Challenge #7: Team Motivation
Get others talking.
Hi leaders,
Welcome back to the leadership challenge.
For nine weeks, you receive a small task to work on.
You get a new task every Sunday until the 31st of March. (☛head to the previous tasks)
Today’s task is about team motivation.
I bet you have scratched your head many times. How should you support a team? How should you motivate your team?
Motivation is a tricky business. One hat does not fit all. Some like team breakfast or Friday beer, while others prefer an open budget for learning and development. Needless to say, a clear vision and appreciation play a huge role.
It is a big part of leadership's job to motivate a team. It comes with a lot of responsibility. But you should not lose your sleep because of that.
Team motivation is not one man's job. It’s on the shoulders of every single member of your team.
You can be the most positive person in the world, but the team can corner you if they do not collaborate. So, start with learning what they want and what they like. How do they imagine working in your team?
Do not rely on your creativity. Involve others:
Asking for advice is how you hook people in. People love getting involved! More people = more creativity and fewer pizza parties.
Motivation is always there. Uncork it.
Your task is:
Have a meeting with your team. Tell them what it is about before the meeting.
Meet with them (in person or online) and facilitate the meeting brainstorming. Use a brainwriting technique that is suitable for introverted people as well.
Gather ideas and discuss them.
Experiment.
Motivation is the driving force behind actions. To get people on board and move in the same direction is a huge task. So, as Maya Angelou said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Don’t try too hard. Spend a good word here and there.
Join the Discord community for questions and get additional resources. On Wednesday, I will drop a few more tips on team motivation in the challenge thread.
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