Having the ability to motivate staff without resorting to offerings of more money is one of the most powerful skills a business owner can have. Unfortunately, not every business owner possesses this skill, which is why many bosses think throwing money at their staff will somehow make them better employees.
While money is definitely a motivator for some, the fact is, many people are happy to put in hard work for other less costly reasons. As a business owner, you owe it to yourself and your staff to learn what these reasons are and use them to save yourself money and make your employees feel good about their jobs.
- Give Rewards and Recognition
These two things can come in many forms. Start an office competition where you keep track of everyone’s progress on a whiteboard. Give the winner a small reward such as tickets to a play or a gift certificate for a nice dinner out.
Alternately, you could give high-quality corporate gifts to recognize top sellers or to mark special occasions within the office.
- Give Praise – Often
Praise is one of the easiest things to give and everyone wants it. It costs nothing to recognize good work, so get used to giving it when it’s warranted.
The key to effectively giving praise is to be specific. Recognize things like sales volume, customer retention, and increases in profitability with a shout-out during a meeting or with a simple “thank-you” note on a desk. Try to avoid criticism as much as you can.
- Create a Sense of Community
When people feel a part of something, they tend to work hard for the good of the group. Creating a sense of community among your staff is a great way to keep everyone motivated and feeling appreciated.
Eat lunch together, give everyone a break by playing games together, or just have a party to celebrate some accomplishment or holiday. To further encourage community, encourage your staff to hang out together after hours, too.
- Give More Responsibility
When people have more responsibility, they usually step up and work harder. Start by giving the entire team more responsibility by getting rid of the role of project manager. Put everyone on the same level and watch how they all come together to complete the project ahead of schedule and with much better results. When people report to a team rather than one specific person, they are more likely to excel for the good of the group.
- Offer Flexibility in the Workday
A typical 9-5 workday isn’t ideal for everyone. In fact, it’s often quite inconvenient, especially when you factor in the employee’s family. Things like kids, doctors’ appointments, etc. can make a typical workday very difficult. By offering your employees flexibility in their work schedules, you will find they tend to be more productive when they are at work and that they are much happier to boot.
If you really want to offer flexibility to your staff, consider allowing them to earn work-from-home days that allow them to forgo the daily commute once in a while and do their jobs from home.
As a business owner, you can certainly offer pay raises to motivate your employees, but when you implement one or all of the suggestions above, you are likely to find your employees are much happier and much more motivated to do a better job.
