As a business owner, you’re probably aware that your employees are pivotal in keeping your business thriving. Working for you is like working for the majority of humanity on this planet, a job that requires long hours, lots of focus, and an ability to push yourself to the limit. You need people who can support you emotionally and work towards achieving a common result. However, what many don’t understand is how essential team members can be in our success or failure at work. When we have a bad day, it’s not just our managers or colleagues who lean on us. It’s also our team members. Everyone knows that rewarding and motivating team members are everything to business success. After all, where there is a lack of motivation there is no room for innovation and error… right? Fortunately, there are several ways to increase motivation in the workplace that even the most remote workers can benefit from.

Create a culture of rewards and recognition

If you want to promote healthy competition and encourage innovation, then create a culture where successful people are rewarded for their effort. Not only will this give employees a better work-life balance, but it will also help them feel appreciated and productive. Consider creating small benefits around company-related activities or events that employees can enjoy and take part in. For example, let’s say your company’s mission is to make people’s life ARCHITECTURAL. If you have a big event planned for company-mates every month that they can participate in, ask them to sign a guestbook. This small act of recognition will make working for you easier and more fun.

Take the time to understand your employees

As you’re walking through the door, you want to make sure you understand your employees. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many employees don’t take the time to do so. It’s understandable, but we still don’t take the time to understand others—that is, our managers and colleagues. No matter how dedicated and hard-working your team members are, their personalities can drive them wild with whims and desires. Make time for in-depth conversations with your team members to find out what motivated them to do their jobs and what they have in their past that make them who they are today.

Create flexible work environments

Just as it would be inappropriate to force people to work any particular hours, it’d be extremely unprofessional and club-worthy to force people to work in some form. On the contrary, you want to create a flexible work environment where employees feel comfortable spending time with friends or family, learning new skills, etc. This means having a variety of work availability options, including flexible work hours, working from home, or night work. This is where flexible workspaces can help.

Help your employees feel included

It’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t go as planned or you have to take a break after sprints. It can feel like you’ve been doing this job for an hour and you’ve yet to take the first coffee break or lunch break. The same can be said for your team members. All of the passion and energy that goes into running a business is put into your team members. It’s human nature to feel like we’ve been put on the back foot by being placed in a low-priority position. Help your team members feel included in the process by keeping expectations low. “We’ll see you in a month,” you might promise, “We’ll check in soon.”

Take regular brain breaks

The office is a place for routines and routines are king. However, when things fall through the cracks, human frustrations build up. You don’t need to be a hero to stand up for your team members, you just need to break the tension and take some of the pressure off yourself. To break the cycle of frustration and anxiety, take a short break after each shift. If you have to be at a desk, take a quick walk or sit in a chair and relax a little bit. This will give your body time to clear the cobwebs and give your mind room to relax as well.

Show them what you’re capable

You’re never too old to learn something new, whether that’s in business or life. Learning new skills, or putting yourself in a position where you can be challenged, is what drives innovation. You can’t be successful if you don’t try new things. So, invest some time and effort into learning how to use your brain more efficiently. This is a no-brainer when it comes to productivity, but you may not know how to do it on your own. Make an app for your car and take it to the lot. Give yourself permission to be creative and mess up the controls so that your app works better.

Summing up

If you want to promote healthy competition and encourage innovation, then create a culture where successful people are rewarded for their effort. Not only will this give employees a better work-life balance, but it will also help them feel appreciated and productive. Consider creating small benefits around company-related activities or events that employees can enjoy and take part in. For example, let’s say your company’s mission is to make people’s life ARCHITECTURAL. If you have a big event planned for company-mates every month that they can participate in, ask them to sign a guestbook. This small act of recognition will make working for you easier and more fun.