Motivation drives people to success. You may have the best people on board but if they do not have the drive, they are unlikely to reach or utilize their true potential. As a leader it is not only your duty but also your responsibility to motivate your people.
The Need
Work will flow smoothly when your workforce is motivated since motivated people are positive, rearing to go and enjoy their jobs. Productivity and efficiency improves and you are able to achieve your organisational goals as well as employee goals.
But how do you keep your team motivated and inspired?
The Approach
The easiest way to motivate employees is monetary and it works on the simple principle of achievement and reward.
But as Daniel Pink, an author of behavioural sciences says, “the secret to performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.”
While money is an important factor, for the human being, every action is towards reaching the goal of making a difference in the world, of leaving something worthwhile behind – that satisfaction is the ultimate motivating factor.
The Steps
The first step is always to create a motivating environment where the employee feels safe to fail, learn and grow.
Another way to motivate employees is to focus on choices and progress that is meaningful to each of them. Just as custom solutions are provided based on a customer’s needs; goals should be defined based on the experience, skills and personal goals of the employee.
And the best way to have a motivated team is to encourage collaboration. No one teaches better than peers and no one can be better cheer leaders than peers.
