As a small business owner, you are brimming with enthusiasm to make your company a success. You wonder, however, why your employees don't share your enthusiasm. In other words, why aren't they as motivated as you are?

The easy explanation is that your employees aren't motivated because they aren't the owner — there's not as much in it for them as there is for you. To some degree, that makes sense. But even so, it is possible to motivate your employees without giving them an ownership share in the company. Here's how...

Nurture a team mentality
Your employees are no different than anyone else. They want to feel like they're part of a team. Being part of the team gives your employees a sense of worth that goes far beyond financial compensation. Every contribution counts. The team needs all of its members to function effectively.

You're not only the owner of your business — you're the coach of the team, too. It's your job to clarify each team member's role and to help them understand how they fit into the overall game plan. Involve your employees in the decision-making process. Listen to their input and encourage them to work toward reaching the company's goals together.

Help your employee's reach their personal goals
Just as you have goals for your business, your employees have goals for themselves and their careers. Frequently, when an employee leaves to go somewhere else the business owner is caught off-guard. The owner never saw it coming because he/she never took the time to find out about the employee’s personal career goals.

Annual performance reviews provide a wonderful mechanism to discuss personal goals with your employees. Sometimes the employees haven't considered their goals themselves. Encourage them to develop a career plan and do your best to help them accomplish their goals. Occasionally an employee's career goals may take her away from your company. But more often than not, her goals can be incorporated into the company’s goals. It's a win-win situation.

Develop a profit-sharing plan
Finally, consider developing a profit-sharing plan for your employees. Profit-sharing can be an extension of the team mentality. When the team wins, everybody wins.

The keys to a successful profit-sharing plan are equity and communication. First, the profits to be shared among the employees need to be distributed equitably. Whatever system you use needs to demonstrate consistency and fairness in order to avoid the backlash of grumbling that accompanies accusations of favoritism.

Secondly, the details of the profit-sharing plan need to be communicated at the beginning of the fiscal year and periodic performance updates shared with them throughout the year. Otherwise the plan will lose its effectiveness because your employees won’t have the information they need to get motivated on the company’s behalf.

Small Business Advice & Tips