Tag: Motivational Quotes

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Creating a Motivational Space

Motivation is a complicated issue. It involves many different factors such as management style, team structure, feedback style, goals and job fit. Motivation also may include office culture, potential for growth within the company and many other factors. It’s impossible to list all the things that can motivate employees. As an employer, you need to address as many motivational issues as possible. One of those is the space that your employees work in. If you can create a motivational space, it will work wonders on your employees.

Think about some of the least motivating places you’ve ever worked. The colors were likely drab and dull. People were separated and cut off by cubicles with full walls. Office areas were simply rows and rows of cubicles. There were few areas for interaction among employees. You felt separated from everyone and almost like you were alone. Workplaces like this are simply depressing. If you want to motivate employees, you need to avoid creating a space like this. Instead, strive to create a space that increases interaction and reduces feelings of isolation.Tablet arm chairs

A first step is to create areas where employees can meet informally such as lunchrooms and break rooms. These areas allow people to relax and unwind. They can talk with their colleagues about something other than work. Larger companies often have cafeterias that offer a wide selection of food.

They usually have extended hours so that employees on different schedules can stop by for breakfast and lunch. Some cafeterias even offer dinner, depending on the company’s schedule. Another similar perk some workplaces offer are coffee stands with gourmet coffees. Most of these stands offer muffins, scones and other small treats in addition to coffee. Employees can visit the coffee bars on breaks. Sometimes, teams may get coffee and meet afterwards. Managers and employees may do the same thing when meeting. It creates a more informal environment. Keep in mind that employees will pay for food and drinks at cafeterias and food stands which helps defray some of the costs involved.

Dark spaces are de-motivating. Brighter spaces will help you achieve more motivation. If possible, pull down barriers around windows so that plenty of light is available in the office. If your office doesn’t have a lot of windows, place lamps in strategic areas around the office. Consider providing each worker with a lamp for his or her desk space. The brightness will help employees stay alert and engaged throughout the day.

Open areas in the office can be motivating if they are used appropriately. Employees need some space for private work. However, open spaces with tables and group desks help build collaboration among employees. This can be extremely motivating in the right circumstances. Workers can talk openly about projects rather than relying on emails and playing phone tag. Group conversations can stimulate new ideas and excitement about projects which can ultimately lead to improved work.

A workspace that recognizes achievements can be extremely motivating. There are a variety of ways you can do this. Never put up charts that promote employee competition with statistics. Instead, recognize the best employee achievements of the week with congratulatory signs. Announce special accomplishments not only in person but with public certificates, plaques or other awards. Make a special effort to recognize all achievements, not just those by certain employees or teams.

Many workplaces use motivational quotes and posters to help improve the attitudes of team members. This can work well if it’s done effectively. However, many motivational posters are overused and employees have seen them dozens of times. Some employers put up a poster and leave it up for years. It’s important to take a fresh approach. Find unusual posters or quotes and rotate them throughout the company so employees don’t look at the same thing for years.

You can also ask team members to provide inspirational quotes for the office on a rotating basis. Individuals can find quotes that inspire them and submit the quotes for approval. They can create them on design software and print them out on high-end paper. You can hang them in the office for a designated amount of time. After that time, another team member can create the next inspirational quote for the office.

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Creating a Motivational Space

Motivating employees is on every executive’s mind. They are constantly looking for techniques to inspire employees and help them feel engaged in the workplace. The truth is that motivation is complicated. There is no one way to inspire employees and therein lies the difficultly. Workers need to be motivated in a variety of ways. These include their involvement in team projects, their ability to achieve goals, the sense of contributing to company goals, the atmosphere they work in and many other factors. Analyzing motivational factors should be an ongoing process to ensure that employees feel engaged. Company and project circumstances change on a regular basis so it’s important to stay on top of employee engagement constantly.

Herman Miller Everywhere Used 42x42 Collaboration Table, GrayCollaboration is a key part of modern workplaces. People typically work on teams and these groups needs places they can meet together as a team. Sometimes these teams change on a rapid basis so it doesn’t make sense to seat the people together permanently. This is why it’s important to create collaboration areas in the workplace in several different places around the company. Often, these are large tables configured for meetings. These tables also double as workstations and allow team members to hook up computers and other necessary technology for project work. These collaboration areas allow employees to work together easily.

When collaboration is simplified, it contributes to team motivation. Employees are able to get to know their team members well. They learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses so that they know who to turn to during particular project challenges. Communication is simplified so that employees don’t have to deal with the frustration of dealing with multiple emails and phone calls to deal with simple issues. They can resolve problems quickly and simply through immediate conversations. They can brainstorm and come up with exciting new ideas on the spot in their collaboration area. Team members don’t have to schedule meetings to keep one another updated on basic information. They can connect quickly and easily. When it’s time for a project team or a department to regroup, the collaboration area can quickly be disbanded, reconfigured or repurposed for another group.

It may surprise you to learn that privacy can also be motivating for employees. Why? Because it is so hard to come by in an office environment. Privacy can be a rare commodity. Everyone needs privacy sometimes. The chance to be alone is necessary for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, people just need to recharge their batteries. Perhaps they need to have private conversations or make phone calls they don’t want others to overhear. Employees feel that their company cares about them if they have a private area for these types of needs.

Privacy is also important when it comes to accomplishing goals. Employees feel motivated when they are able to complete their projects and achieve the goals their managers have set for them and the goals they’ve set for themselves. Often, workers need a private place to work uninterrupted so that they can finish their projects in a timely manner. Collaboration is important, but employees need time to think, plan and analyze. If they don’t have these opportunities, they will feel frustrated and overwhelmed. That’s why a private area to work will motivate employees.

Steelcase Move Stack ChairsWhat about motivational quotes? They’re popular in many workplaces. Do they really work? They can if they are used correctly. It’s important that the quotes aren’t overused motivational posters that everyone’s seen. The motivational quotes need to be relevant to the company and the type of projects that employees work on. Motivational quotes can be on posters, plaques, screen savers, white boards, television monitors and other easily viewed areas. Not only should the motivational quotes be unique, they shouldn’t stay in the same place for too long, otherwise, employees won’t notice them after a while. Rotate motivational quotes on a regular basis so that everyone has the chance to see something new.

Many corporations stick with bland, generic colors in their offices. They try to ensure that the office has a professional look. However, many of these colors tend to be dull and uninspiring for the people that sit around them. Consider using more inspirational and fun colors in the office. Consult with a designer to find colors that will motivate people instead of making the office drab and dull.