Rules Smules: Minimizing Rules And Restrictions Can Make For A More Motivating Work Environment.
November 21st, 2008

People are motivated by a variety of things. A person's motivation can be as different or unique as they are. Some people are motivated to change their appearance while others are motivated by their own happiness or their family's happiness. Others are motivated by money. When it comes to work, many people are not motivated to do much of anything except show up and collect a paycheck. It is our job as managers to create an environment in which employees are motivated to do a better job and move forward.

A popular Gallop Poll stated that about 20% of people questioned described themselves as "actively disengaged" at work. Most of these people also said that they were not given the proper tools to do their job or that they were not given clear directions for completing the task. From this Poll, we are shown statistics that are amazing. These employees who are being described as "actively disengaged" are costing employers more than 300 billion dollars a year! This same Poll showed that these people are more likely to miss work or to be late and are also described as less loyal to their jobs.

One of the most common mistakes that employers make is creating too many rules and regulations for employees to follow. This is highly un-motivating for the employee! They feel that they are not being allowed to creatively carry out tasks for fear of constantly breaking a rule! Furthermore, their feelings were likely not considered when these rules were created in the first place. Feeling as though you are an active member of the team and that your feelings are considered when making decisions (even when they are not) is very motivating for an employee!

Making employees feel that they are not trusted is another major mistake that management often makes. Creating rules and polices that question an employee's trustworthiness is common practice in major businesses. For example only allowing a certain number of days off when a family member dies assuming that if there was no limit on the number of days, the employee would take advantage of their time off.

These are some tips for how to create a work environment in which employees do not feel like they are not trusted and that they can express themselves: An environment that fosters motivation in the workplace.

Guidelines for a Motivating Work Environment

Keep rules and policies to a minimum. Rules are there to protect your business and create organization, if a rule does not serve that purpose only, then you will need to consider retiring that particular policy.

After the rules are established, it is essential that all employees know what is expected of them. Make sure that the rules and/or policies are published and posted in a manner in which all employees are aware.

Create a code of conduct. Make this a collaborative effort which involves all or most of the employees that work with you. Use this to identify values that should be held on high in your organization.

Follow the rules. As a manager it is your job to be sure that not only the employees are following the rules, but that you are as well. All members of management should follow the rules that have been established. The employees should notice a sense of consistency from the management team rather than employees knowing which managers will let them "get away" with things while others will not.

Management should recognize and address inappropriate behaviors on an as-needed basis rather than picking and/or "waiting" for someone to mess up. Use counseling or a progressive discipline approach rather than a "you're in trouble" approach.

Clearly communicate work place expectations and guidelines for professional behavior.

Ask for employee feedback on rules and policies that are in use. Also ask for ideas about editing the policies. Sometimes your employees have great ideas; after all, they do the job everyday!

Be sure that these newfound ideas of consistency in enforcing policy don't come as a shock to employees. IF you have been letting employees "get away" with things in the past, you should meet with them and explain the policy as it is published and let them know about your change and the change that is expected in them.

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Holidays and Celebrations Build a Team Environment and Employee Motivation

Holidays are usually considered something that is celebrated with family and usually means a day off from work. However, celebrating holidays can bring employees closer together just as it does a family! Close working relationships between employees, and between employees and management, can mean building of motivation throughout your workplace. Building high morale and motivation at work leads to higher productivity and an overall more positive work environment. The celebration of holidays and traditions can increase employee motivation and build morale.

These traditions are easy to plan and don't have to take a lot of money or time, simply acknowledging the holiday with a small get together is enough to let the employees know that you care about them on a personal level. These traditions can range from a food drive around Christmas and/or Thanksgiving to costume parties or a dress up day in the office around Halloween. Even something as simple as encouraging employees to wear green around St Patrick's Day can create a motivating environment in the office. These kinds of traditions are a fun way to get employees involved and working together.

It is a good idea to stay away from celebrating holidays that are related to a specific religious sector in order to honor the feelings of all of the employees. You might want to have a winter celebration around Christmas time instead of a Christmas celebration. Another idea is to come up with some fun ideas for traditions that are specific to your company. "Funky Tie day" is one that is commonly celebrated in offices around the US.

These are some simple guidelines to follow when planning an employee motivating tradition in the workplace.

Create a group of people to organize the event.

Ask for volunteers to plan company parties or events. Remember that these should be on a voluntary basis only. It is important to get people involved from all parts of the company. For example, you might ask a member of management as well as someone from accounting.

Allow new members to join the planning groups each year.

This will foster a way to get to know new employees and will also be a sort of training for when the older members of the planning committee leave the company.

Pay attention to special needs.

Be sure that there is plenty of food for the vegetarian on your staff. Be sure that there are plenty of low fat deserts for the dieters on your staff. Be aware of any food allergies an employee may have. Some food should be labeled clearly with ingredients to avoid a serious food allergy reaction at your business event. These kinds of details can make the difference in a successful, motivating event and one that is irritating and sometimes disrespectful to some employees.

Keep good records.

If you are doing a charity event with your employees it is essential to keep records from year to year. This is a highly motivating part of the event. You will want to "beat" last years record, this is a great way to create a team like work environment and also to promote motivation. Even if you are not doing a charity event, it is helpful from year to year to know how much food or supplies were purchased and for how many people.

Have plenty of volunteers on board.

Make certain that all the needed jobs have been assigned and that there are enough people to cover the work. When a group pulls together they build motivation for the work that they are doing. They form a team. However when there is not enough people to complete a task, everyone feels as if they are being treated unfairly.

Motivation in the workplace is essential for a good working environment. Different things motivate different people, and it is important that you recognize this. Some will not want to participate in these activities and it is best to respect their wishes. But for most, creating new company traditions and celebrating holidays is a great way to increase motivation which will ultimately increase team work and productivity in the office

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