“‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”        

                                                              - Lao-tsu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

A few weeks ago, I was having a heart to heart with a CEO needs to get out his office more often.  He wants to become an ambassador for his company.  More accurately, he knows he needs to.       

Like many bosses, he would rather stab himself repeatedly in the thigh with a sharp pencil than give a speech or interview to a reporter.  This is an accomplished executive who has led the transformation of the company, bringing an innovative new product to market, growing the customer base, cutting costs and improving profitability.  His credibility with employees and the board is rock solid.  It’s just that the company is kind of a best kept secret.  The story needs to be told.  This is a great time to do it.   

The real issue isn’t time, because as CEO, he determines how he spends his time.  The issue is mindset.  He’s used to organizing his calendar one way; this change requires a significant modification in behavior and priorities.  He knows he needs to do it and wants a coach to make it  happen.  ”I need someone to hold me accountable for getting there,” he says.

Changing your mindset isn’t like changing your shirt.  It requires a goal, commitment and a plan.  It isn’t enough to have the intention; you have to put these activities on your calendar every day.  If your schedule is filled with executive team and employee meetings, it isn’t going to happen.  Once you set the intention, you must schedule the intention and then honor the intention.  It won’t be comfortable at first.  It isn’t a familiar routine.  As my client observed,   “This will be a significant change in the way I spend my time.”

Changing a mindset is a little like standing at the foot of a mountain looking up and wondering, “How the hell am I supposed to get all the way up there?”  It seems insurmountable.  You can either turn back and head home or you can commit.  That means you draw up a plan, buy some gear and hire a crew to go with you.  You break down this overwhelming goal into doable tasks.  These are the steps that keep you from becoming paralyzed, staring at the mountain and saying, “It looks awful cold up there.” 

If you’re having trouble breaking down a big goal into smaller tasks, one approach is to imagine you’re already there.  Some of you who read my blog regularly know I suggested this ”looking back” exercise right after the New Year.  The idea is to imagine it’s 2012, just about two years from now.  You’re already up at the top of the mountain.  How did you get all the way up there?

When I posed the question to the CEO, he said, ”Well, I guess I started by deciding that I was going to go.”

“Good start,” I said.  

“I cleared my calendar several months out and starting scheduling time with the coach and the marketing team,” he said.   

“What else?” I asked.

“They booked me to speak at several events this year, so I had deadlines on my calendar,” he continued.

And so on.

By imagining that you have already achieved a goal it becomes so much clearer what you really need to do to succeed.  Instead of seeing obstacles, you see results, and the obstacles melt away. Once you “know” what “worked” you feel motivated.

Our CEO has started working on what I like to call a”Speech in a Drawer” (see Speak Like a CEO, Secrets to Commanding Attention and Getting Results).   We set a date by which the first draft will be finished for rehearsal.  Coaching dates are already on the calendar to write and develop stories that highlight his company’s accomplishments and lessons learned along the way.  He’s already started to relax; it will get easier as we go.  He’s already thinking, “Okay, I can do this.”  If you have a copy of Speak Like a CEO, refer to Chapter 16, pages 183-189 for five sample coaching plans you can implement on your own.

As you check off tasks you start to feel differently.  Not only are you achieving important goals; you are transforming your self image.  By starting with the end game belief (not just a far off goal) and scheduling activities you already know “worked,” you are able to identify important milestones, and that in turn energizes you and helps you commit to the process.    

Recently I listened to In Search of Excellence guru Tom Peters describing his drive from a home in Tinmouth VT to his other home, in Boston.   Obviously he is well-versed when it comes to imagining goals and milestones.  Peters gets out of bed and leaves between 3:15 and 3:30 a.m. because he really hates traffic.  (Having spent 9 years in television getting up at the same hour I can tell you that is a brutal hour to drag yourself out of bed but it is heaven to drive in Boston at that hour.) 

What gets him through the trip is marking the milestones.  Peters knows precisely what to look for at each stage of the trip. A house 17 miles from his Vermont house is 10% of the way; a restaurant where he can get a cup of coffee is a quarter of the way to Boston.  By anticipating and marking the milestones with visuals, he is able to stay awake and engaged. 

