Whether you’re running a massive business or you’re planning the weekend for your family, communicating clearly to people what they should do…is imperative. This may seem like a principle for companies, but it absolutely applies to real life as well. If you are clear, the people around you will be clear as well. And most likely, they’ll be inspired as well.
People need to know both what their goal is in the short term and what their overall vision is as well. To feel effective and remain engaged, employees need to know why their efforts are important and what kind of change they are helping to make in the world. (And no, to get a paycheck is not a good enough reason to continue to go work.) Similarly, if your kid doesn’t understand why he’s going to the grocery store, he can get a little cranky.
From a broad perspective, if you or the company you’re working for don’t have a clear vision and mission, I highly recommend at least creating one. And reminding yourself and/or your team of that vision and mission on a regular basis.
William Craig writes in Forbes that, “When you promote your mission to your employees, it results in a higher level of employee engagement and positive work culture, keeping them invested in the good work your company does when they go about their day-to-day tasks.”
Is your company providing resources for high school sports teams or matching employees to their dream jobs? Is your family skipping a vacation this year to save up to buy a swimming pool or making an effort to eat dinner together every night because you want to be more connected?
Pardon this interruption in your reading! If you want to receive inspirational blogs like this every day and original podcasts every weekend from yours truly, click below for a 7-day free trial of Pragmatic Productivity Daily!
Every family, friend group, or company, no matter how big or small, can create a statement for how they are making the world a better place. And when you have found or crafted that statement, it’s helpful to put it in a place where people can see it on a daily basis (on the wall at the office, somewhere on a website with which people regularly interact, or on the door of the refrigerator).
In addition to clearly communicating your mission and vision statement, one of the best ways to motivate and inspire friends, family, and employees is positive feedback. In a company, you might be sharing testimonials in an outward-facing manner, but it’s also important to share them internally as well.
If you don’t consciously make an effort to share it, Martha in accounting may not ever know that your product helped young George run his first marathon or helped Teresa find her dream job. And if you don’t share with your husband that the neighbor complimented the new landscaping, he might not be motivated to keep that lawn tidy.
On a smaller scale, it’s also important to make sure that people know what their part personal part of the process is – and its importance in the overall operations of whatever you’re doing. If Martha in accounting knows that her personal gift of attention to detail is helping 25 employees be paid in a timely (and correct) manner, she might be more inspired to be more dedicated to her job. If your friend Sarah takes pride in the fact that she’s the “cruise director” who is a gifted planner of all your friends’ social activities, she’ll be likely to keep planning.
One of the keys to inspiring people on an individual level is recognizing their personal attributes and making sure they understand how they contribute to the overall picture. When people are able to make the connection of their personal contribution all the way through the company, family, or friend group’s contribution to society, they are more likely to be fulfilled and purpose-driven. Here is the ideal connection:
My Personal Gifts > My Performance > This Important Process in this Group > This Group’s Contribution to the Greater Good
At the end of the day, when people feel seen for who they are and feel that they are a part of making the world a better place, they are more likely to feel fulfilled in their daily activities. People want to know what they’re doing. And if you don’t tell them (and remind them), you run the risk of losing their attention, reducing their dedication, and potentially losing them altogether.
Want daily inspiration? Click below and you can try it for free or 7 days!