Tess Taylor 
Motivation in the workplace is the key to boosting employee performance. But how can you inspire your employees to work hard and keep working efficiently? What methods are best for boosting employee performance?
Every employer uses different methods to boost motivation in the workplace. Some of these methods work, while others do not. Finding something that works for you and your employees is not always an easy task.
To help you begin, here are some tips that can help boost motivation in the workplace in as little as one month.
Examine Your Motivation Methods
When something is not working, it is time to try something else. Remember that old saying? “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” If you continue to use methods that are not producing results, then you are the fool.
Take a closer look at the methods your company uses to boost motivation and quit using methods that are not working. Instead, make changes to your existing tactics and experiment with different ideas. Find a system that works for you and your employees to increase motivation in your place of work.
Set and Track Goals
Sit down with your employees and establish some individual and company goals. Over time, keep track of individual and group progress. In addition, teach your employees to track their own progress. Give constructive feedback that tells your workers where they are on the road to their goals and support them in reaching those milestones. Begin with small, easily attainable goals and benchmarks so that each employee can experience success.
Ask Your Employees What They Want
What motivates your employees? You will not know for sure unless you ask them directly. Every person has different goals and desires and therefore different motivations. Celebrate each staff member’s individuality by scrapping generic programs and develop programs and opportunities that will cater to their unique interests.
Communication is Important
Most employees will tell you that communication is the No. 1 factor of success. Ask your employees how they feel about communication in the workplace. Motivation is likely to drop when workers feel their employer is withholding information from them. To avoid this issue, communicate openly with your team. Your employees should feel that their opinions are being heard and taken into consideration. The hardest working members of a company are usually the ones who believe their superiors care about them and listen to their input.
Eliminate Threats
Another tip for boosting motivation is to recognize and eliminate threats. Intimidation will not make your employees work harder. It can yield some short-term results, but your staff will eventually resent you if you continue to threaten them with consequences and penalties. You might not mean to “bully” your employees, but sometimes that is how it is perceived. Learn to recognize and avoid these situations. You should also reward your employees for performance that goes above and beyond normal levels, but do not withhold rights for employees who perform on a consistent normal level.
Boosting Motivation
Being an employer in charge of a group of employees is not always an easy task. Hiring good employees is the easy part; keeping those employees motivated to produce good work months and years later is more difficult.
Remember that your employees are unique individuals and are motivated by things beyond the workplace. Open up the lines of communication and allow your staff to have a voice in the company. Lastly, eliminate negativity and work on positive motivation methods that boost confidence and performance.
Guest Author: Carl works at Motivo Performance Group. They are an employee improvement company that offers employee onboarding programs to increase overall company productivity.
Image Credit: Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net
