Eight Practical Ways to Motivate Your Team

When people feel valued, they are motivated to give it their all and perform at their best. Every person is motivated differently. For some, it’s time, flexibility, or promotion; for others, it’s money, autonomy, or achievement. Motivation is the driving force that encourages people to act toward a desired outcome by energizing and focusing behavior toward a specific purpose or goal. Simply put, motivation benefits everyone.

Nevertheless, boredom, a heavy workload, pressure to perform, and feelings of not being appreciated can all contribute to a team’s lack of motivation, which erodes performance and creates tension.

Here are eight ways to motivate your team.

1. Flip the Open Door Policy

In addition to having an open-door policy where people can come to you with whatever is on their mind. You can do the reverse and reach out to them at set times to share feedback or get new ideas. This approach makes it easier for team members to connect and contribute.

2. Celebrate Failure

Never let a mistake go to waste. Use mess-ups and mishaps as opportunities to allow your team to learn and grow. This will create an environment that values risk-taking and continual learning.

3. Use Meetings for Problem-Solving

Traditional meeting agendas are great for delivering routine updates, but that time can also be used to collaborate and tackle issues. To make the most of your time, poll your team on 2-3 priority problems that need to be solved and tackle them head-on.

4. Prioritize Education

Gaining new skills and information are also opportunities to create curiosity and promote growth in your team. For teams with staff and volunteers who have busy lives, it’s best to schedule a few hours each month for learning as a team.

5. Start a Mentoring Program

A mentoring program is a great way to welcome new volunteers. It helps to lessen the load required to onboard someone correctly. By leveraging the experience of long-term staff and volunteers, you will not only guide your team but help them develop and grow.

6. Recognize Accomplishments in Real-Time

Don’t delay or wait for formal reviews and seasonal celebrations to recognize a job well done. When a team member goes above and beyond, promptly acknowledge it with a handwritten note or shout-out to the team. This will go a long way to making someone feel valued.

7. Practice Active Listening

It’s a core leadership skill that offers many benefits for motivating your team. By actively listening, you build stronger relationships, increase team collaboration and engagement, and improve communication.

8. Quickly Respond to Needs

Your responsiveness is your reputation. If you see that your team needs something you can deliver, don’t wait. Make it happen. Quickly responding establishes that you care and are attentive to others’ needs.

Make it Personal

People prefer a leader who is specific to one that’s generic. Whether you are giving feedback, recognition, or direction, you convey an understanding of what they value by making it personal. This easily connects them to what they are doing and how it matters.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of using secure Mobile Express Check-In, children’s and youth check-in, and volunteer scheduling to help manage your events.

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Photo by Sydney Rae on Unsplash