Is your workplace begging for inspiration and a drop employee motivation? Has a tidal wave of “BORING” taken over the office? Never fear for inspiration is here! Sometimes it's the little things, even those nuances that may not be immediately evident, that can bring the most influence. If employee engagement, employee motivation, and employee inspiration are lacking in your company, then it's time to allow the positive energy to flow.
Michael Kerr, “The Workplace Energizer”, shares his insight regarding importance of leadership and culture in his book Inspiring Workplaces. One poignant quote sticks out to me: “You really can’t motivate another human being. But what you can do is create the kind of environment where people feel motivated.”
His words immediately brought to mind a former professor of mine, Laura Buchholz, who taught one of my senior-level marketing course. Keep in mind that the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University rightly boasts a reputation of breeding finely groomed business leaders; the atmosphere is dedicated, driven, and determined. With Professor Buchholz, I stepped out of the hallway, filled with neutral-toned suits with matching monotone faces, into a vibrant classroom of inspiration and creativity.
Each day, a new genre of music welcomed the class (sometimes quite pleasant, sometimes quite obscure). One segment dedicated to perception entailed producing a self-portrait in the beginning minutes of class; after our lesson, we re-drew our reflection and saw drastic improvement in our accuracy! Unorthodox exercises served to allow our perceptions to change which in turn allowed insightful ideas for proper product design, cohesive themes for ad campaigns, and so much more. Throughout the semester, my classmates and I had our eyes opened to new viewpoints.
Buchholz went on to give this advice: look for positive energy that you can see and feel in relationships, workplaces, wherever life takes you! Take key signs like sick employees, worry lines, constant sighing, and bland décor to be a red flag if you can’t otherwise sense the undesirable aura. Likewise, notice that constant smiles, sharing meaningful conversations, and maybe even holding hands as being tangible signs of a healthy relationship if the warmth, comfort, security, and butterflies aren’t immediately evident to the senses yet. Looking deeper into the intangible nature of energies takes practice, but everyone can see the tangible manifestations.
This paradigm transcends to marketing strategy and branding but, I believe, also directly correlates to Michael Kerr’s words mentioned earlier. Creating a flourishing culture of encouragement and passionate productivity means weeding out poor communication, lack of employee motivation, disgruntled attitudes, and inconsistent expectations. An energetic workplace with prominent employee engagement also requires a cohesive mission and vision for the present and future that effectively uses everyone’s fortes. Perhaps an employee recognition program would be a good fit for your company’s needs. Perhaps there are goals to be formulated and other tasks to be completed first. Whatever the steps may be to improving employee motivation, take those steps forward and not retrogress.
Kerr and Buchholz have the same core to their messages: a positive atmosphere allows positive energy to flourish with the inverse being true as well. Employee motivation and inspiration can benefit greatly by taking these words to heart.
To capture the essence of employee motivation and recognition with inspirational words, I have compiled a few quotes to be a daily reference guide to affirm others in work and in life. Hearing, or in this case reading, a nugget of truth from someone else allows the words to take on a new meaning and sink in. Let these philosophers, celebrities, political leaders, and ordinary people inspire you to recognize others in your workplace, creating a force of employee motivation, and in your social realm. Maybe, just maybe, their words will capture your heart like they have captured mine… Let the pinning begin! Who knows – maybe printing out a few of these quotes to display at your desk will inspire others to step forward with you to rebuilding a culture of inspiration and employee motivation!
