What comes to your mind when you hear the word employee? For me, I think of people to whom a platform has been given so that they can grow their skills whilst helping to build a company’s or a brand’s vision.

Employees are an integral part of any organization because they help you bring your vision into reality. This means that the results that you will get are highly dependent on how you continuously treat your employees. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is going above and beyond for their clients and forgetting about the people who help them reach out to these clients. For example, if you have a disgruntled employee attend to a client, how do you expect that client to be treated? It is natural for human beings to put out the energy they receive that is why keeping them motivated should come naturally because we need positive energy flowing!

One easy way to do this is to create an inclusive company culture. Today, you will find that most companies are made up of people of different age groups and certainly from different backgrounds. This means that you need to do your homework and create a culture that will make everyone, whether old or new, feel that they matter. This is very important because when one clearly identifies with your dream and vision, then it becomes easy for them to buy into what your company stands for. This is how you create brand ambassadors from employees; by making them feel that they belong.

Another way of keeping your employees motivated is by giving honest feedback – both good and bad in equal measure. This makes them feel that their work is appreciated and makes them go an extra mile every other time. I’m not saying dish out praise in the name of making your employees happy – unsupported flattery is easy to recognize. Give meaningful feedback for every situation; if something wasn’t done the way you expected, find a way of relaying your disappointment in a way that will make your employee see their mistake and not feel useless.

How involved are you in your employees’ dreams? Do you give them an opportunity to grow in their talents? This is another way of keeping your employees motivated. When you show genuine interest in their careers, they will see you as someone who cares for what they care for and that pushes them to meet their deliverables and even go beyond. It doesn’t mean that you have to ask every single employee about their dreams, but any chance you get, give one piece of advice to help them they work to achieve goals. Remember, most of your employees will look up to you as a mentor and this comes almost naturally because of your seniority.

These are some of the ways to ensure that you keep your employees’ spirits up. Obviously, there are no written rules about how to go about it. It will certainly take a lot of experimentation before finding what will work for your company, but you will get there eventually. Above all, be sure to keep an open mind and you will find what works best!