Motivating Blue Collar Workers
Organizations can motivate blue-collar workers by:
# Involving them in the decision-making process.
You should include blue-collar workers in company meetings and encourage them to voice their suggestions and opinions. Blue-collar workers can provide insider information that can help improve processes, working conditions, and equipment. Meetings like this, in addition to giving management valuable insight, will help promote trust and positive involvement for all parties involved.
# Providing the proper tools for the job.
Always ensure your employees are provided with the proper equipment and tools to boost safety, productivity, and morale. When you disregard requests for additional or upgraded supplies and equipment from employees, it may convey a negative message and negatively affect employee motivation.
# Providing feedback.
Evaluate employee performance regularly and provide adequate feedback. If disciplinary action needs to be taken against abusive or uncooperative workers, do so professionally and consistently.
# Encouraging friendly competition.
Set short-term and long-term goals for employees and departments and recognize those that perform exceptionally.
# Offering special projects.
Hardworking and capable workers should be given the chance to work on special projects that will help improve their skill set.
# Compensating well.
Ensure that the company’s success is shared with the workers. This can be done by compensating well and making improvements to work-centered services such as break areas and vending machines.
# Mingling with your staff.
Get to know your employees by interacting with them. Eat lunch with them occasionally and organize gatherings with snacks and beverages. These informal interactions will help you find out genuine employee concerns so that you can fix things that are not working well.
# Organizing activities out of work.
Create company-sponsored events where their families can participate in fun activities together. This shows the employees that you appreciate them and that their happiness is a priority to you.
# Rewarding good behavior.
Publicly reward employees who exhibit behaviors that boost employee motivation.
# Organizing functions on Safety Days and rewarding the best safety followers.
# Organizing Labor Day programs.
Blue-collar workers are encouraged to motivate through receiving salary, working conditions, peer relations, and job security. When they are motivated, it means they are engaged with the organization, which leads to more productivity.
Professionalism
Professionalism means developing the vital characteristic of "being professional." For some, being professional might mean dressing smartly at work or doing a good job. For others, being professional means having advanced degrees or other certifications, framed and hung on the office wall. Although professionalism means keeping commitments, doing high-quality work, and having expert status.
Professionalism is a trait that's highly valued in the workforce. It has many attributes, including:
1. Specialized knowledge.
First and foremost, professionals are known for their specialized knowledge. They've made a deep personal commitment to develop and improve their skills, and, where appropriate, they have the degrees and certifications that serve as the foundation of this knowledge. Professionals have worked in a serious, thoughtful, and sustained way to master the specialized knowledge needed to succeed in their fields, and they keep this knowledge up-to-date so that they can continue to deliver the best work possible.
2. Competency.
Professionals get the job done. They're reliable, and they keep their promises. If circumstances arise that prevent them from delivering on their promises, they manage expectations upfront, and they do their best to make the situation right. Professionals don't make excuses but focus on finding solutions.
3. Honesty and integrity.
Professionals exhibit qualities such as honesty and integrity. They keep their word, and they can be trusted implicitly because of this. They never compromise their values and will do the right thing, even when it means taking a harder road. True professionals are humble—if a project or job falls outside their scope of expertise, they're not afraid to admit this. They immediately ask for help when they need it, and they're willing to learn from others.
4. Accountability.
Professionals hold themselves accountable for their thoughts, words, and actions, especially when they've made a mistake. This personal accountability is closely tied to honesty and integrity, and it's a vital element in professionalism.
5. Self-regulation.
They also stay professional under pressure. Genuine professionals show respect for the people around them, no matter what their role or situation. They exhibit a high degree of emotional intelligence (EI) by considering the emotions and needs of others, and they don't let a bad day impact how they interact with colleagues or clients.
6. Looking the part.
Professionals look the part—they don't show up to work sloppily dressed, with unkempt hair. They're polished, and they dress appropriately for the situation. Because of this, they exude an air of confidence, and they gain respect for this.
As you can see from these characteristics, professionals are the kind of people that others respect and value. They are a genuine credit to their organizations. This is why it's so important that we work to earn a professional reputation in the workplace. True professionals are the first to be considered for promotions, they are awarded valuable projects or clients, and they are routinely successful in their careers.
Building or Implementing Professionalism
1. To build or implement professionalism, focus on improving each of these above six characteristics.
2. Build Expertise
Don't let your knowledge and skills get outdated. Make a commitment to build expertise and stay up-to-date with your industry. Take training sessions on Building Expert Power to find out how to build and maintain your own expert power.
3. Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
Professionals can sense the emotional needs of others. They're able to give clients and coworkers what they need because they know how to listen actively and observe what's happening. So, if you want to improve your professionalism, focus on developing emotional intelligence.
4. Honor Your Commitments
Whenever you make a promise to your boss, colleagues, or clients, keep it. If it looks as if you won't be able to meet a deadline, let your boss, team, or client know as soon as sensibly possible. However, do what you can to avoid ending up in this situation. Don't make excuses—instead, focus on meeting expectations as best you can and on making the situation right.
5. Be Polite
Be kind and polite and use good manners with everyone you come into contact with, no matter what their role is, and no matter how you're feeling. This might sound unimportant, but it makes a significant impact.
6. Have the Tools You Need
Do you show up to a client meeting lacking important samples? Or arrive at work, only to realize that you left a vital file at home? Or do you find yourself operating in situations where you don't have the skills needed to do a good job? True professionals are always prepared. This requires advance planning, timeliness, and attention. Focus on improving your time management and planning skills so that you're always in control.
Note: To implement professionalism in an organization, you should focus on the above areas and organize a training session to minimize the consequences of getting things wrong and to improve the organizational culture.
Regards, Amit