How to motivate employees, seeking to improve indicators of labor productivity, the implementation of the plan? The answers to this question are forced to seek every leader, whether he runs a transnational corporation or a small department. Obviously, the right motivation can make people more responsible in fulfilling professional duties. How to find her and is it always money that decides?
How to motivate employees: thanks
Surprisingly, material bonuses are far from the only motivation tool that is present in the arsenal of an experienced leader who is seeking the implementation of a plan from his subordinates. The boss can motivate employees financially simply by thanking people for the work done. It is not only about such popular means of expressing gratitude as honor and letter boards, as well as public recognition of the merits of a person. Any employee is pleased to receive an informal compliment from the boss, expressed personally, by phone or even in the form of SMS messages.
Using gratitude as an instrument of motivation, it is worth noting not only outstanding achievements that are obvious to everyone. It is useful to praise the novice manager, who managed to interest the first client during his time at the company, even if the contract has not yet been signed. By supporting a person, there is no doubt that he will begin to try even more.
Initiative welcome
How to motivate employees correctly? An effective method that can deliver superior results is to encourage initiative. Many people in senior positions like to talk about how the company needs initiative workers. In reality, they (voluntarily or involuntarily) stop the attempts of subordinates to think independently. As a result, people do not dare to take the initiative, fearing disapproval of their superiors, which negatively affects the result of work.
It is likely that in the past the leader, complaining about the lack of initiative on the part of his subordinates, repeatedly rejected their ideas, without even getting to know them properly. It may be worthwhile to more carefully consider the incoming proposals, as well as give employees a little more freedom in making decisions, to welcome a creative approach - of course, within a reasonable framework.
Individual approach
How to motivate employees, set them up for work? Without exception, people like it when they see a personality, and not a work unit devoid of individuality. Each person has talents, the presence of which he is especially proud of. Moreover, these abilities may, at first glance, not have a direct relationship to his professional duties, but prove to be very valuable upon closer examination. So why not mark them?
For example, if a person is a pedant, he is secretly proud of his ability to keep documents in an impeccable order. Why not praise him for this quality, which in the future can save not only the employee himself, but the company as a whole from serious problems! The subordinate will surely like it if he is cited as an example, focusing on the value of his unique talent for the organization.
Right to make a mistake
How to motivate a new employee? Lack of experience often forces people to make mistakes that do not at all indicate their professional unsuitability.If a new person, out of ignorance, makes a serious mistake, which results in losses for the company, it is far from always advisable to immediately say goodbye to him. A “pardoned” employee can begin to work with a vengeance, trying to prove his worth and dedication to the common cause.
Of course, each leader has his own idea of the magnitude of the error, which you can close your eyes to.
Creating a comfortable environment
How to motivate employees to implement the plan? Leaders are winning who manage to create comfortable conditions for their subordinates to work. It must be borne in mind that all people are different from each other, therefore, various factors affect their productivity. In most cases, negative factors can easily be eliminated, causing a subordinate feeling of appreciation, which will also positively affect the result of work. A person is aware of his need for a company.
A simple example: people can work worse due to the fact that the office is too cold or, conversely, hot. In the first case, the solution to the problem is to install a heater, in the second - the purchase of an air conditioner.
Flexible working hours
How to motivate employees? A flexible phenomenon is gaining popularity. Many leaders today do not require their subordinates to "sit out" 8-10 hours in the workplace, but look only at the result of their work. Surprisingly, what at first glance seems like a lack of discipline often provides increased productivity. Employees are less likely to have “breaks”, try to finish current affairs faster, having the right to personal time.
It is also worth asking the question of whether lateness is always evil, which must be combated? Many people are professionals in their field, but they have serious problems with punctuality. If the employee’s “habit” of being late does not negatively affect the organization’s work, why not turn a blind eye to it? Of course, if a person manages to cope with his labor duties.
Stability
How to motivate employees to work? An effective incentive is a sense of stability that a company can give a person. In the age of rental apartments and loans for many people, the issue of “life and death” is the availability of a constant source of income. Therefore, the best motivation that a manager can offer his subordinates is the lack of doubt about tomorrow.
How to achieve this? Salaries should be issued without delay, employment should be official. An important role is also played by the prospects of the industry with which the organization is connected. Finally, a person should see for himself the possibility of career growth, count on an increase that will become a reward for effective work. In this case, he will not even have thoughts of leaving the organization; he will put more effort into his work.
Keeping Promises
How to motivate employees to work? A good leader can not only deliver promises, but also fulfill them exactly. Any deception of expectations, even insignificant, makes people doubt the reliability and honesty of the employer. As a result, their labor productivity also decreases, they, in turn, allow themselves forgetfulness and carelessness.
For example, a newcomer is promised to increase wages as soon as he passes probation, however forget about it. Not every person dares to remind this promise to the authorities, some silently continue to work, however, their work efficiency is significantly reduced due to disappointment and resentment, and distrust of the employer arises.
