Do you know how to inspire employees?
We all know that happy employees are more likely to stay with the company, take good care of customers and do what their boss needs. Sometimes it may feel like developing engaged employees is impossible. However, satisfied employees don’t have to be mythical creatures, sighted as frequently as unicorns in the forest.
With care and hard work, you can create a workplace environment that supports employee happiness. And, it may not be as difficult as you think.
The key is for you to recognize the difference between being a manager and being a leader. A manager plans, organizes, assigns and follows-up. A leader influences, motivates and encourages.
Your job as a company supervisor requires you to excel at both skills to be successful. But, the leadership component means you must build good relationships with employees in order to influence, motivate and encourage.
How to inspire employees:
Pay attention
It’s been said before, but it’s hard to overemphasize the need for managers to show concern for their employees as people. That means taking the time to ask about their holidays and families, their hobbies and interests. It also means giving them a chance to get to know you.
You don’t have to reveal anything deeply personal. On Monday morning when everyone’s talking about their weekend, mention attending your daughter’s school play and watching the big game. Or, talk about how hard it is to see your parents struggling with ill health or having to explain to your toddler why the family dog died.
When there’s too much work to be done in too few hours, it can seem like taking time for personal interaction is wasted energy. However, knowing your team members, their interests and stresses both inside and outside the office can be a powerful ally in helping you find the best ways to encourage and influence them to optimum productivity.
This doesn’t mean you have to be your employees’ best friend. In fact, other employees may see it as favoritism if you do, which can lead to bitterness and a lack of motivation. Human beings perceive interest as caring. Managers who make employees feel their boss cares about them as more than a cog in the wheel engender loyalty and motivate employees to work harder. That’s the key for how to inspire employees.
Meet them where they are
Like it or not, we all bring our socialization from childhood into the workplace. You, as team leader, must recognize your natural style and adjust to what each employee needs.
Say you come from a strict, command-and-control military family and are comfortable with overt displays of authority. To be effective, you must recognize some employees may come at their work differently. Adjusting your style to fit your team’s needs shows flexibility and engenders respect.
Analyze each team member’s natural style. Are they an introvert or extrovert? Good at one-on-one interaction? Naturally gifted at customer service or numbers or presentations?
By understanding each person, you can help him or her commit to business goals in a way that fits their abilities and motivations.
By playing to their strengths, you are more likely to engage their hearts, not just their minds. Employees who are truly engaged are less likely to find roadblocks to the success of their projects, to go the extra mile when it’s needed.
Communicate expectations
Want your team to roar past their goals? Explain the big picture, why they are doing what they are doing and set clear expectations. Your employees need to understand how they fit into the company, why their job is important and what they must do to help the company reach its goals. Plumb deeply to make sure each and every team member understands how he or she contributes to the overall company.
Say the company has a year-end sales goal of X. Your employees need to know what they can do every day to help meet that goal. Stick to one or two tasks so you don’t overwhelm them.
After setting clear expectations, you must hold people accountable by checking in weekly or monthly to see if goals are being met. Don’t forget to recognize success publicly and coach privately if there’s a problem.
Be positive as much as possible during these communications. People want to work for positive people, especially when facing the challenges that naturally come about in any project.
Be open and available
I’m a big believer in what’s called servant leadership. As described by James Hunter in his book The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle, the servant leader makes himself or herself available to help employees when it’s needed.
Hunter wrote: “How we behave as the boss at work today affects what goes on around the dinner table in other people’s homes tonight. Anyone who has ever had a bad boss can certainly relate to what I’m talking about. I believe this is where servant leadership begins. We need to reflect on this awesome responsibility for which we signed up and recognize that our choices and behaviors are impacting lives.”
Say someone missed a goal because they had trouble getting the right data. By checking in regularly with your staff, you’ll be able to troubleshoot, encourage when it’s needed, answer questions and generally help your staff accomplish their short- and long-term goals.
If you are in the trenches with them, you’ll be seen as a respected team leader rather than a distant tyrant. You’ll also be able to keep emotional commitment high and nurture employees’ great ideas at the source. Remember to be open to feedback too.
Finally, get out of the way and let your employees shine. Give them opportunities to position themselves as subject matter experts. For instance, if you have a presentation to executives, give your key players the chance to co-present.
