Your people, your profits: Motivating staff

by Andrew Corcoran andrew@corcoran-management.biz​

One of the best bosses I ever worked with once said to me: "No one goes to work to do a bad job".​

She went on to explain that she believed that all workers want to do well but the way they are treated can turn them against the company. This is a philosophy that I urge everyone to use. If you can motivate your staff by harnessing their desire to do a good job you can build a happier, more productive team.

This is something everyone knows in their heart-of-hearts but often the daily pressures of work in a service business cause us to become preoccupied with the task at hand. Instead of developing a team that can take the pressure away from us we can become irritable and distant. Recognition and praise are great ways to motivate your team. I found that sticking a list of ideas on how to motivate people every day in my diary helped me remember how I could achieve more. These ideas are ones that I have gathered over many years and they have worked well for me.

• Greet everyone every day​ - People like to be recognised and want to feel welcome. A smile and a hello cost nothing, but they really make people feel valued.
• Create a good atmosphere​ - say positive things. When someone asks you how you are don't say "fine" and carry on with what you are doing. Be positive, be upbeat, say " I'm good" or "I feel great" and ask them how they are. This helps to set a good climate.
• Get to know something about your team.​ Know something about them that matters to them, their football team, their holidays or their family. Then ask them about it. This shows that you value them as a person, not just a worker, and helps to build a relationship that includes everyone in the team.
• Make sure the staff member knows his or her goals.​ If someone knows what should be done they can feel good when they achieve the goal. Challenges are a key part of motivation.
• Give some positive feedback.​ Everyone goes to work to do a good job, and frankly there is no harm in praising them when they have done well. It's often not in our nature to say "I think you did a great job today" - but it should be. If someone has done something well or exceeded a customer's expectations tell him or her and do it at every opportunity.
• Criticise quietly.​ Everyone makes mistakes. No matter what we like to believe none of us is perfect and we do mess some things up. When we do we don't want to be humiliated in front of others.
• Let the staff member offer his or her remedy.​ When you feel someone could improve don't jump in, take some time. It's often better to ask "How was everything today?" This allows them to tell you that they made a mistake. If they don't tell you ask them directly about the situation but don't make judgments. You can ask them what they will do to improve things. Let them take the lead. If they can't offer help, make suggestions.

Too often managers treat mistakes as if the world is going to end. This will only distance the worker and can affect his or her motivation.

This is part of a series of articles by Andrew Corcoran, who was formerly a country manager and department head for McDonald's. He now runs his own consultancy and is a senior lecturer at the Business School of the University of Lincoln and an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.

Other articles in the series can be read on thePublican.com in the Training section of the Your Business area. Click on each to read the full article:

• Introduction - soft skills
• Recruitment planning
• Interviewing & selection
• The first day
• Communication.