If you’re running a business then you need to work hand in hand with your employees to attain success. You may have that entrepreneurial fire burning inside you – fueling you to work harder every day – but you can’t force the same on your employees, especially if they lack motivation.
Fortunately, there are several motivational techniques that you can apply in the workplace. Here are just some of those you can use to motivate and inspire your employees to always take action, thereby boosting workplace productivity:
1. Set a good example
As a leader in your company, you need to set a good example, so your employees will follow suit. You should be the one to set the tone, work ethics, culture, and values that everyone in the company should follow. Make it a point to follow what you set to ensure that this will have a meaningful effect on the entire team.
For instance, if you show them how optimistic and hardworking you are, you can expect them to do the same. Your employees will actually mirror you. In case you are running a large organization, then let all the leaders, especially supervisors, and bosses, know how you value the idea of setting a good example. By having good leaders who constantly set a good example, it won’t be long before you can gain the trust of your employees, motivating them to work harder for the growth and betterment of the company.
A good leader becomes a role model and hence followers start subconsciously modeling the performance of the leader!
2. Provide career advancement opportunities
Remember that even the most passionate and ambitious employee has the tendency to lose his/her motivation if he/she stays in the same position without any change for too long. Providing them with career advancement and improvement opportunities will definitely inspire them to work even harder.
These opportunities don’t always have to be in the form of promotions, new job titles or raises. You can also provide them with education or training opportunities that will let them grow and improve their skills.
There definitely has to be a regular discussion on the career progress, growth and contribution to keeping people motivated.
3. Set Small Goals
These small goals can be those that they can attain on a weekly basis. For instance, instead of stressing them out by forcing them to earn a billion this year, you can break the goal down into smaller chunks. You may ask your employees to focus on acquiring a hundred new customers every week until your one billion goal is reached.
Each time your team achieves the weekly goal, reward them. This will further motivate them, especially after realizing that the ultimate goal is actually realistic and that they can benefit by just working hard.
Chunking down the goals works more on the psychological level and helps people look at the goals as ‘achievable’ this definitely boosts the motivation.
4. Empower them
You can actually empower your employees by giving them a say on how they want to perform their job. It’s also necessary to ask for their suggestions and input from time to time. A lot of employees actually have an idea about how they can improve their efficiency and productivity. The problem is that they may not be willing to share these ideas unless you ask.
Conduct employee reviews regularly and use the results to discuss the improvements they intend to implement. Make sure to empower and motivate them by actually implementing what they suggested. Also, try to give them the freedom to make certain decisions. This can make them feel that you value their opinions and that you trust their ability to make the right decisions, thereby motivating and empowering them even further.
5. Offer incentives and rewards
Incentives and rewards are always effective when it comes to boosting the motivation of employees. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend too much for these. Incentives like gift cards, movie tickets, extra paid day-offs, and other inexpensive rewards can show your employees how you appreciate them. They will definitely repay this by working hard and improving their performance.
Learning the best ways to motivate your employees is crucial in retaining the best-performing ones. By consistently motivating them, you will enjoy a happier and more productive workplace with employees who are willing to give their best to achieve the ultimate goal of the company.
While incentivizing and rewarding is critical and important working on their emotions are equally important. Appreciating regularly, making them feel valued and highlighting their contribution can add up to the entire motivational quotient!