Earlier this week we looked at what each of us can do to spark a fire of inspiration within ourselves. Now let’s look outward. How can I be an inspiration to those around me? Are the people that work for you or with you lacking energy? Are they disinterested in their work? There is a new term floating around called “quiet quitting”. Quiet quitters are people not going above and beyond at work and just meeting their job description. Recent Gallop research indicated that "Quiet quitters" make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce.
At one time we saw something in these team members that made us believe they were capable of great things. For whatever reason, their fire has dimmed. As much as we believe in our people, we must also believe in our own ability to inspire those around us. I said in my blog from earlier this week that this must begin as an inside job. However, there is also a lot we can do to positively impact those around us.
Let’s look at just a few:
1. RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF EMPLOYEE UNHAPPINESS
Creating raving fan employees must be a top priority of any business owner who wants to inspire workplace participation and growth. Bad employee morale can cost the company money and negatively affect the company culture. Before asking how to inspire others, ask yourself if you see any of the following signs of employee disengagement or unhappiness.
HIGH TURNOVER
If many employees are leaving, that’s a big sign they’re unhappy. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s all about pay or benefits. Conduct exit interviews and really listen to what employees are saying.
DROP IN PRODUCTIVITY
If their heart is no longer in their work, you’ll be able to tell. Inspired employees get their work done and excitedly ask for more.
LACK OF PARTICIPATION
Not everyone is into company happy hours and activities, but if your employees seem more disengaged than usual, it’s a sign to dig deeper.
2. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Remember that a business is only as strong as the psychology of its leader. Could the problem be you? This is a difficult question to ask yourself, but if you really want to gauge if you know how to inspire people, you need to ask yourself if your team thinks – better yet, knows – you understand how to inspire employees to do their best. If the answer is “no,” you’re in the right place for learning these skills.
3. USE THE POWER OF Influence
Now that you know how to inspire employees to do their best, you can use that as leverage to subtly change their behavior. This is one skill that distinguishes great leaders from mediocre ones. The reasoning is straightforward: Since every person on Earth is influenced by his or her thoughts, feelings and behaviors, true leaders make skillful use of those “pressure points,” or leverage, to influence others’ behaviors.
4. PRACTICE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At its root, organizing your business around how to inspire others boils down to communication. That is, in order to master how to inspire people, you must first understand what already inspires them. Understanding what makes people tick is one of the most fundamental components of both empathy and effective communication.
5. MASTER EMPATHY
The rules of public speaking apply to running a business. Instead of assuming you know what your audience already knows and wants, utilize empathy and deep listening to discover your audience’s wants and needs (even when they are your employees).
6. FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS
As self-sufficient as the Navy SEALS are, even they depend on relationships with other governmental counterparts to be successful. Instead of forcing, coercing or shaming someone into a certain behavior, be like the SEALS and focus on building quality relationships. Without a solid foundation of trust, it’s impossible for someone you want to inspire to feel comfortable around you.
I hope that you find these tips useful as you work TO INSPIRE your team.
Remember it all begins with you.
Yours in Christ,
dan