Six Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated as We Start the New Year

As 2018 kicks off, you’re making resolutions and looking forward to growing and improving on a personal level — and at work. If you’re managing people, now is the time to figure out how to improve productivity this year. A productive team is one that is cheerfully motivated and wants to outdo even themselves day-after-day.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when motivating your team as we set foot into the New Year.

Revisit policies.

One of the most debatable policies at a workplace is prohibiting the use of non-essential websites at work. Consider the Internet to be a wealth of resources that only helps your teams to function better. Social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, alongside platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, do not just work as mere distractions: They serve as methods of quick respite, useful inspiration, instant connectivity, and great publicity.

Another policy that many organizations are revisiting is the idea of flexible work hours. More companies are beginning to understand the need for greater employee satisfaction in order to maintain productivity and boost morale, and allowing employees to work from home on days of need or making employee policies less stringent all work towards making employees comfortable and keeping them innately motivated to work better.

Assign Mavens.

Identify individuals who are level-headed and exhibit strong interpersonal skills. Appoint these people as mavens of goodwill among teams to ensure cordial relationships are built among all stakeholders within the firm. Mavens act as mentors or leaders, while motivating and guiding those who work alongside them.

You never fully know what someone needs at the workplace unless you take an active interest in figuring it out.

Dedicate Time to Unwind and Bond.

An everyday routine can bog just about anyone down. Moreover, the hierarchical structure of an organization often prohibits open communication between all rungs of employees, thereby limiting the chance to actually get to know one another or enjoy each other’s company. Slating time off from work for team members to bond among themselves and with superiors helps tear down the walls of inhibition which often put a dead stop to productivity. Planning social activities can get everyone out of their daily ruts. Indoor games, board game challenges, and competitions where employees are grouped into teams with strangers or unfamiliar colleagues make for excellent bonding exercises.

Formulate Frameworks to Share Intelligence.

Everyone has something to learn from one another. Initiate a formal meeting, a weekly lunch, a scheduled huddle, or a live webcast where every employee takes a turn to address all the others with a short presentation or video about work that inspires them. The result: A ripple effect of intelligence is created where team members can share likings, experiences, and research or findings that cannot otherwise be discovered by each employee individually.

Include Physical Activity and Sports.

Modern day science suggests that sitting in a chair all day can lead to lethargy as well as a score of lifestyle diseases, eventually accounting for a sharp dip in productivity. Including activities like indoor physical training, team sports, or yoga can help employees keep their blood well-pumped and stay active through each passing day. A lot of modern day businesses have quarterly or annual football tournaments for employees across local divisional offices, bringing together a large part of the workforce through common activities.

Keep an Eye Out for What They Need.

Motivating music, a PlayStation, fancy books, or just a chat with someone that’s got authority — you never fully know what someone needs at the workplace unless you take an active interest in figuring it out. Subtly keep an eye out for what your employees like, and act accordingly to keep them happy and motivated through the New Year.