Did
you know that 70%
of employees feel
disengaged at work?

That's
right — and staff motivation levels are heavily influenced by
managers like you.

Making
small changes to the way you manage your team can make a huge
difference to morale and motivation. When your employees feel
motivated, they'll work harder, make more sales, and be less likely
to quit.

Need
some ideas to help get your team excited about work again?

Keep
reading for eleven effective ways to boost motivation in the
workplace.

1.
Set Measurable Goals

How
do you feel after you achieve a goal or check something off your
to-do list?

You
feel a surge of positivity — and you feel more motivated to move
onto your next task.

You
can put this effect to good use in the workplace by setting small,
measurable goals for your employees each day. Instead of analyzing
their performance once a year, make tracking and rewarding their work
a regular thing.

This
might mean setting a daily sales goal rather than a weekly one, and
rewarding to employees who hit goals consistently.

For
new employees, it might mean providing a list of simple tasks to get
them started, then praising them for ticking everything off.

No
employee should ever feel like they're just turning up at work to do
the same thing, day after day, with no recognition. Even repetitive
jobs like data entry can be made more engaging with measurable goals
around speed and accuracy.

Make
sure goals are used to encourage employees, not to punish them.

2.
Give Daily Positive Feedback

'You're
doing a great job and we all appreciate your hard work.'

How
good would it feel to have somebody tell you this every single day?

Pretty
good, right?

It's
easy to get complacent if you're been working with the same team for
a long time, but everyone needs a little recognition and praise to
stay motivated.

Try
identifying areas where your employees consistently perform well and
give verbal feedback as often as you can.

You
might praise somebody for always getting important filing done on
time, being willing to help out with urgent projects, or staying late
if there's work that needs finishing at the end of the week.

Even
the tiniest positive comment could be enough to make somebody's day.

3.
Allow Regular Breaks

How
motivated do you feel when you're forced to sit at your computer for
hours on end without a break?

Not
motivated at all.

While
you might occasionally need employees to grind, strive to encourage a
healthy work/life balance — and that means giving regular breaks.

If
possible, have some open green space for employees to enjoy or fill
your break room with flowers and plants. Time in nature is a great
way to recharge, especially when you're always using technology.

You
should also encourage proper lunch breaks away from the desk. Rushed
sandwiches at the computer might seem like a good time-saver, but
they'll only lead to burnout and frustration in the long run.

If
possible, let employees choose their own breaks — feeling that you
have autonomy and freedom can do wonders for motivation levels.

4.
Encourage Healthy Eating

Is
your office fridge currently stuffed full of fizzy drinks and sugary
snacks?

This
could be causing a slump in motivation.

Research
shows that eating regular, healthy meals helps boost
productivity and
increase motivation levels.

If
you have a canteen on-site, make sure it offers a wide range of
healthy options to cater for all dietary needs. That means saying
goodbye to junk food, and hello to wholesome salads, hearty chillis,
and veg-filled stews.

Next,
look at the snacks you have available in the office. Try replacing
salty chips with nuts and seeds and swapping candy for a bowl of
fresh fruit.

If
fizzy drinks are popular, try offering options like fruit juice and
herbal tea instead. You should avoid caffeine-heavy drinks, which can
cause anxiety and decrease energy levels long-term.

Get
employees involved in helping to choose new healthy snacks and meals
so that they're fully on board and don't feel patronized.

5.
Offer Employee Exercise Initiatives

Exercise
is an amazing way to boost motivation levels, especially if you spend
most of the day sitting down in an office.

Ever
been for a quick walk around the block and instantly felt more
energized?

This
is the exact effect that employee exercise programs will have, but on
an even larger scale.

If
you have space, hire a yoga teacher to run a session once a week.
Alternatively, install exercise equipment that's free for staff to
use. Consider group activities like lunchtime jogs or visits to the
climbing gym.

Let
staff workout during the day and the time that's lost will soon be
made up for in increased productivity.

6.
Invest in Team Building Activities

What
do you picture when you think of team building activities?

If
you're imagining awkwardly standing in a circle with your colleagues
and doing cringe-inducing trust exercises, think again.

There's
a whole industry around team building nowadays, and you could be
doing anything from ax-throwing to navigating a fantasy-themed escape
room.

Team
building is a great way to get to know your employees away from the
stress of the normal working day. When everyone feels happy and
supported at work, motivation levels naturally rise.

Combine
team building days with long-term business planning to make staff
members feel involved in the bigger picture of what you're doing.

7.
Share Big-Picture Results

As
mentioned above, making staff feel like they're part of the bigger
picture is an excellent way to boost motivation.

Imagine
that you're working as a cleaner in a large department store. It'd be
easy to feel like you weren't making much meaningful difference to
the overall operation of the company unless somebody told you
otherwise.

However,
if a manager shared statistics like, 'The cleanliness of this store
makes customer 25% more likely to shop here,' you'd have a positive,
motivating statistic in mind while you mopped floors and cleaned
toilets.

You
can apply this logic to any employee in any business.

Make
a point of sharing big-picture results and achievements, emphasizing
exactly how each member of the team contributed to each success.

The
bigger your company, the more important this tip is — nobody should
feel like a meaningless cog in the machine.

8.
Have a Meaningful Mission

Everybody
wants to feel like they have a purpose, whether they're working at a
world peace charity or a car dealership.

Creating
a meaningful company mission and making staff aware of it is a great
way to boost motivation levels.

Think
about the core values behind your brand. You might be focused on
providing quality products to families, improving results for small
businesses, or helping the environment.

Make
your mission the foundation of everything you do. Talk about it
during the hiring process, reiterate it during training, and mention
it during motivational talks.

Your
enthusiasm will soon become infectious and the whole team will work
harder when they know exactly what they're
working for.

9.
Offer Job Security

It's
harder to stay motivated when you're worried about job security.

If
you're currently offering short-term contracts without much security,
consider making some changes so that your employees feel better
supported.

This
could mean better contracts, policies for dealing with long-term
health issues, and perks like maternity and paternity leave.

When
staff members feel like they have a job they can count on for years
to come, they're motivated to work harder to stay with your company.

If
they feel like they could be let go at any moment, motivation levels
are bound to drop.

10.
Avoid Micromanaging

Micromanaging
makes employees feel frustrated and belittled, as well as increasing
burnout for the entire team.

Make
sure that you give employees the time and space needed to do their
jobs without controlling their every move, and encourage other
managers to do the same.

Building
an atmosphere of trust and support empowers everyone to do their best
work, increasing motivation levels across the workplace.

11.
Give Rewards for Good Work

There's
nothing quite like a good old-fashioned reward for a job well done.

Many
employers offer perks like gift vouchers for stores and
'experiences', like spa days. Vouchers are an easy option that will
go down well with most staff members.

If
you're looking for something a little more personal to commend a
special effort, consider an engraved challenge coin. The
history behind
challenge coins is long and they're a great item to treasure forever.

Again,
try asking your employees for suggestions on the types of reward
they'd like to see offered.

Why
Learn How to Boost Motivation in the Workplace?

When
you figure out how to boost motivation in the workplace you'll
benefit from increased productivity, greater employee loyalty, and a
more positive culture.

Increased
staff motivation has a ripple effect that improves everything from
customer service to sales.

This
makes boosting staff morale one of the most cost-effective ways to
improve your business. It doesn't require much time or effort, but it
makes a big difference to your bottom line.