Most good leaders and employees are internally motivated by challenging themselves to improve their own skills, experience, and productivity. Internal motivation is very powerful when it is present and can easily be overridden by micromanagement and ineffective delegation. The key to keeping the best of challenge-motivated workers is to develop your company culture to encourage autonomy and career development across the board.
Building a culture that encourages challenges can be difficult for some entrepreneurs. The same self-assurance and drive to do things right that makes an entrepreneur successful can also make it difficult for employees to work for themselves. But, if you plan to grow your business, you’ll have to rely on his people to get it right on your own. Good employees will not only cover tasks you don’t have time for, but will also contribute their own knowledge and skills to fuel your company’s success.
Good leaders are masters of delegation: They tell workers what to do, but not how to do it. Set clear goals in job descriptions for each position, clearly communicate those goals to your staff, then get out of the way and let them work. Learn about the individual skills and talents of each employee. Assign tasks accordingly and encourage your staff to use their skills. Also, find out what areas your employees want to improve and develop opportunities for them to do so. For example, most people wish they were better at public speaking. Consider starting a Toastmasters lunchtime club for your staff or sponsoring your employees’ memberships in an established club. The better your worker’s skill set, the more they can contribute to business growth.
For those employees who are particularly motivated by challenges, it is even more important to encourage them to push their limits. Be careful not to overload these workers with too many mundane tasks. Assign them tasks that allow them to show off their skills and develop new ones. Let them know how much their skills and willingness to improve are appreciated…then get out of the way!
Building a challenge-driven culture is critical to the growth of your business idea. The stronger your people are in the skills that drive success, the stronger your business will be. As an entrepreneur, chances are you can relate to challenge-driven motivation better than any other motivator. Think about the environment you need to be most productive, and build your company culture around these ideas.