For mortgage branch managers, inspiring their team is a strategy to support the success of the entire branch. Inspired employees are engaged with, passionate about, and invested in the quality work they do. By ensuring that your team is motivated, you’re not only helping each individual grow in his or her career, but you’re also helping the branch as a whole to thrive. While finding dedicated employees begins in the hiring process, there is alot branch managers can do to foster inspiration within their team. Read on for some tips to get your team members feeling inspired by their work.

Demonstrate Trust

For branch managers, there is a fine line between management and micromanagement. Offering guidance, sharing resources, and giving advice are all part of a manager’s job. When that leadership slips into micromanagement, however, employee contentment and performance can suffer. Instead of overseeing simple tasks and frequently offering a better way to do things, give your employees the space to experiment, try, fail, and succeed. This approach to management shows that you trust in your employees. In turn, employees will feel more responsible and accountable for their work. When they see that you trust them with important tasks and problem solving, they’ll feel a greater sense of ownership in their work which will increase motivation and inspiration.

Instill Purpose

Inspired employees know what they’re working towards. Pushing papers and punching in and out can leave employees feeling drained and bored. One of the best ways for managers to do this is to establish a clear goal-setting system for employees. By encouraging and helping employees to set goals, managers can ensure that each team member has something their working towards. Both long- and short-term goals are great here. The achievement of smaller, short-term goals will provide regular bursts of satisfaction that will keep employees inspired to continue achieving, and long-term goals will help give them a sense of direction and focus.

Communicate the Big Picture

Continuing with the idea of purpose, employees who have a sense of the branch goals and mission and their role in achieving that tend to feel a greater sense of pride and investment in their work. No matter what level your employee is at or how long they’ve been at the company, keep them in the loop about the branch as a whole. Make sure they understand their importance to its success. Employees who feel like a cog in the machine are not likely to be engaged in and excited by their work. On the flip side, employees who understand the importance of their work to the large picture of the branch as a whole tend to feel a greater sense of meaning and value when it comes to their daily work.

Schedule One-to-One Meetings

Both managers and team members have busy schedules and it’s easy for one-to-one meetings to get postponed or forgotten. Don’t let these important check-ins fall by the wayside. These meetings don’t have to be long, but by scheduling regular one-to-one meetings with employees, managers can notice and address any dissatisfactions and frustrations before they become larger issues. These meetings are also the perfect time to address individual goals and progress. By showing your investment in each individual employee, they’ll feel a greater sense of investment in the branch in return. When they feel their manager values their work and supports their growth, they feel more motivated to strive for the best.

Praise Good Work

Everyone likes to receive appreciation for a job well done. If you want your employee to stay happy and inspired, you have to notice their progress and achievements. As you get to know each employee, you’ll find out whether public or private praise works best for them. This isn’t just about sales numbers. Make sure you show appreciation for a variety of important things. Communication, problem solving, teamwork, efficiency, and innovation are all valuable areas worth highlighting when someone excels. When you show your team members that you notice their hard work, they’ll be more motivated to continue. You’ll give them a greater sense of pride and help them to feel excited about their achievements as well.

Inspired employees tend to be the highest performing. They value their own work and they’re invested in the success of the branch as a whole. Managers can actively work to install and maintain inspiration among their employees. By incorporating a few of these strategies into your management approach, you can help all team members to reach their full potential.