Building the morale of your team will help keep everyone inspired and make positive changes to the office environment. When employees have both their intellectual and emotional needs fulfilled, they are naturally inclined to use their skills to the fullest, enjoy being challenged and feel comfortable in the knowledge that their efforts will be recognised and appreciated. This will provide you with loyal employees that you can trust with extra responsibilities.

Every manager should have morale boosters in place to provide staff with innovative ways of learning about the company and provide incentives for them to naturally improve their productivity.

Many managers still hold on to the old fashioned belief that the monthly salary is enough of a motivator. However, many company's have motivational strategies in place which have lead employees to perform above and beyond their expectations. This enthusiasm becomes infectious and spreads throughout every level of a company. It is used as a foundation for carrying out every single task to the highest level.

Many leaders are under the illusion that motivators will eat into their company budget, but it does not have to cost a fortune to keep employees happy in the workplace.

Although the big companies can afford to throw huge amounts of money into the mix, smaller companies can equally compete with them by introducing some cost-effective ways to add some razzmatazz to their benefits package.

Let's take a look at some ideas which could suit even the smallest budget:

Why not make it company policy to shut shop for one day every quarter and treat the staff to a trip to the movies. This could be your day once a month to stay competitive in the market by holding onto valued employees. Staff are constantly looking for better incentives and are likely to move on if you are situated in a region where there are some big name companies begging to take them away from you. It is in your interest to keep your office one step ahead of the competition by making your environment an enjoyable place to wake up to everyday. When those big paying companies decide to raise their employee-benefits bar, it is time to follow their lead.

Little things can mean a lot...why not start the day by broadcasting a motivational message. This could be in the form of a success story, a funny thought to hold on to or even a joke, something which helps staff start the day with an optimistic outlook.

Motivators can even be a great way to ensure that employees turn up for meetings on time...Make it fun by charging a fee for those who arrive late and using that money to reward those who turn up on time... Never again, will those scheduled meetings around the table start at 2.30pm instead of 2pm due to latecomers! The same incentive could also be used for charging those who interrupt or do not participate...the money could then be put into a kitty and used to splash out on team celebrations.

Promote from within...One of the best ways to bring out the best of the ambitious is to offer long-term employees the opportunity of promotion. This encourages newbies to stay with your company as it promises a stable future. Some managers could even outline a more defined career path by offering salary increases and promotion for employees who complete targets such as securing two new business contacts per day over a set period.

Give them a round of applause...it costs absolutely nothing but it will work wonders for a member of staff who deserves recognition for a specific achievement. Whenever the moment is right, say a few words and encourage the office to join you in a round of applause for their achievement.

Give them a great title: A job title can hold a lot of power if chosen correctly...remember that a title has a great impact on self-esteem. Staff members need to feel proud of the title bestowed upon them...this is a major component to attitude and morale. Why not let your employees choose job titles which would elevate their persona and give them an incentive to produce their very best. Pride always induces a positive attitude and someone who is filled with pride will only produce impressive results.

Put it in writing: Supervisors could ask managers to write a personal letter to employees who deserve to be commended for their efforts. By handwriting a thank you note, employees receive a personal touch and have something concrete to hold onto and share with family and friends.

Whichever way you choose to motivate your team ...your aim should be to give so as you can receive. The way that you motivate is immeasurable...take into account the expression on your face, your tone of voice, words and body language. Working for a company with good incentives is a great motivator, but as a manager you also have a major role to play. You are the one who can make or break every single day, simply by your mannerism.

Every day is precious to each and every one of your employees; for life is fragile...therefore you owe it to yourself and your team to make your work environment a joy to be around. The moment that you walk into the office, inform your staff that today will be a really great day and show great enthusiasm and joy. Little nuggets of appreciation throughout the day such as "please" and "thank you" also go a long way as well as encouraging comments such as "You are doing a wonderful job". These words may seem simple in their context but are actually highly powerful motivators which can have a very positive impact.

Great working conditions also induce high motivation... a recent study showed that employees and employers think along fairly different lines. When asked on a scale of one to nine with one being the highest importance and nine being the lowest, employers rated working conditions as nine. However, employees marked this as number two which shows that the aesthetics of a company really do make a difference in terms of motivation.

Does your office look good the moment that you walk through the door? Is it scattered with pictures? Is it freshly painted? Scattered with plants and those extra special touches that are inviting and stimulating? Do employees have ample workspace and comfortable furniture? All of these things have a marked impact on productivity.

Remember: Nothing contributes so much to stimulate the mind as a strong motivator...this acts as a point on which the soul can fix its intellectual eye.