Introduction to Motivate Employees in the Workplace
Motivation in the workplace is as important as resting after a hard day. Without motivation, no one can perform better. The enthusiasm fades out in due course of time. There are a lot of parameters that decide the motivational degree of the workplace. If your workplace is dull and extracts excitement from everything, then the employees will intend to come late, and your production will suffer a quality loss.
The punctuality problem
Then office environment decides the quality and quantity of the product and determines the employees’ behavior to a great extent. Employees who arrive late in the office quite a few times might have specific reasons behind it, but the regular repetition of the problem is a habit. This bad habit must be dealt with properly to secure the superiority and the value of the work and the place.
Coming late imparts a disrespectful feature in character, which is not good for the employee, even for the office. The act is a reflection of casualness in the working zone that cannot be tolerated. There are ways to tackle the problem, as setting rules and regulations and complying with them makes an environment productive and unidirectional. For example, you can use employee time off tracker to keep track on your team remotely.
The business, be it small or big, is not a matter of joke that can be taken casually. Hence as an employer, you need to be stricter as well as humane. Show them that you value a good employee with all the great features and love them as a colleague and human being. Add some rationale and logical reasons so that they can understand the value of arriving at the right time. Interact with them and let them know what your expectations are. Confirm their personal accountability regarding the issue. When the arrival timing goal is accomplished, add incentives in their regular cycle to make them thrilled and repeat the newly instituted behavior regularly.
Steps to identify and act to motivate employees in the workplace
You rely on all the employees to take the business to a better dimension and promising growth for the betterment of all. But the late coming syndrome ruins everything. The entire setup is like a domino. When one piece is disturbed, it can create a chain reaction that can have a disastrous effect. So how can you tackle the situation without hurting anyone’s sentiments and also motivate employees in the workplace to come in time every day? Well! It is not that tricky. The following steps can help you get rid of the situation if implemented accordingly.
7 Steps to identify and act to motivate employees in the workplace :
1. Behavior identification
It is quite understandable when the employee has a particular and strong reason behind his late comings. Analyze the reasons and check whether they are legitimate or not. Check for the pattern of the timings he or she is coming late. If this is happening very often, then the employee must be doing it intentionally or by force. Go Ad talk with him or her directly to understand the reason behind it. Check for any kind of issue that is related to the office environment, which is making him or her come late and then handle it. If the reason is personal, then encountering it with logic is the best option as you cannot hurt the sentiment. Make him understand the value of the work and the importance of his contribution to it.
If the employee is not coming up with a logical reason, then he or she is doing it intentionally, and that should handle with strict actions in order to set an example for the other employees around. The behavior cannot be encouraged, among others. Problems come unexpectedly, but habit comes after long repetition and intentional practice. There are a lot of constraints that can hinder and delay the arrival of an employee. But that cannot happen every now and then. If he or she is trying to be over smart, then prove that you are the boss too and stop their meddling with the development process and workflow.
2. Pro-action
It is like a conventional game where you need to have a strategy to motivate employees to perform better. Or else one single wrong move might undermine your credibility as a boss. Remember one thing. You are fed up with the lousy activity of the employee, but he or she is not. But still, you cannot react aggressively against tardiness. That might be unprofessional and will definitely demean your gravity and personality in the office. So do not yell or overreact; rather, take your time to identify the problem first and motivate employees in the workplace.
Look out for a pattern. When you find it in your hand, then become proactive. The best way to tackle the situation is to talk with the person on a one-on-one basis. Explain the entire issue to him properly with proper documentation that he or she cannot deny. If the person is not that easy to crack, you better make it hard for him and professionally. Call a meeting and have your documents ready and explain the problem to everyone. Signify the person who is constantly late and make them understand the ethics and etiquette. This will be very helpful as all the employees will witness the example. They will refrain from doing so in the future.
3. Verbal display of disappointment
This is the basic trick to motivate employees to perform better than our mothers used upon us when we were a child. The punctuality problem is nothing but a childish behavior or rather a casual approach towards bread and butter. Then the problem can also be tackled with the old school mother technique. We all felt utterly disappointed in ourselves when someone we respect is disappointed due to our negligence or tardiness. We felt very much ashamed when our respected person paid the price or got accused due to our fault.
