Post holiday motivation

The weather is showing us that summer is truly over, and many people are returning to work refreshed by the holidays but feeling flat and lacking enthusiasm.  They may feel that they are not important if everything has continued smoothly without them while they were away.  Or they may be overwhelmed by the amount of catching up they have to do.  How can we motivate them to pick up the challenges facing our businesses?

Perhaps the first step is to lead by example.  It is hard to resist following an enthusiastic leader, and if managers are obviously up-beat and seizing opportunities, and they are knuckling down to make things happen, other employees will naturally pick up on the mood.

People can respond well to new challenges and, especially if they are feeling unimportant, a new piece of work or responsibility may be the trigger to improved performance and a happier employee.

Communication has an important part to play.  A staff meeting to keep your employees informed about the current situation in the business, immediate and longer term goals, and how they can all contribute is a good starting point to moving the company forward.