motivating your staff for less
TRANSCRIPT
Motivating Your Staff For Less
- John Sollars, Stinkyink.com
About John Sollars
John Sollars is a serial entrepreneur and MD of printer ink retail store Stinkyink.com
John works with a team of 14 staff who are young and enthusiastic, this is how he motivates his team and maintains moral.
9 Motivational methods that work...
– Create a good atmosphere and conditions– Respect and involve your employees– Empower staff– Reward people– Introduce targets– Limit working hours– Foster a no-blame culture– Keep an open mind– Be a benevolent dictator
... and don't cost the earth
Tip 1: Create a good atmosphere and conditions
Even in a target-driven environment with deadlines and multi-tasking, you can create a happy atmosphere. Try these:
• Walk around with a smile – it’s contagious• Watch your body language – keep it open• Take an interest in your staff’s lives• Introduce localised task lighting, turn off
fluorescents• Check office chairs & desk positions are
comfortable
Tip 1: Create a good atmosphere and conditions
• Ensure the office, staff kitchen & toilets are kept clean (hire a cleaner or have a staff rota)
• Play music that the whole office enjoys• Put things like table football, a chess set
and/or newspapers in the rest area• Try things like a regular cooking competition
to encourage bonding and friendly rivalry• Keep on top of building maintenance &
decor so the working environment looks good
Our cleaner, Rob playing Pool. with a mop.
Tip 2: Respect & involve your employees
• Install a Suggestion Box & encourage staff input from all sections of the business
• Respect people’s opinions & listen to them, the best ideas can come from people that work 'outside the box'
• Hold regular staff meetings or use webcams & Skype if your team is scattered
Tip 3: Empower Staff
• Share information & don’t have secrets
• Encourage staff to develop themselves, professionally & personally
• Assess individual’s strengths & match them to the right job. Develop these talents to benefit the business
Tip 4: Reward People
• A simple ‘thank you’ works wonders • Celebrate special landmarks & achievements e.g.
with team activities or an evening out after work• Be spontaneous sometimes – e.g. bring in a box of
doughnuts• Reward someone who’s made a significant impact
to the bottom line with a small bonus, or by giving added responsibility on a project they’ve suggested.
• But avoid individuals being targeted by others who get annoyed by either misinterpreted favouritism, or perhaps a stolen idea
Tip 5: Introduce Targets
• Bonuses don’t need to be astronomical. Employees will appreciate anything that can be a target to aim for
• Set achievable targets for each person; no one wants an unattainable golden carrot hanging over them
• As the boss, pay out with a smile; whatever they have achieved is going to benefit you more than it will them in the long-run
Tip 6: Limit working hours
• Alert, rested, well-rounded people are more efficient than workaholic office zombies
• If your workforce is consistently struggling to achieve objectives in normal hours then consider bringing someone else into the team
• Encourage out-of-work research & study, but make sure staff still have a life beyond the company
Tip 7: Foster a no-blame culture
• If you succeed in the earlier tips, then a no-blame culture is essential to maintain it
• Listening to others’ ideas and discussing the strengths, drawbacks and implementation is pointless if, once something goes wrong, you point the finger of blame
• If something goes wrong then learn and improve from it. Analyse what caused it and get to the root of the problem. No names, no hassle, just an improved business
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Tip 8: Keep an open mind
• Seek out controversial articles, new technologies, new people, visiting competitors. Any of these can open your mind to an idea not yet considered
• Listen to any idea however barmy it may be, as long as it has a structured and reasoned train of thought and a plan to proceed with
Tip 9: Be a benevolent dictator
• Ultimately the boss has to make any difficult or important decisions. Canvas opinion and advice, but take the responsibility on your shoulders. Staff will respect you for that.
• This removes significant levels of stress in the office and, though some decisions will be difficult and against some employee’s views, an environment where suggestions are fully listened to and considered before rejection is much better than one where a decision is not even discussed.
