It’s that time of year when we are all feeling a little worn out and work performance may be dropping. We have started dreaming about summer holidays on the beach, family time and even the things we’re going to achieve in 2020. Your employees will be feeling it the most. Keeping your employees happy means they stay productive, keeping your company in top condition.

Effective people management isn’t simply about getting employees to do what you need and expect them to do. It’s about creating a work environment that supports and brings out the best in people. Today we are looking at ways to boost performance in the last quarter of the year.

SET CLEAR PERFORMANCE GOALS 

If your employees know exactly what you expect of them, there will be less opportunity for wires to get crossed. You may have to tailor your approach to each employee, but that’s what makes you a good boss! Showing employees that you know they are all individuals in their own right, gives them a sense of security. Make sure employees stick to deadlines. Team members should know exactly what they need to have completed by a specific date.

This Business Daily article maintains that employee performance is boosted when you allow them to set their strategies and goals and then let them do the work to achieve these. A manager’s role is to equip employees with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs and then get out of their way so they can make it all happen. Every team needs a clear vision to work towards and a proper understanding of how they can help the business achieve its vision and goals.

REWARD GOOD PERFORMANCE

If you or someone else in the office notices an employee’s hard work, tell them! Rewards do not have to be in the form of gifts. Often verbal praise, career advancements or even bonuses are more effective. Make it clear to employees that hard work is appreciated and recognised. When employees and their work are valued, productivity rises, and employees are motivated to maintain or improve their good work ethic. Praise and recognition are essential because people want to be respected and valued by others for their contributions towards a company.

CREATE A WORKPLACE CULTURE

Nothing is cooler for employees than going to a place where they love to work and where others “get them”. Creating an engaging workplace culture is important for your employees and for your company brand. When your employees leave the office you want them to tell others about how great it is to work for you. Something as simple as a cappuccino machine or a creative space to have tea or lunch can make a world of a difference. This can help employees feel more engaged at work and research has found that engaged employees perform better. Foster culture engagement by considering the following:

• Team and employee collaboration
• Employee investment in the company vision
• Acceptance of mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than failures.

NOW IS THE TIME TO COMMUNICATE

Employees tend to feel overworked this time of year. If they express frustrations within the workplace, help them find ways to solve the problem. The worst thing around this time of year is employees not getting along. This Entrepreneur blog maintains that effective communication with your employees “takes effort, repetition, thoughtfulness and most importantly needs to come from the heart”. The things you need to repeatedly communicate to your employees (and allow them to communicate with you about) include:

• Feedback about their work performance.
• Discussions around what isn’t working and what can be done to improve it.
• Two-way conversations around their work goals and what can be done to achieve them.
• Updates on any new business goals or shifts in company vision they should know about
• Catch-ups on any challenges they are facing and what you can do to help them.

If your employees go on their Christmas break feeling motivated and cared for, you can be guaranteed that they will come back in the new year ready to give their absolute best. Maybe book your employees a day at the spa, instead of taking them to the annual, sometimes boring, end-of-year lunch.

Image credits: Pixabay

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