It’s no secret that without high morale and ongoing motivation many employees are substantially less productive. The difficulty in tackling low morale and motivation has perplexed many managers and team leaders, yet not dealing with the issue can lead to far bigger (and ultimately more costly) problems. It is a fact that around £11bn a year is lost due to staff absences directly linked to low morale and motivation in the workplace. Morale also has a significant effect on turnover in call centre’s, with 25% of UK agents leaving within a year due to low morale. But what are the do’s and don’ts that affect the morale and motivation of staff? Ways to overcome low morale and motivation What motivates you? Finding out what motivates you is one of the most effective ways of solving the problem of low staff morale/motivation. Understanding what factors have motivated and demotivated you in the past means that you can apply these with the benefit of knowledge. Find out what your employees want No matter how hard you try to motivate your staff, without knowing what they truly want from their work they will never adopt a positive attitude towards it. Investigation is the best way of finding out what employees really want from their roles, this may be: • More interesting work • Greater participation • Greater recognition • More challenging tasks • Better opportunities for development Walk the job Each day, if you find someone doing something well let them know. Identify and remove demotivators These may be physical (buildings, environment, equipment) or psychological (boredom, lack of recognition, feeling of worthlessness). Some of them can be dealt with swiftly whereas others can take time and planning. The fact that the problem has been acknowledged and employees are aware of this is in itself a motivator! If poor motivation is entrenched, the organisations style of management may need addressing. Human instinct automatically resists change even when supposedly beneficial. To motivate during times of change: Do • Recognise you may not have all the answers • Take time to find out how your employees work and show genuine consideration • Lead, encourage and guide – do not force employees as this is one of the biggest motivation killers • Be honest, tell your staff what you think Don’t • Don’t assume others are like you, and work to the same speed of learning and ability • Don’t make assumptions about what drives others • Don’t force people into things that are supposedly good for them • Don’t pass on work; take responsibility for what is yours. With these in mind it is clear that there are many ways to tackle the problems of low morale and deflated motivation. A clear sense of direction and purpose are the epitome of improving the morale of employees. Twyla Dell, a respected HR Expert defines “the heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work… the more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality and service” People do not mind the boat being rocked, as long as they know where it is heading. |
Ocean Consulting is a highly professional, privately owned, recruitment consultancy, specialising in Permanent & Contract recruitment within the commercial sector. With over 14 years recruiting experience within the senior management team, we focus on placing all disciplines from Receptionists & Administrators right up to Senior Manager / Director level positions within the Thames Valley area & beyond and have an excellent reputation gaining a high majority of our business through word of mouth. Why? We are very passionate about making a difference…it’s that simple If you would like to know more about Ocean visit our website at www.dipintheocean.co.uk or reply to this e-mail and take@dipintheocean.co.uk |
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