Employee Motivation

In our last post we discussed how personal lives can affect professional lives, sometimes despite our best efforts. While some people may be able to better compartmentalize these sections of their lives, there are a few things managers and employers can do to help employees succeed.

Create A Positive Environment

When an employee is dealing with a difficult personal issue, work becomes a chore, another thing in the way of getting past whatever is happening and moving forward with his or her life. However in some cases, work can be something of an escape from these difficulties. This is most achievable when an employee is going to a welcoming, positive environment. Offices and businesses that maintain open communication and empathy along with their hard work are far more likely to see an employee recover from a stumbling block in a shorter length of time.

Understand Work Life Balance

We’ve discussed the importance of work life balance before, but this is yet another way it can affect the success of a business. If an employee is experiencing a personal issue, he or she may need time to resolve or deal with the problem. If that employee is receiving calls on their home or mobile phones during their off hours, or is expected to continue to monitor their work email from home, they have no guaranteed time to deal with their problem. Conversely, employees who know they will be free to sort out their personal business once they leave for the day may have an easier time maintaining at work. Giving staff the ability to take a day off to deal with personal issues is also helpful. When life spills over into work employers can respond in one of two ways. They can choose to be demanding and unyielding, a strategy which will likely only produce a negative outcome, or they can provide employees with the tools they need to deal with such an overlap. Which do you think is most effective?