6 Ways to Keep a Team Motivated to Achieve a Goal

In my teenage years, my classmates motivated me to lead a group to organize a summer picnic. That was a big deal for me, a summer picnic?

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

I was motivated and imagined myself leading the group to plan a killer picnic; all the chicks surrounding me, and everyone else congratulating me for a job well done. What a dream! Instead, I started giving orders to the group; you know where this was going.

I thought I was killing it. To make a long story short, I blew it and ended up doing almost all the planning by myself. If you ask me to do the same thing today, I’d instead motivate my team members to plan the picnic.

It shouldn’t be that difficult to get all team members have a share in the plan. Yet, many miss the opportunity to do so. Here are 6 ways you can use to motivate your team.

Know Your Team and Their Personal Interests

Let’s face it; everyone needs attention. Team members are willing to do more when they feel their leader appreciates them. As a team leader, you must know all your team members and their personal interests.

Why should I care about their self interest? Okay, slow down, wouldn’t you need the same from your leader? People will do more for you when they feel you are interested in them.

Make the Goal Personal to Them 

Encourage them to own the goal. If they don’t feel they have something to gain, they will not do much. Make it personal to them and let them take the responsibility of accomplishing it.

What if they screw things up? Well, this is where you hold them accountable. Believe it or not, they’ll work hard when you give them your trust.

Stretch Them Out of Their Comfort Zone

When you stretch them out of their comfort zone, they gain new skills. It gives them the opportunity to build self-confidence. When they are confident,  they do more for you.

Their confidence level may make them feel valued. Don’t you wanna do more when your are confident you can do it? In the end, they become proud of themselves and their leader.

Let Them Know the Importance of the Task

Knowing the importance of the task keeps them aligned to the goal. Aligning themselves to the goal only gives them the motivation to work hard to achieve it. Wouldn’t you agree?

As the leader, give them an imagination of how awesome the picnic would be if they plan it well. Ensure them the success of the picnic falls upon their shoulders.

What Value are They Gaining? 

Everybody wants to become a better person, but only a few take actions towards that. A little bit of motivation will help others start on the process. Explain to them what value they’ll gain by participating.

Help them grow, feeling you are truly adding value to them. People will support you only when they know you are adding value to them and others. Your responsibility as a leader is to find ways to add value to your team.

Celebrate Their Accomplishments

When we get that pat on the back, we feel happy that we have accomplished something. Team members need to feel they’ve been part of a successful story. Help them celebrate their accomplishment with them.

Be part of their joy. Share the goodies with them. I wish I had learned this lesson early enough! Guess what? It is not too late to learn.

Question: What would you do differently to lead a team to achieve a goal?

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