No matter the size of your company, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to your business success.

When people lose their motivation, however, their job performance suffers -they become less productive, less creative, less of an asset to the company.

The bottom line: You pay a heavy price when employees have motivation issues.

How then to light a fire under an employee who has lost his or her motivation, whether a former hard worker whose performance has declined over the years, or a long-term problem employee who has failed to improve?

Here are 10 useful pointers on getting your employees enthused, productive, and ready to give their all: Build a foundation. It s important to build a solid foundation for your employees so they feel invested in the company. Tell them about the history of the business and your vision for the future. Ask them about their expectations and career goals, as well as how you can help them feel part of the team. When any new employee starts, make sure he or she receives a thorough welcome orientation. Create a positive environment. Promote an office atmosphere that makes all employees feel worthwhile and important. Don t play favorites with your staff. Keep office doors open and let folks know they can always approach you with questions or concerns. A happy office is a productive office. Put people on the right path. Most employees are looking for advancement opportunities within their own company. Work with each of them to develop a career growth plan that takes into consideration both their current skills and future goals. If employees become excited about what s down the road, they will become more engaged in their present work. Educate the masses. Help employees improve their professional skills by providing on-the-job training or in-house career development. Allow them to attend workshops and seminars related to the industry. Encourage them to attend adult education classes paid for by the company. Employees will feel you are investing in them, and this will translate into an improved job performance. Don t forget the fun. Once in a while you have put work aside and do something nice for the people who work for you. Treat the office to a pizza lunch or take everyone to the movies. Reward employees with an unexpected day off or by closing the office early on a random Friday afternoon. Acknowledge contributions. You can make a huge difference in employee morale simply by taking the time to recognize each employee s contributions and accomplishments, large or small. Be generous with praise.

Provide incentives. Offer people incentives to perform well, either with something small like a gift certificate or something more substantial such as a performance-based bonus or salary increase. Give out Employee of the Month awards. Such tokens of appreciation will go far in motivating employees. Honor your promises. Getting people to give their all requires following through on promises. If you tell an employee that he or she will be considered for a bonus if numbers improve or productivity increases, you d better put your money where your mouth is. Failure to follow through on promises will result in a loss of trust -- not only that person s trust, but the trust of every employee that hears the story. Provide career coaching. Help employees reach the next level professionally by providing on-site coaching. Bring in professionals to provide one-on-one counseling, which can help people learn how to overcome personal or professional obstacles on their career paths. Match tasks to talents. You can improve employee motivation by improving employee confidence. Assign individuals with tasks you know they will enjoy or will be particularly good at. An employee who is successful at one thing will have the self-confidence to tackle other projects with renewed energy and excitement. No matter the size of your company, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to your business success. When people lose their motivation, however, their job performance suffers -- they become less productive, less creative, less of an asset to the company.

The bottom line: You pay a heavy price when employees have motivation issues.

How then to light a fire under an employee who has lost his or her motivation, whether a former hard worker whose performance has declined over the years, or a long-term problem employee who has failed to improve?

Here are 10 useful pointers on getting your employees enthused, productive, and ready to give their all: Build a foundation. It s important to build a solid foundation for your employees so they feel invested in the company. Tell them about the history of the business and your vision for the future. Ask them about their expectations and career goals, as well as how you can help them feel part of the team. When any new employee starts, make sure he or she receives a thorough welcome orientation. Create a positive environment. Promote an office atmosphere that makes all employees feel worthwhile and important. Don t play favorites with your staff. Keep office doors open and let folks know they can always approach you with questions or concerns. A happy office is a productive office. Put people on the right path. Most employees are looking for advancement opportunities within their own company. Work with each of them to develop a career growth plan that takes into consideration

both their current skills and future goals. If employees become excited about what s down the road, they will become more engaged in their present work. Educate the masses. Help employees improve their professional skills by providing on-the-job training or in-house career development. Allow them to attend workshops and seminars related to the industry. Encourage them to attend adult education classes paid for by the company. Employees will feel you are investing in them, and this will translate into an improved job performance. Don t forget the fun. Once in a while you have put work aside and do something nice for the people who work for you. Treat the office to a pizza lunch or take everyone to the movies. Reward employees with an unexpected day off or by closing the office early on a random Friday afternoon. Acknowledge contributions. You can make a huge difference in employee morale simply by taking the time to recognize each employee s contributions and accomplishments, large or small. Be generous with praise. Provide incentives. Offer people incentives to perform well, either with something small like a gift certificate or something more substantial such as a performance-based bonus or salary increase. Give out Employee of the Month awards. Such tokens of appreciation will go far in motivating employees. Honor your promises. Getting people to give their all requires following through on promises. If you tell an employee that he or she will be considered for a bonus if numbers improve or productivity increases, you d better put your money where your mouth is. Failure to follow through on promises will result in a loss of trust -- not only that person s trust, but the trust of every employee that hears the story. Provide career coaching. Help employees reach the next level professionally by providing on-site coaching. Bring in professionals to provide one-on-one counseling, which can help people learn how to overcome personal or professional obstacles on their career paths. Match tasks to talents. You can improve employee motivation by improving employee confidence. Assign individuals with tasks you know they will enjoy or will be particularly good at. An employee who is successful at one thing will have the self-confidence to tackle other projects with renewed energy and excitement.

