For a business is to be at its best, inspire and motivate its people, it is not about offering rewards and incentives. When you start doing this, then you find yourself continually having to do something grander, offer something better to bribe them to work harder and more productively.
However when the soul of the business speaks to its employees and all its stakeholders then it is a whole different story.
As David and Wendy Ulrich say in their book, The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organisations That Win, – “When our organisations enact our highest values and embody our best aspirations, they inspire our best efforts and nothing short of our best efforts will keep us afloat when storms are regain and the ship has sprung a leak or when fair winds lull us into lethargy and hubris.”
So, let’s think about this. What is it that is most important to you? What is it that you really want to achieve with your business? Is this something that will inspire and motivate your people to do their best work?
Well then, share it with them. Make time to sit with them and open the conversation about what is really important to you, beyond the bottom line. What is it that is important to them? Share together your values and ideas and find commonality that will help you to work together and keep you going through all types of weather.