The best sports coaches have known for a long while that different people need to be motivated in different ways. There are as many sportsmen and women who respond to a cool, collected, psychological approach as there are those who become inspired by the over the top exhortations of death and glory.



The key is to know which approach to try with each individual. Who likes the arm around the shoulder, and who needs their butt kicked.

People in the workforce are no different. Let's face it, few of us can claim honestly to be motivated to do our best 100% of the time. It might be different if it's our own business. The need for success is that much greater. But to always be on peak form when you're working for someone else might not be as easy.

Motivating our workforce, therefore, is one of the key elements in making our business successful. Motivated employees not only work harder, they work better and it has been proven that they have less time away from their work because of sickness. Motivation is, therefore, vital.

One of the prime factors involved in motivation is the feeling of inclusion. Someone who really feels involved with an enterprise is much more likely to be fully motivated to help make it succeed. Perhaps the most straightforward way to ensure that our employees truly feel part of the system is to keep an ongoing dialogue with them about everything and encourage them to do the same with us.

A number of workers will not want to discuss work-related issues with their employer at all until the situation they face becomes completely intolerable or dangerous, by which time it might be too late. In a situation where the employee is encouraged to speak out, this could be avoided.

It's important for the success of the enterprise to have a well-motivated workforce. Make sure you keep asking their opinion. Group meetings are a good way of team-bonding anyway and can be used to encourage people to give their ideas freely and openly.

Ensure that the employees can see you making comprehensive notes of their suggestions so that they can appreciate you taking them seriously. If you feel that some people are unhappy giving their opinions or ideas in a large setting, as is often the case, then arrange an individual meeting with them. This could be as part of a routine evaluation process but, if you can have regular one-to-one conversations with the employees, again it helps cement their feeling of inclusion.

The Company Suggestion Box is another way of encouraging people to come up with ideas and proposals. Also, try a well-publicized e-mail system. It is imperative that you make sure you respond to these e-mails and ideas as soon as you can. Again, it helps make the originator feel he or she has been treated with appropriate seriousness and motivates them to contribute more.

Actually following through ideas proposed in such ways will be a tremendous psychological boost for the workforce. When they come up with new ideas, it moves the business forward.

It also acts as a motivational tool if you find a way of rewarding workers for their ideas. Clearly, they will respect your integrity when they see you actually implementing suggestions which have originated from them.

A formalized incentive scheme for new ideas or an Employee of the Week or Month award will help foster the sense of inclusion for which you are striving.

Remember, a well-motivated workforce can help a business stay dynamic and creative.