Have your evaluated your management skills lately? More importantly have you looked at your ability to motivate your employees?
The ability to encourage the people that work for you is an asset. People want to feel appreciated, and they want to know that they are looked upon as individuals not part of a corporate machine. By creating the habit of encouragement you may well be insuring the continued success of your company.
It can be as simple as a verbal acknowledgment, “Thanks Jim, you did an awesome job at that presentation last week.”
By making it a habit to look for the positive things your people are doing you will be motivating your employees to excellence and building company loyalty. Here are some great motivational ideas from INC.com Notice how they are really common sense, and are something anyone can do?
The old adage of treating others as you would like to be treated also holds true in business. What makes you feel good about your job? What makes you feel appreciated? Make a list and do those things for your employees.
You might want to recognize an employee or team in a small ceremony or with an award.
This shows them that excellence is recognized and rewarded. It creates positive peer pressure, and it is fun for everyone. Having a quarterly awards ceremony can be a big step toward motivating people to continue to give it all they have got. It may even create a little friendly competition which is generally a good motivator.
Keep track of birthdays and celebrate with a cake and a gift. Some companies give an employee a day off or a half day off for their birthdays. A gift can be as simple as a small, business card case.
Have an employee that has gone over the top for the company? Show him/her that he is a star with this silver star pen set
Awards and gifts are great tools but read how one CEO showed his appreciation by instituting a pie and coffee break every afternoon. The company supplies the goodies, and builds morale at a surprisingly low cost.
Developing motivational skills may be difficult at first and even feel unnatural to some. The more you practice the more genuine it will become and it can make a lasting impact on your company.
Top Image:Morgue File
Images:Corporate Snobs, used by permission.
