They say that a business’s performance depends largely on the people who run it, particularly those who are placed at the front lines. While the upper management may have the luxury of making major decisions and deciding the direction the company is going, it is those in the rank and file who do the “dirty” work and make sure things get done. That said, if your staff are demotivated to perform or see their job merely as a means to pay the bills and not really fulfilling, you can’t expect your business to grow healthily and reach its full potential.
 
How can you as a boss make sure that your employees are motivated to work? Sure, the fact that they have paying jobs is inspiring enough to make them show up for work every day, if only to support their families—but is this the type of “zombie” culture you want to breed at your office? The most important element in the manager and employee relationship is mutual respect. By setting up a work environment and organizational culture that values engagement and dialogue, you get staff who are more pumped to perform because they know their needs are being heard.
 
Here are four ways you can motivate staff to do better.
 
1. Show respect.
 
Treat employees with respect and dignity and they will show you the same. Your relationship with your team is crucial to making sure that the company’s vision is carried out according to plan. You can motivate employees to perform better by giving them the positive treatment they deserve. According to HR experts at TweakYourBiz.com, when people work in an environment where they feel that they are important, the more inspired they will be to contribute.
 
2. Provide recognition.
 
The incentive system is a great way to show employees that their efforts are acknowledged. It also gives them more reason to work harder and do better. It doesn’t have to be in monetary terms. A simple handshake or an “employee of the month” announcement does wonders to a person’s morale and confidence.
 
3. Encourage engagement.
 
Your employees are the ones who operate your business from the ground and will have a wealth of suggestions on how to make things better—if you ask them. By holding forums or surveys, or simply talking to your staff about what they think of certain systems in the company (and actually acting on these recommendations), you make them feel that their opinions have weight and are valued.
 
4. Offer coaching.
 
A company’s success is not solely about the strategies and development plans that are set in place. It’s largely about the skills and character of the individual managers. Practice what you preach and offer guidance for your team, so they know how to perform their roles better. Share your experiences, impart extra knowledge, and more importantly, show them how it’s done. You can just tell them what to do and expect them to be like robots. Example is the best teacher.