10 Motivating Phrases To Use Around Your Employees

When you are at a position of leadership at work, your employees expect you to boost their morale and help maintain a healthy workplace culture that provides equal opportunities and helps everybody grow as individuals.

Your employees are at their best in an environment where not only are they are free to use their creativity and judgement to solve any problems related to work, but also subjected to a positive amount of pressure that pushes them to perform better. As their leader, you have to also set an example for employees who are aspiring for and suited for leadership positions in the future.

The use of certain motivating phrases around the workplace, in the presence of your employees, can help them grow and evolve. Although there are different methods for approaching motivation in the workplace, there are certain phrases that you can use around your employees to inspire, empower and propel them ahead.

Your ability to effectively communicate with your employees is one of the most important things that show your ability as a leader. But when it comes to motivating and inspiring people with your words, here are a few motivating phrases that you should use more often around your employees:

Feel free to ask me anything.

As a leader, you aren’t just responsible for your employees. You should also be approachable and make your employees feel comfortable with asking you for help or clarification, should they need it. Letting your employees know time and again that they are free to ask you anything puts them at ease and gives them more confidence in themselves as well as in you.

Using this phrase more often around your employees will ensure that you as a leader can keep the channels of communication open in the workplace. Being approachable with your employees improves their morale, attitude and cooperation in the workplace, which can positively impact performance.

What would you do in my situation?

One of the duties of a leader is to train your employees for leadership positions in the future. Asking them what they would do in your situation brings in a new perspective that shows you where your employees currently stand when it comes to progress.

Using this phrase also creates a supportive and authentic environment in the workplace, where your employees can feel motivated to share their views and opinions regarding work and how to go about it. It shows your employees that they can be honest with you, and can help your employees connect and collaborate better.

I have good news and bad news.

Effective leaders are those who can openly communicate with their employees. Being honest with your employees, no matter how good or bad the situation is, can go a long way when it comes to winning their trust. Employees who can trust their leader are more cooperative and engaged in their work.

Using this phrase around your employees will let them know and understand the context of the decisions that you make for the company. Openly being able to communicate both the good and bad to your employees will help you tackle any work-related problems early on and solve them on time.

What does the team have to say?

Often, your employees will ask you, the leader, for your approval regarding certain work-related matters. But your employees should unanimously make decisions as a team, and not blindly follow whatever you have to say. Asking them what the entire team has to say can help you understand the dynamic of the teams or departments that report to you.

Reminding your employees to make decisions as a team will encourage team-work and collaboration among them in the workplace. Communication and unity are very important to maintain a positive and motivating environment in the workplace.

I’m more interested in your approach.

Very often, in the workplace, employees will start to rely on you for your approval and expect you to have the solution to all of their work-related problems. Using this phrase more around your employees will encourage them to come forward with their ways to tackle problems and spearhead a problem-solving discussion.

To make your employees independent and confident about their work and perspectives, it helps when you urge them to come forward with their solutions. Using this phrase also prepares your employees for leadership positions that they will take over in the future.

Tell me how you got there.

As much as it is your job as the leader to allow your employees to grow and come forward with their ideas and solutions, it is also your job to cross-check their process to ensure that their approach to problem-solving is credible.

Using this phrase doesn’t mean that you don’t trust your employees. Rather, it is a way to make your employees walk you through their problem-solving process so that you can assess their work. This phrase motivates your employees to do their research and ensure that they are thorough in their approach.

You have my attention, tell me more.

When your employees come forward with fresh perspectives and approach problem-solving innovatively, it is important to let them know that you are invested in what they have to say. Using this phrase more often around your employees will motivate them to be more confident and forthcoming when they have any good ideas.

This phrase also allows you to gauge the efficiency of your employees by taking a look at what their vision for the company is. It is also a way to connect more with your employees instead of just being their leader and helps your employees build a rapport with you and vice versa.

How can I help?

As the leader, you’re not just the person that your employees report to. You’re an integral part of the workforce. Most leaders pride themselves on an open-door policy, but an effective leader knows that it’s not enough. Instead of simply letting your employees know that you’re available for queries, ask them how you can help them.

Being more involved will motivate your employees to perform better and be more engaged in the workplace. Being a part of the team and giving your employees the push when they need it can set an example for those employees who are leaders in the making.

Here’s what we learn from this.

Ups and downs are a part of every business. While successes can boost your employees’ morale and make them feel motivated to put in more effort to achieve even better results, a set-back can cause their morale to go down. Using this phrase during such situations will help your employees learn from the set-back and inspire them to work harder to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

Mistakes happen and there are times when your employees are facing obstacles for the very first time. Using this phrase and helping your employees look at the positive side of things will build their confidence and help them take advantage of the set-back.

I want to be completely transparent with you.

As the leader, there are times when you have to break some news to your employees. This is not always an easy thing to do. Using this phrase often in the presence of your employees will help you establish trust and authenticity in the workplace.

When you are transparent with your employees, you also expect the same from them. Since you’re the leader and your employees look up to you as an example, this will build character and confidence in your employees. When everyone in the workplace trusts each other, collaborating and cooperating is more effective and easier to do.

Bottom line?

Your employees, more often than not, look up to you for motivation, guidance and reassurance. In such a situation, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Communicating often with your employees will help you understand and gauge the situation in the workplace, which can, in turn, help you with decision making. As a leader, your employees will follow the example that you set for them. Not only do those workplace conversations and discussions go a long way in motivating your employees to be more confident when they communicate with you, but they also positively impact the overall performance at the workplace.

Go On, Tell Us What You Think!

Did we miss something? Come on! Tell us what you think about our article on 10 Motivating Phrases To Use Around Your Employees in the comments section.