Engaging our employees and helping them to tap into their passion and potential is a full time job. It's a job we must take seriously. As leaders we can help our employees ignite their passion for their work and be more enthusiastic on a daily basis.

A few years ago I spoke about my passion for the business at one of our weekly meetings. I shared why I was passionate about my work and what my personal vision for the future of the company was. As I spoke, my employees listened with interest. Even the employees who lacked passion seemed to be very interested. They watched and listened. They were truly engaged.

I believe my employees engaged that day because hearing about someone else's passion is engaging. We can't help but listen to someone who is passionate, even if we don't agree with them. Passionate people motivate others to be passionate. Passionate people are inspiring and draw others to their cause. Passionate people are energetic and just plain fun to be around.

In addition to sharing our own passion with our employees, we can help them develop their passion at work in various ways. Below are ten ways to increase passion at work.

10 Ways to Increase Passion at work:

1. Hire smart. When hiring look first for passion and attitude and then for skill. People can learn the skills needed for any job - passion is harder to teach.
2. Get a good fit. Take the time and energy to match up your people with their skill sets. We often have the right people in our organizations - we just have them in the wrong job.
3. Train. Give your employees the training needed to be excellent at their work. The more competent employees feel - the more engaged they often are in their work.
4. Communicate with passion. Communicate your goals and vision with passion. When making changes or implementing new techniques - communicate it with enthusiasm. Just how we talk to our employees can have a huge impact.
5. Set goals. Take the time to set goals with each of your employees. People who have goals and have a vision for their future are naturally more passionate. Goal setting was a big factor in the success of our company.
6. Recognition. Use recognition and praise often. You can not over praise if you are genuine. Employees who are recognized and appreciated feel better about their work and are more likely to engage.
7. Use surprise. Employees love surprises. Surprise the team with fun activities on a regular basis. People who have fun at work are more likely to be engaged and passionate about their work.
8. Ask. Ask your employees what they need in order to feel more passionate about their work. Sometimes it is something very simple and easily obtained.
9. Care. Show your employees you care about them. People who work for a boss who truly cares are people who work harder and more enthusiastically.
10. Take risks. We get way too comfortable with how we have always run our businesses and with our leadership style. We make excuses for not making changes or doing things differently. Take a risk, do something different. Think outside the box.