Work Ethic Isn't Something That Can Be Turned on and Turned Off

Written by: James Ponds

Work ethic isn’t something that can be turned on and turned off whenever an employee wants. You either have it, or you don’t.

It fluctuates from day to day depending on external factors that surround you. Most of the time, with the right techniques and motivation, you can be encouraged to put in your all even in a job that you despise. This should make it even easier to find motivation in a job that you do like and that you enjoy going to. Since each individual has different motivators, often the process of motivation is one of trial and error. Try these different techniques to improve your work ethic and the work ethic of those around you . Some will work for some people while others do not, but don’t become discouraged.

1. Have Management Set a Good Example

It’s no secret that employees look up to the management. If the managers are getting away with slacking, then the employees will feel justified to do the same. It will provide an excuse and an easy way to rationalize a poor work ethic. You need to ensure that you’re hiring positive managers who are willing to work hard and to inspire a positive work ethic in the people around them. Have the managers have a one-on-one meeting with each of the employees and talk to them about how they can improve their work ethic. By making a system where your employees feel like they are held accountable to someone else, they will feel more motivated to impress.

Cultivate an environment where the employees feel comfortable enough to talk about what is holding them back and why they feel as if they might not be working as hard as they should. During the winter season, it’s always possible that your employees or coworkers could be dealing with seasonal depression. If that is the case, be understanding and help them to process what they are feeling.

2. Set Clear Goals and Milestones

One of the things that can create a feeling of laziness is that you and the employees don’t have clearly defined goals. Every month, you should talk with your employees, managers, and others who are involved and create a company-wide goal . This might have to do with company sales as a whole or a goal for new customers. Whatever the goal is, it needs to be attainable and realistic. It should deal directly with things that your employees control on their day to day routine. If the goal only applies to the management, you might need to define the goal so that the employees feel motivated towards it. One of the best ways that you can set a goal is by introducing something new to the company and making a goal on how quickly the group can learn to integrate this into their business. Learning to use app integration in your business is one of the best goals that you can make since it is a measurable goal and one that will profit your sales.

Once that goal is set, create goals on an individual level. Sit down with the employees again and talk about the things that they mentioned they could improve on. Set goals with them about their own weakness so that they feel motivated to overcome them. This will help them to work hard on the things that have been holding them back. Be honest with them about their goals and make sure that it is something that they can measure throughout the week or month. After a defined amount of time, sit back down with them and discuss the progress that was made.

3. Recognize Accomplishments

Another way to help your employees feel motivated is to recognize their accomplishments. Often, when an employee knows that they’re doing a great job in their position, they want to be recognized for it. They want to be told that their contributions mean something to the company as a whole. Without that, they will start to feel let down--as if even their best isn’t enough. Make it a point to reach out to employees who are doing their best, or at least doing better than they were before. You can create physical awards for employees , have monetary awards, or anything else that you think that your employees will appreciate.

There are a lot of different ways that you can encourage your employees to work hard and find rewards in their jobs . Try different things and understand where your employees are coming from. Make them feel appreciated and understood.