![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/How-to-keep-your-employees-motivated-300x200.jpg\")
There is a holy grail in the workplace, but like the one in the popular book and movie \u201cThe Di Vinci Code,\u201d it\u2019s not exactly what you\u2019d expect. In any company, the products and the location are important.<\/p>\nThere is a holy grail in the workplace, but like the one in the popular book and movie \u201cThe Di Vinci Code,\u201d it\u2019s not exactly what you\u2019d expect. In any company, the products and the location are important.<\/p>\n
So, too, are the branding strategies, packaging and pricing \u2014 but in the end, it\u2019s the employees who make the difference. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important that you motivate them to move mountains.<\/p>\n
There are lots of examples of great companies and their highly motivated employees: Apple, Disney, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Coca Cola, Zappos and Wynn Resorts are a few that come to mind. Companies on the \u201cMost Admired Company\u201d list have one thing in common: motivated employees. These employees readily tell anyone that they love what they do and where they work; it\u2019s evident on their faces and in their words. If it\u2019s there, they puff up like a proud peacock; if not, their shoulders slump. If it\u2019s the former, they won\u2019t stop talking and raving about the job and company; if not, they\u2019ll complain to everyone they meet.<\/p>\n
Motivated employees will do everything to make what they\u2019re doing great; they\u2019ll be role models for other employees, and they\u2019ll be the best advertising for a company\u2019s brand and products. The key is getting employees to love where they work.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a 12-step program to get employees to love where they work and motivate them to move mountains.<\/p>\n
Clearly define your vision<\/strong><\/p>\n Your vision is a roadmap for employees, and it should be very clear. While it\u2019s probably clear to you, how well do you think your colleagues and subordinates know it? Try asking them \u2014 and don\u2019t be surprised if they\u2019re unclear or confused. Take time to write it down, show it to others and when it\u2019s clear and concise, post it in the places where employees can see important stuff like this.<\/p>\n Give employees what they want and need<\/strong><\/p>\n Put yourself in their shoes. Have you seen the reality show where the boss goes undercover and works with some of his or her employees? It\u2019s amazing how shocked some of these bosses are at how hard the work really is, and how little their employees are provided to get that work done efficiently and effectively. Tools, training, support and a sensitive understanding from supervisors \u2014 these are the things that employees expect. Don\u2019t presume they have any of these \u2014 go check personally. If and when you find they don\u2019t, correct that immediately.<\/p>\n Communicate often and well<\/strong><\/p>\n What channels do you use to communicate your message? Written and distributed memos and letters, FAQs, newsletters, training classes, the Internet (do you have a portal, and how often do your employees access it), regular meetings \u2014 all of these should be used to convey the vision of the organisation. Spend time personally asking your employees what they know and think. If the responses show that they are unaware or confused, stop and redesign the messages and the ways you convey them.<\/p>\n Get everyone engaged<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t expect much from employees who don\u2019t feel connected. Everybody talks about empowerment, but that\u2019s so yesterday. Successful companies you read about today all have lots of ways to get employees at all levels engaged in planning and decision making \u2014 that way, they own the things they do. And owners are always looking to improve what they do.<\/p>\n Stay the course<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t keep changing things all the time. Sure, you have to adjust to and update for changing times, but most organisations change stuff because they\u2019re uncertain about what they\u2019re doing. That scares employees \u2014 they want to have confidence in the people they work for, and change just for change\u2019s sake is confusing and unsettling. Come up with sensitive policies. Then keep the ones that work well and constantly amend and update those that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Practice random acts of kindness<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember to say thank you in all kinds of ways. These don\u2019t have to be overly formal \u2014 sometimes a simple pat on the back goes a long way. Don\u2019t have complicated programs to give formal awards or recognition; just make whatever you do personal and from the heart. Catching people doing things right is a powerful philosophy and motivator.<\/p>\n Coach for success<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone wants to do well, and most want and need guidance to do that. Paying attention to the work that others do, giving them clear feedback and showing them how to be better when needed is very motivating. Don\u2019t wait for those annual reviews to do this \u2014 daily, in real time, is always better.<\/p>\n Act fairly<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve all gotten hung up on being politically correct and unthinkingly consistent, and in the process we\u2019ve forgotten that, in most things, one size does not fit all. If two sets of circumstances are exactly the same, then your decisions should be exactly the same. But when they\u2019re not, you should use your wisdom, experience and good sense to do what\u2019s right. Take time to examine the circumstances, to understand the context in which they happen, to take into account the real things that happen to real people in the real world \u2014 and then do what\u2019s right (that\u2019s often the same as what you\u2019d want to happen to you, if the roles were reversed). You and your employees will be glad you did.<\/p>\n Inspect what you expect<\/strong><\/p>\n Employees don\u2019t care what you ask them to do as long as they know you care. And what better way to show that you care than paying attention to them, discussing what you see, and letting them know what you think? Unlike that old \u201cIf a tree fall in a forest\u2026\u201d mantra, everything that happens at work, by every employee, has a ripple effect on everyone and everything else. Good bosses pay attention to everything and manage effectively.<\/p>\n Give respect and create trust<\/strong><\/p>\n This seems like such a simple thing, and yet most employees in most organisations will tell you that they don\u2019t feel like their bosses respect them (and their needs and wishes). And when that\u2019s the case, it\u2019s awfully hard to trust the people you\u2019re working for. So respect and trust your team, and see whether they\u2019ll trust you in return.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be a jerk<\/strong><\/p>\n It goes without saying, right? Not! Everyone has examples of bosses doing stupid things. Try to remember all the dumb things that some bosses did to you in the past, and then work on never repeating any of those things. But if (not if, but when) you slip and do something stupid or weird, just stop and apologise. You\u2019ll be surprised how much employees appreciate the fact that you recognise your own mistakes, and then take the time to tell them you\u2019re sorry.<\/p>\n Make work fun<\/strong><\/p>\n We all have to go to work each day, but there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be enjoyable. When was the last time you laughed at work, or encouraged your team to enjoy themselves, or did something playful, or any one of a thousand other things that could improve what is usually a pretty drab and colourless environment? C\u2019mon \u2014 lighten up, and you\u2019ll be surprised how much more people can do when they\u2019re enjoying themselves. Employees who are enjoying themselves, and what they do, can and will be motivated to move mountains.<\/p>\n Together, all this stuff works to create and to support your culture. And your culture is what people see and judge you by \u2014 because it becomes the foundation of who you are, what you stand for, how people (employees and customers) feel, and ultimately how you\u2019re referred to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There is a holy grail in the workplace, but like the one in the popular book and movie \u201cThe Di Vinci Code,\u201d it\u2019s not exactly what you\u2019d expect. In any company, the products and the location are important. So, too, are the branding strategies, packaging and pricing \u2014 but in the end, it\u2019s the employees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,4],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3185,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417\/revisions\/3185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}