If you are a team leader or manager, you know how important it is to keep your team motivated and engaged. But sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may notice that your team’s morale is low, their performance is suffering, or their enthusiasm is fading. What can you do to turn things around and restore your team’s motivation?
The first step to improve your team’s motivation is to understand why it is low in the first place. There could be many factors affecting your team’s mood, such as stress, burnout, lack of recognition, unclear goals, poor communication, or conflict. To find out what is bothering your team, you need to listen to them and ask for their feedback. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or regular check-ins to gather their opinions and insights. By doing this, you can show your team that you care about their well-being and that you are willing to address their issues.
Gerente Nacional de Demanda na EMS | Gerente Executivo na Indústria Farmacêutica
Este é um dos grandes desafios de qualquer líder; Como gerenciar e desenvolver motiva??o no time! Vejo muitos líderes que na prática entendem motiva??o como um estado de “bom humor” contínuo. Motiva??o parece ser algo mais intrínseco à cada um e é possível de se gerenciar. Comece alinhado expectativas, combinando um destino comum para você e o outro e principalmente, compreendendo o que move o outro a agir na dire??o do destino comum. Daí em diante, com lealdade ao destino acordado, empatia com o outro nos desafios da jornada e, no caso do líder, diligência no senso de justi?a junto ao time, n?o faltará ao time MOTIVOS PARA AGIR.
In my experience, open and transparent communication is paramount. It's crucial to align team members towards a common goal and establish clear direction. Subsequently, providing necessary training and resources, along with celebrating quick wins, can effectively motivate the team members.
Every problem has a reason and without understanding the root cause of it and jumping to conclusions is the biggest mistake most managers or leaderships do. Thus most important aspect is to first understand why the motivation is low…!!! Identify three key reasons.
Recognize and reward achievements: Celebrate successes, both big and small. This could be done through public recognition, bonuses, or other forms of rewards.
1. Encourage open and honest communication. 2. Ensure that goals and expectations are clear and achievable. 3. Regularly recognize and appreciate each team member's contributions. 4. Offer opportunities for professional growth and development. 5. Encourage a healthy work-life balance. 6. Organize team-building activities that are not necessarily work-related. 7. Give team members more control over their work and the decision-making process. 8. Create a constructive feedback loop where team members can give and receive feedback regularly. 9. Implement a reward system for meeting or exceeding goals. 10. Understand that each team member might have different motivators. 11. Be a role model for your team. 12. Check-in Regularly.
The second step to boost your team’s motivation is to set clear and realistic goals that align with your team’s vision and values. Goals can help your team focus on what matters, measure their progress, and celebrate their achievements. However, not all goals are created equal. To make sure your goals are effective, you need to follow the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By setting SMART goals, you can help your team understand what is expected of them, how they will be evaluated, and how they can contribute to the bigger picture.
Small small wins encourage them to achieve more. Give some authority to make decisions on their own and ensure they are on the right path with regular reviews.
It's important to appreciate when a team member does something good irrespective of the fact as to whether it's big or small in nature. This gesture will make them feel good and drives their motivation to perform well even further. Similarly it's important to criticise as well when they make a mistake or commit an error through a constructive manner which ensures they do not repeat the same again. This approach will make the team member understand that you are acting fair as a leader.
Some ways to get started is: - Discussion at length with the team about what, why and how to achieve our objectives before making SMART goals - Any milestones to be set beforehand - Regular Monitoring, Reviews and Celebrate the Achievements - Coaching to the teammates who face some challenges in doing it
As a leader, one has to make the team on board with "Why they are performing the task and how it aligns with the strategic goals of the organization" as well, "How it provides the platform for the individual to grow himself (intellectually & financially) and see himself as part of that bigger goal". A team well aligned on the "Why & How" part always strive for exceptional results and stays motivated.
This is most critical...motivation is directly proportional to engagement and engagement is linked to goals....check the team goals and offer them engaging and challenging targets...take it from me, all motivation would be back !!
The third step to increase your team’s motivation is to recognize and reward their efforts and accomplishments. Recognition and reward can have a powerful impact on your team’s self-esteem, satisfaction, and loyalty. They can also reinforce positive behaviors and encourage continuous improvement. However, recognition and reward need to be meaningful, timely, and fair. You can use different methods to show your appreciation, such as verbal praise, written feedback, public acknowledgment, bonuses, incentives, or perks. The key is to tailor your recognition and reward to your team’s preferences and needs.
Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement are propellants that drive human productivity. It should be given frequently. This would reduce employee turnover and increase customer satisfaction.
Find out reasons to celebrate small achievements without waiting for big ones . Individuals feels motivated and strive for more success when they are recognised. This kind of initiatives invite other members to take initiatives and contribute .