At Wipro, we believe you are entitled to the best of benefits.

Flexible Benefits

You will be at liberty to choose your flexible benefits plan, to help you plan your taxes through your salary stack Quarterly Performance Linked Compensation is a variable component in your salary stack which would be paid out on a quarterly basis You are also eligible for interest-free loans and contingency loans under specific case Health

The Medical Assistance Program and the Medical Benefit Scheme cover you, your spouse and your children and is a reimbursable amount. You will also be eligible for the Catastrophic Medical Assistance Plan and Mediclaim benefits. Under the Life and Accident cover, you are entitled to the Group Personal Accident Insurance Program, Group Life Insurance Program and Employee Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Program.

Work-Life Balance To give you a perfect balance of work and life, Wipro has initiated elements like paid holidays, maternity benefit with extended leave of absence and sabbaticals You are also encouraged to be a part of our various Corporate Social Responsibility campaigns under the banner 'Wipro Cares' 'Mitr', Wipro's counseling initiative, helps you cope with crises faced in your personal and professional life Kids@Wipro provides your children a fun way of learning new things The 'Fit for Life' initiative gives insights into the right diet, best exercises for the body and soul, and a wide variety of useful tips to keep you fit Wipro is driving a self transformation initiative to create an ecologically sustainable organization and the 'Eco Eye' campaign continuously tries to influence all its stakeholders and communities to move towards ecological sustainability. We encourage you to be a part of this green initiative as well The policies mentioned here are policies of the company as of today; this is subject to change in future as policies of the company evolve from time to time.

Disclaimer

The policies and benefits mentioned here are policies of the Company as on date; this is subject to change and as per policies of the Company from time to time and geography.

Employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that a company's workers apply to their jobs. In the increasingly competitive business environment of recent years, finding ways to motivate employees has become a pressing concern for many managers. In fact, a number of different theories and methods of employee motivation have emerged, ranging from monetary incentives to increased involvement and empowerment. Employee motivation can sometimes be particularly problematic for small businesses, where the owner often has spent so many years building a company that he/she finds it difficult to delegate meaningful responsibilities to others. But entrepreneurs should be mindful of such pitfalls, for the effects of low employee motivation on small businesses can be devastating. Some of the problems associated with unmotivated workers include complacency, declining morale, and widespread discouragement. If allowed to continue, these problems can reduce productivity, earnings, and competitiveness in a small business.

On the other hand, small businesses can also provide an ideal atmosphere for fostering employee motivation, because employees are able to see the results of their contributions in a more immediate way than in large firms. Besides increasing productivity and competitiveness, a highly motivated work force can allow a small business owner to relinquish day-today, operational control and instead concentrate on long-term strategies to grow the business. "Workers really do want to be inspired about their work, and when they are, they work better, smarter, and harder," business coach Don Maruska told Entrepreneur.

Moreover, a business that institutes effective ways whether tangible (such as a financial bonus) or intangible (say, a plum assignment for an upcoming project) of rewarding employees for good work can be an invaluable tool in employee retention. "People enjoy working, and tend to thrive in organizations that create positive work environments," one business researcher told HR Focus. "[They thrive in] environments where they can make a difference, and where most people in the organization

are competent and pulling together to move the company forward. Appropriately structured reward and recognition programs are important, but not exclusive, components in this mix." WHAT MOTIVATES?

One approach to employee motivation has been to view "add-ins" to an individual's job as the primary factors in improving performance. Endless mixes of employee benefits such as health care, life insurance, profit sharing, employee stock ownership plans, exercise facilities, subsidized meal plans, child care availability, company cars, and more have been used by companies in their efforts to maintain happy employees in the belief that happy employees are motivated employees.

Many modern theorists, however, propose that the motivation an employee feels toward his or her job has less to do with material rewards than with the design of the job itself. Studies as far back as 1950 have shown that highly segmented and simplified jobs resulted in lower employee morale and output. Other consequences of low employee motivation include absenteeism and high turnover, both of which are very costly for any company. As a result, "job enlargement" initiatives began to crop up in major companies in the 1950s.

On the academic front, Turner and Lawrence suggested that there are three basic characteristics of a "motivating" job: It must allow a worker to feel personally responsible for a meaningful portion of the work accomplished. An employee must feel ownership of and connection with the work he or she performs. Even in team situations, a successful effort will foster an awareness in an individual that his or her contributions were important in accomplishing the group's tasks. It must provide outcomes which have intrinsic meaning to the individual. Effective work that does not lead a worker to feel that his or her efforts matter will not be maintained. The outcome of an employee's work must have value to himself or herself and to others in the organization. It must provide the employee with feedback about his or her accomplishments. A constructive, believable critique of the work performed is crucial to a worker's motivation to improve.

While terminology changes, the tenets of employee motivation remain relatively unchanged from findings over half a century ago. Today's buzzwords include "empowerment," "quality circles," and "teamwork." All of these terms demonstrate the three characteristics of motivating jobs set forth in the theory of Turner and Lawrence. Empowerment gives autonomy and allows an employee to have ownership of ideas and accomplishments, whether acting alone or in teams. Quality circles and the

increasing occurrence of teams in today's work environments give employees opportunities to reinforce the importance of the work accomplished by members as well as receive feedback on the efficacy of that work.

