Do you have a great company, but aren’t sure how to increase productivity in the workplace? The best way to fix this issue is to invest in people and make them feel supported, appreciated and part of something bigger than themselves.
Satisfied employees who feel like they are working for the greater good will be more willing to show up every day and go above and beyond the call of duty.
As a professional corporate keynote speaker, I can help you discover what motivates your employees and find out the best ways to support and encourage them. The Extreme Leadership program provides practical, actionable methods on how leaders can communicate with their teams using a combination of Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof.
Why Invest in Employee Development?
Imagine having an organization where your employees are engaged and excited to come to work and do their best every day. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
As an Extreme Leader, if you want to improve work performance on your team, you need to understand the importance of employee development. Think of work as a team sport. Each employee has strengths and weaknesses that can be honed and brought to the team. After all, it takes a collective effort to build better products and keep customers happy, which is why influential leadership is vital.
LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if the business invested in employee development. By investing in your employees, you can change how others perceive your company and help to maintain quality customer service for all of your clients!
5 Ways to Invest in People and Drive Productivity
Team building sessions and corporate speaker events may occur on an as-needed basis, but there are many other ways to cultivate a company culture that people love every day.
1. Invest in Relationships that Drive Employee Loyalty
Many people think that love is a “soft” way of doing business, but leading with love can be one of those intangible factors that differentiate your business from other companies.
If there isn’t any passion from those in leadership positions, it shows. Extreme Leaders demonstrate love by nurturing employees to make them feel recognized and supported. When you love where you work, it’s easier to perform—even when things get complicated.
The importance of employee development may be obvious, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution you’ll find from reading a business book. However, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may seem.
My LEAP (Love, Energy, Audacity, Proof) development framework is a proven formula to help leaders transform their company cultures.
Love
Your role as a leader is to help people reach their potential. Sharing your passion with others is one way to build closer relationships. This is not the kind of love you have for your dog or your sister. Love in the workplace is about nurturing and serving your people, showing that you care about others.
Energy
When you bring love and passion into the picture, you become energized. Your positive energy reproduces itself in others around you and drives perseverance. A positive environment can transform a ho-hum workplace into a place that people love.
Audacity
Take life by the horns and dare to be bold. With your audacity, you can start a chain reaction that leads to creativity and new ideas. Plus, leading by example can be a powerful force. When you show that you are willing to take risks and make bold steps, others will follow until you gain the momentum that leads to a competitive advantage.
Proof
Extreme Leaders back up their talk with their behaviors. Prove yourself through your actions and ask yourself, do you love what you do? If we are willing to strive for your passions and take actions to make them happen, you can be a role model for others who are eager to take that leap.
2. Invest in a Business Motivational Speaker to Kick Things Off
Often when people reach a small goal, they stop there. Sometimes we need a push to continue to grow. A corporate speaker does just that and encourages employees to grow and serves as a powerful reminder of what they really want.
Inviting a business motivational speaker can bring your team closer together. It’s one of those bonding experiences that gives you an immediate competitive advantage and can make a big difference down the line.
Three benefits of bringing in a leadership keynote speaker are a more positive workplace, happier employees and more satisfied customers. If you can continue this cycle, ultimately, your business will reap the benefits of employee development.
3. Invest in an Improved Company Culture
When it comes to company culture, it’s easy to brag all day long about how you’re a great leader. And although you may have the best intentions, words don’t mean anything without action.
Improving culture doesn’t happen without hard work. To make good on your intentions, a plan of action and a set of processes are needed. Whether it’s giving candid feedback that helps people improve or engaging employees in team building activities, everyone has the chance to become an Extreme Leader who gets the most out of their team.
Another smart way to improve company culture and engage people in a bold way is to invest in executive leadership coaching. You’ll learn to lead with love, which will improve workplace spirit and cause an uptick in productivity.
4. Invest in Employees with a Soft Skills Training Program
Leaders who have strong soft skills and impart those skills to the people they work with are able to build bonds that lead to real trust. Skills like leadership, teamwork, constructive feedback, listening and sincere communication pull people together, rather than pushing them apart.
High-performance teams often talk openly about their feelings and keep personal agendas out of the office (or virtual office). Without soft skills, it’s easier for things to “go off track” when there are team issues.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to build tight-knit teams and cultivate more effective communication:
- What have you done to build strong relationships with your co-workers?
- People are complex and recognition can make a big difference. Are there any skills a team member has that you can nurture?
- Do your employees understand the importance of networking? Are there opportunities you’ve created to help employees network with each other?
- Who is your best employee when it comes to building relationships? How can you get their co-workers to take the same steps?
- What kind of work ethic does your team display? Are there any incentives you can use to improve work ethic among less engaged employees?
5. Invest in Employee Mental Health
Forward-thinking organizations understand that part of their responsibility isn’t just providing a job for the employees. It’s also about helping them stay healthy, happy and motivated to work hard every day!
Investing in an employee’s mental health can be as simple as reminding them to take a break or making sure they have the tools to recover from a stressful day at work. Although typical health and wellness programs (i.e. a massage therapist) usually take place at work, they tend to help people feel better when they get home, too. Employees may feel more relaxed and have greater energy after work, leading to an even healthier lifestyle!
Still, health and wellness isn’t just about offering short-term solutions. It also means having an organizational commitment to look after your employees and make them feel their best both physically and mentally.
Doing this benefits organizations, too. When your team is happy and healthy, employee morale increases and absenteeism, employee turnover and healthcare costs decrease.
When you show love at the workplace, it’s just “damn good” business. It benefits not only the people you work with, but also your entire organization. Better mental health can mean a better bottom line.
What you can do:
- Evaluate and update current programs in place
- Think of well-being beyond snacks, gym memberships and bonuses
- Offer health and wellness programs employees actually want (i.e. corporate retreats, childcare services, etc.)
Hire a Corporate Speaker to Support Employees and Ramp Up Productivity!
Workplaces that cultivate a culture of love are the forces behind some of the most successful businesses of all sizes. When you show love at the workplace, it makes a world of difference as your employees become happier and healthier.
With a better company culture, you’ll also become a magnet for top talent. A halo effect will form around your company, giving you a better public image, reducing turnover and ultimately making your customers happier.
If you want to cultivate a better company culture and see the difference, it may be time to think about how to increase productivity in the workplace by offering programs that support employees both physically and mentally, so they stay happy and productive on a day-to-day basis!
If you are ready to build stronger relationships, improve work performance and create an even better reputation for your company, hire a professional corporate speaker today. You’ll immediately see the benefits of employee development in the workplace!
