What would you like to accomplish in 2022? What goals have you set so far? What motivation do you have in place to support your steps towards reaching your goals?
Are you motivated by rewards or restrictions (the old carrot or stick principle) or are you driven by passion, mission, and vocation? There is no right or wrong answer; the key is to understand what inspires you to reach your goals. Once you know what motivates you as a leader, the next step is to understand what motivates your team members as individuals – and collectively as a team.
Motivation can be external or internal. Often we can be motivated by both external and internal factors and the important thing is that you understand your motivators and incorporate them to reach your goals. External motivation comes from rewards like honor, reputation, and wealth. Internal motivation is about what makes you feel fulfilled mentally, emotionally, and physically.
As a leader, it is important to understand and adapt to what motivates your team – as individuals and as a team. For example, say you offer financial incentives as an external motivator to reach a department or organizational goal but you find that none of your team members are motivated by external factors. The chances of reaching organizational goals are slim. Things would have probably turned out differently if you had checked in with your team and found out what motivates them.
It is interesting to note that in“The Great Resignation” movement of today is more about internal motivation rather than external motivation. For the vast majority of people, it is not about pay or about status, but it is about enjoying the work, finding a work/life balance, and having personal happiness. There will always be a need for compensation for work, but as a leader being able to motivate your team to tap into their intrinsic motivation is priceless.
As a leader, some of the ways you can cultivate motivation include:
- Value and highlight the strengths and capabilities of your team members.
- Create small steps towards a goal and celebrate the successes along the way.
- Provide regular feedback on how progress towards the goal is going.
- Use positive interactions instead of negative communication.
Combining internal and external motivators supports a productive work environment. And motivation is a key component towards reaching not only your own personal and professional goals, but those of your team.
Contact me and let’s talk about how we can put the right motivators in place to help you reach your goals in 2022.