The Art of Energy: How Performance is Impacted by Passion And Purpose In the Workplace

Anyone who works in an in-person setting knows the impact workplace energy can have on performance. Energy levels in the building can fluctuate greatly based on any number of factors.

The most important factor? The passion your staff have for their jobs.

Core values

It's important that your team members understand their performance impact and that they are the difference between the company's success and its failure. In highlighting your team's importance to them, you can show them how much they are valued as members of your company and give them a sense of their purpose.

With 70% of employees apparently finding their main sense of purpose comes from work, it's crucial that people feel they spend the majority of their day involved in something bigger than themselves, something that matters.

Purpose is good not only​​ for business but also for your team's health. A study by Biosocial Science and Medicine has drawn a link between an increased sense of purpose and a decrease in mortality.

Ultimately, in a sales landscape, enthusiasm is crucial when it comes to customer service. Ensuring your staff are passionate enough in customer-facing interactions is important to create the energy needed to seal the deal and give a sense of your brand's values.

Create a positive environment

If you're looking to stimulate a harmonious passion in your workplace, you need to do what you can to create a setting that gives your staff the opportunity to thrive. Here are a few ideas for creating an environment that can stimulate positive energy among your staff.

Celebrate the wins

When appraising your staff, it can be very easy to critique and find precisely what can be improved upon. This is, of course, important for employee growth and progression, but to create an optimally energizing work environment, you also need to spend some time celebrating the successes of your team.

Whether you intend to offer financial incentives as a form of extrinsic motivation or opt for a handwritten note or mention in a meeting, you can foster a real sense of belonging when your team members feel that their passion and drive are being recognized.

Offer mentoring

Creating a relationship between the more senior and the junior members of your team can work absolute wonders when it comes to reinforcing the purpose of your work.

In order for mentoring to work, the scheme needs to be designed with a structure in mind in terms of when advice is to be offered and how suggestions are to be made. It is important to ensure everyone is equally invested—both the mentor and the mentee.

A good mentor will provide a role model for more junior members of staff, giving a sense of purpose insofar as allowing them to see where their hard work can potentially get them in the future. They'll also be able to have fruitful conversations about the work, inspiring them with their insights and know-how. Plus, providing advice to aspiring members of the team should reignite passion in your more seasoned employees. It's a win-win.

This relationship can create memorable bonds and provide support to employees that will aid them in their career progression. 

Encourage energy balance

Going to work, in most cases, takes up a lot of physical energy, and in all cases will use mental energy too. Even the most diligent worker on your team will burn out if they find they are overwrought in the workplace.

Avoid any mounting negative emotions by encouraging your team to take the time off that they need, whether this is at the weekend, paid time off, or merely outside of working hours. Fresh takes are only going to be forthcoming if staff have the literal energy needed to fuel their work. No amount of passion is going to overcome a lack of sleep!

Center the individual

While a sense of community is important when it comes to finding an overarching sense of purpose, people often find they need to reinforce their own personal sense of contribution. Empower your staff by reminding them of the role they play as a contributor to your business.

You can do this in a number of ways. One such way is by creating healthy competition. If a single employee feels their contributions are being pitted against another, they will feel motivated to contribute that little bit extra in order to win against their competitors.

Another is to dedicate time to feedback for individual employees. Creating a specific career plan for each person on your team enables them to see the role they will play in your company, not only now but also in the future, which will enhance an overall sense of purpose.

Reinforce your work's purpose

There is simply no job in the world that is pointless. But every now and again, it can be easy to get bogged down in the daily routine and allow the everyday noise to drown out the more sublime sense of purpose that we all should feel.

Spending a little time, whether in meetings or individually, to reassert the aims of your work will ensure your employees have the chance to reflect on the nature of their job. This will give them space to consider how they are contributing to the world through their work.

This can be customer-centric if you are in the service or sales industries, focusing on the impact your interactions can have on a customer's day or even life!

Use Edge's platform

The Edge platform is designed to keep your employees motivated. Our automated sales contests utilize the power of Google reviews to increase the recognition your staff will receive for their work. This will provide meaningful feedback from your customers that will allow your team to get an objective look at their own performances. 

Book a demo of Edge's platform today to see what our software can do to galvanize your employees in your business or franchise.