How To Motivate Others!

How To Motivate Others

Motivating others is not exactly something we usually talk about, and rarely does it cross our minds, but if in a situation where it is needed, such as being assigned a leadership role, you do require some methods of keeping those around you motivated, and working at their very best.

Most of the answers I'll be discussing are more obvious than may first seem, though they are all equally as effective:

Be Kind

It's a known fact that if you are respected as a leader, people will listen to you and are more likely to work well alongside you. I think we'd all rather work for someone who was kind and considerate towards us than feeling although we didn't want to please them at all. Being kind is the mature approach to getting things done without being forceful, though being too kind can make people slack a little - it's all about balance.

Share Responsibility

Yes, you are the leader, but why not show some of the others that you do trust them to do a great job too. Assign project leaders, deputy leaders, or whatever roles you see fit. They are much more likely to really get involved if they have their own task to do, and this way nobody gets left out with nothing for them. This also ties in with giving kindness to your peers, as both make the person feel appreciated and like they are needed to complete the task.

Listen

The age old saying, "courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen" never fails to inspire me. Not only is it said by the iconic Winston Churchill, but it is something I personally live by. Listen to the concerns of your peers, you are all on the same path of means of wanting to do well. If they express concerns, it's something you need to look into as more often than not, there is something to work on based on what they say. There is always room for improvement. Taking leadership doesn't mean you are the only voice, it means you have the power to listen to all voices, and take action based on it.

Set Goals

One of the ones you already guessed should have been setting goals. I mean, what is motivation without having somewhere to reach? Whether it be a personal milestone such as losing weight, or completing a project before the end of the deadline, each milestone needs a goal to reach for you to be truly happy. Knowing you could reach the end of the milestone is motivation enough, but everyone else needs to be on board too. If they are working towards different goals, it's unlikely that they will be on the same page as you, making working alongside others a little difficult. The best way to tackle this is to have a set goal for every person involved, and wait patiently for them to reach it so they don't feel inadequate.

Get To Know Who You're Working With

This doesn't apply to every situation, as it's clear that sometimes you complete milestones with family, friends or coworkers in which you do know pretty well. However in order to succeed as a team, you need to know the sort of character you are working with. If you see qualities in someone which could make them a better person in a certain role, then use them for exactly that. So many opportunities could be missed due to mis-placement.

Communication

Communication is often overlooked, and sadly this is the most likely cause of failure in any situation, especially when working in a large team of people. Deadlines, opportunities, ideas and warning signs can all be missed due to a lack of communication. This is a big issue for many in the professional sector too. The key to success in my eyes, is communication, even for relationships, as without it, we all assume too much and become a little too comfortable in what we think is going on, rather than what is actually happening. Talking more with your peers will bring them closer into your ideals, and allow them to see clearly what is expected of them without having to ask or continue working in uncertainty.

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I have been in so many situations where the leader begins with a long 'heartfelt' speech including all the cliche's you could possibly fit in, and it just doesn't feel real enough. Speeches are rarely effective in teamwork based situations as we've heard it all before. It's the one-on-one contact that makes me feel more appreciated. Knowing they took the time out to approach you directly rather than speaking to everyone at once. The motivation begins with how that person feels, no amount of speeches can change how that person feels unless it really hits something inside them that they're passionate about.

Being A Good Leader

The best thing you can do is ask your peers questions, but not yes or no questions, questions that they can actually give a constructive answer to, this way they're more involved, and you're gathering ideas about how to approach the next step and who the characters are in your team. Offer help when and where you can, we have all been in an awkward situation where you really wanted to ask for help, but were just too ashamed to raise your hand, or felt although your question was too stupid to ask, so as a leader, take it upon yourself to ask them instead. A simple "how are you finding things" is sure to make them open up, even just a little. Knowing you care about their well-being is a huge plus too.

This has been a topic for extensive research of what it means to motivate, or be motivated, and if any of the techniques I mentioned actually make any difference to how someone works at all, all met with little success. Some of the other methods of motivation seem very contradictory to the ones I picked, such as limiting the amount of time and effort a person has, and telling them exactly what you want from them - both of which seem a little too harsh in my eyes, and wouldn't motivate me at all if I was the receiver, rather it would make me dislike them for being too work-oriented, putting the needs of the project above mine.

There has also been a long debate whether motivating others is a behaviour skill which is taught, or given to people as part of their character. I personally think it is a mixture of the two. You may be a charismatic person who brings out the best of everyone by chance, but you must have learned somewhere down the line that this is what really brings success!