You can never have enough ideas on how to inspire employees. It gets them to truly believe in the company’s business which directly translates to getting the job done. The bottom line is employees that are inspired are motivated and happy to be at work doing what they do. But there’s a slight difference between the terms inspire and motivate. According to dictionary.com:

Motivation: Stimulate (someone’s) interest in or enthusiasm for doing something.
Inspiration: The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

The one and only addition that inspiration brings is that of “feeling”. I think that if you can touch someone’s internal drive to succeed you’ve guaranteed a win for the employee and subsequently your company as well. So how do you take motivation to then exit level and morph it into inspiration?

1. Provide a Leader Mentor

Such a simple statement but so very effective. In my own career, I can’t even begin to emphasize the difference that mentors have made in my business and personal lives. That’s the thing about a real mentor:

[Tweet “They don’t just influence your work, they influence your way of life.”]

A mentor’s actions speak for themselves. When an employee spends quality time with their mentor, they’ll learn simply by watching and being in the aura that this person emanates. They’ll know what it means to be truly driven to achieve, to accept only success even through failure and to rise to challenges that can initially seem daunting. Pairing an employee up with the right mentor will inspire them in all elements of life and will stay with them forever.

2. Be Involved in Community Volunteer Events

There are many companies out there that strive for corporate social responsibility excellence and that’s all well and good. But what leaders need to ask themselves is:

[Tweet “Are you involved in CSR for corporate recognition or to inspire people to their core?”]

Needless to say, it’s the latter that you need to focus on. Now the real trick is connecting the two – getting people to feel for the company’s business through the community. So even though it’s extremely important to contribute to general efforts like education and environment, it’s more effective to inspire employees if you’re able to find a cause in which your business is making an impact. That way, your people will believe in what you’re achieving – not only for the company but for the greater good.

3. Feature Them on the Company Website

I came across a couple business websites that feature their entire on the about us page. It was a small company, about 25 people. But isn’t every single person an important player in what you’re trying to achieve? If yes then,

[Tweet “If you’re show everyone on the company website, you prove that they’re an integral part of the team.”]

Now you may be wondering, how am I supposed to get information on all these people and put so many of them up on the site? Well, of course if you have a few hundred or more, then maybe you could feature teams and just mention names. But if it’s less than that, a smart developer who knows how to get the most out of minimalistic designs could give you a few ideas on making this work.

I honestly think that any company with any number of employees can absolutely implement these 3 ways to inspire their employees. And if you’re able to inspire your team members, the sky’s the limit for your business. Wondering how to keep “can do” attitudes high at your company? Stay up to date with the latest on the world of HR.

Photo Credit: Lucy-Lamb. via Compfight cc