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How happy your employees are may seem like an abstract thought that shouldn’t be the first priority of a rational entrepreneur, yet, recent findings show that a happy employee works 12 percent better. The only problem with happiness is that it’s subjective and individual, which means that one of your employees may only feel alive when overworked, while others may not be able to handle this kind of stress. Looking for some inspirational motivation? Here are six motivation tips that give by far the most consistent results.
Show them you care
The first thing you should do in order to help unleash the full potential of your team is to show them that you actually care, not just about their performance but as human beings. The easiest way to do this is to actively listen. Most guides agree that you should avoid fraternising with employees, seeing as how this causes accusations of bias and favoritism. On the other hand, being too distant may make you look like a more authoritarian figure than you would like. By being a compassionate boss, you’ll be perceived as a good guy even when you’re forced to drive them a bit harder in order to reach the deadline.
Another way in which you can show them you care is by investing the same (or similar) amount of effort as what you ask from them. For instance, asking your team to stay two hours’ overtime while heading home early will send the wrong message and potentially ruin the office morale. In order to avoid this, make sure to show them that you’re investing as much effort in the company as they are. In this way, the employees will avoid assuming that us-versus-them mentality against the management, and work in unity.
A culture of transparency
When it comes to the flow of information, your employees need to see you more as their safety net, their go-to person, rather than their angry overseer. Some of the greatest conquerors of all times suffered terrible losses, merely because all of their subordinates were too afraid to speak when there was a pressing matter. By supporting a culture of transparency and encouraging people to give you feedback even when you might not want to hear it, you will ensure that the flow of information around the office always works in your favor. As for your employees, they will see their workplace as a less hostile environment, which automatically boosts their mood and productivity.
Invest in proper equipment
Outdated hardware, low-end free versions of software and obsolete business trends are not only directly harming your productivity but indirectly as well. The amount of stress and frustration that comes from this lack of performance may cause the office motivation to plummet. Moreover, by refusing to invest in new equipment, you’re showing lack of commitment as an employer.
Therefore, even in cases when you can’t find enough money in your budget for such an upgrade, applying for personal loans online in order to finance such an innovation is always a good idea.
Think about bonuses
Most businesses take somewhere between six months and two years in order to become self-sustainable, and some entrepreneurs try to bring this break-even point somewhat closer by reducing the overhead. Re-negotiating with your supplier or checking for alternative utility companies in your area are smart ways to lower your spending, while cutting down on employee bonuses (or failing to pay them altogether) is a horrible way to do so. Not only are you at risk of lowering the overall motivation around the office, but also stand in a situation where you might start losing talent to competitors. This is something you simply can’t afford to happen.
Lateral movement can be as rewarding as a vertical one
Just because your company doesn’t currently need another team leader or executive, it doesn’t mean that an employee must remain in their current work post for all eternity. Sometimes, a lateral move can make as much of a difference as a vertical one. For this to work, you have to figure out the skills, ambitions, and desires of your employees.
Verbal endorsement
The next thing you need to understand is that sometimes all your employees need is recognition. If they already see you as a figure of authority, a good word or a compliment coming from your side may mean quite a bit. Unlike the worker of the month practice that’s abandoned by all serious companies in the last several years, a verbal endorsement is something that can be used to commend everyone around the office who deserves it. Still, try not to overdo it, seeing as how it might lose some of its impact and effectiveness.
Conclusion
Each of these issues is important to ensuring a harmonious workplace and the best thing is that they can all be done simultaneously. The reality is that only two items from this list actually require a financial investment, whereas the others merely ask you to pay more attention to your employees, and help them tell you what they need in order to be more productive. From this perspective, it’s clear that this business practice makes a difference regardless of the industry.
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