This similar technique can be used in a strategic way to make the person understand his negligence and value in the team. For example, when he or she is late for the meeting or office, tell him or her that you were waiting for him as it can be done only by you, but the void has to be filled with someone he or she admires or respects. The employee immediately will be ashamed to the degree that can change his or her entire behavior and casualness. The employee will realize that for his fault, other employees are paying the price dearly. The behavior will change eventually as it is affecting the co-workers.
4. Act with smartness
The worst thing is if you act in haste or hurry to solve the problem. Yes! Time is the essence, but you might lose a valuable employee. Learn the reason first and if it is legit, then do something that benefits all. There can be issues that cannot be ignored. Talk with the employee personally and explain your points. Let him explain his and then develop a plan or schedule that is beneficial for him and the company. For example, you can set another schedule for him to work on. Depending on the type of responsibility, if he or she can manage some other time to execute them, welcome it. Flexibility in work schedule will show that you are sensitive towards his or her problem but in a professional way, and you will also motivate employees in the workplace.
5. Privacy
Life is stranger than fiction. Who knows that the reason for the tardiness is not lethargy but a genuine one? There are issues that can only be discussed in private. Respect the man’s privacy by not humiliating him in public. Learn about the reason in a discrete way to keep the person’s dignity intact. If the reason is genuine, then act likewise and help him as a leader rather than acting like a boss.
If any kind of disciplinary action is necessary, then it is better to take it in a discrete way so that the habit can be changed, not permanently set in the employee’s mind. Harsh reactions give rise to revolutionary feelings which might prove wrong for the health of the organization. In fact, it can impact badly on your image. Rather talk to him privately and make him understand that the step is taken because he has done this. An explanation is mandatory; express your concerns and welcome feedback from the person. Wait for his or her responsibility towards the action and act likewise. Be honest to impart honesty in them and show how to approach a problem like a leader.
6. Outlining the consequences
The consequences of tardiness must be loud and clear to the employees. It is better to hold a meeting to discuss the results of being late. Establish the fact of punctuality means to you. Explain them with the help of examples and so that the messages are distinctively clear to them. State the time at which everyone must be inside the premises. After that, ask them for their agreement either by raising their hands or verbally.
Input some motivational ways to get the employees right in time inside the office. Make them feel that they are not at the office but at home and working for themselves, not for you. A humane approach can change the entire scenario in your favor. In fact, try to listen to their ideas of bringing motivation into the house wholeheartedly. Welcome new ideas that are logically complying with the environment. Create a feeling of ownership among the employees by valuing their ideas and implementing them in a potentially effective way. Watch the entry times of the employees and let them know politely that you are watching them. Appreciate their successful effort to reach the office in time by sending ‘thanks’ notes to encourage positive behavior and to motivate employees to perform better. Prepare a chart at the end of the month to evaluate the entry timings and appreciate those who have maintained the commitment all around the month.
7. Adding an incentive plan
To motivate employees in the workplace, you need to add incentives as gifts or achievement tokens for the best performer in this segment, like lunch coupons, movie tickets, gift certificates, or mementos. This positive reinforcement technique will motivate employees in the workplace to come in time and create a work culture that benefits the organization.
Act like a smart leader rather than a boss and evaluate the loss due to the late arrival of the employees. Calculate the loss and then set a prize or appreciation process that encourages the employees to come to the office in time. Praising is the best way to get someone to do the right thing. If it is done in public, it makes the employee a proud performer, and the act will also set an example for the entire team to follow. A simple gesture of good deed or some kind words can do miracles.
On the other hand, if the employee is still pursuing the tardy action over and over despite the warnings and good gestures, it is better to take severe steps after giving him or her fair warnings. Steps must be parallel to the degree of the action. It should be meant to teach a lesson, not to punish.
Conclusion
The first and foremost thing that you must do is to motivate employees in the workplace and create a homely and friendly environment where the employees can spend 1/3 of their days at ease. The comfortable atmosphere will not only motivate employees to perform better but also increase the output. Space must be evenly distributed, not congested. Build a good ambiance that encourages the workforce to be there every time on time. They should be happy working, not stressed.
Design a proper workspace with the inflow of natural light and air. The cafeteria or the launching zone must have good food and an environment where they can shed their stress and rejuvenate their strength. Introduce some good time to relax in the middle of the office timings to give some peace in between the pressure. Hand, some funny pictures that remind them of the good times they had while they were in the office. Incorporating these features will motivate employees in the workplace and your workforce to come on time and dedicatedly to work for the benefit of everyone.
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