You are an entrepreneur and are motivated about your business – no matter how small it is. You woke up one day, thought of a business idea that you actualized on. You are basically on fire and would want to keep it that way for the sake of your business’ prosperity.
On the other hand, there is a probability that your employees do not share in your vision and passion. They might only be showing up to work because they are getting a huge paycheck. They might not reciprocate on the kind of motivation that you share.
For your business to prosper, it is not enough just to have your employees show up to work. They need to be motivated and care about their work. The urge to make sales and work towards the business goals should be their number one priority.
On that note, below are a few strategies that will work towards motivating your employees.
1. Make the business environment pleasant
What most people do not realize is that the most hours of a person’s life, are spent in their places of work. So, it is only appropriate to have a pleasing and fun space at work.
The first step to this is to ensure all office software is in good condition. Also, make sure you always have the updated versions of all software. This means, having the intelligent automation software that allows for a unified and automated broader range of sales. With the above software, there will be no excuse for the sales team if they are not living up to their targets.
This also means having a clean working environment. Get some inexpensive good-looking furniture to make the area more attractive. All these few adjustments will make things more interesting and enjoyable for your employees.
2. Be respective and supportive
As a manager, you should cultivate respect and support towards your employees. To many, this may seem like a no-brainer but without it, employees will run for the hills.
Also, having clear communication with your employees is a good foundation to start from. The point is to always look for ways to be a great and better leader. Be a mentor your employees look up to.
If you are new at this management stuff, do research and read books in the subject to the matter. Effective management takes practice and knowledge. Just remember that if you are a good leader to work with, your employees will be more honest and loyal.
3. Offer incentives
Employees will work with you as long as they have a reason to. If you are a business owner and want to keep your employees around and motivated, an incentive program is your best bet.
Come up with quarterly programs or just a commission-awarding structure that works for your company. It should also be better than what other businesses are offering. Just be creative.
It may be something as offering free treats or even profit-sharing. When employees feel appreciated for a job well done, they will most probably have no reason to switch jobs.
4. Give them room to grow
This is especially true for companies that are rapidly growing. Giving your employees the opportunity to grow in your company is bound to motivate them. Apart from the incentive of earning more money, employees will feel like they are trusted and respected.
If your company is opening up a second location, trust the existing employees to take up management roles. If someone is, for example, good at sales, consider grooming them to take over the sales department completely.
When you give your employees this room for growth, they might consider doing it as a full-fledged career.
5. Offer flexibility
Here, we are talking about flexibility in terms of scheduling. With the technological advancements we are witnessing every other day, employees can do tasks like check e-mails on their phones or laptops, in the comfort of their homes.
If your employees know that they can have the weekend off, or just some other specific day off, they will feel appreciated and motivation will ensue. Give them an opportunity to work from home or during flexible hours. This will make your employees or other prospective employees view you as a progressive employer and only want to work with you more.