Think about what you’re trying to accomplish right now.  What are the milestones?  How will you see them?  what will mark your arrival?  The best way to do it is to put them on your calendar.  It’s a visual checklist.  Seeing things; knowing they’re just around the corner- well, that’s highly motivating. 

As always I welcome your ideas and suggestions on getting there.  What has worked for you?  Hit leave a reply.  

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Last night on WGBH TV’s Greater Boston with Emily Rooney I was invited to be on a panel discussing a new survey that shows record numbers of people are unhappy with their jobs.  The Conference Board’s poll, widely reported yesterday in every major publication, concludes that “Americans of all ages and income brackets continue to grow increasingly unhappy at work.”

The survey is based on the responses of 2,900 American workers asked to rate how satisfied they are at work, on a scale of 1 to 5.  45% say they are satisfied with their jobs, and according to the Conference Board, that’s a trend -in 1987, 61% said they were satisfied. The decline spanned all age groups, although young people under 25 were the least satisfied.

Do you buy it?  Here’s something interesting - it turns out this data is in complete conflict with Gallup Polls taken every August from 1989 to 2009, in which 85 to 94 percent of people say they are completely or somewhat satisfied with their jobs.  As Mark Twain once said, “There are lies, there are damn lies, and then, there are statistics.” 

Certainly, a lot of people complain about their jobs.  But that’s always been the case.  Recently, other surveys have shown that people are more satisfied because they’re grateful to HAVE a job in this economy.   So I guess it all depends on how you ask the questions, doesn’t it?

The bigger question isn’t whether AMERICANS are satisfied, but whether YOU are satisfied.  You deserve to be engaged in work that you find rewarding, interesting and meaningful.  Work is the way most of us express our purpose and passion.  If you aren’t inspired, it’s time to figure out why.  Work is like marriage - you can fall in love again.  Or, you can move on.  But do you real want to stay stuck?  Or do you want to get up and look forward to your day?

I think this is a two-pronged issue.  It’s about both employees and employers.  Take responsibility for your own happiness.  And then, seek out an employer that creates an environment where everyone in the organization knows that what they are doing matters.  Employers do need to understand what motivates people.  They need to communicate the importance of even routine work to the overall goals.  And they  need to appreciate people for contributing their talent and energy. 

In the meantime, get in touch with what you love to do and tell your boss.  You can’t possibly expect him or her to read your mind.  Understand the overall goals and priorities so that you can seize opportunities to get involved in projects that will move the organization forward.  There’s no better way to get recognized and rewarded, and be satisfied in your work.  

The Conference Board survey, by the way, blames lower job satisfaction not so much on employees but employers.  They say it correlates with the fact that companies have dropped or cut pension benefits and asked employees to contribute more to health care. In addition, they point out that wage growth has been relatively stagnant.  Again, I believe that these are factors, but other surveys show that if people feel their needs are being met, the real determinants of satisfaction are other factors like flexibility to do the job your way.

Ironically, the two-decade decline in happiness has coincided with substantial increases in worker productivity. Gains in the tech sector have ensured that even as workers become more unhappy, they have become more productive.  This is another reason I think you need to take all this with a grain of salt.  How much of productivity is related to employee engagement, and how much to technological advances that make it simpler to get a job done in one hour instead of eight?  Who’s knows?

I’m interested in your thoughts - just click Leave a Reply.

Still it’s a fascinating topic.  Thanks to Emily for inviting me on the show.  Here’s a link to the segment on WGBH TV: http://www.wgbh.org/programs/programDetail.cfm?programid=11

Here’s a link to the Washington Post article that discusses the conflicting results of polls on job satisfaction. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503977.html

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Last night Jeff Taylor and I were invited to speak to the Harvard Business School Alumni Association.   When you share the stage with Jeff, get ready for a great ride because he’s cool and he’s got cool stories.  You  should have been there watching the audience as he described taking a dare to ski three miles towed by a blimp, at 30 MPH in a quest to break a record set by the flamboyant Richard Branson of Virgin. 

