How do you motivate and inspire others in a collaborative work setting?

When it comes to motivating and inspiring others in a collaborative work environment, I firmly believe in the power of enchantment and attraction. To foster a thriving team, it is vital to captivate individuals with your company's purpose and use it as a starting point for building a cohesive vision. Having team members who genuinely love what you do, rather than those solely driven by financial rewards, can make all the difference in creating a truly fulfilling work environment.

Agree on the tools you're going to use and how you're going to use them. Just about every project I've been on will use the same tool (e.g. Teams chat, email, Planner) differently - assuming everyone uses it the same just leads to frustration. Put in the time to be clear about how you're going to work together and what goes where.

Ensure that every team member understands their role, responsibilities, and the overall objectives of the project or task. Clear communication reduces confusion and fosters alignment.

The aim here is to get alignment from people. Don't spend too much time trying to force your work into a framework - whether it's SMART goals, OKRs, or whatever is the flavour of the month, make sure everyone knows - What are you trying to achieve? - What does success look like? - What do I need to do to support it?

Célébrer les réalisations : tout le monde en a besoin ! Tout le monde a besoin d’être motivé et cela permet de donner de l’élan à l’équipe et donc au travail collaboratif. En faisant preuve d’empathie, il sera plus facile de savoir comment récompenser chacun individuellement ou toute l’équipe à chaque réussite ou étape franchie. Il peut s’agir d’encouragements privés ou publics, ou de remises de certificats de félicitations. Il y’en a une pléthore, il faut bien choisir laquelle/lesquels.

Be open to criticism and new ideas. Ask for feedback and suggestions in challenging situations and regular weekly team meetings. This simple gesture would suggest to the team that you invite and entertain others’ perspectives. Respond with positive intent and action. Team members, when they see their ideas are welcomed and acted upon, they become more engaged and committed to making improvements. They are motivated and inspired to find solutions, leading to enhanced creativity and innovation in a collaborative work environment.

Your team comes from various backgrounds and life experiences which can positively contribute to collaboration. Lean into their expertise. Team members feeling valued will encourage voice behaviors that contribute to successful collaboration.

En équipe : je ne rejette pas les idées, je les réoriente. Une idée peut servir en partie au travail ou simplement être mieux orientée pour un futur travail. Raison pour laquelle lorsque je travaille en équipe, je demande à tout le monde de noter ses idées afin qu’elles ne soient pas perdus. Pour moi, il est toujours possible de faire du recyclage d’idées si l’on fait preuve de créativité et de brainstorming collectif. J’y suis arrivée parce que j’ai pris la peine de toujours motiver mes équipes et les emmener à accepter les critiques afin de s’améliorer et d’avoir plus confiance en eux. Avec une telle méthode, le travail finit par avancer harmonieusement selon les délais.

Visable accountablity will go along way. Say what you do not know, admit to how the approach previously taken did not work, acknowledge your mistakes or lessons learned to the team. Demonstrating a culture being open, honest, and even humble will facilitation a stong foundation for trust and rapport.

Encourage continuous learning and improvement by embracing challenges and viewing failures as opportunities for growth. Help team members develop resilience and a willingness to take calculated risks.

To inspire collaboration, infuse joy and respect into the process. Create moments for team-building and personal story-sharing, fostering deeper connections. Celebrate individual milestones to make everyone feel valued. Maintain positivity, using humor and a growth mindset to navigate challenges, transforming a mere working group into a vibrant, empathetic community. This approach elevates collaborative efforts, making the journey as rewarding as the destination.