Unleashing the Power of Team Motivation: A Guide for Leaders

I remember the first time I noticed that my willingness to work could be tied to wanting to work FOR someone.

To produce something that would please someone. I was doing my undergraduate degree and thinking about my professor, Christine. I thought, “I would walk through fire for this woman, and, short of that, I am going to write her an epic literary analysis on Catholicism in Jane Eyre… but I will NOT spend a lot of time on the lab report for the professor I don’t like.” I was struck by how my reaction to producing work varied by who asked for it. 

I wondered about what motivated me. It was not (only) that I did not like writing lab reports. Christine cared. She was interested in what I wrote. We had interesting group discussions in seminar. She motivated me to be my best, and people working to their capacity are superheroes. They can move mountains. 

Leaders, let’s talk about team motivation or, more generally, about motivating other people to do (well) what you ask them to do. Let’s build you a team of superheroes. 

In any field, particularly in planning, which is a complex practice that involves navigating complex regulations and managing change, as well as community and decision-maker feelings about change, the ability to motivate your team is a critical leadership skill. This article will dive into the concept of team motivation, its importance, and practical strategies to enhance it. I will also include citations for the curious and academic.

I also want to stress that very clever people have been thinking about organizational psychology and development for a long time, and it is my firm belief that high-quality, rigorous business coaching builds on this very valuable work, and contributes to a larger conversation on how we can work, well and with joy. 

What is Team Motivation?

I am a fan of specificity and being crystal clear on what we are talking about. So, before we talk about how to motivate your team, let’s talk about what motivation is. The Cambridge Dictionary describes motivation as, “enthusiasm for doing something…the need or reason for doing something.” 

For our purposes, team motivation is the collective drive and enthusiasm of a group working towards a common goal. It’s the force that propels a team to go above and beyond, to persist in the face of challenges, and to strive for excellence in their work.

A motivated team member wants to do their work. They are excited about it and, therefore, more energetic, efficient, and likely to put in the effort to produce a high-quality work product. Team motivation is influenced by various factors, including leadership style, team dynamics, recognition and rewards, and the work environment.

Importantly, supporting motivation is different than coercion and manipulation. You can sometimes get people to do things using intimidation and triggering fear (of job loss, being judged by peers, an angry boss, etc.). However, people who are afraid are not very creative and don’t have the capacity to be strong critical thinkers. If you want to be nerdy about it and talk like an organizational psychologist, you can say that, “fear is negatively related to task performance and organizational citizen behavior (OCB), and positively related to counterproductive work behavior (CWB).” (Pustovit, Miao & Quian, 2024) People who are chronically afraid are bad at their jobs, unengaged, and may actively rebel. This is not what we are after. 

Fear is, of course, a very common human response, and challenging work can trigger some fear reactions. In this case, managers can create environments in which staff members are supported through challenges. Perhaps the work itself is a little scary and challenging (which can motivating for staff who like challenges), but the workplace need not be. We will talk about the elements of a strong work environment below. 

If you want to motivate through fear this is not the article for you, and I’m not the coach for you… so, please go away. 

If you want to motivate your team by creating a collaborative, creative, joyful, challenging, supportive workplace that enriches the lives of its employees and helps create better cities, read on! 

Why do we care about Team Motivation?

Why do we care if a team member is motivated? Fundamentally, managers can’t do everything themselves (and should not try to, please, for everyone’s good). You need someone to help get work done. These people are on your team, and a motivated team is the magic sauce that makes a company function and grow, rather than turn into a cesspit of toxic workplace dynamics or a void that managers speak into with little discernable response. Motivated team members are superheroes. Unmotivated team members are potential superheroes who need awakening (or sometimes to find a different role that speaks to them). 

What do we see from a motivated team? 

