Be a leader, not a boss. 5 steps to help improve your team’s motivation
- Believe in the objectives and be clear about the goals
If you as the leader do not exude confidence in the realistic nature of your goals, the team will sense this and respond accordingly. No matter what you say, your body language and subconscious actions will portray your uncertainty. Likewise, the goals you are working towards need to be clear and explicit. If they can be quantified so that performance can be clearly measured, this is another great way of demonstrating progress. Above all remember that the team look to you for leadership, so you need to provide it. - Lead by example
It seems obvious perhaps, but if you are asking your team to work harder or to be respectful with each other yet you do not model this behaviour yourself, you can’t in good faith reprimand employees. It is unfair to expect the team to be motivated about something you yourself are not enthusiastic about. Everyone knows that sometimes, it is necessary to work over the weekend. If the manager is not present, though, people start to wonder why they have given up their own time. - Stay positive
A glass-half-full approach is essential in good leadership. Obstacles can be overcome. You do not have to be unrealistic, simply to remember that you are there to work on challenges together and not assume failure before work has even begun. In addition, if someone isn’t performing quite as you’d expected, phrase feedback from a positive angle. “I want to see you doing well at this presentation†is a lot more productive and motivational than “You’ll let us all down if you do badly.†- Listen to your team
Receiving feedback from your team is important in assessing how clearly your instructions are being given and how effective current processes are. It isn’t nice to hear criticism, but it is an important part of leadership to be able to understand that the approach might not be suitable for everyone and to take on board any comments given without becoming angered. Lines of communication need to stay open between management and employees to facilitate good working relationships. Don’t offer to be available to hear people’s comments and then never make time to sit down to discuss them. - Know when to talk in private
When someone is to be praised, doing this in front of the team promotes good cheer and motivation. If someone’s performance is slipping, however, this should be addressed with them in private. Personal issues need to remain between the colleague and his or her leader, not to be broadcast to the group as this just encourages dissatisfaction and anger.