The power of motivation

Motivation is a powerful tool. It drives our achievements, and enables us to learn new skills, break bad habits and deliver and thrive at work. Without motivation, it would be harder to accomplish our dreams. At work, motivation is essential for teams to continuously deliver on their tasks and even to go beyond them. The section below focusses on the benefits of motivation in the workplace and why it matters.

1. Improves work relationships

Work relationships are not always easy. Misunderstandings and conflicts often arise in the work environment. Having a strong drive to address those issues allows individuals to maintain healthy relationships.  

2. Drives learning and development

Employees who continuously learn and challenge themselves are highly motivated. Their drive leads them to  seek out learning and development programmes that increase their expertise in specific areas. They continuously grow and may even be self-taught. To know more about learning and development, check our content here.

3. Boosts career progression

Those who have career goals will get there quicker with strong drive. They put in the effort to continuously develop and position themselves in the business to ensure their career progression targets are met.

4. Inspires employees

Motivation can be contagious. Those who are motivated inspire others to follow, thus having a domino effect on the entire organisation. Be aware, the opposite effect also applies. Having highly motivated people in the business will lift up the mood and indirectly drive engagement with all team members.

5. A pillar through hard times

Having motivation gets people through hard times. Throughout our careers, there are times that are overwhelming and harsh. We may lose sight of the end goal and struggle to stay afloat. Those who display high motivation are better at bouncing back.

6. A leadership strength

Good leaders are highly motivated. They boost their teams and encourage them to move forward through adversity. They support them during hard times and encourage their ideas. They implement effective strategies and keep motivation high by building team spirit. For more on leadership qualities, click here.

These are just a few examples of the many benefits to motivation that make it an essential factor for business success.

Challenges of a dispersed workforce

When teams moved to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic, many leaders faced hurdles to managing and motivating them effectively through this change. Remote workers need to have their motivation cultivated. Let’s look at some challenges that remote teams face when it comes to motivation.

1. Reduced face-to-face interactions

A remote environment means that face-to-face meetings are rare. Leaders should establish weekly check-ins with their team members and prefer the use of video conferencing to simple calls. Creating regularity in the interaction and humanising it will increase motivation.

2. Unclear expectations

Not being face to face has some indirect consequences, one of which is unclear expectations. This comes from the fact that there are fewer interactions and that those that take place are not spontaneous. Team members who work remotely will need more guidance and clear direction to accomplish their work. Leaders should set clear expectations. 

3. Reduced productivity

When it comes to productivity, individuals are affected differently. Some might be more productive at home, while others will be more effective in the office surrounded by colleagues. Leaders should gauge their team members to understand what environment suits them better. They should also provide additional support and guidance to those who work remotely and struggle to stay on track.

4. Diluted communication

Ways to communicate and the nature of communication itself are drastically different for remote workers versus office-based staff. In a remote working environment, asynchronous communication will be more frequent. Although it has multiple benefits, it also takes away spontaneity from the communication. We encourage leaders of remote teams to communicate on a regular basis and to plan short sessions with their team members to allow for open communication. Check our content on communication and company culture here.

5. Disrupted team cohesiveness

When seated together in an office, teams create natural bonds. Team members chat at the coffee machine, work together on projects, meet in a room to brainstorm ideas and resolve roadblocks together. In a remote working environment, team cohesion is not spontaneous, and there is more individualism. Leaders should ensure that they conduct team bonding activities with remote workers and that they create connections between those who work remotely and those who are office based.

6. Impact on social isolation

Humans are made to interact with each other. It gives us a sense of belonging which is essential for most of us. When employees work remotely, they often lose touch with others and, depending on their personal circumstances, may experience social isolation. Managers are responsible for building interactions between their team members. They should take time to listen and provide encouragement.

While working from home has many benefits, there are many challenges that leaders will face with these types of teams to ensure that they are continuously motivated.

22 ways to motivate your teams wherever your employees are based

Motivation is a powerful tool but needs to be cultivated. We have selected 22 ways to motivate your teams wherever your employees are based:

1. Engagement software

Employee engagement software is easy to implement and has a direct impact on employee motivation. The principle is simple: the tool automatically recognises employee achievements and allocates points to them. These points can be turned into rewards.

