Top 10 Tips for
Motivating Your
Employees

When business owners try to change the
behaviour of their employees, they often use
money as a motivator but rarely does it work and
when it does, the changes are typically short-
lived because the old habits eventually return.
Today’s business tip is to make sure you’ve got
the right people in the right positions with the
right set of goals first, then you can worry about
compensation…

1. You can’t actually motivate your
employees
What??!?? I know this first tip seems a little
counterproductive, but bear with me. You see,
motivation is internal, not external. You can motivate
people with carrots and sticks for a while, but it can’t
last. Long term, people need to motivate
themselves. You’re not powerless, however,
because motivation comes from inspiration.
So offer your people inspirational goals and they’ll
take on the job of motivating themselves.

2. Create a motivating environment
What’s it like at your business? Do people hit the
ground running on Monday mornings, or do they live
for the weekends. Your working environment has a
greater impact on your productivity than you may
think. The thing is, every business has a culture. But
most have evolved through happenstance and that’s
a far too risky way to grow your company.
Everything from your office décor to your meeting
schedules will affect your environment, so evaluate
the impact of every move you make on your culture
and watch your productivity soar.

3. Involve your employees in
decisions that affect them
Your employees don’t just want a job; they want
to be part of something more. So let them. It’s a
win-win scenario for everybody. Your employees
win because their work becomes fulfilling, and
the company wins, because it benefits from the
contributions of more than just those at the top of
the organizational chart.

4. Share your plans for the
future with your employees and
get them involved in the process
If inspiration is the key to employee motivation,
then keeping your employees in the dark about
your plans for the future is a sure-fire way to kill
your company’s potential.

5. Hire motivated people
Brian Scudamore, president and founder of 1-
800-GOT-JUNK?, says “we don’t motivate our
people, we hire motivated people”. Screen
candidates carefully, and look for a history of
productivity. Technical skills alone are never a
good enough reason to give someone a job.

6. Encourage independent
thought, creativity and initiative
At Wardell, we have a weekly meeting to discuss
our progress as a company. Everyone is expected
to participate and contribute. For example, one of
our agenda items is set to teach something of value
to the rest of the group. Not every idea is going to
be as helpful as the next one, but by encouraging
this type of “teaching environment”, we keep
everyone growing in the right direction.

7. Profit share
In general, money is a poor motivator if you’ve got
nothing else going for you, but it can be a great
supporting tool once you’ve got your people on
board. Profit sharing, of course, is only one of many
ways you might do this, but used properly it can be
extremely effective. Whether you offer your
employees company shares, options, a bonus based
on clearly defined goals, a percentage of your
margin, or a percentage of your profit, what matters
most is that they don’t feel powerless to affect its
outcome.

8. Offer varied and interesting
benefits
Benefits, unlike bonuses, form part of an employee’s
compensation package. And as such, represent an
opportunity to impact your working environment.
Certainly, standard benefits such as medical and
dental insurance can be part of the package, but
think outside the box as well. For example, perhaps
you can negotiate a discount for your employees at
a local fitness club or restaurant.

9. Fire unmotivated people
It’s as important to get the right people on the bus as it
is to get the wrong people off the bus. It may sound
harsh, but if you have anyone working for you that you
would not re-hire given the opportunity, get rid of them
as quickly as possible. It’s the right thing to do. If
you’re not happy with them, chances are they’re not
happy either. If an employee is not inspired by a future
with your company,
free them to find a place that suits them better.

10. Thank your employees for a
job well done
For a hard working, dedicated employee little is
more important than genuine appreciation. Show
them that you notice how hard they work and they’ll
go to the mat for you each and every time. Never
underestimate the value of a “thank you”. If your
employees don’t feel appreciated, they’ll leave as
soon as someone there is a better offer, but if they
really love their job, and feel valued, it will take
more than a few dollars to lure them away…

Mark Wardell is President & Founder of Wardell
International , an advisory group that helps business
owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The
author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly
for several national & international business publications.
Email him at mark@wardell.biz.