Employee morale is a vital part of any thriving business, because ultimately, good morale is important in any environment that requires team interaction and work.
If you keep your employees motivated, their enthusiasm will only benefit your company. Here are a few simple ways you can boost motivation and morale in the workplace.
Ways to motivate employees with M.O.R.A.L.E
Management
We’ve all experienced good and bad managers in our time. All too often, the difference between the two lies in whether they seek to drive their employees with negative reinforcement or positive reinforcement.
When a manager preferences negative reinforcement, they may lean towards using aggression, intimidation, insults and bullying to get results. Needless to say, this approach only causes low employee morale and can be quite psychologically damaging in severe cases.
Managers who use positive reinforcement are much more preferable. They coach their employees, set fair expectations and deadlines, are never belittling or disrespectful, and treat all employees as equal. These managers recognise that you catch more flies with honey – and they use this to great effect.
Keeping employees happy as a single, effective unit will be inevitable if you treat all employees with kindness and consideration. our efforts as a leader will always be well received and in turn, rewarded through hard work and motivated staff.
Organization
Rostering fairly is key in any business, but if you show your employees that you are doing everything you can to make their hours adhere to the schedules of their daily lives, you will be a hero to them.
Rostering is a difficult task, but thankfully there are articles everywhere on the internet explaining how it can be done better. Or you can make it easier with software such as Ento, that is designed specifically to assist with business concerns such as rostering.
Rewards
Rewarding employees who work well is important. It shows your workers that you recognise the effort they put in, and if they are well rewarded for that effort, it will remain consistent.
Everyone wants to work for the person who recognises that they are going the extra mile – and adequate opportunity for growth will mean employees won’t feel as though they are stagnating in the same position.
Autonomy
No one likes being watched like a hawk while they work, or having orders constantly barked and re-iterated. Tell your employees what needs to be done in clear concise terms and leave it at that.
Giving your employees room to work is vital, as it makes them feel respected, and shows you trust them enough to get the job done quickly, efficiently and to the highest quality. Allow your employees to be autonomous in their work, and they will thank you for it with higher motivation and productivity.
Listening
Listen to employee suggestions. After all, they’re the one working the job. While it is your company, they are more likely to spot gaps in the systems in place, or to recognise a way that something could be done better.
If an employee comes to you with a situation they think could be improved, listen to their suggestions and investigate how plausible they would be to implement. f it seems like an effective solution or a system worth putting in place, do it. This will make employees feel respected and important, and like a valuable member of the team.
Environment
In a full-time job hours are generally 9-5, five days a week. That means overall, the average full-time worker spends more waking hours at their job than they do at home.
It is therefore important, that work becomes a good place to be. Improve your work environment and employee morale through clear, consistent communication, effective leadership, up-to-date supplies and systems, and fair hours.
Of course a positive work environment comes down to more than just how easy it is for employees to complete tasks – it also comes down to how you as an employer hold yourself. Make yourself a person who is approachable and easy to talk to. Employees will feel like they’re working for a person who respects them, rather than an authority figure they should be intimidated or threatened by.
Additionally, keep your employees close. Organize an annual or bi-annual event, like a company dinner or bowling game, where employees can get together to socialize and generally have a good time. Office parties are also effective strategies for work to be a place not only where work is done, but where an employee’s friends are.
Hard work is always more comfortable and rewarding in the presence of people whose company you enjoy.
For more ways to motivate your staff, be sure to check out our other ideas on the Ento blog. Or if you’re after a system that can help you better organise your workforce, contact us today.
