Six Steps To A Motivated Business Culture

Ira S. Wolfe

President, Success Performance Solutions

Are bad attitudes, lack of commitment and low morale cutting into your bottom line? Frustrated with hiring star employees with an "attitude" and poor performance?

Recent studies have suggested that 70% of employees today are less motivated than they used to be, 80% could perform better if they wanted to, and 50% put forth only enough effort each day to keep their jobs.

Despite the scarcity of highly skilled workers, businesses today are on the verge of an extraordinary opportunity, a chance to realize the enormous unmet potential within current and prospective employees. But businesses will not achieve exceptional success by running their businesses in the normal way.

What is the normal way you ask? As marketplace pressures put the squeeze on profits and the cost of running a business increases, businesses often respond by freezing wages or giving minimal increases at best, cutting or eliminating training time and benefits, and hiring temporary or part-time employees. The consequent employee response is loss of motivation, lower job satisfaction, wavering loyalty and a loss of focus.

The normal business result is:

1. A lower quality of customer service
2. Increased turnover
3. Increased absenteeism and tardiness
4. Increased theft
5. Lower productivity
6. More accidents or incidents
7. Lower profits

A less obvious but even more significant threat to performance and profitability is the de-motivated employee’s inability or unwillingness to share, learn and cooperate with other team members.

People employed in your business bring their own unique motivational sources to the workplace. Does this mean the onus of motivation falls alone on the employee? The Quality of Motivation Theory, according to Dr. Charles Coker, President of LifeThrive Performance Systems, says no. If the employee feels the demands of the job are greater than the available individual or business resources, the individual (and the business) will demonstrate a lack of commitment and loss of energy.

The QM theory provides an empirical answer to the nagging question, how do I motivate my employees? The answer lies in your business values, policies, direction, actions, and strategies.

It is therefore crucial for businesses positioning themselves as thriving businesses to select and develop employees who will become profitable, motivated, and highly skilled at providing value-added services. The business must engage the emotional energy and attention of the employees and provide the resources to help them cope with the emotional, intellectual, and physical demands of the job.

How do you develop a business culture that is attracts and retains highly motivated employees?

Employment security. The vast majority of society today longs for security and stability. Time and time again job stability ranks far higher than pay on job satisfaction scales. People naturally resist change because it is simply too difficult or disruptive. Employment security, based on successful job performance, is a key factor in a successful business.

Hire selectively. Surround yourself with people who share your fundamental values for a quality of life. Owners and managers can no longer hire by guessing, hoping, relying on gut reaction or believing a resume. The costs are too high and the results too threatening for the long term success and profitability of a business. Managers must hire and train with special emphasis on top notch verbal and listening skills, interpersonal effectiveness, willingness to cooperate, individual initiative, and willingness to contribute. High performance employees will display good initiative, judgment, adaptability, and ability to learn as well as a willingness to share what they know for the benefit of the customer.

Rethink your compensation structure. Businesses must begin to offer compensation based on organizational performance as well as individual performance. This requires measurement. To know if the business and individuals within it have improved, employees must have a reference point, clear expectations, be given feedback and direction, and receive training and support to meet business goals and satisfy personal needs.

Provide training beyond clinical skills. A recent Stanford University study showed that 88% of successful performance is a direct result of attitude and an individual’s motivation. Only 12% of successful performance could be credited to skills or technical knowledge. Developing employees "soft skills" has a far greater likelihood of success and a higher return on investment. As an added bonus, a motivated person is more likely to take the initiative to learn and acquire new technical skills needed to grow and advance.

Learn to use the ideas, skills and efforts of all people. An environment that encourages the sharing of information and flexibility will find new ways to solve problems, more quickly and effectively than the business down the street.

Finally, promote your employees as your competitive edge. Believe as Douglas Ivester, former CEO of Coca-Cola, one of the most successful companies in the world, does "People are your most defining asset."