Tips for motivating your employees long term

A positive work environment can help to motivate employees. A work environment where office politics are practiced daily have a negative effect on employee's motivation along with office morale. If employees do not respect on another they are more likely to participate in spreading rumors and taking credit for other peoples work. But if you can create a positive atmosphere and encourage employees to be a team, employees will begin to act and work as a team and also strengthen employee relations.
Look for opportunities to encourage positive interactions among employees, such as celebrate birthdays and weddings as a group. Allowing fun situations to occur among employees will give them the chance to get know each other on a personal level. Humor can also help to create a more positive work environment. Seeing the lighter side of things and being able to laugh at yourself can ease some of the stresses.
Communicate openly with employees and encourage employees to openly communicate with each other. Provide opportunities for people to make decisions about their job and work environment. Allowing employees to express their opinions and ideas about workplace policies and procedures can motivate employees to be more positive. Expressing opinions and ideas lets the employee know he is a valued member of a team and even if his ideas are not used, he was given the opportunity to be heard.

Employees also need motivation to help them to grow in the company. Encourage employees to take classes to build their knowledge.During performance reviews show interest in the employee's career goals, offer suggestions and any necessary support that may be needed to help them grow professionally.
Offer employees competitive wages. If employees are being paid lower wages than other company's employees the work place is most likely a negative environment. If you underpay employees, you are sending the message they are undervalued. And employees who feel they are not valued by the company they work for are less likely to be productive and less likely to become motivated.
Give employees appropriate rewards and recognition. By showing your appreciation for work well done helps employees to be more positive. Rewarding employees and recognizing their efforts is one of the most powerful tools to boost morale and motivate employees.
Treat employees with fairness and consistency. Treat employees as adults, not children. Do not create "rules" for all employees. Employees know the "rules" on how to conduct themselves. Instead create workplace policies and procedures. If you treat employees like the adults they are, they will usually live up to your expectations.
Help employees to feel like members of a team. Encourage everyone to voice an opinion about the work environment. Discuss ways to create a more positive workplace that will be pleasant for everyone to work. Treat all employees with respect and also show them respect by listening to their ideas and suggestions.
Encourage employees to come to you if they feel overwhelmed. Emphasize that you are there to help them grow and be a productive part of the team. Watch for signs that employees are becoming "burned out" or overwhelmed. Some signs to watch for are excessive overtime, attendance problems and repeatedly missing deadlines. Encourage employees to take their lunch hours, even if it is a busy time. Remind them to have a good weekend and relax during the days off. If possible, try not to send work home with employees over the weekend.
These suggestions along with one key factor can help you to motivate your employees over a long period of time. That key factor is set an example... You are a leader and observed closely by your employees. If you are not enthusiastic, positive and motivated, how can you expect your employees to be?