As founder of Monster.com Jeff has a lot of these stories.  In 1999 when Monster.com was just hitting its stride but certainly not yet “monstrous,” he spent a fortune to buy Super Bowl ads which flopped.  You might remember the ads depicted kids saying things like, “When I grow up, I want to claw my way into middle management.” What happened?  “We were being ironic.  It didn’t work with a bunch of guys drinking beer in front of a game.”  Ultimately the ads kept running, caught on like mad, and rest is history.  

There were more stories.  At the 2002 Winter Olympics Taylor spent four million bucks to build a snow labarynth and it was the warmest on record.  Just in time as the snow was melting the Today Show called and he got four minutes on live TV.  ”Matt ran through the thing in no time and thought no big deal.  Al was holding a flag just stuck in the middle,” says Taylor.  “Katie gets stuck, backs out, starts again, and says now she gets it.  Sometimes in your career you have to back up and start over.  It was incredible,” says Taylor. 

As often happenes when I go out to speak, I get more than I give.   Watching Jeff regale this crowd of Business School grads (though he himself took 23 years to graduate from college) was more fun than anything else I’ve done this week, or this month for that matter.  Here’s a CEO who gets it on so many levels. 

When I interviewed him for Motivate Like a CEO last year, he told me that he had noticed as his company grew, his role changed.  He went from founder to CEO to Chief Monster, his favorite role, where he went out and built the brand by going everywhere he was invited and speaking to just about anyone who would have him.  He got really good at speaking.  Not only is he a great storyteller, he openes up and shares everything - humor, emotion, personal insights, reflections - it’s no holds barred.  A lot of people in the audience might have assumed that he was a natural, but as he told me last year, and as he told the audience last night, he works at it, and keeps working at it.  He says he  really believes that Woody Allen line about 80% of success is about showing up.  “I just got back from Iceland where I was invited to judge an entrepreneurs contest.  They’re trying to save Iceland.  Why do I go?  I’m not sure.  But I’ve been showing up for a long time and it works.”

Jeff has two companies now - Eons - an online community for baby boomers, and a spinoff called Tributes.com for online obituaries.  If you’ve read Motivate Like a CEO you know that coming up with big ideas and inspiring others to get behind them is one of the characteristics of successful leaders.  One of the best questions last night were about where leaders get these “big ideas.”  “I have ideas all the time - I’m in the shower, I get an idea, and then I get out, and I forget.  I have to get back in the shower to find the idea,” he says.  “I wake up in the night, with a pad of paper next to the bed, and write them down.”  Of course everybody HAS ideas, says Jeff.  It’s those who ACT on them who make things happen and attract other people who are excited about them too.

You know the blimp ski story?  Jeff says the coolest thing was that as he was bumping along, he was hit by a huge wake left by a barge and wiped out.  All 500 of his employees were gathered in the cafeteria watching it live.  They went wild.  They loved it.  Working for Jeff was like that.  “We had the absolute best culture at Monster.  People loved working there.”  What you have to appreciate about Jeff is he gets that.  When he dons his skis, or builds snow forts, he’s out to have fun, and he also knows how his employees will feel about it.  He’s their leader.  

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Tory Johnson interviewed me about the importance of “Motivating like a CEO” in today’s economy.  Watch our interview here: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8209974

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According to new research, employee engagement decreased during the first year of the recession and has since bounced back. Modern Survey’s Employee Engagement Index found in February 2009, more employed American adults than in August 2008 said they take pride in their company, see a promising future there, and go “above and beyond” for the company’s good.

“It’s important to note that our survey only included people who haven’t lost their jobs and are currently employed,” said Bruce Campbell, a Senior Consultant at Modern Survey. “I think most people these days realize that there is nothing like a guarantee of job security anymore. Most of us know good, hard working people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Perhaps more than ever, employees are feeling a real sense of gratitude that they still have jobs, and have come to understand that the best thing they can do to improve their chances of keeping their jobs is to do whatever they can to contribute to the near-term success and long-term viability of the organizations they work for.”

