People Management
Inspired Performance
We all like to work toward some sort of goal, and our teams are no different.
Incentive schemes have been used by many companies to get their teams to produce better results. Some approaches you may want to use in encouraging your team’s performance are:
- Set a target for the whole team. If the group reaches this target, then the individuals get rewarded. (Make sure that in setting the target you establish clear parameters for how the goal is to be accomplished — it’s no good achieving high results in one area if other crucial business elements are sacrificed.)
- Each team member’s slice-of-the-pie (so to speak) will be determined by their individual performance. Determine a ‘minimum performance level’ for each team member in order to be eligible for a share in the team’s incentives. This prevents those who aren’t as willing to put in the work from riding on the backs of others.
- When deciding on incentives, remember it’s not always money that motivates people. You may decide to incorporate other incentives such as free movie tickets, a night out for the whole team, or an afternoon off.
- Team members will be more motivated to perform better if they have a positive, happy, work environment where they feel valued. Small rewards for a job well done go down extremely well.
And try these other ways to make your team feel valued every day:
- Have a team suggestion-box in the lunch room/kitchen.
- Meet regularly to determine how you can help the team perform better.
- Conduct regular training sessions.
- Have team photos up in the office to show your pride in them.
- Ask them to write articles for your customer newsletter.
- Send letters to your customers signed by your team members.
A team that works well together is a fantastic asset for any business. And your customers will really notice the difference.