When we think of motivated employees, we think of people who see their work not as a burden, but as an experience. So our first aim is to make time at work an enjoyable experience. But what do we need? The easiest way is to ask the people involved. Believe me, even a simple gesture like this can be a huge boost to the relationship between employee and employer, especially if the feedback is followed up with action. And speaking of feedback, it's very important that employees also receive ongoing and fair appraisals so that they feel that the organisation cares about them personally.
Of course, everyone generally prefers to spend time with their family, so we should strive to make sure that employees see their colleagues as a second family. This is something you should look for during the selection process.
In addition to professional skills, it's worth focusing on personality traits to make sure that potential employees will be happy to work with current colleagues and that the existing team will be receptive to them.
Care should be taken to ensure that the relationship between colleagues is not limited to work. Regularly organise events that provide an opportunity for informal discussions and to get to know each other better. This can be done, for example, by organising monthly quizzes, attending a sporting event together or, if the infrastructure allows, cooking together.
Of course, we can organise similar events on a monthly basis to improve team chemistry, but perhaps the most important factor in this respect is the quality of the daily interactions between colleagues. As a manager, however, this is the most difficult thing to influence, as we cannot be there for everyone to promote and encourage joint work. We can help this process by creating a stimulating working environment. For example, in a spacious, bright office where colleagues work in the same room, it is easier to develop the regular communication that is an essential part of a supportive environment. But even where these opportunities are not available, efforts should be made to develop practices that encourage direct contact between colleagues. This goes back to employees' need for feedback, which they expect not only from 'above' but also from their immediate environment. This must also be given appropriate opportunities for all.
To solve this problem, software support is now available to make it even easier to have motivated employees working with you every day.
