Today’s employees have a different sense of what is important to them. Traditional ideas of employment security and job stability are no longer the prime motivation for accepting a job. What matters most, it seems, is purpose – and the feeling that they are working towards a lofty goal that makes a mark in the world. Motivated employees are engaged employees and with purpose as the carrot that dangles in front of each and every team member to encourage them to be their best – for the good of the brand as a whole – employers can build a strong foundation for sustainable business growth and long-term success.
Creating a sense of purpose
Creating a workplace environment that is enriched with genuine energy is one of the most valuable things any employer can do to infuse a true sense of purpose that makes employees want to achieve their best, for a reason. Organisational purpose is something that must be invested in seriously to develop and nurture an organisation of excellence. The way to create it is simple enough – it all starts with authenticity and communication. When your brand vision is defined well, conveying that brand definition to all employees is the basis on which brand purpose is built. Developing a brand that is about more than sales is key. Having an association with a higher meaning – such as a percentage of profits donated to a charity or cause, or solving a problem that helps the world at large, is something that makes it easier to attract talent who have a real passion for the brand and what impact building that brand can actually have.
Lead by example
The managers within your company are your brand leaders and set the tone and direction for everyone else to follow. With that in mind, taking responsibility to boost employee engagement is a valuable investment to make. When managers show that they believe in and live the brand purpose, they send a message to all who follow them. Imposing rules about brand purpose and how to achieve it will never work in the long-term, as employees feel it is an onerous duty, rather than something they want to do. Positive, sustainable workplace culture can never be fear-driven. To motivate your employees to respect your brand’s purpose and carry every aspect of it forward in their own professional lives – as well as the personal interactions they might have about your brand on social media or with their own friends and family – all team leaders and managers must authentically showcase their own adherence to that purpose in everything they do. No fakery allowed! Investing in brand marketing and the creation of mission statements is useless unless all people involved in the brand at every level truly believe in the purpose and can display it naturally and passionately at every opportunity.
How to become a motivator
Becoming a motivator for your team is about more than being a mere cheerleader. A rah-rah mindset can seem shallow and superficial and your employees will never actively live by a belief system they don’t see as genuine. To develop motivators within your own company, investing in leadership education and training that inspires the building blocks of real motivation is a worthwhile investment for any brand that is serious about creating a purpose-driven ethos. What all employees want is universal – and clarity about what they are expected to deliver is near the top of the list. Motivators need to be responsible for setting clear goals. The next step? Listening more and speaking less to hear what’s important to each and every member of your team. By understanding what they need and want, motivating them to perform becomes easier. Being praised and rewarded is a positive thing for any member of a team, to help them feel that their efforts are appreciated. But remember – it’s critical to praise for more than just achievement. By rewarding effort, you inspire greater confidence and the reminder that simply having a go matters.
Purpose with patience
Building a brand with purpose takes time and patience but the effort is worth it and helps nurture a resilient brand that makes a long-term impact. To develop a purpose-driven brand takes vision that can only be focused with the support of careful research, understanding of the current marketplace and a knowledge of the consumer climate. Branding is a serious business that takes a team but when that team works together for the right reasons, dreams really can turn into reality.
