Ten Ways to Positively Motivate Staff

Some of the best motivational techniques are actually quite simple. Giving recognition is one of these – which makes it all the more curious that many managers and leaders overlook this when they want to motivate staff.

When you think back over your career, how many bosses have you had? How many of them were truly rewarding to work for? Most people find that the first number significantly exceeds the second!

The bosses that stand out because they are great to work with share several characteristics. And high up on the list is that they genuinely appreciate their staff – so recognition naturally follows.

Here are 10 ways you can recognize your most valuable assets – your employees:

Give praise where it is deserved
When a job is done well, acknowledge it and be sincere. Be careful to be consistent – because if you appear to have favorites, it soon backfires.

Say thank you
Some bosses who are very polite in social circles seem to forget this simple term of recognition in the workplace. Because of its relative rarity, a “thank you” still has the ability to surprise while verbally acknowledging that you appreciate your employee’s efforts.

Use the power of the written word
This is not about a formal review process. Instead, take the opportunity to write a note or brief letter to an individual in recognition of work done or qualities deployed. Sometimes these letters are so treasured that they are kept for years afterwards.

Give awards
A surprise reward can be a fantastic motivator. Awards and prizes do not have to be monetary – be creative. You could add a degree of publicity – the company magazine or intranet perhaps. You could even use the local media if appropriate.

Listen
This is perhaps the most powerful means of recognition, so use it well. Give sufficient time to really listen, and the investment will be paid back many times over. There are two main reasons that listening is so important. First, you gain valuable feedback – which can inform future interaction. Secondly, paying attention through listening actually increases the quality of your team member’s thinking and, hence, their performance.

Invite their suggestions
Whether in meetings, email or one-on-one sessions, make it clear that your employees’ contributions are welcome – even expected. Let them know that you respect their ideas and insights on the tasks and projects at hand. Make sure you respond to suggestions once they are made.

Encourage career development
Discuss your employees’ hopes and aspirations. Give encouragement through support and mentoring while making sure they take responsibility for their advancement. You can open doors, but they need to walk through – not you on their behalf.

Challenge them
Stretch your team members because you have faith in their abilities. Ideally, allocate work so that the level of challenge is just beyond their current comfortable skill level but not so far that it creates anxiety and stress. Watch for feedback and make adjustments as necessary.

Be sensitive to their personal circumstances
Tune in to what is going on – things like family sickness, transport problems and personal health. Interacting on this level shows you recognize them as human beings rather than just business resources.

Respect their values
If they hold something dear, then you can respect it without necessarily having to agree with them. For example, strong views on green politics, religion or diet all go here. Some organizations cover this area in a diversity policy.

Try all 10 of these tips in your workplace. You might be surprised to find out just how much you can motivate your staff with positive reinforcement.