All it takes is improving the motivational quotient by 1.  If you do not know what motivates your team then chances of improving their productivity will be zero.  The days when edicts such as  ‘the beatings will continue until morale improves’ are gone.  Management by fear is not likely to improve morale let alone productivity; workers are not slaves building pyramids they are contributors but those with the greatest performance play to their strengths not their weaknesses.

Signs of departmental teeming are:

• Laughter amid banter; Banter requires trust and no fear of reprisal
• Allowing individualism within protocol; Individualism lets employees know they can be who they are inside the organization
• Improved internal relationships; leads to greater collaboration
• The better the relationships down-up the better the morale
• Improved morale improves customer relationships and increases sales
• Results abound from a team that is teeming.

So why aren’t more managers and business owners developing a strategy around understanding motivation?  From early days our report cards highlighted strengths and weaknesses.  Consequently our parents and teachers sat us down to ‘correct’ the weaknesses.  This laid the foundation for developing a culture that only focuses on weakness correction and judgements based on finding the weakness in workers.  Consequently I would argue that we spend too much time on trying to correct weakness when we should be focusing on strengths.

Planning your goals and assigning duties therefore might benefit from a greater understanding of your worker’s strengths.  For instance someone who is not comfortable dealing with people but great at behind the scenes administration and bookkeeping should not be out front selling for your organization notwithstanding their educational background.  We should not be putting square pegs in round holes.

Most workers want to get ahead and move up the ranks, make more money and develop skills for their future.  They work harder and smarter when they know they have made a contribution based on their strengths so why tear them down on their weaknesses if the contribution is real?

Do you have an understanding on how to get your team teeming?

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For us we made a short one day pilgrimage to our daughter’s last place of residence where we had planted a Japanese Katsura tree in her memory.  The caregivers at our daughter’s former home take care of this tree now just like they did Reagan when she was alive.  They water it regularly but we wanted to see how it had weathered its first spring.  The trip was worth every mile spent.  As we turned the corner to view “Kat” we could see the fullness in her branches and it was all good.  The Katsura has heart shaped leaves and each of them were full and green and full of welcoming warmth.  They were smiling at us and it was like getting a greeting from our departed daughter.  Someone had placed a hanging lantern by the tree that lights up at night and we placed a hanging “angel” on one of the branches that had just been given to us by one of Reagan’s former caregivers.  More than just a gift we were reminded that others also loved our daughter.

After traveling three hours to get there we wanted to spend time with the tree.  So we sojourned to the local nursery and my wife picked out the best sea soil and the best geraniums (Martha Washington’s) and Madeline spent the next hour toiling in the soil and planting these beauties around Kat’s base.  I was content to do the light lifting, watering and soil dragging.

When it was done we both felt great, sure there were tears of remembrance but we managed to get through our first mom’s day weekend.  Madeline was still able to care for our daughter and in spite of the sadness all was good.

Remember this, just as we still care for our lost girl there are mothers out there everywhere who care but can no longer share the way they once might have been able to.  Embrace them all whatever their circumstances because no one should be alone after giving you your life.

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The world around us will consist of maybe getting up, preparing for work and oh yeah getting the kids ready for school, soccer, hockey, library and whatever else is in their life’s schedule.  But what about YOUR life schedule?  Do you ever have the feeling of “how did I get here” how is it I am not fulfilling my destiny?  The truth is you are. It is only a matter of understanding where you are on your life long time line.  Your life is your journey.  Your kid’s life is their journey; your spouse’s is their journey.  We are all coming at the same time space from different perspectives.

And so it is we sometimes end up in “The Box” rather than finding a way out of it.  But truth be told these are temporary situations because guess what…the sun rises again the next day and we start over.  Life is pretty much “Groundhog Day”; a repeat of yesterday.  So to get outside the box we have to inject life, love and laughter into our schedules.  Hard to do when you might be stressed and inundated with work & projects you feel you cannot control.

Best way to d-stress?  Take a break or vacation with the family or someone other than just yourself.  By taking a breather from any day to day routine we allow ourselves the benefit of perspective.  Mom used to say, “get a good night’s sleep and you will feel better in the morning”.  Try it, it works.  Other mom tips: “never go to bed angry, accept what you cannot change and apologize for your role in whatever made you angry”.  In short remaining angry will not prepare you for your next great day of your life’s journey.  Time heals by adding perspective and allowing our brains to cool down from the “moment”.

We human beings are hard wired to react and protect ourselves from threat.  When we cross over the line to anger our whole demeanor and world changes.  We see only at the moment the issue and we are always on the right side of whatever the argument is.  But there are two sides.  There might not even be a right or wrong; the situation is exacerbated by different sides, minds, tribes coming at a situation from two totally different perspectives.  The key to resolve is in knowing there is or has been a failure to communicate understanding on the part of both parties.

Remember there is a bigger world out there than the one we might be living in at the moment.  How do you get out of your moments?

