INSPIRING & MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM {Chapter Extract}

This article focuses on providing strategies for setting clear goals and expectations while routinely offering support and recognition. To inspire team members to achieve their best, we make two assumptions: first, that everyone wants to WIN, and second, that everyone wants to be on a WINNING TEAM.

With those two assumptions, let's get started.

As leaders, we're required to notice and assess the motivation level of our teams. This is a place where ignorance is never bliss.

According to a 2014 Gallup poll, less than 1/3 of US workers reported being motivated at work, which means more than two-thirds of all workers are unmotivated. The impact of this low morale not only affects the individual's productivity but also demotivates the entire team, spreading throughout the organization like cancer, leading to overall apathy where employees just don't care.

Of course, this all results in poor customer service, an inability of your team to overcome adversity, increased absenteeism and lateness for work, lack of focus on daily tasks, higher employee and customer turnover, a lack of innovation, a lack of growth in your company, higher expenses, and lower overall profit.

So how can you tell if ignorance is not bliss? We don't want to be ignorant. How can we tell? Well, here are a few signs that your team is not motivated: employees don't speak up during meetings, and you're the only one talking; there's no back-and-forth communication with your employees; and you notice poor body language, such as crossed arms, eye-rolling, or big sighs when assignments are given out. Have you ever heard an employee say, “I’m just here for the paycheck?” If so, that’s a strong indicator of an unmotivated person.

It's difficult to generalize what works as an effective motivation strategy for any given individual or group of people. Often, the mistake managers make is to assume that what motivates them is what will also motivate their employees. Now, it may motivate one or two of your employees, people that happen to have the same personality, behavioral patterns, background, or interests as you. But mostly, it's not going to be the same things motivating your team as the things that motivate you.

Clearly, some workers can be emotionally distracted. Anxiety and frustration can affect any one of us at any time. These issues need to be dealt with on an individual basis, in a closed-door meeting with the employee, to find out what's happening. The mistake made here is managers recognize that the employee is struggling and don't do anything to offer assistance. Many times, simply letting the employee know that you sense they are struggling is a good beginning to help them.

Another mistake is a lack of recognition, never acknowledging employees for their good work or seldom recognizing strong work in the team. Some days, the work that we thought we were going to get done or needed to get done doesn't get done. That doesn't mean employees aren't working hard or that there isn't something good happening within your team. Find ways to recognize the specific work that is being done.

Simply telling your group that they are doing a good job isn’t enough. You must be specific about what they are actually accomplishing and the particular things that they are doing well.

All of this can be wrapped around the shell of poor and ineffective communication. One of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw, who says, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." So how do we know when we've got it right? How do we know that our team is highly motivated and willing to put in its absolute best effort, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve our goal? How can we improve our communication to ensure we don’t have an illusion of it but we are actually communicating in a clear, concise, and understandable manner?

A highly motivated team can be characterized by many benefits, including high employee satisfaction, improved employer-employee relationships, lower levels of employee turnover, improved customer satisfaction, higher net profit, and an increased positive company reputation.

The good news is there are only eight major items that you, as the leader, need to accomplish to create and maintain a highly motivated team: Share a common vision and purpose. Make sure everyone knows the mission, vision, and values of your organization.

Set clear goals and expectations. One of the most important leadership skills is knowing how to set clear goals and expectations. Use SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Encourage and support employee self-development. Strong leaders inspire employees to continuously develop their self-management skills.

Provide collaboration opportunities. How can a team be highly motivated if they seldom work together? Create a healthy workplace. Collaborate with your employees to improve the health, safety, and well-being of everyone. Give positive feedback and recognition for hard work. The old axiom to praise in public and criticize in private holds true here. Make sure to praise and specifically recognize strong work.

Communicate effectively with the team. Good communicators are good listeners, and they have the ability to communicate with a range of people across different roles and responsibilities. Learn to trust your employees. Don't micromanage them. Trust is the foundation of all healthy relationships and teams.

Here are two things I want you to do, assuming you're not already doing them: Schedule and hold consistent team meetings. These meetings are NOT just for the sake of having a meeting. No, these team meetings are to check-in with the team, share information that everyone needs, and cast vision, ensure alignment with the mission, and answer questions. Make sure to follow through with these meetings. Make them a consistent priority that doesn’t change. Be prepared. Have and share the agenda. Show up on time. End on time. Have these meetings at least quarterly, or more often if there is a bona fide need.

If you're not already doing this, have regular one-on-one sessions with each employee within your responsibility.

These meetings should be more frequent than team meetings and less structured. Schedule at least 20 minutes in your calendar, each week or every other week, to touch base with every single person you're responsible for.

Initially, these conversations will be about how they're doing, how things are at work and home, how their kids are, how their vacation was, and what they do when they're not at work. Begin to build trust, the foundation of every relationship with your employees.

This may feel strange at first but keep doing it. As trust builds between you and the employee, they will begin to share more and more of what is happening in life at work and home. This will give you insight into what you need to do to support them and help them reach their full potential.

In this chapter, we talked about motivating and inspiring your team to achieve their best performance. We discussed what it looks like when motivation is low and things have gone wrong, as well as what it looks like and feels like when motivation is high and things are right.

We listed the benefits of a highly motivated team and some of the common mistakes leaders make when trying to improve their team's motivation. Finally, we listed eight major items that you, as the leader, need to accomplish to create and maintain a highly motivated team.

Effective leadership is crucial to fostering a highly motivated and cohesive team. By understanding the challenges and opportunities presented in the workplace, you can tailor your approach to inspire your team members to reach their full potential.

By implementing the strategies outlined in this chapter, sharing a common vision, setting clear goals, encouraging self-development, providing collaboration opportunities, creating a healthy workplace, giving positive feedback, communicating effectively, and trusting your employees, you will lay the groundwork for a successful and productive team.

Remember, as a leader, your role is to create an environment where motivated employees can thrive and collaborate to achieve your organization's goals. By investing time and effort in understanding and supporting your team members, you will not only foster a positive work culture but also contribute to the long-term success of your organization. Stay committed to your team's growth and development, and you will undoubtedly reap the rewards of your efforts.