While expecting employees to perform at a high level is definitely not an unreasonable expectation, it still is not always going to be the case in mostbusinesses. There are a number of cases where employees let up in their job performance a bit or other circumstances arise that make the level of productivity tail off some. During these and other times, often what is missing is proper motivation. Here are five tips designed to motivate employees to continue performing at the level they are expected to.
Positive Attitude
Employees who regularly work in a workplace that either has an overall negative attitude or for a manager that has a negative attitude will at some point let it affect their job performance. A manager canmotivate the employeesbeneath them very efficiently by simply instituting a positive attitude in the workplace and also exhibiting that positive attitude regularly. Employees naturally want to work in a workplace with a positive attitude.
Encouragement
In the same department as positive attitude, getting the proper encouragement from a manager or supervisor is necessary for some employees to operate at a high level. Many times employees who are merely informed of their job responsibilities and then are given no feedback until a project is complete feel that they are not given enough encouragement along the way. While it may not be a necessity, if a few simple words can make an office or workplace more productive, then it is definitely something that should be done.
Listening Skills
One of the easiest ways for a manager to motivate their employees is to simply improve and utilize their listening skills. When an employee feels like their thoughts and ideas are being listened to, they will feel they are more apart of a project or overall business process and work harder. An employee who knows that their views are valued and sought out is a more motivated employee as they know they have another avenue for impressing their manager and possibly influencing the career path.
Utilize Everyone
Another easy way for a manager or business owner to motivate employees is to make sure that everyone is utilized to their fullest abilities. When one or two employees are not brought in on a project or process, they feel like they are not valued as highly and this may demotivate them in terms of how much effort they put into the projects or responsibilities they do have. By utilizing everyone, a manager not only motivates their employees by showing they are all valued to some degree, but he also maximizes the work output by having everyone possible involved in some way or another.
When Possible, Provide Incentives
Though it may not always be possible, and it may not be feasible on every project, it can sometimes pay off to have incentives that an employee can take advantage of if a certain amount of work is done or a certain level is accomplished. Incentives can be anything from a higher commission and cash bonuses to something smaller like a catered lunch for the employees or even a gift card to a local restaurant. Incentives can sometimes be announced ahead of time and can also be presented to the employees afterwards as a thank you for their hard work. Presenting incentives as a thank you actually has the effect of motivating employees towards the next project or process.
While motivating employees is not always easy, it is a very useful thing to do when done right. There are a number of reasons why an employee or even an entire department may need to be motivated from time to time. They could be feeling overworked, they could have recently undergone personnel changes or questionable disciplinary actions, or they could just be suffering from burnout. Motivating these employees in a realistic and acceptable way is a great way that a manager can improve the productivity of their department and each employee in particular.
