Happy Work Place

How many of you work in a place where you get up in the morning and say, “I can’t wait to get to work and start the fun day ahead of me!” Wouldn’t it be entertaining to play games and enjoy your day at your daily job? Everyone has there own opinion on the ideal workplace. Numerous companies are aware of the advantages of having a motivated work-force; however, only a small amount does anything about it. Even the companies that are active about motivating there personnel, leave it in the hands of the local management team leaders. The majority of these team leaders/managers are overworked and do not care enough to implement any kind of an increase in employee morale; thus, resulting in an apparent careless effort which results in an even more motivational lacking environment. There are numerous techniques to increase drive for employees, some are simple and short term and some are expensive and long term. Either way, given the correct technique is chosen; they are effective and will create a better working environment. However, if the wrong technique is chosen, the effects will be less then desirable.

As a manager of a team, in order for you to motivate anyone who works for you, you must lead by example. No one is going to become upbeat if you’re always yelling at employees, walking around with a stressed look on your face, or just walking by your team without acknowledging them. So, the primary person who needs to get motivated and set the “mood” is going to be the manager. To do this is not a simple task, nor is it impossible either, this is what gets the “motivational ball” rolling.

So, how does the manager get the ball rolling? The answer lies within 3 options; 1. The manager has an incentive from upper management to get the team’s spirits raised. 2. The manager actually would like to encourage a happier work environment and genuinely wants to implement something effective for the good of the whole department. 3. The manager will fear productivity will diminish, thus resulting in a cut back of funds and loss of jobs, which one of them could be his/her very own.

Once the manager sets himself/herself in the “motivating mood” the biggest decision he/she must make is, what direction they are going to take. This is crucial, there are some old mundane techniques that have been tried in the past to heighten employee spirits, but just proven otherwise. One of these techniques was more to keep higher productivity level in a department by firing a few people with-in a selected group. This firing of a few employees was thought to keep the rest of the team on there “toes.” This actually was extremely counter productive and a poor motivational and efficient technique, “This tactic has an unintended consequence: nearly everyone begins to feel insecure. The risk is that those who have alternatives might take advantage of them and leave. And those with alternatives are usually the