Changing the theme of the top tips slightly for this edition. Today we are going to focus on team spirit and how to keep employees motivated. Unlike our previous posts, this isn’t so much of a ‘one size fits all’ as it all depends on your team and the dynamics.
To get an all-round understanding, we asked the five heads of department within Stagecraftuk to tell us what they think the most important factors are.
Communication
‘Communication is key’, is probably one of the most popular phrases world-wide, as it is one of the key components of a successful team. Nobody wants a team that is demoralised or an office with an unfriendly atmosphere. The way around this is to make communication a priority. Try having a weekly team meeting to go through the past weeks work and the upcoming weeks, and address what went well, who went above and beyond, as well as what can be improved upon. This will highlight any problem areas which can be quickly addressed, in addition to giving credit to those who are working to a high standard.
Please and Thank You’s
Tying in with communication, simple courtesies go such a long way when trying to improve team spirit. A please and thank you can make all the difference on how a task is viewed and executed. By adding either or both of these to your request, it lets the person know that you are appreciative of their efforts.
Goals
One of the best ways to keep a team motivated is to set goals. Goals give the team something to constantly work towards, which in turn keeps them motivated to always improve. The goals could range from how quickly they can set up a stage for instance, or improving customer feedback scores. Whatever the goals are, they need to be monitored so everyone knows when they have been reached and when it is time to change them. Once a goal has been reached make a big deal about it, announce it in your next team meeting, to give everyone that feeling of accomplishment.
Rewarding good performance
Nothing says ‘well done’ better than a reward; that doesn’t mean it has to be a tangible reward, it could be a simple letter to said person, praising them for their hard work and success. Practices like this actively prove to the recipient that their hard work is being noticed and appreciated, therefore encouraging them to continue on in the same manner. Similarly, if other employees are seeing that their colleagues are being rewarded for their hard work, they will be encouraged to work to the same level.
Team bonding exercises
Whether you have recently added new members to your team or you’ve had the same team for the past few years, team bonding exercises are a great way to improve team spirit and motivate the team to work harder together. You could take the team out for a problem solving activity day, which will get them to working together on solving new problems, or it could be something completely different like canoeing down the local river. Whatever the day is, it will bring the team together and give them a boost of inspiration that they can take back to the work place and put into real life situations.
A successful business is built on a strong, united working unit. Without this the business will not meet its full potential as its employees will not be working to their potential. It is crucial that your team feel appreciated, and that the level of team spirit is constantly at a high. By putting these methods into practice, you will see a brand new team, full of inspiration and a drive to work hard.
