Employee Motivation: Make Everyone A Cheerleader For Your Company

Do you manage by walking around? What do you see? People excited about their job or people just going through the motions? Here are seven ways, that do not cost much if anything, to turn the "it's just a job" employee into one that is powered up and willing to give their best every day.

Spend time out in the field. Ask your employees how you can help make their jobs easier. Work alongside them and even let them teach you what they do. Southwest Airlines has a mandate that every manager must spend 1/3 of his or her time in direct contact with employees and customers to create a stronger feeling of teamwork.

Hold a voluntary good news hour. Set aside time once a week so that everyone can share good things that have happened in their lives and work during the last week.

Celebrate everything you can. For example, meeting of short term goals, the end of the budget process, winning grants or new customers, extraordinary work, safety successes.

Surprise with spontaneous treats. Rent an ice cream cart or a popcorn machine. Take coffee and donuts to each person's work station. How about a package of Lifesavers? during a stressful time?

Praise frequently. A pat on the back, a short note of thanks, or a voice mail message from a manager can refill employees' emotional bank accounts for weeks.

Hold informal "grapevine sessions" to control the flow of the rumor mill. Managers must be prepared to listen and to be completely truthful and open. Even when they can't share specific information, they can honestly explain why and when it will be available.

Let people know what they do is important. Help your workers focus not only on a job description but also on how they fit into the big picture. That new sense of purpose will boost their self-esteem and motivation.

If someone asked your staff or frontline workers a few general questions about the company or your department, would they describe it in terms like 'they' and 'them,' or in terms like 'we' or 'us'? What can you do, in your position, to move your people to feel engaged and part of your team?

Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ­ to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ­ resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ­ fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

---

Project Management - The Traveling Product Manager

Various studies ? and common sense ? indicate that involving... Read More

Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement

You've seen it happen many times. An organization that provides... Read More

Transform Any Business into a Go-Getting Power House by Working SMART

Probably as well known as SWOT, SMART turns goals, objectives... Read More

What Is Business Sense?

What is the principal thing you need to succeed in... Read More

Business Innovation ? Organizational Culture

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Its All About The Customers, Baby

If you want to ensure a steady stream of customers... Read More

Workplace Violence - People are Dying Going to Work

Workplace violence has become a tragic reality today. From minor... Read More

Conference Calling Can Save Your Sales OrganizationTime and Money!

Conference calling can save you money. There is no doubt... Read More

Telephone Techniques: Boost Your Productivity With Effective Phoning

One of the things that most impacts people's productivity is... Read More

Bar Charts Brought to Life: Index of Interactive Information for HTML and PDF

Bar Charts and the Information ChallengeWhether one is an unknown... Read More

How To Write Commercial Collections Letters

It is sometimes valuable to bring the sales manager into... Read More

Six Sigma Training 101 ? Better Management Basics

What is Six Sigma?Six Sigma is a quality management program... Read More

Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business

I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker"... Read More

Protect Your Computer System with a Comprehensive Security Policy

The most difficult part of creating a Security Policy for... Read More

ISO 9001 Registration ? 8 Steps for Success

You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted... Read More

Spinning Gold from Straw: Low-Cost Employee Retention and Motivation Tools in a Changing Economy

New York, NY, February 25, 2005 ? Employee retention and... Read More

Effective Meetings by Phone - Part 1, How to Plan a Teleconference

Teleconferences can be a boon or a bust. On the... Read More

10 Ways To Work Through A Business Slowdown

In running any kind of business, it's inevitable that sometimes... Read More

Smart Staffing: Replacing a Key Manager

Have you been in this situation? One of your top... Read More

Lets Flourish and Prosper!

Some say that in business as in sex: if it... Read More

Help Your Employees Prepare for a Performance Appraisal

PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS: Remind employees to... Read More

Efficiency Around The Office

Nearly every office, be it commercial or home-based, may have... Read More

Key Control ? Who Has the Keys to Your Kingdom?

Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control... Read More

Managing Workplace Conflicts

Kinds of Workplace ConflictsLet's start by identifying where conflicts happen.... Read More

Making Change Work

Shaky FoundationsWhilst over 60% of businesses will be looking to... Read More

Are You Managing to Lead?

For many people, the terms "manager" and "leader" are synonymous.... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Human Resources at Work

This article relates to the Human Resource Functions competency, commonly... Read More

Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For

Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a... Read More

Phone Sex is Bad for Business

On August 3rd/2005, Reuters reported that a German man had... Read More

Leadership Skills Means Turnover is Not a Problem

"Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like... Read More

Innovation Management ? Innovation or Profit?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs

Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost... Read More

One Simple Idea to Grow Your Business

Perhaps the most common theme I've heard in working with... Read More