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One day we feel pity for the person that lines up for welfare for the first time or has to ask for help from the food bank to feed what is left of their family. The next day we forget completely about their  problems for two reasons; 1) we have our own problems to deal with and2)we don’t care enough to learn about what happens to them. We wonder but do not really dive into questions like,  did they get help and rise above or did they fall into the cycle of always needing help?

As humans we love to hear about redemption and recovery when the less fortunate  overcome the odds against them and somehow rise above their troubles and become beacons for others to follow.  There are many stories of successful redeemers but sadly we do not hear enough about them.  We seldom hear about the welfare junkie who found the path to get an education and find a job that allows them to contribute to society once again.

And so it is with students.  From elementary to high school and then to higher learning at university or trade school does one learn to rise above their experiences.  We are constantly evolving our learning by adding  arrows of knowledge to our quiver for future use.  Learning how to use these arrows is fundamental to finding a purpose.  Purpose is everything.

I am involved with ENACTUS Thompson Rivers (Kamloops, Canada).  Enactus is a Global organization of university students representing multiple faculties who aside from their academic achievements commit to many hours volunteering in community outreach programs designed by their group.  These programs benefit  our community.  These special students reach outside of themselves and give of their knowledge and above all use the power of their bright light enthusiasm so others may benefit.  In the process they become leaders of tomorrow.

Sponsored in part by Campbell’s Foods and other local businesses our students are  supporting food bank programs to keep shelves stocked.  Senior programs for fraud awareness, computer literacy along with new young mothers programs have been designed to support those who require knowledge in these arenas.  Environmental  and recycling have been taught in elementary schools and business research and consulting services are offered to our business community.  The ENACTUS Thompson Rivers team gives back to our community.  This gives them purpose beyond just getting higher grade point averages.

The message here is that Enactus which is sponsored at many universities across North America and the World allow our students to find purpose.  This purpose has proven that those involved in this social “give back” movement attain higher grades.  Why, because they provide second chances to those in need and the reward of doing so helps complete them.   This simple act of learning through giving  opens their young minds to greater possibilities.  A positive purposeful future!

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This is especially true when matters are related to Human Resources.  Who among us really knows how to establish a profit sharing program for instance, or providing competitive benefits programs complete with life insurance, dental and disability?  As an entrepreneur this takes serious planning and research.  Do you even have key person life insurance to protect your business from a potential loss of a key player within your organization (you, maybe others)?

If you are starting to have growing pains surrounding personnel issues, starting at the bottom with vision, job descriptions, performance reviews, pay scale and benefits then maybe it’s time to engage a professional to help you.  Hiring a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) can get you started.  Hiring outside counsel in this arena is no different than seeking advice from your banker, lawyer or accountant.  You need to attract solid advice from a highly specific field of expertise.  These are people that can come in, review your operations with you and then come back with a plan for you to follow.  It does not necessarily mean hiring a full-time in-house HR professional.  Yes there are consulting fees but they may in fact be less costly hiring that full-time person.  Think of it as the prerequisite in hiring full-time.

Having a professional in the wings at your beck and call can give you piece of mind on matters that until now have been foreign to you.  The benefits are; you can stay competitive by attracting talent to your organization with the offering of benefits which eventually could include profit sharing productivity.  Being competitive means you can hire the best and be ahead of your competition.  Of course if you are not expanding or planning sales growth or just plain not planning to stay ahead of the curve you can always just go with what you know (status quo).  The question is do you want to be left sitting at the curb in your market place?

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We observe in science a natural order so we tend to attribute normal with events like the sun rising in the East and setting in the West.  This is a regular pattern that is best described as…well normal.  We expect this to happen.  Therefore expectations are linked to normalcy of behavior and even repetition.  We are wired by nature to accept normal as OK.  This is a contributing factor to why we do not immediately embrace change because it affects our internal definition of what is supposed to be usual.  When patterns and routines change normal cannot return until the new routines are accepted.

Describing someone as normal can mean he or she conforms to standards established by a group…laws and rules for example.  The standard will embody values and directives that the group follows to preserve safety, stability and harmony.

In elementary school I remember the teacher’s comments on my report card.  “Normal for his age but could do better.”  I learned that normal was not so good; I had to work harder and smarter to meet my parent’s and teacher’s expectations.  I learned we are always in a state of being judged. The answer to what is normal lies in our individual ability to forge standards and a road map for ourselves that allows us to create our own unique identity.

In a business management position you differentiate your product and service from your competitors.  As human beings we compete  not necessarily to brag about our success over others but to embody our strengths and weaknesses in delivering our unique identity.  This is a good thing because we all can’t be the best at everything.  Put another way it’s OK that your best friend can sing and act and you can’t.  You will make a contribution to life based on what you discover you are good at.  Be proud of your friends for their achievements and they will support you in your endeavors.  Follow your dreams but be practical in what you reach for.

