There is no doubt about it that this year has been a bit difficult for businesses. No matter what size the business is, everybody has felt the effects of the changes this year. But there are some businesses that have managed to keep their staff happy and motivated even through the most difficult times. It goes without saying that treating your staff in a positive and caring way will help your business progress and stay strong. A happy team of individuals can do anything when it comes to work-related issues. Creating a happy and connected environment, with great communication, is something that no business owner or board of directors will ever regret. But how do you keep the team motivated through difficult times? Here are a few ideas to start with and hopefully build on overtime.
1. Communication
Effective communication is essential, whether it’s to directors having a discussion about a project that needs to move forward, or whether it is the cleaner communicating that they need new tools, there is no doubt about the fact that you can keep the whole team afloat even in the most difficult times, by communicating in a positive and effective way.
It is often believed that management has to model this for the rest of the team to follow, which of course makes sense. But more than this management must always foster an environment that encourages positive communication. Whether that’s giving people space and time to be able to communicate with other people in their team, or providing tools such as teams that will mean that the staff have instant dialogue, that can be used easily and quickly, or even if it’s just encouraging the team to spend a little social time together here and there. It is proven that a team that can communicate, will always solve problems much quicker, and essentially in a more cost-effective way than a team that is unable, or unwilling to talk through any issues.
2. Incentives
Incentives are always encouraged when it comes to employing staff, but this can sometimes come off a little bit patronising if you aren’t careful. One of the most meaningful ways that you can reward your team is through share incentives, this means that your team can really feel as though they are part of the business.
In the past companies have given shares or profit share bonuses to their teams and really noticed the effect this has on the overall happiness of their workforce. It is, of course, a little more complex than lower forms of incentives, and it can be tempting to try to avoid it, but if you really do your research and you want to be seen as an employer that values their staff, then hiring a specialist corporate solicitor to help you set up a share incentive scheme could be one of the best investments that you make for your business.
This method has been shown to help employees feel valued and as though they own something special. This gives a level of responsibility and respect for the company that they are working for. Even if this isn’t an option for your business initially, it can be something that you would put into your long-term plans, and think about when the time is right.
3. Environment
We all know that people work better when they’re comfortable and environmental factors can play a huge role in this. If you have an office space or a building that your staff are working from, it’s essential, that you provide a safe and comfortable working environment.
There are two ways of doing this, you can provide the bare minimum and hope the team are happy with that, or you can go a little bit further out of your way, spend a little bit more money, and put a little more effort into the environment your workforce is sitting in, and reap the rewards from a happy and motivated workforce. As investments go making sure that your team are well taken care of, is going to be a step in the right direction.
Even if your team are not office-based, there are things that you can do such as talking to your team members, and working out what they would need to feel more comfortable in their environment. Sometimes even just asking the question can show that you care enough to do better way possible.
4. Respect
Showing respect for your team and everything that is important to them is a good way to ensure everybody is on the same page. We don’t all have to agree with each other in the workplace. But making sure that everybody has space to have a voice, and can be involved in productive discussions by using that open line of communication, means that you will avoid any accidental miscommunication or disrespectful interactions. As with open communication, leading by example is always the best way to go. So being respectful when you ask your workforce to do something for you, will get you far.
5. Gratitude
Showing your team that you are grateful for all of their hard work and effort can certainly help business owners in the long run. Of course, the fact that the team is being paid is the compensation for their time and effort’s, but if anybody goes a little bit further than they have to, or you see that somebody has had to work hard for a result, showing that you are grateful, even with some nice words, is going to help your team feel valued and respected as well. It is evident in many studies that gratitude always encourages better efforts in various scenarios.
It is without a doubt that taking care of the people who work for you is a great business move, because with a positive and hard-working workforce anything as possible, and the opportunities this can bring to your door are wide-reaching and exciting. So look into these options and see what you can use.
