As any business owner will know, motivating employees can be a challenge and it is no easy task. This is especially the case in businesses who have remote employees, although software for HR management has tried to rectify this. However, if you want to improve your business and encourage growth, it’s a necessity. Team building exercises can be a great way to help your employees feel that they are working in a more inclusive environment which can boost morale and engagement. Here are some tips for creating an empowering atmosphere in the workplace.
1. Choose Communication Tools Carefully
There are numerous communication tools on the market that make collaboration easier in the workplace, from phone, text and direct messaging to project management tools. Whatever your business chooses to use, ensure that everyone in the team knows how to use it properly and that they’re all using the same tools. Often, what slows a project up is having multiple streams of communication going on at once. This can be alleviated by choosing the appropriate tools to ensure that everyone is on the same page. They should also be familiar with the protocols with using these tools, for example, not sending sensitive information over email without end-to-end encryption.
2. Give Staff the Authority to Make Decisions
Ultimately, you need to ins til trust in your employees and respect their decisions, but actions speak louder than words. In allowing team members to take on projects and make their own decisions, you not only show them that you trust their judgement, but you also help them to take initiative and trust their own judgement too which improves their confidence. As the company expands, you will need to delegate more and more, so a great first step in doing this is to pass on tasks or projects to your employees and having the confidence that they will be able to manage those tasks without monitoring from you. This will help staff to become empowered in their roles and will encourage them to work more collaboratively together on their own.
3. Encourage Workplace Friendships
Jobs can quickly become more satisfying when employees have the chance to form friendships in the workplace. It makes going to work more enjoyable and also helps people feel more comfortable sharing knowledge, working together on projects and instilling a deeper trust in colleagues. People who have friends at work have a vested interest in each other’s successes which fosters a kinder and more collaborative workplace environment overall. You can encourage this by creating shared activities and projects that enable colleagues to interact and work together. But you can also encourage people to go on retreats together, have dinner or volunteer together, or celebrate personal events such as birthdays, which will build those relationships and camaraderie. This is also an important thing to remember when new people join the company – part of the onboard process should be giving them chance to get to know their teammates.
4. Recognise Employee Contributions
Before you assign a task to a team member, explain to them why they are being chosen to carry out that specific task. It may be that they did particularly well on a previous project that is in a similar field or maybe they’ve developed their skills in a certain area, and you want to give them the opportunity to utilise those skills. Showing staff members how their contributions help the business overall will empower them to work on projects with a new sense of motivation, and will give the confidence to work with others, knowing that they have skills of their own to bring to the table. You should also share feedback from clients or co-workers when it arises. Weekly meetings are a great platform for this type of feedback or assignment of tasks, as it helps everyone in the team understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
Conclusion
Team building is a great way of boosting morale, productivity and happiness in any business. Companies can only thrive if everyone is working towards the same goals so it’s vital that all employees can work well with others and work collaboratively. By implementing these tips, you can ensure that everyone in the team is comfortable working with their colleagues as well as independently and has the confidence to do their jobs well.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
