With the passage of time, the construction industry has evolved dramatically.
For example, a contractor does not have to make efforts to reach out to the delicate places during construction. Rather, he just needs to hire a spider lift. However, in spite of all the latest inventions, construction workers are still a key component of the whole construction process.
Unfortunately, unlike machines, workers can’t be switched on and off with a button. As a foreman, you have to keep them motivated so that they can put their heart and soul in the project. Make no mistake, and if your workforce fails to give its one hundred percent, you might have a hard time to meet the deadline. And it could come as a big blow to your reputation.
Motivating labors when they are engaged in one of the most physically demanding work is indeed a tough ask. But you can achieve this landmark quite convincingly by implementing the following tactics on your construction site:
Celebrate
Celebrations keep the workers high on energy. You don’t have to wait for the completion of a project to make arrangements for a celebration. Small successful tasks are equally worthy of jubilation. It will provide a much-needed break to your team, and they will be fresh before taking the next assignment head-on.
Lead by example
Leading by example is a magic mantra that works everywhere, and the construction industry is no different. Being a project manager, you can take the liberty to sit in seclusion. But this attitude is contagious. In little to no time, you will see your workers replicating the same approach. Remember, motivational speeches hardly matter when you don’t practice what you preach.
As an in-charge, you should set the bar higher yourself and workers will be left with no excuse but to follow suit. Hard work always takes the trickledown route. It starts with the boss and then travels to the rest of the team.
Constantly ask for the feedback
Oftentimes, wearing the hat of a boss makes us so busy in giving commands that we barely seek for suggestions. This is precisely the mistake most of the contractors tend to commit.
Don’t limit your workers to labor work only. You should also make it a point to ask for their feedback regarding the overall design and other elements. You have no idea how much this apparently small act can inspire them to give their best shot at the workplace.
That way, workers will indulge in their job more earnestly so that they can provide valuable feedback and get into the good books of the boss.
Recognize good work
Nothing pains an employee more than when his hard work goes unrecognized. By overlooking the efforts of your workers, you indirectly discourage them from giving their best.
Reorganization does not mean you have to overwhelm the worker with materialistic perks and privileges. It could be something as simple as a compliment. That’s about it. If you have ever worked under someone, you would know how a couple of complimentary sentences can boost the overall performance of an individual.
A well-documented figure suggests that nearly 90 percent of the employees leave their job because their work never receives a due share of acknowledgment. The numbers put a stamp on the authenticity of a famous maxim “people don’t leave their work, they leave managers”.
Quality workplace
Since the heavy machinery and construction material is all over the place, it is, by any stretch of the imagination, not an easy task to provide a quality atmosphere to the workers. However, you can take measures like providing water dispenser, giving your employees free access to the phone and so on.
Needless to say, by the nature of their job, construction workers are exposed to injuries and accidents. By ensuring complete safety to them, you can improve the quality of the workplace. Being a frontman, if you don’t leave any stone unturned to keep your employees at ease, they will provide a similar output in return.
Growth opportunities
It is totally human to have a desire for growth and financial stability. When your employees know that their good performance can earn them a promotion, they will even take the working hours out of the equation. Such is the temptation of growth.
Once you introduce a systematic pattern of promotions and bonuses, you will see even the laziest person in the workplace will pull up his socks.
Be clear in your expectations
Sometimes, more than anything else, it is simply the element of confusion that drains all the motivation out of workers. Typically, managers assume that since labors are experienced in their field, they would know what is expected from them. That’s a non-starter.
Understand, employees work under different people who have their unique styles. Unless your employees are aware of your work-pattern, you can’t expect them to do well.
Give them a clear blueprint of your expectations. By assigning specific targets to each and every worker, you can convincingly nib in the bud all the confusion.
Be gentle with workers
A smart and experienced project manager will never treat his employees with an iron fist. The reason being, he knows how a single harsh word or disrespectful act can end up creating so many roadblocks between him and his project.
On the other hand, gentle behavior takes nothing but rewards you in the form of excessive productivity from your employees.
Be flexible
As ahead, you have every right to assign whatever duty you want to any member of the staff. However, if someone is not doing his best at a certain task, don’t persist with him. If there is a better application of the worker at another spot, be flexible enough to shift him over there.
Birthday cake
Well, a couple of dozens of half-pound cakes in a year will not break your bank, but they will certainly convey your love and care to the employees. Again, nobody is asking you to throw an expensive birthday party, and just a small get-together will get the job done. The act will leave a lasting impact on the workers, and they will go out of their way to repay you.
The final verdict
More often than not, the core difference between a good and poor team is the lack of motivation. An unmotivated employee is a liability rather than a resource. But the good news is that there are abundant ways to upscale the motivation level of the workers. All you have to do is to execute them and extract the best out of your workers.
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