Ehsan Alkooheji, General Manager, Kooheji Systems
I don’t. Being self-motivated, I want to work with people who are similar in nature and don’t require external motivation. Having said that, to help channel that energy positively into work I believe in the following: Extremely flexible working hours, challenging goals, creative work environment, and mutual respect. (Money also helps).
Eyad Ebrahim, Director, Web Avenue
As cliché as it is, praise goes a long way, feeling appreciated and valued is very motivating. Announce individual achievements and celebrate small victories. I also find task lists and setting small goals to be very beneficial, checking each goal and task off the list visualizes the achievement and keeps the team motivated. Provide the team with all the tools and information to complete their tasks, this helps in reducing stress and keeping the team energetic and confident. An informed, well-equipped team is a happy team.
Finally, people work for money, first. Pay them well, pay them on time, and pay them always.
Wafa AlObaidat, Creative Director, Obai & Hill
I invested in an HR officer early on to assist management, to keep our youthful team motivated, and build a bonding culture. We assign a budget for activities every month that include bowling, Ramadan Ghabgas, and annual off sites. It is an opportunity for us to step out of the workplace and get to know each other & take a moment to celebrate our wins. We also have developed career planning systems, conduct 6-month appraisals, and implemented employee of the quarter. Our work culture involves a lot of team effort so staff huddles & joint brainstorming sessions are key to the success of our clients’ products & services.
Yazin Alirhayim, Entrepreneur
Here’s the problem with us people: We’re different — what motivates me might not work on you. So we need to somehow have the ability to read people instantly and act accordingly. I, unfortunately, do not have this ability yet. So what do I do instead?
I get them to do a personality test. That’s right — the first thing I do when I hire someone is to ask them to do an online test (the 16personalities.com test). The first time I did the test .. I was shouting “Exactly!” after every sentence. What’s more, it has a Workplace section that describes how to motivate the person.
Shh! Don’t tell anyone though.
Zaman AH. Zaman, Entrepreneur
I think the most important thing is to create a culture that’s fun and encourages creativity without fully eliminating positive competition between the workforce. A carefully designed incentive system usually does the trick, however, this might be easier said than done because people are motivated by different things, some would want an increase in pay while some would want more responsibility or flexible hours. Also, some team bonding activities outside the office usually help keep the morale high after finishing a big project or stressful month.