As a leader, you are probably on a constant search for new ways to inspire and motivate your team. You’ve read all the books, been to the seminars, and added new forms of employee recognition, championed incentives, and done everything short of show up with pom-poms to cheer on your team to be more productive.
The fact is, though, that even if your team is working well together and your company isn’t in any sort of trouble, there’s a good chance that they could benefit from a motivational speaker. Hiring an outside expert with experience and new ideas to offer can help identify and solve problems that are holding your company back from success, as well as inspire and compel individuals to do great things both in and outside of the office.
Although any company can truly benefit from a motivational speaker, there are a few times when you should consider bringing someone in.
1. You Haven’t Had Any Fresh Ideas in a While
Every team has its difficulties when it comes to creative ideas; after all, it’s impossible for anyone to spew out great idea after great idea without any duds. However, in some cases, an ongoing creative slump can have a ripple effect. Not only will profits slide, but also a lack of new ideas can affect morale, causing processes to break down or become inefficient, and reduce competitive advantage. In that case, hiring a motivational speaker to share their expertise and new sources of inspiration or encourage creative thinking might spark some actionable ideas that breathe new life into your company and keep your projects on track.
2. Morale Has Inexplicably Declined
Many times, low morale is easily explained. When there are rumors of layoffs, a toxic environment, or simply an ineffective leader, morale can suffer. However, sometimes morale declines without any visible assignable cause. In those cases, a motivational speaker can offer a new, more objective perspective that will help root out the cause of low morale. As a leader, you might have some trouble seeing the forest for the trees, so to speak, and not have the objectivity required to identify the root of your employees’ poor attitudes. Bringing in someone with fresh eyes can be instrumental in creating real change and restoring passion in your team.
3. Your Team Has Become Complacent
While maintaining status quo when things are working certainly has its benefits, there is always the danger that a team could become complacent. When that happens, it’s unlikely that your company will see any growth, and eventually, you might even lose talent as employees look elsewhere for more challenging opportunities. Arranging a company retreat featuring a well-known motivational keynote speaker can help light a fire under your team and open their eyes to new possibilities and ideas.
4. Sales and Profits Are Flat
Even if you have reached your goals for the month, quarter, or year, maintaining the bottom line over time and growing your business requires constantly growing sales and improving profits. Even experienced sales and marketing teams can use an injection of fresh ideas and strategies every once in a while. So if you’re not seeing the results you expect, or want to spur some growth, a motivational speaker can offer expertise and training that will get your team moving in an upward direction again. Are the numbers down? All the more reason to bring in outside help, since a speaker can often identify the issues holding your team back, and inspire your team to find ways to solve those problems.
5. Personality Issues Are Taking Center Stage
No team is going to get along all the time. Conflict is inevitable. In some cases, conflict is a good thing, as it helps a team find the best solutions to problems. However, in many cases, conflict is detrimental, and when personality issues take precedence over work, the whole organization suffers. Bringing in a motivational speaker to provide guidance on communication, conflict resolution, or effective relationships can help quell personality conflicts, while also giving your team new skills they can use to handle future issues, and prevent them from affecting your business.
6. It’s Been a While Since the Team Had a Big “Win”
There’s no denying that success breeds success, but if it’s been a while since your team has had any sort of major win, there could be any number of issues at play. Hiring a speaker can inspire your team to recapture their previous glory — or at the very least, make bigger strides toward greatness.
Motivational speakers aren’t “magic bullets” that are going to solve all of your company’s problems in a few hours. However, with their insights and guidance, you could sow the seeds for lasting change that will help your company improve and grow.
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