Like it or not, as managers and/or owners of different corporations/businesses we usually and at times, most definitely, are faced with an increasingly tricky problem: unmaximized employee performance. Picture the familiarity of this scenario: Most of your workers are unhappy. Your department's deadlines aren't being met as they should. Numerous intrigues and gossip are abound. Your team's output is getting sloppier than ever. Familiar? I'm certain that you're not alone in experiencing this as a manager. Perhaps you and most of them will vouch for me when I say that this toxic environment is very much stressful.

Given that though, how should we go about finding a solution to this predicament? What key areas should we target, and what are its performance indicators? In response to these questions, I offer a two step approach to tackle this knot: Maximize your employees' satisfaction, then aim to maximize their productivity. While indeed there are a host of other tips and strategies which you could follow to curb the unoptimized employee problem, and which I strongly urge you to try out for yourself after reading through this article, the two targets I mentioned above can act as great fundamental starting points for all other techniques. These techniques can be found in books that you may find in your nearest business bookstore, or online through employee motivation e-books and the like.

I believe I am in unison with most of the managers in the world when I say that one of the most difficult things to do as a manager is to keep your employees motivated to constantly perform better. For this problem, I strongly suggest instituting some form of reward system to highlight your team's top performers. It doesn't have to be grand. You can go small, and still make an impact. Another method for maximizing satisfaction is by building relationships with your employees. Make them feel like human beings so that they will be more inclined to trust and believe in you. The mistake of most managers is that they put themselves high above an ivory tower which in effect separates them from the people they manage.

Use surveys in order to gauge your employees' current level of satisfaction, and use it constantly (2 to 4 times a year would be healthy) to see how you're progressing in increasing their satisfaction in the workplace.

Once you have gained their trust, and have settled most of the disputes (if any), now is the time to focus on increasing their productivity both vertically and horizontally. The concept of vertical building involves investing time and in some cases, money, in order to help employees develop their skills as individuals and as a team. The concept of horizontal building on the other hand involves using these newly acquired skills to drive the team forward. Some key performance indicators for this strategy could be department sales, efficiency, or anything that suits your fancy. Try it out for yourself and judge the results. I guarantee team efficiency in the long run (in most cases however, changes are immediate and sometimes drastic).

Finally, let me stress the fact that there are so many resources online which you could use to learn more tips in optimizing your employees' productivity and satisfaction. Do not be limited to my two step approach. Elaborate on it! Find new and creative ways to drive your team's performance in your respective fields.