TIPS FOR TEAM MOTIVATION

1. UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

There are two types of team motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation includes pay, benefits, and promotions.Intrinsic motivation refers to the gratification a person gets from completing a certain task. The best ways to motivate your team use intrinsic motivation, leveraging each individual’s need for growth and purpose.

2. KNOW AND SHARE YOUR VISION

Learning how to inspire your team starts with learning what inspires you: You mustdiscover your own purpose before you can relate to others’ needs for fulfillment. What brings you into work every day? What is your ultimate goal for your business? Distill your purpose into apowerful vision statement and share it with your team.

3. LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Sharing your vision isn’t enough – you must live your purpose every day.Great leaders embody the traits they want to see in their team: hard work, dedication, loyalty and more.Discover your values and bring them to the table at work. Admit when you’re wrong. Learn from your mistakes. You’ll inspire your team to do the same.

4. DISCOVER YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE

Leading by example is a great start, but you can dig deeper. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Once you know your naturalleadership style, you can develop your skills and become a well-rounded leader who can switch styles to inspire a team in any circumstance.

5. MASTER COMMUNICATION

The best leaders are the best communicators. They excel at readingnonverbal cues and use mirroring and pacing techniques to exert influence. They’re able to adapt to differentcommunication styles to ensure they are understood. And they are always empathetic and open to new views.

6. IMPROVE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS

Learning how to motivate a team often isn’t about speaking at all – it’s aboutdeep listening. Ask questions and truly listen to the answers. Implement solutions whenever you can. Knowing they are heard is extremely motivating to team members.

7. BUILD RAPPORT

Deep listening skills are also the first step tobuilding rapport with your team. Rapport is about relationship-building: being open and authentic, finding common ground and establishing mutual respect. Creating those deeper connections is essential to intrinsic team motivation.

8. BE HONEST

Building rapport also means being honest – but the benefits of honesty go even further. When you’re transparent with your team, you’ll buildtrust in the workplace and earn respect. And when your team respects you, they will be much more open to your suggestions.

9. USE LEVERAGE

At the root of intrinsic team motivation lies each individual’s values: You must find out what drives them to come to work every day. Do they love the freedom to be creative? Does work fulfill theirneed for significance or contribution? Do they enjoy working on mastering skills? Discover their “why” and you’ll discover how to motivate a team.

10. RECOGNIZE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Now that you’ve built the foundation of team motivation, you can implement a series of actions to help inspire your team to greatness. The first is recognition – everyone wants to be recognized. When you see a team member go above and beyond, recognize them. You’ll empower them to do more of the same.

11. CREATE GOALS

If you’re not giving your employees clear tasks and goals, you may not have a team motivation problem – you may have a communication problem. Goals let your team know what is expected and set a clear path for advancement – and are a must at any successful company.

12. USE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Performance reviews are an excellent form of feedback that not only helps you create goals for each employee, but lets them know where they stand. They’re a clear, objective form of communication that can be just what an employee needs to improve.

13. FOSTER COLLABORATION

When employees work as a true team, rather than separate individuals, everyone is more productive. Teams hold each other accountable, but also help out when someone is overwhelmed or absent. Outings, fun traditions and friendly competitions foster that sense of collaboration and improve team motivation.

14. ENCOURAGE PERSONAL GROWTH

Those with agrowth mindset achieve goals because they enjoy learning new things. You can develop this mindset in your team by encouraging personal growth. Send them articles about new skills they could master, books about success and invites to networking events. Personal growth leads to professional growth.

15. PRIORITIZE EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Modern employee motivation isn’t just about growth –it’s about their well-being. Today’s employees want to know that their companies genuinely care about them. They want you to ask about their families and their health. They want to take time off without feeling stressed. When you give your team time to refuel their own minds and bodies, they will be able to contribute more to your business.

16. ADAPT TO MARKET CHANGES

Many of the trends we are seeing towardremote work are deeply connected to the notion of well-being. Remote work allows employees to have flexible schedules. It allows them to reclaim the hour or two they would normally spend commuting every day. This is why many employees now see remote work not just as a perk, but as a necessity. If this is the case in your industry, it’s worth taking another look at implementing a remote or hybrid office.

17. REWARD CREATIVITY

What do the Apples, Pelotons and Spotifys of the world have in common? They all have cultures of innovation that encourage employees to take risks, think creatively and always reach for the next best thing. You can embrace this form of employee motivation by encouraging brainstorming, rewarding originality and learning from failures and mistakes rather than punishing them.

18. CHANGE IT UP

Boredom is the great team motivation killer – and it especially affects your top performers. If those at the top feel they have nothing else to learn, why stay? You can help them get out of their rut by switching up their routines, assigning them a new, big project or even encouraging a lateral move. Engaged employees are driven employees.

19. TRUST YOUR TEAM

If you’re wondering how to motivate a team, the answer is rarely to micromanage them. One of the best ways to inspire your team may be to take a more hands-off approach. You’ll never really know what your team can accomplish if you’re always micromanaging; many employees find it stifling. Learn more about how to embrace your leadership role andmanage your business from a place of trust, and you just may find the key to how to motivate your team.

20. ASK FOR HELP

No business owner knows it all. We all have blind spots and weaknesses, and learning how to inspire your team is a process. Every individual is different, which means that every team is different. In business, it’s always valuable to have a sounding board and a place to go for advice.Finding a mentor is a good start. Abusiness coach can also help. Remember, when youelevate your peers, you will be lifted up as well.