Employee motivation is essential to the health of your business. Your team is the backbone of your business. They support your business. They are the drive behind completing company goals. High employee turnover can hurt your bottom line. It can also affect your clients who become accustomed to working with your staff. Clients like dealing with someone that they trust. They cannot build a trusting relationship if your staff changes too often.
Employees can become unmotivated on their own. There are ways to curve low productivity. However, there are things that management and owners may be doing to contribute to low team morale. Happy and motivated employees come to work every day looking forward to their job. Your clients will see it and that may determine if they continue to use your business for their needs. Attitude is everything. What attitudes are representing your company? Are they positive or negative – motivated or unmotivated?
Here are ten ways you can protect and raise your team’s motivation:
#10 – Don’t treat employees like office equipment.
It may seem to be an absurd concept. However, how you speak and interact with your employee may translate to simply that – office equipment. If your interaction with your employees is limited to instructions, demands, and requests your employees may not feel valued. They may feel like just another piece of office equipment.
#9 – Do share your company plans and goals.
Your employees need to see what their hard work accomplishes. Give them enough details to share in the exciting projects going on. Explain how their work plays a part in making the company better. Speaking with your employees about company goals may lead to new ideas. Your employees may have great ideas on how to streamline processes that can generate more money. They are a wealth of information and ideas.
#8 – Don’t play favorites.
It is hard not to have a connection to one employee over another. However, playing favorites creates animosity – towards you and other employees. Engaging with each employee on level terms creates a balance. All employees want to feel accepted, valued, and appreciated. A simple acknowledgement or conversation can boost self-esteem.
#7 – Do allow your team to develop friendships.
Many work places discourage employees from being on friendly terms. If a team cannot build a connection and camaraderie, they won’t be cohesive in working together. Teams should trust one another. They need to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The only way for your team to grow together is to have better relationships. Consider team exercises and activities to grow your teams bond. This will allow your team to develop critical skills that can enhance their productivity.
#6 – Don’t use punishment as a tool.
Your employees are capable adults who make mistakes. If mistakes are always met with punishment your employee will never grow to their full potential. Create an environment that allows your employee to own their mistakes and learn how to correct them.
#5 – Do celebrate victories.
Focusing on the negative will discourage your team. Acknowledging their good work and accomplishments will boost their sense of worth. Constructive criticism is essential when fine-tuning what was accomplished. Negative criticism will only lead to negative discourse.
#4 – Don’t isolate yourself from your team.
Be hands on. Interact with your employees. Your relationship with your team is important. Engaging with your employees will help you to learn their strengths and weaknesses. You may discover hidden talents you may not have noticed otherwise.
#3 – Do delegate projects.
Overburdening employees (and even yourself) with too much work can create a stressful work environment. Be conscious about the best way to delegate tasks. Some employees work faster than others. Consider their abilities to undertake extra tasks. Set realistic deadlines for projects.
#2 – Don’t hover over your employees.
Hovering is when you are constantly checking up on your employees work status. Allow your team to be responsible for their time management. Employees do not work well under a micro-managing eye. The more you focus on your team’s constant progress the less time you have to focus on your own work.
#1 – Do encourage positive attitudes.
Your clients will be able to tell if your team has a negative attitude. It’s apparent in their voice, their demeanor, and attitude. A positive work environment starts and stops with you. As the leader you set the tone and pace. Everyone has a rough day. Don’t let a negative attitude affect your work environment. A positive environment creates higher productivity in your business.
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