Our series continues with one last post on how to motivate your employees this coming year, especially when inspiration appears to be missing.
As we mentioned in our previous post, there’s likely a lot of causes why this might be the case. The ambiguity of the past couple years, the stress of trying maintain both work and family obligations, maybe even a touch of uncertainty around the purpose of their work. Employees have been in just as much survival mode as their employers since the pandemic began, and the toll looks to be high.
So, we’ve been sharing easy ideas to not only inspire your team, but also to provide some reassurance that their efforts are not in vain.
Lighting the inspiration fire, and keeping it going
- Create a collaborative vision. Keep your team in the conversation, not only about company goals but also the ‘small stuff’ that they’ll be exposed to every day, from office décor all the way to building a PTO policy. We’re not suggesting you bury yourself with inviting feedback on every matter, but picking a few topics for discussion can go a long way.
- Think teambuilding, it actually works. Some roll their eyes with team-building. It can get a bad rap for being time consuming and taking away from important projects BUT here’s an area you can request feedback for: which team building activities your team finds relevant and actually enjoys. there WILL be an activity out there worth their energy.
- Listen to feedback! We often stress that listening and follow-through are the most important factors in good communication. Make sure management is available to receive the thoughts of the team, and that any promises made are acted upon. This tip alone with really drive motivation significantly.
- Environment matters: visual AND emotional. If they office is looking a little tired, you can count on your employees feeling lacklustre. Keep their work areas inviting, set up spaces to allow for both collaboration and solo work, and encourage staff to engage with one another about their projects. They spend so much of their time within this environment, it should be VERY comfortable.
- Let your team lead: delegate! In other words: all these tips we’ve given do not have to rely solely on you! Part of a motivated team is one that feels trusted to make important decisions. Identify individuals to help support this program and see how both the work gets done AND your team feels inspired doing it.
- Bonus tip: Your team needs good tools. It’s stressful, we get it. It’s expensive to keep up-to-date with all the latest but, it’s important to do it. You need to be in a position to be able to recognize which tech tools will be the most useful and you have to buy them AND train on how to use them. The right tools will help keep employees from feeling unnecessary frustration with completing their tasks, and that invaluable.
We hope that you found our two week series on motivating staff useful, and that there are a least a few things that you can start implementing right away. Remember that HR can play a significant role in maintaining team cohesion by supporting each employee’s professional journey. If you’re looking for an HR department that can meet the demands of the modern workplace, EOS is your answer! We’re a team of HR professionals helping small businesses succeed in this exciting, yet challenging professional environment. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.