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Who Else Wants Motivated Employees?

It appears so very simple, doesn't it? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Golden Rule feels so undisputed that it should be a remedy for every relationship. Simply handle everyone the same way you would appreciate being treated and everything will flow smoothly, correct?

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Would your company's twenty-two year old hotshot account rep want the same benefits out of their job that your forty billing clerk wants? Is your technical staff hoping for similar goals and rewards as your secretary?

Obviously, their needs and wants are quite distinct, however many managers use a one-size fits all method when commending their most important employees. After a large project is done, everybody gets an identical thing, whether it's breakfast or a gas card. Providing the same thing to each person is what's fair, right? But do you think it's really fair for the top staff?

Hold On to the Key People

Startlingly few business owners understand that the Pareto Principle lesson about their staff indicates that 2 out of 10 of their staff produce most of your entire business' income. In addition, just about every management book cites case studies which compare the productivity of the top team members to the not so capable (yet still effective) team members. The distinction between the extremes has been found to be as much as 100 to 1. The closest these numbers ever seem to get to one another is about 4:1. So now how much more does this extraordinary variance in value wind up costing?

Let's say that your yearly cost for the least capable person is $30,000, what are you paying your top staff? Since a decent amount of the costs for an employee don't change, those costs don't go up in relation to base pay. For the intent of this examination, let's use some worst-case numbers, $60k. Assuming that your $30k person generates $30k of value (otherwise they'd be gone, right?). If your top employee is a measly four times more productive than the worst, they deliver far more value for how much more they cost.

If your company invests in more training for your least valuable players, costs immediately go up, but without any guarantee that productivity will likewise go up. Consider, also, how much of your salary is factored into the "cost" of this moderately competent employee? Probably none. Management costs are usually invisible, factored away as overhead. It certainly feels like you're being productive - trying your hardest to bring along the strugglers, hoping that they eventually rise above their shortcomings. Consider how much of your time is spent with either of these employees:

The self-managing dynamo who, with speed of a bullet train, handles customer complaints, delivers defect-free results, and even cleans up after himself in the break room

The new guy who has some interpersonal problems, occasional quality issues, problems following instructions, and shows up late on Mondays because of his occasional hangover

Apparently your top performers are worth the effort. As such, it's incredibly important for every small business owner to retain their best, as this group of your greatest embodies 80% of your team's value. Their experience with your unique processes combined with their talents and ability to get the job done in a pinch makes them nigh unto priceless.

But, what's the most effective way to show appreciation for your top people? What should you do to indicate to those top performers that they're wanted, and increase the likelihood that they'll be there for you when you need them again?

What's the most effective way to reward your superstars?

Show them the money. If your $30k staffer devotes himself to 70-hour weeks during the home stretch of a key effort, most exclusively monetary rewards would come in at a rate less than minimum wage. Simply rethink this alternative. This can be extremely offensive, seen, instead, as an insignificant effort to buy them off and ease a boss' guilty conscience. If you do decide to follow this path, once the IRS gets his share, the net value of this cash might end up being a lot less than it costs to give it out.

Send them to extra training. Some people might be thrilled to get an opportunity to attend a conference in a new city expenses to the company. They may even like to spend a few days before or after, out of their own pocket, just to cash in on this opportunity to stretch their legs. Watch out though, this could come off to your top performer that you found their efforts less than desirable. They might believe that they have to have additional training to be worthy of the ultimate reward that they hope to get. If your achiever is sensitive, they could get upset that all of that extra work they exerted was a warning sign to you that they were not so doing well at their job. Suggesting a training award in this situation could be mistaken that this struggle was obvious, and now you are taking remedial action.

Offer a promotion. Though the appeal of a notable designation or tangible benefits associated with a promotion may encourage some, more and more workers have come to recognize the hazards of the Peter Principle. They're worried that their work lives will shift a great deal when they are promoted to a position of greater responsibility. Your superstar staff probably like their current job. That's why they're so incredibly good at it. Before trying out a promotion as praise, ensure that the new role uses the talents and skills present in these talented folks, or you may end up losing them. If you go for it, make sure your top performer realizes that it's alright to get their old job again if things don't work out with the new job.

Provide extra holiday time. Everybody needs time off, right? However, if you give this bonus to a very dedicated person who is so totally immersed in their job that they don't have many friends of work, they may not know how to handle this leisure time.

Do unto others as they would have done unto them.

You can see that there are quite a few methods to reward your most valuable. It's easy to be tempted to give each of your team members the same award. It's especially easy to give them what you would want.

These examinations reinforce an all-important process: communication. Simply put, ask your shining stars what they really want. What is it that will allow them to actually understand that they are respected? The life that leads a person to be a great salesperson is quite distinct than the life of a great office manager. You may be amazed by the answers you hear. In fact, your employees may be shocked, as well, to learn that you are actually giving them a voice to decide upon the reward for their hard work.

Do they want money?

Do they want more demanding work?

Do they want some time off to appreciate their children?

Would they like more mentoring?

Do they simply want to be praised at a company function?

What have they received previously that really made them feel good?

The answers can vary significantly for each person, depending upon their long-term objectives, how their desires are currently being fulfilled in Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and the current difficulties in their life. Don't make the mistake of presupposing that the answer you hear now will remain the same throughout your top performer's career.

At the end of the day, instead of hoping to reward your people the way you would prefer to be rewarded, break The Golden Rule, and invest your time actually appreciating their needs and wants. By involving them in choices that affect their lives so immediately, you might unintentionally benefit from the Hawthorne Effect, and encourage your worker by showing you care. You will likely find that you've developed a work environment that makes your high achievers happier than they've ever been. Consequently, they will discover ways to push themselves to new levels of productivity, understanding that their hard work will result in rewards that are actually significant to them. You may even earn their admiration and allegiance for a lifetime.

Article Source: http://www.articlemotron.com

It looks incredibly simple, don't you think? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Golden Rule feels so universal that it might be a cure-all for all human relations. Simply treat everyone the same way you would appreciate being handled and all will flow smoothly, correct?

Daiv Russell is a small business management consultant with Envision Engineering.