By David Crary
SET CLEAR GOALS AND FOLLOW UP ON THEM
Motivating your employees is challenging and it’s not something that happens quickly. It’s a process that takes time, effort and energy. As the leader of a small field service business you need to ask yourself, what are the most important goals for my employees?
People want guidelines and very clear work expectations. They need to know what to do, how they are expected to do it and how they will be evaluated. The clearer you can be, the easier it is for employees to perform well. They prefer to be given achievable goals.
It’s important to prioritize your goals and make sure your employees understand which goals are most urgent with a timeline for completion. Another helpful tool is to give feedback to employees regarding their performance. Employees want to make progress and will appreciate your feedback to help them achieve their goals or to make adjustments in their work to be successful.
COMMUNICATE CLEARLY, EFFECTIVELY AND HONESTLY
Clear and honest communication with employees is crucial. Employees need and want feedback about their work performance. If an employee has done an outstanding job, it’s meaningful to give them praise in front of other people.
Some employees are motivated by the opinions of a supervisor or their peers. Many employees love to get praise and accolades from colleagues and employers for the hard work they do and the growth and success they bring to the business each day. Some people need to hear how great their work is. For these people, it’s definitely a motivator, external as it may be.
If there is an issue with an employee’s performance, then it’s important to share your concerns in private. Be sure to let the employee know what the error was and how it can be corrected. It’s essential for the employee to understand that you believe making a mistake is a learning opportunity.
Strive to keep an open mind; employees need to know you have confidence in them. Try talking with your employees to let them know “there is room for improvement” or you can say, “I know you’re creative and capable and I’m happy to help you try again”.
The care, concern and willingness you offer to coach them through their mistakes could be transformational for your employee, which will directly impact your small business. It’s definitely worth the effort. Hopefully with your assistance, clear expectations and mentoring, you’ll experience a positive change in their work performance.
MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON DATA AND PRODUCTIVITY, NOT POLITICS
Organizational success comes from the efforts of your employees, not the machines or the strategic plans that are created. That’s why building relationships with your employees is so essential. You don’t know and can’t possibly know everything, so it’s important that you surround yourself with people that have different skills sets, so you complement each other.
Being a professional requires maturity and social skills. These are important life skills, but are also necessary in the work place. Sometimes employees play office politics to get jobs accomplished. Make decisions based on data and productivity, not gossip, arguments, complaints and criticism. It’s not personal; it’s professional.
Wondering how to introduce more data driven decisions into your organization? Try field service software. It can help you understand who your most productive employees are and make decisions that will improve your business.
SIMPLE PERKS CAN GO A LONG WAY
It’s important to recognize and show your employees how much you value them. A field service business owner can simply talk with employees in person and tell them how much their hard work and contributions mean to the success of the company. It’s also beneficial to express your appreciation to employees by planning or creating a special event or experience to keep them engaged.
There are numerous ways to motivate your employees. A kind and thoughtful gesture can create an atmosphere that inspires and energizes your employees to work hard and move your company forward. Employees get paid to do the job, and most employees want to be recognized for doing a great job.
Here are ten simple ideas to make working for your small service business more enjoyable for your employees:
- Bring in a food truck as a surprise during the work week
- Arrange 10-minute chair massage for your employees.
- Offer your employees tickets to a sporting event for a job well done.
- Sponsor a softball team or plan a golf outing
- Offer movie tickets for the whole family to enjoy
- Place a ping pong table or dart board in your workplace to have fun together
- Post a joke or comic strip on the bulletin board for employees to enjoy
- Host a company BBQ
- Place a plant, delicious treat, handwritten note or gift card on an employee’s desk to thank them for exceptional work and leadership
- Schedule meetings off-site in unique locations and interesting venues
Let’s face it; a happy employee is a good employee. Employees are motivated in different ways. It’s your job to figure out what motivates them. If employees enjoy their day-to-day work, they will continue to be productive and loyal employees.
DEFINE AND LIVE YOUR COMPANY VALUES
Many employees are looking for a place to work that is interesting, challenging and fun. Once you build your organization with great employees, it’s your job to keep them involved and working hard. Try openly sharing your expectations and company vision. Be sure your employees understand the core values of your business.
Your employees are watching what you do and how you treat each of the company employees. You’re a role model. A small business owner has a belief system they live by and this is reflected in everything they do. Your employees observe how you run the business, what kind of tone you set everyday in the workplace, your passion for what you do and how you deliver your product and work with clients.
Leading an organization based on mutual respect, creativity, appreciation and integrity will encourage employees to follow that example.
Now that you've created a motivated, loyal staff, do you know how happy your customers are? Download our free eBook, Measuring Customer Satisfaction, and learn how to measure - and improve - your customer satisfaction.
