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Are you a member of a gym? Or do you plan to join one to up your fitness game in January after the Christmas blow-out and subsequent post-indulgence guilt?
Well you are not alone, as thousands to the same. At my gym, the PT’s say there is a clear pattern people follow and an article I spotted online gives some great tops to maintain that motivation and momentum and avoid the February slump when fitness fanatics revert to their usual lazy routine. http://www.nutracheck.co.uk/Library/Exercise/Resolved-to-get-fit-in-2011-5-Tips-to-keep-your-exercise-programme-going_1.html#.VJKL-SusWSo
But if you’re not a gym or fitness fan, January is notorious for demotivated staff as they come down from the high of Christmas and New Year. We’ve all been there!
Motivation is key for an employee’s inner enthusiasm and drive to accomplish activities. This internal drive causes an individual to choose to take action. In their lives, every employee has activities, events, people and goals that they find motivating. There is no such thing as unmotivated people – just unmotivated workers. The trick is to figure out how to tap into their motivating and inspire it at work. So how motivated are your people?
Here are 5 Tips on the questions you need to ask them:-
1. Goals
What are the primary goals of our organisation?
Many employees have surprisingly little idea about the direction and strategy of their organisation. They may be more motivated if they understand the primary ain of your business. Ask questions to establish how clear they are about your organisation’s principles, priorities and mission, What do these things actually mean to them in their day to day job roles?
2. Motivators
What really motivates your employees?
It is often assumed that all people are motivated by the same thing. Wrong! Actually, we are all motivated by a whole range of factors. Ask questions to elicit what really fires up your staff – what is really important to them? Are they motivated by financial rewards, status, praise and acknowledgement, competition, job security, public recognition, fear, perfectionism, results etc…
3. Empowerment
How empowered do your people feel?
Do your employees feel they have a job that gives them some ownership, responsibility and autonomy? Can they make some decisions and find their own solutions – do they feel trusted to do a good job – or are they given a list of takes to perform and simply told what to do?
4. Alignment
Are employee goals aligned with company goals?
First, your organisation needs to establish how it wants individuals to spend their time based on what is most valuable. Secondly, you need to compare this with how individuals actually do spend their time. You may find employees are highly motivated – but about the ‘wrong’ priorities.
5. Feelings
How do employees feel about working here? Would they recommend working in this organisation to a friend?
Do they feel safe, loyal, valued and taken care of? Or do they feel taken advantage of, dispensable and invisible? Ask them what things would improve their loyalty and commitment.
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