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Friday, January 23, 2009
Purpose, passion help CEOs motivate employees
MHT managing editor Rodney Brown on NECN: 22 tech companies give back to community
MHT Sales Roundtable: Web 2.0, Meet Sales 101
MHT Editor Doug Banks on NECN: Decoding the Gen Y workforce
Is a motivated, energized work force essential to accomplishing organizational goals? Can motivated workers overcome all obstacles? Can they at times defy the odds?
If you believe so, as I do, then you may also agree that to reach such states, your people must be purposeful, filled to the brim with both passion and committed energy. To get them there, you’ll want to help them achieve a common goal by simultaneously helping them realize their own potential. You’ll want to motivate them as great CEOs in the best high-tech organizations do, connecting them to your own purpose and passion and in the process driving them to pursue their own.
Research shows that people work for a paycheck but live for a purpose. Most leaders also report they do feel a sense of mission and purpose as they go about their jobs day-to-day. In one study, 85 percent of managers, directors, leaders and business owners agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I feel fulfilled because I am doing work that matters to me and to my company.”
Why then don’t high-tech leaders focus more time and energy on communicating in a way that inspires others? The simple answer is that they often feel as if they are too busy, struggling to keep their heads above water, trapped by their travel schedules, meetings, and to-do lists. Yet when leaders don’t find a way to climb above all this, they ultimately fail.
Many employees at tech firms say their bosses are so distracted they often forget to do the truly important things. “They’re too busy ‘doing’ to lead,” one employee told me. “They’re caught up in the day-to-day and neglect to communicate.”
Employees know what’s needed from a leader and commonly express dissatisfaction when it’s missing. So, as a leader, you must believe in your heart that people who work with you are truly in it for something bigger than themselves. Then you must communicate in a way that respects their desire to make a difference. Leaders who connect people with company, message and strategy more easily accomplish their goals. You can clearly see the difference in the way they behave: Their entire organization is working not just for a paycheck but to achieve both the company’s goals and their own potential as individuals. People want to make a difference. When they believe that what they are doing matters, it motivates them and stimulates their passion and creativity.
Communicating, connecting and inspiring people are critical business skills. Moreover, every leader must understand the power of purpose at a personal level, communicating that purpose with passion. Taking all this into consideration, it may be best for tech leaders to think of their role as the “CMO” or “chief motivating officer.” That means inspiring people and connecting them with a common purpose. As CMO, you will remain clear about your own purpose too, constantly reminding yourself what really gives you that sense of accomplishment and drive. You’ll also commit yourself to constantly understanding what gives others their drive. By finding a common goal for your employees and becoming such a “chief motivating officer,” you’ll communicate a strong sense of purpose and thus attract the right people to your firm. This will lead not only to higher revenue and greater profit but a more productive — and happier — organization.
Suzanne Bates is an author, the president and CEO of Bates Communications, and also writes The Power Speaker Blog, found at www.thepowerspeakerblog.com. She can be reached through www.bates-communications.com.
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