When I do training for clients in the area of motivation, I oftentimes have such a potpourri of information that it is difficult to narrow it down. That is the good news, because there is a wealth of information on line to help you motivate and retain employees.

Here are some points I cover in Employee Motivation Training.

“VU”

People need to be Valued and Understood. This seems to be such a simple idea, but then again, many simple things are best, like a big dish of vanilla custard ice cream!  In the age of technology, many people feel like their efforts do not matter and they are just a human cog in the business world, easily expendable and replaceable, whether it be due to their age, downsizing, a slow economy, or exporting business abroad. Anything that you can do to make them feel like they are valued and understood will be beneficial in keeping them motivated and working for you.

I recently received a request to do some training for a retail store owner who wanted me to work with his employees on how to liquidate and consolidate his two stores into one store. One of the ideas I gave him was to do a brainstorming session and affinity diagram with his employees to see what suggestions they might have. (Check out this link for further explanation: http://www.leanyourcompany.com/methods/Using-Affinity-Diagrams.asp).  Not only will he get some great suggestions, he will be sending the message to them that he values their input and their knowledge; that what they think matters.

Not only do employees need to feel valued, but also understood. How many times do you allow yourself to be “available” to your staff?  I have interacted with a great many effective leaders and a common theme amongst them is they have an open door type of style.— This does not mean you cannot limit your interruptions by having “walk-in or office hours” even if just once a week. They also typically know all their employees names and something about their personal lives and families. “How’s your son’s soccer team doing?”  Etc. Finally, sometimes all you have to do is listen to people vent and then say, “I understand, this must be difficult for you,” or something to that effect. It makes sense that if people feel like you understand them, they will be more likely to cooperate and make an effort.

Motivating good employees is a continuous process, and one that needs and merits some of your time and attention. It will be time well spent because you will keep experienced staff who will be happy and willing to give you their best efforts.