You need incentives!

It’s pretty evident to any good manager that motivated employees are productive and efficient, but sometimes it can be tough to keep motivation at the level you desire.

Contests

Is your sales team dragging a little today? Interns looking like their night out didn’t end until a few hours ago? A small bonus for the day could make all the difference in the world. Offer to take whichever intern finishes stuffing envelopes fastest out to lunch, or maybe $50 to the sales rep who makes the most calls in an hour. By setting an attainable goal and a valuable prize, the incentive to compete is created and you’ll find your employees suddenly waking up and being much more productive.

If you’re looking for more long-term motivation, a vacation or bonus can be a very attractive incentive for your employees. While they certainly should be working hard for the compensation they’re already receiving, upping the ante can really push your employees to another level of productivity.

Set goals

Having goals for your company, department, and even individual employees can drive productivity and give employees a reason to work efficiently and to their best ability. These goals must be attainable and specific, so that your employees know exactly what they are striving to accomplish.

A great way to keep these goals relevant and significant to your office is to type them up and print them out. For example, print out the number of sales you want your sales rep to make this week, and have him/her put it on their desk.

Promotion opportunities

It’s a very simple concept, but employees who are aware of available opportunities to advance in the company will definitely be more motivated than those who know they will be stuck in the same position no matter how well they perform.

As the manager, it falls on you to make sure your employees know that upper management takes notice of what they do and that quality performance will lead to promotion.

Recognition

Along the same lines as promotion opportunities, recognizing outstanding employees is another way to provide them with incentive to strive for their best effort. Having an Employee of the Week, Month, and/or Year award is a good start, especially if that type of award can be parlayed into a promotion or addition recognition by the employee(s). Other employees will take notice that success is being recognized in the office, and this can create some friendly competition and a more productive office environment.

Have a party!

Yes, while it is certainly important to make your office environment as productive as possible, sometimes things just get far too monotonous. Take a page from Michael Scott and his Dunder Mifflin crew and have an office party. Getting a break from the day-to-day and getting to discuss subjects other than sales reports and online marketing with your co-workers can help with office morale and refresh your office.