In small businesses, which may lack the resources to enact formal employee motivation programs, managers can nonetheless accomplish the same basic principles. In order to help employees feel like their jobs are meaningful and that their contributions are valuable to the company, the small business owner needs to communicate the company's purpose to employees. This communication should take the form of words as well as actions. In addition, the small business owner should set high standards for employees, but also remain supportive of their efforts when goals cannot be reached. It may also be helpful to allow employees as much autonomy and flexibility as possible in how their jobs are performed. Creativity will be encouraged if honest mistakes are corrected but not punished. Finally, the small business owner should take steps to incorporate the vision of employees for the company with his or her own vision. This will motivate employees to contribute to the small business's goals, as well as help prevent stagnation in its direction and purpose. MOTIVATION METHODS

There are as many different methods of motivating employees today as there are companies operating in the global business environment. Still, some strategies are prevalent across all organizations striving to improve employee motivation. The best employee motivation efforts will focus on what the employees deem to be important. It may be that employees within the same department of the same organization will have different motivators. Many organizations today find that flexibility in job design and reward systems has resulted in employees' increased longevity with the company, improved productivity, and better morale.

EMPOWERMENT Giving employees more responsibility and decision-making authority increases their realm of control over the tasks for which they are held responsible and better equips them to carry out those tasks. As a result, feelings of frustration arising from being held accountable for something one does not have the resources to carry out are diminished. Energy is diverted from self-preservation to improved task accomplishment.

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION At many companies, employees with creative ideas do not express them to management for fear that their input will be ignored or ridiculed. Company approval and toeing the company line have become so ingrained in some working environments that both the employee and the organization suffer. When the power to create in the organization is pushed down from the top to line personnel, employees who know a job, product, or service best are given the opportunity to use their

ideas to improve it. The power to create motivates employees and benefits the organization in having a more flexible work force, using more wisely the experience of its employees, and increasing the exchange of ideas and information among employees and departments. These improvements also create an openness to change that can give a company the ability to respond quickly to market changes and sustain a first mover advantage in the marketplace.

LEARNING If employees are given the tools and the opportunities to accomplish more, most will take on the challenge. Companies can motivate employees to achieve more by committing to perpetual enhancement of employee skills. Accreditation and licensing programs for employees are an increasingly popular and effective way to bring about growth in employee knowledge and motivation. Often, these programs improve employees' attitudes toward the client and the company, while bolstering selfconfidence. Supporting this assertion, an analysis of factors which influence motivation-to-learn found that it is directly related to the extent to which training participants believe that such participation will affect their job or career utility. In other words, if the body of knowledge gained can be applied to the work to be accomplished, then the acquisition of that knowledge will be a worthwhile event for the employee and employer.

QUALITY OF LIFE The number of hours worked each week by American workers is on the rise, and many families have two adults working those increased hours. Under these circumstances, many workers are left wondering how to meet the demands of their lives beyond the workplace. Often, this concern occurs while at work and may reduce an employee's productivity and morale. Companies that have instituted flexible employee arrangements have gained motivated employees whose productivity has increased. Programs incorporating flextime, condensed workweeks, or job sharing, for example, have been successful in focusing overwhelmed employees toward the work to be done and away from the demands of their private lives.

MONETARY INCENTIVE For all the championing of alternative motivators, money still occupies a major place in the mix of motivators. The sharing of a company's profits gives incentive to employees to produce a quality product, perform a quality service, or improve the quality of a process within the company. What benefits the company directly benefits the employee. Monetary and other rewards are being given to employees for generating cost-savings or process-improving ideas, to boost productivity and reduce absenteeism. Money is effective when it is directly tied to an employee's ideas or accomplishments. Nevertheless, if not coupled with other, nonmonetary motivators, its motivating effects are short-lived. Further, monetary incentives can prove counterproductive if not made available to all members of the organization.

OTHER INCENTIVES Study after study has found that the most effective motivators of workers are nonmonetary. Monetary systems are insufficient motivators, in part because expectations often exceed results and because disparity between salaried individuals may divide rather than unite employees. Proven nonmonetary positive motivators foster team spirit and include recognition, responsibility, and advancement. Managers who recognize the "small wins" of employees, promote participatory environments, and treat employees with fairness and respect will find their employees to be more highly motivated. One company's managers brainstormed to come up with 30 powerful rewards that cost little or nothing to implement. The most effective rewards, such as letters of commendation and time off from work, enhanced personal ful-fillment and self-respect. Over the longer term, sincere praise and personal gestures are far more effective and more economical than awards of money alone. In the end, a program that combines monetary reward systems and satisfies intrinsic, self-actualizing needs may be the most potent employee motivator.

Employee Recognition and Teambuilding Ideas

Dynamic Ways to Reward, Energize & Motivate Your Teams

Gregory P. Smith

Do you need ideas and techniques to reward and recognize your employees?

Money is important, but survey after survey shows the greater importance of appreciation, reward and recognition, and a fun work environment in attracting and retaining the workforce.

Here's the thing: People have a basic human need to feel appreciated and to be recognized. If you don't give them that, they will seek it out elsewhere.

