Inspiring and Motivating Your Team

In an evaluation-obsessed work culture, we are now seeing changes that focus on relationships and process, not just results. For example, Accenture gave up annual performance reviews recently as a step toward more timely feedback.

Motivating and inspiring our team members, it turns out, requires excellent leadership, and that translates into having superb social AND goal-focused skills, although there are few leaders out there that have both. To improve social skills, leadership development experts recommend three tips backed by research:

  1. Greet your team members warmly with a hug (this signals to them that they are unique and important, not just a means to an end);
  2. Focus on the strengths of team members using strength assessment tests (this helps each person leverage their skills and talents more effectively); and
  3. Provide active-constructive responses to milestone achievements (this forges a stronger bond with team members)

Research also shows that motivating and inspiring people at work is just like motivating people anywhere: we need love and happiness to be at our prime.