How to Inspire your Team and Increase Performance
by Morgan Cruz, Marketing Content Coordinator, MHI | @mhi_morgan
In the supply chain getting the best out of your employees is essential to working as a well oiled machine. Many people struggle at work to stay motivated and reach their full potential. How do you keep your team on track and inspire high quality performance? Here are a few things you can do as a leader to influence your team and generate positive results.
Show Individual Worth
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value”. –Albert Einstein
Employees will care more about their work when they see and understand why their labor is valuable. How do the efforts of each individual employee contribute to the company’s success beyond profit? Let’s say your design team created and produced the look of your latest product.
Reiterate the big picture of why the design of this product was important to help the company achieve direct goals and also goals that extend to the community. Show your employees the product on store shelves or in use by your customers. When an employer connects the dots they reinforce individual worth. In return, employees feel a sense of purpose and become inspired do their job well.
Encourage Ownership
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any”. –Alice Walker
Employees are more likely to be passionate about something they are more invested and instrumental in developing. Offering your employee the chance to take ownership of a specific project will build problem solving skills, confidence and develop trust with management.
Employees who experience ownership are more likely to feel a sense of power and competency over employees who have never had this opportunity. Communicate the end result of a special project, offer advice and clarification when needed and allow your employee the chance to step up.
Facilitate Innovation
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. –Pablo Picasso
When you are young the world is your imagination. From tying your shoes to riding a bike, you are constantly learning and being challenged. Why should this freedom to think, create, and innovate, change once you enter the workplace? Inspired employees feel they have impact when given the right tools and resources to develop profitable solutions and out of the box ideas.
If you feel your employees become complacent and bored, involve them in your latest idea-based project. What could your company be doing better? Its there a more efficient way you to get your product from point A to point B? When given the opportunity and educational resources (webinars, conferences, skill specific classes) employees will naturally challenge them selves, self-educate, and feel inspired to make a difference.