Diagnose the situation, before jumping into solutions, take some time to understand the root cause of the low motivation. Talk to your team members individually or in small groups to understand their concerns, frustrations, and suggestions. Consider factors like workload, work-life balance, clarity of goals, recognition, and team dynamics.
Appreciating the team for the efforts toward achieving goals .Empowering them to take the decisions in normal work conditions and in line within system requirement .Reward shall be part of this
As per my experience and learning following can be the steps to boost team motivation - - Focus on basic fundamentals of human behaviour and human interactions - Communicate openly and frequently (listen listen and just listen) - Interact individually and in group to understand concerns and needs. - Foster teamwork and collaboration. - Empower and delegate. - Instead of monthly review do highlights of the month - Recognise small milestone/ achievement and celebrate the way team members would like to celebrate. - Get your hands dirty don’t just boss around set examples for team to look up - Ask for feedback for self and for organisation process and culture team expect.
The fourth step to enhance your team’s motivation is to communicate and collaborate effectively. Communication and collaboration are essential for building trust, rapport, and cohesion among your team members. They can also foster creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. However, communication and collaboration need to be clear, consistent, and respectful. You can use various tools and platforms to facilitate your communication and collaboration, such as email, chat, video conferencing, or project management software. The important thing is to keep your team informed, involved, and empowered.
One of the biggest reasons why teams are de-motivated and disconnected is because of lack of communication and alignment and belief in the overall vision or objective. The leaders communicating and engaging with their teams is very powerful where they feel valued and can clearly see how their work and efforts directly impacts the overall vision.
My mantra in such situations is - Listen, Listen and Listen some more. I have observed over the years in multiple scenarios (irrespective of the geography), that employees want to speak out their concerns. Therefore, it is critical to provide them with a platform where they can share their thoughts, emotions and ideas. This process usually paves the way for the course of action to be taken and generates positivity in the workplace.
To address low team motivation, I'll enhance transparent communication, fostering a collaborative environment for idea-sharing, and introduce recognition programs. Celebrating achievements, big and small, creates a positive culture. Investing in professional development shows commitment to team growth. This multi-faceted strategy aims to rejuvenate motivation and enhance overall workplace engagement.
Acredito que seja providencial adotar uma abordagem centrada no diálogo aberto para restaurar o entusiasmo e o comprometimento. O acadêmico Theodore Zeldin, em suas reflex?es sobre a importancia do diálogo, destaca que as conversas significativas podem ser a chave para transcender barreiras e fortalecer conex?es interpessoais. Ao aplicarmos essa perspectiva ao ambiente de trabalho, percebemos que o diálogo aberto n?o é apenas uma ferramenta de comunica??o, mas pode ser considerado a pedra angular para a motiva??o do time. O estímulo ao diálogo e a troca de ideias podem transformar relacionamentos e desbloquear potenciais latentes. Isso n?o apenas melhora a motiva??o da equipe, mas também estimula a criatividade e a inova??o.
The 5 essential pillars that, in my view, form a robust foundation for enhancing the motivational quotient within your team are: Empathy:A team chat infused with empathy establishes trust, respect & fosters a collaborative mindset within the team. Effectivity:An effective conversation elevates team morale enabling a thorough analysis & internalisation of problem-solving approaches Recognition:Timely acknowledgment of efforts & results, coupled with genuine appreciation, significantly boosts team motivation. Delays in recognition diminish the impact, even if done at a later point. Work-Life Balance:Prioritise the work-life balance of your team as a leader, ensuring efficient service delivery while maintaining the well-being of your teammates
The fifth step to improve your team’s motivation is to provide learning and development opportunities. Learning and development can help your team grow their skills, knowledge, and confidence. They can also help your team adapt to changing needs, challenges, and opportunities. However, learning and development need to be relevant, engaging, and accessible. You can use different formats and sources to deliver your learning and development, such as online courses, webinars, podcasts, books, or mentors. The main thing is to support your team’s career goals, interests, and aspirations.
An example of this is by setting a good personal development plan and acquiring the training needed . And to back it up by asking the employee to shadow or demonstrate what they have learned as confirmation.
Everyone needs to be able to visualize the path forward in terms of development, learning and career steps. Always ensure that development and learning not only satisfies the business, but critically the personal interests of your team. One sided objectives in these area's will switch off interest and de-motivate.
On top of company level L&D programs, creating an environment that promotes both intentional and unintentional learning within your team is equally if not arguably more important. Here are some examples: 1. Foster behaviors that allow information exchange to take place organically. Carve out time on a weekly basis where the team can gather in a relaxed setting without a set agenda. A lot of light bulb moments take place during watercooler chats, be intentional in recreating this experience especially in a remote work environment. 2. Sponsor mentorship/buddy programs within the team, this promotes cross training and can be very efficient in helping both parties grow.
