The best managers are always looking for ways to keep their teams motivated. Whether your high-performing team is losing momentum or your low-performing team is stuck in a rut, it’s important to remember that motivation is fluid. It can be lost due to changes in the workplace, a lack of trust in leadership, boredom, or even when key team members move on to new roles.
The good news? Motivation can be reignited just as quickly as it’s lost. While turning around an entire team’s motivation may take some time, it’s possible to see a shift almost overnight.
In the past, managers often relied on extrinsic motivators like salary increases and bonuses. While these can be effective, the trend is now moving towards intrinsic motivation—where people are driven by a deeper sense of purpose, personal growth, and alignment with their values.
Below, we’ve outlined 9 strategies—a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic methods—that can help you motivate your team and keep them engaged.
One of the quickest ways to lose your team’s motivation is through perceived unfair compensation. If employees feel they aren’t being paid fairly for their efforts, it will be difficult to motivate them.
According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive, one of the key drivers of motivation at work is autonomy—the sense of control over how tasks are completed. Employees are more motivated when they have the freedom to make decisions and organize their work.
Another motivation driver Pink identifies is mastery—the desire to learn and improve skills. Employees are more engaged when they are given the chance to develop valuable new skills.
The final motivator Pink emphasizes is purpose—the sense that one’s work has greater meaning. Employees who feel connected to a larger purpose are more likely to be motivated and committed to their roles.
People often lose momentum when faced with long-term projects. To keep motivation high, it’s important to break down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks with regular milestones and rewards.
Financial bonuses or other types of incentive schemes can still be effective in motivating your team. However, the key is to make the incentives both desirable and achievable for all team members.
Lack of motivation can stem from employees feeling stagnant in their career. If they don’t see future prospects, they may become disengaged.
It’s possible that low motivation stems from your management style. Improving your own leadership skills can have a direct impact on your team’s engagement.
Understanding what truly motivates your team starts with knowing their deeper values and what drives them.
A team without motivation won’t deliver results and will eventually lose cohesion. As a manager, one of your greatest challenges is to ensure that your team stays motivated through a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers. By understanding what motivates your team members on a personal level and providing opportunities for growth, autonomy, and purpose, you can re-ignite their drive and boost performance.
Many thanks,
Alex & The Excel Team
P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your other learning & development challenges, book in your discovery call.
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