2. Incentive programmes

Incentive programmes are experiences that employees can earn through their performance. These have a direct impact on motivation and are often used by sales teams but can work for any department in the organisation.

3. Virtual happy hours

To maintain social interaction, leaders can organise virtual happy hours with their teams. Although this might not have the same impact as a true face-to-face interaction, it will still allow team members to mingle in a more relaxed environment. This activity will have a positive effect on team cohesion.

4. Online team building

Similarly to the virtual happy hour, online team building will create cohesion within the team. Those participating will get to know each other better and will be challenged to solve an issue together. It will contribute to bonding within your teams and will drive employee engagement.

5. Team competitions

Team competitions encourage teamwork and collaboration using the principle of friendly rivalry. We encourage leaders to look into this practice and make it a fun yet educational experience.

6. Group Pomodoro Technique

This method consists in working 25 minutes with high focus and resting for 5 minutes. Leaders might find this technique effective to motivate team members who struggle to focus remotely. They can accompany them through the process and monitor their progress.

7. Monthly employee recognition

Regular recognition sessions will demonstrate that the work delivered by those who put the effort in is recognised and inspires others. Leaders can elect the employee of the month and highlight the reason why they are being recognised. This will clarify further the expectations.

8. Daily check-in sessions

Although not all employees will need these, those who struggle with the remote environment might benefit from them. Leaders can organise daily casual check-in sessions with them to create a social link with the team member in question.

9. Inspirational quotes

Inspirational quotes make people reflect on their situation and motivate them to continue moving forward. They can be used in personal life but also at work. During team meetings, leaders can share their quotes and create a team slogan.

10. The buddy system

Motivation does not solely come from leadership teams, but also from other members of the team. Creating a buddy system by pairing employees to each other for a project can lead to an increase in ideas shared.

11. Tracker boards

Tracker boards are a bit like internal competitions. No one wants to be at the bottom of the board and therefore individuals put the work in to avoid this situation. Tracker boards are often used by sales teams and have proven to be effective.  

12. Placing people at the centre of the company culture

Businesses need to remember the people who work for them. Placing people at the centre of the company culture and implementing actions that demonstrate that the company cares about their employees will drive motivation within the workforce.

13. Using video

We give a lot away with our facial expressions and our posture. Switching on the camera when meeting remotely will have a positive impact on the meeting and humanise the interaction. Leaders should encourage their teams to use video conferencing as much as possible and should set the example by switching on their camera.

14. Making sure you listen

Employee feedback is critical to ensuring motivation. Those who do not feel heard will slowly stop engaging. Leaders should create space for feedback and have an open ear at all times.

15. Having a communication strategy

Having a communication strategy will have a direct impact on workforce motivation. The communication plan should focus on transparency and ensure that the business purpose is being shared and reiterated on a regular basis. It should also consider the demography of the audience.

16. Challenging team members to thrive

We encourage leaders to use positive reinforcement and to challenge their team members. The challenge should be achievable and aim at making the team member step outside their comfort zone. Ultimately, growth will positively affect motivation.

17. Giving employees space

Micromanagement has a negative effect on motivation. Managers should give their team members space to work with their own style and methods.

18. Build trust

By showing trust to remote workers, employers sharpen their time management skills. They also give them ownership of their project and by doing so build an environment of confidence.

19. Communicate with transparency

Having a communication plan is essential. However, the plan will be ineffective if it does not deliver equal and transparent communication across the organisation. Employees who feel informed will be more engaged.

20. Use employee satisfaction surveys

The employee satisfaction survey is a tool that provides a lot of insight to businesses. Employees can express themselves freely and will provide valuable feedback to the organisation. Results of the survey need to be communicated and actions need to be taken to address any challenges. Without action, the impact of the survey will be diluted.

21. Provide feedback and ways forward

Receiving feedback is essential for any type of work arrangements. However, feedback takes another dimension for remote workers. It makes employees feel more involved and feel like their development is important to their leaders. With constructive feedback, leaders show they care while investing in the employee’s performance for the long term.

22. Look at the bigger picture

We often get tangled in the details. Seeing the bigger picture and taking a step back often helps re-contextualise the situation. As such, overwhelming situations are avoided which makes a difference on a day-to-day basis.

Motivating a team, particularly with a dispersed workforce, can be a challenge for leaders. To ensure they keep up the motivation, managers should use tools and techniques that are available to them.