Make Every Space Motivate!
It’s 9 am on a Monday morning. Your team is settled in with their cups of coffee and their computer screens. It looks like another long week ahead for everyone. But something is different. Everyone seems, well, upbeat. They smile more. They seem enthusiastic about their work. And everything is getting done on time and on budget.
This isn’t a made-up scenario. In fact, in offices across the country, this very scene is being played out each and every day. So what can transform a group of employees like that? The answer is simple – motivation. When employees feel motivated, they become more productive, more passionate and more satisfied with their work.
And motivation begins with you. You have the power to make every employee feel good about what they do. And here are some easy ways to get started reinforcing important ideas and attitudes at every desk, every single day.
Cards – These include fun recognition cards, or cards with our popular Corporate Impressions & Essence images/quotation, as well as the ‘Occasion’ Greeting Cards. All these cards can be used for instant recognition to reward achievement or recognise a Birthday or just to say ‘Thank You’
Desktop Items – pen holders, motivational framed desk prints, desk calendars,. Are among the desktop items that are an affordable way to put motivation continually in front of your people.
Padfolios – Organisation and inspiration in one convenient folder. We have various themes to choose from, each one reflecting your individual needs.
Paper, Pens and More – Give them the tools they need to communicate their commitment. Our notepads and pens are as functional as they are motivational!
Novelties – Everyone needs a quick de-stressor once in a while. Give these out and watch the smiles appear. Also great as ice-breakers for meetings!
Mugs – Make sure they can take positive ideas with them, whether it’s in the car or in a meeting. Mugs make great gifts, too!
So, where do you go from here?
Now that you have some great workspace motivation, how do you put it all together? Here are a couple of great tips to approaching the task of motivating your people.
- Focus on a single idea or theme, such as Teamwork or Service, to communicate to your people. Select products and activities that support that theme.
- Have a variety of products always on hand to reinforce the message on a continued basis. You can’t just give them a single item and wait for them to make the connection.
- Motivate them where they sit. Everyone uses things like coffee mugs, pens and notepads. We’ve put a motivating spin on all of these products, so you can consistently reinforce your theme each and every day.
- Meet with your people — you may even want to hold a kick-off meeting and have themed products waiting for them at their desks to introduce them to your theme and to get them excited about your initiative.
- Listen to your people. You can never talk to your employees enough. Ask them how they feel, what would make them happy — you may be surprised at their answers. Consider holding round table discussions on a regular basis. They are a great opportunity to really get to the heart of what’s important.
- Get everyone get involved. Set up teams within your department and give them activities to work on together that support your theme. For instance, if your theme is Make It Happen, have each team come up with a list of goals they think would fall under the theme and integrate select ones into your efforts.
- Remember, motivation takes time…you can’t go from 0 to 60 with motivation and expect your team to change overnight. Motivation is an ongoing process of passion and persistence, listening to what your staff needs to make them happy, and reinforcing your commitment to both them and the company.
Here are just a couple of universal themes we’ve found to be relevant and important to both managers and staff alike.
Get The Facts on Customer Service
Fact: We spend up to 10% more for the same product with better service.
Fact: We tell anywhere from 9 to 12 people when we get good service.
Fact: When we receive poor service, we tell up to 20 people.
Fact: Studies have shown that it takes a customer as little as ten seconds to pick up on the attitude (bad or good) of the person they are speaking to!
Creating a Customer Service Culture
When people think of customer service, they think of the front-line workers, the ones that come in direct contact with the customer. But the truth is, everyone in your company has an impact on the customer experience: The receptionist who greets visitors, the IT worker who maintains the systems to take orders, and the marketing staff that communicates information about your products. Everyone touches the customer in some way. This is why you must develop a customer service culture — from the top down.
Surround your employees with Service themed items, such as, wall posters, mugs, pens, pads, desktop framed prints etc.., with our Customer Service (Waterfall) and Customer Service (Path) images and quotations.
Here are some simple steps you can take to create a Customer-Friendly Organisation:
Communicate to every level the importance of customer service and the behaviours you are looking for regarding that service.
Recognize employees when they demonstrate positive service behaviours, both formally with awards and informally with certificates, medallions and hand-written notes, or service themed greeting card of thanks.
Constantly give specific examples of good customer service.
Emphasize the concept of internal customer service. And treat your employees well! The quality of service they offer your customers is directly related to how the employees are treated themselves.
Empower your employees to make decisions and break the “rules” to satisfy a customer.
Train your people—all your people—on this customer service-based culture from the moment they are hired.
