The holiday season and the doldrums of winter can make it tough for employees – and for you – to stay motivated. There is only so much a “Hang In There” poster or another motivational statement can do to keep employees excited and interested in their work. Instead of providing platitudes and “inspiration,” here is a key for providing real incentive and leadership to your employees.
Lead by example
When you are feeling weighed down, the whole office will begin dragging. Instead of letting emotions rule your level of motivation, start out your day with your top five goals in mind. These may be anything from making it the best day possible to landing a huge client. Your motivation and enthusiasm for your work is contagious and will help keep your office upbeat and working hard.
Acknowledge accomplishment
Even though your employees get paid to do their job – and to do it well – it’s important to provide an acknowledgment for a job well done. An employee who has completed a significant task on time or under budget should at the very least get a pat on the back from the boss. There are many ways you can recognize excellent work. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Give your employee a personalized “thank you” from your management team.
- Acknowledge the employee publicly at the next staff meeting.
- Give the employee a small gift basket, a gift card, meaningful gift.
- Provide a bonus incentive.
- Give the employee paid time off.
- Take the employee out to lunch – or have an in-office pizza day for the whole team. You can also provide them with a slightly longer lunch break and a token of appreciation.
Small tokens of thanks can give your staff the motivation they need to continue to tough it out – even through the holiday season or the dreary winter weather.
Share your core values with your employees
By building your company, you have brought your passion into reality. However, it may be that many of your employees don’t share the enjoyment you get out of building your company. However, by sharing your passion and sharing your core values with your employees, they can find things to get excited about.
For example, let’s say your company weaves cloth. You may be passionate about creating sustainable, American-made fabric and providing it to local clothing manufacturers. By sharing this with your employees during staff meetings or at the launch of a new project, they can rediscover why they enjoy working with you and get passionate about the values you share. One employee may feel intensely about caring for the environment, while others may want to support other companies based in America. Still others may have friends or family working at those local clothing manufacturers and believe in supporting their work.
Your core values may not be precisely shared by your employees, but by imparting these values to each employee, they can match your values with their own. This understanding may inspire novel ideas from your employees – and could even provide you with the impetus for your next product!
Provide opportunities for advancement
It can be difficult for an employee to get excited about their job if they have reached a ceiling at which there is no room for growth. The best way to keep great employees is to understand their career goals and help them advance as positions open or as their skills improve.
Make a game out of work
Gamification is a big deal these days. You can make a game out of anything – so why not out of work? Set up interdepartmental contests or even games within the departments that will spur your employees onto new heights of productivity.
The creation of a vibrant, galvanized workforce is much more complicated than hanging a motivational poster, but your extra time and attention will pay off.
Do you need additional help in employee motivation, organization, or leadership coaching? We have you covered! Contact Business Success Consulting Group today for an in-depth analysis.
