Russell's Rules #4: Everyone is motivated in his or her own unique way

Have you created a list of your employees and their motivational hot buttons?

Old-school management had a list of motivational items all employees would respond to -- in theory. In practical application, everyone is an individual, and the leader who takes the time to get to know and understand those individuals will learn how to push their motivational hot buttons.

Truthfully, just the act of taking the time to learn about your employees as individuals and making the effort to understand them will be a huge motivator in itself. Make a list of your employees by name, and list those things that are important to them such as the name of their significant other, their favorite hobbies, their kids' names, their personal goals in life. The better you can help them enjoy what is important to them, the more motivated your employees will be.

Just Do This…

1. Get to know the basics about what is important to your employees.

2. Treat your employees like friends.

3. Clearly state the goal and why it's important.

4. Set the tone in your own performance.