Low productivity and poor motivation seem to be common employer laments at the moment.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “motivation” as the drive, enthusiasm and willingness to do something. On the other hand, “demotivation” is defined as: the feeling of being less motivated, enthusiastic or keen
Business costs are rising, causing high employment and a reluctance to recruit new staff. This means that motivating your current people and keeping them on board is more important than ever. And for many employers it can seem complicated and difficult.
Demotivators
Before we talk about some tips to increase your productivity by motivating your staff, let’s have a quick look at what doesn’t work.
Getting rid of things in your business which demotivate your employees is an effective step to increasing their motivation and that has a knock on impact on their productivity. If they are happy in their work and workplace, then they will naturally be more productive, because they enjoy it and because they want to feel proud of their work and achievements.
Following the money
When someone resigns to move to another employer on better terms, it is often tempting to offer an increased salary to persuade them to stay. And sometimes this might work. But not very often and, in my experience, not for very long. More money in the pay packet might feel like motivation to stay, but we very quickly get used to that higher level of pay, and then all the reasons why we wanted to leave come flooding back and we start looking for pastures new again.
So more money is not really a great motivator and it can often actually lead to demotivation, particularly if it is seen as unequal or unfair.
Employers sometimes offer big salaries and incentives like table tennis or pizza in the workplace, or weekly social events. This can seem like a great way to build teamwork and to encourage people to be at work. But this often comes with the expectation of long hours and challenging targets, which can end up being counterproductive and lead to stress and burn-out.
So what can we do to improve staff motivation and productivity?
I often say that having happy workers leads to higher productivity. But how do you motivate your staff to work hard and help your business grow?
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need you to be creative in your thinking or to spend lots of money. It could be as simple as saying “good morning (or afternoon!)” to your employees and stopping for a quick exchange about the weather, or the latest hit TV programme or the football results or something else of interest to them.
Noticing the small things and thanking them for their efforts can go a long way towards making your employees feel valued and part of your business success. Praise from the highest level can make a huge difference. People need to know who is leading them and the CEO needs to be visible. Regular communications from the top are really important. If the CEO speaks to people face to face, praises staff in general and individuals in particular, this can be hugely motivating, as long as it is seen as genuine.
Flexibility
Employers who really want to motivate their staff understand that the world has changed and most employees like some flexibility to work where, when and how best suits them. Most people want to have some control over their own lives and that includes their working life. We like some autonomy to do our job in the way that works best for us. This might include hours which fit round the school run, or time out of work to look after children or others we care for. It might mean not working during school holidays, or job sharing with someone else so both only work half a week. It might mean working compressed hours, so doing only four days per week, but longer hours on those days. There can be any number of ways that an employer can be flexible so that their staff are working at times and in places which suit their needs best.
The working environment
The work which we do, the values of our colleagues, the intentions of the organisation, the support of our managers all play a huge part in whether we feel fulfilled or drained by our work. These things can all be shaped the leaders and the example they set. Our employees follow what we do, not what we say and we can’t expect them to behave the way we want them to if we don’t leave by example. If we work long hours and don’t take breaks, then our staff will think that is what is expected of them as well. As leaders and managers we need to live and breathe the culture we want our business to have. If we are supportive and friendly to our staff, they will be supportive and friendly to each other and to our customers. If we show our excitement about the company’s goals, they will get on board and work to help us achieve those goals.
Recognition and reward
It doesn’t have to cost huge amounts to recognise and reward our staff for good work or honest efforts. Encouraging a workplace where managers thank people, even for everyday tasks, can make a huge difference. We all like to feel noticed and that someone is pleased with what we have done. If those thanks can be given publicly, then that means even more, although it is important to avoid favouritism or meaningless thanks which are not really meant.
Another way to reward our staff is to pass on client thanks or appreciation for a job well done. Knowing that we have made a positive impact on someone else’s day can be hugely satisfying and turn an average day at work into a great one.
Encouraging staff to thank each other where someone else’s efforts have helped them to get their own work done is hugely powerful. It is human nature to want to help each other and if that is recognised, then it improves our satisfaction with our own job. There are many electronic systems which can make this easy, but even a note on someone’s desk, or an email, can make a big difference.
