Ways To Motivate Employees

Successful business owners and managers are always looking for ways to motivate employees, because they understand the true strength of a company lies with its employees. When a highly motivated and happy crew is manning the ship, you are far more likely to reach your final destination.

Before I list some of the key ways to motivate employees, I feel that it must be said that there is no true magic formula that will work on every single employee. While there are some universal truths to be had, you must always remain flexible and adjust your tactics to suit each individual.

For example, I've worked with many people that thrive on public praise – they love nothing more than being applauded in front of all of their peers. A no-brainer, right? Well, not necessarily, because I've also worked with some that do not enjoy being praised publicly. It makes them feel a bit uncomfortable. While they thrive on praise as much as their more public peers, they are far more happy and motivated when the praise comes directly from their supervisor in a one-on-one method, rather than when they are tossed on a stage for everyone to applaud.

Always try to adjust your tactics to suit the individual, because what works for us doesn't necessarily work for others. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some of the key ways to motivate employees:

  • Be a friend. Don't be afraid to become close with your employees, because the more they like, trust and confide in you the more motivated they will be to work for you. As long as you have the ability to separate your friendship from your business expectations (and they know it), there is no harm in being legitimately amiable.
  • Be available. Try to keep your office an open door such that employees feel comfortable coming to you with any concerns or issues at any time.
  • Be positive. Your emotional state of mind and presence will have a drastic effect on your employees' motivation. When life hands you lemons, try to keep your chin up when around others.
  • Offer frequent praise. Just like us, employees thrive on validation – they love to feel wanted and like their efforts are being appreciated. At a minimum, critiques should be equally balanced between negative and positive. Ideally, you would offer far more positive than negative.
  • Ask about their goals. Employees are often too afraid to approach their supervisor or employer and discuss promotion desires. Take the initiative and see what their future desires are and then help them work towards any feasible goals.
  • Create a fun atmosphere. Encourage chatting among your employees, music, etc. when it doesn't conflict with the atmosphere (such as a law firm office). As long as your employees are working hard, there's no harm in making their workplace more pleasant.
  • Offer incentives. Incentives are a great way to boost motivation as they create a friendly competition within the workplace. They can be as simple as an "employee of the month" award to actual cash bonuses.
  • Disallow infighting. While it's inevitable that people will occasionally clash, if there is someone within your ranks that seems to agitate or annoy several of your employees then you must put a stop to it. Everyone within your organization must treat each other with respect, because if there is a bully in the ranks they can quickly sap the morale and motivation of everyone else. Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch, no matter how hard he works or how long he's been with your organization.
  • Be confident and assertive. Sometimes employers or supervisors will ask their employees how projects should be handled, believing it shows an openness that will form respect. It can, but it's a double-edged sword. Your employees must feel you are confident and in control, because if they begin to suspect you don't know what you are doing they will doubt your authority and lose trust and confidence in you. Note: confident and assertive does NOT mean arrogant and pushy.
  • Communicate often. This kind of ties in with the first two items on the list, but it bears separate mention because it's so important. Communication is the lifeblood of an organization – without it, your employees will see you as a friend or view your open door policy despite your good intentions. Don't feel you always have to chat "business" – social chatting shows that you're more than just a "boss."