Here are five things a small business owner can offer to motivate their employees.
1) Flexibility – The old school philosophy is that you have to put in long hours because that’s what the boss had to do when he was young.
Well, the world has changed.
The next generation wants flexibility
They are willing to work hard in order to get more freedom to plan their time. I know when I am going on vacation, I get a lot more done the day before I leave! This proves employees will work harder if they are motivated by the flexibility of getting time off.
2) Leadership – Employees want to be led. They want you to plan for the future of the business, make good strategic decisions and run the business well enough so they don’t have to go looking for a new job. This is why good leaders communicate their vision of the future with clarity and focus. The team follows easier if they know where they are going.
3) Fun – There is a direct correlation between fun workplaces and productive workplaces. If you can create some fun in your work environment, the result will be happy and productive people.
4) Fairness – If there is a perception of unfairness in the workplace, employee habits may become dysfunctional. A business owner needs to make sure he or she is fair with the team of employees. Although perceptions can’t be controlled, the effort to be fair can be.
5) Respect – Respect goes both ways. As the owner of the business, you have to go first. When you are respectful to others, you typically get respect back. I have conducted many employee surveys and respect always scores higher in importance than money.
What is the financial cost of providing flexibility, leadership, fun, fairness and respect for your employees?
No cost, but the benefits are huge!
