A motivated team can overcome some of the biggest business challenges a company can face.presentation in meeting room.
According to my Skills Gap research, executive recruiters and HR experts, it is more challenging now than it has been in quite a long time to find and retain top talent. A BIG part of retaining top talent is to ensure your team is motivated. Give me a motivated team any day vs. a million dollars. I know I’ll come out on top! I’ve found that people are your #1 asset and can achieve amazing results, especially when motivated. So, the question is what motivates us?
- Let’s start with a “not” – money. Although the lack of fair compensation is a de-motivator, money itself is rarely a motivator.
- Explain value – how does each person contribute to the company vision, goals and priorities? Yes, it takes time to translate each person’s value but it has immeasurable results.
- Diversity – remember, not everyone is the same. Each person has different interests and motivations. Listen and find out what they are, and then modify your behavior to what works for each person.
- Leverage strengths – I haven’t found anyone who wants to fail, even the most miserable, negative employees. Forget about weaknesses that aren’t causing significant issues. Instead, build on each person’s strengths, and you’ll be amazed at the results.
- Trust – do what you say you’ll do, and don’t commit to things you know cannot be realistically delivered (even if it is what people want to hear at the moment). As simple as it sounds, it’s not simple to do. Trust will have a profound effect on motivation.
- Reward performance and take action with non-performers – one of the most overlooked, yet critical leadership action items. Many times, this is #1 for your top performers. It is critical to note that BOTH are required to truly motivate your top performers. Do not put it aside for a day when you have “time”.
Use these tips to motivate your team and profit through your people.