10. Set high-low goals. One way to keep people motivated is to set high-low goals. It’s easy enough to do, and surprisingly effective. Simply agree on two goals — a low, "I promise you" goal that you are fairly sure can be attained, and a higher, "I’m going to shoot for" goal that will involve a good deal of effort, and perhaps some luck, to reach.

High-low goals increase the probability of keeping people near the top of the Inverted Motivation Curve. Why? Because hitting the low target reinforces motivation by giving people a feeling of accomplishment and the satisfaction of having fulfilled a promise. The stretch-out, "shoot for" goal, on the other hand, harnesses that renewed motivation and directs it toward a more ambitious target. Even if they don’t quite make the higher goal, people find the challenge exhilarating and energizing. The net effect is higher levels of performance even in challenging times.

11. Have contingency action plans. Most organizations have action plans that lay out the steps necessary to reach particular goals. Uncertainty is demotivating; even in good economic times, planning increases motivation by adding a degree of certainty. However, in uncertain times, people need the added reassurance of a backup plan. What if one of your major customers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? What if a major competitor drops its competing product line? What if the prime rate rises to 15 percent? What if it drops to 4 percent, or 2 percent?

Contingency plans don’t just make sound business sense, they increase motivation. People have more confidence when they know their leaders are prepared to meet changing business conditions. If business encounters a setback, people like to hear, "Well, we knew this might happen, so we made backup plans. Here’s what we’re going to do to overcome this setback."

12. Shorten the feedback cycle. Another way of reducing uncertainty is to provide more information. Even if the news is bad, most people would rather know what’s happening than to be kept in the dark. Along with setting shorter-term goals, shorten the feedback cycle. Give people more frequent progress reports. Let them know as soon as you can any information that provides feedback on goal-directed progress.

Why? Because when there is a lack of immediate information, people start to close what they perceive as an information gap. That means they can start to make things up. And you and I both know that once that begins to happen the rumor mill takes over and everyone’s motivation begins to slip.

About the Author

Tom Connellan is a High ROI Keynote speaker regularly used by leading firms such as GE, Neiman Marcus, Dell, FedEx and Marriott to strengthen customer loyalty and leadership practices. When looking for a keynote speaker, Tom probably belongs on your short list of possibilities.