Good managers remember to recognize and motivate employees. Great managers do it every day. Here are some proven methods for making sure that praising employees becomes part of your daily routine:
* Make employees a part of your weekly to-do list. Add the names of the people who report to you to your list of goals to accomplish. Then cross off names as you praise them.
* Use voicemail. Rather than using it only to assign tasks, leave employees voicemail messages praising them for a job well done. Do it from your cell phone on your way home.
* Write notes at the end of the day. Keep a stack of note cards on your desk where you can’t ignore them. At the end of the day, take a minute to write thank you notes to any employee who made a difference that day.
At the beginning of the day, put 5 pennies in your pocket. During the day, each time you praise an employee, transfer a coin to your other pocket. It may sound corny, but it works. And soon, praising will become a habit and you won’t have to rely on tricks like this one.
Motivating Part-Time Employees It’s hard to motivate part-time employees. They often do low-level work, have little chance for advancement and are treated as outsiders by full-time employees. So how do managers overcome these problems and turn their part-time staff into a potent force? Here are some proven methods:
* Orient them properly. Take some time to describe job duties and go over the basic rules, e.g., are personal phone calls allowed? Tip: Avoid confusion by clearly identifying who is allowed to give the part-time worker assignments.
* Assign a mentor. Even after proper orientation, part-time workers will be confused. Assign them a full-time worker to be a mentor. The part-time worker will feel more like part of the team, and the mentor will feel good about the added responsibility. Tip: Pick someone who is patient and has the time to answer questions.
* Mix up the workload. Don’t overload part-time workers with grunt tasks only. It’s a common temptation to assign all low-level work to part-time employees. Don’t! It’s demoralizing. Tip: Find out what specialized skills the part-time worker has and take advantage of them.
* Eliminate any hard feelings. Make sure full-time employees know from the start why you’re bringing in part-time help and that their jobs are not being threatened. Tip: Sell them on the idea that this is going to make their jobs easier.
* Offer flexible hours. Many part-time workers have special situations that require them to work only part-time. Use that to your advantage. By allowing flexible work hours, you’ll retain your part-time workers longer, eliminating the need for costly hiring and training. Tip: Make sure part-time employees clear all scheduling conflicts in advance to avoid confusion.
* Offer financial incentives. Most companies don’t offer bonuses to part-time workers. That’s a mistake. Set up a bonus plan based on company revenues just as you do for your full-time workers. Give them a reason to get excited about their jobs. Tip: Also offer part-time employees a higher wage than standard. It will prevent competitors from raiding your employees and forcing you to hire and train new ones.
Recognizing your top performers (both full- and part-time) is an important part of your job. These ideas will help make it easier.
Kathleen OConnor is the owner of the OConnor Success System which provides professional growth programs for managers and entrepreneurs. To access our free resources, visit our website at http://www.OconnorSuccessSystem.com You can sign up there for your free 4-part mini-course on communication skills and a free subscription to our monthly e-zine, The Edge.
