Today I hosted a conference call with more than 70 people on the line to discuss cultivating employee morale and motivation. This was possibly one of the best Envision Exchange™ calls yet, and I am very excited about the information that was exchanged on the call.
To start the call, I defined morale and motivation: morale involves the long-term values and spirits of the group, and is team-oriented. Motivation, on the other hand, addresses more day-to-day individual tasks, attitudes and performance. With this foundation, we spent the hour discussing how to motivate agents.
“People say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why you should do it often!” – Zig Ziglar
Incentives
Jane, who works for a regional airline, pointed out that not everyone responds to the same incentives, and therefore her team runs multiple promotions at the same time, giving reps a variety of things to work towards. Chandler, from an online advertising publication, stated that their team uses a “pay for performance” model, which gives bigger rewards for overachievement of goals. I have found that there is a “Golden Rule of Incentives,” where you should:
- Reward over-achievers
- Encourage developing performers
- De-motivate slackers
So how do you encourage people to “meet expectations” without offering financial rewards? The group suggested that perhaps teams that are struggling to meet expectations should address morale and team-building objectives in order to improve morale and then motivate individuals. I also believe that you should reward people for making progress. Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP) shared their use of the “Give ‘em the Pickle” program. You can also hear more about CDPHP on their recent Web event.
“Reward what you want to see more of...” – Tom Peters
Ultimately, one of the greatest ways to motivate your staff is to be honest with them. Ask them where they want to be, and what you can do to help them achieve their goals. In addition, regular communication about team progress, corporate progress and how the team is contributing to the “greater good” goes a long way in motivating staff members.
Additional resources on cultivating morale and motivation:
Post tags: incentives, Starbucks Coffee Company, Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, agent effectiveness, agent motivation, contact center, call center, motivating agents
1:42 PM
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