How Top Managers Motivate Their Employees at Work

Motivate Employees by Unlocking Potential

Your company has a vision — perhaps this vision is bold and cutting edge, bound for greatness, or perhaps it’s a little more modest, simply filling a need in the existing market. But it’s a vision nonetheless, and you are determined to see it fulfilled. However, your employees may not share your enthusiasm — in fact, many employees feel disengaged in the work that they do, and are not putting their full care, attention, or effort into it. Employee disengagement negatively impacts company culture and brand identity, and costs U.S. companies as much as $550 billion annually.

So how do you make sure that your company’s ability to achieve its vision isn’t being compromised by disengagement and demotivation in your workforce? Often, the biggest differences between a motivated employee and one who just shows up is within your power as a manager. You can make a huge impact in engagement, and in doing so, turn your workforce into an all-star team. Here’s how.

Show Your Team the Big Picture

People love to feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves — this is the psychology behind communities, clubs, fandoms, youth groups, and more. But when you show up to work every day to focus on a tiny piece of the larger puzzle, it can be hard to attain that feeling. It can even become demoralizing, to feel as though your work is trivial and unimportant. You can prevent this feeling by taking time regularly to make sure that your team sees the big picture and understands why their contribution matters in terms of overall success. When you show them how they are an integral part of something bigger, you’ll be amazed at the change in motivation.

Recognition Matters (Even in Small Doses)

Here’s a saying you’ve probably heard: “Reward the behaviour you want to see.” While people normally say this about children (or pets), it’s just as applicable to grown-ups, too — especially your employees. A person who feels that their effort and contribution is unappreciated or even worthless will not feel motivated to continue putting in the same degree of effort over time; in fact, their effort may decrease steadily over time. This doesn’t mean every act requires extravagant reward, but taking a bit of time to just personally acknowledge an employee’s good work, even for small victories, costs you nothing at all while making a tremendous difference in their mindset.

Open Up Lines of Communication to Motivate Employees

Another factor that can be incredibly demotivating for many employees is feeling as though their words are falling on deaf ears and their needs are going unmet. By listening and being responsive when your employees ask questions or provide feedback can be effective, but you don’t have to always wait for them to come to you. Start a dialogue by regularly requesting feedback — if an employee has been unsure of whether or not to speak up, this may encourage them to voice their concerns, creating opportunities for issues to be resolved.

Allow Individuals to Shine

Every person has their own unique strengths and skills; unfortunately, these don’t always line up with their job descriptions. However, every now and again an opportunity comes along, and you discover a way for an employee to make a major difference using their unique talents. Be open and willing to explore these moments when they come up — not only might you discover an incredible asset, but you’ll give them a chance to do what they love.

Lead by Example

There are two kinds of managers in the world — those who sit back while others work for them, and those that roll up their sleeves and lead the way. No one likes working for the former; in fact, they may go out of their way to slack off out of spite, thinking, “If they’re not putting in the work, why should I?” Strive to be an example of productivity, and you will motivate employees to do the same.

Create Opportunities for Growth and Advancement

When someone in an entry-level job feels that they’ll never advance, they won’t give you their 100%. In fact, they probably won’t stick around if something even a little better comes around. But in an environment where career advancement (or even just financial advancement) is a distinct and tangible possibility, people will work harder. Simply put, most people are not content to stand still! Create opportunities for growth, talk to your employees about where they see themselves and how they can get there, and provide regular performance reviews with pay raises where appropriate. If you're having trouble finding more cash in your budget, making the most of resource planning can help increase profitability and uncover extra bills.

While not every employee requires the same motivation, the power is in your hands to boost engagement in your team — and the best part is, you can start today.