Set Your Employees Free and Watch Motivation Skyrocket

Searches for employee motivation are the most common, generating over 8,000 searches per month. Every employee needs motivation. A clearly motivated employee will not only be more efficient but more innovative in their projects. Recognize the strengths of individuals to empower the team to be more independent. There are simple ways to motivate the corporate workforce.

Let the Reins Go

CEOs don’t always have the best ideas. Sometimes employees can manage projects just as leadership does. Talent is more likely to take responsibility for a particular project if they believe it is their own. As a leader, it is important to let your team own a project. A supervisor is more than just a boss. A good leader functions as a mentor. Employees benefit from mentorship. Sixty percent of Millennials believe their bosses can offer experience, 41 percent believe they can offer wisdom. They form connections with people who will force them (whether they know it or not) to think outside of their typical roles. Because of these relationships, mentees will begin to think creatively.

Mentorship programs widen the line of communication. This increases the likelihood corporate talent will spark special projects. Of the Fortune 500 companies, 70 percent of them have some type of mentor program. The mentorship program fosters an environment of collaboration.

Communication will improve when leaders let the reins go. Not completely, but just enough to ease the atmosphere in the workplace. It is critical that employees feel safe. High tension in the air when the elevator door opens to the office does not feel like the safest environment. Appropriate communication, up and down the chain of command, is essential to employee motivation.  Keep in mind it is not just verbal or written communication humans take into consideration. Fifty-five percent of what we say is through body language.

Avery Augustine offers helpful hints as to when an employee is ready to take the lead on a project. Prepared employees actively seek knowledge, stay a little later, work a little harder, and are appreciative of feedback.

Rewards

The finished product will have the CEOs name on it accompanied by the company logo. More often than not, the CEO probably didn’t do much work on the project. Reward the employee who took the lead on the project according to the success of the particular endeavor. Reward fairly.

The average 3 percent raise and paid time off are great rewards. But employee motivation doesn’t always come from monetary endorsement. Simple recognition goes a long way. A note, a cake, even a “well done” is sometimes all it takes to let an employee know they did a good job. Allow an employee to work on another project because of the success of a previous one as a reward for good (or great) work.

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Originally posted on Recruiter.com on April 30, 2014

photo credit: NASA HQ PHOTO via photopin cc

Maren Hogan

Maren Hogan is CEO of Red Branch and general Bad@$$

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. Maren started Red Branch Media and, before she hired all the smiling faces you see below, she ran it on her own. In marketing for over 15 years, she has deep experience in strategic campaigns and a long-term, results-based operational approach.