• Productivity: Motivated teams are more productive. They’re more likely to put in the extra effort, work efficiently, and meet their targets.
• Innovation: Motivated teams are more innovative. They’re more likely to think creatively, come up with new ideas, and find solutions to complex problems.
• Retention: Motivated teams have higher retention rates. Team members are more likely to stay with an organization where they feel motivated and valued.
• Team Morale: Motivated teams have higher morale. They’re more likely to have a positive attitude, a strong sense of team spirit, and a supportive team culture.
• Happiness: Motivated team members are happier team members, and who does not want to be on or work with a happy team? (I could provide a citation, but please reflect on your own experience here. Also, Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J., 2011).

Strategies to Enhance Team Motivation

Right, we all agree that motivation is important. Now, do YOU know how to motivate people? Many leaders don’t. Could it be telling people they are doing a good job or otherwise rewarding them? That’s a nice thing to do, and many managers think it’s the best motivator (isn’t interesting to be wrong), but the number one factor contributing to a feeling of motivation is making progress. And you can support progress in a lot of ways. 

Here are some practical strategies to enhance team motivation:

1. Ensure that employees feel they are making progress: A feeling of progress contributes to positive feelings about work and motivation to work more
   • People like to work, and like to make a difference. If they feel that they are making progress in their work, they will feel happier, and be more motivated to engage with their work. As a manager, fortunately, you have it within your power to support a feeling of progress. You can provide clear and meaningful goals, provide necessary resources, encourage your team, and protect people from irrelevant or distracting demands on their time. An interesting study by Harvard professor Teresa Amabile and researcher Steven Kramer identified a feeling of progress as the #1 determinant of happiness and engagement at work. Of course, a strong sense of motivation depends on a functional foundation in a positive work environment. 
2. Foster a Positive Work Environment: How can you help people be happy in their work?
   • Teams have a hierarchy of needs. Given a basic supply of food, shelter, and work to do, what do teams need to function their best? In one of my favorite pieces of research on organizational efficiency, Google’s Project Aristotle or re:Work identified five key factors common to highly successful teams: psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning of work, and impact of work. Psychological safety, or the ability for team members to take risks without fear of judgment, was found to be the most important factor. When team members feel safe, they are more likely to stay motivated, contribute innovative ideas, and feel a part of the team’s success. Dependability, understanding roles and goals (structure and clarity), finding personal significance (meaning) in the work, and believing their work has a positive impact also contribute to team effectiveness and motivation. This is my favorite piece of research because in the majority of coaching sessions with clients, I can often point to one or more of these five factors that are at the crux of problems that arise. If there is a problem with any of these factors, you will see a decrease in performance and motivation.
3. Ensure Psychological Safety: Team members must feel safe to learn and grow, and not always be right
   • For the love of all things that are good and holy in the world of work and the humans who do this work, do whatever you can reasonably and professionally do to ensure your team feels psychologically (and physically, obviously) safe at work, and that they can learn and make mistakes and try again and grow and be thoughtful and creative in the environment of a supportive team. Know your team members and work to trust them. Try having coaching-style conversations with them (you can use my handy-dandy desk guide for questions to try in your next 1:1 https://christinapaul.co.uk/gift/). People without psychological safety are afraid, and afraid people are not productive. This topic is a potential article on its own, but you can try:
     1. Encourage open communication (again, try the guide!)
     2. Show empathy and understanding… listen and care
     3. Foster a non-judgmental environment within the team
     4. Lead by example (don’t try to be a superhero, be a human with feelings)
     5. Provide supportive, constructive feedback (often, and with compassion, and don’t just redline everything someone does without comment at the last minute, then send it off)
     6. Encourage collaboration and mutual team-member support
     7. Recognize contributions and express gratitude 
4. Provide Clarity of Structure: What the team member’s role, generally?
   • What is the team member responsible for? Sometimes this is not as clear as you may think. What aspect of the work will they do, and how will this fit into what you and other team members are doing? Provide context for their work and they will know how to shape their work to complete the jigsaw puzzle you are all working on. Some managers also have trouble staying in their own lane… do you jump in and do things other people have on their plates? This communicates a lack of clarity and trust in your team. Why would you want to work with someone who doesn’t trust you or tell you what they expect of you? Team members in this position are set up for failure and will freeze and spin out in this situation- and their productivity will tank. Give them a lane.
5. Articulate Clear Goals and Direction: What should the team member work on, specifically?
   • Clear goals give team members a sense of purpose and direction. They provide a roadmap for success and can boost motivation. It is hard to function well when you are not sure what is expected of you. Managers value self-starters and creative people, but if you want something specific, do not expect your team to read your mind. If you are not sure what you want, work with your team member to figure it out. Provide feedback and appreciate their coming up with answers and options, even if you decide to go a different direction. People really hate getting unclear assignments, trying to do them, and getting told off for doing them wrong- I see it in my clients all the time. 
6. Give Supportive Leadership: Supportive leaders foster a positive and motivating team environment. They listen to their team, provide constructive feedback, and help team members overcome challenges.
   • Leadership styles significantly influence daily employee engagement, a key aspect of motivation. Specifically, transformational leadership (hello, coaching!), which involves inspiring and motivating employees towards a shared vision, has a stronger positive effect on employee engagement than transactional leadership, which is based on a system of rewards and punishments. We’d rather work for guides than robot overlords. 
7. Recognize and Reward Efforts: Recognition and rewards can boost team motivation. This can be in the form of verbal praise, bonuses, promotions, or other forms of recognition.
   • Recognition, when used effectively, can significantly boost employee motivation. This can include praise, bonuses, promotions, or other forms of acknowledgment which make employees feel valued and appreciated, which in turn enhances their motivation to perform well. I used to have a boss who took 2 seconds to thank me at the end of work trips. I REALLY appreciated it. 
8. Encourage Professional Development: Encourage team members to continue learning and developing their skills.
   • Help people learn, and actually listen when they say they want to do a particular kind of work. This can boost motivation by helping team members feel valued and invested in their careers. I had a co-worker who said he wanted to do long-range planning. He didn’t get this opportunity at our firm though we did that work, so, surprise! He quit to go work in long-range planning. 
9. Help people do what they are good at: Build a team with complementary strengths
   • Team members will have different strengths, and these may be different from what they THINK they are good at, and what you WANT them to be good at.
   • Take the time, with your team member, to work to discover and make the most of their genius. They are very likely to surprise both you and themselves with what they can do. Recognize what they are less awesome at, help them to work to improve where needed, and rely on other team members with complementary skills to fill out the picture. For example, I am really good at developing visions for the future and getting people excited about them. I CAN write long, exhaustive, compliance documents, but why should I when that is where others shine brighter? 

