Nothing makes employees more productive than when they feel good about the work they do. And though a lot of that comes from an innate attitude that your employees have, much of that job satisfaction comes from you as their employer. Company culture and positive attitudes come from your leadership.
Here are some ways to make your employees feel good about themselves and the work they do.
Respect their time
Remember that your employees are working as hard as they can and even if they love their jobs, they want to go home eventually. So respect their time. Show up to meetings on time, be prepared, stay focused, and honor deadlines and timelines.
Show your appreciation
There are infinite ways to show your employees that you’re grateful for their hard work and happy with their accomplishments. Whether it’s a simple “thank you,” acknowledging them publicly, or rewarding them with a bonus, gift card, or incentive trip to the Caribbean, make them feel good and want to work harder.
Allow for feedback
Nothing shows that you respect and admire your employees by showing that you value their opinions. Ask for their input before you make confident decisions or give them the chance to demonstrate their expertise. Allow them to share knowledge or teach specific skills to the rest of your team. It’s a great way to get everyone on the same page and accelerate someone’s leadership potential.
Be honest
Show your employees you respect them by being as truthful as possible. If there’s information they need to know, give it to them. If they feel like you’re withholding the truth or that the truth is murky, they won’t trust you and they certainly won’t give you their best efforts. And always be sincere when you’re addressing them. If you sugarcoat the truth or give insincere compliments, your words will become meaningless, and your employees will start to tune you out.
Support their efforts
Whether they need more time, more tools and resources, more training, or more information, make sure you’re doing everything you can to supply them with it. If you can’t for some reason—because new software is too expensive, for example—explain that reason to them.
Explain the bigger picture
People work harder when they know their work has meaning. It might be as simple as making someone else’s job easier or helping your company achieve their goals or it might be something much larger—like helping people who are less fortunate or supplying something grand to the greater community. Make the link between what each person does and how the company’s mission gets accomplished abundantly clear.
Reward with opportunities
See the potential in each of your employees and guide them in their professional development. Show them the career advancement path that you think would be ideal for them and support them with learning and leadership opportunities to help them achieve that.
For more advice on how to motivate your employees, contact our team today.
