Member Article

Motivating your staff

With Business LinkEmployees are an invaluable asset to any company, and keeping employees motivated can be the key to a successful organisation. Nicki Clark at Business Link explains why the principal reason for restructuring your business is to allow it to best achieve its objectives.What is motivation about?Motivation is based on giving people an appropriate combination of rewards. Rewards can include money, recognition, the challenge of a new project or the sense of doing something worthwhile. Most people need to feel they have responsibility and the power to influence results by their choices. Remember, what motivates you may not motivate your employees.Agree goalsEmployees will not be motivated if they do not know what is expected of them. The objectives you identify for the company can be turned into practical, achievable goals for the employee too. If employees can see how their success contributes to the big picture, they will feel involved and motivated.Always agree realistic goals and set targets that both you and the employee can monitor. By rewarding employees for achieving their goals you can motivate them further.Praise and criticismLet your employees know when they are doing well – and when they are doing badly, but remember why you are giving feedback. Your objectives should be to improve performance and help build employees’ motivation and self-esteem. Feedback that does not contribute to this goal can be counter productive.Keeping staff interestedThis is applicable to both new and existing staff. New employees need to feel like they are progressing within their role and by recognising and supporting the good work they do, employees will feel encouraged and motivated to work to the best of their ability.You should take the opportunity to make existing employees’ work more satisfying. Increasing responsibility and versatility within tasks keeps employees stimulated and ambitious.The most obvious way to keep staff motivated is by rewarding them in their salary, pension, and bonuses - but by generating enthusiasm and energy through your employees on a daily basis, you can have a happy workforce at little cost.For Business Link services in your local area, please call: 0845 600 9 006. For further information from Business Link, visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk.Business Link services in the North East are supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Government Office for the North East, and One NorthEast.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .