July FAQ – How Do I Keep My Team Motivated?
One Friday each month, I dedicate the post to looking at some questions I have heard recently from developing leaders. Sharing those questions and my thoughts for them is a way for me to spread the information to as many leaders and future leaders as possible. If you have a question about leadership, or just a situation you would like some additional insight on, please email me at Effective Retail Leader. Let’s take a look at this week’s question.
I have a concern I may lose some of my team members, they seem unmotivated. How can I help motivate my team?
You may have noticed different factors in a member of your team that concern you. Absenteeism may be on the rise. They are working at a slower pace than before. Perhaps they have less energy. Or they are not as eager to engage with customers, team members, peers. These can all be warning signs of many things in your workplace. When you notice these types of behaviors, especially if they are new, you should engage to understand the cause. The risk can be high for turnover when you observe these things.
As a leader, you cannot specifically motivate people, but you can create an environment that allows others to be engaged and enthusiastic about being there. Motivation comes from within. It is an intrinsic factor. External factors that you can create that may lead to motivation are enablers for individuals to move towards action. That is why, what most people consider the most powerful motivators, are usually tailored to specific people, listening, and engaging in direct conversation, versus group discussion only.
Daniel Pink, the author of Drive: The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us, summarized three key elements that are behind motivation. Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. I covered these in AMP Up Your Team’s Motivation with These 3 Things and this is an excellent starting point to understand how you can reignite the energy in your team. But it likely goes beyond understanding the environmental components of motivation, and there are day to day actions that can lead to the changes you are hoping for.
Again, these are not activities to motivate. They are actions you can take that will connect with the internal drive people must have to do their best work.
Recognition and celebration
Very straightforward. Acknowledge when people are doing a great job and celebrate that. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Be specific. Be timely with the acknowledgment. Let them know how it makes a difference for the bigger picture and for you. This is fuel for internal drive.
Positivity
The world is full of negative news and information right now. It feels like everyone has a problem for the solution at hand. “Does anything go right?” “Does anyone agree with one another anymore?” Those are legitimate questions in our current environment. No one likes to be in a constantly negative situation. Be a beacon of light, happiness, and encouragement. Positivity is a considerable influence for creating excitement in others. Check out any of Jon Gordon’s work on the power of positivity.
Transparency
Be open and honest. Keep it real with your people, and they will repay in kind. If things are tough, acknowledge it. If you know there are pressures on the business that can be creating the lack of energy for the work, speak to that. Maybe hours have been cut; if so, address that head on. Let them know exactly what is happening and why. Then provide options and solutions once you understand why that may be impacting them. There can be a tremendous difference in the conversation if you understand why they think hours were cut and what it means to them, versus what the reality is.
Set small step goals
Most businesses right now are pushing the limits on everyone. It can be overwhelming. You may need to break work into smaller chunks to make it easier for people to work on specific things without getting lost in the bigger picture. This is where situational leadership can become very handy.
Flexibility
Everyone has different needs. In retail, often the schedule an employee works is a big determining factor in their enthusiasm for the work. It isn’t always about the shift itself, it may be the external pressures that it creates, where they feel they have no control over it. Being more flexible with schedules can be an excellent way to allow people to address their life issues in a way that allows them to be more excited about work. Make no assumptions. Flexibility might require fewer hours for that individual, but they may be exactly what they need. Ask questions, listen, and be open to different ideas.
Whether you are trying to appeal directly to intrinsic factors or create positive extrinsic, environments, motivation is rarely driven by money alone. Leadership is at a premium when working with the complexities most are facing in the current landscape. Supporting your team and creating a positive space for them is the most important foundation you can establish. Talk to the team as a group, as well as individuals. Be open and honest, from a perspective of wanting to help, not punish. Make time to understand what is impacting each person; that will be the best approach to addressing your concern about whether people are contemplating leaving your business. Trying to motivate is a fool’s errand. Connecting with your team will make a difference for everyone.
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