A question that concerns many managers: how do I motivate my employees? Can they be motivated at all? And if so, how? To keep employees motivated in the long term, it is important to keep employees intrinsically motivated. How do you do that? We have listed some motivational tips for the manager!
Give attention
Rule number 1: attention, attention, attention. Everyone likes to receive attention from a manager to a greater or lesser extent. It gives employees the feeling that they matter and actually contribute to the organisation. For instance, do you ever casually chat with your employees? Do you know what is on their minds? Whether there might be something going on privately? Is your door always open or do they have to make an appointment first? Go and keep talking to your employees. Attention is important for motivation!
2. Give feedback (and compliments!)
Feedback has a somewhat negative connotation in the eyes of many employees (and perhaps also managers). Apparently you are not doing something right otherwise you would not receive feedback, is often the attitude. But giving feedback is actually always positive. Be it points for improvement or compliments; feedback is meant to help the employee grow. Just make sure there is a good balance between points of improvement and compliments. Remember that everyone likes to receive a compliment. So do it just that little bit more often!
Make result agreements
Make result agreements with your employees. What results need to be achieved? And why is this so important? By communicating openly about this, it is also clear to your employee what he is doing it for and that motivates! In addition, it is easier to give an employee feedback based on the result agreements made. Also make sure you evaluate the agreements regularly. That way it stays under the spotlight.
Let employees solve problems themselves
This is often not so easy for a manager. After all, you're there because you know how things work. You have the knowledge. Yet it is better to keep your mouth shut every now and then, even if you do know the answer. When employees come up with their own solution, they are more involved and motivated to implement it. An employee may even come up with a better solution than the one you could have come up with. Do you still feel they haven't found the right solution? Then redirect them by asking questions. 'Have you taken into account...?' or 'Have you thought about...?'. Nothing is more annoying for an employee when they come up with a solution that is immediately swept off the table.
Give employees responsibility (and trust)
In the logistics world, of course, planning is sacrosanct. A delay in the warehouse and the whole production stops. Quite a responsibility, in other words. Do you bear that responsibility alone as manager? Or do those employees carry it with you? Do they think it is as important as you that everything is done on time and properly? If not, ask yourself why not. For example, are they allowed to decide for themselves how to achieve results? Or are they told to? It turns out that people are better motivated when they can determine this themselves. So give your employees a piece of their own responsibility and with that, trust.
In conclusion: don't pull a dead horse
Pulling a dead horse is pointless. If someone is cutting corners, there is no point in complimenting him all the time and giving him more responsibility (after all, you are rewarding his behaviour). You might want to ask yourself whether you have this employee in the right place. Is he competent enough for the job? Or perhaps he is not being challenged enough? Or perhaps private things are at play? You only find out when you ask. So ask questions, show (genuine) interest and pay attention!
Tom from BLOM
