The ultimate supply challenge:

Securing a steady supply of inspiration to your people

Supply mostly is about supplying material goods. I want to take you on an adventure to a totally different supply dimension: how to steadily supply inspiration to your people.

Inspiration gives energy. On the work floor there is a lot of lack of energy. People that come to work too tired are likely to cause mistakes and conflicts. People that are too tired to show up at work and people with a burnout cause considerable damage to the organization.

A lot has been said and written about ways to inspire people. There are many effective ways to inspire and energize your people. Like spending time with them, giving them attention, appreciating them, giving them trust, involving them, giving them room to develop et cetera. The big challenge in terms of supply is how to guarantee a steady stream of inspiration and energy to your people. Let’s start with an example from the oil industry.

Imagine an oil pipeline of many kilometers. How do you keep the oil streaming in that pipe? A strong pump at the beginning is a good start. But however strong that pump, depending on circumstances and kind of oil, the oil will stop flowing. You will need many good pumps to keep the oil flowing till the end of the pipeline.

This also applies to inspiration and energy. How can you install enough inspiration and energy ‘pumps’ that will keep your people inspired and energetic through the year? Four suggestions.

One. Organize every three months a teambuilding meeting at which you take one hour to make your people inspire each-other. There are many work forms to make that hour a lasting experience.

Two. Provide personal inspiration coaches to your people. Not general coaches, but specifically coaches that focus on inspiration and energy. They can give you an underlying network of inspiration sessions for people individually that will keep the energy running.

Three. Make a list of good books about personal inspiration and energy and as a present from you to them let your people every three months make a free choice from that list.

Four. Challenge your people to make a list of changes in the workplace and workproceses that would give them energy. Take it on you to execute the number one of the list every three months. This way there will be a steady flow of improvements that will energize your organization.

If you are the manager or leader: make yourself a constant supply of inspiration and energy.  Be inspiration, be energy. It takes a candle no effort to light another candle.