Yahoo Finance 3 Ways to Inspire Your Employees or Co-Workers
Being inspired and motivated at work is a critical piece to being successful in your job. And when you're working within a team or managing your employees, their excitement, or lack of it, is infectious.
We've all experienced that high when we are working together with our group and everyone seems in the flow, moving quickly and easily through tasks. Sometimes our team members or employees give us that boost and other times, we need to provide that boost to them. It especially falls upon us as leaders to look after the needs and well-being of our employees, and motivate them when they just aren't feeling it.
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Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a theory proposed by the psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943, states that when the basic needs of a person are taken care of, they are more able to succeed and reach for greater goals. Keeping this principle in mind, how can you help meet the basic needs of your team, and beyond that, inspire them on a consistent basis? Here are three tips to start with.
Be approachable. The first key to inspiring others in the workplace is to be approachable. If others don't feel that they can come to you with an idea or a concern, it will be hard to keep your finger on the pulse of what's going on for them, and therefore, hard to motivate them effectively. Ask yourself what kind of "vibe" you give off in the workplace. Are you completely present when talking to an employee, or are you on your phone checking email periodically, not making them the main focus for that moment? Is your office door always shut? Do you regularly make an effort to cultivate a positive relationship with your team and co-workers?
If you are not sure that you are always approachable, make an extra effort. Give them your full attention when you're meeting. Smile. Be sure to say thank you and good job. Don't be afraid to use these phrases often. We tend to focus too much on what needs to be improved rather than what is going well.
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Set the example. If you would like your team to feel more excited about their job, get to work on time, meet deadlines, participate at meetings, etc., you have to do those things first. It's hard to motivate others to do something you aren't doing yourself. Check your expectations of your team members against what you do. Make a quick list. If you try to encourage others to improve in certain areas of their job that you don't yourself, it won't work. Spot-check your expectations.
Also, check your attitude going into a meeting or a conference call. Too often we don't take two to five minutes to prepare for a meeting. Sometimes, we only focus on the agenda rather than the tone we want to set. Pay attention to both. How do you feel about the meeting and the message you're about to deliver? Set the tone. Be the first one to show a positive attitude about a new project or an upcoming deadline. Even if it's an unpopular project, you can mention that and give a quick pep talk to rally the troops, so to speak.
[See: 10 Things You Should Know Before Working for a Startup.]
Ask for their input. Don't make assumptions about how people are feeling, ask them instead. If they don't seem as motivated, maybe it's because they are just calm under pressure. Just because they are not running around with their hair on fire during a tight deadline doesn't mean they're not taking their job seriously. Check in with them. Maybe they are more able to keep their cool. Or, perhaps they're bored, or have gotten into a rut and need a new challenge. Talk to them. They may just need to get their creative juices flowing. Ask what's going on, then work towards a solution.
If you are assigned a task that you know they excel in, ask them for input, or advice, even if you're not sure you really need it. If nothing else, this can provide a good opportunity to bounce ideas off of each other. Starting that creative process could ultimately inspire the whole office or team. And asking for input from each of your employees on a regular basis will help them feel valued and appreciated, enhancing their motivation.
Hallie Crawford is a certified career coach, speaker and author from Atlanta whose coaching company, HallieCrawford.com, helps people identify their ideal career path, navigate their career transition and nurture their careers. Her team of coaches works with people of all ages, has clients worldwide and has helped thousands of people achieve their career goals. She is also regularly featured as a career expert in the media, including CNN, Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger and Forbes.com.
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