At the heart of any successful business is a dedicated and productive team – and if you’re the head of that team, you’re responsible for keeping your employees motivated. You’ll have heard the phrase ‘be the change you want to see’ – and as a manager, you should be striving to put the best version of yourself forward and leading by example. If you’re looking for ways to motivate your staff, we’ve gathered together 5 simple and actionable tips to inspire both you and your workforce.
- Perk up your office
Whether you’ve been in your building for a week or 10 years, there will always be ways your work environment could benefit from some TLC – and paying proper attention to your workspace will make it an infinitely nicer place to be. From a brightly painted feature wall to ensuring staff have adequate space to store their essentials, giving your office space the royal treatment will have a direct impact on your team’s sense of focus and drive.
A tidy office equals a tidy mind.
- Reward employees
While placing too much emphasis on rewarding work can have a detrimental effect on staff morale, a healthy incentive can encourage some light-hearted competition and boost team motivation across the board. Whether it’s an ‘Employee of the Week’ scheme or a prize at the end of each month, recognising the hard work of your team will improve their confidence and increase motivation as a welcome result.
Hand over the reins and let your team vote for their winner.
- Take a healthy approach
It may seem obvious, but poor health leads to a dramatic decrease in productivity – and while you can’t eliminate sick days entirely, there are things you can do to encourage your team to be healthier in the workplace. From standing up during team meetings to installing an office water cooler, taking these proactive approaches will get your staff moving and keep them hydrated. If your employees are healthy, their productivity will soar.
A healthy team is a happy team.
- Introduce flexitime
While your staff may be a unified force inside the office, it’s likely that they’re running on very different schedules outside of working hours. Dealing with a busy home life can be a difficult task if you’re trying to adhere to a strict work schedule – but the introduction of flextime removes these limitations and allows your staff to build their working day around the rest of their life. This attitude to a more flexible working day is growing steadily in popularity, with some employers even encouraging working from home in an effort to maintain the crucial work-life balance.
Appreciate that every employee is different.
- Carry out regular pay reviews
Regular pay reviews are a great way to motivate your workforce, as they’ll appreciate reaping the rewards at a personal level – and they don’t have to come at a great cost. Scheduled pay reviews will give your staff the incentive to keep up their hard work throughout the year and encourage them to keep track of their achievements. These 121 opportunities will afford you some individual time with your team members and they’ll appreciate the support and feedback you’re able to offer them.
Investing time into your team can be more effective than a pay rise.
By implementing these powerful management strategies starting today, you can get your team on the path to success and reap the rewards for years to come.
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Peter Stark is Marketing Manager at Eden Springs – supplying environmentally friendly coffee machines and water coolers to offices throughout the UK, helping to keep your employees healthy, hydrated and motivated.