4 Ways to Better Motivate Your Employees

employees
Photo by CC user Anna Hirsch on Flickr.

Would you say you do a good job of motivating your employees?

For some business owners, motivating those working under them is a piece of cake. Others, meantime, struggle with this all-important facet in the workplace. For those in the latter group, those challenges can lead to problems, especially when it comes to customer service.

No matter what size business you run, it is important that you do anything and everything when it comes to keeping your team motivated.

Sure, there will be days where some of your workers (perhaps even you) will come to work with little or no energy. In those cases, getting through the day can feel like a real grind. In those types of situations, the need for production becomes even more important.

Always keep in mind that your customers typically have myriad of choices as to which companies they want to do business with. In the event you (or your team) are feeling not all that motivated, the results could be lost customers and ultimately dwindling revenue.

With that in mind, are you looking for ways to better motivate your employees?

Messages and Actions Do Matter

So that your business can stand head and shoulders above the competition, remember these four tips:

  • Message – In order to best motivate you and your workers, the message has to be positive at all times. For instance, what happens when the economy hits some bumps in the road? In many cases, you can see orders drop off, customers spending less money when they are buying products and services, perhaps even some of your employees feeling down about the overall situation. It is at these times that your message to staff and customers for that matter must be positive. If you feel the need for outside help in motivating your team, turning to guest speakers such as Dakota Meyer and others like him may be your best move. Speakers with a history of life lessons to share with others can be just what you and your company needed. If your company’s message has been falling on deaf ears as of late, turning to those with a resounding message of motivation may prove to be the answer;
  • Incentives – Although most employees are focused on how money they make when all is said and done, there are those looking at other perks of the job. From a solid health insurance plan to being able to work from home, don’t just assume everyone on your team is fixated on their salaries. With gas prices fluctuating between somewhat affordable and rather high, some employees love the flexibility of working from a home office. Meantime, some workers will take advantage of free gym memberships that companies make available. Still others will opt for the ability to travel regularly for the company, getting to spend a fair amount of time outside the office. No matter the incentives, making them available to those deserving of them can prove to be great motivation.

Don’t Let a Good Job Go Unnoticed

  • Rewarding – Although you are not working with a bunch of second-graders (at least that better not be the case), it is fine to reward employees for a job well done. While it doesn’t always have to be (and most likely won’t be) a material reward, a simple “thank you” and/or “you did a good job” can go a long way in motivating workers and keeping them motivated moving forward;
  • Growth – Last but not least, is your company sitting there with strong growth potential? Many workers will want to be with a business where the potential to grow and prosper is front and center. If your business is teetering on disaster more times than not, good luck keeping your team motivated. Although your eyes and ears need to be focused on today, don’t forget about tomorrow and the next day.

Even though you might very well be fixated on your company’s money matters, don’t overlook the importance of keeping employees motivated and happy.

When you send your team the right message, they in turn will likely respond with open arms.

As an employer, how do you go about motivating your employees on a regular basis?