideas and listen to their responses closely.

7. Do you need to invest more in developing employees?

Demonstrate that you care about your employees' success by providing opportunities for them to grow professionally. Take the time to provide effective feedback on a continual basis, recommend books and articles that are useful resources, provide an adequate training budget and encourage its use, recommend the support of a business coach or mentor.

8. Do you regularly recognize and reward effort?

Employees need recognition and praise. Give ample feedback and recognition whenever possible. As the leader make sure that you voice your appreciation of good work and provide positive feedback in a specific way. Recognize both exceptional individual contribution as well as teamwork. The type of reward should match the driving force of each individual.

9. Are your employee compensation policies fair?

There are a number of factors that can have a short term impact on motivation. Salary increases, company stock options, bonuses, vacation days or upgrades to the work environment will be appreciated by your employees, but most likely these positive effects will only be short lived. However all of these basic motivational tools can become "de-motivators" if they are not used fairly. Employees will compare their compensation packages against each other, and externally in the industry, and will become discouraged if they perceive inequities. Make sure you implement clear consistent compensation guidelines.

10. Do you acknowledge the need for balance in the lives of your employees?

Many employees today are struggling to balance the heavy demands of life and work. By providing benefits that make it easier for employees to take care of themselves you will ensure that they are better able to perform in all aspects of their lives. When people are performing well they are more likely to be motivated. Examples of this type of benefit include membership to a health club, on-site childcare, employee assistance programs, or family appreciation days.

This piece was originally submitted by Doris Kovic, Business Coach and Founder of Leading Insight, who can be reached at doris@leadinginsight.com  or visited on the web. Doris Kovic wants you to know: Leading Insight provides coaching and consulting services that support executives and teams in reaching their full potential. You can subscribe to their monthly newsletter at www.leadinginsight.com/leading_insight_ezine.htm..