Modern Survey says these results suggest that the majority of employees are motivated to do their part to help the organizations they work for survive the current economic crisis. That’s what I call a strong, common purpose.  They’ve rallied around their organization knowing that it may not survive without their enthusiasm, energy and support. 

As the survey authors report, that’s very good news for executives and managers in the short term. But looking forward, what can employers expect as the economy eventually recovers and employment opportunities begin to improve?

According to Modern Survey’s President, Don MacPherson, there has been a major shift in how people view their employment. “Right now many people feel very fortunate to have their jobs. A year ago the same people may have felt they were entitled to their jobs. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by a job cut or layoff. The surge in cuts and general employment uncertainty is real enough to change perceptions and behaviors.”

Because behaviors have been changed does not mean they will last. MacPherson says organizations need to pay attention to their employees now more than ever. “The last thing you want to do as a manager or senior leader is take your employees for granted now. Companies will have fewer people taking on greater responsibilities. Those organizations that neglect their employees by failing to provide recognition or developmental opportunities risk losing people as the economy improves and other opportunities present themselves.

“I can’t stress the importance enough of checking in with your employees throughout this downturn. No management team wants to struggle during these challenging times only to lose those people who got the company through it because they were ignored.”

When I wrote Motivate Like a CEO, we were at the beginning of a downturn that no one could have anticipated would be as deep, wide and painful as it has been.  Yet, it became clear that the principles of motivating and inspiring a team that worked in good times were even more important to know, in times of hardship.

If your employees are highly motivated now, will they feel as united and committed when the economy improves?  This depends upon how well you engage them.  Here is a brief on the eight principles of motivating through communication:

1.   It begins with you: your purpose and passion - a leader can only motivate others if he or she feels passionate about the work and the organization

2.   Communicate a clear powerful mission - beyond survival, what is the exciting vision you want your employees to embrace?

3.  Learn what motivates people - after the economy begins to recover and they feel more secure in their jobs, what else will keep them as engaged as they are now?

4.  Make a personal connection with others - in times of crisis, leaders tend to retreat and carry the weight of the world on their shoulders but instead they need to reach out to others.

5.  Make the conversation about them - the easiest way to discover what connects people to your organization is to ask them.  Find out what they love and what they find rewarding.

6.  Praise, recognize and reward - a precision tool in leadership, which allows you to recognize the employees who represent the behaviors and values you want to drive through the culture

7.  Walk the talk - when people see the leader of their team or organization doing right by others, they are proud of where they work and try to emulate those behaviors and actions.

8.  Empower people - in a crisis - you’re looking for great ideas and give people latitude to execute.  Be sure you continue to show the same confidence in them when things improve.

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The turnaround is coming.  You may already feel it.  The phone is starting to ring. Customers are coming out of their caves.  They’re talking about new projects and purchases they’ve been putting off, things that they just don’t want to delay any more.  Yes, budgets are tight, but you sense things beginning to happen.  It’s in the air.  And, you may think you’re more than ready– it’s been a long, cold winter.  But is your organization ready for the upturn?  Are your leaders ready to lead in this new world?   

Let me give you an example of where some companies may get tripped up.  Let’s say you’ve completed anticipated layoffs but the restructuring is midstream; there is still a lot of confusion within businesses or groups, as people try to figure out roles, responsibilities and priorities.  Leaders who are new in their roles are just locking in on strategic objectives and have not yet communicated those to their teams.  

A round of musical chairs at the top – with new people in key positions, creates a tremendous amount of uncertainty.  If they were promoted from the ranks to take their boss’s place, they may have the raw talent, but lack the preparation and training.  Sure you can watch them sink or swim, but you need everybody swimming right now.  They have to be effective immediately.  This means learning to think and act strategically, and also being able to effectively communicate a plan and get people moving in one direction.

