Optus will keep clients regularly up-to-date with the latest developments in personnel management and employee incentives.
Spending a little thought and time on motivating your staff creates a win-win situation. Employees who feel listened to and valued are happier and more productive in their work – and a happy workforce is essential to maintain a successful business.
Simple yet effective suggestions for increasing motivation include arranging regular, informal contact with staff members in a relaxed atmosphere. Making the time to listen over breakfast, or tea and cakes, with small groups at regular intervals gives everyone the opportunity they need to nip a problem in the bud or float some thoughts about making the business more effective.
It’s also worth considering suggestion boxes with prizes for productive ideas, featuring an ‘employee of the month’ on noticeboards or noting special achievements in company newsletters.
Optus Director, Justin Weir pointed out: “There’s no doubt that employees become more motivated if they feel able to talk to their managers and have their views and their needs acknowledged and acted upon. Taking the time to listen to your staff and ensure they have what they need to do the job well is time wisely spent.”
Keeping motivation up also involves ongoing training and development. This is vital to keep staff enthusiastic about what they are doing today and also about promotion possibilities in the future.
Words Of Praise Mean A Lot...
Research shows that a few words of praise can make a big difference to employees in the way they feel about their work, Justin added. “We all like to be praised for a job well done, and a study commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry supports this.
“The research suggested that for almost three quarters of employees feedback and praise is more motivating than any other intervention.
“It also highlighted the importance of staff being asked for their opinion about decisions made in the workplace and to be kept informed about what’s happening in the business.”
He said: “When staff don’t feel valued, there’s likely to be a detrimental effect on the business. Employees who think they are being ignored or taken for granted may no longer work to the best of their ability. Similarly, there’s a high risk that their sense of loyalty and obligation to their employer will diminish.”
And Another Thing…
The enthusing and motivating of employees isn’t just down to first-line management. It starts at the top.
Justin explained: “Everything the CEO utters is noted by the staff – and this presents a fantastic opportunity to deliver motivational messages that are clearly heard.
“Since even the most casual remarks by the CEO tend to circumnavigate the company with the speed of light, it’s important that they always choose their words with care – and make them count.”
Strange but true…CEOs and employees may experience similar frustrations about not being kept fully in the picture. “Employees sometimes complain of being left in the dark, and CEOs can find themselves dealing with incomplete information fed to them by their managers,” Justin pointed out.
“Knowing that people on different rungs of the career ladder have similar experiences can be a great leveller, and help us to improve our methods of communication with each other,” he said.
