Do your employees care about your company? Do they believe in your products and services? Do they love working for your company? Or is this just a job for them?

If you answered YES to the first three questions, then congratulations. You have a great team in your company. But if you would like to have employees who really care about the company as if it were their own, who truly believe in the products and services that your company offers and who are excited to come to work, then do read on.

Having passionate advocates means having employees who are highly motivated. They believe in your products and services so much so that they become your company’s walking PR machine. They are happy & engaged employees who truly care.

Let me illustrate the difference between an indifferent employee vs. a passionate advocate…

I often stay late in malls and I frequently see sales crews prepare to close their shops or kiosks 10 minutes before closing time. There have been times that I tried buying from these people, but I was refused and turned away simply because the sales person wanted to go home and didn’t want to bother with the sale. These people fail to realize that the customer is not an intrusion but the main reason why they were hired in the first place. People who reject an easy sale because of laziness are examples of highly unmotivated employees.

Contrast that to one of the most passionate advocates of my company. Our Training Consultant is a walking PR machine. When she goes to parties and reunions, her bag is full of fliers and business cards that she distributes to everyone. She constantly uploads photos and selfies that show co-workers, clients and projects. She truly believes in our company’s products and services, to the point that when she was about to give birth years ago, she was still talking to the doctors and nurses about it on the operating table.

Imagine if you have a walking PR machine in your company. How amazing it would be for your business? Imagine if you can multiply your walking PR machine to several passionate advocates in your company. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

But how can you transform your employees into your company’s passionate advocates? How can you properly motivate your people? Let me share with you a few tips to achieve this

Clearly Communicate Goals, Targets and Direction

This is the foundation of motivating your team. If there is a common goal and they are made aware of it constantly, they will know what to work for. So be sure to share your company or departmental goals. Challenge your employees by giving them targets to achieve.

Rewards and Incentives

Once you have set and clearly communicated your goals, it is important to build a reward system that will make your employees want to achieve those goals on a personal level. They need to have something to gain from working hard to achieve those goals. Linking your goals to your rewards program will let you achieve this. In our Designing Incentives seminar for instance, managers and business owners learn how to design programs that will help reward and retain employees. If you need to design your own rewards programs, do get tips or attend seminars. It will be worth your while.

Recognition

When goals are achieved, it is important to recognize the good work that your employee has done. Celebrate and congratulate your employee when they reach their targets. Words of encouragement are one of the most powerful motivator of people. So be generous with it. “Good job”, “I’m proud of you” and a pat on the back will go a long way.

Employee Development

Invest in developing your people by orienting them properly as soon as they start working for you. Discuss your products and services to all employees no matter what department they belong to. Train and coach them to become better at their jobs. Give them tools, opportunities and responsibilities so they can start owning their jobs, projects or products.

Company Culture

Most important of all, build a culture of positivity and care for one another. Establish company practices that will make your employees feel like they belong. If your employees love working with their co-workers and if they care about one another, it will bring out the heart and passion of everyone in your company.

The best way to transform your employees into your company’s most passionate advocates is to find means to constantly motivate your employees. You can do this by investing and developing your people in the areas mentioned above. It is about showing people that your company cares. When you can successfully do this, your employees will take care of your company. They will become your most passionate advocates.

 

Note:  This article was originally published at Manila Bulletin Newspaper.

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and HR Club Philippines.  Her organization offers public seminars and in-house training on Human Resource Management and Business Skills Development.   You may email your comments and questions to:   mbworklife@gmail.com