by Smith Willas
It can get really difficult to constantly feel motivated at your workplace, especially if the workload is high and there are several demands to be met at the same time. Nevertheless, as a leader or project manager, one needs to keep motivating and encouraging the employees so that production is at its peak and everyone is satisfied too.
Here are a few strategies that will ignite the required motivation and keep the team excited about the task at hand:
Motivate your team tip #1: Targets should be realistic and communication should be clear
While this is like stating the obvious, at times it becomes necessary to re-evaluate the set goals and keep them achievable and realistic.
Embarking upon a new venture is very exciting and one is tempted to overestimate the team’s capability. Naturally enough, you want everyone to work hard and achieve outstanding results, but be careful not to get carried away.
Chalk out a detailed agenda and allocate tasks evenly between the team members, so that everyone works at the same pace and there is no injustice.
Once the timelines are set and the targets are finalised, make sure that these vital aspects are clearly communicated to team members and they have a fair idea of their workload and the deadlines.
As a person in position, you need to be approachable enough for team members to voice their issues and concerns, so that everything can be managed proactively. If you foster a culture that encourages proper dialogue, team members may come out with some excellent ideas as well.
Motivate your team tip #2: Schedule huddles at regular intervals:
Conduct a weekly catch up session to monitor the progress of the tasks allocated.
If the team members are aware that they need to present before the team some evidence of their progress each week, it will help keep them motivated to work consistently and maintain deadlines. Close-knit huddles will also nurture the possibilities for collaborative discussions, and will help tackle problems as and when they arise.
Encourage the exchange of feedback from all the members, making them feel important and involved, thereby motivating them to keep going.
Motivate your team tip #3: Appreciate good work
Maintain a continuous flow of constructive feedback and applaud the tiny victories, which will add value to team spirit and keep the candle of motivation burning.
Give out compliments to team members that have gone out of their way, and be sure to do this in front of the whole team, so as to motivate the other members to act accordingly.
Do you know about Kudo Cards already? Learn more about the while taking a Management 3.0 Foundation Workshop and getting to know more about Motivation & Engagement.
Reward the team with some quick lunches or coffee breaks as a stress-buster in the midst of a long week. If you are looking for some hot cocoa party favors to please the team click here. These gestures make the team feel appreciated and healthy working relationships are solidified.
Keep in mind, as the project progresses the stress levels and pressures will keep rising, but you need to take time off to show appreciation, so that eventually productivity is boosted. Project success largely depends on how close-knit a team is and how good the leader is as a strong communicator. Nurturing your team members will pay you off in the long run.
Motivate your team tip #4: Organize booze parties on weekends
Most of the employees look forward to being treated with a cocktail party, and arranging one has helped mend the communication gaps in a team, while prejudice at work remains an inevitable aspect.
If you arrange for regular after work drinks it is very exciting, but the married lot has some personal commitments and may not be able to join in. Arranging a booze party on a weekend is a good stress buster, wherein everyone has enough time on hand to spare and buddy up.
Motivate your team tip #5: Encourage training and up-gradation of skill sets
Arrange a few short courses or seminars that team members can avail of to refine and expand their skill sets. Constant learning motivates the employees to apply themselves and achieve more as a team, and hence being supportive of an avenue to develop on this aspect is a clever investment.
For staff aspiring to move onto higher positions, management seminars are good motivating factors. Getting a chance to look into the life of a manager and the pressure that he is under, will help employees understand why some stringent decisions are taken by the leader on certain occasions, and the next time around things will be easier to digest for the team.
