Creating a Motivated Team

Motivation. Without it, how can anything get done.  Tasks are incomplete, goals are missed and productivity stumbles. Finding and maintaining motivation is a constant struggle for many employees, especially employees who are disengaged and dissatisfied with their current positions. Therefore, from a leadership perspective creating a motivated team can be a daunting task.  What is important to know is that several factors play into motivation and leaders may have a difficult time pinpointing the exact problem no matter how seasoned they are. Metrics and surveys, like the option provided through TIGERS Success Series, are a good place to start. Leaders can use the survey to measure the quality of workforce and work culture behavior that supports or reduces trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success within their teams, and they can then take the necessary steps to rectify their team members’ motivation problems with strategic steps taken that can be tracked and measured for training and workforce development transference success.

Team building tips for finding and retaining motivation

In addition to surveys and metrics that pinpoint exact reasons for low team motivation, other team building tips to improve employee motivation include:

Share positive affirmations.

The way that your employees speak to each other plays a large part in their motivation when they come to work. Negative thoughts keep individuals from believing that they can reach their goals or perform their tasks to the best of their abilities. It also impacts team empathy and cohesion. Positive thoughts, on the other hand,  have the effect of motivating individuals to complete tasks and reach their goals. Leaders can promote positive affirmations in the workplace by reminding employees of their worth during meetings; sharing positive affirmations through emails; or by posting daily thoughts in a public location or in personal work spaces. Some helpful phrases that you can share with employees include: it’s never too late; nothing is perfect;  there’s no perfect time or plan; failure is temporary; or, we all learn from mistakes. Remind your employees of these ideas, and encourage them to remind themselves, and they will become more motivated at work.

Set goals.

Setting achievable goals is one of the most important steps to becoming motivated. Break these goals down into digestible chunks and celebrate little achievements. Why break goals into digestible chunks?  The size of the goal is important. Small, achievable goals can be a good motivator for the short term, but motivation can quickly dwindle with these goals because the setter gets bored. Real, long-term motivation comes from big goals that almost seem impossible. But the goal can’t really seem impossible, or motivation will quickly crash. Individuals need to a find a balance between the size of the goal and its success factor. Dream big, but set measurable small goals to keep you motivated until the end – and celebrate milestone achievements.

Don’t wait for inspiration.

Inspiration is a great tool for motivation, but it’s fleeting. The idea that you must be inspired to get any real work done is inaccurate, as it suggests that inspiration and motivation are external forces, rather than internal forces. While you are waiting for inspiration to strike, you could be letting several opportunities slip by. During the time you wait for inspiration, you could be making progress toward your goal and reaching milestones. So instead of viewing inspiration as a requirement for motivation, use it as a tool to complete more when you are inspired. This is especially important for leaders to know because you can be inspiring but inspiration comes from within. During the off times, continue to place one foot in front of the other and get even the most mundane tasks done. As you achieve more, you will find more inspiration and motivation within yourself.

Take breaks.

While it may seem counter intuitive for productivity, regular breaks are essential for motivation. Set aside time for yourself during the day to increase your focus. Take this time to exercise, nap, practice meditation or read something inspiring. Never underestimate the power of a clear mind and fresh eyes. After a certain amount of time focusing on a task, you may become frustrated, tired or bored of the task at hand, which will send your motivation right out the window. To remain motivated, schedule some time for yourself, which will keep you motivated and more productive.

Be prepared to fail.

Failure is inevitable, but it should not be a reason for your motivation to derail. How you do with failure and rejection is the real test of your motivation.  And, people who make mistakes can learn from them and do better next time. Failure is not a reflection of your self-worth, abilities or product. When faced with failure and rejection, take the time to assess your product, your delivery and the reasons behind the no. Learn from your mistakes, and try again.

Motivation can seem unattainable at times, but when it’s lacking, encourage your employees to keep working toward their goals anyway, and work to increase their personal motivation levels. Some team building tips include assessing the current culture and workforce behavior with a survey; sharing positive affirmations; setting big goals that may seem impossible; working through the tough times that are lacking inspiration; taking breaks; and preparing to fail. With motivation, your employees will then be more productive and better engaged with their positions.

Care to dig deeper?

For more tips, reference the following articles:

• 50 Thoughts That Can Motivate You to Do Anything
• How to Ensure Your Training Transfers to the Skills and Attitudes You Paid For
• The TIGERS Workforce Behavioral Profile
• 6 Things Successful People Do To Get And Stay Motivated
• You Can’t Makes Progress While Waiting for Inspiration to Begin
• 10 Tips to Help Entrepreneurs Get Motivated
• Learn This Man’s Method for Rolling With Rejection