Team management, culture and leadership

Keeping your construction staff motivated

Four construction workers lined up smiling with arms crossed

Any project manager knows that there is more to the job than just coordinating and delivering construction projects on time … besides managing the project, there’s also the management of your team which is a whole other ball game. A successful project manager in any field must place a strong focus on keeping their construction workers motivated, especially because the success of the project depends on them. Who wants employees that just go through the motions to get the work done? Surely, most people would want employees that get the job done well. So, how do you ensure that your team’s motivation stays high at all times? Try following these tips:

Never forget that your employees are people too

Of course, work is extremely important, especially during business hours. But you have to remember that your employees also have personal lives outside of work. So, it might not hurt to remind your employees that you care about their lives and their well-being. Whether you do that through small actions to remind them they’re part of a solid team, listening to them when they’re going through difficult times, or even helping them come to a solution to any issues they’re facing, these will all help!

Celebrate wins, no matter the size

If you don’t do this already, it’s always a great idea to honor a team member when they accomplish something! Whether it’s handing out awards for smaller accomplishments, sending out simple emails explaining what the team member did or rewarding them with yearly bonuses, any sort of recognition will do wonders for your employees’ motivation. And maybe a few times a year, it could be beneficial to treat your employees to a drink or a meal after a long day of work! The more you can do to show you care, the more motivated your employees will be to do high quality work.

Be the example your team needs

Don’t you want to be the leader your team can always look up to? If you think your employees aren’t always keeping an eye on you in some way or another … well, you might just be wrong. Since you are their leader, they can’t help but always keep an eye on you so you should always be setting a positive example for your employees to follow. Whether it’s the enthusiasm you bring to work every day, a simple smile to employees, the care you put into the quality and timeliness of a project – your employees will pick up on these things, and respect them.

Keep it light

Keep what light, you ask? The work environment you provide. The work you are doing is already stressful enough, so the work environment needs to be kept as relaxed and comfortable as possible for your employees. That way, it won’t impede the work that your employees are doing for you. Of course, a little stress can be good to keep the project running on time and what not, but too much stress will end up harming the project so try to find the happy medium.

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