As a manager within your business you know how important it is to have everyone on your team producing their best work. It is the only way companies remain innovative and creative in a competitive marketplace within our global economy.
However, when talking to managers, one of their biggest challenges I hear about is the increase in employee disengagement. I’m talking about the employees who just show up every day and go through the motions of “work.” They are kind of there, but they are not. This is often a source of frustration for managers, so one thing I coach those managers on is the importance of keeping a team motivated, especially when you know they are not necessarily giving their 100%. Keeping everyone motivated always has a positive effect on improving sales and productivity. It will also allow you to determine which employees might need further coaching or training to get them more engaged in their work.
Here are three things you can do:
- Emphasize the good work (and hopefully great work)
Very often managers rush from meeting to meeting and focus on putting out fires. It is easy to lose sight of the great work your teams are actually doing on a daily basis. Take the time during team meetings to acknowledge all the great work that is being accomplished. This will help ensure your team is well motivated to take on any big challenge that might be coming their way.
- Get to know your team’s “why” factor
Often we are too focused on our company’s goals and objectives that we start to lose sight of why the people on our teams come to work every day. Understanding your team members’ “why” factor and ensuring they remain focused on that goes a long way to building a highly cohesive and motivated team.
- Be a resource
Despite the frantic pace we find ourselves working in, it’s still essential to be a dependable resource for your team members. Often as a manager you can get bogged down in the work you are doing for your boss, and lose sight of the importance of being that resource for your own team members. Providing assistance and guidance when required builds a strong and motivated team that will go that extra mile when you require them to do so.
Motivating a team to perform at their best and deliver consistent results goes well beyond motivational speeches. It really comes down to motivational actions that we repeatedly do, time after time. Taking these steps will ensure your team maintains their motivation towards achieving challenging goals and objectives.
All the best in achieving your highest performance.
Paul
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