With employee retention often topping the list of concerns about the current labor market, keeping employees happy and motivated is more important than ever. However, everyone is different and it can be difficult to know what strategies to try. What works for one longtime team member might not work best for new hires.
Where should we be with motivating members of our team? While I believe that traditional motivational systems (Carnegie, Covey, etc.) represent solid, timeless values, I wonder how well these ‘old school’ methods resonate with younger pros. I’d love to learn methods and strategies other LBM dealers and distributors are using to motivate their teams.
Responses from lumberyards, full-line building material dealers, and specialty dealers/distributors:
“We need to make younger people feel like they are part of something bigger. This is really what gives people a sense of purpose.”
“Make sure they are able to continue to learn and grow within the organization, and see a clear path to the future.”
“The thing with these 50-100-year-old ‘timeless values’ is that they are saddled with dated methods of delivery and values that are not valid to younger generations. Those values should be stripped down to their core applications and rebuilt until they are meaningful with new tech and systems.”
“Tangible motivation seems to work far better than a speaker. While speakers have been a proven success, the ‘student’ needs to understand that only a fraction of what is said is relevant.”
“Interactive training with high energy team members and presenters.”
“Stick with core time-proven techniques.”
“It’s a process.”
“I believe in making the project as if it were my own. Give advice as if I owned it. There may be complete differences in opinions on the project, but it shows we are invested in the project.”
“Better benefits with potential higher commissions. Having more flexibility in work schedules tends to resonate.”
“Bonus perks.”
“We use relational needs assessments to meet employees where they are, young or old.”
“Make them feel they are doing good and accomplishing things throughout their work week. If you see they need to improve on something, show them and help them with what needs fixed.”
“One option we use where appropriate is to have them participate in roundtables. You can’t put a value on the experience and the encouragement the employee receives.”
“While I’m from the era of the traditional motivation systems, I also welcome strategy and team-building facilities/retreats where you work together with others. This teaches the importance of communication, helping others, and you share the rewards of a job well done. Sales is often looked at as a solo journey, but in reality there are many working parts to that sale, so communication and recognition is important.”
“It is important to first know your audience, and second to balance your initiatives. Mentoring the next generations is very difficult when we grew up as or with boomers as role models. The structure that was provided and is offered in these old school methods is extremely important! But delivery is crucial for the next generations. There is a bit of a sense of entitlement, and they certainly do not like to be ‘told’ what to do. It is very important to show the success of a methodology; even emphasizing it more than the actual methods until they have bought in. Lots of storytelling, real life experiences, and examples need to be used to initiate the connection and then it’s important to ask a lot of questions about their personal experiences and lessons learned.
If they are very young, try to relate a business experience you have had to one they might have encountered outside of business with friends or family. I have found that with the next generation it is most effective to mentor in a small group setting, with 6-7 people.
This allows for them to not feel overwhelmed so they can open up and be humble, but still offers the ‘community’ that they so desperately crave. Your job as a mentor is to provoke critical thinking skills and lead them down the path you want them to follow. I often call this ‘dropping seeds and then returning to water them until they begin to grow.’ The consistency part is by having reoccurring meetings/sessions and driving the point home subtly each time, i.e. watering the seed.
Gone are the days when you can have a single day training session and expect results. This will get them fired up for the first couple of weeks, but humans, by nature, will always take the path of least resistance. They will always return to what’s comfortable for them. Consistent ‘small touches’ are key. We have to be willing to play the long game if we want to nurture their success. And finally, we must be humble ourselves. Talk about our failures and the lessons we learned along the way. We have to humanize ourselves to them.”
Responses from wholesale distributors, manufacturers, and service providers:
“I think that companies need to have a career path defined now. Something to motivate and drive people to want more. This new generation likes to move up and there are not many people these days that are satisfied doing the same job for 20-30 years.”
“We need to offer different types of training, including the tried-and-true as well as the experimental. It’s OK to try something that doesn’t work. We need to hear employees, and have an environment in which it is safe for them to express themselves.”
“Today, simply one word: ‘MONEY!’”
“Motivation has a direct correlation to passion. Without passion for what you do and how you can help others, the opportunity for a team member to succeed is extremely limited. As an employer, you should approach each staff member individually to learn what ‘gets them going.’ Find what they need emotionally, mentally, and physically to feel passionate about their work. Not everyone will require the same action to inspire motivation, especially in today’s modern workplace complexities. Some successful motivating factors we have used and retained talent are:
1. Consistent validation for good work; everyone loves a good pat on the back by their boss.
2. Monetary incentives (gift cards) for meeting personal/organizational goals.
3. Opportunity for investments in the company.
4. Flexibility in hours and workplace; some people perform better working remotely and should have that option.
5. Encourage out of office social activities with staff, it reenergizes them and allows them to socialize with coworkers.”
“I still think Carnegie is the best training.”
“Offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours, acknowledges the need for work-life balance and empowers employees to manage their schedules effectively. Explore creative incentives beyond traditional monetary rewards, such as extra paid time off, wellness benefits, or experiences like team outings or learning workshops. Leverage technology platforms for communication, collaboration, and recognition. Gamification elements or social recognition platforms can make the process more engaging for younger team members.”
