Are you managing a group of people right now and you’re starting to notice productivity’s down or that they lost their engagement, and as their leader, you’re wondering how to motivate them so that you get greater productivity, and ultimately greater profitability in your organization?
Your team could be working virtually, the demands are greater, the pull personally and professionally is starting to wear them down, and now you’re wondering how do you re-engage them? How do you motivate them for greater productivity, greater profitability, and overall corporate culture?
Here are some ways that you can motivate your team today:
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Reconnect to your vision and your purpose. Why are you doing the work you’re doing? We often get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and we end up being these task drivers, and we’re constantly putting out fires and responding to the demands that are coming at us. If we’re not careful, it’s easy to lose the vision and the purpose, especially when we’re not gathering together in person. As the leader of your organization or team, first of all, remind yourself of your vision, mission, of why you’re doing what you’re doing. And then invite your team into remembering that as well. Reconnect to the vision, mission, and “why”.
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Remember that our team members are human beings. They have whole lives, and it’s important to remember that they’ve got personal demands on their time as well, that will absolutely impact their professional performance. As we become sensitive to what’s going on at home and in their lives, it helps leaders to support them with what they need in that moment. When team members are doing well at home, they do better at work, and long gone are the days where we have separated family and work life. They have become so intertwined now. The more that we can remember that and check in with our team on what’s happening at home, asking what they are excited about, what they’re struggling with. Make it a safe place to be honest with what we’re experiencing. There might be weeks where somebody needs more personal support, or professional support. Make it okay for them to be able to ask for that. When they feel supported, they’ll feel better at home, they’ll perform better at work.
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Remember to inject fun. When was the last time you laughed as a group? When was the last time you had fun, let loose, or you were able to just really relax as a team? When we laugh, it releases endorphins, then we perform better as we feel more engaged. If your team is not motivated right now, is there a way that you can inject some fun? Here’s some examples on how to bring fun in an easy way. I was at an event not too long ago, where they brought in a mentalist. I’ve seen comedians or humorists brought in, could you bring in a motivational speaker to help lighten the mood? Is there questions that you could ask each other to get to know each other better? Maybe it’s taking the first 10 minutes out of your next staff meeting and everybody gets to share a funny story from their childhood. These don’t have to be big events. Ask yourself, how can I bring more fun into the environment, that will release those endorphins, and help motivate and engage your staff?
I know what motivates me and my team is when we get to read your comments! So comment below, how have you kept yourself motivated? What kind of fun things have you seen or done in your work environment that have increased engagement and motivation?
Here is to you living a life you love,
Stacey
