How do you motivate people who work in your company? Is it as simple as giving out money or compliments? Studies seem to show a preference to compliments, but to really motivate staff takes a few other things, and most of them are not so obvious.
Instructions
1. Be kind to your staff. That may sound juvenile, but it is the number one complaint of employees. Mean bosses get grumpy employees. Also, it is contagious. If people see a boss who is mean, then they translate that as endorsement for them to be mean to co-workers and clients.
2. Be positive. Negative people drag down the atmosphere. The sky is falling does not inspire motivation; it drains people.
3. Give appropriate compliments. People who work hard sometimes do need a word of appreciation. Everyone likes to feel appreciated for what they do. A simple "thank you" can do wonders. Other things like remembering birthdays with a card go a long way, even if your assistant prepares the card.
4. Give the pep talk. Words can inspire and motivate if used appropriately and sparingly. In other words, a daily pep talk is usually ineffective and seems forced. But if a manager gives them only once a month, they can be more effective.
5. Have a contest. People are generally competitive. Sometimes a contest gets the juices flowing, especially if there is a good prize at the end, like a day off with pay or a dinner out. To work well, there has to be a level playing field, and employees should compete against themselves or some arbitrary thing, not each other. You can't have people competing against each other and then demand that they work as a team.
