Managing a team of diverse employees is no easy task. It’s not only hard to manage multiple active projects happening simultaneously, but it’s difficult to prioritize and remember the numerous projects in pipeline! It is however easy to end up overwhelming your team, and even easier to forget how hard they are all working. We get so caught up in our own work stressors that sometimes it’s hard to think about everyone being in the same boat. The last thing you want is for your employees to feel discouraged or unappreciated.
No one wants to work in an unpleasant or stressful work environment, so here are some tips we came up with to ensure your team feels appreciated and engaged in their work.
Communicate. Keep them in the loop. Your employees want to feel like they have a role in the company. Keeping them updated on bigger picture ideas, and showing them that they are contributing to the success of the company, will increase their interest in the well being of the company, and lead them to work even harder.
You want passionate employees who understand and our knowledgeable on your business. How do you create that? By teaching them! Always remind your employees that your door is open for questions and that you are there are as another helper in the team, and not just as a supervisor.
Support New Ideas. Supporting new ideas will encourage more employees to create new ideas. Even just listening to a new thought will motivate them because they know you will be receptive to what they have to say. Nothing brilliant ever comes from the status quo so allow your employees to explore and share their thoughts. You never know who will come up with the next great idea for your business.
Encourage Creativity. Encouraging creativity will create a fun environment that will make employees want to come to work every day. Creativity creates better ideas and your employees will feel empowered to create something unique.
Many companies go as far as to push their employees to create. Google has a bar just to open employees minds. You don’t have to go as far as to allow your employees to drink while working, but create a space that inspires creativity. Give your employees creative freedom instead of strict guidelines on content. You will be surprised by how valuable open-mindedness can be.
Support Individuality. It is important to allow employees to express themselves. Feeling like you have to fit into a certain mold only stifles creativity and creates a toxic work environment. Think about the staff at Buzzfeed and how unique they allow all their employees to be. Providing an accepting space for your employees makes them feel excited to come to work. It is easier for your employees to remain engaged when they can confidently express themselves and their ideas.
Reward Hard Work. Giving acknowledgement to hard work and rewarding it will encourage employees to work harder. Think about how good it feels when someone thanks you or shows their appreciation after you worked hard on something. Then think about a time when you worked hard on something and weren’t given the acknowledgement you felt you deserved. This feeling makes you not want to work as hard the next time. Be a manager that you would want to work for. And remember incentives also go a long way.
Create a Plan for the Future. Creating a plan for the future with your employees will keep them engaged and working hard to reach those goals. Being able to see the plan makes them feel as though their valued and the company sees them with the business long term. Careers that provide room to grow promote employee loyalty.
These are just some of the ways to encourage your employees. Remember that developing good relationships with your employees is one of the most important things a good manager can do. Clariti can help with the communication part of those relationships.
What motivates you at work? Let us know in the comments below.
