Consider this synopsis: You’re an owner of a $30-million-a-year fee-based professional service business that grew 20 percent last year; but you’re frustrated with the results. The issue isn’t a monetary or revenue issue, but a performance one, where your staff isn’t performing at the level it could be.  

 

You want to motivate your staff who you feel are under-performing. The question is, “How do you do that, and have them do it throughout the course of the whole work day?”  To answer that, you have to dig a little deeper as to why you do what you do for a living.

 

You want to ask yourself as a responsible business owner this question: “Why do you exist?”  

 

If you have to think long and hard over this before answering something to the degree of, “To generate profits for the shareholders and the employees,” you’re off the mark.  

 

Most people don’t think about this, so they have a hard time coming up with an answer. However, you should be not thinking of decreasing costs, building revenues and expanding profits when thinking about why your business exists. What you should be talking about is your contribution to the world and what sort of value that you create.  

 

You should be focusing on the contribution to other people who can benefit from your services. If you believe in what you’re doing and the purpose of bringing people together such as with professional services, not only will the profits take care of themselves but your staff will be inspired by your vision and bring it to life.  

 

Everything Starts with a Purpose

In order to build a well-functioning business or organization, you need to have a purpose. Forget about making a profit, focus on making a difference. The purpose has to be rooted in a fundamental resolution of an issue that can benefit some other person or organization significantly.  

 

With how competitive our market is, the difference that you make in the world is what makes the difference in your business being successful. Remember that everyone wants to make an impact; therefore, sharing your vision and inspiration with your workforce will make them highly motivate, and produce the results that you need.  

 

Profit generation is a by-product of a solid and crystal clear purpose.  

 

Ensuring Your Staff Understands the Mission Statement

At your next staff meeting, ask this question: “What is the purpose of our business?”  

 

You need to think in terms of the contribution that you will make to the customer, and focus on a tangible benefit that person will feel. Once you crystallize and commit it to memory, you want to create a short mission or purpose statement that you can train everyone on your staff to understand.  

 

Don’t be afraid of seeking your staff’s input when you put together your mission statement as this cannot be self-serving, self-seeking or related to the growth of your company. It must have an external purpose if your business’ success is going to be measured in terms of serving an external entity.  

 

One field superintendent of a major high school construction project was asked, “What motivates you on this project?”  

 

His response: “I am not just building a school. I am building a crucible for the hope of the future.”  

 

His motivation was intrinsic and came from within. He had a clear understanding of his mission at work that was highly motivated, all because of his clarity of purpose.  

 

That’s the difference between a high performing business and one that just goes through the motions – your leadership that makes your employees understand why they come to work every day. True achievement results from making minor changes in major areas, and by sharpening the focus of your team that will never allow under-performance from taking place.