A leader’s role is really not to do the work, but to motivate and inspire others to do the work of the enterprise.  And these workers have been through the ringer over the past 12 to 17 months.   Many employees are still stressed out.  Their spouses may still be unemployed, they’ve taken pay cuts, their former colleagues and friends may still be out of work, and they may not be certain the other shoe isn’t about to drop. 

This means your leaders must manage the emotional side of their organizations, create a positive, productive atmosphere.  They need to listen well and develop a strong feedback loop so they know what’s really going on deep in their organizations, where the creativity lives.  They need to be able to cull the best ideas and energize their teams to innovate and find solutions.  This requires a level of communication skill that many leaders have not yet developed.  They’re excellent technically and have good business minds, but now they need to communicate as leaders.

In addition, there’s the issue of attracting and retaining the best talent.  If your company grew leaner over the last six months, that’s probably a good thing; however, if you had cut with an ax instead of a scalpel, you’ve had some brain drain.  This may leaves gaping holes that you need to fill – talent you need to hire.  That’s exciting.  But also daunting. 

One secret to attracting new talent is to have leaders in place who are known for their ability to develop people.  Talented young people want to go to work for leaders they admire and respect.  Knowledge workers and high potentials are looking for a boss who appreciates them, engages them and understands their value.  So getting ready for the upturn is something your organization needs to take seriously.  In the new world, leaders have to be very good at connecting top talent to the organization and creating a strong culture.  

We’re not there yet.  We’re poised for the return of the buyer.  The Business Roundtable First Quarter 2009 CEO Economic Outlook Survey found CEOs actually expect a decrease in sales, capital expenditures and employment.  However, it’s coming soon.  Harold McGraw Hill III, Chairman of the group, as well as Chairman, President and CEO Of the McGraw-Hill Companies, said, “Fortunately, both U.S. and foreign governments have recognized this need (for economic stimulus) and taken significant steps to spark demand. And while recently implemented Administration policies will take time to have an impact, they already have begun to restore confidence in our markets, which is a critical first step.”

Six months is no time…in business … everybody knows you need to be ahead of the curve.  That means preparing your leaders to lead.  There is nothing more valuable than the ramp up time you have right now to develop their talents and skills.  When business returns, the companies that invested in their leaders will be the ones poised to seize the day.    

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Are the people who have kept their jobs after a layoff more stressed out than those who were shown the door?  Eben Harrell reported recently in Time Magazine’s online version Time.com that at a conference at the University of Cambridge researchers reported yes-they are.  Compared with people who are straight-up laid off, “those who keep their job but are under a constant threat of losing it suffer a greater decline in mental well-being.”

When you think about it, it makes sense.  If you lose your job, as stressful as it is, you have the opportunity to go through a grieving process, to start anew, and perhaps even find a better, more suitable opportunity.  As stressful as it is financially and emotionally to lose a job, you can focus on health, exercise, family, relationships and self care.   

Not that losing your job is a cakewalk, either, says Carl Schneider, a Cambridge-based career counselor and psychotherapist.  Today’s Boston.com quotes Schneider saying, “It helps people if they can remember that being laid off brings irritability and sleep problems,” he says. Expect to feel hurt, angry, rejected, even depressed. Remind your partner or your roommates you’re not going to be at your best. Cut yourself some slack.

But back to the research on those who remain on the job.  Brendan Burchell, a Cambridge sociologist, suggest that employed people who feel insecure in their job display similar levels of anxiety and depression as those who are unemployed. What’s fascinating is that a newly jobless person’s mental health may “bottom out” after about six months, and then even begin to improve.  However, the mental state of those who still have jobs, but are perpetually worried about losing them, “just continues to deteriorate, getting worse and worse,” Burchell says.

Furthermore, while workers may still be in a ’shock’ period,” after they endure the ongoing threat of being fired — they may begin to suffer severe symptoms of anxiety and depression, such as insomnia, substance abuse and lethargy.  All of this stems from the frustration of not being able to plan for their future or feel in control of their life.

How can leaders communicate with a stressed out workforce?  

