Motivating the Challenge-Driven Employee
Most good leaders and employees are motivated internally through challenging themselves
to improve their own skills, experience, and productivity. Internal motivation is
very powerful when present, and can be easily quashed by micromanagement and ineffective
delegation. The key to keeping challenge-motivated workers at their best is to develop
your company culture to encourage autonomy and professional development across the
board.
Building a challenge-motivating culture can be difficult for some entrepreneurs.
The same self-assurance and drive to do things right that makes an entrepreneur successful
can also make it difficult to trust employees to work on their own. But, if you plan
to grow your business, you will have to rely on your staff to do things right on
their own. Good employees will not only cover the tasks that you don't have time
for, but will also contribute their own knowledge and skills to drive the success
of your venture.
Good leaders are masters of delegation -- telling workers what needs to be done but
not how to do it. Set clear objectives in the job descriptions for each position,
clearly communicate those objectives to your staff, then get out of the way and let
them work. Get to know each employee's individual skills and talents. Assign tasks
accordingly and encourage your staff to utilize their skills. Also, find out which
areas your employees wish to improve and develop opportunities for them to do so.
For example, most people wish they were better at public speaking. Consider starting
a lunchtime Toastmasters club for your staff or sponsoring your employee's memberships
to an established club. The better your worker's skill sets, the more they can contribute
to growing the business.
For those employees who are particularly challenge-driven, it is even more important
to encourage them to push their limits. Be careful not to burden these workers with
too many mundane tasks. Give them assignments that allow them to show off their skills
and develop new ones. Let them know how much their skills and willingness to improve
are appreciated...then get out of their way!
Building a challenge-driven culture is critical to the growth of your business idea.
The stronger your staff is in the skills that drive success, the stronger your business
will be. As an entrepreneur, the odds are that you can relate to challenge-driven
motivation better than any of the other motivators. Think about the environment required
for you to be the most productive, and build your company culture around these ideas.
Read more about motivating your small business’s employees...
About the Author
LaunchX.com is dedicated to training entrepreneurs to turn their good ideas into
great companies. The LaunchX System provides step-by-step education in the mindset
and skill set entrepreneurs need to succeed. Our program includes intensive seminar
training, key business software, and specialized workbooks that teach you the fundamental
skills you need to achieve your financial and worklife goals through entrepreneurship.
Register today for our introductory course and see what LaunchX can do for you!
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