Members are constantly asking, “How do I motivate my team?” Sometimes motivation is about going the extra mile, but sometimes it is about just achieving a predetermined expectation. This blog is about incorporating five simple keys of success that will motivate your team.
Have a Game Plan
In The Nine Master Keys of Management, Lester R. Bittel stated that, “Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” Planning is about visualizing the future, and preparing to make it come true.
Your people want to know that they are working for a leader who has vision. This gives them a sense of security that says, “This fight is worth fighting for!” When your people can see your vision, they can see their own vision of their future with your company. This alone is good motivation.
Set the Expectation
Expectations are created out of necessity. They are created from the necessity of providing your people with the best benefits in the marketplace and supplying your clients with the best service. You budget your business by your expectations. Failure to reach the expectations means that your company suffers.
Motivational speaker and business consultant Denis Waitley had this to say on the subject: “The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t specifically define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”
As a motivator, it is up to you to show your people what the goal or expectation is. It is up to you to hold them accountable to the goal, and it is up to you to teach them to establish their own expectations of success.
Show the Reward
Work is only worth doing if there are rewards involved. Let’s not kid anyone here. Work is work. It takes us away from things we might otherwise be doing that we find enjoyable. Don’t misinterpret this. I’m not saying work shouldn’t also be fun. It can be a blast! But if you were to list your favorite hobby, does work come up on your list? My list would include, “spending time with my wife, traveling, eating good food,” and so on.
So, why do we work? We work because of the rewards. These rewards may be a sense of fulfillment that is about self-satisfaction. The reward may be a slap on the back with a “well done.” The reward may be a financial benefit, or a great vacation.
Here’s the key to good rewards: They are different for everyone! So, find out what rewards your people want by each employee, and show them how they can achieve that reward by hitting their goals.
Train to Achieve the Reward
Motivation without skills is like a bottle rocket without a guide stick. If you snap the guide stick off a bottle rocket but still light the fuse, it will go in circles until it blows up. Training points your rockets in the right direction, and gives your team the skills and the confidence they need to take off.
Celebrate the Victories
When you win, you should do a victory dance! When was the last time you did your touchdown dance? When was the last time you celebrated your success in full view? One of the things that I love about the game of football is how open celebrations can instantly boost morale. A team can be behind by three touchdowns, but the smallest victory can instantly turn the tide of momentum. When you have a victory in your company, CHEER!!! Even if you are behind by three touchdowns, if you cheer loud enough, you can still win the game.