Summer holidays. Aren’t they just magical? Nothing beats those hot afternoons, warm breezes and tropical getaways. Lazing at the beach, coconut in hand, straw in mouth, reggae tunes pumping in the background. A beautiful dream… that is cut drastically short when you find yourself walking back into work after an amazing vacation.
During the summer period, people really have time to think about themselves, their careers and lives in general. What else are we to do while we lay under a palm tree soaking up the rays? People often come back to work with a greater sense of ambition and readiness to tackle the second half of the year, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. On the other hand, employees can also return begrudging the daily grind full of seemingly menial tasks.
Needing motivation
This is where employees need serious attention. Management needs to up its game and motivate, hard. Officevibe has put together the below infographic outlining different types of motivators and how to encourage personal growth.
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from the inside, like pride satisfaction and fun, whereas extrinsic comes from the outside, like money, trophy and prizes. Obviously everyone needs to earn a living and bonuses get people excited. Instead of foscussing on this as the main motivator, and avoiding bribery for good work, try focussing on intrinsic motivators, which will see people take ownership over their own output.
Autonomy
Autonomy is all about the desire to direct our own lives. Encouraging autonomy is all about giving employees the freedom they deserve. Let them work on projects that actually mean something to them, and forget micromanaging! Keeping them on a tight leash will make them feel stifled and patronised,and all they’ll be thinking about is how they can break free!
Mastery
Mastery is all about people wanting to become better at something. You can encourage this in your employees by assigning them work that matters, not just menial tasks which seem pointless and really don’t hold much weight. Letting your employees experiment with approaches and test their own ideas will allow them to feel like they are carving out their own success, not being force-fed a list of boxes they need to tick by the end of the day.
Purpose
Purpose is huge when it comes to motivating employees. If they don’t know WHY they are really doing something, how can they feel passionate about it? Employees need to feel as though they are part of something bigger than their own daily tasks. Allowing employees to give back to the community is a great way to boost motivation, encouraging team work as well. You should also have a strong company mission, that employees can identify with.
