Much like the endless debate of what came first, the chicken or the egg, entrepreneurs question if the workplace culture creates the company or if the company creates the culture. Regardless of which comes first, if profits are low and you have an unmotivated staff, there are adoptable practices to turn a halfhearted team into one that’s resilient and devoted. It’s as easy as celebrating and investing in your employees.
For instance, at LaSalle Network rather than celebrating a day you just wake up breathing, we celebrate the anniversary of the employee’s hire day—your 're-birthday'—where employees are greeted once a year with decorations, balloons and gifts of appreciation.
Here are few other things LaSalle does that you can easily adopt to turn a stale workplace into a motivated, curious group of overachievers:
No. 1: Inspire Creativity.
Creativity requires the constant blending of both divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas), and convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best results). Put people who don’t usually socialize together on teams — Baby Boomers with Gen Y (Millennials), operations with sales, HR with finance. Change throws people off, and that’s a good thing.
No. 2: Embrace the Madness.
Companies that attempt to squash the fun and energy of March Madness or other hyped sporting events are approaching the situation the wrong way. The games are an ideal opportunity to boost employee morale. Limiting an employee’s ability to watch or discuss the games is the reason for decrease in worker productivity during these time periods. The more a person is told they can’t do something, the more they want to.
No. 3: Involve Staff in Important Decisions.
Employees want to know that their thoughts and opinions matter. They want to know that they are more than just a number. Involving staff in important decisions demonstrates that you value their opinion. This can be done in a variety of ways; implement a staff council, meet one-on-one with team members or bring lower level employees into management meetings.
No. 4: Schedule Time with Employees.
Set aside time regularly to meet with staff in order to discuss what motivates them. For some it’s face time, for others it’s outward recognition. In order to best retain employees, it’s essential to know what keeps them happy and motivated.
No. 5: Invest in Them.
Most employees want to continue to develop their skills while learning new ones. Offering training sessions and having employees attend webinars and conferences will feed their desire to learn while augmenting their skill sets.
