3 Strategies to Better Motivate Your Team
This article comes from Entrepreneur.
3 Strategies to Better Motivate Your Team
Setting high expectations not only inspires employees, but it also helps you get the best work from them. At the end of the day, your team’s success equals your success. Below are a few key ways to keep your team motivated and, ultimately, help your entire organization succeed.
1. Help your employees chart a career path
Rarely are employees satisfied with clocking in, clocking out and collecting a paycheck. They want to know that they’re learning and growing on the job, that they’re actually working toward something. In fact, according to Work Institute research, career development (or, rather, the lack thereof) is the leading cause of employee turnover in the U.S.
Show employees you care about their development by having conversations about their career objectives, and not just during your annual reviews. A Quantum Workplace study has found that when employees have these types of discussions more than once a year, there’s a marked increase in levels of engagement. Be intentional about this process to ensure you regularly discuss professional goals with each of your direct reports, whether that be via an official quarterly meeting, a casual lunch conversation or something in between.
2. Seize opportunities for learning
Encourage your employees to learn from work experiences — both the good and the bad. This may require helping those you coach to recognize the learning opportunities in their workday. “Employees are often pushed for time and don’t prioritize their own learning,” notes Michael Butler, principal at Pariveda Solutions, in a company blog post. “As a leader, you can start by helping your team glean key lessons from their work experiences.”
Butler recommends reminding your employees to reflect on what went well, what didn’t go so well and how they can improve in the future. You can call out these daily learning opportunities in the moment or ask your direct reports to think through what could have gone better on a weekly 15Five or quarterly survey.
3. Foster friendship
Employees want to have personal relationships with their colleagues, and Gallup research shows that work friendships lead to better performance. When employees truly feel a sense of camaraderie with their colleagues, they feel more compelled to take positive actions to benefit the business.
To help cultivate relationships, allow time and space for your team to interact while they accomplish tasks. That could mean adding 15 minutes of social time with snacks and drinks before an all-hands meeting or setting up “huddle rooms” as more casual conference rooms when teams just need an informal setting to collaborate. Support these tactics by encouraging teams to work cross-functionally. This breaks down silos, contributes to productivity and leads to more opportunities for personal connection.
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