5 Ways to Motivate Your Team Leaders who put their team first never have trouble motivating them.
By Louise Beavers Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Keeping your team motivated is challenging, yet it's a task you need to prioritize for the well-being of your company. Without your team, you can't run your business; thus, it's essential that you find new and innovative ways to motivate them on a daily basis.
You need to make sure you are leading them towards a common goal about which they feel passionate. To do so, you need to operate in an honest and transparent way that makes them feel valued. The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to tell them when they're doing a good job.
Sometimes, though, they need more than just a pat on the back, so I've outlined 5 ways to motivate your team to help you maintain a happy workplace while driving your business to success.
1. Schedule team-building activities.
To motivate your team, you need to offer them more than just a salary and some vacation time. You need to be sure that your employees can work as a team to achieve a common goal and there is no better way to do so than with team-building activities. Team-building activities have a number of benefits, some of which include:
- Getting everyone out of the office to do something they find fun or exciting
- Contributing to society or a charitable cause
- Getting to know each other on a more personal level
Your team-building activities should bring your employees together and also:
- Help them develop better communication skills
- Push them out of their comfort zones
- Develop team values
- Increase their ability to solve problems
- Give them a chance to let their hair down and have fun
- Enable them to work on their leadership skills
Related: 4 Fun Team Building Activities for the Office
2. Support them.
Without your support, your team cannot thrive. You need to give them the tools they need to achieve the goals that you have set for them. Support comes in various forms and although some of your team members may simply need additional information about a project, others may require more in-depth training to succeed.
Your support system needs to have the right balance of immediate and long-term support. For example, you may find that offering regular briefings will help with productivity in the long run. On the other hand, checking in with those who have tight deadlines and making sure they have what they need is a good way for you to offer immediate support.
Related: 25 Ways to Lead, Inspire and Motivate Your Team to Greatness
3. Let them work remotely with flexible hours.
We live in an age where working remotely has become increasingly popular. In fact, studies show that allowing your employees to work remotely can:
- Increase their productivity
- Drive their efficiency
- Lower their stress levels
- Boost their morale
- Increase their engagement
- Reduce your employee turnovers
- Decrease your overhead
- Have a positive impact on the environment
By letting your employees work flexible hours on a remote basis, you are contributing to a global phenomenon that many believe will be the future of work. This is a particularly big motivator for younger employees who, by being offered a fun, flexible, and casual working environment, have a more positive view of their bosses and the company for which they work.
Related: How to Motivate Your Team Members by Putting Their Needs First
4. Make the break room enjoyable.
The staff room is a place where your team members go to unwind, grab a coffee and have a break. It should be somewhere they enjoy spending time; otherwise, they won't have anywhere to escape to when they are finding their work challenging, leading to a dip in motivation and lower quality of work.
You need to create a space where your team can undertake activities that will momentarily take their mind off the stresses associated with their job tasks. Consider creating an area where employees can play games in groups of two or more that require some form of physical activity, such as table tennis.
With this, you'll be:
- Boosting morale
- Creating an immediate escape for employees who are struggling
- Enabling authentic team building
- Contributing to your employees' overall physical health
The break room should be somewhere your team can go to unwind from the eight or nine hours they spend at their desks each day.
Related: 6 Ways to Motivate Individuals to Become a Winning Team
5. Show your appreciation.
When the company achieves a milestone, it's important you inform your employees and celebrate that milestone together. However, this is not just about celebrating company milestones. You should show your team members that you value them personally by celebrating things like birthdays, weddings, births, and promotions, to name a few.
Employees value small gestures. The regular "thank you" or "good job" can go a long way. It pushes them to continue striving for a high quality and efficient work ethic. You can also show your appreciation by taking your employees out of the office for after-work drinks or a team meal.
Finally…
Corporate structures are changing significantly and by keeping up with these, you'll be able to incorporate new ways to celebrate, reward, and motivate your employees. Use the guidelines above as a way to keep your teams satisfied and remember to show your appreciation on a more personal level.
