Gaining the respect of your workers is give and take but makes you all a better team. Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Motivating people below you to follow out the plans you have for them relies on respect. For them to comply with your ideas and wishes, they have to respect you and what you have to say. We’ve got a few suggestions for getting people on board.
1. Treat your workers with respect
If you listen to them, they will listen to you. It’s a simple fact that people are more likely to work hard for someone they like to be around, and someone they feel actually appreciates them. So show them that you value their place on the team by showing them respect and making time for them.
2. Practice what you preach
If you’re advising your team to push towards a deadline, and then spend 2 hours away from your desk at lunch, then you’re not really passing on the message that this is a very important deadline! If you don’t care about something, then why should your team? If you want to motivate your team, the best way is to lead by example. Skip idle chit chatter in the office, and remain professional and focused.
3. Provide instruction in a respectful way
The mutual respect doesn’t end when you start handing out the jobs. There are ways you can make tasks seem more appealing, by handing over an element of control to the worker. Allow them to take some responsibility for the job, and in turn you show them that you trust their choice and judgement. Show them that you empathize with their position, that you understand their workload, their skill set and what they like doing when delegating. It will give a likeable personal touch.
4. Take responsibility for your actions
It’s important to accept when you have made an error and find a way of making it right. No one likes someone who blows their own trumpet, but by taking responsibility for both good and bad actions, you are again leading by example and showing others that their actions can make a difference and can reflect well on them.
5. Give credit when it is due
If someone on your team is really pulling their weight and has impressed you, you need to let them know. Rewarding those who go the extra mile encourages everyone to do the same, and will also feed back into the mutual respect between you and your colleagues. Relish in their success as if it were your own, which will strengthen your relationships as a team. Providing good feedback to workers is fair, honest, and earns you respect. It’s an attribute of a great leader too!
6.Keep employees involved in the company
You can make employees feel valued by asking for ideas and opinions on key company decisions. This will increase their sense of worth and value to the team, and can also show you more about your team’s strengths and skills! You may find someone you were looking for, to fill a more senior position in the company.
AG Middle East 