As a service business owner, you want your team to give their best work to you, and there are even times when you need them to rise above their regular abilities and push even harder.
So what if I told you that there was a secret magic button that you could push to get more work and better work from your team whenever you wanted it? This button exists (in a way). Here’s how it works:
Every single team member has joined your company for a reason. You might say that reason is a paycheck and to some degree you are correct. However, they’ve joined your company for much more than that. Think beyond the paycheck.
Think about the employees you know relatively well (perhaps because you have chatted with them on the way to a job or you maybe even know them socially). Answer these two questions:
- What does your employee do with their paycheck?
- What does your employee do with their time when they are not at work?
Answer those two questions and you’ll know immediately the real reason why your employee works for you. For example:
- An employee who cashes in their paycheck and puts it toward bills and a mortgage because they have a family… well it’s pretty obvious that their family is important.
- An employee to spends some of their money but sends some off to one of their children who is attending college… well they’re working to help put their children through college.
- An employee who spends his weekends in his garage lovingly restoring a classic American muscle car… well he’s working to pay for parts so he can enjoy his hobby.
These are three brief examples but every member your team will be different.
Here’s what to do with that information: In my book Secrets Of Leadership Mastery, I talk about how a leader inspires his team by uncovering each employees’ “why” (the real reason they work) and then helping them understand how their work supports the why. (You see, not every employee realizes that there’s a connection between their job and their why, so you serve your team by helping them see the connection.)
- For a new employee, you might say: “Carl, I know you have a daughter in college. Work on my team and I’ll help you make the money you need to put her through college.” That new employee will be dramatically inspired because you’ll reveal the connection between what you can offer and the most important thing in that employee’s life.
- Additionally, as you get to know your employees, you can ask them about that important component of their life from time to time. Doing this will help to build rapport between you and your team.
- And when appropriate, you can reward employees with meaningful prizes and bonuses (such as in a contest) that connect with their why.
Every member of your team has a “why”. One of the best things you can do is figure out what it is for each one of them.