The question is do you seek the flow of the status quo or do you seek new solutions beyond what others are doing?  It is OK to be contrarian but not based on radical or unsupported opinion.  Facts and actions must back you up if you want to exceed your own definition of normal.

Normal for me is doing what I do best; helping others be their best.  Moms & dads and business leaders strive to do this every day.  What is your normal?

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In contrast what are the rules in the business world?

Rule 1) Feed your work family – make a profit to sustain wages and employment including your own.

Rule 2) Leverage your resources to provide a stable and safe work environment and invest in innovation and new technology.

Rule 3) Encourage ideas and efficiencies from workers help them engage as part of the business’s success story.  This breeds motivation and improves attitude – the health of your workers.

Rule 4) Educate and offer training programs to your staff so they become better at what they do and increase your company’s competitiveness.

Rule 5) involve your business somehow in your community.  Teach the legacy value of giving back to those who support your business.  Become known as not just a profit seeking missile.

As young children we took our parents and the gifts they provided for granted.  Being grateful for what led us to where we are today will help clear our paths to greatness.

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Your attack should focus on selling your vision and what you bring to the table for the employee. Talent will naturally seek responsibility, reward and a socially balanced lifestyle.  Provide a compelling reason why the candidate should work for your team.  What’s in it for them?  Make your business a great place to work.  Create a culture that nurtures success.

In the Great Workplace[1] the authors suggest there are five dimensions to working for a great company; Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Price and Camaraderie.  The first three combine to form trust.  Your employee has to know and trust you to do the right thing for them.

If you are a two person retail shop consider mentoring the new hire to be the best in relationship selling.  Your offering might include cash rewards towards higher education and text book subsidies for university students.  Your engagement with the new hire could provide a valuable reference for their next level job.  You provide a reason for why they should come to work.

On the other hand if you manage a 100 person office you need to sell the candidate on where they fit into the organization and what opportunities await them.  Is it fun, is the money on market and do you give them a chance to grow and manage projects they can take ownership of?

Attracting top talent is as simple as giving the candidate a reason to come on board.  Creating a great workplace can be the answer.

What are you doing to attract top talent?

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Follow these SEVEN KEY disciplines.

1. You MUST be extremely passionate about your idea and concept, “The Project”;  you want to execute this plan;
2. You MUST do research to convince yourself  and others your Project will be a successful venture; the most noteworthy is proving demand for your product/service  with existing SALES or bonafide orders;
3. You MUST articulate your Project into a written Business Plan that makes sense; based on your researched and reasonable assumptions; no ‘Pie in the Sky’ delusions; having a sales track record backs you up;
4. You MUST leverage all that you bring to the table; who you are & why you?  Financial background, Managerial expertise – Start-Up Capital; cash & assets, your ‘Skin in the Game’;
5. You MUST be able to explain your Project in sufficient detail to be understood;
6. You MUST be knowledgeable about the industry and environment in which you will operate; competition, barriers to entry, regulatory controls, non-controllable factors; how will you battle the negatives?
7. You MUST convey the REWARD; what will the return on investment be? Your forecasts based on early track record must prove profitability.

If someone else were asking you for money to fund this project would you buy-in? Know your audience; those who are invited to participate in The Project, friends, family investors and banks will be testing your ability to properly execute the plan. Can you deliver?

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Sustainability occurs when profits and liquid assets turn over sufficiently to replenish the cash account. If this does not occur for an extended period of time, the question arises; when will this business become profitable?  If the answer is unforeseeable, it may be time to reevaluate your business project’s plan.  Why aren’t your sales covering your costs?

Why don’t lenders immediately jump in and assist with cash shortfalls?  Because adding debt to an enterprise with unsustainable cash flow and profits is a losing proposition. That aside, lenders do not own shares of the business or receive future profits as a return on investment, nor do they participate in day-to-day management decisions. While the entrepreneur seeks independence he or she may forget they need to have enough gas in the tank to get across the desert.

The two  most common reasons for business failure is a lack of start-up/back-up capital and sales revenue to cover costs.

When established businesses suffer economic downturns, experienced owners know they are the ones responsible for refueling their working capital. Sure, banks can help at that stage because there may be a demonstrated track record, fixed hard collateral assets and strong resources in the form of personal assets behind the owner.  However, at start-up, it is unrealistic for a financial institution to place depositor’s money at risk when the owner has not invested enough to carry the load.

Besides having an articulated business plan new owners must consider the following:

1. Ensure your cash investment covers all plant, equipment and leasehold costs PLUS at least six months of fixed operating costs including allocation for heat, power, rent and salary to owner.

2. Leveraging personal assets such as home equity to compliment cash investment; the idea here is that when the business becomes sustainable, it can repay the owner.

3. Use #2 as your safety valve to cover unplanned expenses in the early going.

Planning out the capital you have available at start-up is essential to ensuring your business has a fighting chance at success.  Be sure you consider not only how much money you need at the beginning, but how much you need in reserve to keep it going.  Can You Cross Your Desert?

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