Be proud of your all that you have contributed

This strange time we find ourselves in has given us all an opportunity to reflect on how we live, what we do and how we do it.

Our usual work patterns and environments may still look quite different and the way we think about our work and what we do could be going through some changes too.

Are you proud of what you do and where you work? You might find your answer to that very revealing.

Many of us are so used to getting on with the job and achieving the goals in front of us, that we don’t take time to think about how we feel about our work and the contribution we're making to the bigger picture.

Have you ever been guilty of answering the question of what you do with a ‘I’m just a ...’? Hopefully not, as there is no such thing as a ‘just a’ role.

Every role contributes to the success of a business and thinking about your role differently can make a big difference to how you feel about the work you do.

By the same token, employers should make sure that ALL employees feel valued for the contributions they make and are supported to do the best job they can. These are tough times but let's be proud – and help each other to be proud – of the work we’re doing.

So, what key steps can an employer take to encourage employees to have a sense of pride in their work and create the kind of company that people are proud to work for?

Here are five suggestions to inspire and motivate your team to be proud of what they do:

Show employees that their work is important – link their roles to the success of the business as a whole.

Encourage (and reward) your team to take more responsibility – delegate from the earliest possible level in your company.

Set goals – then let people find their own ways to achieve them, even if it’s different to the way you’d do it.

Give your team a real sense of ownership – let everyone have the opportunity to experience different aspects of the business beyond their direct role.

If you’re the boss – don’t make all the decisions yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about great ways to inspire your colleagues, instil pride and create great teams, why not find out more about our ‘One Lochaber’ leadership course? It’s specially designed to give you the practical understanding and management skills to help us all work better together.

Go to www.lochaberchamber.co.uk for details.