I have spent several years researching what organizations do to motivate and energize their workforces to achieve high levels of productivity. I have captured their best ideas and condensed and summarized them in this book. There are hundreds of easy-to-implement techniques that are guaranteed to improve performance, energize, help motivate, and improve teamwork. Just about all these ideas cost nothing or very little to implement.

When you reward and recognize employees, they are happier, stay longer, and are more productive!

In my book, Dynamic Ways to Reward, Energize and Motivate Your Teams, I'll show you how to:

Boost team performance

Make your meetings productive, motivating and exciting!

Ways to reward and motivate staff members

Ways to make work fun

Boost employee morale

Motivate your staff and team

Reward and recognize team members

Creative ideas for reward and recognition

Employee recognition tips

If You Have People who don't feel appreciated or enjoy their work, Your Company Is Failing To Profit!

Want to boost employee morale? Here are some creative ways to reward and recognize others!

Here Are Just a Few of the Tips & Techniques You'll Learn About in the Book

Employee Recognition Ideas

Low cost and no cost ideas to reward and recognize your team including dozens of tips such as:

Standing Ovations

Service Over and Above Requirements

Shoot Them a Star

Kudograms

Blue Ribbon Service

Plus People Recognition Program

Spirit Award

Team Ideas and Suggestion Strategies

Learn how to create employee suggestion programs such as:

Suggestion Exhibits

Suggestion Competitions

Continuous Improvement Programs

Idea Campaigns

Good Idea Boards

Gold Stars and Frogs

Wild Hare Grants

Energizing and Motivating Your Team

Over 58 tips such as:

Safety Jackpot

Butts for Balls

Enthusiastic Starts

Fat Friday

You Really Dazzle Me

B.E.E.R Awards

Fun Fridays

Management By Fooling Around

Team Performance Enhancers

An "issue board" at S. C. Johnson Wax encourages every employee to participate in problem solving. The team leader or department head tapes a piece of flip-chart paper on a wall and writes the problem/issue at the top of the sheet. Just a few ideas such as. . .

Take-a-risk coupons

Theybusters

Gold Badges

Internal Defect Forms

Proceed Until Apprehended

Ceremonial Funerals

Wainwright Industries Safety Programs

Take a Risk Coupons

Teambuilding Tips

Over 35 innovative ideas on improving service to include:

Guest Service Fanatics

Customer Lists

The Lost Sock

Here's Looking at You

Downtown Dollars

Techniques to Make Meetings More Productive

Tired of unproductive meetings. Learn dozens of strategies on how to improve communication and meetings to include:

Japanese practice "Chorei" staff meetings

French Fry Rally

Summit Quest

Skip-Level Meetings

Blank Agenda

Stuff the Staff Meeting

Fun Activities to Energize Team Members & Staff

A twelve-person team from FedEx saved the company almost $1 million in 1 1/2 years by revamping a sorting process used for overnight deliveries and over 20 other how-to's for improving teamwork.

Stand Ups

The Talking Stick

Pay for Performance

The "J" Team

Show Some Cheek

Great Huddles

motivational theory employee motivation theory - team building activities, workshops, inspirational quotes, and the power of positive experience

Alignment of aims, purpose and values between staff, teams and organization is the most fundamental aspect of motivation. The better the alignment and personal association with organizational aims, the better the platform for motivation.

Where people find it difficult to align and associate with the organizational aims, then most motivational ideas and activities will have a reduced level of success.

Motivation is a complex area. It's different for each person. See the personality materials for useful explanation about different motivational needs.

Erik Erikson's life stage theory is useful for understanding people's different motivational needs according to lafe stage. And the experiential learning section explains the difference between 'demotivational training', and 'motivational learning', and a guide to facilitating experiential learning activities.

Motivational receptiveness and potential in everyone changes from day to day, from situation to situation. Get the alignment and values right, and motivational methods work better. Motivational methods of any sort will not work if people and organisation are not aligned. People are motivated towards something they can relate to and something they can believe in. Times have changed. People want more. You should view the following motivational methods and ideas as structures, activities and building blocks, to be used when you have a solid foundation in place. The foundation is a cohesive alignment of people's needs and values with the aims and purpose of the organization. Refer to the Psychological Contract, and people-organization alignment and motivation. motivational methods and theory - assuming people and organization are aligned

Motivational and inspirational quotes, poems, posters, motivational speakers and stories, team building games and activities, all develop employee motivation for sales and business staff in all kinds of organizations. Motivational and inspirational experiences improve employees' attitudes, confidence and performance.

Good leadership demands good people-motivation skills and the use of inspirational techniques. Motivational methods are wide-ranging, from inspirational quotes and poems, to team building games and activities, as ice-breakers, warm-ups and exercises for conferences, workshops, meetings and events, which in themselves can often be helpful for staff motivation too. See the motivation principles and template for staff motivation questionnaires and surveys. Motivation is an essential part of life coaching processes and techniques too. Motivated people perform better - see McGregor's XY Theory for example. People playing games or competing in teams learn about each other, they communicate better and see each other in a new light. Mutual respect grows. See the Johari Window theory for example. People often enjoy events which include new non-work activities, especially when bosses and superiors take part in the same teams as their junior staff, which also helps cohesiveness and 'can-do' culture. Inspirational quotes, stories and poems all help motivation too. Powerful positive imagery stimulates visualisation in the conscious and sub-conscious brain, which encourages self-motivation, developmental behaviour, confidence and belief. Playing games enables people to experience winning and achieving in a way that their normal work might not. People become motivated to achieve and do better when they have experienced the feelings of success and achievement, regardless of context. This is why fire-walking and outward-bound activities have such powerful motivational effect. All of these ideas, and more explained below, contribute to improving motivation, inspiration and performance.

