How to Get Slackers...to Well...Stop Slacking The bad news? A lengthy recession has had a two-pronged negative effect on job performance. In companies that have been slow, employees have grown accustomed to reduced activity and to accomplishing less; while in companies that have trimmed their workforces to the bone, overworked employees are, quite simply, burned out. As a result, worker apathy is translating into sub-par performance. The good news? You can turn things around--and you don't have to spend money to do it. Use these best practices to engage, retain and motivate your staff--and ultimately maximize job performance: Share your vision with your team. When you share your vision of where you intend to lead your organization, you provide each employee with a sense of purpose, clarity, meaning and security--which are all essential to maximizing productivity. A shared vision unifies your team and strengthens each employee's ability to work with a "hero's mindset," especially during difficult times. Set clear performance expectations. It's hard for employees to meet performance standards they don't know exist--so make it easy for them. Provide clear direction and set benchmarks by which they can measure their own progress. Tell them what is expected of them, and they will be more motivated to start in right away to accomplish the desired end result. Motivate through cross-training. Develop your employees into more valuable and higher-achieving individuals by teaching them new skill sets. In addition to enhancing workers' internal pride and confidence, cross-training enhances employee engagement and creates higher levels of productivity and company-wide efficiency. Keep the lines of communication open. Some employees are afraid to talk to superiors who exude the "touch-me-not" aura. Guard against this management style. Instead, create a culture with open communication:
Obviously, what motivates one person may not work for the next. Since you manage unique individuals, take the time to understand what motivates each of them, and what type of communication and feedback really makes an impact. Most importantly, find out why your employees work for you, and what they are working toward, by asking them (see the section below for a list of common motivators). Use their responses to guide your efforts by tying rewards or incentives to what drives your staff. Little Things Matter You don't always have to make sweeping changes to improve your employees' performance. Here are a few little things you can do to move in the right direction:
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