One of the most common questions we get asked at beami is...
"How do I motivate my employees?"
There are many ways we answer this question, most of the time it is about aligning expectations from both sides. Empowering employees is so much more powerful than dictating and therefore building their knowledge and skills is essential. Once you have the foundations in place, strong ongoing communication is one of the key components of employee motivation.
Managers often ask us why we think they are not motivating their employees and here is what we would tell them to look at.
Do your employees feel they have the correct training? A recent survey cited by the go2HR Society indicates that 40 percent of employees leave their positions within the first year due to poor training. If you can empower through training employees are able to understand the expectation, values and strategic direction.
Communication is a critical component of motivation, having open and ongoing communication ensures everyone understands the expectations, issues, goals and achievements throughout. If managers fail to communicate clear expectations, provide feedback, and recognize good work, employees may feel undervalued and unmotivated. Likewise if employees don't feel like they can communicate with their managers, small issues which could have been resolved may turn into major issues.
Employees who feel that their hard work and contributions are not acknowledged often become disengaged and lose motivation. Managers who fail to provide regular feedback, praise, and rewards may struggle to keep their employees motivated. Strong communication as previously noted will give opportunity for acknowledgement and enagagement.
Employees who feel that there are limited opportunities for growth and development within their current role or within the company they work for may become demotivated. Managers who fail to provide vision, training, mentorship, and career development opportunities may struggle to retain and motivate employees.
Employees who do not trust their manager or feel that their manager does not have their best interests in mind may become demotivated. Managers who do not build trust through transparency, consistency, and empathy may struggle to motivate their employees. Trust can be built over time but must be invested in continually.
If employees feel that they are being treated unfairly, either by comparison to others or just against the companies promises then they may become demotivated. Managers who do not ensure fairness and equity may struggle to motivate their employees.
Communication is at the heart of all causes of demotivation, whether it be formal or informal communication, it is an essential component of motivation. Training is a fundamental part of employee engagement and growth which leads to highly engaged and motivated employees.
This course can be delivered either virtually or face to face (at your office or another venue) at a time convenient for you.
Check out our 'How to motivate' course
