Top 9 Ways to Motivate Your Employees

1- Acknowledge Your People- This is paramount. Studies show that acknowledgement is up there with renumeration. People want to feel good about what they are doing and feel like their time and efforts make a difference. The average person has their performance intertwined with their identity - always let people know what they are doing right.

2- Language- watch the language you use to be sure it is supportive and tailored to the person/group you are talking to. For example if I am delivering a workshop to a wellness centre I may use Woo-woo terms like 'Law of Attraction', 'The Universe' - that same course delivered to a corporate crowd would be about 'Thinking Resources' and quantum physics, with a lot of scientific information to back it up. essentially the same course, designed for people and how they listen to certain words and termenology. Using word that people don't identify with or have strong opinions about can shut down there listening very quickly.

3-Communicate what you want- If sales are down the conversation should be about increasing sales and generating new leads - not around falling numbers and missed targets. Speak in a positive context about the results you WANT and you are much more likely to see your results, have your employees looking for what is missing to make the results possible.

4- Focus on strength- This goes for life too. Focus on peoples strength and what IS working while providing resources to develop other areas.

5- Feedback- Feedback is direction. Give your staff feedback on what they are doing well. Any feedback on areas that need to be developed is best delivered by hightlighting all the positive first and then mentioning the areas that need growth. Communicate it from a place of 'what's not working to get our result', not good or bad right or wrong. Give up drama and blame, people are doing their best.

6- Incentives- Financial or acknowledgement, people want to be recognized for their efforts.

7- Get Interested- Like it or not your employees work life will impact their home and vice versa - this cannot be avoided, we are dealing with human beings so one spills into the next. Be flexible and interested in them beyond their position - employees that feel valued and understood are more likely to create value for your company or organization.

8- Have some fun - I have a brother who started his company about 10 years ago. His rule with his employees is they must have their golf clubs in their trunk at all times for when he calls a spontaneous golf days. His company is worth or 50 millions dollars now.

9- Ask peoples opinion- these people know your business, customers and products the best. Ask for feedback on what will improve you as a manager and what will make the most difference with your vision. when employees share in the vision, they own it and do more to create it.