Your employees are more than just working cogs in the whole machinery of your business. They are humans too. As their leader, you must have the skills to nurture their trust, loyalty, and integrity. Otherwise, you can’t expect them to perform their best.

In this article, we’ll learn five strategies that can help you to encourage your staff to work harder without pushing them too much.

Give Your Employees Trophies

This type of reward is probably one among the oldest, and many employers have begun to ignore it because it may seem too superficial. However, it is not quite a fact. A trophy is a physical reward. And it functions as a visible acknowledgment that can influence others. For example, the Dundie Award Trophy originated as a trophy given by Michael Scott to his workers, and it became a global symbol of white-collar professionalism since then.  

Reward them with Money

Money reward here should not be granted without the availability of its physical counterpart. One reason is that people tend to forget it as quickly as it is spent. And although this phenomenon looks like a paradox, it is the one that happens in the real world. Therefore, complement this strategy with the one from the previous section. 

Moreover, you have an option to give the money bonus as benefits like a retirement plan or a health insurance package. This will be more meaningful than simple cash.

Describe Your Goals Into Small Details

Pursuing a big vision may look enticing to the capable and ambitious ones. But remember that not all of your employees possess such quality and manner. Instead of feeling pumped up, your team can get overwhelmed instead. Hence, reduce your complex goals into small details that are attainable in the short term. Not only will it motivate your crew, but it can also speed up the workflow because everyone can immediately see if their efforts can bring the desired outcome or not. 

Be Open to Your Team

The most terrible mistake that a leader can make is to lose the trust of his/her team. And in many cases, that failure happens because the leader does not open up enough to their team. 

First, you must listen to everyone’s feedback. Highlight the essential points and improve them. Second, all team members deserve to know the progress of any projects they have been working on. It is your job to present that information to them. 

Exercise Healthy Flexibility

Compromising some mistakes does not mean that you are abandoning your goals. And it is not an act of indiscipline either. Your employees must be given opportunities to learn from their errors. Otherwise, they may take things personally and feel uncomfortable working with you. However, boundaries must still be set.