Hiring a motivational speaker for your company requires investment. That means the cost of planning, coordination, space and time away from the job for your employees.
However, hiring the best thought leader available provides lasting value for the company. A 2016 study of employee engagement found that up to 70% of employees are disengaged at work. Can booking a thought leadership speaker help reinvigorate your team? With employee turnover rates reaching new highs, there’s never been a better time to hire a motivational speaker. Here’s why.
Fresh perspectives increase company innovation.
Companies rely on consistency and processes by necessity. Complex processes are needed for planning and reliable delivery of products and services.
Yet maturing companies also face the danger of falling into hardened systems that lack innovation. The top keynote speakers have an understanding of your industry, but they also understand people. They motivate both individuals and teams to look at their workday and relationships with fresh eyes. That is, they widen an employee’s perspective in ways that lead to company innovation and progress.
It can enhance team unity and enthusiasm.
Corporate thought leaders understand what motivates individual employees and drives them to success. Just as importantly, they understand team dynamics. A single employee may feel energized at a company event upon hearing a quality keynote speaker, but that enthusiasm will grow tenfold when they see fellow co-workers sharing in that excitement.
Every manager knows that employees can bond either negatively or positively. Negative bonding centers around complaints or dissatisfactions which are either internal or external. Positive bonding occurs when a team shares in excitement and enthusiasm for mutual growth within the company. Inspirational people provide that positive sense of exuberance and empowerment.
Employees experience a break from routine and time to bond.
No matter how interesting or exciting work may be, it can become a grind. Work breaks are often spent in solitude or running errands. Vacation usually means time away from work—and from fellow employees.
Hiring a motivational speaker for an event provides a break from the ordinary workday. Nearly every employee looks forward to the opportunity. Although these events are structured, employees often see them as a welcome break from the usual. Just as importantly, events featuring top public speakers provide an opportunity for co-workers and teams to meet in ways they normally wouldn’t. Best of all, they will meet under highly positive circumstances.
Booking a motivational speaker shows your employees you are invested in them.
A 2012 survey by the American Psychological Association found that 93% of employees who felt valued report they are motivated to do their best work. Compare that statistic to only 33% who felt undervalued reporting similar motivation.
By booking a thought leader or celebrity speaker, you send a clear signal to your employees: you are invested in them not only in the present, but for their future growth in the company.
Plan ahead with a post-speaker strategy.
Thought leadership speakers create enthusiasm in the workplace. They enhance creativity, team cohesiveness and help your employees feel valued. That is, true to the purpose, your employees will come back feeling motivated.
Yet that exuberance won’t last forever without support. Be sure to make the most out of your employees’ renewed enthusiasm. Schedule post-speaker team meetings both within and across teams, as well as one-on-one. Consider surveys with open-ended questions to learn how the motivational speaker enhanced your employees’ individual outlooks. Plan ahead, and be ready to tap into that renewed energy.
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