As a small business, you understand that your employees are the driving force of the company; they are the engines that keep the business going. As such, the goal of the operations manager is to improve the efficiency of core business processes and enhance the productivity of their employees. These smaller companies have to make do with the resources they have, even when it’s not enough.
In my personal experience, improving business operations at my company wasn’t all that’s needed to drive results. You can have all the best tools, the most up-to-date software, and the largest office in the world, but it won’t mean a thing unless you start with your team; change begins with the people. It’s about creating the type of environment that supports and empowers your employees. After all, they are the company’s most valuable asset.
Below are some of the workplace strategies that I use to motivate my employees to ensure their high-performance.
Feedback and Communication
Communication is such a simple thing to do, yet it’s often taken for granted. Everyone talks about “open communication” in the workplace but what does that really mean?
It means employing things like weekly meetings, annual or 6-month reviews, employee goal setting, company employee surveys, communication channels and social outreach specific for staff.
Communication amongst team members is just as important. Whether external or internal, communication is the very fabric of delivering a successful project. According to Project Management Institute (PMI), 80 percent of projects meet original goals, versus only 52 percent at their minimally effective counterparts when an effective communication plan is in place.
Business success factors include creating the kind of environment where clear channels and opportunity for communication and feedback exist. Make a point to create a culture of open communication where employees are encouraged to share ideas and concerns, both positive and negative. It gives employees a sense of value and appreciation.
Motivation
Challenge the motivation of your staff. Workers excited to execute their tasks provide unmatched productivity. Employees accomplished or rewarded are more apt to give you their best, then contribute new ideas, celebrate personal milestones, are good listeners and are clear about their expectations. Don’t be afraid to openly give praise and positive feedback. That may include implementing initiatives like reward systems and bonuses, friendly competition, social activities, volunteering, training and development and positive environment. Your culture should entice workers to be high-performers.
Employee Engagement
It’s human nature to be social and to want to feel part of a team. An organization that understands the importance of establishing a healthy productive culture promotes values in alignment with their values and mission. Some larger organizations, in particular, create events or “impact days” where the employees can go out together and do charitable acts. I would encourage small organizations to do something similar. There are tons of ideas for team bonding activities like attending conferences together, company events where they’re all celebrated, or even creating a day to pursue team projects they’d like to work on. In fact, giving back to the community and making a difference encourages employees and can ultimately make them feel empowered and valued.
Coworking
According to Deskmag, shared workspace can increase productivity by 23%. Having a variety of workspaces suited to various work styles and tasks are key to ensuring that every employee can do his or her best work. Interacting and interfacing with people who possess different skill sets and abilities can help employees generate quality ideas and initiatives. Coworking as a way to promote creativity amongst employees is not a new idea. In fact, when the dot-com boom emerged, several organizations started thinking about how the workplace impacted creativity and innovation with its employees. They spent millions of dollars on workplace design and invested in remote work hubs. Today, organizations have taken it one step further by having employees check in directly at a cowork location. They are foregoing the investment of large office space and trying to meet employees closer to where they live, thus creating remote community and support for productivity.
Small business owners are seeing the benefits of coworking by having a place to collaborate and sharing of resources that help them become twice as productive. Gone are the days of spending 50% of your overhead on office space and equipment. According to Harvard Business Review, “chance encounters and unplanned interactions between knowledge workers, both inside and outside the organization—improves performance”. This is promising news for any business considering coworking as an alternative to housing employees.
Having an organization that pays attention to the little things in the workplace is already ahead of the game. It’s more than creating efficient processes and policies, it’s about making employees feel valued and important. Incorporating workplace strategies that enhance an employee’s value and support different activities involved with knowledge work can include things like collaboration, creativity, innovation, and mentorship. Doing so align staff with the company vision and mission. Once an employee feels a part of that vision, then they are more likely to be motivated, succeed in their tasks, and provide high-quality results. It’s all related.