When we want to make people more effective, we look for employee motivation that goes beyond the obvious — give employees purpose, autonomy and transparency. Motivation happens when you help people realize that their work and contributions can have a big impact on the lives of those around them. In today’s workplace, when success and growth aren’t guaranteed, motivation is often the last thing we consider.
You may think that motivation is an unquantifiable thing that has no bounds, so you need to take the approach of less is more. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn more about what makes people tick so you can develop strategies that keep your employees inspired and engaged. Here are some common ways to motivate employees and use those strategies to boost motivation during a crisis.
1. Listen to the Culture and Values
You need to listen to the people you’re working with so you can identify the values, culture and norms that influence how they behave. This will help you figure out how to approach situations in ways that make sense to your employees. For example, if someone in your company wears the same outfit everyday, you probably don’t want to make it a point to be sensitive about it or offer an alternative because it’s not a reasonable expectation to expect everyone to spend a lot of time changing outfits.
2. Make Goals People Can Understand and Commit to
People won’t be as motivated if they have to read and understand long, dense articles to figure out what you’re supposed to do. If people don’t have to read a lengthy document before they can take action, they won’t be motivated. Instead, you can use short, easy-to-understand documents that make it clear what you’re looking for.
One of the most effective tactics I’ve seen implemented in companies is a progression of action items. First, you make sure everyone is clear on the desired outcome. Next, you ask people what they think is the minimum number of steps to get there. Next, you assess the order in which the people in your team would perform these steps and record that order.
If this isn’t the proper way to plan a step-by-step process, you can revise it, but you need to make sure you stay within the scope of what people expect to happen. Doing so will help to keep your employees more engaged because they’ll have a clearer picture of what’s expected of them and can make decisions and changes accordingly.
3. Embrace Simple Charts and Visuals
Don’t make your employees do endless amounts of paperwork when they should be focusing on real work. Visuals are great because they can easily be explained and interpreted by everyone in the organization. For example, if you’re gathering input for a new product and you need to know which characteristics your users like, you could use flow charts.
People will naturally understand a chart if they understand the diagram that shows the points of data points. Also, a chart that clearly describes the workflow and definition of success will help employees stay focused on what they need to do instead of following other employees who may be ignoring what they need to do. If you create a visual, people will be motivated to learn and perform accordingly.
4. Get Honest Feedback
Feedback is critical to motivating employees because people respond to honest feedback that is delivered in a respectful way. Employees who are motivated and motivated to excel will work hard to provide feedback to you and help you do your job better.
That feedback can be constructive and powerful if you let it be. The best way to deliver constructive criticism is to ensure you’re both taking accountability for your performance and showing the employee productivity that you value and appreciate them as a person.
5. Use Rewarding and Rewards to Get People Excited
People will work harder and be motivated to reach their goals if they believe they will be rewarded for their efforts. One of the easiest ways to do this is to establish some kind of recognition or rewards system in your company. Some companies reward employees with gift cards or pay off their student loans if they achieve a certain milestone. Others give bonuses when a salesperson reaches a sales quota.
Remember, when you provide rewards to your employees, you need to remember that they’re working hard for you. That means you can’t get emotional or engage them in a political debate about which incentives to use. At the end of the day, you need to know what will motivate your employees to do their best work and be efficient.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that you have to do your best to inspire your employees and get them to do what they can to succeed and help you meet your goals. People will work harder, but they’ll also get more done. After all, it’s all about results. I hope you really enjoy this article.
