Linked Retail | 4 Ways To Successfully Motivate Your Team During the Fourth Quarter

 

This year has flown by quickly: it’s hard to believe that there are only eight weeks left until 2019! Have you already accomplished all your business goals and objectives this year? If not, these last two months are a chance to work on them and are vital in determining exactly how much progress you and your store have made from last year. Your team will be essential: making sure they stay motivated is a big part of finishing the year out strong.

 

Before we get deep into Quarter 4, it’s important to set your team up for success. Now that Halloween is over, the jam-packed Holiday season is very close: you’re going to need to be prepared to provide your employees with enough motivation to help them reach your goals.

 

Employee productivity faces a number of challenges during the fourth quarter. When combined with the physical and mental stressors of the past year (plus, all of the stressed customers that your employees have to deal with on a daily basis), there’s no surprise that the Holidays are notorious for decreasing productivity in employees.

 

Here’s four different suggestions to help your executives and management team push to end the year on a high note:

 

 

1. Give Your Employees Realistic Goals

 

By this point in the year, you should have a clear idea of whether or not it’s possible to meet the goals you and your executives set at the beginning of 2018. Regardless of whether or not you’re close to this goal, your executives still want to see a final push from their employees — it helps to set up for a strong start to next years Quarter 1.

It’s important to set challenging yet attainable targets for your employees so they are still motivated to deliver top performances without disheartenment. Focus on regaining your employees’ focus and give them new, reasonable targets to aim for.

 

2. Roll Your Sleeves Up

 

Employees aren’t likely to absorb any motivational speeches about finishing the year strongly if they aren’t seeing any motivation from their managers or executives. If you want (and expect) your employees to push themselves, you and the rest of your upper management team need to put in the effort as well.

Your executive staff is what gives your employees guidance. Show them you mean business by working hard, side-by-side, with your employees.

 

 

3. Recognize Their Hard Work

 

Showing appreciation for an employee after seeing them put their heart and soul in on a project or task will show your staff that their managers are paying close attention to their efforts. An employee that feels appreciated is more likely to continue to go above and beyond, especially in the fourth quarter.

 

Giving employees the feedback they deserve can lead to a very promising Quarter 4. Psychology Today quotes a study by the employee motivation firm, Make Their Day, where 88% of survey respondents reported finding praise from management “very or extremely motivating.” And, 83% reported that recognizing their contributions was more fulfilling than gift rewards!

 

 

4. Offer Incentives or Prizes

 

Gifts may not be as fulfilling as recognition, according to the Make Their Day study — but they still work. Especially at the end of the year when the Holiday season is approaching.

The usual holiday bonus or gift cards work great, but you can try changing it up by offering an extra day of PTO or lunch to your hardest worker of the quarter.

 

 

With the right mindset and strategy, your 2018 fourth quarter can be this year’s strongest quarter. Do you have what it takes to motivate your team to finish this year strong?

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