Most employers dream of having a well motivated enthusiatic workforce producing high quality products on time and within budget. It does not have to be a dream and sometimes only small changes can have a large impact. Here are 6 ways to improve morale and productivity in your workers.

If you would like your business to employ highly motivated and high-energy level employees then investing in the workplace atmosphere and facilities will help and will reduce work-place stress significantly. Research confirms that if your employees are stressed then that will cost you even more money in missed workdays and increased on-the-job injuries over both the short term and the long term. In addition to the negative repercussions of having stressed out employees, your business may be experiencing lower productivity and poor quality of output. It is both clear and obvious that some very cost effective strategies could minimize stress on the job and provide your employees with opportunities to reduce other stress related problems.

• 1. Provide an attractive and comfortable work environment whenever possible to reduce stress. Pleasant surroundings can do more for a person's attitude then we often realize. Create a less formal atmosphere by adding plants or improved decoration, even if that is just in a rest room it will help.
• 2. Supply a quiet room for your employees to take their breaks in. Not the canteen or games room, this room should be separate from the normal "hustle and bustle" of the work-place. It will give your employees an opportunity of a quick 10 minute break from work and anywork related stress that they may be experiencing.
• 3. Instead of giving orders 100% of the time try to create opportunities for employees to make decisions that will directly affect their job performance. This gives them a sense of personal power and less stress because they feel they have some control.
• 4. Thank your employees for work accomplished and recognize them for exemplary performance. A quick thank you will go a long way in reducing complaints and stress. Be genuine and only thank when workers have worked well otherwise you will be rewarding sub-standard activities.
• 5. Always choose ergonomically sound equipment, tools, and furniture. These will make work easier for your staff, reduce workplace injuries and therefore limit any compensation claims. In addition workplace stress will be reduced and staff, equipped with the correct tools, will be more productive.
• 6. Go out of your way to create opportunities for the employees to meet, socialize and build relationships away from work. Set up a bowling team from work where you gather and play once a week or maybe a softball team, or even a book club, for employees only.

 by: Joshua Feinberg
Date Posted: March 30, 2006

      If you're not really careful with how you hire the expert technical staff on your payroll, you could end up training and nurturing a future competitor. In this article, you'll learn how to minimize your risk.

Consider this example:

Your firm (ABC Consulting) hires a technical person and pays for their Microsoft, Cisco, or Citrix training. This person gets really skilled and get lots of great field experience.

Now, one day the employee wakes up says, "You know what? I don't think I want to work for ABC Consulting anymore. I'm going to start my own consulting company out of my spare bedroom. And take 'my' clients with me."

Be Prepared for Potential Disasters

That's one reason you shouldn't rely on just one salesperson or just one technical person to carry the entire weight of your company. Figure out a way to be more actively involved in the sales process and service delivery process. Even if you're not the main person who does the work all the time and even if you don't have the strongest skills, having some finger in the pie will be very important for keeping your prized client accounts loyal and healthy.

Don't Forget To Have Technical Staff Sign Contracts

Make sure that you've covered your bases by having technical staff sign documents such as non-compete clauses and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when you hire people (talk with your attorney about these). Keep your eyes open and have a plan so that you can deal with these issues before they become business crises.

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