Motivating and Engaging Your Team
One of the hardest parts of being the leader of a team is keeping your team members not only motivated but also engaged. When employees are able to stay focused, there is less turnover and better performance leading to even more motivation. If it feels like engaging your team members seems impossible, take into consideration these three tips.
Try a tailored approach – With all leadership, there is never one right way to lead. There is also not a single best way to motivate and engage your team. Just as people learn differently, they are also motivated differently. A few ways to help tailor your approach include:
SMART goal setting: This means making your goal follow certain criteria including being specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
Understand, as a leader, what each of your team members needs individually so you are able to provide guidance and feedback.
Also, keep in mind that there is no “one size fits all” approach to keeping your team motivated and engaged so there is work to be done on your end as well.
Making meaningful connections – One of the greatest things any leader can do is make people feel connected and cared for. If you feel like the team dynamic is off or losing its steam, look for new and refreshing ways for everyone to get to know each other. This allows you to build and nurture that relationship as a mentor and leader. Everyone wants to feel supported and backed by their team, and they also want to feel like their opinion matters.
Self-sufficiency and freedom – You won’t find many people who can say they enjoy being micromanaged. Telling your employees when to do their job or constantly looking over their shoulders every 30 minutes becomes grueling. Trusting both the hiring process and your employees means you will have no reason to helicopter around them regularly. Also, don’t forget that everyone has a life outside of work. Having the flexibility to work from home or even having a flex schedule can really change morale.
Keeping a team motivated and engaged isn’t an overnight process. Like with most things in life, it will take time to get it just right. Remember that effective team communication as well as understanding strength and weaknesses can go a long way when promoting engagement.
Skywalk Group has strategies to help you not only hire an effective team, but keep them motivated through training and development. Contact us today to see how we can help take your business to the next level.