It’s been said many times before: A happy employee is a motivated employee. And a motivated employee therefore becomes a more productive one. But how does one ensure happiness in the workplace without taking away from productivity?
A lot of startups have latched on to this idea of making sure that their employees are happy at any cost. They have game rooms, fun outings, and flexible schedules. Sometimes, this works well. However, too many distracting activities could also be detracting from an employee’s happiness. But how could a NERF war be anything but beneficial to an employee’s well-being?
The answer lies within the idea that happiness comes from getting “in the zone.” Think about it, when are people more happy in their job? When they can focus on the task and hand and get it done without watching the clock? Or when they can’t finish a project due to a lack of focus or too many distractions?
The correct answer is that focused employees are happiest. Sure, a little bit of fun will also boost their mood, but not when it comes at the cost of finding their “zone.” In order to encourage happiness without distraction is to give your employees perks that they can take advantage of in their own time without distracting others. The benefit of a free lunch is probably going to do more for their contentment than disrupting their work for an office-wide game of trivia.
A feeling of safety is another important component of happiness. So while the size of an employee’s paycheck may not be directly related to their job satisfaction in increasing amounts, if they feel are worrying about making ends meet, then they will be less motivated. Along this same vein, providing health benefits helps employees to feel safer, and resolving office conflicts swiftly and professionally will also help lend to an improved mood.
Stress can be a killer of motivation, because stress is not a positive emotion. Therefore, it is vital to manage the stress levels of all employees. That being said, a little bit of stress can actually be good for them—because we all like a challenge. With the right workload, you won’t risk your employees becoming bored and therefore losing their ability to stay in the zone. But too much stress and being overwhelmed will de-motivate your employees. Setting up smaller goals, as opposed to bigger, long-term ones, will give employees the chance to find satisfaction in their achievements and lower their stress levels.
Overall, intrinsic motivation is more successful than external motivation, since the employee will get more satisfaction out of completing a task that was self-motivated. Creating meaning in one’s job is important to stay intrinsically motivated. Keep your employees in the loop with the goals of the company so that they feel involved in something bigger than simply their day-to-day tasks.
For more ideas on how to keep your employees motivated or for any other management tips, please contact Salefish LLC. We specialize in comprehensive training to sales managers, executives, and business owners.
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