5 Ways You Can Motivate Your Work Team Members

A motivated team is a happier and more productive team. So, as a manager it is important to find ways to encourage and empower your employees. There are many ways to do this and every manager needs to find the right strategies for his or her workplace. Below are five ways you can motivate people. Give them a try.

Perhaps the most effective way to motivate employees is to recognize them when they do a good job or put efforts on something. Most professionals want to be good at their jobs. So, getting recognized for that effort can be very motivating.

There are a lots of ways to go about this. In the simplest form, you can tell someone they did a good job. You may want to make this statement during a meeting to add a public element to it. However, you can also have some fun with it, for example, sharing some inspiring employee recognition quotes can add an element of light-heartedness to it.

Turn your big goals into a game. Gamification is the process of creating a formalized system like a game around real-world activities. For example, you can assign point values to certain tasks. These points can then add up towards a reward.

You may challenge your team to reach specific goals on their key performance indicators with the reward being a team dinner. Having these rules established ahead of time gives people something to work towards. Gamifying work can be a very effective way to turn your daily grind into something much more fun and motivating.

Most professionals want to be allowed to make decisions. They are capable people who can self-organize a lot of their work. So, give them the chance to be autonomous. This is a helpful mindset for pulling back from micromanaging. Most people don’t want someone looking over their shoulders.

Additionally, trying to give your team more autonomy is a great way to help ensure you are leading rather than managing. While both are important, the former can produce superior results. The differences between leadership and management are something every team leader should understand. Learning more will help you empower your people.

Typically, people want their work to mean something. They want to know the why behind their efforts. Help your team members connect the meaning of their work to the bigger picture. Help them find a sense of purpose. This is especially effective if you can connect your organizational goals to a positive impact on society.

For example, if you produce food, you are literally helping feed the masses. Making these connections can be very motivating. As the leader of your team, you should guide your people in making those mental connections. Try to plan your team goals with purpose in mind. The more your direction reflects purpose, the easier it will be for people to be motivated.

No one wants to stay in the same place in life forever. People are looking for employment that will help them learn and grow. Try to create these opportunities for your team members. This can include giving them new and challenging work. It can also include education and training opportunities.

Empower your people to grow as professionals while they work for you. This may result in them being able to take on new responsibilities. Many people leave their jobs because they don’t think they have any more room to grow. Trying to provide consistent professional development can help reduce turnover.

Motivated team members are more productive and happier. You can use the techniques to foster a sense of empowerment in your workplace. All these strategies are relatively easy to implement. However, different teams have unique needs. So, you may need to experiment a little until you find the right mix of motivational strategies for your people.