Research has shown that the vast majority of employees are simply not motivated enough to work to their full potential. This data does not necessarily indicate a shift in employee attitudes. It might show that managers need to do a better job of motivating their employees. Here is a look at some ways that you can get your employees to work harder.

Incentives Tied to Company Success

One of the main reasons that employees aren’t motivated to work harder is that they experience the same results no matter how well they do their job. If they do a great job, they watch the company prosper while they have nothing to show for it. If they do a bad job, they make the same money while being less stressed. If you create a program that grants employees rewards that are directly tied to the financial success of the company, they will work harder and develop a strong sense of company loyalty. If their success is tied to the company’s success, then the company’s success will become a high priority to them.

Understand That They Are People

It is very easy for managers to fall into the trap of viewing their employees as tools that are used to meet a certain goal. It is important to understand that employees have families and concerns outside of work. Although you shouldn’t allow these outside concerns to affect the quality of their work, you must be willing to bend a little when they need to address these issues. If you treat your employees like real human beings, they will respect you more and be willing to work harder for you.

Help Them Grow

Most people need greater goals to aspire to in life. They want to move up in the company or the industry. If a person feels like they are stuck, they will lose all of their motivation. It is important that you help your employees have a sense of growth. Mentor them and help them develop the tools to reach the next level that they are seeking out. If you show them that there is a path to greater success, they will work harder to reach it.

Listen to Them

Many managers view their job as one that involves giving out orders with no concern for feedback. However, there are many reasons why it is essential that you listen to your employees. Their unique involvement in the projects you assign them means that they might have a valuable perspective that you wouldn’t be aware of from your position. If you consistently ignore their input, they will not be motivated to give their best effort as they will feel divorced from the outcome. You don’t have to go along with every idea an employee has, but it’s important to make them feel like their input matters.

Motivational skills are at the core of what it means to be a good manager. Successful managers will bring the most value to a company by getting their employees to happily work to their best abilities.

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