It's increasingly difficult for organizations to remain competitive. Rising competition, emerging technologies and shifting workforce patterns make it harder to attract and retain talented employees. The challenge for most organizations is to create a working environment that employees find stimulating, supportive and rewarding. But motivating employees has always been difficult, and today's leaders face a tougher task than ever.

Yet, organizational leaders can't afford to ignore this issue. Failing to motivate employees can lead to problems such as high turnover, increased absenteeism, extreme job stress, poor product quality, bad customer service, inadequate quality control, labor relations problems and low morale.

However, savvy leaders recognize that a number of strategies are quite effective in motivating employees and creating the type of environment that inspires enthusiasm and increases employee retention.

Promote employee involvement. All employees generally like the feeling of involvement. Keep them apprised of what's happening with the organization, and ask for their input on operations. Employees are often aware of potential problems that managers may have missed, and by providing the "big picture," you will have an easier time getting employees to "buy into" the organization's mission and goals.

Provide regular feedback and on-the-job coaching. To be effective, employee feedback must be frequent and constructive. Acknowledge your employees' accomplishments (catch your employees doing something right), but also offer constructive feedback to help employees improve. "Coaching" has long been recognized as the critical component in employee success. In the role of coach, you are charged with teaching employees and providing specific feedback on their performance. Mentoring is another proven, long-term approach to helping employees develop the skills and experience necessary to succeed. And nothing motivates better than success!

Offer training opportunities. Employees usually consider employer-sponsored training to be a welcomed, valuable opportunity to help them build their skills. Training also helps to keep workers on the job longer. However, in today's high-tech world, you need to offer a variety of development opportunities, including online learning, as well as traditional classroom training and on-the-job skill development.

Offer flexibility and cultivate an atmosphere of respect. Modern society can place a great many demands upon "sandwich generation" workers, those with children and elderly parents. Younger workers also lead complicated lives. The key is to help employees balance job requirements with personal obligations. Demonstrating flexibility, while insisting on goals and accountability, can go a long way toward inspiring employee loyalty. By respecting your employees' needs, acknowledging their individuality and providing fair opportunities, you will make your employees feel valued, and in turn they will value their continued employment with your organization.

Provide a challenging work environment. The most credible research on motivation over the past 50 years demonstrates that employees are most motivated by the work itself, and that everything else is secondary. No job necessarily has to be routine, dull or demotivating. There are job redesign strategies available to help renew employees' interests and to rekindle enthusiasm. New tasks, new projects and new responsibilities can all help make your employees' jobs more challenging. If you don't attempt to "stretch" your people, you may risk losing them.

The consequences of failing to recruit and train an adequate workforce can be far-reaching. Firms with poorly trained and led workers may be unable to expand or evolve as markets change. Even worse, a deficient workforce can stifle an organization's ability to propel change and seize business opportunities in a positive and proactive manner. The strategies outlined above can help any organization ensure that all of their employees are energized by the type of working environment that develops their skills, capitalizes on their talents and inspires them to strive for success.