Learning is a never ending process. One should learn new skill everyday to make things better and better. The best idea is to observe all your employees with quarterly review systems, try to find out the gap where employee is lacking, freeze the training need based on every individual’s requirements. According plan their training to overcome the low areas.
Effective learning and development must be relevant, engaging, and accessible, tailored to meet diverse needs and preferences. Offering varied formats like online courses, webinars, or mentorship caters to individual learning styles. Aligning these opportunities with personal and organizational goals fosters an environment of continuous growth, transcending mere skill enhancement. This commitment to each team member's growth not only boosts motivation but also prepares the team to thrive in a dynamic business environment.
The sixth and final step to boost your team’s motivation is to implement team building exercises. Team building exercises can help your team bond, have fun, and relieve stress. They can also help your team improve their communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. However, team building exercises need to be fun, inclusive, and varied. You can use different types of team building exercises, such as icebreakers, games, quizzes, challenges, or simulations. The best thing is to involve your team in choosing and designing the team building exercises that suit their personalities and preferences.
Bring the team out for a good relaxing dinner where everyone is required to talk anything but work. Allow the team members to get to know each other at personal level and their respective motivation driver. This exercise will help them to respect and support each other better at work.
Team Building is not every leader’s Cup of Tea, Proper team building gives you a wonderful outcomes. We have witnessed lot of instances in sports, where a team with proper bonding always wins that reflects the team building. It’s a team leads responsibility to ensure that all the team members act like a single unit rather than an individual. To make this happen manager should drive and create the team environment within the team. Plan some fun activities biweekly to develop the coordination, create awareness about the team strengths and what wonders one can achieve as a team, make frequent team outings.
à mon avis, un team building ne résoudra pas un dysfonctionnement profond. Identifier les causes et les corriger, fixer des objectifs cohérents et motivants et proposer une vision ambitieuse sont les moyens de raviver la flamme.
In my experience team events outside the office are the best way to get to know each other as the person you are. And foster open communication from one person to the other regardless of role. Which helps trust, dialogue and collaboration towards the common goals.
In my experience, an out-of-office environment can help both in creating connections and in finding out problems and solutions. Combine good food and open-air exercise with workshops that will help the employees voice their concerns and offer solutions to the problems posed.
I believe involving people in decision making process or developing strategies helps a lot. If we involve team in issues to be resolved or in any sort of value-addition, they feel more responsible and valued. By doing this, team will never feel demotivated because they own those problem and bent towards learning and development of themselves. Another way is to breakdown tasks in small-scale projects and award those to team members. While monitoring their performance, you not only get a lot of different ideas to resolve the problems better, rather their interest will keep them motivated too.
Criar identidade em torno de um propósito maior. Uma das fontes de desmotiva??o é o foco na tarefa, repetitiva, assente no esfor?o e na obriga??o de executar de determinada forma. Identificar o propósito da a??o orienta as pessoas para o sentido e significado do seu contributo. Por exemplo, construir uma estrada é aproximar pessoas, recolher o lixo é cuidar do planeta, ou cuidar de crian?as é alimentar um futuro auspicioso... O propósito cria identidade com algo maior e humanizado. Dessa maneira cría-se também sentido, uma condi??o essencial para a felicidade. é fundamental desenvolver a cultura e a sensibilidade das pessoas. Fomentar a sua compreens?o do Mundo, promover o autoconhecimento, a empatia, a autonomía e a sua autodetermina??o.
Eu acredito que a motiva??o n?o é algo que possa ser plantado se n?o vier do íntimo de cada um. Prefiro estimular que cada ser busque dentro de si seus objetivos e propósitos para que a motiva??o venha naturalmente. Além disso, prefiro focar no engajamento, pois quando somos engajados com nossa vida, família, carreira, saúde, etc., a motiva??o também surge de forma espontanea.
When the team’s motivation is low: 1. The leader needs to reinvent himself. 2. Create opportunities for team 3. Bond with team frequently 4. Share inspirational stories that they can relate to. 5. Show the benefits of the outcome they will deliver. 6. Set up competitive benchmarks to achieve and reward them 7. Help them identify their potential by reference to their earlier performances. 8. Check if they have any other issue which is taking away their focus. Have a one-one open talk. A open minded lead who is empathetic with his team can be the most looked upon to motivate them in the worst of situations.
Just keep quiet and listen to the team. A good listener will hear the solutions within the voices of the team. Do not pre think on any solution. Motivation arises even from simple acts of empathy.