Particularly now we are in the instant-information era, it could be said that most businesses in the world are under pressure. Generally, this relates to sales volume – and this is something that can turn on its head very quickly.
Unfortunately, this pressure travels right the way through to employees. Once one starts to feel the pressure, it can turn into something of a domino-effect and things can quickly get out of hand.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Robert Kneschke
While we can by no means devise a way for your business to rid itself of pressure, through today’s post we will investigate some of the best methods that you can at least keep your team motivated through these tough times.
Reward employees who deserve it
During times of pressure, it can sometimes be easy to forget those employees who really are putting in the hours, but not getting any rewards. Like everyone, they are feeling the heat, but get little reward for their hard work.
This is where you need to take action, before they get disheartened with proceedings and start to give up the ghost. Consider gifts to recognize these employees – and ultimately make them feel that while times are tough, they are still very much appreciated.
The importance of staying calm
Things might be really getting heated – but this is for you to deal with, not your team. Sure, some senior management might need to be looped into things, but the last thing you need is for employees to get even more nervous. This is something that could cause them to jump ship and when the pressure is on, this is the last thing that you need.
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Take the team out of the zone
Times are tough, and it might feel as though everyone has to have their backs against the wall for the foreseeable future. While hard work certainly isn’t going to do any harm to your end goals, there are limits. If your team are constantly working under pressure, it can feel as though there’s never any light at the end of the tunnel and before long you have a full-blown crisis on your hand.
This is the time you need to step back and pull everyone out of this zone temporarily. It might be taking everyone out for a long lunch, or even investing in some form of team building.
Like we have said through other points of today’s article, the important thing to note is that you are dealing with people and they need to be valued – in both the good and bad times.
Break things down into smaller goals
Finally, while the end goal of your business might be to generate ‘x’ amount of sales or get to ‘x’ amount of revenue – this is something that can sometimes demotivate teams.
If the figure seems to be getting further and further away, it’s sometimes an idea to break the number down into something more manageable. Break the big goal down into smaller ones, so your employees have a clear path of achievable tasks. By doing this, work suddenly feels clearer, and before long they will be well on their way to that big end goal.
