Highly productive people are motivated, engaged, and willing to go the extra mile. They care about the quality of their work, their colleagues, and the success of the company. They know this reflects on them.
People generally feel this way on the first day of their new job when they are excited. They want to make a good impression and are ready for a fresh start. However, maintaining this level of engagement is entirely in the hands of managers. Get it right and you have a happy and productive team. Get it wrong and the general attitude will be ‘Why should I?’
Getting it right takes continuous and consistent management. Here are some tips to help you turn apathy into productivity.
Engaging People
People perform better when they feel they are part of something important and worthwhile, and that their role has a clear purpose. Take the time to explain how each person’s work contributes to the goals and objectives of both the team and the organisation, and the value of what they are doing.
Motivating People
Highly motivated employees tend to work harder and focus on completing their tasks to the best of their abilities. This results in better productivity and efficiency.
Find out what motivates individuals and use this insight to explain what’s in it for them. Focus on the positive consequences of doing something rather than the negative consequences if they don’t.
Provide continuous, helpful feedback to encourage people to develop and do well. Nothing motivates more than that feeling of achievement.
Generating Willingness
People can have the skills, but do they have the will? For example, do they have the willingness to stay late to meet a deadline, adapt quickly to changing situations or look for better and innovative solutions to problems? Allow people to use their initiative and give them the freedom where possible to make their own decisions. Having ownership increases willingness – avoid directing all the time. Show appreciation when people go the extra mile but don’t take advantage of that willingness or you will quickly lose it.
Creating a Team Who Care
If you actively make sure that your people feel cared about, they are more likely to return it in kind by caring about the company, their colleagues, and their work. In addition, if people feel trusted, they will want to repay that trust by doing their best. Showing empathy and understanding when a person has a problem, being dependable, and demonstrating that you have that person’s best interest at heart will go a long way to help them feel that you genuinely care.
Apply some of these tips to help you to create a positive work environment where people feel listened to, appreciated and respected, and are more likely to say, ‘what more can I do?’ rather than ‘why should I?’