First, it can help to say what everyone already knows: objectives have changed. The way we work has changed. This also means that expectations have often changed. Now is a good time to have a look at expectations from both sides: what the company expects from staff as everyone adjusts to a post-Covid working arrangement, and what staff now expect from employers in this new normal.
We’ve seen that remote working can be favorable for some, while some people have discovered they need an office structure to do their best work.
Accommodating the needs of staff - be it office space or working from home - and showing that you have their best interests at heart, can go a long way toward keeping people motivated. After all, people tend to work better when they feel their employer cares about and trusts them.
Communication is key when looking to maintain employee engagement. This doesn’t have to be a structured meeting or other formal communication. Just a simple check-in to see how things are going and to have a quick conversation is often enough. The point here, especially with remote work situations, is to show that the rest of the company values their input and contributions and that their work is not going unnoticed.
Anyone who has worked remotely knows that it can sometimes be an isolating experience. During these sessions, be sure to give staff the space so that they feel secure giving their input - even if it’s just a casual conversation. The two-way communication will go a long way toward making them feel valued, which in turn can boost motivation. This is especially true if the meeting is more formal, such as during a performance review.
Managing staff is all about providing guidance and leadership. But motivation largely comes from within —you can’t just tell someone to be motivated and expect results. But you can use psychology to motivate staff. With a few pages from the Self- Determination Theory playbook, you can help staff tap into their inner sources of motivation.
It’s all about realizing people’s needs and meeting those needs to help staff feel engaged and motivated. It begins with relatedness, which we touched on earlier by emphasizing the importance of ensuring that staff feels cared for. But beyond that, it’s about making them feel like they belong and are welcome. Acknowledge the emotions and struggles of your employees by recognizing the validity of their issues, then help them navigate and ameliorate them.
To varying extents, we’re all just cogs in the wheel. But nobody wants to be reminded of that. You can help alleviate these feelings of being too small to matter by reducing team sizes and regularly acknowledging each person’s contributions.
Problems are inevitable. Getting a full account from everyone involved, and giving people the time and space to have their say, can help in resolving any of these issues.
People need to feel that what they’re doing is worthwhile. They need to feel effective. This can be in the form of experiencing professional growth, achieving milestones, or having a sense of contributing to the greater whole. Involving people in decision-making processes can help staff achieve that essential sense of contribution.
Having a business solution that keeps your teams working smoothly whether remotely or in the office is a must. Valcre is the premier appraisal software solution for the commercial real estate industry. The platform offers appraisers a singular tool that simplifies job and client management, allowing them to save countless hours by providing access to prior jobs, historical data, and comps. Contact us for more information, to schedule a demo, or if you’d like to explore our mobile app.