Conclusion

“Stronger team motivation” can feel like an elusive goal because developing a motivated team is a multi-factorial exercise, but is is not rocket science and you, as a manger, can do a huge amount to motivate your team by taking the practical steps above. 

Let me know how you do, and if there are other topics you’d like to hear more about! Here’s to your joy in work and life. 

References

• Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The power of small wins. Harvard Business Review, 89(5), 70-80.
• Amabile, T. M. (1997). Motivating creativity in organizations: On doing what you love and loving what you do. California Management Review, 40(1), 39-58.
• Allen, D. G., & Shanock, L. R. (2013). Perceived organizational support and embeddedness as key mechanisms connecting socialization tactics to commitment and turnover among new employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(3), 350-369.
• Breevaart, K., Bakker, A., Hetland, J., Demerouti, E., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2014). Daily transactional and transformational leadership and daily employee engagement. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87(1), 138-157.
• Brun, J. P., & Dugas, N. (2008). An analysis of employee recognition: Perspectives on human resources practices. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(4), 716-730.
• Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self‐determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362.
• Google, Project Aristotle, https://rework.withgoogle.com/en/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness
• Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2006). New directions in goal-setting theory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), 265-268.
• Pustovit, S., Miao, C., & Quian, S. (2024). Fear and work performance: A meta-analysis and future research directions. Human Resource Management Review, Volume 34, Issue 3, September 2024, 101018.
• Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational Behavior (17th ed.). Pearson.