Managers Need To Inspire Their Staff

Managers Need To Inspire Their Staff

Managers, who may have forgotten the value of good leadership during the recent economic downturn, need to inspire their staff to ensure their top-performing people remain with them so that their business flourishes as the economy improves.

In a recent Robert Half podcast, senior manager Edward Cross outlines the many non-financial incentives employers can put in place to inspire their people and ensure their company is a great place to work. Motivating one’s staff is even more important now that employees are feeling more confident about their career prospects. Many may now be seeking outside opportunities.

“One of the most effective means of motivating your staff is to recognise their achievements,” said Cross. “Most managers don’t give enough recognition to their staff, simply because they don’t get it enough themselves. Giving recognition doesn’t cost the business anything and something like a simple thank you can go a long way.

“Secondly, one on one coaching is another effective method of firing up your staff. It’s also a great technique to schedule refresher training sessions with all staff. These sessions should be led by the manager, with help from specific employees, who show strength in that specific skill set. These types of training sessions will continually enhance the performance of your people.”

Employees, especially of the so-called ‘Generation Y’, increasingly are looking to their managers for inspiration and leadership. Cross said that effective leaders are likely to: Have a clear idea of where his or her organisation is going over the long term

Be able to easily communicate the organisation’s vision, missions, and values to others

Be adaptable and flexible and not bound by a plan. A leader can easily move from one set of circumstances to the next

Be decisive. A leader must be able to wade through information, understand what’s relevant and make a well considered decision, taking action based on that decision.

Staff morale in many organisations may be in the doldrums in the aftermath of the downturn as employees have struggled with heavier workloads, and possibly longer hours, with no additional pay or other compensation. Managers should take steps to turn any pessimism around before it hurts productivity.

“A depressing workplace, where employees feel down, can reduce overall productivity, and get in the way of opportunities, teamwork and creative problem solving,” said Cross. “To keep employees engaged during tough times, it’s very important to communicate goals. A good manager should communicate where the company is going, and begin to align employee performance goals with the changing objectives of the organisation.”

Other tips for managers:

Make your employees part of the solution. Employees need to be involved in decision making, because their buy in is critical for motivation and performance. They should be involved in even the most difficult decisions that a manager has to take.

Offering non monetary benefits is another great way to inspire staff. Offering new training programmes, career development, cross training, even flexible work schedules are great alternatives when your organisation can’t afford to pay salary increases.

Measure: make sure employees can measure their own performance against Key Performance Indicators. This is a key element of employee motivation, because if a worker cannot measure their progress, it’s unlikely their progress will improve.

Finally, finding a way to reward your people will inspire staff. It’s especially important that employees feel a sense of accomplishment in their work. Set up proper recognition and rewards, so they can feel a sense of teamwork and can be acknowledged for their efforts during difficult times.

“It’s easy to forget the importance of employee motivation and recognition, especially in tough times,” says Cross. “But we’ve got to remember it’s far more difficult to replace a key member who contributes in hundreds of ways that are unseen each week and each year.”

The Robert Half podcast on How to Inspire Your Staff is available for download at http://rhiwatch.viotv.com

ENDS

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