Managers need to wear many hats. Not only are they responsible for overseeing employees and making sure they do their work correctly, but they also need to report back to their own bosses, and make sure their expectations are met and realised by the workers.
On top of this, supervisors have their own workload to maintain. Therefore, it is in the best interest of every manager to do everything in their power to motivate employees to be as efficient as possible. When workers do their job correctly and on time, managers don’t need to spend as much time micromanaging them, allowing the supervisors to focus on their own job.
Motivating people is not always an easy thing to do, as different individuals respond to different cues. However, the suggestions below have proven to be effective for managers in the UK.
Reward – One of the best ways to get anyone to do anything is to offer them a reward. Obviously your employees are already enticed to do their jobs as they do not want to get terminated. However, rewards, even small ones, can go a long way in encouraging staff to put extra effort in their projects, finish them before the deadline, or take on more work than they are required to. Rewards work especially well in sales jobs, where bonuses are offered when a sales quota is met or exceeded. But, rewards can motivate employees in different areas, such as not being late, staying overtime, going above and beyond on a task, or simply keeping their area clean. They can be monetary, such as cash bonuses or gift cards; they can involve paid time off above what is offered already; can be an office party or catered lunch; or a tangible object, such as costume jewellery or small electronic devices, like speakers.
Promotion – Another way to motivate a team member to take on more responsibility is to promote him or her. Most employees want to grow in the company, and if you need more help in your department, nominating someone to be a team leaderor an assistant manager is a great way to get assistance with additional tasks and oversight of other workers. A promotion will send a signal to the staff member that more is expected from him or her, and in order to keep the new job, that person will need to step up the game.
Encouragement – You can push employees to do better with monetary incentives and promotions, but another tactic that works is plain old encouragement. Managers who use their time to sit down with their subordinates and provide them with feedback on their work, as well as inspire them to try harder, work more efficiently, and aim higher, report great results. This is due to the fact that employees realise that their manager is monitoring their behaviour and work, and is invested in their effort and success.
Managers who take the time to provide their employees with motivation end up with team members who work harder and more efficiently. Read this article for three tips on how to motivate your staff.
