Managing Motivation: How to Motivate a Team

Mark Angelo, CEO, Yorkville Advisors 

In each company, there's one resource that's more crucial than any other: the people. To achieve incredible results for their brand, a leader needs to have a motivation strategy in place that allows them to tap into the spirit and enthusiasm of each worker. Of course, learning how to motivate a selection of diverse experts can be a complicated process. 

While there's no one-size-fits-all solution for keeping employees passionate about their jobs, there are a few ways that leaders can improve their chances of engaging and exciting their staff. Here are a few ways for managers to motivate their teams.

1.     Share A Brand Vision 

People need a goal to work towards if they want to maintain a constant feeling of motivation. For a manager, it's important to ensure that everyone shares the same goal, as this creates a sense of comradery and cohesion within the company. Consistently draw attention to the ambitions of the brand and highlight people who achieve things that take the business closer to its targets.

2.     Focus on Good Communication 

Any great team thrives on effective communication. After all, no leader can understand the concerns, expectations, and needs of their team members unless they constantly communicate with their staff. Managers need to provide reliable ways for employees to reach out to them when they need help. This might include hosting a weekly meeting with key employees, or it may simply mean setting up a social intranet where people can submit their questions online.

3.     Show Appreciation 

While it might feel condescending to pat your employees on the back every time they do something well, studies consistently show that staff appreciate regular recognition. When someone in an organization does something well, they expect some kind of reward. This doesn't always mean that they need a financial reward, but a mention in front of other members of staff, or even the opportunity to finish work early one day could be highly appreciated. 

The more people know that they get recognition for their efforts, the more likely they are to continue going above and beyond for their employer.

4.     Support Creativity 

No employee can perform at their best when they feel that their inspiration and creativity is stifled. While it's important to make sure that staff members follow best-practices and rules, they should also have the freedom to share their thoughts and ideas too. A manager that supports creativity is one that will see more innovation coming from their team, and greater motivation too. When people feel respected and heard, they feel like a more valuable part of the team. This increases buy-in and reduces turnover.

5.     Challenge Staff Members 

Finally, while it's important for leaders not to push their staff too far, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taking advantage of each professional's unique set of skills. People can't grow if they don't encounter challenges - so make sure to provide plenty of places where your employees can learn and develop. Challenging tasks are a great way to motivate employees, but it's important to make sure that the results you need are within reach of your team. Don't give them projects they can't reasonably accomplish.