Team motivation is essential for productivity, job satisfaction, and job retention. But how can you motivate your team?
We’ve been creating and facilitating team-development workshops for the past 5 years in Perth and across Western Australia. As part of our workshops we place a strong focus on understanding and encouraging employee motivation.
Here, we’ll cover ten effective motivational factors for employees that can help you build a thriving, high-performing team.
1. Understand Motivational Factors for Employees
To understand how to motivate your team, it’s important to learn the two main categories of motivational factors for employees: intrinsic and extrinsic.
A mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is key to driving employees to excel at their roles, thrive in the workplace, and meet their potential.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is a personal drive to succeed or tackle a challenge. Intrinsic motivation involves personal growth and a sense of accomplishment.
We like to call intrinsic motivation “inner motivation” to make it easier to remember.
Intrinsic motivation can stem from:
- The desire to come up with innovative ways of thinking or creative solutions
- The drive to set personal goals and enjoy the feeling of accomplishing them
- The desire to rise to new challenges and overcome them
- The drive to connect with teammates and feel valued as a member of the team
- The desire to master a new skill for personal development
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is rewards-based and fear-based. We recommend thinking of it as “external motivation” to help remember it.
Extrinsic motivation revolves around either avoiding consequences or earning rewards, recognition, or power, as explained here:
- Reward-Based Motivation — A drive to earn incentives, gifts, positive feedback from the team or management, bonuses, etc.
- Power-Based Motivation — The desire to gain influence, power, respect, and authority.
- Fear-Based Motivation — The drive to perform to avoid consequences, such as demotion, poor reviews, or job loss.
2. Invest in Team Building Activities
Thoughtfully planned, strategic team-building activities are an essential component of a team with strong morale, company loyalty, and high motivation.
Effective team-building activities can help:
- Keep team members motivated
- Boost camaraderie
- Encourage collaboration
- Strengthen problem-solving skills
- Promote team unity
- Equip team members with conflict-resolution strategies
- Promote creativity
- Support team morale and job satisfaction
Prioritise team-building activities that align with your company’s values and your team’s interests.
If you need support lining up immersive events or programs, explore our dynamic team-building activities in Perth. Our team building specialists can customise programs and workshops that ignite employee motivation, promote positive change, and solidify your team.
Need more team-building inspiration? See our guide here for more ideas: 18 Team Building Activities for Small Groups.
3. Give Meaningful Praise
If you think a “Good job” to an employee now and then is sufficient praise, it’s time to rethink your feedback strategy.
Be conscious of the kind of praise you deliver. Comments such as, “Good job, Mel” or “Well done, Jack” can fall flat. Giving out empty praise can diminish your employees’ inner value and reduce their motivation.
When employees reach a goal, put forth extra effort or go above and beyond; make sure to let them know you are appreciative of their commitment.
Rather than giving empty praise, such as “Good job”, give detailed, meaningful positive feedback. For example, “Mel, I noticed you worked extra to meet that deadline. Thank you for doing that. It helped the team immensely and will give everyone a few extra days to spend on the next project”.
4. Offer the Chance to Earn Rewards
Verbal praise and recognition are both important extrinsic motivational factors for employees. Another way to tap into your employees’ extrinsic motivation is by offering plenty of chances to earn rewards.
When your team works hard, reaches a goal, meets a deadline, or completes continuing education, consider rewarding them for their accomplishments. Rewards can range from an additional day off, perks, increased independence, bonuses, or gifts.
5. Provide Tools and Opportunities for Career Growth and Development
How can an employee with minimal opportunities to advance feel motivated if they have no goals to work towards? This is why growth opportunities are one of the most crucial motivational factors for employees.
Employees that are underutilised will lack value and likely become unsatisfied with their role. It is important to invest in your team’s growth and success with team-building activities, workshops, development opportunities, industry-specific training, mentoring sessions, and online courses.
Offer chances for team members to move up in roles, take on additional responsibility, or work toward promotions.
6. Make Feedback a Two-Way Street
Most employees are better about giving feedback than remembering to accept it. Be sure to think of feedback as a two-way street. Along with giving your staff meaningful praise and constructive feedback, ask your employees for feedback.
When employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and knowing their opinions are valued, they may feel more connected to the company.
Feedback can be gained from an anonymous survey, a suggestion box, a one-on-one meeting, or a quick email.
If you opt for an employee survey, helpful questions may include:
- Do you enjoy your role?
- Do you feel you have opportunities for growth and advancement?
- Do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas with colleagues or management?
- What do you think would make the office a more comfortable, positive environment?
- Do you feel valued in your role?
- Do you feel you have ample opportunity for promotion, development, and growth within the company?
- Do you feel respected and accepted among team members and management?
- Do your opinions feel valued?
- What would your ideal work environment look like?
- Do you have the tools you need for successfully performing your job?
- What do you think could improve our company culture?
7. Build a Healthy Office Environment
Here is one of our top answers to “How can you motivate your team?”: Create a healthy office environment.
A welcoming, positive setting is non-negotiable if you want a content, productive, healthy, engaged, and motivated team.
Aim to build an office environment that is organised, enjoyable, and calming by asking questions, such as:
- Do you celebrate birthdays so employees feel recognised and valued?
- Is the office well-lit, including natural light?
- What is the décor like? Does it include calming colours and indoor plants?
- Are the office chairs supportive and comfortable? Are the desks ergonomic? Do employees have enough working space?
- Do employees have privacy between desks?
- Do employees have access to complimentary coffee, water, tea, and healthy snacks?
- Do you encourage employee health by offering on-site access to a gym or a gym membership outside of work?
- What is the lunch or break room like?
- Is the office noisy and chaotic?
- Do you have remote workers? Have you offered helpful tips on how to set up a healthy home office environment?
8. Prioritise Communication
Employees who are consistently met with respectful, clear communication will be more motivated to contribute their best.
Let your employees know you are available for concerns or ideas and that you value their input. Check in regularly to keep employees in the loop regarding deadlines, projects, and team and individual goals.
Consider your current communication with your employees by asking yourself these questions:
- How do I communicate with my employees? Is it always via phone or email? Do I take the time to talk to them in person when possible?
- How frequently do I communicate with my employees?
- Do my employees know they can reach out to me? Do my employees have a direct line of communication with me?
- How often do my employees offer me their opinions or ideas? Do they feel comfortable doing so?
- Do I view communication as a two-way street with my employees?
9. Share Concise Goals
Sharing company goals with your team gives them clear direction and encourages the team to work together. When employees know and understand company goals and their role in achieving them, it can increase motivation and support team alignment.
Regularly evaluate company goals and share these goals with the team to keep employees inspired and motivated.
10. Avoid Micromanagement
To avoid demotivating your employees, we recommend trusting your employees to stay on task and work efficiently on their own.
Micromanaging discourages creativity, can reduce employee confidence, decrease job satisfaction, and increase burnout.
Give team members the autonomy to succeed on their own. When employees feel trusted and valued, they can build confidence in their skill set, explore the most efficient ways to complete their tasks, and gain motivation.
Bonus: By reducing check-ins and meetings, you can free up time for yourself and your team members.
Why Team Motivation Is Important
Team motivation is crucial if you want a team eager to tackle challenges, work with enthusiasm and minimal conflict, and care about excelling at their job.
A motivated team is more likely to:
- Be willing to embrace new challenges
- Aim to excel
- Be more attentive to detail
- Care about the quality of their work
- Approach tasks with enthusiasm
- Be more satisfied with their job
- Work more efficiently
- Show up to work on time and reliably
- Work with minimal conflict
- Increase employee retention
- Be more engaging with co-workers
- Want to perform to the best of their abilities
Build a Happy, High-Performing Team
Open communication, rewards, recognition, a healthy office environment, and offering growth opportunities are important motivational factors for employees.
By learning how to motivate your team and implementing these 10 strategies to enhance team motivation, you can build a happy, high-performing, successful team.
Evaluate your team’s needs and decide which motivational factors to implement first. We recommend incorporating a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors for employees. As you try different strategies, take notes of the ones that resonate with your team and adjust your approach as needed.
Looking for further strategies and support as you navigate the complexities of employee motivation? Enquire now to partner with our team-building specialists at Rapid Teams to get your free quote and personalised workshop recommendations.
