Employee Motivation: How to Get Your Team on Board

One of the most compelling parts about being an entrepreneur is can live your dream by starting your own business. Since you’re the boss, you have the opportunity to create a compelling business vision, shape the culture of your company and are responsible for employee motivation.

Of course, as the founder and owner, you are intrinsically motivated to make your business vision come to fruition. It’s your blood, sweat, and tears that have built your business, not to mention your significant financial investment, on the line. And that financial investment is important—this isn’t just a paycheck for you.

But it’s not good enough for you to be motivated. You need a motivated team behind you. So how do you make sure that your employees share the same passion for your business that you do? How do you inspire your employees to get on board with your vision?

The Importance of Your Business Vision and Corporate Culture

Corporate culture is at the heart of any company. A positive corporate culture can actually make employees work harder and a business becomes more profitable. Harvard Business School reports that “culture can account for 20-30% of the differential in corporate performance when compared with ‘culturally unremarkable’ competitors.”

One fundamental component of employee motivation is the strength of your business mission statement. A business mission statement can rally employees behind the business “cause” and inspire them to be their best. When you’re sharing your own company vision to motivate your employees, you need to make sure that you’re looking at tangible, concrete goals.

Do you have a mission statement? Is your mission statement something you share routinely with your employees? If not, it’s time to come up with the WHY behind the business. Your mission statement should reflect the goals and your business aspirations in just a few words so that you can use this to motivate your staff.

Aim high. Sharing exactly how you want to change the world with your business will certainly be more exciting to your staff than a spreadsheet of profit margins.

Supporting Your Company with the Right Team

The best way to make sure that your employees are on board with your company’s vision is to hire the right people. Your hiring practices should not only seek out the best, most-qualified candidates, but also those candidates who are the best fit for your company, your culture, and who can help fulfill your mission statement.

You want your employees to share your vision and connect with your values. If you find staff who meets those criteria, then it will be much easier to motivate them. For small business owners, there is a potential snag—you may have friends and/or family that want to be a part of the business but aren’t a good fit. There’s no easy way to handle that; you’ll need to decide if it makes sense to make space for them or if they’re going to be a drag on the business.

When you’re putting your staff together, you’re putting together the inner workings for your company. Finding the right combination of skills and personality make take some time, but it’s worth it. For tips on hiring check out our resources Hiring Your First Employee and Top 10 Questions to Ask When Hiring.

Listening to Your Employees Will Motivate Them

Business experts say a crucial component to employee motivation is listening. After you’ve staffed your business with the right team, the way you take feedback from that staff can make or break your business success.

Companies, where employees are heard, are more successful because the employees feel energized and connected to the work they do. Employees who are supported want to do their best work for the company. If you listen to your employees, respond to their concerns, and help them succeed, they will do the same for you. And you may find that listening to your employees can actually be extra motivating and inspiring for you!

For more on how to create a culture of excellence visit How to Create High-Performance Corporate Culture.

Get Excited

If you can excite your staff about your mission statement, hire the right people for the job who share your values, and listen to your employees, then you’re going to have employees who are excited to get on board with your company’s unique goals and aspirations.