Leadership Expert Reveals Secret of Employee Motivation

Leadership expert Scott Love shares the secret of building authentic employee motivation.

(PRWEB) November 11, 2004 -- "Our firm's growth was twenty-five percent last year, and I'm still feeling frustrated," he said. He was a new client of mine, running a $30 Million a year fee-based professional services firm in San Francisco. His frustration wasn't based on a monetary or a revenue issue. It was based on performance issues. To his competitors, his amazing growth was enviable. But he knew his staff wasn't performing at their peak levels. In fact, they were mediocre. "How can I motivate my staff to give 100 percent throughout the whole day?"

"Let's talk about that, Bob. Let's start with why your company exists. What is your companys purpose?"

"Well..." he said with careful thought, "to generate profits for me and my partners." I could tell by his hesitation and the answer he gave that had never really addressed this fundamental issue.

"So what you're telling me is that your sole purpose of what your company does is based on your personal profit and the profits of your key partners. Am I understanding you correctly?" I asked in my challenging style as the "tough love" management consultant.

"Yeah. That's it, I suppose. Our purpose is to decrease our costs, build up our revenues, and expand my net profits."

"That's your problem, Bob. It's a blah blah blah purpose that really misses the mark of what a company is all about. You haven't even mentioned the impact of your contribution to the world or what sort of value you create. If you fixate your purpose on profit margins or revenue, then you'll eventually fail. If you focus on the contribution to others who can benefit from your service, then the profits will take care of themselves."

To build a company or any well-functioning organization, first you start with building a purpose. Forget about making a profit. Instead, make a difference. When I do sales training I tell the sales reps that if they focus first on their contribution and not on the commissions, that theyll generate more commissions. The purpose of your organization has to be rooted in a fundamental resolution of an issue that can benefit some other person or organization significantly. In this increasingly competitive market, the difference that you make in the world is what makes the difference in your business. And when it comes to building and managing a motivated workforce, keep in mind that everyone wants to make a difference. Profit generation is a byproduct of a solid and crystal clear purpose. At the end of the day, your employees want to know that their work matters and when they know that it does, they will give it their all.

So here's the question you need to bring to your next staff meeting, the same question that I asked my client in California:

"What is the purpose of our organization?"
Think in terms of the contribution that you make to your customer. Focus on a tangible benefit felt on a personal level to the end user. Commit it to memory. Create a short paragraph of a mission statement or a purpose statement. Train everyone in your company on what that purpose is, and by all means, seek their input when you develop this statement of mission. This purpose cannot be self-serving, self-seeking, or related to the growth of your company. It must be external if your organization's success is measured in terms of serving an external entity.

A few years ago I was talking with a construction superintendent of a major school construction project. "What motivates you to build this school when you feel the pressure of the deadlines and other forces outside of your control?" I asked him. He told me that he wasn't just building a school. He was building a crucible for the hope of the future. His motivation was intrinsic and came from within. He had a clear understanding of his purpose and mission at work and he was a highly motivated employee, all because of his crystal clear focus on his contribution and purpose.

The difference between a high performing organization and one that just performs at a minimal level is the difference that your leadership can make by helping your employees understand why they come to work everyday.

Copyright (c) 2004 Scott T. Love

Scott Love improves employee performance by showing managers how to put meaning into work, how to build authentic employee motivation, and how to lead. To book him for your next corporate or association meeting, call him at 828-225-7700. To visit his archive of leadership articles and resources, go to www.scottlove.com.

###