How to stay motivated at work
Do you hear the alarm go off and jump out of bed, excited about the coming challenges or do you groan and roll over placing your head back under the pillow? We’ve all had mornings like that, but what happens when every day seems to be a morning like that?
Whether you love your work or hate it you need to stay motivated and deliver your very best performance for your employer. Otherwise you risk losing your job and slowing down or grinding to a halt your career path and this may not be something you are prepared to risk at the moment.
Motivation at work is often a two way street and a good employer will take steps to keep you motivated and working at your peak. This can be done in several ways, but you also need to remember motivation is also your responsibility too.
Every employee likes to be acknowledged that they are doing a good job.
This is a superb motivational tool which sometimes, unfortunately, gets overlooked.
No matter what role you perform in the workplace, if you wish to go up the ladder, then you may want to take on the role of acknowledging when someone has helped you at work. This could be working on a project together and achieving good results. Taking a few minutes to thank your co-worker for their efforts doesn’t take long but makes a person feel appreciated and they’ll look forward to working with you again.
As an employee you can provide good feedback when asked, and instead of avoiding the questions because you don’t know how to answer them, you can think about what would enhance the workplace and what small changes will make a difference. This will also have a positive impact upon your job performance. This is important if you are looking at getting promoted in the near future.
People will stay motivated when they are given the right job.
If an employer sees that a certain person is under performing, a small role change may be all it takes to increase their productivity. By the same token you should recognise when you are losing motivation and request a role change or some variety in your routine.
A good employer will provide the opportunities to allow their employees to develop and grow their skills. This can be done by providing training programs, but you should also consider sourcing your own training courses and building your career skills outside of work.
Always remember that your performance at work is a direct consequence of your efforts and your motivation. At the same time you should expect and get feedback from your employer on a regular basis. Look over your last appraisals and see what areas you are strong in, and which areas you need to build up, look at what training is available to help you and commit to it!
Remember, as an employee you spend a third of your life in the workplace, you may as well make it the best possible workplace ever and when you wake up in the morning it should be a place that you want to go to.
If it’s not, be the change or change jobs!
What keeps you motivated at work? Do let us know in the comments.
