Motivating Employees- How to Motivate Employees
For more information on Motivating Employee’s and Becoming an Effective Manager- check out my ebooks here:
….and….
Motivating Employees: How to Create a Positive Work Environment to Improve Employee Behavior
As a manager it can be difficult to encourage employees to work harder and strive to do their best, especially if you are facing difficult situations with certain employees. There are a few steps that can be taken to create a better environment and foster positive feelings within the workplace. Applying these strategies within your team of employees can be very effective, especially when they are used over a longer period of time.
Creating a Team Environment
One of the best ways to improve employee morale is by helping them to become friends with their coworkers and finding ways to help them enjoy their job. Most managers automatically assume that job satisfaction is directly related to pay, but it has been found that employees value relationships and friendships over pay. When someone feels valued, appreciated, and needed they will get a deeper satisfaction that can’t be achieved with a bigger paycheck. So, let your employees know that they are an important part of the team and encourage them to work together and get to know each other. This strategy will create a tight-knit group of people that look forward to seeing each other every day.
Choose a Good Incentive
If you decide to put together a specific program or contest based on performance, it is important that you choose appropriate incentives that the employees will want. For example, setting an attendance contest isn’t going to be effective if you are offering a simple company branded ball point pen to the winner. Instead, you should talk with your employees and let them assist in the decision making process to determine the rewards. Of course, you have the final say in the decision making since you are the manager, but remember to take the feedback into consideration. Simply asking what people are interested in can be very eye opening, and it can give you the perfect information that is needed to put together an effective program.
Give Recognition When it is Due
When employees are motivated and working hard, it is a good idea to recognize them for their efforts and let them know how much you appreciate them. This recognition could be in private through a simple conversation, email, or card. Or, you may consider making it a public recognition to encourage other people as well. Also, consider handing out small tokens of appreciation, such as a $5 Starbucks gift card or a certificate for a meal at their favorite restaurant. These small gifts are not expensive to buy, and they can go a long way in improving morale and showing appreciation for a job well done.
Recognizing a Lack of Motivation
It is important that you recognize when motivation is decreasing, because these behaviors will give you immediate feedback about how your management style is working. Some signs to watch for include a decrease in work production, observations of more time spent in personal conversations, tardiness or leaving work early, absenteeism, or an unnecessary amount of distractions going on during work hours (such as surfing the internet, talking on the phone, etc). If you find that any of these behaviors are increasing, then take some time to evaluate your management style regarding the points that have been mentioned in this article, and figure out what needs to be done to improve the situation.
motivating employees
how to motivate employees
employee motivation
what motivates employees
ways to motivate employees
motivating employees without money
