How to Motivate a Team
Motivating a team is very important when you want to achieve great results. Here are some ways you can follow to motivate a team.
Believe in Your Team
The basic thing you have to do when motivating your team is to believe in them. Have faith in their skills and capabilities. Know that they’ll get the work done and you’ll reach your goals no matter what happens.
Be a Role Model
When you want to implement changes and policies, follow the rules yourself. If they see you doing the things you want them to do, they’ll strive hard to follow your rules and policies.
A good example is punctuality. Being a manager or a boss doesn’t give you the right to come to work late. Don’t expect your team to be punctual when you can’t even arrive to work on time.
Challenge your Team
Set challenging goals to keep your team working hard and prevent them from getting bored with their work. People tend to do only what’s being ask of them. There are just a handful of individuals who would go out of their way to perform better than the rest. By giving them challenging goals, they’ll strive harder and work better to meet your expectations.
When setting goals, keep in mind that goals should be:
Realistic
Attainable
Time-bound
Specific
Help your Team
Equipment in tiptop condition will motivate your team to work. Make them attend various seminars and training that will increase their knowledge and develop their skills.
Team building activities are also good ways of motivating and helping your team. Through these activities, they’ll be able to develop camaraderie among themselves.
Having a good relationship with your team would also motivate them to work. They should be able to come and discuss things with you. Keep in mind that while you may be their boss at work, there’s nothing wrong with being their friend outside the four walls of your office.
Pay special attention to people who aren’t performing well. There are various reasons why a person don’t perform well. Talk to this person and offer yourself to him. There’s always something you can do to help him.
Use Positive Reinforcement
When your team did something extraordinary, recognize their efforts by giving incentive and awards.
A simple thank you card or a small portion in your company’s newsletter is a good idea. You can also give them certificates they can display on their desks. Treating your team out to dinner is also a good idea.
One mistake most managers do is to give incentives frequently that employees see these extras as a part of their job. Be careful that you don’t let your employees get used to receiving incentives.
Keeping your team motivated all the time is essential to having a healthy working environment. As what a motivational speaker once said, people often say that motivation doesn’t last, well, neither does bathing- that’s why we recommend it daily.