7 Factors That Motivate Staff: A How-To Guide For Managers
As any experienced business leader knows, maintaining employee motivation is essential to keeping ambitious companies at the top of their game and ahead of the competition. Regardless of size and industry, it is clear that managers can have a huge positive impact when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.
A recent survey by Reward Gateway revealed that over seven in ten (72%) of the participants in question believed that their employers could do more to motivate them. So how can you make sure that you are getting the best out of your team and promoting personal growth?
Here are 7 ideas to motivate your staff in order to help them reach their full potential.
1. Notice and appreciate your team
Everybody wants to be seen and for the work that they do to be acknowledged. Try to regularly dedicate time to focusing on highlighting and praising the things that they do well, however big or small they may be. Whether it's complimenting their work during a meeting or praising their progress in an informal chat, a little recognition can go a long way towards reinvigorating team members. Positive feedback is guaranteed to help boost confidence and self esteem.
Staff who feel affirmed in their role are subsequently more likely to work harder and stay in their jobs for longer, as supported by research carried out by Savills UK. Savills’ survey revealed that amongst those surveyed, “78% of workers who describe themselves as happy were prepared to stay for more than 10 years with their current employer.”
In short, to maintain a robust working environment, your priority should be to lead a team who go home every day feeling proud and satisfied – and this means taking care to give credit where credit is due.
2. Set clear long-term goals
The next time you have an appraisal or development talk, work together with each employee to establish a set of realistic goals to strive towards. Be sure that these goals are clear and relevant for the person in question; they should always have a good understanding of the task ahead.
A study by the American Psychological Association has shown that setting specific goals result in better performance outcomes, try to give explicit instructions rather than vague directives like "do your best." By laying out a clear plan for each project ahead of time, you are maximising the quality of the work being produced.
Make sure you also provide help and support every step of the way, monitoring progress and taking care to give positive feedback once the goal(s) have been achieved.
3. Give people work that they love doing
Nothing can make people shine like doing something they love.
When Steve Jobs was tasked with reflecting on the secret behind Apple’s success, he concluded that “I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love.”
Find out what your staff’s strengths and talents are by observing them and asking them about what they enjoy doing the most. Finding ways of incorporating their passions into their working lives will help to utilise their talents and keep them engaged. You will benefit by having a highly motivated team, while the company will benefit from having skilled, dedicated employees who take pleasure in their work. Win-win.
4. Be a loyal manager
Loyalty and consistency are essential qualities in a leader. Uncertain individuals who change their mind every time the wind blows will have a harder time inspiring an optimum performance from those that they manage.
Dr Sandra J. Peart, Dean of the School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, attests that “Loyalty, like trust, is productive. There is much evidence of the enormous benefits associated with trust.”
Let people know that you are genuine and have their best interests at heart by investing in their personal development and they will trust you to lead them effectively.
5. Create open communication between managers and staff
Be straight, be clear, be to-the-point. You don’t want a team or a company to be characterised by dishonesty, uncertainty or gossip. Do yourself and your team a favour – be open towards your staff and honest in all of your communication, both internal and external. Doing so will result in a more cohesive and stable environment for everyone.
According to Mary Juetten, founder and CEO of Traklight, “as a leader, you have to emphasise the importance of honesty over harmony or appearances or any other concern that is ultimately secondary to successfully completing the work at hand.” In a business setting, honesty really is the best policy.
6. Guide employees through periods of change
High stress levels, uncertain economic times and sudden changes can lead to employees feeling insecure and discouraged in the workplace. Science has shown that stress brought on by uncertainty can have a negative impact on our brain health.
To encourage a sense of stability and help workers to feel valued and appreciated, remind each individual of their importance to the team and the company while guiding them through periods of doubt and uncertainty.
If your organisation is going through significant changes, perhaps a course in coaching or change management can help you deal with the situation more effectively. Such courses can promote a positive attitude amongst your team members and instil a desire to succeed.
7. Assign the right skills to the right role
There is a difference between having to perform tasks that are challenging and tasks that are impossible. The first kind stimulates, the second kind frustrates.
Your staff need to have the skills to complete all of the tasks that are expected of them – if they are missing a skill, investing in training and professional development courses will turn these feelings of frustration and uncertainty into satisfaction at having grown and learned something new. Skills training often leads to an increase in job proficiency resulting in team members who feel confident in tackling the task ahead.
Allowing people to play to their strengths incentivises workers to enjoy their jobs and prepares them to give 100% each and every day.
Final thoughts
While every workforce will experience ups and downs, prioritising employee motivation will ensure that you are prepared for any challenges ahead. Implement these changes and you can be assured in the knowledge that your team is
capable of working with you through any issues that might arise in the future.
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About the author
Jazz Mattey is a content writer at findcourses.co.uk with extensive experience writing for a range of different media.
Jazz specialises in writing about education, training, and mental wellbeing. She is an enthusiastic advocate of learning and personal development at all life stages..