Trust demonstration
Total control is far from always an effective means to motivate employees to work.Studies show that labor productivity in most cases does not increase, but decreases if a person constantly feels observation of himself. The tracking tools can be different: installing cameras in workrooms, tracking actions on the Internet, using speech modules. Of course, subordinates are always in good shape, but at the same time they do not go beyond the scope of the task "to sit at work from 9 to 18".
The head, seeking to motivate employees of the organization, should also not encourage denunciations of subordinates to each other. Lack of trust in colleagues negatively affects team spirit. Not every person is effectively capable of working in a prevailing atmosphere of intrigue. Difficult working conditions can make many professionals say goodbye to an organization in which they are not trusted.
About social networks
What else can motivate employees, in addition to all of the above? Managers deliberately blocking access to social networks for staff do not always do the right thing. Firstly, popular networks are actually an analogue of the media; they can also be used by subordinates to solve professional problems.
Secondly, not everyone who visits Facebook from time to time does not work well. It also does not guarantee the growth of labor productivity indicators, weaning employees from social networks. Solitaire “Kosynka”, mobile phone, communication with colleagues on personal topics - people who do not want to work will always find other ways to kill working time. While trust, which is expressed in providing access to social networks, everyone will appreciate it, therefore, it is an effective motivation.
Increase
How to motivate employees to implement the plan? Career prospects are a trouble-free incentive for experienced managers. Obviously, it is impossible to provide new positions to everyone who works well for a couple of months. However, there are also temporary, intermediate posts. For example, a department head who is planning a vacation can choose the most efficient of his own subordinates to play the role of his deputy. You can also appoint an employee to lead an important project that the organization is currently working on.
How to motivate employees without promising a promotion? An effective alternative is the opportunity to improve working conditions. For example, you can promise people bonuses such as a new computer, modern equipment, a separate office, and so on - depending on the capabilities that a particular organization has.
Unexpected awards
It's no secret that the easiest way to motivate employees financially. In this case, it is not only about the size of the salary, although the prospect of its increase will also be a wonderful motivation. It’s great if the organization has a fund to pay unexpected bonuses to reward employees who are best performing. Bonus surprises can be paid based on the results of work for the year, after the end of a long-term project, and so on.
Interim awards will also be greeted by employees with gratitude, motivating them to work. For example, it is possible to encourage the contribution of a subordinate to a grandiose project, even if work on it has not yet come to an end. Having received a cash bonus, the employee will try even harder.
Employee training
Many modern companies motivate employees by paying for their training. A person who is interested in his professional growth is happy to attend trainings and seminars that allow him to improve in his own specialty. They also feel gratitude to the company that provides them with a similar opportunity, which positively affects the results of work.
Many modern organizations offer training opportunities as a bonus, which is provided to employees providing the best results.
Discounts, bonuses
How to motivate employees correctly? Many organizations today provide their employees with discounts on their own services or products. People get the opportunity to reduce their own expenses, as a result, their loyalty to the company increases. Compensation of expenses for mobile communication, travel, which can be quite impressive, and the organization of free meals fall into the same category.
Such bonuses as payment for visiting the pool, fitness club are popular. This not only motivates the staff, but also allows people to keep fit, take care of their health. Obviously, his ability to work and energy, as well as the frequency with which he goes to the hospital, directly depend on the physical condition of a person. The main thing is that a visit to a fitness club does not turn into a kind of duty for subordinates, otherwise the result will be the opposite.
Corporate gatherings
The ability to motivate employees also implies an ongoing concern for team spirit. Team building is facilitated not only by joint work, but also by entertainment. Many managers now from time to time gather subordinates in such places as a bar, bowling. People get the opportunity to take a break from the routine, get to know each other in an informal setting, get new impressions and take on the upcoming project with fresh strength.
Of course, such sorties should not be carried out too often. People who are forced to go bowling with colleagues once a week will sooner or later begin to perceive this as yet another labor obligation.
Readiness for dialogue
How to motivate employees to work? The leader must demonstrate to his subordinates his openness. Many people negatively relate to bosses who are difficult to attend, and this also negatively affects the results of their work. Be sure to allocate time intended for communication with subordinates outside production meetings.
Studies show that everyone is pleased to hear their own name. Of course, the larger the organization, the more difficult it is to remember the names of all employees. However, it’s worth the time, because many people remain in the company for years. The fact that the manager knows the name of the subordinate helps the latter to feel his own significance for the company. This becomes an incentive for more productive work.
Bad advice
There are actions that should be carefully avoided by a manager who is thinking about how to motivate employees. First of all, do not set people deliberately impossible tasks, threatening with the deprivation of bonuses, bonuses and so on. Goals must be achievable, otherwise subordinates give up.
Harmful excessive use of tools of disciplinary motivation, control. People who are fined for being 5 minutes late think about how to leave the company, and not how to increase the efficiency of their work. You can not constantly remind employees of their mistakes, forgetting about the praise, it is especially harmful to humiliate a person in public. It is also dangerous to constantly emphasize how easy it is to replace an employee with another specialist, reducing its importance to the organization. Only healthy competition is welcome.
