20th
Innovate with Less!
There are few things more motivating than innovation, progress and accomplishments. Yet, how does that play in a season when you have a much smaller budget to work with? How do you Innovate when, let’s be honest, you want your ministry or organization to communicate, “We get it, we are not immune to the New Reality you live in”? How do you show and celebrate Progress to your team when the message is, “Do what you’ve always done, just do it with less money”? How do you recognize Accomplishments when you’ve cut off a lot of the resources your team needs to achieve new goals?
Innovate Creatively
Even though that sounds redundant, figure out how to do the same ‘ol things in a new, refreshing way without additional resources. You’ve figured out how to make the most of the dollar you spend. Now use that same creativity to innovate areas and projects without any extra money. Take a different perspective and “put on hold” the areas that were on your Innovate List previously and choose other areas that need fresh input from you. Some of the projects that you’d tackle first, if the resources were there, might be on the back burner a little longer while you use the pent-up creative juices on a completely different project.
Measure Differently
Your team wants to see progress! Progress in reaching your organization or department’s goals will motivate, energize and sustain the group. It’s your job to find ways to show the progress that’s happening as a result of their work. While you used to measure and celebrate one thing, now find other things to measure. While benchmark A may have declined (due to budget shortcomings) by a certain percentage, there are still lots of things to celebrate. Talk about how what your team does changes lives. This takes creativity and hard work, but this new discipline will pay off even after the budget changes in the years to come.
Celebrate Surprisingly
While you might not be able to celebrate and recognize your Team’s accomplishments using lavish gifts, trips to cool conferences or (best of all) fat raises, you can do plenty to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of your team members. Your main weapon: surprise! The unexpected nature of certain gifts (often times but not always) off-set the size of the gift. Also consider surprising your team by the type and focus of your “gifts.” Some ideas:
- A handwritten card under a wind-shield wiper
- A gift your team member’s child(ren) to enjoy
- An unexpected day off
- A one-on-one lunch or coffee meeting with you or The Boss
- A gift for your team member’s spouse
- Expedite a project this person has been championing
- An email to the whole company/organization, mentioning the accomplishment
