Category Archives: Entrepreneur’s Team

Motivational Speaker

Seminar Topics

Do you want to see your organization in high motivation mode? Do you want to develop a positive culture? Do you want teams that deliver results? If your answer is yes, yes and yes then you need motivational seminars or training that can energize your organization? Please read the partial list below. If you have a topic that you want to request that is not found on the list, please make the request by leaving a note below.

Culture of Excellence
The first step to a culture of excellence is to understand it. That means every member of the team has the same concept and standard of what is excellent.

Success and Values
Success and values are very much connected to each other. Instead of just focusing on the results, the team should also focus on values that bring about the results.

Integrity in the Workplace
Integrity is not just about morality. It is also about integration. It is about having a unified, well integrated team.

Creating a Positive Environment
Each team player can contribute to a positive environment, an environment that feels good to work in.

Speak with Confidence
Communicate your thoughts with confidence and clarity. Overcome the fear of speaking before small groups or large crowds.

Building Your Self-Image
Reflect an aura of cleanliness, confidence, concern and happiness that will gain you respect, recognition and opportunities.

A Happiness Centered Business
The workplace can be a happy place if there are efforts to make it such without sacrificing the deliverables.

Motivation for Financial Freedom
The road to financial freedom begins with strong motivation. Increase your worthy reasons, increase your motivation.

Become a Person or Company of Significance
Significance is the value we give to others. It is the memory we leave in the hearts we touch.

How to Practice Mutual – Coaching
You can practice mutual-coaching if you are willing to improve yourself through the feedback of others and, if you are willing to help others improve.

Strengthen Your Teamwork
Teamwork can never be overrated. No one can do it alone. There is always someone else who helped, assisted, supported, advised, encouraged, and more. All success is about teams who pulled together.

Continuous Learning in the Workplace
Small companies may not be able to afford educating their employees as some big companies do. But they can run a continuous learning program. That is one of the best ways to empower your team.

Team Motivation
Talent and skill is not enough for a team to soar. Talent and skill withmotivation can produce amazing results.

Developing Inner Strength
Never allow anyone or any environment to affect you negatively. Develop yourinner strength and you will be able to influence your environment in apositive way.

The Extraordinary Life
The difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary is that littleextra.

How to Deal with Failure
Failure can be the end of you if you allow it to. But if you learn to riseabove it, failure is not the end! Deal with it by learning from it andmoving on.

Motivation Factor
Motivation is always a plus factor to yourself and the others around. Useit to increase your potential.

Law of the Farm
Sow, nurture, and reap – this is the law of the farm – you sow what youreap. Sow good seed to others, nurture it, one day will reap it.

Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

The Entrepreneur and Negative Motivation

Negative motivation? Why not? Most motivational practices are positive. It should be that way; however, constructive criticism, loss of incentives, warnings plus others should also be practiced for balance.

  1. Make the consequences clear
  2. Give warnings
  3. Never make it personal
  4. Make it a learning experience
  5. Allow them to regain lost ground

Make the consequences clear
Clearly communicate the consequences of substandard work. If they can gain rewards, make it clear that they can also miss out on them, worst, they can lose some bonuses.

Give warnings
Sloppy work should never be tolerated. Appreciate the positive that you can see but be honest if you think they did not give their all. If someone continues to work sloppily, help them, if substandard work continues, threaten to demote or fire.

Never make it personal
Never attack the person. You will demoralize them if you do. Give constructive criticism on the work and advice them on how they can improve.

Make it a learning experience
Every moment is a learning experience. But failure definitely teaches memorable lessons. Ask the team what they learned from a failure. Help them analyze the situation.

Allow them to regain lost ground
Give them another chance. Allow them to gain what they lost, the incentives in particular. Keep believing that they can do better.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

The Entrepreneur Should Give Incentives to His Team

Team incentives can really spark enthusiasm. Always make sure that they are properly communicated.

The following are some tips with regard to incentives.

