The internet is overloaded with less and more wise ideas for motivating employees. I’ve spent plenty of time searching for the best ones collect them and to sort them out. So, here they are: short, simple and effective. Enjoy!
1. Don’t be afraid to be a leader. Art of being a great boss is about keeping a balance between comradeship and leadership. People tend to underestimate men of the soft character so you can’t always be your employees’ best silent friend. People work better when they know that a concrete, determined manager supports their activities.
2. Treat your employees seriously. The best way to improve the work’s level is to provide a strong feeling that you and your employees are a solid team. Leonard J. Glick, professor of management at Boston’s Northeastern University says that the secret of the crew’s strong bond is sharing bed and good information with employees. Whether you are planning some new solutions or your team’s last task have turned out to be a terrible fiasco, tell them about it. Treating serious changes in working seriously.
3. Give them responsibility. Here’s a catch. Bad workers escape from responsibility as far as they can, because they are afraid of failure. The wisdom is, responsibility is a grist for a hard work’s mill. When an employee knows that faith of team’s actual task is in his hands equally as in the hands of other members, he will try hard to do it right and also he will be proud of it.
4. Rewards. Best workers could be rewarded, e.g. with money bonuses, but what motivates them most is promotion. It’s an obvious fact that an extra money can make you work more productively, but it is not a main element of motivation. To give somebody a possibility to promote (bigger responsibility, self-realization) is much more beneficial.
5. Individual gratification. If your employee has done something admirable, you shouldn’t be afraid of praising him. You can do it in the presence of the rest of staff, individually in your office or even by email, but it’s significant to don’t forget about it. It’s also important to do it subtly and wisely. It’s a bad idea to constantly glorify ones, and ignore others.
6. Appreciate your employees as a team. Opposite to the previous point, you should find a time to praise your workers together. They want to hear that their joint effort has a great meaning for the company – then they will work even harder, because there’s nothing more motivating than belief of doing something important together and knowledge that we’re doing it well.
7. Make your employees feel at work like home. It doesn’t mean that they should hang around in dressing-gowns and sing Bruce Springsteen aloud. They should be happy about going to work. According to Federick Herzberg theory, you, as a manager, should provide your employees comfort factors before motivation factors. Therefore, when you deliver little life-facilities, like: coffee, fresh water, good lighting and supply of paper towels, your workers will focus only on their tasks, nothing else.
8. Get to know your people. Do you know why Julius Ceasar was beloved by his soldiers? Because he has fought at their side, he has slept among them in barracks, and he has spoken to them as equals. You don’t have to sleep with your employees, but you should talk to them personally from time to time. Make them feel that they’re not just a wheel in the machine, but are recognized and important individuals. Sometimes, just to remember someone’s name is worth one’s weight in gold.
9. Operation: Integration. It’s such a great thing when your team members get to know each other better, but not necessarily during working hours. When planning a bonding event, remember that not everyone likes paintball or techno parties. Talk to your crew about how they would like to spend time together, and then arrange it.
10. Perks. You know, free meals, philharmonic tickets, squash subscription cards, gift cards, and other unnecessary stuff, your personnel don’t need, but it’s always lovely to have it. It’ not a most motivating factor, but it’s a big step to work more readily.