One of the most valuable assets you can own as a manager is the ability to maintain your employees’ motivation and morale. You’ve already spent endless hours completing the rigorous recruitment process to find the perfect crew member but now is the time for your work to really begin. Once settled into the office, It’s easy for your team members to walk the path of comfortability and plod through their career doing the bare minimum, that’s why it’s your responsibility to motivate and inspire. Excited and enthusiastic staff members are the ones who pave the way to success and bring innovative ideas to the table so it’s worth your while to ensure they feel valued and heard. It’s no secret that this can be a challenge, but with many new and ingenious approaches being tried and tested, it’s certainly possible. Continue reading to find out what small changes you can make that are sure to have a huge impact on your staff team’s motivation levels.

Foster Social Connections

It was commonplace many years ago for staff to be punished for chatting to colleagues and for total concentration and maximum output to be expected at all times. Fortunately, this is now recognised as an ancient approach and managers are beginning to understand the importance of social connections in the workplace. Individuals who build meaningful relationships and social connections in the office are significantly more likely to be productive and work more efficiently. As human beings we have an innate desire to be accepted by our peers and being successful in this area makes us happier and improves our overall well-being; happy staff get results. Fostering an environment where social connections are encouraged is easier than you may think. Investing in a corporate coffee machine is the best place to start. In the current climate coffee machines in Melbourne are flying off the shelves and this is no coincidence. Creating a spot for staff to informally debrief and chat about their evening plans is a great way to instigate conversation whilst providing your team with a well deserved caffeine kick. This along with offsite team building exercises and celebration events will kick start your journey to a more socially connected and profitable troupe.

Differentiate Your Management Style

Making changes to influence the relationships and social connections between colleagues within the workplace will definitely have apositive impact, but what about the relationship you have with your team? Your input and your approach with each individual will have an even bigger impact on their self esteem and their motivation levels. Sounds simple, right? But, it can become complicated when you manage a large team with a whole bunch of different personalities in the mix; the best approach for one person could be the approach that hinders and demoralises another. This is why learning to differentiate your management style to suit different individuals will help them develop while feeling supported and valued. Before you can consider your approach you’ll need to know a little more about each member of your team. One to one supervisions or short meetings are a great way to get to grips with their personalities, preferences and aspirations. Once you have this information you can determine your next steps. This could be an in-depth development plan for an individual who wants more support or a new project for an employee who needs a new challenge. Getting individuals to complete questionnaires and quizzes is another, more time efficient, way to get the information you need to be the best manager you can be.

Celebrate In Style

Creating incentives for your staff to work towards is the fastest way to increase productivity and promote a positive working environment. Using incentives such as commission on sales or bonuses for the “employee of the month’ support the push towards achieving great things. You’ll see individuals going the extra mile in order to get some additional  recognition for the work they’ve done. There’s other rewards you can offer such as an extra day annual leave or recognition in the staff bulletin that will also increase behaviours that are beneficial for business. Reinforcing these behaviours with treats and praise is a great way to ensure that they’ll continue. Celebrating staff achievement is also a great way for you to keep track on which staff are excelling in each aspect of their work. This will give you the ability to delegate effectively and help the promotion process when it comes around next.

Summary

When it comes to motivation there are a variety of small changes that you can make to boost staff and improve their confidence. Whether you have a small team or an army of individuals working towards the same goal it’s possible to give them the help they need to get their drive back. Fostering social connections, making time to get to know your co-workers and celebrating their achievements are the first steps you’ll need to create a happy and profitable workplace.