Page 26 - How to Motivate Every Employee

Think big. Think virtual: Today, employee brainstorming can be
done over long distances through the use of cyberspace auditoriums
and virtual conference rooms. Virtual meetings are proliferating and
can function just as effectively and synchronously in cyberspace as
they can in the office conference room down the hall. Just think, it
is now possible for your employees to hash out ideas with colleagues
in the UK, get input from other team members in Burlington,
Vermont, go over a game plan before a meeting with other employ-
ees in Honolulu, and kibitz with a new member of the team in
Melbourne, Australia.
Use tools for creative and innovative thinking: Begin by setting aside
time to brainstorm with employees and investigate innovative and
creative new approaches and ideas. Not only should you support
innovative thinking, but as the manager, you should also help imple-
ment new ideas. Make books available to your employees on the sub-
ject of creativity, such as A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von
Oech, Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko, or How to Think Like Einstein:
Simple Ways to Break the Rules and Discover Your Hidden Genius, by Scott
Thorpe. Through special announcements, newsletters, e-mails, and
day-to-day conversations, praise the innovation of your team.
Emphasize positive aspects of innovative solutions: Continually
emphasize the positive aspects of innovative solution finding and the
disadvantages of always doing the same things in the same way.
Refrain from penalizing anyone for trying something new that may
end up a big mistake. Instead, encourage others to learn from their
mistakes. It’s your responsibility to encourage freedom of expression
and congratulate those who possess unique, one-of-a-kind creativity
and out-of-the-box thinking skills.

“There is nothing that is a more certain sign of insanity
than to do the same thing over and over and expect the
results to be different.”
—Albert Einstein

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