How do you motivate your team? Whilst leadership style affects individual and team performance, it is motivation that leads to success. This post sets out five practical tips for motivating teams.
Appreciation is thanking, recognition is seeing, and encouragement is bringing hope for the future.
Motivate Your Team
Change introduces uncertainty, stress, and anxiety in those affected by and those implementing change. Inevitably, this has an impact on motivation and performance. Success is more likely if you motivate your team. Indeed, motivation is an intrinsic part of team building and a challenge for the team leader.
Unfortunately, some managers use fear or draw from accrued good will to achieve results. However, this only works for a while and ultimately damages credibility. A leadership style with a people-orientation is key to motivating staff. Use the following tips to motivate your team. And review performance and your approach to motivation regularly.
Setting clear goals
Goal setting, which is closely linked to task performance, is the main source of intrinsic motivation. That is, motivation driven by an interest in the task. Setting specific and clear goals leads to greater output and better team performance.
Therefore, set unambiguous, measurable and clear goals with a deadline for completion to avoid any misunderstanding.
Empowering people
Employee participation places emphasis on communication, openness and the direct involvement of team members in decision-making. Provide support and facilitate discussion to help the team solve problems As confidence, commitment, and competence increases delegate tasks and let team members take decisions or find solutions to problems.
Giving the right support
Change usually implies that the team has to learn new skills to understand and interpret new ways of working. The team leader must give opportunity for the team and individual to develop and try new approaches. Make sure your team has appropriate training, development resources, and time to confirm their new skills.
Communicating your vision
Defining, developing, articulating, and communicating the vision is relatively straightforward. Inspiring others to follow is the real challenge! To inspire your team, you need a simple, clear, and relevant vision of the way ahead. What’s more, you too need to be credible, trusted, and believable.
Showing appreciation
You must invest time and energy in your team. Everybody needs to be appreciated, and your team is no different! They need to know that you have a personal interest and commitment in them. Recognizing their worth shows that they are valued and the work they do really does matter.
A leader shapes and shares a vision which gives point to the work of others – Charles Handy
Motivate your team. When teams have a clear with a sense of purpose, they are positively challenged by their work and will have a strong sense of friendship with their colleagues. What’s more, the team will be motivated and take responsibility for their actions. Motivate your team and see the benefits.
How do you motivate others? What motivates you? You are welcome to share your experiences in the comments.
