Setting deadlines for your employees is easy, but keeping them engaged along the way is the real difference between whether they'll be burned out or hungry for more.
As a manager, you have to walk the line, keeping your eyes on the horizon while remaining tuned into your team at all times. Start now by making sure everyone is in alignment, tap into each individual's genius zone, and combine extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. A strong leader knows getting results shouldn't mean diminished engagement. Below, 11 coaches from Forbes Coaches Council explain what you can do.
Clockwise from top left: Suzi Pomerantz, Lindsay Guthrie, Bill Gardner, Barbara Safani, David Taylor-Klaus, Lianne Lyne, Brett Baughman, Pat Rigsby, Cherry Collier, Jen Kelchner, Larry Boyer. All photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Look At Where Alignment Is Missing
If you're not naturally getting good results from engaged and fulfilled employees, perhaps look at where alignment may be missing between you and your employees. Identify where you as the manager might create conversations to clarify expectations around success criteria. What constitutes good results and how would you know if your employees were hitting the mark? What motivates each employee? – Suzi Pomerantz, Innovative Leadership International LLC
2. Get The Team Headed In The Same Direction
Motivating employees to deliver is about ensuring that they understand the end game. Just as in sports, if you can get your team headed in the same direction, you will see that they are more engaged and fulfilled and results will come. And, don't forget, all employees look for rewards for hard work and success — accolades, awards and team lunches all motivate them to keep delivering. – Lindsay Guthrie, The Career Path Partners
3. Stamp Out Either/Or Propositions
Many of us are a product of Western thinking and we like to see the world in either/or terms instead of both/and. Fulfilled and engaged employees get better results. If we as leaders think that getting results requires diminished engagement and fulfilment, we're beaten before we start. Think of how to get both and eliminate the zero-sum thinking. – Bill Gardner, Noetic Outcomes Consulting, LLC
4. Match Strong Team Members With Weaker Ones
Figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the team. Pair people who are strong and weak in a specific task, allowing one to be the mentor and giving the other the opportunity to learn new skills. Once a weaker team member learns the new skill, give them the opportunity to mentor someone else. This process will facilitate cross-training, engagement, accountability and ultimately success. – Barbara Safani, Career Solvers
5. Conduct Data-Driven Assessments
Balance comes from knowing what the team actually needs to focus on. That’s best identified through data-driven assessments rather than intuitive guesses or polling for consensus. The Team Diagnostic™ Assessment is a powerful tool measuring current team conditions so the manager can identify the critical levers to improve team performance so the team can sustain real, meaningful, lasting results. – David Taylor-Klaus, DTK Coaching
6. Provide Positive Feedback
Some managers have a primarily negative style when pushing for good results, focusing on criticism. This may be effective in the short term, but it can lead to poor motivation and reduced performance in the long term. People who receive positive feedback, as long as it is related to performance, are more likely to enjoy their jobs, work harder at them, and achieve long-term performance improvement. – Lianne Lyne, PLP Coaching, LLC
7. Create A Path To Success For All
As a manager, we get caught up in the numbers and end up managing processes instead of people. But no matter the business, people drive the ship. Develop a program within your company to focus and highlight the individual goals and dreams of each employee. As you help them grow, you will also grow. A successful employee is a powerful weapon. Be sure to sharpen them often. – Brett Baughman, The Brett Baughman Companies, Inc.
8. Be A Coach
As a leader, it's up to you to help your team members step out of their comfort zone and reach their potential. It's your job to inspire them and craft a vision they can connect with. This starts by clearly communicating what success looks like and how their role is critical in achieving it. If they feel important and valued while being aligned with the vision, they'll reach their potential. –Pat Rigsby, PatRigsby.com
9. Combine Extrinsic And Intrinsic Motivators
Scale up your rewards proportional to the difficulty of the tasks. Keep your team on their toes with more rewarding positive reinforcements. Combine these rewards with matching their passion with their tasks. Excellent performance will be second nature. With these two motivators, you'll have all your bases covered in keeping your team productive and happy. – Dr. Cherry Collier, Personality Matters, INC.
10. Tap Into Their Genius Zones
Leveraging what your people are great at, their sweet spots, will lead them to have peak performance. When leaders capitalize on individual strengths, teams become more effective and efficient with increased productivity and performance. Managers have a duty to both people and process. Allow your people to do what they are great at. They will be happier, and you will look like a rockstar. – Jen Kelchner, TeenTrep.co
11. Understand The False Choice
If your employees are engaged and fulfilled at work, there shouldn't be a reason to push them. If you find yourself pushing your employees, chances are that you aren't engaging well with your team. It's time for some introspection. As a leader, you set the tone for engagement and productivity by your example and your responses. Your team's behavior is a response to your interactions. – Larry Boyer, Success Rockets LLC