  1. It does not have to be expensive
  2. But it can be expensive
  3. You may use gifts
  4. Money is a great motivator
  5. It should be performance based

It does not have to be expensive
The most common incentives come in monetary bonuses, but there are other ways to motivate your team. Use symbols that reflect excellence. Try giving away a “President’s Pen”. The pen may cost less than PhP5,000 but when you attach a meaning to it that is recognized by everyone, it’s value changes.

But it can be expensive
Why not? If specific goals are hit and the team deserves it, send them to “paradise.” Weekend at the beach, a whole day spa treatment, sponsor a whole year in a gym.

You may use gifts
Give away small gifts with a lot of heart into it. It only means, “I am happy that you are with us and I appreciate your work.” It may be a book, coffee gift certificates, or a one-hour spa. Write a personal dedication. It will mean a lot to them.

Money is a great motivator
There is no question about it, money motivates! Because it is everyone’s need. If goals are met give them money. This may take the form of 14th, 15th, 16th month pay or more. Profit share is good for smaller companies.

It should be performance based
I do not believe in giving incentives without corresponding progress. Incentives should reward excellent work. Excellent work for the small entrepreneur is always about the profit. If the sales reached the target, if the operations were able to save on expenses, and the quality of the service and productions made the customers happy; then a reward is deserved.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

The Entrepreneur Should Recognize His Team

There are different ways to recognize your team member aside from plaques and trophies. Here are a few:

  1. Never ignore them
  2. Show that you value their efforts
  3. Always acknowledge their work to others
  4. Identify with them
  5. Believe in them and let them know it!

Never ignore them
Every member of the team, every executive or employee is important. There are times that top executives may give the impression that they ignore the staff. Many times it is unintentional. Have someone tell you if you have that impression. People in your organization are emotional creatures, they need to feel that they are part of the team.

Show that you value their efforts
When the members of your team see that you value their efforts, they will be motivated to produce better results. You may do this by thanking them. Yes even if they get paid to do it. You are simply appreciating their efforts.

Always acknowledge their work to others
Brag how pleased you are with the work of your team every time they do a good job. They will eventually find out that you acknowledge their work to others. This will boost their morale. It will also inspire loyalty.

Identify with them
If the team does not do well, do not distance yourself from them. Make them feel that you were part of the failure. Discuss with them how the team can do better. If the team does a good work, praise them for it. You were a part of it as well.

Believe in them and let them know it!
Your team will keep getting better if you inspire them by believing in them. Everyone can improve. With some encouragement and a lot of belief from other people, anyone can change for the better.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

Entrepreneurs Should Listen to their Teammates

Listen to your team. It builds loyalty and motivation. A team leader who listens will gain respect from the team. Team members who know that their leaders listens to their ideas and feedback will be more motivated.

  1. Encourage them to voice out their ideas
  2. Install a communication facility
  3. Respond to their feedback
  4. Try your best but never promise anything
  5. Do the WIFLE

Encourage them to voice out their ideas
Not all profitable ideas come from the CEO. Your team might possess great ideas to do things better. If they do not have ideas, you are in big trouble. It means they are too afraid to speak out or their brains are empty.

Install a communication facility
Put a suggestion box that is easily seen. Create an email address just for feedback and another email address just for new ideas of doing things better.

Respond to their feedback
If they put their feedback in the suggestion box, if it is worth reading in front of the team, then do it. Give a response. If it was sent through email, give a response. They will feel motivated knowing that you “heard” them.

Try your best but never promise anything
The company has limits so make sure you do not promise anything that you cannot deliver. Better yet, never promise anything. Instead, take note of their feedback then try your best.

Do the WIFLE
WIFLE stands for “What I Feel Like Expressing.” This is good for small teams of 5 to 7. Allow them to say anything they want to express without interruption. It should be done one person at a time with a time limit of 3 minutes max. The only rule is that no one is allowed to insult anyone in the team.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

Create a Happy Environment for Your Team

This may sound strange for some small entrepreneurs but if you are able to create a happy environment for your team, they will be able to work better.

