Motivation. We hear the word all the time, in schools, in sports and in business. What is motivation exactly? And how does it relate to the success of your business?
According to Psychology Today, motivation is one of the driving forces behind human behavior. Motivation is ignited by the achievement of particular goals. Its benefits include:
- Fueling competition and internal drive
- Sparking social connection and bonding
- Fending off mental illnesses such as depression
- Igniting a desire to continue striving toward meaning, purpose, and a life worth living.
In short, without motivation, the human population would be a sad, purposeless lot, wandering around with no direction, no friends and no goals. What a scene!
Now, picture that in the workplace. What a disaster! It would be nearly impossible to run a company with a group of individuals like that. Imagine what a team of sluggish, unmotivated employees would do all day. They would likely spend the entire day surfing the web, watching YouTube, texting with friends, drinking multiple cups of coffee, perhaps even looking for other jobs. They would do anything necessary to pass the time and distract from the tasks they have no intention of doing. The level of output would be close to zero, and you’d likely be the one picking up the slack. This is an ultimate waste of time, money and resources.
So now we know – motivation is absolutely critical to the overall health and success of any company. There are a multitude of reasons to keep your team incentivized. From a noticeably higher ROI to a happier atmosphere, we’ve narrowed it down to ten benefits of a motivated employee in the workplace.
Ten benefits of motivated employees in the workplace
1. Better Profits:
Employees that feel committed to their organization tend to work efficiently. This type of positive energy not only keeps them laser-focused, it also helps employees maximize the time spent on different tasks or projects. This type of efficiency in the workplace means faster production with less need for revisions. A committed, productive employee exercises notable attention to detail and showcases more desire to complete projects successfully. Faster, focused work means better sales, and better sales ultimately leads to better profits.
2. Improved Behavior:
An employee that feels heard will have a better attitude. A positive attitude makes for a better team player. Better team players…well, you get the picture. Good attitude spreads. Just one motivated employee is enough to encourage an entire team to behave according to well-intentioned rules and regulations. Your company will run smoothly and adeptly.
3. Better Client Relationships:
If your company is client-facing, it’s essential to maintain a high level of motivation amongst your team. No matter how much of a “people person” one may be, it can be challenging to face clients all day. High levels of interaction can be energy draining, and the desire to remain approachable can be tough to keep up, even with the loveliest of clients. Keeping employees motivated and feeling valued, and giving breaks when necessary, will result in a steady stream of happy clients.
4. Mutual Respect:
Respect begets respect. Employees that feel respected are more inclined to see the company as “their own” and treat it as such. They might look for cost-effective ways to complete different tasks. They will keep their space tidy. They will work well with others. They will take team goals seriously, minimize waste and share resources. Respected employees will be much more motivated to succeed and uphold the company’s overall mission.
5. Reduced Turnover:
A motivated team is a bonded team. Employees that work together on a common goal or participate in corporate group travel are more apt to stick around. It’s much less likely that your staff will be feeling dread on their way to the office if the office feels like home. It is even more unlikely that employees will actively seek other employment. Best of all, motivated employees are more inclined to seek promotion within the company. This results in higher work ethic, increased revenue and better sales tactics. Employee retention saves both money and time for management.
6. Innovative Ideas:
Motivation breeds innovation. Imagine this: It’s a Tuesday morning. Your boss comes in, stops by your office, makes eye contact with you. Asks about your family, inquires if there is anything you need help with. Conveys gratitude for the great job you did on an ad campaign you just wrapped up. Mentions that a company incentive trip is in the works. You go about your day feeling confident and, well, motivated. Now, that “out of the box” advertising idea doesn’t seem that crazy. You decide to bring it up at the next meeting, and it’s a hit.
Employees that feel motivated by upper management praise are far more likely to think creatively and present alternative, non-traditional ideas that could be the very solution you’ve been looking for.
7. Better Health:
According to a study highlighted in Well Being: The Five Essential Elements, by Jim Harter and Tom Rath, employees that feel engaged with their tasks have lower stress levels than those who don’t. Stress is a good indicator of health, and better health means more reliable staff.
8. Open to Change:
Employees that feel motivated and confident about their performance will feel less intimidated by changes made within the company. In fact, they will be more inclined to embrace new ideas and systems that might otherwise produce office-wide groans. The ability to easily and quickly implement new and innovative work methods can contribute significantly to your company’s profit and reputation. Which is a good segway to our next benefit.
9. Improved Reputation:
Maybe it’s a little ego-centric, but don’t you want to be known as “that great company” that everyone wants to work for? Not only work for, but also work with? Employees and clients alike are drawn to businesses with good reputations for a reason. It’s that air of trust, reliability, positivity and efficiency. With a motivated workforce, you’re sure to attract both the clients and employees that are ideal for your service!
10. Happier Workforce:
In an article by Paul ter Wal of AndareTeam, there are five human needs that need to be fulfilled in the workplace to ensure a happy team: growth, meaning, connection, autonomy and impact. Making strides to meet these basic needs results in a motivated workforce and a happier company!
So now that we know ten benefits of a motivated workplace, how can we actually motivate them? Group travel incentives and corporate incentive events for employees are excellent ways to influence more productivity.
According to a 2019 Forbes publication, 86% of HR professionals thought a “values-based reward and recognition program” such as a vacation incentive, made their employees happier. Happier employees, as we already know, are more effective workers. Offering a reward for a job well done is a powerful way to show your appreciation, a vital component to motivation. As stated in the same article, 83% of people are driven by the need to feel appreciated. Since you appreciate them anyway, why not show them?
Corporate incentive travel drives employees toward business goals.
Some programs target individual goals and some target team goals. President’s Club incentive trips, for example, serve as a driving motivator to individual members of the sales team to personally reach outlined targets, such as increasing revenue and identifying more profitable leads. An overall company incentive trip may encourage members of all departments to work interchangeably toward a specific ROI, thus resulting in a company-wide incentive reward. You will benefit not only in the form of financial gains, but also in the form of a positive, more bonded work environment.
Speaking of bonding, group incentive travel encourages closer relationships within the company. It gives employees a chance to connect with team members they might not have a chance to speak with during a normal work day. This is more necessary than ever, now that so many employees are working remotely. Human interaction is essential to a high-performance corporation, and incentive vacations guarantee interteam connection. Bringing teams together in a new, exciting environment while leaving behind the usual stresses of a work day is a surefire way to increase productivity when they get back to the office.