Motivate individuals for team success
Stop trying to fix people. Your team members aren't problems to be solved, but rather individuals who need and want motivation. Instead of trying to fix them, figure out how to motivate and inspire.
The challenge is that there are no easy solutions, no silver bullets, no one-size-fit all solutions. We must acknowledge that each person has unique dreams and ways they want to be motivated.
The four main motivators
There are four main drivers that motivate people: advancement, lifestyle, conflict, and purpose. As we talked about before, each person is unique, but their motivation can be expressed as a unique combination of these four drivers.
Those driven by advancement seek new challenges or positions within their career path. They thrive when they have clear goals set ahead of them. They're looking to move up the organization and need to know how the tasks set before them will help them meet these goals.
For individuals motivated by lifestyle, they value the benefits brought about by their work. This includes things such as prestige or financial rewards. For them, they might not be motivated by the work itself, but the flexibility of a job, the ability to fund a hobby they're passionate about, or the chance to travel and see the world.
Other folks are motivated by conflict. They find motivation in overcoming obstacles or targets, and they appreciate having something or someone to strive against. Give these folks a seemingly impossible task, and they'll be driven to win against all odds.
Lastly, those driven by purpose desire being part of something bigger than themselves. They want their actions aligned with an overarching goal that contributes positively towards society. They will care about leaving a lasting legacy and making a difference in the world.
Identifying these motivations among your team members isn't easy. It requires getting acquainted with each person individually — knowing what makes them tick is key here. Check out the post entitled “Priorities: A life in balance” for an activity that might be useful to do with them.
Why this is awesome
Once you understand how your team members work best according to these categories, you'll know how to best motivate them. Once you tap into this, motivation comes from within them. Without this, employees will have a tendency to only perform optimally under constant supervision or pressure, which isn’t sustainable nor desirable in any organization’s culture. In contrast, tapping into motivation also allows leaders to teach team members to set high expectations for themselves, promotes self-improvement, and fosters accountability.
As a leader, it's your job to continuously sell the vision for the future; both where you're heading and the goals you as a team are aiming to achieve. The way you do that is by tailoring this communication to each individual, speaking to their unique motivations.
Do this, and instead of trying to fix people, you'll be a coach who cheers your team on as they accomplish amazing things!
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