(When You Find the Lack of Motivation Disturbing and How to Fight It)
It is very obvious how we tried our best to insert a Star Wars pun in this article. Not only because it is timely but because there are a lot of points in the story that relates to making sure that your entire staff is one with the force – one with you in making sure that the business operates well so that growing and making it stable is achievable.
Now, you may be equipped with the right know-how to make your food business click within your target market, and have everything to make your little restaurant run daily but you need that army of people to help you carry out all of these functions. “No man is an island” as they say and this is especially true in business. Getting the right people for the job and keeping your army well-driven to carry out exemplary output on a day-to-day basis is vital for your little enterprise to succeed. Your staff may be on fire for the first few weeks or months of working for you, but how do you maintain this? After a while, they may appear uneasy, easily agitated, and may even look disturbed sometimes. You may also notice them obviously looking like they are just dragging themselves up to do things inside your restaurant – with very low interest and zero passion. Absences become more frequent, misbehaviour comes along too, and customers getting disappointed happen this time. To have pre-emptive measures does not hurt. It would be nice to run a few key points to keep your workforce aligned with how you want them to work, to behave, and to perform as all of them are important to keep the business running smoothly. This blog will then help you motivate one of your most valuable business assets which are your employees.
Construct a positive environment.
Radiate eagerness in all forms. One of the best ways to keep their morale high is to let them know that they are being valued. Better communication should come into play by always reminding them that they are an integral part of the team and that you, as the business owner feel very thankful that you have them in your business. Tell supervisors and managers to do the same to the employees that are under their care – to acknowledge the contribution that a single employee brings to the company. Have bulletin boards in your staff office and post pictures of high-performing employees each month. Reward them with things like “Free Dinner for 2” in your restaurant or a small token from you.
Set ways for advancement opportunities.
Sure, you have trained every personnel to do their job. But it is still part of your scope to keep track of who excels and who needs further coaching and assistance. Appropriate coaching (preferably one-on-one) helps them understand what the team is working towards to and what your aspirations are for that particular employee so that he or she can move up and improve. Task matching is also important as it lets you filter and gauge which employee is fit for what task and who is not. On the other hand, for those who are performing satisfactorily, you should make sure to take care of them too. Plot your reward scheme whether giving out an incentive, a raise, or a promotion. You can also let them attend seminars and training classes for professional development.
Don’t bypass the fun.
As cliché as it is, work-life balance factors more than anything for employees. May it be in a form of a reward or even feedback coming from you would absolutely make a big difference. You can start by giving the simplest benefit such as a birthday leave. You can also utilise or give out (only if it applies) unsold inventory. Not only you would not lose revenue but you would also find an ingenious way to minimise wastage in your restaurant. You can also take part in social or charity events together with your employees. This is a good venue to market your restaurant, expand your network, and expose your staff to a particular cause. This exercise can also help develop a healthy relationship amongst your crew members. Other options would be, a sports fest, a family day at your restaurant, discounted kiddie party package for those who have kids, board game night after work, or a company-wide annual physical exam.
Let them know that their voice matters.
Include your key staff in the decision-making process. Ask regular employees for suggestions and opinions about things within your restaurant. Make time to mingle with them and create an approachable persona so that they feel comfortable sharing things with you about their work, the customers that they encounter every day, or even the business in general. You may have things on lock but people would always have a knack or two to better do things and that, we have to accept. Remember, “two heads are better than one.”
#Goals – At the end of the day, each member has a task to prioritise. Help your staff set smaller goals first. As they get used to it, they will aim for the bigger ones and will even aspire for more. Also, be a good example more than anything - keep your promises and follow your own house rules to the very word. Nothing explains learning more, than by example. It would also help to know what makes your staff perform better and use it to harness their potential. Applying an open-door policy would imply that suggestions are always welcome. Never ever doubt the power of involvement and interaction. One very good exercise to practice is to set vision boards which they can update every quarter, either individually or as a group. Vision boards can be simple long card folders that they can decorate with pictures of what they want to achieve within the quarter. Organise a quarterly session when the whole company can talk about your vision boards – what has been achieved and what they want to attain in the following quarter.
Do you have other ideas on how to motivate your staff? Start a discussion with us on social media. Happy holidays from Business Manuals Made Easy!
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