You’re not sure how to get your team motivated. What’s the best way to inspire them? It’s a common challenge for executives who want to achieve their goals and keep their employees engaged. In this article, you’ll learn some effective communication strategies that can help you boost your team’s morale and performance.
The first step to motivate your team is to understand their needs, preferences, and personalities. You can use various tools and methods to assess your team’s strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and communication styles. For example, you can use a personality test, a feedback survey, or a one-on-one meeting to learn more about your team members. This will help you tailor your communication approach to each individual and avoid misunderstandings or conflicts.
There are many ways to motivate your team. Intimate knowledge and true connection is key to understanding how to motivate individual contributors. There are many factors that determine motivation, and many times it can be outside influence that is pulling them away. Ask, listen, and genuinely care about your teams endeavors both professionally and personally. Sometimes taking the time to listen itself can be the catalyst to motivate your team.
One of the most efficient ways to get to know your team is to run them through MBTI/DISC or similar, sit down with them and discuss the results - what drives each of them, what are the potential de-railers in communication with other personality types, what helps build solid interaction. Get back to the results of these finding every time you confront any misunderstanding or a problem.
The second step to motivate your team is to set clear and realistic goals that align with your vision and mission. You can use the SMART framework to define your goals, which means they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You can also use the OKR framework to set objectives and key results, which are the outcomes and indicators of your progress. By setting clear and realistic goals, you can help your team understand what they need to do, how they will be measured, and why it matters.
The third step to motivate your team is to provide feedback and recognition regularly and effectively. Feedback is essential for your team to improve their skills, learn from their mistakes, and grow professionally. Recognition is important for your team to feel valued, appreciated, and motivated. You can use various communication channels and formats to give feedback and recognition, such as face-to-face, email, phone, video, or chat. You can also use different types of feedback and recognition, such as positive, constructive, developmental, or appreciative.
You will be surprised to find out what a wide range of recognition you team members may seek. First, explore your team by observations and 1 to 1 talk to figure it out, then act accordingly. Monetary recognition is of course just one of the forms of recognition, but usually not the very effective. Many people love to be recognized publicly and through various kinds of competition. Set up a simple extended recognition program, call it "Bravo" or "Extra mile", set tangible KPIs, regularly sum up the interim results, get your team together and publicly recognize the winners. Be cautious though with introverts - they usually avoid this types of publicity. Therefore, know who in your team is an extravert and who is not.
The fourth step to motivate your team is to empower and delegate tasks and responsibilities to them. Empowering your team means giving them the autonomy, authority, and resources to make decisions and solve problems. Delegating tasks and responsibilities means assigning them to the most suitable and capable team members, based on their skills, interests, and availability. By empowering and delegating, you can show your trust and confidence in your team, as well as challenge them and help them develop.
The fifth step to motivate your team is to communicate and collaborate with them effectively and frequently. Communication is vital for your team to stay informed, aligned, and engaged. Collaboration is essential for your team to work together, share ideas, and learn from each other. You can use various communication systems and tools to facilitate communication and collaboration, such as email, chat, video conferencing, project management, or document sharing. You can also use various communication techniques and skills, such as active listening, asking questions, giving feedback, or resolving conflicts.
Clear and transparent communication with the team is a big part of satisfaction and success. Never assume, never use the "sapienti sat" approach - always check your understanding others, their motives, feeling, drivers for actions. Active listening is key in great communication. Encourage people who generate any ideas - no matter how stupid may seem - work with quick wins in your teams - they are very powerfully tools to drive the business forward.
The sixth step to motivate your team is to celebrate and reward their achievements and successes. Celebrating and rewarding your team means acknowledging their efforts, contributions, and results, as well as expressing your gratitude and appreciation. You can use various ways to celebrate and reward your team, such as public recognition, private praise, bonuses, incentives, gifts, or events. By celebrating and rewarding your team, you can boost their morale, satisfaction, and loyalty, as well as reinforce your culture and values.
Always celebrate success with your team and reward the ones who go extra mile - the bigger the success the bigger the celebration. Use a variety of festive techniques - public and private recognition, bonuses, incentives, gifts, or parties in a restaurant or outside. Get someone to make a video of the party surreptitiously, make a surprise film to show to the team later on.