8 Ways You Can Motivate and Inspire Your Employees

Have you ever had to deal with a challenging employee who, no matter what you do, appears to be unmotivated? Have you ever noticed one of your most valuable and productive employees fighting to get through a particularly trying day?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple way to instantly motivate your employees. However, there are a few simple inspirational techniques you may use to pique your employees’ interests.

How to Motivate your Employees

Understanding what employees want and ensuring that they are happy and productive pays dividends in a variety of ways and helps to retain them.

Appeal to a personal goal.

Determine what motivates each member of your team and appeals to their individual ambitions. Explain how their work on this next assignment could be used to persuade a superior of their talents, for example, if you know one of your employees is keen on a specific promotion. Tell them how their work on this activity will help them learn something new—or refine a talent they’re presently striving to develop—if they’re interested in gaining new skills. This strategy necessitates understanding how your staff thinks, so take the time to get to know them.

Get them to move around.

Encourage your employees to get up and move about every now and again. That could involve leading staff through a calisthenic regimen, walking around the block, or simply stretching in place, depending on the situation. Physical activity can help your staff feel more energized while also relieving stress.

Make them commit to something small.

People are sometimes hesitant to work because they are intimidated by a project’s magnitude or scope. In your own work, you can overcome this by committing to working on a difficult assignment for only 5 minutes; once you get started, it will be much simpler to keep going. Make your employees commit to anything modest, such as starting a task, to accomplish this.

Dangle a carrot.

A monetary or material incentive is a proven motivator. If an employee seems unmotivated, consider rewarding them with lunch if they accomplish something noteworthy. Just don’t do it too often, or your employees will anticipate a reward every time they complete their tasks, otherwise, they will demand more prizes instead of just performing their work.

Do something fun together.

You can also de-stress and motivate your employees by doing something enjoyable with them. In the break room, for example, you could play a fast game of cards or watch a hilarious film together. It’s a fun way to bond with your friends and lighten the mood.

Actively listen to them.

You should exercise active listening on a regular basis, but it’s especially effective if you know your staff is demotivated. Inquire about their feelings and see if there is anything you can do to help them. Even if you’re just listening to their frustrations, a little help goes a long way. One of the most effective methods to encourage people is to listen.

Give employees a fresh start.

Consider providing staff with a “new start” after a long day of low motivation or overwhelming hurdles. Allow them to restart a project or to leave the office for a short while and return rejuvenated.

Play a game with rewards and consequences with them.

For example, you could challenge an employee to complete a task within a week, and if they succeed, you could give them a half-day off—but if they fail, they’d have to take on a new duty.

These suggestions may help you overcome short-term employee motivation issues, but keep in mind that employee motivation is a long-term factor. You must redesign your entire operation if you want your people to be regularly engaged and stay motivated.

Silicon Harbor Business Services is based in Mount Pleasant, SC.  We provide solid, practical advice to small business owners and select individuals.  We work with Quickbooks Online, Quickbooks Desktop, and Quickbooks Enterprise.

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