As an employer you strive to make your business thrive. You hire the best people for your team and guide them to success. Motivating workers can be a challenge. By using the right techniques to raise morale, your business can improve.
Motivating your employees does not need to be complicated or expensive. Following a few simple tips can lead to an appreciative response from your staff.
Here are some ways to increase morale in your company:
· Show your appreciation. A recent survey found that 81% of employees will work harder if they feel appreciated by their boss. Expressing appreciation can be done in several ways. Publicly congratulating your highest performers is a great way to recognize employees for their hard work. Offering high-performing employees a gift card or extra time for their lunch break can lead to others pushing themselves to be better as well.
· Be understanding. Always give your employees the benefit of the doubt. If an employee seems to be slacking in their work, speak to them directly with an understanding tone. Making assumptions may lead to frustration from the employee and decrease their motivation. Open communication is the best way to build trust between you and your staff.
· Create interactions. Create environments where employees feel comfortable getting to know each other. Friendships between coworkers will make employees more excited to come into work. Organizing a group lunch for your staff can lead to interactions between departments and can break down barriers. Doing a team-building exercise can allow everyone to have fun while spending time together. These interactions may lead to more confidence in staff when speaking to their coworkers.
· Ask for feedback. Create a feedback system for your employees. You could make an anonymous forum for employees to express their likes and dislikes about their job and go over these concerns on a regular basis. If you want to be more personal, take the time to sit down with individual employees and learn about how they feel things are going. These conversations do not need to be serious or negative; set the tone as casual and allow them to speak freely about their job for a few minutes.
· Make meetings engaging. You might find that your employees are zoning out while you are presenting to them. If this is the case, create a more interactive experience. You could begin the meeting by having everyone go around and talk about a specific prompt, like what they are doing on the weekend. Starting the meeting with some form of an icebreaker may allow the staff to feel more comfortable speaking up as the meeting continues. During the meeting, be sure to pause and ask questions to ensure everyone is soaking up the information.
Following some of these tips can lead to increased morale throughout your entire office. Overall, treating your employees with respect and gratitude will allow them to start every workday with a sense of appreciation. Upholding these practices can help your business succeed.