How many times have you launched a project and had everybody show up on day one with their hair on fire, ready to go full blast, only to have their gusto and energy disappear somewhere along the way?
The best leaders in the world, the ones who keep their teammates engaged for the long haul, understand that they can create short-term motivation by using rewards like a cruise or a cash bonus for certain measurable behaviors but that long-term inspiration comes only from the heart and mind of the inspired.
So how do we create a company culture that inspires our teammates to drive hard for months or even years toward a common goal?
High Performance Leaders Understand that Motivation is Now, Inspiration is Forever
The truth is that ownership comes from inspiration, and inspiration is an inside job. As a leader, you can help facilitate it, but you can’t necessarily create it.
All too often, we try to increase team engagement with a set reward system, but inspiration is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Think about how you motivate your kids. We all know what inspires our kids because we study them intensely from the time they are born. We know how to help them achieve their dreams.
Why not do the same with the adults around us? We will not only create lifelong bonds but also create world-class teammates who will succeed against all odds.
Take Starbucks, for example. In the early days of my career as a speaker and team builder, I did a number of events for this company. Immediately after one of my first keynote speeches, a vice president approached me and asked if I had ever worked for Starbucks or studied their employee handbook because my message about creating human connections and inspiring team members was eerily similar to their company philosophy.
He went on to explain that his company realized that the business of coffee can be learned, but far more important to them in the hiring process is that their store managers are inspired to create exceptional experiences for people. In fact, several of their interview questions revolved around asking the prospective manager about times when they created meaningful experiences for their friends, family, and classmates, and how and why they did it. At the core of these questions was detecting an existing inspiration to be an exceptional host to hundreds of guests every day.
The burning desire to be hospitable and nurturing comes from a human place in one’s soul, not from an employee manual. The business of coffee can be learned, but hiring inspired people who are passionate about providing exceptional experiences for their customers is what made Starbucks a global coffee dynasty.
Improve Employee Engagement by Employing a Democratic Leadership Style
Nothing boosts productivity and inspires an entrepreneurial spirit like being asked for one’s input and opinion. With a democratic and inclusive leadership style, you can move a teammate from being part of the audience to becoming a proactive and instrumental part of the solution in minutes. It’s amazing how often we make the mistake of handing someone “their goals” from our high without asking for their input or getting their buy-in on what’s possible from their perspective.
The best teammates and leaders realize that we all want to feel like we have contributed to the success of an organization, a family, a relationship; and the key way to inspire that entrepreneurial spirit and employee commitment is to listen to our teammates, hear their opinions, and solicit their ideas. Nothing shows a teammate that they are respected and valued more than seeing their ideas and comments acted on and incorporated by the team. People will embrace that which they help to create.
Attain Organizational Success by Valuing Unique Competencies
Everyone has or knows something valuable that they can contribute to the team, whether it’s life experience, education, specific knowledge, a keen sense of the market, or a magic way with people.
If you instill in your company culture that even the newest people on your team are recognized and valued for their strengths and are given a platform to share those strengths with the team, you will truly have an inspired and engaged employee.
If you give a person a say in their own goals, offer them the grace to rise as high as they choose, value and capitalize on their unique competencies, and help them fulfill their core needs along the way, there is no stopping them on their mission!
