Motivation is an important part of being a leader. Your team needs mental support to know that they are performing well almost as much as they need logistical support. If you notice performance flagging around the office, that could be due to a lack of inspiration.
Here are a few ways to help your team regain their inspiration and perform at their best.
Make Their Contributions Feel Real
One of the primary reasons why people feel unmotivated is because they feel as if they are working in vain. Everybody wants to feel useful; nobody wants to work a job that feels pointless.
One way to help your team regain inspiration is to show them the tangible results of their contributions. If your team was working on a new product design, show them the prototypes that are getting made. Be sure to explicitly connect the dots between their work and concrete examples of the company’s success.
If you can, connect their work to a purpose larger than the company itself. Most people are not motivated by money but by a desire to make the world a better place.
Get to Know the Team
Generic platitudes and inspirational speeches are not very effective. To inspire your team, you should know them first. Understand their motivations as well as the challenges that they face that could be causing their inspiration to flag. This requires open communication and active listening. People can tell when someone is genuinely interested, so be sure to be honest with the people you work with.
Give Them the Tools to Shine
Most people want to do their best. They just may feel blocked by fear or company practices. It is your job as a leader to help your team shine to the best of their abilities. Give them the tools and guidelines that they need to innovate, then don’t smother their creativity. Give them honest feedback that helps them learn instead of lectures.
The key to inspiring your team doesn’t lie in motivational speeches but in honest communication and respecting everyone’s work.