Workers won’t always put in 100% effort at the office or in the workplace. However, businesses can put systems in place to encourage them to do their best say 90% of the time.
Many companies operate a “stick” approach, threatening employees who don’t perform. However, adopting the “carrot” is usually the better option for most personalities. People want to feel encouraged at work, not scared they’ll lose their jobs.
So, what can you do to motivate employees in a friendly way? Here’s our advice:
Lead By Example
The first place to start is with your own leadership style. If you’re twiddling your thumbs all day while everyone else is rushing around like headless chickens, that can eventually wear thin.
The best way around this is to showcase your effort and energy levels and expect these from the rest of your team. You want people around you to feel energized by what you’re doing and want to work hard in their jobs.
Leading by example is tough because you have to bring your A-game to the office every day. But if you can do it, it is often the most potent way to shift organizational culture.
Provide Opportunities For Growth
On the other end of the spectrum, you also want to provide employees with growth opportunities. They should feel like they can move upward in the world and reach new heights.
One way to do this is through conventional training. Here, a professional comes to the office to impart education to workers, allowing them to develop new skills they can use in upgraded roles.
The other approach is to offer mentoring. Here, you sit employees down in a room one-on-one with experts who can help them take their careers to the next level. It’s not always a strategy that works, but it can be an excellent tool for star employees you believe have potential.
Address Issues Early
Addressing issues early is another way to deal with workers who might be considering slacking off. Gathering regular feedback prevents problems from festering, leading to so-called “quiet quitting” – something you’ll want to avoid.
One way to do this is to operate an open culture where workers can voice their complaints without fear of reprisals. The best way to do this is to give one manager some power to make workplace changes and set them up as “the nice guy.”
You can also adopt anonymous feedback boxes. These give workers a sense of safety and free them up to speak their minds.
Create A More Positive Work Environment
You can also increase in-office effort through a more positive work environment. Setting up your workplace as somewhere employees want to be can help them get more involved and focused on their job.
Start by using more employee engagement activities. These encourage workers to focus more on what they’re doing now instead of daydreaming about better job opportunities elsewhere.
You can also do things like make people feel more included and create a positive working environment where everyone wants to do their best. Incentives, like public achievement recognition, can also help in some workplaces.