Last update: 19 September, 2019
There are environments in which we feel surrounded by people immersed in a sea of ​​negative emotions. Often one of these is work. Both when we are in charge of a team and when we have a management role in a company it is our duty to make our colleagues feel better. But how can we have this influence? To do this, you need to know the art of motivating others.
The first indispensable condition is to be able to focus on ourselves, because it is impossible to be able to motivate a group if we are the first not to be. As responsible for the surrender of a group, then, it is important to pay attention to the emotions that predominate. We must not forget that the motivation of a group is closely related to the emotions of the people who are part of it.
“Being together is a start. Continuing to be together is progress. Working together is a success. "
-Henry Ford-
1. Enhance group interaction
If you want to bring out the best in the people around you, you need to push them to move forward and make them feel that you know they can do great things.. For the most diverse reasons, in fact, very often people stop and start to retreat. It is at that point that the predictable result starts to drift away from the desired one. A project could be rejected, a family problem could occupy a person's thoughts and prevent them from concentrating ...
The art of motivating passes first of all through the ability to identify the difficulties that arise along the way and that are inevitable, but which must be faced. To do this, it is essential that there is a good one communication in the group. An interaction based on respect, but which also stimulates assertiveness and the expression of personal opinions.
As a boss, you won't always be right. The people who work with you can see the progress of things from another point of view. For this reason, it is good to listen to everyone's opinion, so that everyone feels part of the project. Furthermore, listening to what your employees think will always give you a different perspective on the problems that will arise. A perspective that, often, from our leadership role, we struggle to see.
2. The motivation must be done "hot"
Is there any use in scolding a child who did something wrong the day before? In the art of motivating, the principle is exactly the same. Motivation must come at the precise moment when it is needed. For this reason, as managers of a group, we must always be careful to identify the moments in which our intervention as motivators could be necessary and effective.
"Motivation is the fuel of the brain."
- Anonymous -
Open your eyes well, otherwise you will not be able to realize what is working and what is not. Reinforce, through positive language, what you think is important and put it in writing so that it remains.
Consider putting up a bulletin board that helps your team visualize the progress you are making and that will highlight all the work they did before reaching the goal.. This will positively affect the motivation of the group and yours as well.
3. Give space to others
Motivating doesn't mean putting pressure. Sometimes we confuse these two things and, because of this, we do not get the desired results. As the team leader, you are responsible for establishing the steps to follow, the guidelines to be considered and the pace of work required to achieve the goal.
Once all these details are clear, it is necessary to give space to the various members of the group. Allowing them to set their own pace of work, to meet deadlines, to make an effort and not to lose heart. Check what is wrong when we see them in difficulty, but without subjecting them to excessive pressure and without continually reminding them that that work must already be finished.
A team works for a common goal and each member must be responsible for his or her duties. If as a worker you know what you need to do and have a specific responsibility, you are likely to feel more motivated. However, if in addition to having that responsibility, you feel that the boss suffocates you, that he constantly reminds you of deadlines, overwhelms you with questions about how the work is going, never notices the good things you do, but only blames your mistakes, you will lose. motivation soon.
4. Be creative in managing your work
Physical and mental fatigue can be counterproductive in the art of motivation. For this reason, in addition to squeezing our brains to find a solution, it is also necessary to give ourselves a few moments of rest. Sometimes, in fact, work can turn into a torture. But a correct management of our mental energy is enough for everything to become even fun. To succeed, it is essential to gild the pill with that touch of creativity that makes our work lighter, without giving up responsibility.
What can we do to succeed? An example could be giving the group ten minutes of rest in which all activities are interrupted to go for a coffee. You are the boss and you know that a little break to relax will not decrease the team's performance, quite the opposite. Freeing your mind is always good. It allows you to decrease tension, interact and laugh. Something we all need.
Another creative solution can be to propose a round of jokes or anecdotes for five minutes, or a short nap, also known as Power Nap. There is no need to leave the office. Even staying at the desk it is possible to indulge in an unexpected and fun moment of rest to recover energy and vitality. This habit, if well managed, will also foster a more positive work environment and will make you understand how each member of the group feels on a personal level, and not just at work.
“It doesn't matter how many times you go wrong or how slowly you progress. You will always be far ahead of those who don't even try. "
-Tony Robbins-
Communicating with the work team, taking an interest in what happens in the lives of the people who are part of it, giving them personal space and breaking the mold is very important in the art of motivation. Our aim? Making people happy by doing something that requires great commitment and seriousness. It seems impossible, but in reality it is not. These small recommendations will help your team, and they will help you in particular, to face the next goal full of energy and desire to do.
