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We’ve all had that day when the motivation to work just isn't there. Even the best jobs in the world have drawbacks, but you have the power to change this notion. Learn how to motivate your employees by following these five steps.
Why do your employees come to work? Do they love your industry or your products, or do they want to feel valued? Ask yourself these questions every time you see an employee walk into work.
If you only view employees as people who work for you, you’re missing out. Everyone wants more in life. Everyone has dreams, and your employees are going to eventually quit if you toss their dreams aside. Understanding your employees' motivations is key to figuring out how to increase engagement and excitement about working in your business.
Everyone loves incentive programs. Look at the major retailers, restaurant chains, and department stores who have some sort of loyalty or rewards program. If you apply this idea to your business, you can encourage employee involvement and satisfaction as well.
Create an incentive program to reward to your employees. For example, start an incentive program with one of the following:
Give out a gift card to the most customer service-centered employee of the week.
Award the employee with the biggest transaction of the month with PTO hours.
If you’re unsure about what your employees would like as an incentive program reward, ASK!
A perfect business-world would have fully autonomous robots in place of workers, and your business would always thrive. Yet, modern business, albeit paired with technology, does not rely solely on robots, but human interactions. Take interest in your employees’ personal and professional lives, and your employees will reward the favor by working harder, smarter, and with greater resolve.
It’s ironic: your employees have power even if you haven't given them power. If your fear of failure takes control, you will try to control every task, responsibility, and activity. Unfortunately, this only leads to aggression, hostility, and dissatisfaction among employees.
Although your livelihood hinges on the success of your business, your employees need to know you trust and value their work. In other words, give your employees a sense of power, responsibility, and ownership within your company. This will improve morale and productivity. Plus, it helps to take the strain off of your shoulders.
Communication remains one of the primary pain points for small business owners. Having fewer employees than your larger competitors does not eliminate the need for communication. Maintain a high level of communication with your employees, and be thorough. Your employees aren't mind readers, and you shouldn't treat them as such. However, your communication shouldn't seem condescending, but helpful.
If I told you to define the critical parts of your business, could you do it without mentioning your employee base? No. Your employees are there to help your small business succeed, and your employees can never have too much motivation. By following these points, you can start increasing employee engagement today.
Ben Camerota is the President at MVP Visuals, a supplier of custom branded displays for live events. They work with companies, of all sizes, to make their event marketing experiences pop. You can reach him at ben@mvpvisuals.com
