Hit Your Numbers: Happy Employees = Results

This is a guest post by Faeeza Masood.

Research shows that happier workers are more productive, and more productive workers are better at hitting their numbers. According to Teresa Amabile's research, workers are most motivated and productive when they can see progress toward their goals. Through an analysis of 12,000 diary entries, the common thread to happiness among 76 percent of participants was progress, even incremental, towards an end goal. This research is critically important in that it makes clear that the secret towards obtaining your calculated figures lies in motivating your employees to continue toward their goal. Read on below for tips and tricks to motivate your employees and drive productivity.

[contextly_sidebar id="SNUYU2WCanYHQuZSEQqDc8JSEnCQdiMc"]

Tip 1: Manage Accomplishments First

Interpreting data can seem like an insurmountable challenge if you don't use it to drive productivity. As a business owner, you recognize that keeping track of your daily interactions is more than just crunching numbers. The figures you require from your sales team are calculated to grow your business and if you are consistently finding yourself falling short, it may not be a matter of capital but using the tools necessary to get the job done. Since we know that progress drives employees, use tools that can both help you track progress and accurately forecast your goals. Insightsquared offers detailed and clear reports of progress that can be used to help manage your sales team and allow them to see what needs to be accomplished along the way. The point of using this tool is to motivate and encourage your team, and explain how their progress can ultimately result in company success. Making the end goal visible to all members of the team will work to both motivate members through incremental successes while keeping track of what still needs to be done to make the mark.

Tip 2: Climate and Culture

The climate of your work environment can become a driving force in increased productivity. Workers that feel like they belong to a group that cares about the same vision are more likely to be innovative, creative and oriented towards adding value to your company. Fortune 100 Best Companies 2014 ranks companies based on a variety of factors that you should take into consideration when looking to drive your sales. Take Google Inc., for example, where 99 percent of workers state that they enjoy the special perks and benefits they are offered. Perks that include nap pods, bowling alleys, and onsite cafes. All of these translate into increased productivity and the overall vibe of collaboration and camaraderie which results in increased sales. Another way that Google works to hit their figures is by generating an incentive plan that calculates individual employee objectives against progress made. By making progress a group effort and providing an environment where success is encouraged, employees are motivated to do well, and this is the type of climate your business must have to grow.

Tip 3: Team Focus

Being a part of a team instantly creates a sense of pride in what you do because it is linked to a community of people. Salesforce.com, also ranked on the Fortune 100 Best Companies list, focuses on bringing people together so that they become attuned to each others' needs, helping drive performance and growth. Employees that share a common bond in the workplace are known to be caring, and if someone on the team is working overnight to get a task finished, the team is right there giving support. This type of atmosphere creates a unified vision, and wins belong to everyone on the team. You can use this concept in your business by creating a climate that promotes teamwork and measures success through how effectively a team works together by celebrating their achievements.

Hitting your numbers should be a community effort based on the idea that progress drives all your employees. Be honest and clear about your goals and go all out to celebrate your shared successes.

Faeeza Masood is a freelance writer and artist from Rochester, NY. She has studied art and is fascinated with the communicative aspects of contemporary, participatory works that seek to send a message to the general public. As a writer, she draws upon her interest in literature, poetry, education and popular culture for fodder, and is continuously honing her craft through any and every means possible.