Shed The Financial Burden Of Consultants And Motivation Gurus
The drive towards a more motivated, team-led workforce has opened up a relatively
new big money industry centred around improving corporate motivation, with consultants, team building experts and a huge array of motivational exercises all geared around improving the bottom line of companies.
With most industries still being cautious with the cash as the economy continues along the slow road to recovery, many businesses will be looking to cut back on apparently frivolous spends on corporate team building exercises, so how can companies cut their spend but still retain a high level of staff motivation?
The solution lies in going back to the good old days of communication, incentives and rewards. With bonuses very much on the back burner for many companies,
business gifts can go a long way towards keeping staff morale and productivity high. Heres how.
Communication
Good communication is what separates the men from the boys in the world of staff motivation. Employees who feel that they are being listened to and who enjoy a positive working relationship with their managers will be more willing to go the extra mile for the company. It is also usually the case that those lower down in the company tend to be the ones on the front line and no one will have more hands on experience of how the company is working than they will, so good communication may reveal key areas for improvement in the business that could help the company run more efficiently. The TV trend of sending CEO's "back to the floor" has shown how important that can be.
By improving communication it will make any consultants redundant. By talking to staff and improving the lines of communication between the "shop floor" and higher management, staff feel more valued and ideas are allowed to spread through the company, improving morale and highlighting any potential areas for change.
Incentives
One way to get the most out of staff is by offering them an incentive that will drive their performance. Staff will always work harder and more efficiently if there is an incentive for achieving realistic targets, and this will drive motivation and provide a focus for an individual's work. With bonuses on hold for many companies due to financial constraints, business gifts are being used more frequently to provide people with an incentive. Business gifts are especially effective as sales incentives, giving staff something to aim for that will drive their efforts and improve sales. It isn't just the sales team that can benefit from business gift incentives, any department where performance can be measured and targets set can enjoy the motivational benefits offered by business gifts.
Rewards
Rewards are unexpected incentives, and are an effective way of thanking staff who have gone above and beyond for the company. During these tough economic times it always pays to reward those members of staff whose efforts benefit the company, and someone who is rewarded is more likely to want to work harder again in the future when they know their efforts are being recognised.
By not rewarding the extra efforts of staff you are effectively telling them that it has gone unnoticed, and nobody no matter how dedicated wants to be in a position where they feel like nobody is appreciating their work.
Again, this is where corporate gifts come in. Receiving a personalised wrapped gift creates a feeling that is almost unique and makes people feel valued and appreciated.
Business gifts have an advantage over cash bonuses in this respect and while it is always nice to get a few extra pounds in the bank, it can never quite match that feeling of opening a gift.
During these tough financial times, making do without the luxuries of consultants and motivational experts might have a surprisingly positive effect. By listening to staff and motivating them through rewards and incentives companies might find themselves wondering why they ever needed to use them in the first place.
by: Alan Grainger
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