Chris LoCurto

Finding The Life & Business You Really Want

Leadership ·

There is no doubt that as leaders, our job is to produce—to make more of our products or our services or our whatever each and every day. And as leaders, we have a tendency to get bogged down in our daily to-do lists to produce as much of our “whatever” as we can.

The problem? We also tend to forget that we don’t run our businesses alone. (Well … unless you’re a one-person shop. Then, of course, you do. Sorry. Didn’t mean to point you out and make you feel lonely … this is awkward … ice cream?) Most of us work with a team of people who are helping to grow our efforts.

Therefore, I will say, as I always do, it’s your job to make your team successful. Why? Because if you can, you have successfully duplicated yourself, along with about a dozen other reasons I won’t cover today. One of the ways to make them successful is to inspire them. When team members are inspired, they are more productive. Here are four quick ways to motivate them:

  • Look at you!!! – Recognition is the fastest and easiest way to inspire someone. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, wants to be recognized for something they have done. Preferably, it’s something GOOD they’ve accomplished, especially in front of peers or leaders.
  • Dear John – Or Sally or whoever your team member may be. Take five minutes and write a handwritten note of appreciation to them. It doesn’t take a lot of words to say, “I think you’re amazing.”  In fact, it takes four.
  • Are you buzzin’? – Take them or send someone to go pick up some REAL coffee. You know, something other than the thick black stuff in the break room that you can peel paint or the lining of your stomach with. Go get some Dillanos. :-D
  • Is that a quarter behind your ear? – Or even better: Is that $50 in my hand as I shake yours? Giving someone a $50 handshake when they aren’t expecting it will blow them away. And trust me, they will produce more than that in the next 15 minutes because they are pumped!

Inspiring someone doesn’t take much. Just a few minutes of thought and a few more minutes of action. Give it a try right now and see what happens. Unless you’re reading this alone in your car as you’re driving. In that case, put this down and remember,  10 and two … 10 and two!

Question: How will you inspire a team member today?