Page 23 - How to Motivate Every Employee

Punish risk taking

Encourage intelligent
risk taking

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why aren’t more of my employees
willing to take risks?” Perhaps it’s because the few times they tried
and things went wrong, they were either disciplined or perhaps even
fired. Even when employees succeed at something risky, with a pat
on the back for the result, they may also get chastised for taking the
initiative. After all, there are channels and chains of command,
assigned responsibilities, managers paid to take risks, and so on.
Even in more recent years, management has sent out a mixed mes-
sage to employees: We want you to feel empowered and take risks—just
don’t screw up or you’re out of here!
Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes. The best managers know
that, but they also recognize that developing a risk-taking mentality
is part of helping employees develop an entrepreneurial approach in
their work—and that’s motivating! So it is important for you as a
manager and leader to support, encourage, and reward intelligent
risk-taking behaviors.
The only way to get better is to try new things and organizations
that don’t innovate stagnate. They may even go out of business.
So how can you create a culture that encourages employees to
take intelligent risks and feel comfortable doing so? Here are some
ideas to consider:
Tell employees risk is a four-letter word for success: Creative and
calculated risk-taking can improve any organization. That means

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