Managing your employees

Jun 27 2006 By Evening Gazette

The ability to motivate your staff is a crucial leadership skill that's essential for anyone employing a team of people.

Some managers have a natural aptitude for motivation while others find it more difficult, but either way a productive team is a fundamental part of any successful business.

Motivation is essential for an effective and enthusiastic workforce and even staff with great ability are useless if they are not motivated to do their job.

A lack of motivation leads to poor performance and in the worst cases, individuals may become depressed or disruptive, bringing down the morale of the rest of the team. Motivated employees make the best of their abilities, are more creative and will have higher levels of productivity, delivering better value for money.

Leadership

* Leadership is increasingly being recognised as essential to organisational success, particularly because it can inspire and motivate employees.

* Management and leadership are two separate things, with the latter far less tangible and harder to pin down.

* Good managers can follow a process to get results, but an effective leader must have vision, inspirational qualities and the ability to empower others.

* Key qualities are good communication, trust, knowledge, vision, energy, respect, goal setting and a shared understanding of where the business is going.

How to motivate staff

* Not everyone is motivated by the same thing, so knowing employees individually will help to establish what motivates each person.

* Appraisal records and CVs can be used to help you think about their particular needs.

* Managers should try to take a genuine interest in the person both inside and outside of work. An employee may have personal problems that affect motivation during work.

* People like to be appreciated. There is nothing worse than working hard in obscurity without acknowledgement. Money is some compensation, but it's also important to know that others realise what has been achieved.

* Only genuine achievement should be recognised and it's important to stay aware of the contribution each individual is making.

* A simple "pat on the back" is often underestimated and even when a target is not reached, employees should be thanked for their efforts.

* Routine praise is not effective so you must genuinely offer thanks when praising people's work.

* Public recognition, like award presentations or newsletter profiles can be even more effective.

Financial and non-financial incentives

* People go to work to earn money, so a good salary provides basic staff motivation, but is not necessarily what most encourages people to work harder.

* Recognition from management or even a simple thank you for a job well done can be a real motivator.

* Knowing that a good career development path is in place and that good work is rewarded by more responsibility or promotion will also motivate staff.

* If you choose to reward workers with financial incentives, they should be accompanied by public recognition, perhaps at a team meeting or through the staff newsletter.

Training

* Training is one way to help staff feel more confident about meeting their targets and can also be used as an opportunity to motivate a team.

* Courses can be a refreshing change from the everyday routine of work and can be seen as a form of recognition for the person concerned.

* Employees also feel encouraged that their prospects are improved by building up their knowledge and skills.

* If employees are given training of little value and return to a backlog of work it can also have a negative effect.

Career development

* The prospect of promotion or a move into a job with more responsibility can motivate staff to work harder. Failure to achieve promotion will demotivate people.

* In appraisals, it's important to confirm that expectations on both sides are realistic. If the possibilities for promotion are limited, the person should be aware of this.

* The manager may need to find alternative ways to motivate an ambitious person. They should be shown how success in the job will lead to opportunities with other employers in due course.

* Wherever possible opportunities should be offered to existing staff rather than recruiting outsiders. This should encourage the belief that there are at least some opportunities to develop a career within the business.

Involving and informing staff

* Keeping staff informed of what's going on will increase their interest in your business, and promote loyalty and motivate them to work harder.

* Information - You should keep staff informed about what's happening in the business staff briefings, newsletters or regular meetings can be used to keep everyone aware of what is going on in the business.

* Participation - Involving employees in planning and innovation is a highly effective motivator as they can provide a realistic insight into the operation.

* Meetings - Any meetings held are an opportunity to motivate staff. Regular team meetings enable individuals to co-ordinate their efforts and to share problems and solutions.

* Social activities - Social events allow staff to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and develop more of a team spirit. They are a good way to give employees a sense of involvement and share the perks of the business, as well as breaking down the barriers between management and staff.

Lack of motivation

* Lack of motivation is a problem most businesses will face at some point, some members of staff may not be motivated to do their job. Signs include increased absenteeism, lateness, declining work quality and lower productivity. If the hard workers see other employees wasting time they may also become demotivated.

* Many employers rely on fear to motivate staff. Apart from being destructive in itself, fear does not encourage loyalty or effectiveness. It leaves people insecure and worried for their jobs. Remember too much work, excessive criticism, poor communication and a lack of feedback will damage motivation.

Business Link works with you to build an understanding of what your business wants to achieve and can help identify the most appropriate training and staff development and, if appropriate, assist with the identification of funding to ensure you achieve your objectives.

Call Business Link on 0845 600 9 006 or email info@tees.businesslink.co.uk to see to see how you can make the most from your business.