• First, accept the issue of stress is real.  This doesn’t mean you need to coddle people - in fact quite the opposite.  You reduce stress by telling them what’s happening
• Communicate this “straight up” information on a regular basis, not just in a crisis meeting, so that people always know where things stand. 
• Remember, it’s not false comfort people are seeking, it’s to know what you know, when you know it.  They want the truth about the situation.  And they want to know how they can help.

If this research is correct, then not knowing is the most stressful part of being employed in uncertain times.  Therefore, as a leader you need to bring some measure of certainty about the facts as you know them today, even if you’re not sure what the future holds.  What I know from experience in working with executives is they tend to go behind closed doors, fret, and stew, and even try to “protect” people by keeping a lid on bad news and imminent risks. 

If employees know more, they can contribute more.  They will arguably be more productive, because they aren’t spending all their time worrying about things that may or may not happen.  Don’t sugar coat the news, but be optimistic about what they can do- in other words, tell them which parts they can control.  No leader has a crystall ball, but you do have a current picture of the business today.  Why not open up and share what is relevant with your employees?

When I started writing Motivate Like a CEO, times were better, and yet even then, our survey found that leaders could do a far better job keeping people in the loop.  Here’s a sample of what they said:

“I need my company’s leadership to communicate to me and my colleagues to provide a context for our work and a purpose for our everyday contributions”

“I feel like I need that high-level, overarching vision to motivate me t6o do my best work and to focus my work toward what helps the company bottom line.”

“Employees are not mind readers.  It’s important that they stay connected to a vision larger than their own to succeed personally and help their company succeed.”

“If employees understand why they are doing certain things and what the ultimate goal is, they will be more enthusiastic and take ownership.”

Employees long to be part of a greater purpose and want their leaders to communicate with them and tell them how they can do so.  What greater purpose exists right now for them than to marshall all of their creativity and energy to helping their own companies survive and thrive?   

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Motivate Like a CEO was published just as many Wall Street CEOs were being outed for their excesses.  The last few months have been dominated by news of executives taking big bonuses, in spite of of the fact that their companies have lost billions.  They have flown in their private jets to Washington D.C. to beg for government bailouts, and they’ve laid off people who had trusted them to make good decisions. 

I’ve been asked more than once, quite legitimately, ”How relevant is a book on how CEOs motivate people, when many CEOs are hardly acting in the best interest of their companies?” 

Of course, there is an answer and its a good one.  Thousands of CEOs are out there right now, doing the right thing, setting an example, sacrificing everything, and looking out for their people.  

The latest case in point: Paul Levy, who runs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Levy was wrestling like every CEO with how to cut costs.  He walked around his hospital and saw  technicians, secretaries, administrators, therapists, nurses, the people who are the heart and soul of any hospital.  It looked like keeping all of them with the economy in freefall was going to be impossible.  

As Kevin Cullen reported in the Boston Globe, Paul Levy made a last minute decision based on his gut.  He got up infront of the entire staff and said, “I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I’d like to get your reaction to it.”  He went on to explain that he wanted to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people.  But he explained it would mean the rest of the hospital employees would have to make a bigger sacrifice.   ”It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits.”

Cullen reports Levy had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause.  I’ll let his article take it from here:

“Paul Levy stood there and felt the sheer power of it all rush over him, like a wave. His eyes welled and his throat tightened so much that he didn’t think he could go on.

When the applause subsided, he did go on, telling the workers at Beth Israel, the people who make a hospital go, that he wanted their ideas.

The lump had barely left his throat when Paul Levy started getting e-mails.

The consensus was that the workers don’t want anyone to get laid off and are willing to give up pay and benefits to make sure no one does. A nurse said her floor voted unanimously to forgo a 3 percent raise. A guy in finance who got laid off from his last job at a hospital in Rhode Island suggested working one less day a week. Another nurse said she was willing to give up some vacation and sick time. A respiratory therapist suggested eliminating bonuses.”

Levy reports he was getting about a hundred messages per hour. That’s what happens when you do the right thing.  People recognize it for what it is - genuine concern about the people who make the place run. 

