Some say that motivation is a key ingredient for success, both in personal and professional pursuits. When it comes to employee motivation, there are a few things leaders can do to help their team members achieve their best. Here are three tips to get your employees moving:
1. Allow your employees to demonstrate a healthy level of autonomy. Researchers have found that workers who experience higher workplace autonomy also report greater job-related well-being. For example, increased flexibility as to where work takes place (the office vs at home), schedule, and pace all contribute positively towards employee satisfaction. When given more freedom in their roles, employees' mental health can be improved.
2. Include your employees in goal setting. Goal-setting is a critical process that every employee should be involved in, but it's especially important for those who work with customers on an everyday basis. When employees know their goals are aligned to the business and the company’s mission statement, they can better understand how their actions affect progress towards these shared objectives."
5. Rethink your performance review process. With the rise of new technologies, it is more important than ever to identify how well an employee has been performing. A recent study found that over 90% of organizations use some type of formal review process for their employees; the problem is that performance reviews often fall short of meeting the needs of either employees or the company. According to a poll conducted by Gallup, only 14 percent of employees “strongly agree that the performance reviews they receive inspire them to improve. Instead of taking the traditional approach of a once a year "look back," regularly connect with employees to evaluate goals and objectives and look at how they are doing. What can be improved? How can you as a leader help them? What are they doing well that they should continue to do? Regular feedback that looks ahead rather than feedback that looks back as much as a year in the past can have a huge impact on employee morale and motivation.
How do you motivate your employees? What works for one person might not work for another. The key is understanding what makes each individual tick and using that information to create a motivating environment. If you’re curious how your employees are feeling, Purpose HQ can help. We can’t wait to see how your team performs when they’re excited and engaged in their work!