In most workplaces, the atmosphere is gloomy and sluggish. Workers come in and do the least work possible to earn their salary and to keep their job. No one feels as if they want to be at the office. With that type of scenario, how could anyone expect to produce high quality results? The answer is you can’t. Without motivation in the workplace, employees are going to function at the lowest level possible and the results of the business will always be mediocre. Here are some ideas that can change that feeling in your office.
Praise Achievement
Many workers feel disconnected and unimportant in their jobs. They do their daily tasks but it doesn’t matter whether they excel at them or just keep them done. If there’s no difference, most employees will end up gravitating toward the latter end of the quality spectrum. For this reason, you want to praise workers who do great work. Not only will your praise encourage them to keep working harder but it will inspire the rest of the office, too. You’d be surprised how much it means to people to have their hard work recognized.
Set High Expectations
Think back to when you were in school. Did you know kids whose parents expected them to get high marks on their report cards? Did you also know kids whose parents were satisfied as long as they weren’t flunking? Now think about how those kids compared in terms of motivation. Children whose parents set high expectations for them are more likely to achieve great things than those whose parents expect the minimum. The same is true of motivation in the workplace. You have to set a higher bar for quality so your workers know you believe they can do better.
Know the Employees
If you’re the boss or the manager, getting to know your employees might seem like a bad idea. But it’s actually great for motivation in the workplace. The employees can get to know you and that can make a huge difference in their motivation. It’s a lot harder to let someone down when you know they’ll be coming to talk to you first thing in the morning. Plus, if they feel comfortable with you, they’ll have an easier time approaching you with problems and concerns that might also be interfering with their motivation.
Learn their Motivations
Another effective idea for motivation in the workplace is simply to find out what works for your employees and provide it to them. For example, some employees may be motivated by financial rewards. If they excel at their job, for example, you could offer them a gift card. You could bring in food for lunch as a surprise for the workers, or you could offer a contest for top performers. The important thing is that you learn enough about your workers to figure out the best way to motivate them to do the best job possible.
Praise Achievement
Many workers feel disconnected and unimportant in their jobs. They do their daily tasks but it doesn’t matter whether they excel at them or just keep them done. If there’s no difference, most employees will end up gravitating toward the latter end of the quality spectrum. For this reason, you want to praise workers who do great work. Not only will your praise encourage them to keep working harder but it will inspire the rest of the office, too. You’d be surprised how much it means to people to have their hard work recognized.
Set High Expectations
Think back to when you were in school. Did you know kids whose parents expected them to get high marks on their report cards? Did you also know kids whose parents were satisfied as long as they weren’t flunking? Now think about how those kids compared in terms of motivation. Children whose parents set high expectations for them are more likely to achieve great things than those whose parents expect the minimum. The same is true of motivation in the workplace. You have to set a higher bar for quality so your workers know you believe they can do better.
Know the Employees
If you’re the boss or the manager, getting to know your employees might seem like a bad idea. But it’s actually great for motivation in the workplace. The employees can get to know you and that can make a huge difference in their motivation. It’s a lot harder to let someone down when you know they’ll be coming to talk to you first thing in the morning. Plus, if they feel comfortable with you, they’ll have an easier time approaching you with problems and concerns that might also be interfering with their motivation.
Learn their Motivations
Another effective idea for motivation in the workplace is simply to find out what works for your employees and provide it to them. For example, some employees may be motivated by financial rewards. If they excel at their job, for example, you could offer them a gift card. You could bring in food for lunch as a surprise for the workers, or you could offer a contest for top performers. The important thing is that you learn enough about your workers to figure out the best way to motivate them to do the best job possible.