Lean Quote: Management is Nothing More than Motivating Other People

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people."   —  Le Iacocca

Employee morale doesn’t simply translate into how happy your people are; it’s a direct reflection of how healthy your company culture is, how well you and other leaders are communicating with teams, and how effective your managers are.

High morale only occurs when employees feel taken care of by their company. And because this year has been filled with stressful distractions, ensuring your people are getting the support they need to bring their best selves to work each day is more important than ever.

Here are seven ways you can contribute to a thriving culture and continually boost employee morale all year long.

1. Be transparent.

Tell your employees what’s happening within your company. Give them updates and make them feel involved in your company’s success. People want to understand the vision and direction of the company and feel like they’re making meaningful contributions to the growth and goals of the business.

2. Encourage continual learning.

Create opportunities for employees to keep learning. A LinkedIn survey found that 94% of employees would be less likely to leave a company that gave them professional development opportunities.

3. Recognize and reward achievements.

Technology is a great tool to help you run your business, especially when it comes to understanding how your employees are performing. One of the features of smart terminals is that you can easily track and monitor customer feedback and employee performance. For example, if you have employees who are constantly receiving positive customer reviews or exceeding sales performance expectations, you’ll be able to see this in the smart terminal apps. This will make it easier for you to recognize employee achievements.

4. Listen to feedback (and implement it!).

You already know how important it is to collect and respond to customer feedback, but it’s important to listen to feedback from your internal team too.

5. Encourage team bonding.

Although the phrase “team bonding” might induce a few eye-rolls, it’s actually a great way to boost employee morale. Investing in building these relationships helps your employees feel more connected to each other and the company, develops trust between teams, and increases their commitment to your business.

6. Celebrate differences.

Make sure that your company has a culture that celebrates and respects people’s differences and continuously learns from them. It can take a toll on an employee’s morale if they don’t feel respected or included, meaning you’ll be less likely to retain them.

7. Give employees independence.

No one likes to be micro-managed. Giving your employees independence shows that you trust them to do a good job even when you’re not there. It makes them feel empowered and respected, giving them positive feelings about their roles and the company.