Motivation- A Finite Resource?

Critical for success, but elusive to attain. In my mind, motivation is most certainly a finite resource. Especially in business, where people are motivated by a multitude of things, it is something that should not be taken lightly, and should be moved upon when felt.

Motivation at work can dwindle. Many things can come into play here of course, but on the whole, I've experienced that motivation is more like a tide, whether I am describing myself, or the overall driving force that a company may have.

It's infectious- it will pass from person to person subconsciously, a little cheerleader to make sure all of your tasks, projects, hopes and dreams get fulfilled. But like I said before, motivation has an ebb and flow, something that many do not recognize, and only end up spinning their tires.

What motivates you? Your employees? Do you know? How is morale? Do your employees think they are being paid and treated fairly? What's your turnover rate like? Sales? Payroll? Ever single one of these business facets are directly related to the collective motivation of any one company.

Motivation needs to start with someone. Anyone! Best is an owner or executive, but it is something to be monitored on all levels of business. If you and your team are not motivated to work, develop, and grow your company, don't get mad.

Figure it out. Perhaps if you're unmotivated, you are now.

Meaningful Business Growth

I heard a terrific quote the other day, but I cannot remember who said it, or where I saw it. It's a pity because I'd really like to give them credit, but the saying basically went like this:

"Growth for the sake of growth is the same goal of a cancer cell."

Powerful stuff. This idiom can be applied over many different situations and over many different perspectives, but let's shift the focus onto business. Or better yet, business growth. In a typical mindset, an owner wants to expand their business. You know, more equipment, more customers, more assets, more more more! And it's good to be motivated! Don't get me wrong. But sometimes, that motivation can be toxic, and maybe not for the reasons you'd suspect.

Businesses that are not turning over a profit typically look at this solution first- more sales. More income is great! It helps you run the business more efficiently, give bonuses, treat your employees right, and let's not forget about building you that nest egg. But some businesses don't have difficulty with finding work. Yet they still push for the gain of more customers, more cashflow. And often, they will keep on expanding until they reach a point where they might have to close down. Wait...what?

Why would that happen? A business with a lot of customers, literally flush with work, is going out of business? Oh yeah. It's easier than you think, and it's because no-one thought to look at all the other problems. Every business has problems- Budget is no exception. But when business owners, CEOs, Presidents, you name it, get flustered over money, more often than not? That's all they focus on. Other problems get overlooked.

Is your pricing right? Is your overhead realistic? Do you have to put any customers to collection? Are employees too slow on the job? Are customers being treated well? How's the quality of our work? These are just a handful of the questions that sometimes never get asked simply because a business was focused too much on the wrong thing.

See what I mean by meaningful business growth? It doesn't always mean a new client, a fat check from a recent job, or even a bigger office. Business growth is a process, because a business grows in parts. If one part gets too big, the whole operation suffers, and if you aren't looking at the problem, well. I don't think I need to go on.

Make sure you know what's wrong in your business. What's right! Have a finger on your business' heartbeat because until you ask the questions and do the digging? You're just guessing.