Inspiring your team to support the mission

You sell to your customers every day. But sometimes, the most effective way to do that is to sell to your employees first. The “sell” in this case? Getting your employees to buy into your passion for your business. Good relationships feed on this passion. And when it’s not there, a relationship can falter.

Passion means productivity and higher levels of output. Commitment can be scary—but it’s much less scary when you have passion for your work. Have you heard the story of the woman who called it quits because she loved her job too much? We haven’t either. Because it never happened (get the reporters on the phone if it does, because that story would be crazy). There’s something to be said about good workplace culture, something to strive for, and caring about what you do.

Love them before they leave

The 2020 pandemic gave rise to a lot of work-related issues and alterations—one of them being what’s been coined the ‘Great Resignation.’ It’s a burden for business owners because many employees are participating in this mass exit from their jobs. So, this begs the questions from many owners, “why are they leaving?” and “how do I prevent this from happening to my business?”

Hybrid work became a must for many businesses—and that opened the door for employees to seek jobs elsewhere, jobs that supported working from home and a better culture. Today, the employees seem to be the ones with the power and leverage. So, as a business owner, the ball is in your court. It’s up to you to win them over and to make work something worth getting passionate about.

A winning workstyle that inspires passion

It’s hard to have poor morale when you have strong passion for what you’re doing. So, start there—a positive work environment built around good morale. Whether it’s in-person, at-home, or hybrid work, the work culture should accommodate your employees gracefully. Here are a few ways you can do that:

Transparency. Communicate about everything (ok, maybe not everything. Leave the super personal stuff for when you’re talking to your cat). One-on-one meetings are a great way for employees to be heard and to express likes and dislikes about the work environment. You probably don’t want to wait until your top employees leave to hear how you could have improved their experience.
Goals. Business, personal, or relationship goals—they all matter. They’re all perfect for instilling a sense of purpose and an opportunity to grow. It’s something to work towards beyond just work for work’s sake. It’s impossible to score when you don’t have a goal to shoot towards. Make them measurable so that your team can see their gratifying results. Make them lofty and ambitious. Because you might just reach them. Then throw a party when you do, so that you can count the smiles. When outsiders see your employees, you want them to say, “that’s goals!”
Party. Or something like that. The point we’re trying to make here is to reward your employees. Make them feel valued. Because they are. You can’t run your business without them. Praise good behavior, good work, and the people that go above and beyond. The theory is that the rest will follow in that behavior. Everyone plays an important part of running your business. So, share that. Celebrate inclusivity and individuality. This is especially important for hybrid workers who may feel more isolated when working at home. Parties over Microsoft Teams works, too.
Work hard. Play hard. It’s a cliché for a reason. A work-life balance offers a chance for greater mental health. Make well-being a priority for your employees. Encourage them to take breaks. Passion outside of work enhances passion for work. We’ve seen it many times—someone whose favorite tasks become a burden because of the mundanity of repetition. Burnout is real and so is the need to counteract it with fun activities. And hey, it’s an excuse to throw another party.

Make loving your employees part of your passion. Don’t fall victim to the Great Resignation. Instill passion and notice your employees’ increased work ethic, energy, resourcefulness, willingness to grow, and greater focus. Plus, passion is infectious. Time to spread the love!

What methods do you employ to instill passion in your team? How do you bring others into your vision for your business or department growth?

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