If work in management, it can be as challenging to manage and motivate a team of people as it is to manage the job at hand, whether you are building a tower block or serving a cappuccino. As well as knowing how to do the job well enough to show someone else, you have to have first-rate people skills to make sure your team always has their minds on the job. Here are nine top ways to motivate your team.
Assemble the Right Team
Assembling the right team is important and you should consider it right from the outset. If you interview someone who has the right credentials on paper, you should always consider how this person will get on with the rest of the team too. If you know there are likely to be disagreements or personality clashes, then even a person with the best qualifications in the world might not be the right fit for your team. Disharmony will lead to demotivation. This could lead to members of your team taking sides which can make problems worse, and you may even find that you lose good staff because they don’t like the atmosphere at work. Carefully consider whether a new person fits at the interview stage to alleviate this problem.
Trust Your Team to Do Their Jobs
It can be difficult to take a step back and let your team get on with their job but, once you are happy that you have assembled the right team and they know what they are doing, stepping back is an important part of management. If people feel you are watching their every move, they will feel as if you don’t trust them, and this could lead them to lack confidence in their own abilities which will make your job harder. Show team members what to do and, once you know that they can do the task in hand, take a step back and let them get on with it. You can always correct them if they are making mistakes but try to let them stand on their own two feet first. This will make your job a lot easier.
Lead By Example
Your team will follow your example whether it is good or bad. For example, if you always show up to meetings late, they will expect to be able to do this too. This does not present a good image to a client. You should always think about how to present yourself and your work to the best of your ability and then you have the right to expect your team to do the same. They might not always live up to your expectation, but at least they can see from your example how you expect things to be done.
Communication
Communication is very important if you are trying to motivate a team. Nobody likes the feeling that they are being talked over, not listened to, or are having their ideas dismissed out of hand. Listening skills are the most important part of communication. However, as well as hearing what is being said, you should also listen to what is not being said. The spoken word makes up approximately 55% of communication and the other 45% is made up of intonation and body language. This makes it imperative to listen to not only what is being said, but how it is being said to make sure that you pick up on issues such as sarcasm and despondency correctly. If one person feels negative, they can bring the rest of the team down with them, so try to talk issues through, even if they are not work-related and make sure your team knows that you are available to talk to if they are having a bad day.
Consistency
Consistency can be a hard thing to achieve. It may be that you have to repeat yourself so many times you start to sound like a stuck record but, if you need things done a certain way, it doesn’t matter if you have to explain this to each member of your team individually; eventually, you will achieve consistency. This will help you to create a bond with your team as they will all feel as if they are singing off the same hymn sheet and they know what is expected of them. It also means that nobody can say that they weren’t made aware of a procedure or that you are victimising them.
Encouragement
Encouraging your team to come up with new ideas and ways of working can be a great motivator. You may even find that they come up with some ideas that make your job easier to manage. If you dislike an idea that a team member has, take the time to explain why it won’t work rather than simply dismissing it. That way they won’t feel as if their ideas are irrelevant. You never know, their next suggestion might be fantastic, so don’t put them off sharing. Always give your team credit for a job well done and make sure that everyone knows where the idea came from. This will motivate them to keep coming up with suggestions.
Recognise Achievements
It is easy to recognise what a team member does wrong and speak to them about it, but all too often managers forget to praise their team for what went well. This can lead to de-motivation as people feel they are undervalued and only given attention when they do something wrong. Make sure you give praise where it is due and remember that a small token gesture, such as a bottle of wine, goes a long way towards motivating people.
Tools and Techniques
Performance management tools and techniques, awards and rewards are a tried and tested way to motivate your team. StaffCircle offers a lot of support and information about tools such as Personal Development Plans, appraisals, and goal setting. These are great ways to motivate your team by putting them in control of their own careers and destinies. You have probably used these techniques yourself with your own line manager and they are a great way to focus your mind and keep you motivated.
Seek Opportunities
Seeking opportunities for your team will help to encourage them and keep them motivated. For example, if you know that one of your staff would like to get involved in a big project and you feel they would be good for this role, then put them forward. Even if they don’t get the job, knowing that you listened to what they wanted and helped to fight their corner is a huge motivator. They are likely to speak about this to the rest of the team which means that everyone will stay motivated as they want to be offered their own opportunities. You can use management tools to help your team members identify their dreams and, by doing this, you will know who to put forward for what opportunity.
Use these tips to help you motivate your team and keep a happy workforce who are involved in their development and want to do the best job possible. You will find that managing motivated people is much easier than managing them if they are un-motivated.
