Sometimes being in charge can be tough. It can be challenging to keep yourself motivated and now you’re responsible for keeping an entire team switched on! The question is, why do these people come here everyday? Don’t tell me it’s just for money. People can earn money anywhere, so why should they come to your company to earn it? If you’re a strong motivator, you’ll keep your employees focused on the fact it’s not just about the money, it’s about the purpose.
1. Give them a purpose
These days it is hard to come across people that are passionate about their jobs. Generations have changed and it is quite common to find people don’t actually enjoy their job. Giving someone a purpose changes their whole image of a workplace. Guide them to find their purpose, find them a task that they actually enjoy working on. We all feel a sense of fulfillment when we complete something that we gained pleasure in doing. Their job no longer will feel like a burden that they dread doing, but something they can look forward to. Deep down we all want to do something we can feel passionate about. Feeling like we have a purpose in our role gives us drive.
2. Constructive Criticism
This is a balance of positive and negative feedback. It allows you to talk about what is going right and what is going wrong. This form of communication is highly productive in a working environment. Instead of having to face the negative directly you’re able to approach it from the perspective that they are in fact doing things well and providing them ideas for improvement. This can motivate your employee because instead of them feeling like you’re attacking the things they’ve made mistakes on, they’re able to appreciate the acknowledgement you’ve shown on their good work and focus on changing the negative to create a better outcome in the future.
3. Goal Setting
Studies have shown that when people write down a few set goals, they become far more successful than those who don’t. Goals give us an end result to strive for. Gary Vaynerchuk, a successful entrepreneur once stated that it was the journey to completing his goals that brought him to where he is today. Promote your employees to focus on the process that will eventually lead to the end result. This way they’re not just focusing on getting there, but what they need to do right now in order to achieve it.
4. Encouragement
How good does it feel when you finish a job and somebody actually takes the time to say, well done? Since we were kids we were taught that if we do well at something, we will in some way be rewarded. Think back to your school days, do you remember at the end of every week there were things like “student of the week” certificates. This small piece of cardboard indicated to us that we had achieved something, and we were being congratulated for it. We can all admit at some point in our lives we’ve run home to mum and dad to show them the certificate we’ve received because we have succeeded in something and we were proud of it. It’s the same concept for work, of course we don’t need to hand out a big smiley face sticker, but being acknowledged for your work is important. Doing things such as giving out gift cards, or even just a chocolate bar with a pat on the back shows you’ve acknowledged their efforts and you’re grateful. We all feel good when we are rewarded, especially when we’ve worked hard to receive the award.
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5. Training
Not everybody enjoys training, of course school wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea. But for those eager learners out there, this is a perfect approach to motivation. What better way to start loving your job than if you know everything about it. Feeling confident in what we’re doing is a key element to success. Providing training to your employees gives them the opportunity to know the ins and outs of the business, and have confidence in what they’re doing everyday.
6. One on One’s
Have any of you ever worked in a job where your manager is basically a complete stranger? They only ever talk to you when you’ve done something wrong or if they’ve got more work to hand you. An effective way to avoid this kind of relationship with your employees is to have monthly catch ups. A chance for you to both sit down and privately discuss how everything is going. They’ll be able to open up to you and feel comfortable that you’re not just there to boss them around, but to give them guidance. We must mentor and support our employees in order to motivate them.
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