Posted by Michael Hurwitz on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 02:24 PM
Thinking of ways to increase corporate productivity and performance in today's economic climate we put together an animation on sales motivation and how to pull the correct strings:
Posted by Caren Brenman on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 01:59 PM
Communication begins with active listening. When employees feel heard, it increases their stake in your business and enhances their core values about why they are working there. The translation is they are happier and better performing employees.
Most employees do not respond well to just a one-sided stream of information raining down from above. Giving them a forum for feedback creates an atmosphere that encourages an entrepreneurial and empowering spirit. You might be thinking that in this current business /economic climate you don’t have the time for listening or else you think that all you’ll hear would be complaints.
Try looking at it this way, if you put a kettle on the stove and stand there the water will heat up to the perfect temperature you’d like for a cup of tea however, if you walk out of the kitchen and leave the kettle on its own the water temperature becomes scalding and boils over. Complaints boil over from lack of attention.
Another important way to recognize your employees is with rewards for performance. By listening to them you’ll learn about their focus and interests thereby, tailoring the right rewards program that will engage, motivate, and retain them.
Remember too that your employees are on the front line of your operations and their feedback and experience is very useful for learning about your customers and targeting your business to them. Your employees are your in-house market research department. Utilize their intelligence, skills, and experience to encourage new ideas and solutions, because ultimately for business success and satisfaction, it should be everybody’s business!
Posted by Jason McCallum on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 01:56 PM
Can the element of surprise motivate individuals more than the size of the reward? We recently came across this article in Fortune Magazine that suggests that the surprise element can act as a type of dopamine that is activated by unexpected positive results.
For employee recognition programs even top performers who are used to high-end rewards can appreciate a small one if it is unexpected. The frequency with which you reward is also important to consistently reinforce behavior and increase employee engagement.
So for managers thinking of what is the best way to reward their employees it is not the size of the reward that matters it is the frequency and element of surprise that triggers those motivational juices.