Press enter to see results or esc to cancel.

How To Stay Motivated At Work

As economic uncertainty forces more employees to work harder for less pay, we look at five easy ways to stay motivated at the office.

typewriter

Discover the world's top health insurers.
Compare quotes with a click of the button.

It is a familiar scene in companies and offices around the world; staff are being called to meetings and told that revenues are down, business conditions are deteriorating and layoffs are to be expected. For those lucky enough to remain in a job, they will be asked to improve productivity and work more, often for equal or less pay than before. As a mood of depression and despair begins to descend on the company, how are staff expected to motivate themselves and work harder? Here are five simple ways to stay motivated at work:

1 – Job Satisfaction

One of the best ways to stay motivated at work is to visualize the effect an individual job has on the company as a whole. Regardless of what profession it may be, each job has a specific function within the overall business plan and it exists to help achieve the company’s goals. This is the same for each employee, regardless of whether they work in the sales department or in human resources.

Job satisfaction will improve if, for example, the sales team meet or exceed their monthly target and boost company revenue. Each individual member of the team will have worked towards a common goal and achieved their objective, thus boosting morale and motivation among staff members.

 

2 – Variety

Let’s be honest. Most office work is monotonous, and it can be easy to slip into a predictable work routine which doesn’t require the employee to be highly motivated. As the weeks and months pass by, this repetitive work can become boring and the employee may even start to dread having to go into work.

Employees can help themselves stay motivated by introducing some variety into their daily workload. Instead of spending large parts of the working day on one particular area, the workload could be divided by topic into one or two hour chunks. Splitting up the workload helps the employee maintain focus on the particular subject at hand, and once various different skills are being used, motivation will remain high.

 

3 – Prioritize

When staff reductions result in increased workload and demands for higher levels of productivity, it is easy for the employee to become bogged down in the excess work. This additional workload can result in staff member becoming anxious about meeting deadlines, and their quality of work may start to suffer.

In such a scenario, it is crucial for the employee to focus on the most important tasks that need to be completed at that time. Workloads that are of low value and importance should be delayed, or if possible, delegated to colleagues. By prioritizing high value work items, the employee can regain control of the workload, and improve the quality and worth of their work.

 

4 – Time Out

As a deadline approaches for a particular project and everyone settles in for the long haul, it is tempting to remain seated at a desk until the project is completed. While this follows natural logic to continue working on the task until it is finished, it can be extremely difficult to remain focused and motivated for such a long period of time.

Regular breaks allow staff to take a momentary escape from their work, and this short period of ‘time out’ can help regain clarity and focus on the job at hand. A time out can be a simple five minute walk around the office, a trip to the canteen for a drink, or anything that requires a few minutes away from the desk and gets the blood moving again. Time outs can be taken every hour or so, and it is also important to ensure that lunch or other meals are not sacrificed in the name of finishing the project.

 

5 – Feedback

Who doesn’t appreciate some praise every now and then? Receiving honest feedback on work is arguably the best way to raise motivation at the workplace. Regular meetings with managers and superiors that provide feedback will not only raise confidence, but will also inform the staff member on which particular aspects of the job they are performing well, or not so well.

While it depends on the company, its management and the feedback structures they have in place, employees should instigate regular feedback sessions if there are none. These sessions could take place every month or so, and will help staff members remain focused and motivated on their personal tasks.