Being the boss is everyone’s goal. We put-in our best efforts, toil for months and fill our appraisal sheets with our list of achievements. We pass the tests and interviews and finally, the promotion letter reads ‘Manager!’

But, does your work stop in just resuming your new office and handing out freshly printed business cards to colleagues and friends? Those of us who have been in this situation can firmly answer in negative. A manager is responsible for his performance and his team’s too. A good manager is the one who brings the best out of his team. Simple as it may sound, it as difficult as it can be!

The key to a successful team is continual motivation. Your team needs a reason to do their work, just as you need a reason to put-in extra after your work-hours! So, give them the reason i.e. motivate them to do their own work! It is human tendency to get bored; we only need little factors to get our enthusiasm back.

Apart from appreciating your team for their performance, you can motivate them in different ways.

1. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! So, break the routine once a while. Arrange spontaneous games like a riddle-session or word puzzle or a simple ‘toss the ball in the basket’! These few minutes of fun and laughter can make a large difference in your team’s productivity. Try and reward the winners with simple items like key-chains, coffee-mugs etc.
2. Make your team members’ birthdays special with a simple cake-cutting celebration. A nominal contribution can be collected from everyone, which can be used to buy cakes and snacks.
3. Take 20 minutes off the every week to schedule a team meeting that has fun-filled, non-work agendas. It is a nice break as well as an opportunity to know your staff on a personal front.
4. Be sympathetic if your staff is unwell. Sickness is no one’s fault. If you grant him a day’s leave without his asking, be sure that he will willingly put-in several extra hours of work, when you need him to!

Keep a constant check on whether you are thinking like the “BOSS”. If you’re, then remember, you were once an employee who had hated his boss because he was rude, terribly serious, unsympathetic and lacked appreciation! So be what you expect your boss should be!