Here is the theory of how team building games, activities like juggling develop motivation, positive images in quotes and stories, inspirational posters, quotations, motivational speakers, team workshops and brainstorming, etc., all help to strengthen relationships, build understanding, increase motivation and improve performance:

how games and other inspirational references and activities help motivation and motivational training

Work and business-based training commonly concentrates on process, rules, theory, structure and logic, all of which tend to develop and use the left-side of the brain. However, modern successful organizations rely just as heavily on their people having well-developed 'soft' skills and attributes, such as self-motivation, confidence, initiative, empathy and creativity, which all tend to use the right-side of the brain. For more information about brain type and bias see the Benziger theory section, for example. Using games and activities like juggling helps to unleash right-side brain skills, because these activities necessarily draw on a person's intuitive, spatial and 'feeling' capabilities - found in the the right-side of the brain.

See the section on Experiential Learning and the guide to facilitating experiential learning activities - it contains many of the principles explained here. Thanks to Jim Barker

Also, using activities and references that take people out of their normal work environment creates new opportunities for them to experience winning, achievement, team-working, learning and personal development, in ways that are often not possible in their usual work context. Experiencing these positive feelings is vital for the conscious and sub-conscious visualisation of success and achievement, essential for broadening people's horizons, raising their sights, setting new personal standards and goals, and increasing motivation. The use of role playing games and role play exercises is an especially effective motivational and visualisation technique, despite people's normal aversion to the practice (see the role playing games and activities tips to see how to manage role-playing activities successfully).

Inspirational references, stories, quotes and examples also help the life coaching process. ice-breakers and warm-ups for motivation

When a group or team of people assemble for a conference, or training course, there is always a feeling of uncertainty and discomfort. Even if people know each other, they feel uncomfortable in the new strange situation, because it is different. Mankind has evolved partly because of this awareness to potential threats and fear of the unknown. Games and team building activities relax people, so that they can fully concentrate on the main purpose of the day, whatever it is, rather than spending the morning

still wondering what everyone else is thinking. See the stress theory section for examples. Activities and games are great levellers - they break down the barriers, and therefore help develop rapport and relationships. building confidence for motivation

Learning something new and completely different liberates the mind. Facing a challenge, meeting it and mastering it helps build confidence. motivational team building

When you break down barriers, misunderstandings, prejudices, insecurities, divisions, territories and hierarchies - you begin to build teams. Get a group of people in a room having fun with juggling balls or spinning plates and barriers are immediately removed. Teams unite and work together when they identify a common purpose - whether the aim is the tallest tower made out of newspapers, or a game of rounders on the park. Competition in teams or groups creates teams and ignites team effort. motivational coaching and training motivation

Learning to juggle or some other new activity demonstrates how we learn, and how to coach others. Breaking new tasks down into stages, providing clear instructions, demonstration, practice, time and space to make mistakes, doing it one stage at a time..... all the essential training and coaching techniques can be shown, whether juggling is the vehicle or some other team-building idea, and the learning is clearer and more memorable because it is taken out of the work context, where previously people 'can't see the wood for the trees'. Games and activities provide a perfect vehicle for explaining the training and development process ('train the trainer' for example) to managers, team leaders and trainers. personal motivation styles and learning motivation

Everyone is different. Taking part in new games and activities outside of the work situation illustrates people's different strengths and working style preferences. Mutual respect develops when people see skills and attributes in others that they didn't know existed. Also, people work and learn in different ways, see the Kolb learning style model and Benziger thinking styles model for examples. continual development and motivation

Learning and taking part in a completely new activity or game like juggling demonstrates that learning is ongoing. The lessons never finish, unless people decide to stop learning. Juggling the basic 'three ball cascade' pattern doesn't end there - it's just a start - as with all learning and development. Master juggler Enrico Rastelli practiced all the daylight hours juggling ten balls. Introducing people, staff or employees to new experiences opens their minds to new avenues of personal development, and emphasises the opportunity for continuous learning that is available to us all. improving empathy and communications for motivation

"Seek first to understand, and then to be understood." (Steven Covey). See the Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People summary and review.

