Your team need to feel motivated when they head to work. Every day. It’s often the case that workplaces can begin to feel dim and slightly boring. Not yours. Yours needn’t be the most shining example of workplace fun or silliness to be one that sparks inspiration, but it does need to be carefully maintained, and the staff experience needs to be called into question in order to make improvements.
Never think your office or workplace is perfect. There’s always something better to be done. Thankfully, the motivations that drive people are often quite the same in a macro sense. This means no matter if you run an animal sanctuary, a restaurant or a high-tier executive office, there are universal measures you can implement in order to ensure the baseline level of pride and confidence in your team is continually renewed.
This might sound challenging to a new boss, or perhaps a business owner who might be relatively hands off, yet they are the only ones who can make these executive decisions. With the following advice, your pride is sure to develop correctly:
Create Your Own Job
Each morning, you break the billiard balls of your day. Depending on your strike, the balls will land in different areas of the table. Either they will become jumbled and confused, or you will pocket many. This all depends on the angle, force and delivery of the first cue strike. A morning could be viewed through this metaphor. The morning sets up the day. It sets up your attitude and willingness to develop through the challenges that rise up. It can help with enthusiasm and the care applied to each task.
It’s all about the morning. But how can you improve the morning? By making things easier for your staff, such as opening at 10am instead of 9am? No. Making things easier doesn’t help. People relax into their comfort much more when this happens. Instead, the morning should be a guiding light. You should allow ample parking in the exterior of your property. You should ensure the office is well lit, and temperature controlled or heated effectively.
There should be caffeine in your kitchen ready for those who haven’t bought their own. The office should be clean. The computers should be switched on and ready to go. The office shouldn’t smell. The cloakroom should have ample space. And most importantly, you should greet your staff with a smile, because your attitude is infectious.
For example, in some construction sites in Japan, scheduled meditation and exercise are a common morning activity, to wake everyone up out of their lethargy. It helps.
Leading From The Front
Lead from the front. Take an active interest in what your staff are doing, and ask them about it. Try to give advice or help where needed. Refine your own skill set, so you are never behind what the specialists on your team are taking care of. Listen to complaints, and try to implement solutions. Never dictate, only guide.
When you feel like part of a team, the office will be tempted to rally around you subconsciously. If not, they will lose respect for you, and a loss of respect in the boss is often a loss of respect in the company. It doesn’t’ take time for employees to start looking inward and wonder what they are doing at this place in the first place. After all, if the company is functioning just fine without your input, they might wonder what your role actually is. Then, they might wonder the value in actually fighting for that promotion.
Ensuring An Office Standard
You sure absolutely ensure an office standard from day to day. For example, an office fit out can prevent your office from becoming old and out of date, and potentially help you plan a layout for new equipment coming in. Your office should be spotless. The chairs should be in good condition, and the desks should be organized (you should encourage staff to follow this.)
An office standard should also be developed through the use of dress. Smart casual is more than just a hooded jacket and jeans. Encourage the use of button shirts and a range of other smart options. Dressing up can really help people feel better about your presence, and so why shouldn’t your office follow suit?
With these tips, you are absolutely sure to inspire confidence and pride in your team. Just remember it is a daily fire to feed.