I’m not suggesting that many companies didn’t have to make layoffs, or that downsizing for some was not a good decision. No CEO can ignore the economic realities that confront us.  Every CEO has to make the tough calls.  But what was extraordinary here is that everyone was willing to make some sacrifices, when presented the option by a CEO who not only cares, but is looking for creative solutions that won’t damage the fabric of the organization.

How motivated do you think those employees who might have lost their jobs will be now?  They aren’t just grateful to Paul Levy, they’re grateful to their colleagues who are making sacrifices too.  The lesson on motivation is when you set something in motion, and people know its right, they’ll get behind you 1,000 percent.

Click here to read the full test of Kevin Cullen’s article about Paul Levy on Boston.com

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As the owner of a small business, you have no doubt heard that Congress isn’t going to bail you out.  It’s up to you.  The massive $787 billion stimulus package contains virtually nothing for small businesses, even though they employ about half of all American workers.  Yes, it’s unfair.  Have a good cry and get over it.  Howard Anderson, profession of entrepreneurship at MIT’s Sloan School of management told the Boston Herald, “The small businessman who looks to rely on the government for help is the one who isn’t going to make it out of the recession.”

Aside from the obvious remedies: cut expenses, delay paying bills, ramp up collections, market in low-cost ways, alter your business model — what else can you do?  How about keep your employees motivated?   You can’t rescue your business all by yourself.  You need people in your company to be creative, focused and resourceful. 

Is there such a thing as an incentive that doesn’t cost you money?  Forget about those big Wall Street bonuses.  There are plenty of ways.  Begin by recognizing that money is only one of many factors in employee motivation.  When people enjoy the job, like their co-workers and believe their pay is basically fair, they don’t focus on money.  A Gallup Poll of 540 adults employed full or part time in 2006 found the top three things that made people happy were “doing what suits me best/is fulfilling,” “interacting with the public/helping people,” and “freedom/flexibility to do my job my own way.”  

Here are some low cost/no cost ways to keep people motivated in challenging times:  

