Ways to Increase Employee Enthusiasm

Are your employees sleepwalking? Use these tips to power up the performance and passion of your employees. Motivation is the key to success with employees.

Are your employees giving your company their all? Do they believe that what they're doing is important? Do they feel appreciated? Do they show up for work each day filled with passion and purpose?

A red flag should go up if you answered "no" to any of these questions. Why? Business owners who aren't taking care of their employees are missing out on significant cost-savings and profits.

We?ve been spreading the word about this for 20 years, but only recently have we been able to rest our case on a growing body of research. For example:

• Gallup International recently reported that businesses in the top 24 percent of employee engagement had less turnover and remarkably higher percentages of customer loyalty, profitability and revenues.
• Extensive studies by organization and HR consulting firm HayGroup have revealed powerful links between employee engagement and productivity, which ultimately impacts a business's bottom line.
• Through real-life examples, a workplace values expert like John Izzo has abundant proof that this generation of employees is more conscious of their own needs and of their place in the world.

For business leaders in companies of all sizes, the writing's on the wall: You can make and save money by keeping employees engaged. Coupled with The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, requiring businesses to document internal controls relating to employee and customer satisfaction, it's never been more important for business leaders to stop dismissing internal customer care as "soft and unimportant."

Let's face it, employees aren't just humans doing; they're human beings. Today's entrepreneurs must make it a priority to get to know them so they can provide whatever's needed to keep their employees fully engaged in what they do. This creates wins for everyone. With that in mind, here are nine management tips for creating and sustaining employee engagement:

1. Let go of any negative opinions you may have about your employees. Approach each of them as a source of unique knowledge with something valuable to contribute to your company. Remember that you're co-creating the achievement of a vision with them.
2. Make sure your employees have everything they need to do their jobs. Remember when you started a new school year and you'd prepare by getting all new school supplies? Why not build just such an opportunity into your department by simply asking each staff member, "Do you have everything you need to be as successful as you can be?" Remember, just as marketplace and customer needs can change daily, so can your employees' needs.
3. Clearly communicate what's expected of employees, what the company values and vision are, and how the company defines success. Employees can't perform well or be productive if they don't clearly know what it is they're there to do and the part they play in the overall success of the company. Be sure to communicate your expectations--and to do it often.
4. Get to know your employees, especially their goals, their stressors, what excites them and how they each define success. I'm not suggesting you pry too deeply or start counseling your staff. What I'm suggesting is that you show an interest in their well-being and that, when appropriate, you do what it takes to enable them to feel more fulfilled and better balanced.
5. Make sure they're trained--and retrained--in problem solving and conflict resolution skills. These critical skills will help them interact better with you, their co-workers, customers and suppliers. It's common sense--better communication reduces stress and increases positive outcomes.
6. Constantly ask how you're doing in your employees' eyes. I know it can be difficult for managers to request employee feedback, and it can be equally if not more challenging for an employee to give the person who evaluates them an honest response. To develop this skill and model it for your employees, begin dialogs with employees using such conversation starters as, "It's one of my goals to constantly improve myself as a manager. What would you like to see me do differently? What could I be doing to make your job easier?" Be sure to accept feedback graciously and express appreciation.
7. Pay attention to company stories and rituals. Are people laughing at each other or with each other? Do they repeat stories of success or moments of shame? Stay away from participating in discussions that are destructive to people or the organization, and keep success stories alive.
8. Reward and recognize employees in ways that are meaningful to them. This is another reason why getting to know your employees is so important. Remember to celebrate both accomplishments and efforts to give employees working on long-term goals a boost.
9. Be consistent for the long haul. If you start an engagement initiative and then drop it, your efforts will backfire, creating employee estrangement. People are exhausted and exasperated from program du jour initiatives that engage their passion and then fizzle out when a business owner gets bored with it. There's a connection between an employee's commitment to an initiative and an owner's commitment to supporting it. An owner's ongoing commitment to keeping people engaged, involved in and excited about the work they do and the challenges they face must be a daily priority.

Ultimately, you must keep in mind that your employees are your company's greatest assets. Their collective ideas, feedback, experience and enthusiasm for what they do can help your business grow and succeed. Some people are naturally wired to give they?re all and do their best no matter where they work. But the majority of people require the guidance of skilled managers who welcome their ideas, ask for feedback and generate enthusiasm in order to have a sense of purpose and energy about what they do.