Some kind of recognition system for length of service can also be a great motivator, if it is genuine and heartfelt. Having some longer term great employees can be a huge benefit for any organisation. Their knowledge of all those little things which make running a part of that business that little bit smoother is something you can’t buy and if you give them public recognition of that, it will help to motivate them and others and will make work a little more enjoyable for everyone.
Training and advancement
If employees feel they are working towards something, be it more advanced or different work or more reward, that is a motivation to make their best efforts. If they cannot see any opportunity for advancement, then they may slow down and start to look for opportunities elsewhere. If you can offer them some training in the skills to reach the next level, or even to move on to better opportunities elsewhere, then it will give them incentive to work well for you. It will also enhance your reputation as a great place to work.
Incentives
Your employees will want to stay working for you if you give them a reason to stay. This can be something big, like a regular bonus, or private healthcare, or profit sharing. But it can also be small rewards, like shopping or childcare vouchers; financial advice; an extra day of holiday for a specific achievement or a birthday. If people know the rewards are there, they are more likely to stay so they achieve those rewards, and to do a good job while they are with you.
Sharing the good things – and the not so good
When the company does well, then it helps to celebrate with your staff so they feel that their part in that success is valued and they are part of the whole. Let them know you are grateful for their efforts and hard work and that you couldn’t have had that success without them.
But if there are disappointments, then share those as well. If you really want your employees to feel part of the company, they need to know the downs as well as the ups. If you are honest and transparent with them about things that have not gone so well, they will want to help you to improve and to be successful and they will work harder for you, knowing that their efforts count.
Trust your employees and they will trust you
Trust is a two-way street and if you want your employees to trust you and so do their best for you, then they need to know that you trust them as well. Letting them know that you trust them to do a good job will go a long way to helping them to achieve that. But they need to be able to trust you as well. You need to show you value them and provide support for them, listen to their ideas and suggestions, keep an open mind and an open door. If they know their voice matters, they will feel valued and know that they are important to you.
If your employees feel comfortable to make suggestions about how to do their job and what works well and not so well. Most of them will have some ideas about how they can be more efficient or how things can be improved. You may not agree with all of those ideas, but you need to hear them and consider them. If they are not practical, then give reasons why not and be open to discussing further. Where you can, then implement their advice and give them the authority to make their own decisions.
Train and support your managers
Bad management is one of the key reasons why employees move on from your employment. We all need respect, honesty, support and clear communications and these should be a given from our managers.
These things don’t always come naturally to managers. Often they are promoted to a management role because they are good at their job, but that does not make them a good manager of people. They need support and training to enable them to be great at managing their teams. They also need the time to be able to do it, so reduce their workload of other things to free up time for managing their people.
This could be the single most important thing you can do to motivate your workforce.
Criticism
A big demotivator is to tell people that they have done something wrong and to try to correct them. None of us likes to hear that we have not made the grade in some way. This is the biggest demotivator and it will not help you to achieve your business goals. A better approach is to help people to improve and learn from their mistakes. Get their input into what went wrong and how to improve it. Help them to come up with their own solutions, so they feel part of the improvement, not the cause of the problem.
Sharing the bigger picture
If you want to motivate your employees to do their best for you and to be productive, then they need to understand what they are working towards. Sharing your business vision and goals is a really important part of motivating the workforce. Every single person in a company has an input into helping the company achieve their vision, but they need to be able to see where they fit into that picture and why their specific role helps.
Set some smaller goals along the way to help you meet that vision, and reward the workforce when they help you to meet those goals.
We all need to think our work has some purpose. If we can see that, then we will work much harder to achieve that end.
Where do we go from here?
None of the above needs to cost much money, just some time and input from the leadership team and managers. If you want your company to thrive and grow, you need to bring your employees with you, so they are part of your success. Motivating your staff isn’t a black art or an impossible dream, it is about making the working environment somewhere they want to spend time and to put in their best efforts, because that helps them to achieve their own goals and dreams as well.
