I attended a meeting about identifying and engaging volunteers. Four of the points apply perfectly to Marketing Teams.
1. To Be Fulfilled and Challenged
Everyone likes the sense of accomplishment we feel with a job well done. Providing challenges to employees engenders motivation. The motivation causes the employees to stretch to meet the goals. The result is an employee who feels like they are doing exciting work. That excitement is translated into a feeling of being fulfilled.
2. Personal Growth and Education
Staff should be growing their skill sets and experiences to best meet the needs of the organization. Good Human Resources policies require a development plan each year along with a performance review.
Formal online or off line classes may form a core of the “formal” education. Personal growth is achieved by widening the knowledge base and experiences in a thoughtfully managed way designed for success.
3. To Exercise Creativity and Skills
Many marketers work in the creative process or impact the creative process. Consider a copywriter or product developer searching and creating new pitches, appeals and products where they did not exist previously. Each marketer enters a job with a batch of skills. As they apply those skills they are creating work product for the company. They also are satisfying their need to utilize skills to take advantage of opportunities.
4. To Be Recognized and Rewarded
Employees strive to meet their objectives as outlined in their annual review. We, as managers, formally provide that written feedback only once or twice per year. Often, we miss the everyday opportunities to recognize and reward employees.
At one company we had a “Goes the Extra Mile” or GEM award. At full department meetings, employees were specifically singled out for an activity, event or instance of helpfulness. The employee received a certificate what could be displayed in a cubicle and a nominal amount on a gift card. More importantly there was a GEM helium balloon they got to display.
The balloon usually stayed inflated for two weeks. During that time, the presence of the balloon told everyone who walked by that the employee was a recognized for his or her work. Many staff would stop by to find out what was the source of the award.
The Takeaway
Employees are part of a team. Teams operate at higher efficiency when the employees feel fulfilled, are recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
That is what I am thinking. Over to you.
- How do you motivate your Marketing Teams?
- How do you reward your Marketing Teams?
- How do you help employees grow?
Copyright © 2010 Rob Berman
