A major component of workplace satisfaction is that employees feel challenged. Not many workers enjoy doing the same mindless activities day in and day out. If you can give your employee a challenge, provide the appropriate resources and then get out of their way, while monitoring progress and results, you might find they rise to the occasion. Then, once final results are delivered, ensure that fair rewards are provided. Here are a few other tips to challenge your employees.
Set Goals. Whether it’s fostering friendly competition with sales goals, setting overall corporate goals, or setting personal goals for your employee, having something to strive for will give them added incentive to try their best every day. Setting goals should be a component of the annual review process. Get their feedback about what they would like to accomplish.
Promote Creativity. If you let employees share their ideas and run with them, you might be surprised how far out of the box you can go. Encourage creative thinking and non-traditional strategies.
Increase Engagement. Communicate problems and issues that are affecting the company, and allow your employees the chance to address concerns. They may come up with solutions. Mutual trust is key. Sometimes you want to protect employees from the hardships that come with small business ownership. Withholding information can be demoralizing to staff, as well, though, because they often know more than you think, and rumors and speculation can be more demoralizing than the truth.
Build in Chances to Learn, Risk, Fail, Grow. If you ask for feedback, take a chance on some of the suggestions. Give employees latitude on smaller issues and as they prove themselves, expand their responsibilities. A project may take a little longer than you wanted or may need some intervention, but as long as you monitor the situation, you should be able to step in before any lasting damage is done. Also encourage your employees to come to you if they need help. This can also help you delegate tasks and get them off your plate.
Give Them a Task They Don’t Like (or Aren’t Used to). You can temporarily assign employees to areas outside their comfort zone. Explain to them why you’re doing so. They may learn new skills or apply their current skills differently. Seeing problems with a fresh set of eyes may also offer new solutions. By working with another department or swapping duties with someone else in their department, employees will learn to appreciate what other team members do and cross-training may help in case of an emergency or medical leave. Overall, it helps them understand their own roles and responsibilities better and how their role affects other areas of the business.
Develop Opportunities for Career Enhancement. Whenever possible, let employees define their duties. This may sound scary, but it’s not. When you bring on a new hire, you explain to them the essential tasks that must be done for them to remain employed. Outside of that, what special tasks pop up in your office? Need someone to volunteer for a charity event, design a storefront display, or do some paining? Ask for volunteers and then delegate.
Create an Environment that Encourages Great Performance. You want your business to be excellent. Encourage your staff to because the best version of themselves as well. Let them know that you’re in their corner, and you want them to success personally and professionally.
Set Goals. Whether it’s fostering friendly competition with sales goals, setting overall corporate goals, or setting personal goals for your employee, having something to strive for will give them added incentive to try their best every day. Setting goals should be a component of the annual review process. Get their feedback about what they would like to accomplish.
Promote Creativity. If you let employees share their ideas and run with them, you might be surprised how far out of the box you can go. Encourage creative thinking and non-traditional strategies.
Increase Engagement. Communicate problems and issues that are affecting the company, and allow your employees the chance to address concerns. They may come up with solutions. Mutual trust is key. Sometimes you want to protect employees from the hardships that come with small business ownership. Withholding information can be demoralizing to staff, as well, though, because they often know more than you think, and rumors and speculation can be more demoralizing than the truth.
Build in Chances to Learn, Risk, Fail, Grow. If you ask for feedback, take a chance on some of the suggestions. Give employees latitude on smaller issues and as they prove themselves, expand their responsibilities. A project may take a little longer than you wanted or may need some intervention, but as long as you monitor the situation, you should be able to step in before any lasting damage is done. Also encourage your employees to come to you if they need help. This can also help you delegate tasks and get them off your plate.
Give Them a Task They Don’t Like (or Aren’t Used to). You can temporarily assign employees to areas outside their comfort zone. Explain to them why you’re doing so. They may learn new skills or apply their current skills differently. Seeing problems with a fresh set of eyes may also offer new solutions. By working with another department or swapping duties with someone else in their department, employees will learn to appreciate what other team members do and cross-training may help in case of an emergency or medical leave. Overall, it helps them understand their own roles and responsibilities better and how their role affects other areas of the business.
Develop Opportunities for Career Enhancement. Whenever possible, let employees define their duties. This may sound scary, but it’s not. When you bring on a new hire, you explain to them the essential tasks that must be done for them to remain employed. Outside of that, what special tasks pop up in your office? Need someone to volunteer for a charity event, design a storefront display, or do some paining? Ask for volunteers and then delegate.
Create an Environment that Encourages Great Performance. You want your business to be excellent. Encourage your staff to because the best version of themselves as well. Let them know that you’re in their corner, and you want them to success personally and professionally.
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