Early in my management career, I was involved in a merger of two large companies. The officers of the new company stood at the front of the room that sat over 1000 employees of our Northeast Regional Office. As these men excitedly spoke of the next phase that would merge two well-known companies, there was clapping and cheering.
The very next day our corporate officers called a meeting with the management team. Yes, the two companies were merging, but it also meant duplicate positions and too many employees. Though downsizing began with offers of early retirement and relocation for interested employees, within 6 months the new company made the announcement they were closing our Regional office.
Leaders face challenges such as this every day. How do you keep employees engaged, motivated, and involved? Whether there is a major shakeup in the office, as I experienced, or completing day-to-day tasks, what can a leader do keep employees moving forward?
- Maintain a positive atmosphere
A positive atmosphere in the workplace includes a consistent and pleasant office space that employees want to come to each day, a leader who interacts with them, and being included in company goals. Leaders must also think about their employee’s personal development, office culture, and team spirit to keep employees engaged and motivated.
An important piece to a positive atmosphere between leaders and their employees is having open and ongoing communication.Though the company I had worked for decided to keep information under wraps, company employees want to know what is really happening, be it good or bad. When I am having a meeting or communicating with members of my team, I think back to that meeting that put forth a positive vibe initially, but in reality only management was aware of what was really going on. Employees kept in the dark speculate and gossip, equating to poor morale and lower work output.
Even when sharing less than positive information, it is better to hear that information from their leader, as it is significantly worse if employees hear what is going on within their own company from someone other than you. When bad news has to be shared, have solutions and ideas to keep employees thinking and moving forward. Ask for their input, as they may have solutions you may not have considered. Definitely don’t dwell on the negative and certainly don’t complain around or to employees about things happening within the company.
Related: Habits That Ruin Our Productivity
- More work in less time
When it comes time for buckling down and getting work done, having a plan of action can make work go quickly and smoothly. Productivity of each and every employee is vital. Stop thinking about how much work has to be done and start working on things that hinder productivity.
Teach employees about self-management. Self-management skills such as behavior, self-reliance, and decision-making allow employees to be successful and independent and go hand in hand with goal setting.
Teach employees about hidden procrastination as they may not be aware what keeps them off task. Employees that check emails every ten minutes under the misconception they are keeping on top of things, or boast about constantly multitasking, or are distracted with office noise or talk, experience a slow down in their productivity.
As a leader, setting a good example for productivity is essential. If you suffer from procrastination or are easily distracted yourself, learn self-management skills and then teach them to your team. Everyone will benefit.
Need more ways to get more done in less time? Take a look at this list of 175 Way to Get More Done in Less Time put together by Corner Stone Leadership Institute.
- Budgeting
Money is the bottom line for all businesses. Whether you have a small budget or an immense one, it is very important that you as the leader have a strong understanding of costs to run your business. If you struggle with numbers, hire someone who can do the budgeting for you. Budgeting not only helps prioritize spending, grow your business, and helps you to avoid surprise expenses, but will keep you on track for your future goals.
Keep your employees on budget by monitoring if they are over or under budget on projects. Keeping a close eye on the budget is important, but remember the main goals for your budget are customer satisfaction, quality of performance, and getting the job done on time.
Keeping valuable employees is important for any business, but when working within a budget, it can be difficult to offer your employees all the perks and benefits they may want and expect. If offering paid benefits is out of your budget, offer fringe benefits that do not have monetary value, such as flextime, achievement awards, and company recognition. Whether paid or unpaid, fringe benefits can increase employee satisfaction, motivation, and productivity.
Related: 30 Fringe Benefits That Will Change Your Employee’s Lives
- Employee motivation
Employee motivation is important for every business. Without motivation employees lack the energy, commitment, and creativity for their job. As a leader this may be hard to hear, but according to the 2015 Gallup Poll, over 50% of the work force is not engaged in their current job. These employees are not involved in, enthusiastic about, or committed to their work or to the company they work for. Think about how that can affect your business and how unmotivated employees are affecting your motivated employees.
To keep your employees motivated and engaged, think about factors that will motivate them to complete a task or to reach a goal. As a leader, you can work with extrinsic motivations (motivation driven by rewards and punishment) or intrinsic motivation (motivation driven by the enjoyment and satisfaction of the task).
Though extrinsic motivation sounds like a good option as most people want to avoid punishment or earn a reward, this type of motivation works only with a few employees.
When thinking about motivating your employees, consider intrinsic motivation which comes from within an employee. Employees find their work satisfying and enjoyable and use their work as their motivation, not a reward or punishment that you deliver.
To develop intrinsic motivation within your employees, allow them more autonomy with decision-making and more control over their work. Don’t be a micromanager; allow your employees to be innovative and creative when working on a problem or task. When a task or goal is under the control of the employee, the happier they will be.
As a leader, what do you find keeps you up at night? Please share!
Hi, I’m Karen. Welcome to my website! I will show you how to establish the framework for an organized and successful leadership and office management system.
