|
Ten
Tips for the Leader About Building Employee Motivation and Morale at
Work
You can make
their day or break their day. It is really your choice as LEADER. It
is one of the hallmark of companies that went from Good to Great.
You are the most powerful factor in
employee motivation and morale other than the decisions individuals
make on their own about liking their work or not.
By your words, your body language,
and the expression on your face, as a manager, supervisor, or
leader, you telegraph your opinion of their value to the people you
employee.
Remember -Feeling valued is ranked higher by most
of employees then liking the work, competitive pay, opportunities
for training and advancement, and feeling "in" on the latest news.
Therefore as manager, supervisor, or
a leader, you indicated the values to the team member through your
body language, the facial expressions and your choice of words.
Feeling valued by their LEADER in
the workplace is key to high employee motivation and morale. This is
both challenging and yet supremely simple. It requires that you pay
attention every day to profoundly meaningful aspects of your impact
on life at work.
Your Arrival at Work Sets
the Tone for the Day
Scenario: Mr. Stressed-Out
and Miserable. He arrives at work with a frown on his face. His body
language telegraphs "over-worked" and unhappy. He moves slowly and
treats the first person who approaches him abruptly. It only takes a
few minutes for the entire workplace to get the word. Stay away from
Mr. Stressed-Out and Grumpy if you know what's good for you this
morning.
Your arrival and the first moments
you spend with staff each day have an immeasurable impact on
positive employee motivation and morale./p>
Start the day right. Smile, Walk
tall and confidently. Walk around your workplace and greet people.
Share the goals and expectations for the day. Let the staff know
that today is going to be a great day. It starts with you. You can
make their day.
Tips,
outlined are the keys to Leadership Success in creating positive
employee motivation and morale. The challenge is to incorporate them
into your skill set and do them consistently
1. Choice of WORDS are
important - so use Simple, Powerful Motivational Words
How often do you take the time to
use these simple, powerful words, and others like them, in your
interaction with staff? You can make their day.
I really appreciate your efforts -
that task was well done - Marvellous for.
Achieving/completing the job -and "you're doing a good job."
Also don't forget to be polite by
saying "please" and "thank you"
2. Make Sure People Know
What You Expect
In the best book I've read on the
subject, Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed to Do and What
to Do about It, by Ferdinand Fournies, setting clear expectations is
often a Leader's first failure.
Managers think they have
clearly stated work objectives, numbers needed, report deadlines and
requirements, but the employee received a different message. Or, the
requirements change in the middle of the day, job, or project. While
the new expectations are communicated - usually poorly - the reason
for the change or the context for the change is rarely discussed.
This causes staff members to think that the company leaders don't
know what they are doing.
Hardly a confidence, morale-building
feeling. This is bad news for employee motivation and morale. Make
sure you get feedback from the employee so you know he understands
what you need.
Share the goals and reasons for
doing the task or project. In a manufacturing environment, don't
emphasize numbers if you want a quality product finished quickly.
If you must make a change midway
through a task or a project, tell the staff why the change is
needed; tell them everything you know. You can make their day.
3. Provide Regular Feedback
to your Staff
You must identify first is knowing
how they are doing at work. Your staff members need the same
information. They want to know when they have done a project well
and when you are disappointed in their results. They need this
information as soon as possible following the event. They need to
work with you to make sure they produce a positive outcome the next
time. Set up a daily or weekly schedule and make sure feedback
happens.
Often Leaders are known to pick on
faults or mistakes yet good work is rarely rewarded with good words.
People Need Positive feedback well regularly.
4. It Ain't Magic. It's
Discipline.
Leaders frequently ask, "How
do I motivate employees?"
It's one of the most common questions I am asked. Wrong question.
Ask instead, "How do I create a work
environment in which individual employees choose to be motivated
about work goals and activities?" That question I can answer.
The right answer is that, generally,
you know what you should do; you know what motivates you.
You just do not consistently, in a disciplined manner,
adhere to what you know about motivation.
5. Offer Continue Learning
for your team and yourself.
Use whatever access you have to trainingto
develop your staff and yourself. If you don't have an internal
trainer then seek an external Consultant or a training company.
Create a plan to offer training and
start talking with your Human Resources professionals for delivery.
The ability to continuously learn keeps you moving in your career
and through all the changes we'll see in the next decade.
Training Should help all as - how
to:
• Listen and communicate well
• Plan and execute projects
• Make right decisions
• Delegate tasks and projects
• Give clear and proper instructions
• Provide Proper progressive discipline
• Provide feedback, praise and recognition
• Write emails, reports and performance evaluations
• Make Presentations
• Manage Time
• Solving Problem and follow up for continuous improvement
• Manage Meetings
• Interview and hire employees
• Build a teamwork environment.
What does all this have to do with motivation, you may ask?
Everything. The more comfortable and confident you are about these
work competencies, the more time, energy, and ability you have to
devote to spending time with staff and creating a motivating work
environment.
6. Make Time for People
Make time to spend time daily with
each person you supervise. Managers might aim for an hour a week
with each of their direct reports.
Many studies, over the years, clearly indicate that a work
motivation factor is spending positive interaction time with the
supervisor. Schedule quarterly performance development meetings on a
public calendar so people see when they can prepare for extra time
and attention from you, focused on them. You can make their year.
7. Focus on the Development
of People
Most people want to learn and grow
their skills at work. No matter their reason: a promotion, different
work, a new position or a leadership role, they appreciate your
help. Talk about changes they want to make to their jobs to better
serve their customers. Encourage experimentation and taking
reasonable risk to develop their skills.
Get to know them personally. Ask what motivates them. Ask what
career objectives they have and are aiming to achieve. Make a
development plan with each person and make sure you help them carry
the plan out. The quarterly performance development meeting is your
opportunity to formalize plans for people. You can make their career
8. Provide Leadership
People expect you to know
the goals and share the direction in which your work group is
heading. The more you can tell them about why an event is happening,
the better.
Prepare staff in advance if visitors or customers will come to your
workplace. Hold regular meetings to share information, gain ideas
for improvement, and train new policies. Hold focus groups to gather
input before implementing policies that affect employees. Promote
problem solving and process improvement teams.
Above all else, to effectively lead a work group, department, or
unit, you must take responsibility for your actions, the actions of
the people you lead, and the accomplishment of the goals that are
yours.
If you are unhappy with the caliber of the people you are hiring,
whose responsibility is that? If you are unhappy about the training
people in your work group are receiving, whose responsibility is
that? If you are tired of sales and accounting changing your goals,
schedule, and direction, whose responsibility is that? If you step
up to the wire, people will respect you and follow you. You are
creating a work environment in which people will choose motivation.
It does start with you. You can make their DAY |
