Why motivating your team can drive business success

Commitment, energy and innovation – these three essentials can determine the success or failure of your business, and they are directly influenced by your employees’ motivation levels. But maintaining or improving motivation in the workplace is fraught with challenges, especially when it comes to keeping different personality types engaged and collaborative.

Let’s examine why motivation is so keenly linked to business success, and explore ways you can become a more effective motivator for your team.

Motivation is the secret recipe for success

When you invest the time into building a workplace full of motivated employees, you can reap a wealth of rewards. From higher productivity and output, to reduced staff turnover, to inspired and invested team members who are positive about contributing to the success of your company.

But it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Making up a whopping 86% of the workforce across Australia and New Zealand, disengaged employees can cause negative ripples throughout your business. Whether it’s due to burnout, stress, lack of communication or staff feeling underappreciated, they can influence previously motivated employees and hamper productivity.

As a business owner, you are always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder – so here are four simple strategies you can apply in the workplace to motivate your people and get the best out of everyone.

1. Set clear and measurable goals

Motivation and inspiration come much easier when your team knows what they are striving for. Without clear guidance on what your business goals are, they won’t be able to help you reach them. So set clear and measurable goals that are framed by your overall vision for the company. Also use tracking software – or even something as simple as a whiteboard in the office – so they can track their progress and visualise their success.

And don’t overcomplicate things. Have only a few goals or KPIs so they are easy to understand, both by the team member and you. Remember like everything new, there is a learning phase.  Try some goals. See how they impacted behaviour in your team and if that is not working for you, change them. Set, watch, assess, review and go again.

2. Communicate with your staff

The ability to set clear goals is only one piece of the puzzle. In order to generate buy-in from your team, you need to communicate your ambitions in an effective way. But communication should never be a one-way street. Rather, you’ll want to create a communication loop where your staff are just as comfortable coming to you with ideas and problems as you are keeping them up-to-date on business developments and providing feedback. You might be surprised by just how well regular check-ins with your team can motivate them.

3. Develop a healthy workplace culture

You could hire the most motivated people in your industry, but without a healthy work environment they will soon become disengaged. So think about ways you can create a workspace that is positive, happy and healthy. Could you spruce up the place with some greenery or rearrange work areas to give staff more natural light? Also promote healthy habits (e.g. free healthy snacks in the kitchen, or weekly mindfulness sessions) and listen to what makes your staff more productive – for example, four in five people who are offered remote work opportunities say they are just as productive or in many cases more productive when working from home.

Role modelling a healthy and interested culture starts at the top.  Make no mistake, every member of your team will look to how you behave and be influence by that.

4. Help your people become even better at what they do

No business owner wants to lose their best talent, but it tends to happen when an employee either feels they have outgrown the company or that their skills are not being well utilised. To reduce the chances of your people looking further afield, provide them with opportunities for growth and development. If you have the budget, you could subsidise their studies so they can upskill, or take time out of your own schedule to mentor them. Overall, teaching your top talent transferable skills will help them become even more integral to your business’s success and encourage them to self-learn new skills.

But most importantly, talk to them about what their career dreams and aspirations are. See how you can help them be achieved in your business and if they cannot. What can you do to help the person get that opportunity elsewhere.  Do not underestimate the goodwill and loyalty generated by a leader helping someone find a great opportunity outside of their own organisation.

Business life isn’t always easy, but with a team of motivated and productive employees you can super-charge your success levels. No matter what industry you operate in, the experts at Flying Change can provide you with business advice to help motivate your team and reach your ambitious goals. Call 0418 676 977 to learn more about our business support services.