I've been in the document management industry for more than 25 years, and one of my steadfast beliefs is that people--even more than products and services--drive corporate growth. There's nothing more rewarding as a company principal--and nothing more satisfying as an employee--than to realize that what you do every day matters, that you're part of a winning and growing team.
Motivation is an understated component of successful distributors and manufacturers. When analyzing why certain firms in our industry are ahead of the pack, it's common to cite adoption of technologies such as e-commerce and digital printing, or value-added services such as print management and fulfillment. Those offerings are important, but they wouldn't be delivered to customers (or considered in the first place) without employees who are eager about the future of their firms.
Motivation is a broad topic, and it's true that what motivates one person might not matter much to another. In a more general sense, however, companies either have motivated personnel or they don't. Spend a few days in any office, and you can pretty much tell if the business culture is positive or negative. The best cultures, which are fostered primarily by management teams, are encouraging, supportive and open to ideas. A common and dangerous situation--we've all had jobs like this--is when employees have no clue about the big-picture goals and strategies of their employers.
When an employee doesn't know the vision of his or her firm, it's a good bet the management team has failed to explain it often enough (or at all). Some principals do so intentionally, feeling the information is confidential and privileged. This is more common among very large companies. Quite simply, the philosophy hinders employee potential. After all, what's the point of working harder? It's incredibly disconcerting for employees to think they're intentionally not "in the know."
More often, though, lack of employee motivation results simply from a management team mired in the day-to-day grind. Company leaders don't share new strategies or develop incentives tied to employee performance (paying for industry education is a good one) because they don't pause and consider it. If they did, it's more likely their employees would be on the same page, working in concert to meet common goals. And it's far more likely they would enjoy a lower turnover rate, a statistic that's becoming more important in a tighter job market.
If business is good, employees should feel proud for helping it get there. They should feel compelled to keep it up. If business isn't good, employees should feel a sense of urgency. They should feel compelled to help foster improvements. And just as management teams should recognize completed goals, they should share important bad news. Business, of course, isn't always roses. Employees must embrace the fact that they matter--to your company and to customers--at all times.
All the motivating factors in the world--consistent encouragement, financial incentives, opportunities to advance--won't help those rare employees who simply don't care. After all, motivation begins from within. Most people, though, appreciate the feeling that if they accomplish more, they'll get more--and so will the company. And if everyone shares that philosophy, you'll have a winning team.
Mark Trumper is CEO of Maverick Label, Edmonds, Wash., and president of DMIA.
