With the government and Eskom planning for Stage 5 and 6 load shedding, it should go without saying that the South African workforce is pretty distracted at the moment. Not to mention that domestically we’re experiencing public transportation issues, historically high petrol hikes, and commissions of enquiry into state-owned entities.
As a manager or a CEO of a company, it falls on your shoulders to keep your staff’s morale high and keep production rolling over. Motivating your team to deliver is more important than ever, and it’s in times like these that spending tends to slow down, and companies with small margins can fall into the cracks. Here are a few steps to ensure that your staff stay motivated through the dark days ahead:
Power up when the power is down
It’s been years of on-and-off load shedding, and we can all confirm that it is as distracting as well as depressing. With the situation worsening, it’s bound to be an interruptive reminder of a shaky situation which de-motivates your staff. As a business owner, you need to adapt to your business environment to succeed. Make sure that your office has a Plan A and a Plan B. Install a generator to ensure the internet servers still run, or a simple inverter to keep the kettle boiling.
Most employees will see the power cut as an opportunity to slack off work, but if you take measures to counter the problems, you’ll show your staff even the worst problems in South Africa have solutions.
Also, staff who are protected from these new problems will be motivated to be more productive between their 9 – 5.
Times are tough, economically speaking
It shouldn’t come as a shock, but with inflation, the price of petrol, tap water, and housing rates sky-rocketing, your employee’s pay cheques are bound to fall drastically short of what they could pay for compared to last year.
This stress will eventually work itself into your staff’s mental state and drastically bring down their motivation.
While giving the staff a substantial income increase will cripple the company, it might be time to incorporate a subsidised lunch, or a transportation scheme for the team. Taking these steps to help out aren’t a requirement, but your staff will value your effort and be motivated to deliver more for your company.
Be Friendly and Open
An open door policy might be a cliche, but it works. When problems flare up, it’s vital that your staff to feel that they can turn to you. Nothing deflates an employee’s motivation as sitting on an issue for ages because they’re concerned to approach the unapproachable employer. A scared and paranoid working environment is a highly unproductive one. Be the employer providing solutions, not more problems.
After all, just read the headlines, it’s times like these where positive leaders are needed.
