One of the many wonderful things about working in the media industry is that you are often surrounded by upbeat people who enjoy the social aspect of collaboration.
I used to believe I was an extrovert, but the minute I stepped foot in the sales department of Network Ten, I realised how shy and reserved I was by comparison to the vibrant characters floating throughout the office.
It goes without saying that being around positive people in general is motivating, however the notion of ‘encouragement’ in the context of leadership is an entirely different thing.
When I reflect on the managers and supervisors I’ve had throughout my career, it becomes clearer to me the kinds of impact your boss can have on your personal and professional development, based on their style of encouragement.
Certainly, each of us receive and respond to encouragement in different ways too, but there is much to be said about what constitutes constructive management over pretence.
For example, I remember being told many times what an ‘amazing job’ I was doing, or how I was a ‘superstar’ for completing the most simplest of tasks, and I always wondered whether such praise was sincere or merely a common platitude.
Furthermore, encouragement in modern workplaces is often carried out through grand gestures and incentives; like staff awards ceremonies, team holidays and office activities (think the infamous slides at Google headquarters around the world).
The truth is, encouragement doesn’t have to be extravagant to be effective.
Whether you hold a leadership position or are just striving to be the best employee you can be, there are simpler ways to give the gift of encouragement to people you work with, helping to create a positive workplace culture for all.
Here are 3 impactful ways to encourage people as I’ve learned throughout my career in media:
1. Be honest both ways
If someone in your team has accomplished a task that you deem impressive, certainly tell them so! Words are powerful as is how you use them. Just be sure to speak from a sincere place when giving compliments as it can be easy to spot hollow praise if certain words are repeated time and again just for the sake of them.
Same goes if somebody has made a mistake: telling them honestly where they went wrong and suggesting how they can improve is more encouraging than you may think. It shows that you care enough about their progress and want them to succeed! Speaking truth with kindness is a great motivator and more beneficial for business than pretending things are going well.
2. Show what you say
As with the above, the virtue of honesty isn’t perhaps upheld as much as it should be in the business world. We often skew the truth to protect feelings and relationships and of course, to avoid conflict and disruption. Unfortunately this proves detrimental in the long term.
The challenge rather, is to back up what we say through our actions.
If a boss is disappointed at an employee’s performance, instead of reallocating the workload to a more a competent staff member, action should be taken to help that employee improve their output. It is a great encouragement to show somebody the right thing as a follow up to telling them they’re wrong. Leading by example is powerful and often overlooked as a motivational tool.
3. Appreciate to motivate
Two little words can make a big difference: Thank You.
It’s easy to get swept up by crazy ideas to incentivise your team when often all they are looking for is verbal acknowledgement of their work. Before you rush to squeezing the budget to buy gift vouchers and hampers, show gratitude to your staff by simply thanking them for a job well done, for pulling extra hours on a project, for going beyond their role to assist you. Material gifts have their place of course, but the gift of encouragement through a smile and a ‘thank you’ goes a long way too.
Whether you’re in need of new ideas to motivate your employees or you’re passionate about maintaining a positive workplace culture, we hope the above is helpful!
Remember, amidst the tangible results and lavish incentives, true encouragement lies in:
- recognising people’s efforts
- nurturing their skills and talents
- listening to their ideas
- challenging them to rise to something greater
How can you be more of an encourager in your workplace? How can you set an example for self-motivation and drive? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