Current wisdom says, "Hire for attitude and train for skills." That's because humans are stubborn and don't like change. Well, that?s not exactly true: We like change when other people are changing to make our lives easier. That's why social change takes a generation--the old mindset has to die off to make room for the new. But all is not hopeless. When attitudes are just a reaction to the work environment, people can change. Fix the situation, show them it's fixed, and let the change begin!

People get cynical and apathetic for good reason. Scandal after scandal reveals golden parachutes, endless perks and upper managers making millions without linking pay and performance. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins says that there's even evidence that the worse the leader, the more he or she takes home.

But let's assume you and your management team are prepared to be accountable, will accept a pay level the rank-and-file consider reasonable, and genuinely want to create a new company culture.

Start with action, not words; people want results, not promises. You'll have to start by delivering change that's in their best interest, and back up your action with words, not the other way around.

A good place to start is by making a visible sacrifice for the company's common good. You might consider cutting your own pay, bonus and raise--especially if you've had layoffs recently. Give it back to the people who made it: your employees. Increase their benefits, hire back some laid-off workers or boost salaries. The role model here is Aaron Feuerstein, CEO of a clothing company, who in 1995 kept 3,000 employees on the payroll after a fire leveled the business. His belief was that his responsibilities extended to employees and the community as well as to shareholders. It paid off after he rebuilt the factory because he had a ready workforce ready to work even harder than before.

Next, give everyone a sense that showing up for work could make his or her lives better. At first, they won't be able or willing to believe you. You'll have to combat their lack of emotion with added emotion. Find the emotional connection people have with the company.

There is some research which indicates that people are most motivated when challenged to use their strengths to reach goals they think are doable. (See Authentic Happiness by Marty Seligman.) Find emotionally important goals by asking, "What's important about the work you do?" When they answer, ask, "What's important about that? What will that do?" a few times. Their answers will reveal values and passions. If they reply, "for the pay" and don't connect with any further goals, they may have no job passion to awaken. If someone's never had job-related hopes, dreams or aspirations, he or she probably won't develop them mid-career. (Significant emotional and spiritual events might do it, but that's a bit beyond the scope of this column. Business research suggests it's easier to change skills than attitudes, so your best bet may be to start hiring people with a more engaged attitude.) Watch people's faces: If they become animated or talk with longing in their voice, you've tapped into something real.

Now ask them to stay in that passion and describe their perfect job. Have 'em go wild. If the past culture has been especially oppressive, you'll probably be amazed at how unwild their dreams actually are. Things like "having a desk with three drawers" may be a big deal. Ask them, "What one thing can I do to help you move closer to that dream?"

Listen very, very carefully to the answer; you're at a critical moment. They're telling you how you can send an emotional message, not just a verbal one. Whatever they say to do, just do it. Say, "I appreciate your sharing that. I'll keep it in mind." Don't promise anything; they've learned that promises get broken. Just quietly get it done. Then check back and ask about next steps. As soon as possible, have them suggest what they can do to drive the change further.

Beware the temptation of self-promotion! Don't crow about how responsive you're being. It's no big deal. Choose small things and take visible actions that people find meaningful. Actions are what people want, not words. They'll notice, and the word will spread that you're a leader who actually makes life better, rather than issues empty promises.

Once you've taken action and people have evidence that things can be different, it's time to encourage them to step up and do their part. Once they start going, your job is supporting them and helping them align their actions with the direction of the overall company.

This isn't an easy process. If people are truly happy in their work environment, don't expect them to embrace change. But if the apathy comes from bad leadership and unchanging drudgery, you can change that, and they'll get it once you start demonstrating that you're truly different.

Be vigilant! People will have trouble adapting to you. Even if they're psyched to take the reins, they may need help coping. I worked with a secretary who dreamed of becoming a project manager. When given her first project, she discovered she didn't know how to step up and lead. In meetings, she deferred to senior people out of sheer habit, even when the responsibility was hers as project manager. We worked to help her define her role and to acquire the project management skills to master the position. As a leader, you foster change that may push people into new territory. Be sensitive, and be prepared to intervene and help insure their success.

As people take charge, they might charge right in someone else's face. Look out for turf battles, injured egos, feelings of exclusion and other potential hot spots. When war looks likely, step in and help the participants negotiate a settlement. Get them together, help them find common goals (or remind them of the team's common goals), and then give them the responsibility for working out their differences. Be available as a resource, but get them in the habit of behaving like mature adults. Once you've tapped their motivation, it's up to you to help them grow to work as a strong team that produces solid, substantial results.