A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“It is only when a person has his own generator that we can talk about motivation. He then needs no outside stimulation. He wants to do it.”

Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) US psychologist, Harvard Business Review (January – February 1968) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“The opportunities for distinction, prestige, personal power, and the attainment of dominating positions are much more important than material rewards in the development of.. commercial organizations.”

Chester Barnard (1886-1961) US management theorist, Organization and Management (1948) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“A reward once given becomes a right.”

Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) US psychologist, The Motivation to Work (1959) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“If a man is producing nothing, nobody can be the worse for a reduction of his incentive to produce.”

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish writer & critic 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“I do not love the money. What I do love is the getting of it…  What other interest can you suggest to me? I do not read. I do not take part in politics. What can I do?”

Phillip D. Armour (1832-1901) US business executive 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained  

“Women are naturally good motivators, good at juggling different projects and issues at the same time, and more cooperative rather than aggressive and confrontational.”

Bridget A. Macaskill (b. 1949) British non-executive director for J. Sainsburys  

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Almost every kind of fanfare was tried to create enthusiasm.”

Thomas J. Watson Sr (1874-1956) US founder & president of IBM 

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This checklist will hopefully help you encourage your employees to make smart decisions by themselves, therefore empowering them. 

1. Set Guidelines – It can be beneficial to your company to allow each employee to make financial decisions up to a certain value without consulting you. Obviously, high-value decisions must be approved by a superior or by you but if you can trust them to deal with small amounts it will make them feel more important and also save you a little time.
2. Regular Training – It is easy to overlook the importance of training, especially in a SME. By providing regular training you are ‘adding-value’ to the employee and make them a more important asset to your business. Some valuable training can even be provided at very little cost e.g. role-playing exercises.
3. Find Hidden Talents – Take the time to get to know your staff and encourage their input in brainstorming exercises. You may be surprised to find that your receptionist has a talent for coming up with marketing ideas.
4. Customer Care – Teach your employees the value of securing long-term customers. It is well worth making concessions when dealing with a high-value customer. An employee should be knowledgeable about this and empowered enough to make an on-the-spot decision to make a concession when trying to resolve a situation.
5. Reward Them – You may think your employees have done well but unless you show them this they are likely to feel unappreciated. Simple things like treating them to a party after securing a big contract will be great for morale.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“No longer directed by other emotions, I work the way a cow grazes.’

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) German painter 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“The more a person can do, the more can motivate them.”

Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) US psychologist, The Motivation to Work (1959) 

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