Being motivated in your field of employment is not always the easiest attitude to attain. It is, however, an absolutely necessary one if you have ambitions to grow a company and expand a satisfied customer base. Motivation and inspiration are the two main factors that lead employees to working harder, being more productive, more organized and altogether more valuable members of the workforce. The truth is that there is no one magical way to motivate all of your employees at once. Different people respond to different methods with differing degrees of success, and it is the job of a boss or team leader to use all of these varying plans of action to get the very best out of their group. Every person is unique and holds different ideologies, values and priorities, and if you want your business to be successful, then you need to tap in to all of the differing strategies that are available to you in order to motivate your work force in the best possible way. After much research in to the topic, we have compiled six of the very best motivation secrets that you can apply to your own team of employees, almost guaranteed to bring successful results.
1. Give Individual Attention
Though, of course, team work is the key element of running a successful business, this does not mean that you should not be paying individual attention to your employees to make sure that they are separately happy and motivated as well as being the cogs in a well oiled machine. This is especially the case in large organisations where individuals can start to feel ostracised or underappreciated in a massive work force. Taking just a few moments out of your day to spend with an employee, just to reassure them that they are doing a great job and their efforts are valued can bring rewards. The more valued each individual employee feels by their boss, the more motivated and inspired they are going to be to continue a higher, more effective level of work. Isolate what each employee is best at and make sure to praise them for it.
2. Offer Advancement Opportunities
Employees can often suffer with a lack of motivation and inspiration when they feel like their job situation has reached a stagnant, immovable point. This attitude can often arise if a role is too repetitive or has gone on without change for too long, and the end result is always that the employee starts to take the job for granted and ceases to give their utmost effort on a regular basis. One way to get around this is to constantly offer opportunities for career advancement that will motivate your employees to work harder and harder. Promotions are a simple way to do this, as the prospect of elevated status and a higher salary is always enticing, but chances for things like new training and wage bonuses for excellent work are also a great way inspire a team. Give them something to work towards and stay interested.
3. Set An Exampl
Starting as far back as the way your parents bring you up and the way your school teachers educate you, the feeling of being inspired and motivated by a strong leader is something that is present within all of us. One of the best ways to make a positive impression on your employees is to lead from the front and show exactly the kind of work ethic in your own role as you want those under you to replicate. Setting an example of hard work, positivity, understanding and high involvement in the work place will inevitably filter through to every level of the business. You should never underestimate the power of impression, and for employees to see their boss working just as hard as them, it makes them feel like their efforts are worth while and are being matched by those higher up the ladder than them.
4. Focus On Environmental Motivators
One aspect of trying to get the best out of all of your employees can actually relate not to the employees themselves, but in the design of their working environment. Many companies across the world have found that the motivation in their workers has increased in an open office format rather than in individual cubicles where you can become isolated and set apart from the team. The experience of working in a more open, sharing environment can often motivate people to raise their game to match their neighbour, and this attitude can quickly spread across an office or an entire floor and lead to increased productivity in the whole department. Other small touches like placing motivational signs and even food and drink treats around the office to boost morale and keep workers happy and feeling appreciated can all make the difference.
5. Encourage Socialisation
Think about it this way: you have a much harder time letting down a friend than you would letting down a complete stranger, and it is for this reason that encouraging socialisation and the forming of professional bonds between employees is a great idea. The more connected and comfortable workers feel with one another, the less likely they are going to be to want to disappoint or to shirk responsibilities, and it will reflect badly on them and alter the impression that they give to others that they genuinely care about. This kind of socialization can be attained by organizing out of work activities like team building exercises and even brief social drinks on a Friday evening after a good week at work. The more bonded a team of workers feels, the more passionate and optimistic they are going to be about going in to work every single morning.
6. Always Be Honest and Transparent
Employees are always going to work harder for a boss that they really respect, and a simple way to gain the respect of your workforce is to be as honest and transparent in every aspect of your business. Strive to answer their questions as best you can and never keep secrets from them they might dampen their enthusiasm for their chosen career.Using a combination of all of these tips will certainly give you the results that you are seeking. Respect individuals and their unique sets of circumstances, and bit by bit you will find out exactly how they need and like to be motivated. Your business will do nothing but prosper.
