KEEPING MOTIVATION HIGH
Once you have successfully raised the motivation levels of your staff, it is important that they stay raised. Varying working conditions, improving management systems, and placing a high value on your employees should all be top priorities.
Monitoring Motivation
People want to feel good about their work and their organization. Encourage and nurture this natural drive – do not spend your time cracking whips and shouting slogans. Use surveys, research, and polling to check on morale and find out when and where new initiatives are needed. Select trusted people to talk to you informally about general mood, developments that affect motivation, and potential problem individuals.
Modifying Practices
Taking part in experiments and cooperating in changes heightens interest, team spirit, and self-esteem, regardless of the change. Any aspect of motivational practice is open to change. Look for ways to engage all staff in reviewing processes and practices, and in devising ways of changing them. If you find any current practice demotivates, correct it immediately.
Reviewing Systems
Underperformance is expensive, and yet 85 percent of all recorded underperformance is thought to result from the system imposed by managers. Do not let that be yours. Review every aspect of your business system regularly. All business systems are capable of demotivating staff, and all are open to improvement. Poor systems generate poor morale.
Regularly test your system, and ask for improvement suggestions from those who are on the front line. Remember that the act of reform itself improves morale. Even if your system was motivational when it was originally set up, changing conditions mean that you should always be open to revisions – whether the initiative comes from you or from your staff. Above all, treat seriously all comments on the system – staff will often bring matters to you as a last resort.
Things to Do
- Look for areas suitable for experimental changes.
- Use inspiring names for your motivational projects.
- Keep track of staff morale.
- Ask staff to inform you of any system problems.
- Modify or drop any changes that do not work.
- Give low performers plenty of encouragement.
TIPS
- Change your own working methods if it will improve staff motivation.
- Check on morale levels by talking to members of staff on a regular basis.
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