You might be surprised to know what motivates your team and how you can elevate your leadership with a few simple and relatively cost efficient ways.
Where do you think compensation falls in the top 10 employee motivators according to Google AI?
Did you immediately think in the top 3?
Would you be surprised to know compensation is actually 7th out of the Top 10?
What is the number 1 way to motivate and inspire your team???
Let’s look at the list and I will just ask you a few simple questions to get you thinking, as a business owner, or maybe a leader for a corporation, how you think you impact the motivation. No judgement and I obviously will never know how you rank in motivating your team.
I’m hopeful this exercise will motivate you to think of your leadership and new ways you can inspire and empower your team, whether you own a business or work for a big business and are responsible for motivating a team.
Let’s start at #10
#10 Strong leadership
Do you think your team is inspired by you?
Do you think you lead by example?
Do you have the experience necessary to show your employees they can trust your judgement and decisions?
#9 Autonomy and empowerment
What is your management style?
Do you assign tasks and then hover closely to ensure the task is completed?
Does your team understand your business well enough to make the same or comparable decision that you would make?
Do your employees have your trust to “make it right” for your clients/customers?
#8 Clear goals and expectations
Is there any chance your employees are unclear on the company goals?
Does everyone who reports to you, understand the company priorities and how they contribute to making an impact for the success of your business?
#7 Compensation and benefits
Here it is…compensation. Are your employees compensated fairly?
Do you know what the Industry Standard for compensation for your employees job title is?
Do you offer annual merit increases that reflect employee contribution that exceeds inflation rates?
Is your benefit package competitive to Industry Standards?
Do you provide a flexible benefits package that meets the needs of your team?
#6 Job security
When times get tough, historically have you had to trim headcount as you work to earn more revenue?
Is your business high stress?
Do your employees feel stable in their role?
Is turnover high in your business?
Are the expectations for your employees performance realistic?
#5 Work-life balance
Do your employees have regular shifts that give them a consistent balance of work and life?
Are your employees expected to be on-call regularly?
What type of activities do your employees enjoy when they are with their friends and family?
Do your employees have a chance to rest and recharge between shifts?
Are your employees active in their community?
Do you offer vacation days and encourage your team to completely remove themselves from work to return fresh and rested?
#4 Positive and supportive work environment
Do you have an opportunity to connect with your employees regularly to talk about company goals and how they are contributing to the overall success?
Would your employee be comfortable talking to you about a difficult situation that might require flexible working hours or modified shifts?
Would your employees happily work overtime to assist you to meet a big goal or unexpected deadline, with the opportunity to be compensated with overtime pay or time in lieu?
#3 Professional development opportunities
What does growth look like for your employees?
Do you talk to them about goals they may have, that may not impact their current role, but a dream role?
What does your learning and education look like for your employees to further their skills?
Do you have conversations around your employees strengths and how to best utilize them for their growth and development (even if it means losing them as a team member)?
#2 Challenging and meaningful task
Are your employees doing work that makes them feel like they are contributing to the companies success?
Are you pushing your team to learn more and try new tasks that are challenging and encourage them to experience the satisfaction of their “first time completing a new task”?
Do you ask your employees if there is anything they are currently doing where they see ways for improvement in efficiency or productivity?
#1 Recognition and appreciation
This makes my heart SING 🎶
Above ALL the motivators, employees want real, genuine recognition and appreciation.
How often do you recognize your employees as a team and individually?
Is it a checkbox quarterly that feels more like a checkmark than a genuine offering of appreciation?
Do you have a budget for surprise and delight appreciation events?
Is there any one type of event that everyone on your team would appreciate?
Do you recognize just employees or also encourage their +1 to share in the appreciation?
Why is this relevant to my Photography Business?
I bet if you ask all your employees if they have ever experienced a Professional Photography Experience, that majority of them would say no.
Many might even say it’s not an expense they would ever make a priority above their everyday responsibilities of mortgage, rent, groceries, gas, property taxes, insurance, phone bill, kids after school sports, vacations…the list of monthly expenses is seemingly endless.
For many people, a Photography Experience is a luxury and very low on the priority list, if it makes the list at all.
As a Business Owner or Leader, wouldn’t it be great to offer your employees an experience they will remember for years to come and have a portfolio of images to share with their family and they can finally update their LinkedIn profile and their personal social media?
Obviously you need to read the room and know if a Photography Experience would motivate your team or have them rolling their eyes and dreading every second of the experience.
If you have read this far and are thinking this might be a unique way to show your appreciation, reach out to your local photographer, and ask for more info on the packages and pricing.
If you are local to me, in the Kingston, ON area…reach out to learn more. Happy to collaborate on ideas to make a unique Team Building and Employee Appreciation event one that everyone will talk about to their friends and your clients ❤️
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