I firmly believe that employees are hired so that the company can profit. They were not hired to be happy. However, having a happy environment can help people work better compared to a stiff or threatening environment.

  1. Ask what makes them happy
  2. Ask what irritates them
  3. Extend to their families
  4. Sponsor seminars on happy family living
  5. Require your people to exercise

Ask what makes them happy
You may use a survey form or questionnaire. They will be surprised. Not many companies ask their team or employees about their happiness. It will mean a lot to them. You will have a better idea of how to improve the work environment.

Ask what irritates them
Little irritants especially at work will affect the team’s motivational level. If you know what it is then you might be able to remove it if it is reasonable.

Extend to their families
Most people find happiness in their families. Reaching out to their families will definitely increase the motivational level of the team. You may sponsor family day in a camp site, a party for spouses and fiances.

Sponsor seminars on happy family living
Problems in the family do affect work. Even the most emotionally mature will admit this. Your team may have been equipped to do their job; unfortunately, most of them are not equipped to handle family life. Sponsoring seminars on happy family living, I think, is a great idea.

Require your people to exercise
People who exercise have more energy. Their emotions are also more healthy. Some companies actually have a schedule for joint exercises because they believe in a more holistic development for their people.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

Encourage Your Team to Love Learning

Encourage your team to love learning because a team who does will surpass their present capabilities. Learning new things and relearning foundational principles help a lot in a team’s motivation.

  1. Books, books, books
  2. Send them to seminars
  3. Practice Mentoring and Coaching
  4. Make the senior officers teach them
  5. Go formal education

Books, books, books
If your team does not love to read, you can be sure that they will not reach full potential. Fresh ideas, encouraging stories, and an alternative perspective can really motivate an individual. Have a list of required reading.

Send them to seminars
Sending your team to seminars always increases their level of motivation. Since the heart often loses motivation, it would be a good strategy to have them attend regular seminars. You may send them to a public seminar or hold an in-house seminar.

Practice Mentoring and Coaching
A mentor is more knowledgeable and experienced compared to his apprentice, while a coach is skilled in helping the subject define his goals, stay focused, and give honest feedback. Mutual-menotring and mutual coaching can really help the team learn from each other. Another option is to bring a mentor or coach from the outside.

Make the senior officers teach them
Nothing beats a teaching leader. This gives the team members a certain confidence. Their leader knows what he is doing. He has the experience and he is imparting it to everyone.

Go formal education
Depending on the relevance, the company may sponsor some team members to formal education. It is easier today because of information technology. There are some colleges that offer online degrees.

It is our duty as entrepreneurs to strengthen our team. One of the best ways is to inculcate in them the love for learning. A powerful team is a knowledgeable team.

 

 

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©

 

 

How to Make Your Team Feel Important

Your team is important; therefore, make them feel important. Team members who feel important will always do better. Here are five tips to make them feel important.

  1. Get to know each team member
  2. Validate his/her strength
  3. Ask their opinion
  4. Do Impromptu talks
  5. Answer the WHY not only the WHAT

Get to know each team member
I have learned that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Show a genuine interest in their welfare, their ideas, and their success. Getting to know them more is a great encouragement for them.

Validate his/her strength
Many times team members need to be told what their strengths are. Some of them do not know where they are good at. Others know but they still need to hear it from someone. They will feel validated if the compliment comes from a leader.

Ask their opinion
Share a scenario then ask what they would do. You may even use the present scenario then ask what they would do if they were in your shoes. They will feel that you respect them because you listened, even if you decide contrary to their opinion.

Do impromptu talks
Appreciating the efforts of a team through short impromptu talks, almost always touches the heart. Impromptu talks because it is unrehearsed sounds more personal and from the heart. The best time is to do it just after a tough task.

Answer the WHY not only the WHAT
Each team member will be more motivated if they understand the reason for the task. They will feel important because explaining the WHY expresses trust. A team member will always work better if he/she knows that he/she is trusted.

By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©