How To Keep Your Team Motivated

When you start running your own business, it is often just you that you have to think about. You control everything, you answer every phone call, you deliver every product and you upload every update to your website. It can be difficult to juggle every single task, and in time, you might well find that you need a few more people on board in order to keep on growing, This is a positive step forward for your business, however, it does bring with it a few challenges as you are now responsible for the wellbeing, skills and productivity of a workforce. If this is all new to you, today we are sharing a few suggestions around how to keep your team motivated, which should go a long way to allaying your concerns.

Trust in yourself and your abilities as a leader

Before you move on and try anything else, you need to trust in yourself and your abilities as a leader. You can do this. 
You need to banish any of those self-limiting beliefs. If you know that this is not your natural talent, acknowledge that and accept it. Just because you have little experience in this area, it does not mean that you cannot do it, and do it well. It just means that you need to work harder to get it right. Ask for some help, look into leadership training, read blogs and articles for tips and let your team see that you are working hard to be the best leader that you possibly can be. 

Recruit the right team for your business

It will help you to motivate your team if you recruit the right people to it in the first place. 

Before recruiting, think about exactly what the role will entail and the skills that someone will need to bring to it. You should also think about the kind of person that you feel you will work well with and will fit in with the rest of your team. 

During the recruitment process, be clear about all that the job will involve and gauge the candidate’s reactions and interest in your business. 

Train and coach everyone consistently 

Everyone performs better when they are well trained. People need to feel that they understand their roles and all that is expected of them and they need to be equipped to carry out their jobs effectively. As such, putting in place initial training for everyone is absolutely key. 

Training sessions give you the opportunity to work closely with new recruits and get to know them. You will be able to see how quickly they are grasping new training and the areas that they might still need some help with. 

Beyond that initial training, you should regularly train in new skills and procedures with all of your team and all training needs to be followed up with ongoing on the job coaching. This is an opportunity for you to see how the training is working in action and to give your feedback to further improve it. This is a good way for you to gain confidence in your team as you see how competent they are and it is a chance for you to tell them how well they are doing, boosting their motivation. 

Provide your team with everything they need to do their jobs

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to do a good job each day and being held back due to lack of equipment, resources or knowledge. This is why it is essential that you provide your team with everything they need to do their jobs properly. 

Listen to their concerns if they are having problems with equipment or if they have spotted a way to speed up their jobs. They will be helping to develop your business and they will appreciate you taking the time to consider their suggestions. 

Their safety should be paramount, so do make sure that risk assessments are carried out and they are working in a safe environment. They might appreciate it if you supply them with a uniform, such as personalised hoodies, to protect their own clothing and as an extra perk of the job. 

Keep things interesting

Whilst there are many people who enjoy being able to predict their working day and are uncomfortable with change, there are few people who revel in complete monotony. With this in mind, it helps to keep things interesting at work to keep people upbeat and motivated. 

You might want to introduce little changes to add variety to each day or try things to keep everyone upbeat. People might like to have music playing in the background, or perhaps they would enjoy dress down Friday? 

Involve everyone in your plans and goals

Openly communicating with everyone can make a difference to motivation levels. Your team will be more engaged in your business if they feel that they are a part of it and they understand your plans and goals. 

Take the time to update everyone with the bigger picture and set team goals for everyone to strive for. A goal can often be motivational, as long as it is achievable and there is a plan of action in place to reach it. People need to feel supported to reach their goals. 

Always look for reasons to recognise and thank your team for good work 

If you have ticked all of the above boxes, you have done all of the hard work. Your team is going to be in a good position to deliver for you and be motivated to want to do so. However, this final point can make the biggest difference, yet it is often overlooked. 

Make the time every day, add it into your diary if you have to, to watch your team in action. This will give you an opportunity to praise them for something that they have done and to thank them for a job well done. Simple, isn’t it? Yet that ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ can keep someone motivated for another day and it costs you nothing but a few minutes.