To communicate we must understand the other person. Empathy and intuitive skills are right-side brain. Conventional classroom training or distance learning do nothing to address this vital area. Juggling and playing spontaneous or creative games definitely promote development and awareness in the right-side of the brain, which we use when we communicate and understand others. Team activities and games promote communications and better mutual understanding - essential for good organizational performance (see the Johari Window model and theory). motivation and creativity

Creativity and initiative are crucial capabilities for modern organizational effectiveness. Juggling and other games activities dispel the notion that actions must be according to convention, and that response can only be to stimulus. Successful organizations have staff that initiate, create, innovate, and find new ways to do things better, without being told. Using mind and body together in a completely new way encourages pro-active thought and lateral thinking, which opens people's minds, and develops creative and initiative capabilities. See the brainstorming process, which integrates well with team building activities and workshops. See also the workshops process and ideas. motivation for problem-solving and decision-making

Problem-solving is integral to decision-making - see the problem-solving and decision-making section. Learning to juggle or taking part in new challenging stimulating activities uses the intuitive brain to solve the problem, the same part that's vital for creatively solving work problems. People who can solve problems creatively can make decisions - and organizations need their staff and employees to have these abilities. physical activity is motivational

Team building activities like juggling, construction exercises, or outdoor games, get the body moving, which is good for general health and for an energetic approach to work. A minute of juggling three balls is 200 throws, the equivalent of pumping over 20 kilos. Physical activity also provides significant stress relief, and stress management is part of every organisation's duty of care towards its employees. People concentrate and work better when they have had some light exercise and physical stimulus. Physical activity energises people and reduces stress and tension. See details on the stress section. team building workshops are empowering and motivational

See the section on workshops. Workshops are good vehicles for team building games and activities, and also great for achieving team consensus, collective problem-solving, developing new direction and strategy, and to support the delegation and team development process (see the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum for example).

team building games and activities are motivational

Learning new things - even simple skills like plate-spinning - help to build confidence, promote teamworking and unleash creativity. Taking part in workshops and brainstorming sessions are empowering activities. Combine all three and it's even more effective for team building, development and motivation. See particularly the 'Hellespont Swim' case study and exercise.

If you think about it, all manner of left-side-brain conventional training and business skills can be integrated within an innovative, participative right-side-brain activity-based approach, to increase interest, participation, involvement, retention and motivation.

saying thanks is hugely motivational

Saying thanks and giving praise are the most commonly overlooked and under-estimated ways of motivating people. And it's so easy. Saying thanks is best said naturally and from the heart, so if your intentions are right you will not go far wrong. When you look someone in the eye and thank them sincerely it means a lot. In front of other people even more so. The key words are the ones which say thanks and well done for doing a great job, especially where the words recognise each person's own special ability, quality, contribution, effort, whatever. People always appreciate sincere thanks, and they

appreciate being valued as an individual even more. When you next have the chance to thank your team or an individual team-member, take the time to find out a special thing that each person has done and make a point of mentioning these things. Doing this, the praise tends to carry even greater meaning and motivational effect.

motivational quotes - using inspirational quotations and sayings is motivational

Inspirational quotations, and amusing maxims and sayings are motivational when used in team building sessions, conferences, speeches and training courses. Inspirational quotes contribute to motivation because they provide examples and role models, and prompt visualization. Inspirational quotes stimulate images and feelings in the brain - both consciously and unconsciously. Powerful positive imagery found in motivational quotations and poems is genuinely motivational for people, individually and in teams, and can help to build confidence and belief. Inspirational examples motivate people in the same way that the simple 'power of positive thinking', and 'accentuate the positive' techniques do people imagine and visualise themselves behaving in the way described in the quotation, saying, story or poem. Visualization is a powerful motivational tool - quotes, stories and poems provide a very effective method for inspiring and motivating people through visualization, imagination and association. See the stories section, and 'If', Rudyard Kipling's famous inspirational poem.

Here are a few motivational quotes, relating to different situations and roles, for example; achievement, management, leadership, etc. When using quote for motivation it's important to choose material that's relevant and appropriate. Motivational posters showing inspirational quotes or poems can be effective for staff and employee motivation, and in establishing organizational values. There are more quotations about inspiration and achievement on the quotes section. These quotes all make effective motivational posters (see the free posters page), and are excellent materials for motivational speakers: motivational quotes

"We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them." (Albert Einstein)

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." (President Harry S Truman)

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." (Albert Camus, 1913 - 1960, French author & philosopher)

"If you're not part of the solution you must be part of the problem." (the commonly paraphrased version of the original quote: "What we're saying today is that you're either part of the solution, or you're part of the problem" by Eldridge Cleaver 1935-98, founder member and information minister of the Black Panthers, American political activist group, in a speech in 1968 - thanks RVP)

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." (Harvey Mackay - thanks Brad Hanson)

"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed." (Booker T Washington, 1856-1915, American Educator and African-American spokesman, thanks for quote M Kincaid, and for biography correction M Yates and A Chatterjee)

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." (William James, American Philosopher, 1842-1910 - thanks Jean Stevens)

"Whatever you can do - or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer, 1749-1832 - thanks Yvonne Bent)

"A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the giant himself." (Didacus Stella, circa AD60 - and, as a matter of interest, abridged on the edge of an English 2 coin)

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." (Sir Isaac Newton, 1676.)

"The most important thing in life is not to capitalise on your successes - any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from your mistakes." (William Bolitho, from 'Twelve against the Gods')

"Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be, For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud: Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody but unbowed . . . . . It matters not how strait the gait, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." (WE Henley, 1849-1903, from 'Invictus')

"Management means helping people to get the best out of themselves, not organising things." (Lauren Appley)

"It's not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with the sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause and who, at best knows the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt, 23 April 1923.)

"The world is divided into people who do things, and people who get the credit. Try, if you can, to belong to the first class. There's far less competition." (Dwight Morrow, 1935.)

