Maybe productivity has been down for weeks. Maybe your employees’ new ideas haven’t been as extraordinary as usual. Maybe you just want to see a little more enthusiasm around the office. Maybe it’s time for a motivational speaker.
Inviting a motivational speaker to the office is an excellent way to engage your employees in a new and exciting way. No matter your upcoming business goals, a motivational speaker can help you achieve them by inspiring your workforce. Here’s a simple guide to organizing a speaking event in your office to get your employees motivated.
The Right Motivational Speaker
The first step is to find the right motivational speaker for you. Speakers come in all shapes and sizes, and selecting one that your employees will react positively to is crucial for true engagement and inspiration. Your office has a distinct culture composed by different elements of your business. Your employees’ goals, attitudes, and behaviors all contribute to the formation of your office culture, and correctly reading this culture will help you select the right speaker. If you are struggling to see your office culture, you should try the following:
- Stay objective. For at least a week, try not to interfere with the way your office runs and use the time to observe your employees.
- Watch emotions. People only react to things that are important to them, so seeing excitement or frustration will help you understand your workers’ values.
- Notice décor. Decoration is essential to culture. Look at the items your employees place on their desks and walls to find evidence of their taste and preferences.
Once you understand your culture, you can begin finding speakers with whom your employees will mesh. Usually, the best place to start looking is with speaker bureaus. Companies like Leading Authorities represent motivational speakers with assorted experience and diverse backgrounds, and you can peruse their lists of available speakers on their websites.
During your search, you should listen to snippets of speakers’ previous speeches to determine whether their speaking style will engage your employees. If you have a specific goal for this event ― such as increasing sales numbers ― you might also hunt for speakers with a history of success in that area.
Eventually, you will be able to narrow down the options to a handful of hopefuls. If you cannot decide for yourself, you might ask your employees whom they would most like to hear. Getting your workforce involved in planning makes it that much easier to get them engaged during the speech.
Planning and Preparation
After you decide who will be speaking, you should start planning the event in full. A motivational speaker is not someone who shows up for the scheduled Monday morning meeting; when you invite an outsider into the office, you should make the occasion special. Then, your employees will better remember the speaker’s message while they work.
First, you should question your chosen speaker about his or her preferred framework. Some speakers perform best with an uninterrupted speech; others favor the question-and-answer format, which allows employees more interaction. Some speakers even come prepared with activities to help employees actively learn their message. You should also ask your speaker about his or her presentation’s specific content, so you can ensure you both understand the speech’s purpose at your office.
With this information, you can develop the atmosphere of the event and begin making concrete plans. Here are a few tasks you must complete to ensure your speaking event is well-organized and well-received:
- Prepare a budget for the event, which will include the speaker’s fee, food, and rented supplies as necessary.
- Fix the date and time of the event, and determine how long the event will run.
- Find a venue, if your office does not have a satisfactory event space or look into an event space for hire.
- Contract suppliers for food, chairs, and other goodies, if necessary.
- Purchase or create appropriate decorations for the event.
You shouldn’t forget that your speaker will likely need some form of presentation equipment, like a microphone, a projector and screen, and props. Additionally, someone will need to introduce the event and speaker ― and that someone is probably you. By saying a few engaging words of your own, your employees might become more invested in the speaker’s message.
A motivational speaker’s job is to inspire and influence people, and your workers probably could do with some encouragement and engagement. After your speaking event is over, you should regularly remind your employees of the lessons the speaker shared, so their motivation continues for months to come.
