Newsletter 10 - How can I get my team motivated
How can I get my team motivated? This question is often sent in to us here.
New managers may inherit a team who have lost their motivation, or have reacted badly to the change from one manager to another.
Firstly, it's important to be aware that people motivate themselves - it's not something you can "do" to people. What you can do is set up the conditions that help people be more committed to their work and to high quality achievement.
The basic elements are:
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good quality attention from you. Let your team see that you notice what they do, and appreciate their work when it is good.
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a clear sense of what they're meant to do, and what doing it well looks like.
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regular, clear feedback on how they're doing.
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fairness in how they are treated. A sense of unfairness is a great demotivator.
Individual motivations alongside of the basics may vary from person to person. These can include a sense of achievement and progress, a feeling of doing a worthwhile job, good social relations with their colleagues, using and increasing their expertise, and a sense of security.
You can't be sure of providing these, but it's useful to develop a sense of what is important to the individuals that you manage. The fact that you're aware and acknowledge their preferences, even if you can't supply them, can be motivating in itself.
Also notice your own attitude and behaviour.
Do you look as though the work is worth doing? Do you show
a genuine enthusiasm for your day-to-day work? You are providing a model
for the staff that they may well follow.
September 2009
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