11 May 2021
By Roger Jones
roger@TheCork.ie
New realities have shown that external circumstances are often unpredictable, and sometimes employee loyalty is the only thing that can keep a business afloat. How to motivate a team during periods of increased anxiety, how not to lose its strength and success when they exchange it for other things like a casino at “click here now” links, and what has changed with the advent of Covid-19, we learned from the experts.
A Clear Strategy and Social Mission
And before the pandemic, there was a rule: if you want an employee’s eyes to shine, make sure that you are interested in work. People need to understand that they are doing an important job, that their work is necessary and valuable, and it can affect this world. And now the value of a big idea, that is, the mission and strategy of the company, is only growing. In the face of uncertainty about the future, the involvement of the leader becomes the main stronghold of the team.
Deleting anxiety and uniting employees is only possible when you communicate strategy clearly and inspire people with enthusiasm. One way to convey this enthusiasm is to add a social dimension to the work.
Focus Change and Horizontal Growth
Another good way to motivate the team is to give employees the opportunity to try new roles. According to the Mayo Clinic (a non-profit organization, one of the world’s largest private medical and research centres – Esquire), monotony and routine are a direct path to burnout, and self-development and trying to prove yourself in a new place is a great way to change work processes. In addition, not all employees are motivated by the prospect of a career as much as working on an entirely new skill area.
The Positive Team Atmosphere and Transparency
According to the statistics of the research company Hays, the most often non-material factors of employees are demotivated by an unfriendly corporate culture (64%) and an incompetent management team (70%). To increase the loyalty of the team, it is worth getting rid of these things.
Another practice that helps to improve the atmosphere in the team is prompt feedback. The team must understand where it is going, what goals are set, and what has already been achieved. This has always been important, but during the pandemic, the relevance of this factor has increased – increased anxiety can only be removed by transparency and a clear understanding of the team’s overall mission.
Paid Courses
The willingness to invest in employee development is another great way to increase motivation. The best company is a company that shows a specialist where to grow, what to do for this, and what skills to acquire. A person has a plan, he understands where he can reach and what he must do for this. Being clear about the employee’s future in the company in the face of constant change is a great way to combat anxiety.
Corporate Psychologist
A pandemic is a huge stress that can lead to the loss of 30% of work time. It is not surprising that the practice of corporate psychotherapy is becoming more and more in demand in domestic companies. Such sessions are especially useful if employees have burnout, interpersonal and intergroup conflicts. In addition, it is worth working out the consequences of misunderstandings between employees to prevent the accumulation of unnecessary stress and anger.