How To Build An Interesting Work Place - Please Suggest

Hi Seniors,
Please suggest me how to mentor / motivate team members to make it more interesting place to work?
Please suggest, thanks in advance
warm regards,
Ranjitha

Hi Ranjitha,
Establish a Mentoring request ,engagement process & sell that to all internally . So that everyone knows what you mean by Mentoring ,benefits that individuals get out of it .
Motivating team members-would like to know your business or operations in details so that can suggest few low cost but still significant results activities.
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Hi

The key to having a motivated work force is in ensuring that the work environment is appealing and pleasant. This means you have to work on the following broad themes

- make the work place a fun place to be in. eg. Right from ensuring that the work place is well lit up, the décor is pleasant and at the same time there is laughter and good cheer that energises the environment, ensuring that friction if any is nipped in the bud, preferably have a theory Y style of leadership culture etc.

- ensure that there is professional work environment eg ensuring that there is proper systems, JD’s and KRA’s , the tools for work are easily available etc.

- while work remains the fulcrum of the office, there is a life beyond work that craves for attention. Make efforts to identify these and satisfy these needs eg. Know a little more about the personnel’s passions, interests and hobbies and where possible give them an opportunity to share these

- Every individual values his/ her individuality and self worth. Work on meeting these small necessities. Eg. Respect their right to have a different point of view, don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill when mistakes are made, give feedback in appropriate setting etc.

Perhaps you can get some more Inspirational and Motivational ideas from the following blogs too

www.actspot.wordpress.com - Over 68,500 views and 485 followers
www.poweract.blogspot.com - Over 19,000 views and 145 followers

Best Wishes

Dear Ranjitha,

What sector does your firm belongs to? How big is your organization? There is no 'one size fits all' answer to this. The relevance of interest for each individual would remain at variance with others. However, as an organization you would require to build a synergy, connecting the uniqueness from each entity. This would the collectively add on to the culture that you have within your firm. Request you to consider my suggestions:

Physical environment:
Identify the sectoral preferences of an ideal work place. An IT firm may offer a lot of flexible option along with a tennis room. Where as a manufacturing firm would be guided by the safety parameters and standards.

Emotional Content

• Find an average age group in your firm.
• Group the employees in terms of demography.
• Identify the most common choices and individual preferences, to remain flexible. For instance: If one employee connects with a fengshui article, others might value the pictures of their family members or small statue of God they pray.
• Allow customization within the standards of the company. Set the parameters from 5S to ensure there is complete ownership.
• Maintain a notice board with not just motivational quotes but a collage of the team members to celebrate the achievements and their strengths realized through the week. I know one firm which manages a board for teams where they write, 'The best thing that happened today', before they leave for they sign off for the day.
• I attended an NHRD workshop recently and heard this suggestion there. It was shared to drive the referral program, where in the employer had put a mirror on every employee's desk, with a message , "I need someone just like you !"
• Implement measures such as 'Pat on back' , which is a spontaneous activity by team members to acknowledge a contribution on the spot. A gesture of appreciation by peers build self efficacy and ties the team stronger.
• Focus on the 'joy of delivering the work' and let the incentive remain the natural result. When you encourage them to deliver and acknowledge the effort and excellence on the spot, it will fuel further growth.

Intellectual Aspiration:

• Identify the different areas for intellectual growth among your employees. Not everyone would want to be a technical expert. Few might be more inclined to grow functionally.
• Identify leaders who can guide these groups. If you have a mentoring program established in your firm, you might connect this with it.
• Let that be vibrant and spontaneous. Learning is a change in behaviour. It attenuates when conditioned positively with constant orientation. A fixed program allows mentoring process to run by the parameters, but miss on the nuances which comes from instant interactions.
• Focus on building professional relations which can work as sponsors to each other.
• Focus on linking these employees as per their interest towards their development, by allowing each one to contribute to others learning. Such as few may wish to certify on a technical course, whereas others might be happier with a book club. Some might be radically different and enjoy trekking along with outdoor activities. Help them connect these interests with their current deliveries at work so that it drives their performances. Prune speakers from the book club members, leadership from the trekking enthusiasts and next level product developers from the techies.
• Repetitive jobs are often the biggest de-motivator. Encourage the employees to identify the areas for improvement in them. Job enrichment impacts best when it is initiated by the employee coupled with organizational support.

Professional Grooming:

• This is where you combine the individual interest with the organizational culture. The firm might require formal presentation to the client.
• Offer quality grooming through every activity they do.
• Value the improvement they exhibit.
• Although, employability is driven by most of the firms. Request you to focus on personal excellence rather than focussing market parameters. This would allow your employees a greater degree to choose within the cross-functional roles, rather than being pigeon holed by the standard definitions

.

Request you to share more on the requirement of your firm, so that we can offer definite solutions

Open communication. To share the basic of company, financial information, challenges and other good or bad news that affects them.
Regularly discuss the importance of their work and how it aligns with company goals, career growth and skill development.
Value Inputs. Listen their ideas, opinions and concerns and take an appropriate action.
Performance. As a manager, I always clearly communicate performance standards, vision, goals, expectations, priority etc.
Appreciate. Appreciate their work
Create a challenging environment with in which they have to perform.

Motivating people is very easy to say , quite difficult to do , forget workplace are we motivated enough to actually stand and face the realities of life , like our goverments callouness , the corruption etc .
I would just say try keeping people happy , as an HR i would only look at how many people i could keep HAPPY during my stint with the organization with its beauracratics and politics.
And happines comes from within , yes finding people motivators will help, sole the hygiene issues , half the work is done.
Regards,
ajay