"What does not kill us makes us stronger." (attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, probably based on his words: "Out of life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." from The Twilight of the Idols, 1899)

"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." (George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950.)

"I praise loudly. I blame softly." (Catherine the Great, 1729-1796.)

More are on the inspirational quotes page, and a more varied selection including funny sayings are on the sayings and maxims page.

motivational ideas for sales managers for sales teams

(These principles are applicable to all job roles subject to the notes at the end of this item.)

Motivation of sales people commonly focuses on sales results, but nobody can actually 'do' a result. What matters in achieving results is people's attitude and activity and the areas of opportunity on which the attitude and activity is directed.

What sales people can do is to adopt a positive and creative attitude, and carry out more productive and efficient activity, directed on higher-yield strategic opportunities. By doing these things sales people and sales teams will improve their results.

However the tendency remains for sales managers, sales supervisors and team leaders (typically under pressure from above from executives who should know better) to simply direct people to 'meet the target', or to 'increase sales', or worse still, to pressurise customers into accelerating decision-making, which might work in the short-term but is extremely unhelpful in the medium-term (when business brought forward leaves gaps in the next months' forecasts), and damages the long-term (when as a result of supplier-driven sales pressure, the customer relationship is undermined or ruined).

Instead think about what really motivates and excites people, and focus on offering these opportunities to sales people and sales teams, on an ongoing basis. Don't wait until you find yourself 25% behind target with only half of the year remaining, and with targets set to increase as well in the final quarter.

People will not generally and sustainably improve their performance, or attitude when they are shouted at or given a kick up the backside. People will on the other hand generally improve their performance if empowered to develop their own strategic capability and responsibility within the organisation. Herzberg, Adams, Handy, Maslow, McGregor, and every other management and motivation expert confirmed all this long ago.

Sales teams generally comprise people who seek greater responsibility. They also seek recognition, achievement, self-development and advancement.

So if we know these things does it not make good sense to offer these opportunities to them, because we know that doing so will have a motivational effect on them, and also encourage them to work on opportunities that are likely to produce increasing returns on their efforts? Of course. So do it.

If you are managing a sales team try (gently and progressively) exploring with the team how they'd like to develop their experience, responsibilities, roles, status, value, contribution, within the business. Include yourself in this. Usually far more ideas and activity come from focusing on how the people would like to develop their roles and value (in terms of the scale and sophistication of the business that they are responsible for), rather than confining sales people to a role that is imposed on them and which is unlikely to offer sustainable interest and stimulation.

All businesses have many opportunities for new strategic growth available. Yours will be no different.

Most employees are capable of working at a far higher strategic level, developing ever greater returns on their own efforts.

Performance improvement is generally found through enabling people and teams to discover and refine more productive and strategic opportunities, which will lead to more productive and motivating activities.

For example: reactive sales people are generally able to be proactive account mangers; account managers are generally able to be major accounts developers; major accounts developers are generally able to be national accounts managers; national accounts mangers are generally able to be strategic partner and channel developers; strategic partner and channel managers are generally able to be new business sector/service developers, and so on...

Again include yourself in this.

If necessary (depending on your organisational culture and policies seek approval from your own management/executives for you to embark on this sort of exploration of strategic growth. (If you are unable to gain approval there are many other organisations out there who need people to manage sales teams in this way....)

Obviously part of the approach (and your agreement with your people - the 'psychological contract') necessarily includes maintaining and meeting existing basic business performance target levels. This is especially so since strategic growth takes time, and your business still needs the normal day-to-day business handled properly. But people can generally do this, ie., maintain and grow day-to-day performance while additionally developing new higher-level strategic areas, because genuinely motivated people are capable of dramatic achievements. The motivation and capacity to do will come quite naturally from the new responsibility and empowerment to operate at a higher level.

N.B. The principles described above generally apply to most other job roles. People are motivated by growth and extra responsibility, while at the same time the organisation benefits from having its people focus on higher strategic aims and activities. Be aware however that people in different roles will be motivated by different things, and particularly will require different types of support and guidelines when being encouraged to work at a higher strategic level. For example, engineers require more detail and clarification of expectations and process than sales people typically do; administrators are likely to require more reassurance and support in approaching change than sales people typically do.

For sure you should encourage and enable people to develop their roles, but make sure you give appropriate explanation, management and support for the types of people concerned.

Here are some classic motivation books, all rela

Tips & Techniques: Dynamic Ways to Reward, Energize & Motivate Your Teams

As featured in Business Week, Kiplinger's and Bloomberg Business. Compiled and written by author and management consultant Gregory P. Smith

Are you looking for ideas to motivate your workforce? Need some easy to implement suggestions on reward and recognition? Does your workforce need something to keep them motivated? Are your staff meetings boring and unproductive?

Look no further. Here is the solution you have been looking for.

TNT provides tried and true techniques that work right now!

Over 230 easy-to-implement techniques that will improve performance, cut costs and improve teamwork. These techniques will show you how to get employee suggestions as well as hundreds of nocost or low cost techniques to keep people motivated and energized.