By giving your employees high-profile growth opportunities, you will make them feel valued and appreciated. Lead from the heart, invest your heart in your people and let them grow along with you. You’ll create relationships that can benefit you both for a lifetime.
For more strategies on how to inspire employees and build your best staff ever, download our free e-book: How to develop a top-notch workforce that will accelerate your business.
Leadership is a privilege given to many but appreciated by few. It requires dedication to a team that relies on your expertise to meet its goals.
Most supervisors take on the role without a true understanding of what it means to be a leader. They sometimes make demands and automatically expect their employees to carry out these tasks without hesitation.
They require that team members perform at optimal levels, meet stringent deadlines, and get along well with colleagues because that’s what they are supposed to do.
For managers who operate under these guidelines, the results can be devastating for the department and the overall organization.
In order to build an effective team, managers must transform themselves into leaders who inspire excellence in those around them. They must develop attitudes that promote engagement and behave in ways that set high performance standards.
There are a number of ways for leaders to create an environment that rejects mediocrity and inspires excellence. Let’s take a look at some of my secrets for instilling a “good is not good enough” attitude within your team.
1. See Them As Investors
The first step in inspiring excellence in your team is to see your employees as investors in the company. Most managers spend so much time understanding their client’s needs that they forget to pay attention to the men and women who dedicate their days and nights to the organization’s mission.
The success of your company will ultimately be determined by your team’s ability to find meaning in their work and align themselves with the standards you set for performance.
By recognizing and appreciating the role your employees play in achieving outcomes for your organization, you are setting the stage for an environment that screams “excellence.”
2. Listen! Listen! Listen!
In order to inspire great work, you need to know what your employees need. Your staff’s concerns, thoughts, and ideas are just as important as those of the customer. So take the time to listen!
Schedule regular staff meetings and supervisions with team members. Stop and ask them how they are doing and listen to their response.
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Remember, people can spot a phony from a mile away. So be genuine in your approach. By creating an environment where your team’s voice is heard, you are humanizing the people who do the dirty work for you. This raises engagement which gives people a reason to raise their standards of performance.
The message here is simple: listening = profit.
3. Follow Your Own Standards
If you want your team to reject the notion of mediocrity in their work, you have to do the same. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and do whatever is necessary to get the job done right.
Show your team that you are prepared to put in long hours to make sure that your work is of the highest quality possible. Anything you submit to your team should be neat, accurate, and exceptional.
Spell check your emails before hitting the send button. Keep your desk clean and organized at all times. Dress professionally. Take on difficult projects. Arrive early to work. Go above and beyond your job description and always practice what you preach.
Remember, your employees will follow what you do, not what you say.
4. Include Them in Decisions
Employees are much more likely to give you their best when they feel included. Instead of making all the decisions for your team, ask for their input! You would be surprised how many ideas your staff have about how to increase your profit margin, improve customer relations, and ensure regulatory compliance.
They have opinions about the new health insurance plans, the “secret” merger that no one is talking about, and the major restructuring about to take place within the company.
I have news for you: everyone knows what’s happening and everyone is talking about it behind closed doors! Instead of hiding behind your desks and private meetings why not create an inclusive environment where employees are kept in the loop about issues that will directly affect them?
Transparency will encourage employees to become a part of the solution. It will promote trust within the organization and send your team the message that you respect them enough to keep them informed.
Of course, there are times when discretion will be necessary and you won’t be able to share certain information. Be selective about what you reveal to your employees. But always be ready to address their concerns.
5. Stop Being Miserable
Don’t expect your team to show enthusiasm for their work if you’re not excited about it. Your staff pay attention to every single move you make. They know what type of mood you’re in and they most certainly can tell if you hate your job.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to inspire your team. Just as a motivational speaker electrifies a crowd through positive language and an energizing spirit, you must liven up your team every chance you get.
Come in every morning with a smile on your face and greet your staff with enthusiasm! Give compliments freely. Get excited about that new project. When faced with a challenge, be the first person to offer a solution or provide words of encouragement. Always speak, act, and present yourself in a way that screams, “I love my job and so should you!”
Leadership requires an intense level of dedication and commitment. In order to ensure optimal performance you must inspire your team to greatness!
Model those behaviors you want to see and treat your employees as investors who want to be heard, inspired, and included in your process. For more tips on how to achieve professional excellence visit www.ExcellenceByMonicaGuzman.com or email me at
How Do You Inspire Excellence?
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