If you notice a sudden slump in your business, your marketing plan or business idea may not be the reason behind it. A good number of businesses have closed shop because of one glaring reason - their employees lack the motivation to help the company grow.
Think about those times when you may have let out a flurry of painful words because one employee made a major mistake. The ways you deal with adversities reveal your true character - if you remedy a situation through positive means, or you chose to hurt an employee's feelings out of anger and frustration. You may unleash the punishment unto one single person, but remember that words do get around. Nobody wants to work for a "master" who punishes their employees.
So how do you ensure that your employees are well motivated? How do you encourage them to be part of the growth of your company? Here are some ways you must use to keep everyone happy.
Motivate employees by keeping them satisfied. Before hiring someone, ask them what their dreams are. If you own a meat shop and an applicant says that his dream job is to work "in an air-conditioned office, doing paperwork," then you are obviously getting the wrong people for your business. Remember that applicants will more often than not say things to impress an interviewer. Get the right people for the right job. Help each other to be and remain happy. The only way to generate sustained profits is to build a work environment that employs talented people who will perform at a definite level of excellence.
Motivate employees by showing genuine appreciation. Always remind an employee that she's doing a well - especially if she is. Give her the proper guidance she needs. If she's doing something wrong, correct her while it's still at the onset. Don't lead her into believing that the boss thinks she's performing above par, when the truth is - she's definitely not. Encourage open communication. Encourage the display of gratitude when and where it's needed. Applaud her efforts because she, too, has a self-esteem that must be satisfied - and not just pockets to fill in.
Motivate employees by recognizing their efforts. More often than not, a business owner will be quick to point out errors, but slow to recognize hard work. There's truth to the saying that "Get a dozen sales, and people won't chirp, but commit one error and everyone will notice." To be an effective boss, you must notice and congratulate employees for a job well done. It does not necessarily translate to them asking for a raise - a post on the company billboard or something similar may be what some employees are asking for them to feel important and needed. Remember that as a boss, you cannot run the company without your people. Your employees will help propel you to the top. Their success is your success and vice versa - always keep this in mind.
Motivate employees by being the inspiration they are looking for. Is your life a big success story? Did you also work from the ranks up into the corporate ladder? Then let your own success story inspire people to work harder. Be the best example for your employees. No boss will be taken seriously if employees see that the boss should not be emulated. Motivate employees by being the best role model.
Share your blessings - motivate employees by giving compensation they deserve. Almost all your employees work to be able to afford the lives they are dreaming of. Some of them are bread winners, some keep a huge chunk of their salaries for charity. Whatever their reasons are for working, people work hard for personal upliftment. Nothing is harder than working your back off but realizing that your efforts will never be rewarded- compensation wise. When your business has done well (thanks to the efforts of your employees), share the blessings with the people who helped you succeed. It may be painful on the company's pockets at first, but this will motivate employees into giving their best - even more than their best - for the joint success of the company.
Be the company owner whom all other employees dream of having. Help your staff achieve their dreams. In this process, you do not just help yourself, but contribute your share to the working class. Put yourself in their shoes - it they're tight, well then, you must realize that most workers deal with the pain, in order to earn enough to afford the boss' well-fitting shoes. That's the irony of life in the workplace.
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People are motivated by many different things and you have addressed many of them above.
ReplyDeleteThe key really is to make sure that you have asked enough questions to ensure that you are matching up what you offer with what motivates people.
Motivation is driven by what will give a person a charge of excitement. Some its money, most like the recognition in front of colleagues, many just want thank you for a good job.
In the end though we must ask enough questions to figure this out before assuming.
Gregory O'Donnell