If you want to be truly happy and satisfied with life, and you want to be successful both personally and professionally, your employees are going to play a major part in this. If you don’t take care of them and keep them motivated, then your job becomes much harder and more stressful, and this will have a negative impact on your home life.
Motivation comes in many forms, and you will know which option is going to help your team do their best work. It might be a combination of ideas, so don’t limit yourself – the happier your team is, the happier you will be too.
Trust Them
One of the biggest motivations any employee can have, no matter what sector they are working in or how big the team is, is to know that their employer trusts them. Having this kind of confidence instilled in someone is a major reinforcement of their talents and strengths, and letting them get on with the job at hand, although difficult, is pure motivation.
If you can do this (after the proper training, of course), then your employees will do a much better job, keen to show you that your trust was properly placed. Delegation is a skill that all good employers need to have.
Reward Them
Sometimes having something to aim for at the end of a task or project is enough motivation to get the work done quickly and well. A reward for your employees can be anything you’re happy to give, and will often depend on the budget and the size of the task you have asked them to complete. You might organize a team day with carnival games for corporate events, it could be coupons for a meal out or a trip to the theatre, or you could add vacation days to an employee’s contract.
Give Them Purpose
It can be difficult to work hard – perhaps even demoralizing – when you don’t know what you’re working for, or why you are being asked to do something. This is why it is important to explain to your employees the reasons behind their job, and even the individual tasks they are being asked to perform.
Knowing this information and seeing where they fit into the overall business with an understanding that they are important in the bigger picture serves as great motivation. They’ll know that if they do a good job, everything else will run smoothly too.
Praise Them
Ensuring they’re being rewarded, knowing their purpose, being trusted to work alone, these are wonderful ways to motivate your employees, but unless you also praise them and let them know they are doing a good job, it can be hard for them to stay motivated and productive. It doesn’t take long to say well done to someone, or to acknowledge a job executed well. You can say it to their face, or you can even write it in a company memo or newsletter if you prefer. The point is, your employees need to know that you’re happy with what they are doing. If you don’t find the time to tell them, their motivation can easily decrease, and with it the quality of their work.
