Singapore Armed Forces(SAF) & Home Team awards: Top 8 Ways to Inspire our Men and Women

No. 1: Be a Mentor

Mentors should have some kind of relevant background. They should be able to help propel you forward because they have been there, seen the landscape, and know what it takes to be successful.

They are willing to share their knowledge with you in a constructive, kind and direct manner. Their sharing of knowledge is unconditional. Rarely when good mentors act in a less-than-respectful manner, they acknowledge it and apologize authentically.

No. 2: Get To Know Your Servicemen and women and Officers as real Persons

Know our people as real persons. You need not have to be a close buddy to them, but you should show an interest in their lives, hobbies, goals, family and interests. People want to know that you care about them and their well being.  Remember, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

No. 3: Reward Good Behavior and Punish Poor Behavior

When you pay attention to the poor performers, you may neglect your good performers. Subsequently, many of them will wonder why they are not noticed or rewarded for going above and beyond what is expected of them. Morale declines and some of these people will eventually leave the organizations. Others may mimic your behavior and do the same things when they become leaders one day.

A good leader spends as much time rewarding good behavior as he or she does punishing poor performance.

No. 4: Show them the Big Picture

Everyone feels important when we know that we are contributing to something greater than ourselves. We like to know how our job or mission falls into the big picture. As leaders, they need to sit down with our people whenever possible and explain the big picture to them.

In the Army, we normally have a TASK and PURPOSE in all mission orders. This tells us what we must do and why we must do it. Don’t make the mistake of all explaining why by saying “because I told you so.” That statement is very ineffective and destroys morale in the process.

No. 5: Set a Good Example

As leaders, our people are always watching us. We need to ensure that we set a good example at all times. We need to conduct ourselves professionally and walk the talk. Don’t contradict yourself by asking them to do something and you do the complete opposite. Hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold everyone else to.

No. 6: Help Them  to Pursue Their Career

Develop our people by helping them to advance their career. Identify what their personal and career goals are and help them to create an action plan to reach their goals. Effective counselling ensure that they stay on track.

Teach them exactly what they need to do to get promoted. Tell them what schools they need, when they need them, when they will be eligible for promotion and what they can do to separate themselves from their peers.

No.  7: Allow Two-Way Communication

Shared information is power. When you have information, let them know what is going on when you find out. Information flow effectively in an efficient organization.

If they do not confide in you, it is because they don’t trust you or respect you. You need to make sure that the door is always open for them to approach you. Do not chastise or blackball your people for bringing a problem to you, even if their problem is with you! Good leaders always lend a listening ear to the people they lead.

No. 8: Set High Standards and Be Disciplined

All servicemen, servicewomen and officers of the armed forces and the home team want to belong to a unit or department with high standards and discipline. No one joins an organization of low standards. As a leader, make sure you set high standards for yourself and everyone you lead. Also, maintain a high level of discipline in your unit. This goes a long way to help they motivated.

Summary

In the Singapore Armed Forces(SAF) & Home Team. there are various ways to inspire our people. Identify what motivates each person and then find ways to motivate them.
Reward good behavior and punish poor behavior, to show them the big picture, to say thank you, to be a mentor, to get to know your people as real persons, to set a good example, to help your people advance their career, to allow two-way communication, to set high standards and discipline and to have fun at work!  If you can incorporate any or all of these things among your followers, you will see them excel in their life.