Thank you for the TNT book- It has a lot of good information in it. I was looking for ways to have fun in the workplace and this book is just what I was looking for. --Marva Thomas

Applying these tips will have an immediate impact on raising employee motivation, building teams, and improving customer service. Learn how to initiate innovative programs such as Idea Campaigns, Idea Olympics and other initiatives making work efficient, fun and productive.

Here are a few of the tips, ideas, and suggestions you will read about:

Employee Dollars: At Phoenix Solutions Inc. employees award an "employee dollar" to fellow employees who do something special or exceed company expectations. Each month the employee with the most dollars gets movie tickets, dinner, and a plaque with their name as "Employee of the Month."

Man Overboard Award: CIGNA believes in rewarding employees who goes over and beyond for their customers. The Man Overboard Award is a life-saving ring, which the president presents to an employee at a special ceremony. CIGNA also pays teams for implemented ideas that improve productivity with awards as high as $25,000.

Engineering Bucks: The technicians at Weather Channel in Atlanta created their own recognition system-called Tech Bucks. All they did was Xerox a dollar bill and give five of them out at the beginning of each month. They give them to each other for doing a good job. At the end of the month they tally up who got the most and the winner gets a special prize.

Dancing the Macarena: Employees at PeopleSoft, Inc. still haven t forgotten the day that CEO David Duffield danced the Macarena in front of 500 happy co-workers. Duffield does not act like a boss. His office is a cubicle; he answers his own phone and opens his own mail. Annual employee turnover is three percent, or one-quarter of the national average. Employees who earn outstanding service awards get either $500 in cash or 100 stock options.

After Dinner Phone Call: Even though you took time during the work day to thank the employee who went "above and beyond," go a step further and call them at home after dinner to say thanks. You might be surprised how much this can mean.

Thrilling Thursdays: Nike Employees in Beaverton, Oregon can t wait for Thursday to roll around. They stop work at 4:30 in the afternoon and after some beer and soda they kayak across a lake, race bikes and compete in a 600-yard run.

and hundreds more. . .

We have spent hundreds of hours researching the best organizations on their proven tips and techniques. These ideas and tips have been summarized for you in this book. Learn what Nike does to motivate their workforce. You will discover how leading edge companies capture ideas and transform them into productivity enhancing solutions.

I bought your book - Tips 'n Techniques. I'm already using some ideas for our Staff Retreat in July.

Jeanie Dobson Manager, Human Resources CO-OP Network

Get new ideas to:

Motivate your employees

Create productive meetings

Reduce absenteeism

Use peer recognition to motivate reluctant team members

Solve problems faster

Create productive work environments

Use non-cash incentives in a positive way

Accelerate team performance

Reduce employee turnover and make people feel appreciated

Provide exceptional customer service

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Creating the Dynamic Workplace

The five-steps for creating a work environment leading to high productivity.

Chapter 1

Managing Team Ideas and Suggestions

Over 38 ideas on how to create employee suggestion programs such as Suggestion Exhibits, Suggestion Competitions, Continuous Improvement Programs, Idea Campaigns, including how Harley-Davidson saved $3M in one 30-day program.

Chapter 2

Energizing and Motivating Your Team

CIGNA has the "Man Overboard Award" to reward employees who go over and beyond for their customers. Another 58 tips on low-cost or no-cost incentives to keep your workforce motivated and interested in their jobs. Such as "Safety Jackpot," "Butts for Balls," and "Enthusiastic Starts."

Chapter 3

Removing Barriers and Creative Problem-Solving

An "issue board" at S. C. Johnson Wax encourages every employee to participate in problem solving. The team leader or department head tapes a piece of flip-chart paper on a wall and writes the problem/issue at the top of the sheet. . .28 other tips such as "Take-a-risk coupons," "Theybusters," and how Sharp uses Gold Badges to insure top priority projects get the highest priority.

Chapter 4

Finding, Attracting & Hiring Team Members

How successful businesses keep a steady stream of high-quality candidates coming in.

Chapter 5

Customer Service

How is your customer service? Over 35 innovative ideas on improving your level of service. Learn about "Guest Service Fanatics" at Disney, and how a small Boston furniture store sells more furniture per square foot than any other store in America.

Chapter 6

Improving Communication and Meetings

Tired of boring meetings? Waste too much time in meetings. Learn over 20 strategies on how to improve communication and meetings in your organization. Organizations in Japan practice "Chorei" staff meetings lasting under 10 minutes.

Chapter 7

Team Leadership

Johnsonville Foods has been a flagship of productivity improvement. Almost 90% of the workforce belongs to some type of team. The team, not management, decides who is hired, who is fired, who gets a pay raise. Productivity has increased by at least 50%. A twelve-person team from FedEx saved the company almost $1 million in 1 1/2 years by revamping a sorting process used for overnight deliveries and over 20 other how-to's for improving teamwork.

Chapter 8

Reward & Recognition

Tips and ideas to reward and recognize your workforce including how Nationwide Insurance, customers, managers and peers nominate employees for "service over and above." (SOAR) Regional six-member boards (all volunteers) meet weekly or monthly to review the nominations and select a winner. Thirty other tips such as how employees of Gwinnett County (Georgia) receive perfect attendance certificates for not missing a day of work during the month. This successful program made a significant improvement in the absenteeism level among employees. It was so successful, in fact, that some employees weren t keeping doctor appointments because it would make them ineligible for the monthly award.