Keeping up the energy in the work environment by attempting to constantly motivate your employees can be a daunting task, and over time may prove to be an extremely challenging exercise to do.
There are proven methods however which can keep these workers alert while simultaneously keeping them on their toes, which can regenerate new energy into the workplace.
The majority of organizations will just usually instill a quick paced “up tempo” working environment along with expecting higher standards of performance which involves preset expectations, or by giving out performance incentives or rewards to their employees.
Usually, these types of expectations can also cause extreme performance anxiety along with potential burnout, even by your best performers. This since they’re wanting to do and be at their peak best at all times.
Maintaining and then sustaining the highest standard of employee motivation when the expectations are already high has proven to be difficult to do over time.
If you follow a few proven steps, however, doing so can lead towards more clarity, balance, and renewed energy to the mission which you have installed in the workplace.
Proven Ways To Motivate Employees
Make Your Employees Slightly Uncomfortable
The majority of employees, other than getting paid every two weeks, will usually long for challenges while also wanting to feel a bit uncomfortable. They’re constantly looking for greater challenges when it comes to their work, this usually just to eliminate boredom or repetition.
So as an employer, a proven effective method of keeping your employees as motivated as possible is continuously offering and encouraging them to take on new opportunities and responsibilities, different projects or difficult challenges.
What doing so will validate the confidence which you have in them, while forcing them to think out of the box and out of their comfort zone. You’ll also be providing them with more experience in different areas of your company which they would otherwise not have faced.
Steps To Continuously Challenging Them
One situation that’s unwanted is for an employee to begin losing their motivation because they’re no longer “pushed” when doing their job. This then ultimately leads towards they losing their focus, which can also potentially cause these employees to begin looking for another more challenging job elsewhere.
So it becomes vitally important to continuously challenge them by constantly analyzing their job performance. You can do so by encouraging them to verbalize how they can improve their own job, or the organizations, by they suggesting different processes, greater efficiencies, or service offerings.
Once the individual begins to feel that they’re part of the solution and not part of the problem with they contributing, they will then become more invested in their jobs and the company.
Providing Constant Constructive Feedback
One of the best proven ways which keeps employees as motivated as possible is by constantly asking them for feedback on the work which they’re doing. Then using constructive feedback can be an extremely motivating method which will drive employees to wanting to improve their job performance.
Generally, everyone wants to do the best job that they can, so once you give them information on how they can to improve the quality of their work, constructively, what then happens is their pride kicks in, and it then becomes embraced by the employees which motivates them.
But conversely, if the feedback happens to be given or perceived negatively, then the opposite effect can occur. The employee may then decide to ignore it and may become defensive. So the context of the feedback and how you deliver it is extremely important when providing this type of feedback.
Is Working Longer Really Better
There’s this perception that working longer hours will yield higher rewards. Although this may be partially true, as what doing so does is it shows a commitment towards one’s job. But in some cases, working these longer hours can also potentially leads towards is an demotivated or burnt out employee.
These individuals will also begin feeling that they have no social life other than their work, or that they’ll never get ahead in their jobs, that they’re just spinning their wheels. To avoid this, encourage your employees to work smarter and not longer.
The majority of employees just lack time management skills, so once you provide training in this area, they’ll then be able to better manage their workload and their day. This so they won’t become overwhelmed or bitter regarding the excessive time that they’re spending at the office or job site.
Encouraging More Activity
For those employees in an extremely demanding work environment, one thing which you as an employer can do is encourage them to take short breaks away from their immediate work environment, which could be a cubicle or a stuffy office, even if this is just for a few moments.
Getting a bit of fresh air and sunshine, or jumping on a stationary bike for a few minutes, getting in some idle chatter regarding anything that’s not work related, has proven to have an incredibly valuable effect when it comes to invigorating and refreshing employees. What this can guarantee is it will ensure a better quality of work.