One of the most important things you can do to help your business succeed and your employees motivated is to use encouragement. Other expressions that mean the same as encourage are “Give Confidence, Cheer, Support”.

Many managers seem to think that the salary should be encouragement enough. But you should be thinking better than that.

Think of ways that you can give your employees more support and give them more confidence:

How about recognising them for a job well-done? For many, that is all they need to feel encouraged. If you are genuine in your appreciation, and choose it for the right moment, it can work wonders. A simple but honest appreciative remark can go a very long way.

Become aware of what hobbies and interests your employees have. Then when you are out and about and see something that has to do with that particular interest, pick it up for them. Coming into the office and saying “I really appreciate what you do, and I got this for you as a small token of my appreciation,” will make them feel they are recognised for a great job! It doesn’t have to cost the earth! Just a token. But the thought it evokes will make a real difference.

Be sure to say “Thanks.” No matter what, always be sure to say thank you to those who work for you. Yes they work for pay, but it always helps to know that their work is recognised.

And if you are going to praise, don’t just leave it till you’re on your own with the employee. Find an opportunity when they are with their co-workers, and your praise will create a buzz! Make sure it’s genuine and specific for the task carried out, or the employee might be seen by their colleagues as a ‘favourite’.

Encouraging your employees will increase their morale and help them see how they can improve their quality, as they will always strive for improvement when they are recognised.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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Have you ever agreed to a staff request for a higher salary on the basis that it would encourage and motivate them to work harder and smarter, then find that it didn’t have the desired effect?

Even though many people will say that money is their key motivator, it’s surprising how little real difference it makes to attitude and motivation. Frederick Hertzberg said that money is a ‘hygiene factor’; that is, it acts as a demotivator if it’s lacking, but only a short-term motivator at best when it is given as a reward.

More times than not, what is more important to staff are such intangibles as being appreciated for the work they’ve done, being kept informed about things that affect them and having a sympathetic manager who takes time to listen to them. None of these intangibles are very costly, but they all do take the time and thoughtfulness of a manager who cares.

How can you provide frequent and personal rewards that are aimed at not just improving their job satisfaction, but also allow the individual to tap into their creativity and actually enjoy the rewards of working?

Take time to find out what specifically motivates and excites each of your team members. Personalised motivation seems to gain more response because people like to feel that they are getting individual attention, rather than just being part of a team effort.

When one of your employees has put in extra effort on a key project or achieved a goal you had mutually set, immediately recognise the achievement in a unique, memorable way. You will find that the more creative and unique you are with the reward, the more fun it will be for the employee, yourself and others in the organisation.

I heard of one manager who wrote to a team member’s family, telling them of his achievement. It was received very well at his home, as his family realised how much he was appreciated at work.

Another company had their MD sit down once a month with the employee of the month, at a special lunch, and discuss how the employee had contributed to the success of the company with their attitude and achievements. The employee always felt respected and honoured to have that privilege.

If you work in a large organisation, drop your CEO or COO a quick email outlining what the employee has achieved, and ask them to give the employee a call to congratulate them.

If the team member has a specific hobby, maybe buy a small gift that relates to that hobby. That would be received far better than the equivalent amount of money in their pay packet.

I heard of one manager who treated staff members to a complete valet of their car, inside and out, in recognition of great performance. It showed how important the little things were to that company.

If the budget stretches that far, take the team out for a special lunch to say thanks for all their efforts. Join them on an evening event, like a trip to the theatre or bowling. Not only will it build the team up, but they will also feel recognised for the role they play.

Have an ‘Excellence Day’ where team members show their skills at their favourite hobby. Create a fun day so that everyone can share their skill and knowledge. Devise a fun quiz and then order lunch in, so everyone can enjoy contributing and gaining at the same time.

These ideas and hundreds of others like them are limited only by your imagination, time and creativity. Not only will such rewards uniquely single out exceptional employees, they will create a positive story that the employees will tell to others time and time again. Friends, family and colleagues will get to hear about each individual’s achievement and what the company did to celebrate it, and the employee will get to relive the recognition many times.

Rewarding employees for exceptional work they’ve done is critical to keeping them motivated to want to continue to do their best. Although money is important, you can potentially get even more benefit from such personal, creative and fun forms of recognition as discussed above. Try such rewards for yourself to see the pride, enthusiasm, fun and motivation that can be generated.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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Want some motivation to end the year and start the new one kicking and raring to go?

