Here’s What Business Owners Must Do to Help Employees Excel

If your team excels, then you and your company excel. Profits go up and the business takes off. It’s the best kind of domino effect for entrepreneurs and their employees.

However, managing a team to be successful isn’t always easy. Research has shown that during an 8-hour workday, the average worker is only productive for three hours at the most. If that’s the case, then what can small business owners do to help their employees excel so that their productivity can rise and the business can become successful?

Make each and every individual feel appreciated

While every boss wants their employees to feel as though they are part of a team, it’s equally as important to give each person individual attention.

Individuals need to be nurtured on teams. They need to feel wanted and valued. If you isolate team members, you could unwittingly create a feeling of disconnect. Hand out individual praise. Speak to people on a one-to-one basis. This makes each person feel appreciated and needed, and it encourages them to keep doing what they’ve been doing.

At the same time, you also need to speak to people one-to-one when things aren’t going as well. Offer constructive feedback whenever someone is underperforming and provide assistance in helping them with any issues.

Create opportunities for advancement

Many of us know what it’s like to be stuck in a job role that offers no means of advancement. Even if you enjoy your job, the current position is as good as it’s ever going to get and that can lead to feelings of frustration and the sense of being stuck in your career.

Pay attention to the strengths of your employees and talk to them about their long-term ambitions. Share any opportunities for advancement that may be available, even if it’s in another department where their skill set may be a better fit. You may also be able to offer training courses or educational opportunities too.

Brighten up the office

It’s not hard to understand why someone might be lacking motivation if they work in a drab cubicle. Get your interior decorator hat on and inject a little extra color and design into your office that lightens and brightens up the atmosphere. Hang framed inspirational quotes on the walls, invest in better chairs and tables, and set up a lounge area to hang out at with a ping pong table and couches.

Give each job a purpose

People tend to do better in life when they know what their purpose is. Purpose gives our life meaning — it’s the reason we get up each morning and work towards our dreams.

When an employee thinks the only reason they’re working is to pay their bills, it’s very hard for them to summon enough motivation to be productive for more than three hours. Your company is just there to give them a paycheck. What do they care about the overall performance of the company if you never tell them?

But, if an employee has regular reviews of their performance and understands that they are on the right track, they have purpose within their position. This gives them the motivation they need to work harder and be more productive.

Make employee feel valued by telling them what their real purpose is — and remember, this is different than telling them about their role. By showing an employee their purpose, you’re switching their focus to results. This creates drive, gives them something to work towards, and makes them feel valued.

Hold social gatherings

A healthy amount of socializing can help a team to bond, and can improve morale and results. Every now and then, arrange a social gathering after work. (First drinks are on you, of course!)

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