Team Motivation: How to energize your team

Teams are the way that most companies get important work done. When you combine the energy, knowledge, and skills of a motivated group of people, then you and your team can accomplish anything you set your minds to. Keeping your team motivated can be a challenge but it's key as engagement is linked to your company’s profitability, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.

When you make it easy for a person to learn, to succeed, and to grow a little bit every day on the job, you never have to worry about motivation.

So what really motivates?
It’s an old age question and many managers have struggled with getting this right. It varies from individual to individual and that’s where the problem lies. However, there are a few things that are common trends:

• Some companies get this so wrong, but money is never a motivator.
  However, lack of money is a demotivator.
• People are motivated by applying their abilities to the fullest.
  Under-utilization is a demotivator.
• Most are motivated by work that creates tangible results, especially if those results are born out of innovation, a new approach, or a great idea.
• Being engaged in decision-making, especially around the choices of how to do work, is a great motivator.
  Being told how to do it, which is far too common, will at best lead to mere compliance.
• Too much stress is unhealthy and can lead to un-productivity.
  Too little stress leads to idleness, procrastination, and a sense of entitlement.

Tips to help you motivate your team:

Understanding the big picture
Many managers and team leaders have a good idea of what the overall target goals might be for the business, but often do not share those with the entire team. Everyone needs to get where they fit in. It is important to show each team member how they fit within the organizational structure and why their task is important for the big picture. This will help team members feel valued and take responsibility for their job.

Work environment
Team members often spent more time at work than at home. Workspaces should be designed so that each worker can do their job optimally and add the most value to their employer’s bottom line. Research showed that the environment is more important to employees than money. This is a great chance for you to create extra motivation for your staff by making the work environment a beautiful place to work, rest, and have fun at the same time. Honest design, spaces that reflect employees’ needs and concerns is something that employees notice, interpret, and value. 

Encourage personal growth
Successful leaders encourage personal growth and mentor their teams. Provide reasonable objectives to shoot for, both as individuals and as a team, but make everyone stretch a little to reach them. Talented people generally want to advance in an organization and therefore want to improve their skills and broaden their knowledge. When growth opportunities are abundant and organizational doors open, employees worked with considerably more vigor.

Currently, critical skills are in demand and companies are finding it harder and harder to replace top talent. Creating a team environment and motivating your employees to ensure they feel valued and deliver their best is key in today’s competitive market.

Staff retention and the war on talent are real. If you need to replace members of your team or add new skills to help your organization grow, we can assist. Communicate Recruitment represents an impressive database of skilled candidates that have been built over the last 35 years of being in the business of specialist recruitment.

Contact us today.