Ten ways to Motivate Employees

1. Incentivise your employees

Reward employee performance based on meeting certain goals. A proven motivator for employees is earning a "badge" or even commission for committing to certain tasks. This empowers them and ensures they work harder.

2. Let Them Know You Trust Them

If you let your employees know you trust and depend on them, they will step up to the plate sooner than you think. A vote of confidence can go a long way. Let them know you trust them to do the best job possible and they will rarely disappoint you. Try it and see!

3. Set Small Weekly Goals

You want lofty ambitions but set up small goals along the way to keep employees in it. Keep in mind though goals need to be realistic and achievable.

4. Give Your Employees Purpose

Motivate your employees by giving them a purpose. When you accomplish that, they understand the vision better and can execute more strongly. In addition, by understanding their purpose and the purpose of the business, an employee is better able to understand how they fit into the big picture.

5. Radiate Positivity

Pump some energy through the office and get the radio on! Culture is always important, play music, have fun, joke around, and play games. Work hard but play hard too! You must be in the moment and high-energy all the time!

6. Transparency!

Be open with your employees about what is happening at the highest level so there are no surprises, and everyone has a chance to ask questions and give feedback. Employees need to feel included in big decisions and committed to the direction the company takes. This has helped to sustain motivation and increased company loyalty.

7. Motivate Individuals Rather Than the Team

Aligned incentives are the only true way to ensure everyone on a team is working toward a common goal. Framing the strategy in multiple ways ensures each stakeholder has a clear, personal understanding of how working together benefits himself and the team. This technique allows you to motivate the team to accomplish amazing things.

8. Learn What Makes Each Employee Tick

Ask what they do and don't like working on, share the big picture company goals, and respond to their questions. Discern their goals and then invest in their professional growth. During one-on-one check-ins, listen to their ideas, because they're the best at what they do. Respect their personal schedules and non-work time, and don't ever pit their goals/timelines against each other.

9. The Work-Life Balance

Why not take that important meeting to the local restaurant or park? Getting your employees out of the workplace and giving them a breather can really help productivity and company morale.

10. Empower your employees!

Give your employees more of a say in how they do their job. Ask for their input and get suggestions on how they can improve their performance. Most employees have ideas about how they can be more efficient, but they may not share them with you unless you specifically ask them. Use regular employee reviews to discuss these improvements, but don’t just ask. If you really want to empower and motivate your employees, you need to take their advice and implement it. You should also give them the authority to make their own decisions, such as providing service for a client up to a certain point without needing to get prior approval.