6 Ways To Motivate Employees Motivation is highly personal and universal.
By AJ Agrawal Edited by Dan Bova
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Keeping your employees motivated is the key to delivering great service that keeps customers coming back to your business, regardless of which industry you operate in. But how do you keep employees motivated and interested so that they willingly give their best to your business? And how do you know which will work best for your business?
If you're looking for innovative ways to keep your team excited about coming to work every day, then keep reading – here are 6 great ways you can keep your team motivated.
Reward Great Work
What do you do when an employee of yours does particularly well? Do you send them an email thanking them? Perhaps you make a speech and acknowledge them in the office. Or maybe you offer performance incentives.
Roughly 86% of businesses have a formal rewards program in place designed to motivate staff to do their best, and that's not really a big surprise. Think back to when you were a child. Your parents probably used a similar technique to push you – remember the promise of a cash reward for every A you got in college? The thinking here is the same. Whether you opt for seriously cool rewards like weekends away or more accessible but equally desirable prizes, rewarding great work motivates your team to work harder.
Create a Welcoming Environment
A dull office is highly unlikely to inspire your staff to give their very best. Try to create a warm, welcoming environment where people want to work. Building this kind of atmosphere is dual – you need a physical space that is appealing, comfortable and favorable to work, and a working relationship with your team that promotes voluntary excellence. Make sure that you do what you can to create a cool space and collaborative work environment and your team will want to work harder for you.
Surprise Your Staff
From flexi time to remote work, there are a number of ways that you can give your staff the freedom they need to deliver their best, but there is still the trap of routine that can dull even the most enthusiastic employee's spirit. The key to making sure your team doesn't get stuck in a rut is to break the cycle as often as you can. Give them a day off, offer them a surprise breakfast, give them each personalized gifts – whatever you do, get them excited to be part of your team every day and you'll feel morale rising.
Invest in Training
Growth is central to employee motivation. Nobody wants to work a dead-end job with no prospect of advancement, and that's why training your team is so important. Motivation is different to everyone but the urge to advance is almost universal – we all want to get better at what we do and learn the skills we need to get where we want to be.
Create a culture of training and do everything you can to follow through. All too often companies put training structures in place but don't invest in their staff. Set it up and go for it.
Speak to Your Team
Conversation with your team is critical to maintain their performance levels and keep everyone motivated. If you have an open conversation with your team you will discover that different personalities define motivation differently, and you need a personal plan to keep everyone happy.
While you'll probably never have the resources to invest in each employee's request, constant conversations will help you define what every employee needs and formalize a process that makes sure everyone is as happy as possible.
Lead by Example
From gift cards to motivational posters, one of the most effective ways to keep your team doing what they love is to lead by example. Often as business owners, we become detached from the daily tasks and people who keep the business running. Great leaders get stuck in and collaborate rather than delegating tasks – they get stuck in and do their part to make sure the company succeeds and fails together.
As a business owner it is your responsibility to drive morale and motivate staff by showing them what is expected of them. Watching you in action should be the boost that your team needs to give their best daily.
Closing Thoughts
Motivation is highly personal and universal. Find what works for your team and make sure that you do what you can to keep staff excited about what they do and you'll see the benefits – happier staff push themselves to excel, meaning a better bottom line, boosted productivity, and a happier workplace for everyone.
