Ways to Motivate Your Team according to my Experience.

Leaders who put their team first never have trouble motivating them.

Keeping our team motivated is challenging, yet it's a task we has leaders need to prioritize for the well-being of your company. Without our team, we can't run our business; thus, it's essential that we find new and innovative ways to motivate them on a daily basis.

We need to make sure that we are leading them towards a common goal about which they feel passionate. To do so, we need to operate in an honest and transparent way that makes them feel valued. The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to tell them when they're doing a good job and not only make the bad points come up. Sometimes, though, they need more than just a pat on the back, so I've outlined 5 ways to motivate my team and this helped me to maintain a happy workplace while driving our business to success. Maybe this can apply to you. Maybe not, but this is my experience.

Schedule team-building activities.

To motivate the team, we need to offer them more than just a salary and some vacation time. We need to be sure that our team members can work as a team to achieve a common goal and there is no better way to do so than with team-building activities. Team-building activities have a number of benefits, some of which include:

• Getting everyone out of the office to do something they find fun or exciting
• Contributing to society or a charitable cause
• Getting to know each other on a more personal level

Team-building activities should bring your team meambers together and also:

• Help them develop better communication skills
• Push them out of their comfort zones
• Develop team values
• Increase their ability to solve problems
• Give them a chance to let their hair down and have fun
• Enable them to work on their leadership skills

Support them.

Without our support, your team cannot thrive. You need to give them the tools they need to achieve the goals that you have set for them. Support comes in various forms and although some of your team members may simply need additional information about a project, others may require more in-depth training to succeed. Your support system needs to have the right balance of immediate and long-term support. For example, you may find that offering regular briefings will help with productivity in the long run. On the other hand, checking in with those who have tight deadlines and making sure they have what they need is a good way for you to offer immediate support.

Ask And Listen

When was the last time someone asked you how you were doing, looked you in the eye and listened with every fiber of their being? If it wasn't recently, then it probably doesn't happen. Ask questions like, "What would motivate you to get X project done in X amount of time?" Listen, acknowledge and treat them with care. Their response may surprise you. Resume learn and be more attent to your team personal or professional problems. Help them of they needs VS what you can do.

Be Transparent

Be candid about how your team's efforts contribute to an important business objective, and acknowledge each team member for the value they bring to the team. Let them know what their efforts mean to the long-term health of the team and how their engagement will be rewarded. Share information about account status, new business and blind spots to create accountability for each team member.

Set Them Up For Success

Present assignments in a way that team members will have a greater likelihood of achieving success. Perceived success strengthens feelings of competence, which will improve motivation. Define the task, plan the desired outcome and set up milestones and check-ins. People don't need to be successful every time, but it helps if opportunities are provided in a way that will improve their chances.

Compel Them Toward A Common Vision

It's difficult to lead if those who follow you are not excited by where you're taking them. Do you have a clear, compelling vision that your team is excited about, that they can see themselves working toward, and that leverages their strengths and skills? Do they have a stake in the vision? If not, you run the risk of demotivation, disengagement and alienation.

More than ever, a leader's job is to do more than shout orders from a corner office. Today, leaders must work hands-on with their teams, understand each person's unique strengths, and finally, have an engagement strategy in order to keep everyone motivated. Think like leader and less like a boss.

Gustavo M. da Cruz - gustavo.mdacruz@hotmail.com