What happens if, after the excitement of launch day has passed, you sense a change in your team? Enthusiasm has dwindled, and morale is low. What went wrong?
If this is your situation, it doesn’t have to be a lost cause. Here are four ways to bolster morale among your team and bring back the positivity of launch day.
1. Have the right balance on your team
One way to motivate your workers is to allow each one to make a meaningful contribution to the company. This may not be possible if you have several employees with the same area of expertise. Instead, try hiring people with diverse skills, skills that complement those of the rest of your team, so they can bring their unique perspective to the table.
This approach will reduce unhealthy competition and make each team member feel valuable. It will also cut down on time spent quibbling over details by people who are experts in the same field.
2. Avoid micromanaging
Empower your team by allowing them autonomy in their roles and responsibilities. Employees who feel trusted are usually more invested in furthering the company’s goals and will likely work harder to accomplish its objectives.
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How can you show this kind of trust in your team? Assign tasks to team members specific to their skill set and allow them to handle the work without your input. Give them authority to make decisions without checking with you first. Demonstrating this type of trust will ensure that they feel valued and help them gain confidence in their abilities.
3. Use deadlines to motivate
Try to avoid letting your business run on auto-pilot. If there’s no sense of urgency, it can all quickly go humdrum. Luckily, there are things you can do to prevent this.
As the startup founder, you can take the lead in encouraging a healthy sense of urgency. Offer incentives and feedback that would motivate your team. Make sure they know that their job is contributing meaningfully to the business. Your enthusiasm will be infectious and encourage them to feel fired up as well.
Keep team members in the loop as things happen. This helps them feel valuable and strengthens the sense of ownership that is so vital to remaining motivated.
Try to get healthy excitement going by setting targets and deadlines for accomplishing tasks. Help employees take ownership of their roles by making regular presentations of what they’ve been working on.
4. Avoid rigidity
Once you have assembled a team of bright, hardworking individuals who want to help your startup succeed, remember they are just that–individuals. Each one is made up differently; they have lives and work styles unique to them.
If possible, consider allowing your team to work according to their own schedule, at least partially. Perhaps you can set up a work environment where employees can choose to work remotely or when they feel most productive. When your team knows that you value the end result of their efforts rather than how or when they complete the task, their job satisfaction will increase. They will know you trust them to work in the best way for them without you peering over their shoulders.
The success of your startup depends on your employees. Motivate them by following these recommendations, and you can be confident that they will do their best to help you meet your goals.
