As a manager strides into the office among the staff, he has the power to positively shift the outlook of the employee for the entire day.
Words, gestures, even the expression on your face spell the difference in how an employee perceives your opinion of them. These unconscious actions tell the employee what they mean to you and how valuable they are to you as a manager and to the organization.
Letting the employee feel needed and appreciated is a key factor to maintaining maximum employee morale and motivation. If your employees feel that they play a key role in the company by the work they provide, then they are much more likely to say that they like their job and to strive to better themselves at that job. For many, feeling valued is just as important as high pay, and promotions.
Let's build zest with these tactics:
1.Let them feel your presence. Coming to work and announcing your arrival is a great way to motivate employees and get them upbeat on the first hour of the day. Striding through the doors and simply saying good morning with a smile on your face can make all the difference in the world.
2. Verbal Acknowledgement. This kind of commendation doesn’t have to be over dramatic or exaggerated, most times showing respect for your employees by saying simple things like please and thank you are easy and effective ways to motivate your employees.Praise like “you did a great job” when the employee deserves it is sure fire way that verbal praise can work to motivate employees.
3. Lay clear expectations. Communicating deadlines, milestones, and job objectives are essential to completing company mandates efficiently. Sometimes these things are reported very well but they may change. These changes may not be discussed in detail and therefore causes employees to feel that they are either not important enough to be told why the changes are taking place, or that the manager has made a mistake. Neither of these thoughts will lead to a motivated employee. One way to prevent this is to always get some kind of feedback from the employee about the job so that you are certain that he knows what is expected. If there is a change in a project, inform the employee why. Keep them part of the solution to the problem.
4. Provide employees regular feedback. Let the employee know when he is doing a commendable job. On the flip side, let the employee know when you are not pleased with the outcome and state your reasons. This is a great opportunity to let the employee know how they can do better next time. Ask the employee if there is anything that you as a manager can do to help with the change. Solicit feedback from the employee. Talk it over and enjoy a real discussion. This will make the employee feel like you are not offend about the job, but that you are genuinely concerned and willing to help rectify the problem.
5. Generate consequences. Make sure to not only tell the employee when you are satisfied with the work, but also provide recognition for marvelous work. A personally written thank you card is an effective and inexpensive way to do this. When an employee fails to meet company expectations, it is demotivating to other workers, after all, they may think, “If he isn’t doing it why should I?” That is why it is so important to broadcast consequences for those who do not perform as expected. Be consistent with consequences among the staff.
Employees will love working with you and you will enjoy working with them as you take a few minutes out of your day to butter their emotions. Spend time with employees during and after work. Demonstrate that you care and value them as important members of the company.