Pretty much everyone dreads that early morning alarm clock that signifies the end of holidays and the return to the daily grind.  It might seem like redundant research but many studies have proven that employees struggle to get back into work mode after time away.  The other, less redundant side of that research, however, is what to do to kick-start a gear shift and get your team (and maybe yourself) motivated and back into the business swing.
 
HC Online recently wrote about some findings from the Clarius Group which “revealed the top 10 motivators for Australian White Collar professionals in 2014:

• Money
• Work/life balance
• Being valued and recognised
• Interesting Work
• Working with good people who they can learn from
• Flexible hours
• Good managers
• Finding meaning and purpose in the work they do
• Job security
• “A great company doing good work””

 
But how to put those ideas into practice, you wonder…?
Here are some suggestions on how you can easily prioritise and promote motivation in your team;
Money –
Set clear goals with financial incentives or prizes for reaching them.
What’s most important here is that the goal/s are perceived to be achievable.  If a goal or target is so far-reaching, employees are prone to be demotivated by the goal and they’ll give up before they’ve even started.  Gift Cards are a great cash-based incentive and easily arranged for on-the-spot prizes. They are an effective incentive tool as the reward amount isn’t hidden in pay-cheques and the recipient is more inclined to treat themselves to something special. Eftpos gift cards, in particular, are a fantastic option as they provide flexibility to reward any and all personnel, no matter their demography or geography.
Work/life balance –
Ensure workloads are manageable within business hours.
Set up a weekly Work in Progress (WIP) meeting to find out what each team member has on their proverbial plate.  Ensure everyone has sufficient work to keep busy but not so much that they’re always staying back after hours to get things finished.  Where possible, delegate items to other staff whose plates are less full.  This is a great opportunity for cross-training staff too and it lends into another item on Clarius Group’s list of motivators – Working with good people who they can learn from!
Another of the top motivators, Flexible hours, also blends into the work/life balance category.  Provide your staff with the opportunity to work when it can more easily adapt around their private lives, eg. sporting commitments or time to spend with their kids.  This type of freedom demonstrates trust in your staff and also allows them the ability to be more focused on their work while in the office.  Flexible hours also provide the Early Bird and Night Owl types with the ability to work the hours that are the most practical for them which means increased productivity for the business as a whole.
Being valued and recognised –
Celebrate personal and professional milestones.
Do you have a birthday calendar for your team?  Maybe even a ‘cake/gift roster’ so each team member gets involved in creating excitement around their colleagues’ special days and is also made to feel special on their day.  Has someone broken a sales record or signed on a huge client?  Call it out at your next meeting and congratulate them. Harping back to the top motivator, maybe an eftpos gift card reward too!  This kind of practice also helps to push the other staff, perhaps creating a little competitiveness, to try to achieve more if they know they’re going to be recognised (and rewarded) for it.
Plan some basic reward and recognition techniques into your daily agenda, and watch your team thrive as a fully engaged and efficient work force.