Is Your Management Style Killing Motivation? Find Out Now.

Let’s talk about employee motivation.

What role do you play in ensuring that your employee is excited about the weekend coming to an end and eager to come to work on Monday?

You don’t think you have much sway over that, do you? Well, surprisingly, you do.

I was going through the news—what’s what and what’s not—and I came across a very interesting story.

So, there’s this Burger King employee, Kevin Ford, who never missed work in 27 years, and he was deeply disappointed by the company’s below-average gesture of appreciation for his 27 years of dedicated service. It is reported that in 2022, Burger King Supervisors at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport set up a surprise for Kevin to celebrate his 27th anniversary working for the food chain. At the time, he was gifted a backpack with a movie ticket, a Starbucks cup, and a mix of candy and chocolate. This was when the story broke all over the internet, and people heavily criticized Burger King’s lack of support for its employees. Needless to say, Kevin quit his job and moved on shortly after.

Does this story sound familiar? Maybe, maybe not. All the same, let’s see, what roles do you play to ensure that your employee is motivated?

One of the first things you can do is set crystal-clear expectations. Employees work much better when they know exactly what’s expected of them and how their day-to-day tasks contribute to the bigger picture. Regular check-ins and goal-setting sessions help make sure everyone’s on the same page.

Equally important is making sure the work itself is meaningful and fulfilling. Managers should try to match people’s skills and interests to the tasks at hand as much as possible. And they should give their team the freedom to tackle challenges in creative ways, which can be super motivating.

Of course, recognition and rewards are huge too. No one wants to feel like a faceless cog in the machine. So, the best bosses make sure to shout out stellar performance, whether that’s through raises, promotions, or just good old public praise. It goes a long way.

Building a positive, supportive company culture is another biggie. When people feel that sense of camaraderie and trust, they’re way more likely to bring their A-game. Managers foster this by encouraging open communication, teamwork, and mutual respect across all levels.

And let’s not forget about work-life balance. The most enlightened employers know that happy, healthy employees are more engaged and productive. So, they make it a point to help their team manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain that all-important work-life harmony.

At the end of the day, the secret to keeping people motivated is a holistic, human-centric approach. It’s about creating an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired to do their best work. And the companies that nail that formula are the ones that come out on top.