• Send out an email thanking people each week:  I like to take a few minutes each Friday to email our team, highlighting something each person has achieved that week.  If you have a small company, you actually mention everybody.  This is an empowering exercise, not only because you make other people feel good, but also because it forces YOU to look at what’s going right!  It will take you away from the worries and restore your faith, too. If you have a larger company, pick out a few people to highlight each week.  You won’t believe the affirming response you get from these communications - I guarantee it will start an electronic chain of congratulations all around.   
• Have a Lollapalooza Day where you connect with customers:  Last year, our firm started setting aside one day per quarter to get in touch with our clients and prospects and find out how they are doing.  We ask them questions about their projects, thank them for the opportunity to work with them, and when appropriate, offer in some small way to provide assistance or advice at no charge.  We write handwritten notes, call, and send emails, often with attachments to articles we think they would like to read.  The result is we often get back heartfelt responses with updates about things that have happened since we last saw them. This is not just good marketing; it’s a tremendous boost for employee morale.  When your employee gets back a note from a customer telling them what a difference they made, they not only treasure it, they share it with others.    
• Use downtime to send employees to seminars where they can learn something new: There are many very low-cost or no-cost professional development opportunities out there.  For example, there’s tremendous value many programs that happen to be marketing events for other companies, and typically they are free of charge.  Many of the area business meetings are low cost and high value, as well.  Think about it — when you’re busy, you often can’t spare your employees for a half day or full day, but by giving someone an afternoon each month, they’ll get a break while improving their skills and knowledge.   Learning is cited as a major incentive by younger generations of employees, although I’ve found good employees of every generation like to learn.  
• Offer employees new projects beyond the scope of the job description:  Another way to provide employees the opportunity to learn and contribute is to empower them to do something important that may not be in their job description.  What needs to be done right now?  My executive assistant just did an amazing job editing two of our new products, booklets called “Jumpstart Sales with Powerful Presentations” and “The Power of Adversity, Communicating with Customers in Challenging Times.”  These are by the way available on our web site in the online store.
• Make it fun to care of office “chores”: We started”office clean up days” a couple of times a year.  They cost nothing but a cheap lunch.  You’re required to come to work in blue jeans.  You get assigned a task in a public area of our office and you get a bottle of Windex, Pledge and a rag.  Everybody organizes files, magazines, equipment, and supplies.  After sandwiches and a good laugh at lunch, we adjourn to our offices to bring order to the chaos there. You wouldn’t believe what a great feeling everyone has when they walk out the door that night, knowing they’ll be coming back to a clean, organized, more inviting office the next day.
• Hold morning “Standup Meetings”: We instituted these 15-minute sessions at the beginning of this year and the result was amazing - now, each morning, before we head to our own office or cubicle, we stand in a circle and share what’s happening.  Without really planning it, this evolved into a positive conversation about what’s ahead for the day.  Even when we face challenges or disappointments, people are there to boost each other and offer help.  It’s an empowering way to start the day.  Try it. You’ll find that instead of watching people head to their offices where they’ll feel isolated or overwhelmed, they’ll share, get energized, and feel more prepared to tackle the tough stuff.
• Bring people together to share business success stories:  In my new book, Motivate Like a CEO, I talk about how important storytelling is to boosting employee morale.  When you uncover stories about your successes and communicate them to the team, they get excited.  Get the group together.  If you’re a small company you can invite everyone.  The pre-meeting assignment — come in with a story about a successful project or customer interaction.  Explore what you learned how it can be applied to your present situation.   And then write down these stories and use them again in the company newsletter, employee presentations, and those Friday emails. 
• Small gifts make a high impact:  When someone does an outstanding job and goes far above expectations to deliver, it is especially motivating to recognize them in a special way, even during lean times.  Do something meaningful for that individual.  Give them an extra day off; let them bring their dog to work one day; give them a small gift certificate to a local restaurant, beauty salon or hardware store they like; take into consideration their hobbies, interests, and family.  The more personal the gift the more appreciated it is– especially in tough times when they understand that money is tight.
• Consider a 4-day work week for the spring or summer:  This isn’t just good for your bottom line; it could improve morale and mental health.  If it makes sense for your company, you can avoid a big layoff and keep your valuable team intact.  Offer across the board pay cuts but give people a four day work week.  Of course there is financial hardship but you avoid the stress of deciding which employees have to go, as well as the inevitable survivor guilt felt by those who keep their jobs.  People may use that time for personal pursuits, to spend time with their kids or elderly parents, exercise more regularly, or something for themselves.  While there are hardships involved in pay cuts, you may find that for a period of time, people will actually appreciate the time off.
• Use the company newsletter to highlight successes: Again, this sounds like a no-brainer but if you have a newsletter, make it something people enjoy reading!  Tell them about all the cool and useful things they are doing.  Ask employees to contribute stories.  Don’t fill it with stuff nobody wants to read.  Be creative in looking for fun ways to reward and recognize good work.
• Create employee awards and hand them out often:  Many large companies have employees of the month, why can’t you?  Better yet, how about an award for Idea of the Month, or another award that reflects your goals and values. Purchase a few trophies and give them out monthly. These are always best when they encourage employees to do the things that are going to make a difference in your business.  Big companies do this and so can you. 
• Walk around often, and tell people they’re doing a great job.  Sounds simple, but in times like these, we tend to hunker down in our offices and stare at balance sheets.  Our energy is low and our anxiety is high.  When you feel stressed, your instinct is to dump it on whoever walks in the door.  Don’t!  Instead, make it a point to stop people in the halls, go to their offices, and thank them or congratulate them every day.  Tell them how much their work means to you, and how vital they are to the future of the company.  Let them know that you believe in them.  Leading is not shifting your worry list onto others.  Come up with a positive message and focus on their contributions. 

I’m looking for more ideas from you!  Send me your creative ideas on no cost and low cost ways to motivate employees!  Respond to this blog, or, send me an email at info@bates-communications.com

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