Try this one…

If you feel you need a little external motivation and a bit of a kick sometimes, Nick Vujicic will provide it for you.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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We’re going to take a look at the work of Lawrence and Noria in early 2000’s and adapt some of their ideas so we are all singing off the same song-sheet.

The first driver they spoke about was the need to achieve, and have the feeling that we have achieved something and gained something that makes our lives meaningful.

Maslow said we need to deal with physiological needs, but there’s more to it than just amassing material things. A universal law says we either grow or die. This need to achieve a goal, objective, target is inherent in most of us, and this desire to achieve is a key motivator for many people.

Just ask why some people want more money, for example, and many times it epitomises their need to have to achieve something in life, whether it’s security, comfort, a high standard of living, or something more altruistic. This then, is the first driver, the need to achieve.

The second need is the social need, the need to be able to bond with others, a team player. A lot of people will be driven and motivated simply to be accepted into a social setting; they’ll want close friends or teammates, and they’ll want to get on with others. Few people will be motivated to want to work on their own for long periods of time.

A third area is the need to be challenged. Why would someone be motivated to step out of their comfort zone? Well it’s again this desire to grow, to be significant, to see that what we’re doing is significant in the workplace. Without challenge, people’s skills atrophy and die away, so this desire to be challenged outside our comfort zone is a driver for many people.

Lots of motivation theorists say that it is impossible to motivate another, unless they personally want to be motivated. So part of our responsibility as managers is to help people to be self motivated or to drive themselves, and our job is to create the environment for them to do this.

Without this environment, allowing people to drive themselves forward, not matter what extrinsic motivational efforts you put in, it may well fall flat, as they will hit a plateau and not be driven higher. So we need to identify things that will open up opportunities for staff to drive themselves forward.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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Employees who take more days off than their peers can cause real problems for you. Morale, productivity and profits can be affected, and can irritate you more than than anything else, as you have to make swift arrangements to cover for the absent person, or simply lose the value of their contribution for the time they are off.

What can you do to deal with this ever-increasing problem?

Ensure team members rely on each other
They are less likely to take time off if they know their team mates will be affected by their actions. So, use work teams to get employees involved with each other. Let them work on projects or activities where they rely on each other’s input. Build trust within the team by opening the lines of communication in team meetings.

Look for warning signs
Keeping regular contact with each employee you are responsible for may nip potential problems in the bud. If people take time off because they are bored or don’t find the job challenging, you will pick this up in your regular 1-2-1 chats with them.

Watch for patterns
If the employee regularly takes time off that coincides with major events or happens to be a certain day of the week, keeping tabs on this may highlight a particular problem.

Maintain an evidence record
If you’re suspicious about a person’s absentee record, you need to keep evidence in writing, so you can manage the situation properly, if it comes down to it.

On their return, review the situation
The employee needs to know that you take it seriously, so a quick meeting on their return can un-earth specific problems they may be encountering.

Support legitimate personal problems
All sorts of problems may cause a person to take time off, and if family problems, low self-esteem, genuine illness or lack of motivation at work are seen as root causes, you need to approach these situation empathetically. Could the company offer help by way of training, extra holidays to deal with crises, counselling or something similar?

Make firm decisions if necessary
With a written record of the situation,you have strong grounds to approach the person with evidence and the need for explanations. Whatever the cause is, take firm action to deal with the problem. The longer it goes on, the more frustrated you will become with them, and that is not good for your employee relationships.

If counselling is required, arrange it. If discipline is needed, take it swiftly. If a warning or stronger is warranted, notify them in writing, and have the m sign the documents. The employee needs to know where they stand, and you need to set the standard for the team you lead.

Here are some tips in setting standards with a team of people:

Reward good performance that can only be attained by excellent attendance
Consider flexible working hours, child-care facilities and fitness programmes
Have policies to deal with legitimate employee absence. Keep in touch with absent colleagues by phone to check their illness
Look closely at the specific reasons why staff choose to be absent. If it’s regular, it may have more to do with the type of work that they are doing than any outside influence.

Dealing with absenteeism is a frustrating and sometimes annoying aspect of your job, but by analysing and recording the reasons, you give yourself a good chance of dealing with it it effectively.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”