Sara Davies discusses how to create a positive working environment with proactive employees.Every business owner wants to make sure that their employees are motivated. After all, highly engaged staff are more productive and contribute to a positive working environment. When people feel more motivated in their careers, they are more likely to work hard, show commitment, produce better work and take a vested interest in their career development at the company. Learning new skills and progressing into different roles encourages people to stay with the business and ultimately, secures the company’s future workforce.
When the company is doing well, let your team know and more importantly, make a point of highlighting fantastic pieces of work. When staff know that they are actively contributing towards the completion of a big project or campaign or even reflecting on the positive outcome of a busy period or year, they know that their efforts are being appreciated. Sometimes, this acknowledgement is all they need in order to feel more satisfied, and this could make them more inclined to keep up the good work.
Provide perks
Providing perks and incentives can go a long way and there are some easy wins that can be just as big of a hit with staff, without costing the earth. Small tokens of appreciation, such as regular positive feedback and treating staff to lunch can be a great way to boost morale.
Trust your team
No one wants to be micromanaged. It doesn't get the best out of people and can actually have the opposite effect, where people are less motivated. Everyone wants to feel like they are being trusted enough to get on with their job and that they can complete their work on time without being watched every step of the way. Handing over more responsibility and having trust in colleagues to do their jobs will make them feel appreciated and valued. Similarly, allowing flexibility and remote working fosters an air of trust in that people can be away from the typical office environment and do their work to an equal standard.
It's easy to feel put out when you feel like people aren't communicating with you effectively and this is no different in the workplace. Being open with teams when there is a new project on the horizon, changes and developments within the organisation and even when there's some bad news to share can make people feel motivated to play their part because they feel included and integral to the team.
Encourage staff development
People want to know that there's opportunity to further their development at a company. If employees feel like they are at the end of the road, they will start to feel like they cannot progress and most likely will start to look elsewhere.
When companies invest in training to boost skills and promote from within, it shows that they are invested in their employees and that they will support them in the next steps of their career.
We've had a number of people join us at apprentice level and progress to different positions as well as those who have joined us at different stages of their career. Ultimately, upskilling employees and promoting within makes people feel more fulfilled, and promotes staff motivation.
Sara Davies MBE is founder of Crafter's Companion.
