“Yeah, I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I’m working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch too, I’d say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.” ‘Office Space’ 1999.
The above quote is from the 1999 cult classic ‘Office Space’ and is an exaggerated and of course fictional example of the attitude employees can take when they are not properly motivated in their jobs. It, as the character Peter Gibbons points out, should be about more than being motivated by the possibility of losing’s one’s job. Wise managers find positive ways to motivate their employees as this impacts workplace morale, productivity and efficiency. To help you get your team on the motivation path, here are 5 ways to inspire your employees.
- Lead by example: Start each day off with a smile and a positive attitude about the job you are doing and your staff will pick up on this positivity. Let them know what the goals and expectations are for each day and that you are excited and ready to interact positively with each team member. This kind of confidence can help impact employee morale and motivate team members to perform at their best.
- Get to know your employees as people: Take some time to learn about your employees’ interests, hobbies, home situations, etc. Showing genuine interest in them as individuals will inspire them to not want to let the company or you down.
- Make sure employees share in the company’s success: Employees feel more motivated when they can share in the company’s success. Consider starting a profit sharing program as an incentive for workers to be better invested in the company.
- Offer employee rewards: Incentives don’t always have to come in the form of monetary rewards. Consider offering as rewards for better performance perks such as greater scheduling flexibility, preferred parking spots, longer lunches, work-from-home days, etc. It is a proven fact that employees who enjoy their work and feel motivated perform better.
- Encourage worker to voice complaints: Allowing employees to voice their complaints lets them know that their opinions matters, allows them to vent steam and may even produce ideas that could help the company. Just be sure that employees know that they can contribute constructive criticisms without fear of reprisals.
In the end, properly and positively motivating employees helps to create a workplace that workers will be excited to work in. It just takes some creativity. Our executive assistant staffing company in NYC sees many examples of companies that use positive reinforcement to increase worker satisfaction and grow their bottom line at the same time. As the top staffing firm in NYC we also know that positive workplace morale is a function of management and workers.