5 Team Motivational Tips That Cost You Next To Nothing!

People work better when they’re motivated, and at BHP we have first-hand experience and research to prove it. It’s not always easy to know how to motivate your team, but our five top tips will really help. In this blog, we’ll look at the first three of these which are all about giving care and attention.

1. Line manager’s praise and commendation

The impact of a simple thank you goes deep. It shows that not only has someone done a good or beneficial thing but that it has been recognised. When a direct line manager says thank you, it offers positive reinforcement for someone who’s done a good job and gives them a boost. It also demonstrates to the employee and the rest of the workforce that their line manager appreciates their efforts, motivating them to earn more such praise.

In recent research conducted by McKinsey Consulting, a line manager’s praise and commendation came top of their list of workplace motivators, with two-thirds of employees rating it higher even than a pay rise. Praise and commendation were found to be most effective in motivating employees when conferred immediately, rather than in a later routine appraisal. Employees remember how they did the job and why it was praiseworthy, motivating them to replicate their achievement.

2. Attention from higher up

Praise and commendation shouldn’t be limited only to direct line managers. Second, on McKinsey’s list was receiving attention from senior leaders and people higher up in the hierarchy. Commendation and positive feedback by senior leaders help employees feel that their contribution is being noticed as part of the bigger picture. Employees feel more valued and motivated if they see that what they do matters to the overall success of the company.

3. Breaking up the routine

Most jobs are based on repetitive daily performance even when the jobs are perceived as exciting or challenging. Even sports and film stars must endure hours of tedium in practice, rehearsal, and routine tasks which can sap their motivation and this is even more so for most business employees.

One way to break up routine is to offer your employees alternative tasks or projects that may spark their interest. This could mean helping to inject new ideas into an existing project or working on a new one. Simply doing something new and different from their usual job or varying their routine can help to increase an employee’s motivation even if the person who usually does the job doesn’t enjoy it. Everybody wins!

Reallocation of tasks can help you increase overall motivation but your employees will also benefit from the expansion of their experience and skills. The increased versatility of your workforce makes it more valuable and its effective motivation can be further enhanced by extending this tactic to your managers.

 

All of our consultants have successfully run businesses and our practical approach to supporting our clients enables us to share our real-world experience to positively impact on the performance of your business

 

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