The science of motivation: Five actions you can take to engage your team today

Motivation, it’s the magic ingredient that takes people and performance from good to great. As part of Xero’s global education video series, Xero Now, I was recently interviewed on how the world of academic research collides with the day-to-day realities of leading an engaged and empowered team. The good news is, cultivating motivation isn’t as mysterious as it might seem. In this series, we’ll unpack my favourite tried and tested ways to boost morale and performance.

There’s nothing better than the feeling of being part of a connected team. Especially when that team are motivated to bring their whole selves to work, and their A game to even the most complex of challenges. Having led groups who have been through big changes or are navigating uncertainty, I’ve learned firsthand that cultivating this vibe can feel like a huge mountain to climb. But fret not! By gaining an understanding of the science behind motivation and what makes humans tick, you can take practical steps to build and sustain an engaged team.

So, what does the research tell us about motivating our people?

I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that leaders play a huge role in team motivation and engagement. Studies on Leader-Member Exchange theory (LMX) establish that the quality of exchange between a team member and leader has a direct impact on the employee’s level of perceived organisational support, psychological empowerment, engagement, and intention to stay with their employer. Yep, having high quality interactions with your people can increase their sense of meaning, confidence, autonomy, happiness and even overall wellbeing at work. LMX looks at a team member’s perspective of their leader across areas such as:

• Do I know how satisfied they are with my performance?
• How much do they recognise my job challenges and needs?
• How well do they recognise my potential?
• Do they have my back?
• How effective is our working relationship?

Right now you’re probably thinking, “That’s all well and good, but what can I do about it?” We’re glad you asked. Read on to discover five steps you can take to uplift your ‘exchanges’ to motivate and engage your team, today.

1. Have your people’s back

Remind team members that you’ll support them on any decisions and that it’s okay to make mistakes if they’re made with the right intent. Note: This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything they say; open challenge and transparency are integral in creating trust amongst your team. Rather, it’s about representing  their needs and work in a fair and positive way (and ensuring they know you’ll do so). Reinforce a balance of autonomy and support when it comes to tackling challenges. If they feel they don’t have a particular skill or the confidence to face a challenge, work with them to get there (remember, failing is an opportunity to learn). In action, this looks something like:

“X is a great challenge for you to experiment and innovate on how we usually do things. While I know not all of the tweaks we make will land, I’m excited to see what you come up. The leadership team are on board with this being a learning process, and I’ll be here to support you and share wins and learnings along the way.”

“I noticed you were online pretty late last night. You’ve got a big deadline coming up, how about taking off early today so that you can make it to training? Putting your wellbeing first is one of our values and I’m keen to support you in making that happen.”

2. Set and refine clear expectations

Set clear expectations with your team about what you’d like to see, and check in with them regularly to play these back and refine when needed.  Begin by making a dedicated time to reflect on this – what, specifically and objectively, do you expect from your people? And what can you do to help them meet this? Do they know how far they are from this expectation now? It can be so easy to assume that everyone is on the same page, but the only way to achieve this is through regular two-way dialogue. In action, this looks something like:

“When we catch up for our one-on-one chats, I’m keen to share my thoughts on what you can be doing more of, less of and what I’d love for you to keep on doing. How does that sound?”

“I’ve noticed the rest of the team are coming to you for coaching and guidance which shows you’ve built great credibility and respect. Given this is a new challenge for you, how would you feel about taking part in our X program to build on this skillset? We can then debrief on your challenges and learnings in our one-on-ones.”

3. Create a safe environment

It’s amazing what a team can achieve when they feel safe (and scary how quickly things can decline when they don’t). Amy Edmonson of Harvard Business School first published a study on ‘psychological safety’ in 1999, describing it is as a “sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up”. She further explains that the team should have, “Interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.” Of course, a leader’s behaviour plays a pivotal role in defining what’s ‘okay’ within their team.

How to get started? When your people share a challenge or concern with you, play it back to them objectively. This not only ensures you’ve correctly understood them, but also reinforces that you’re listening and that it’s okay to voice diverse views and engage in healthy conflict, avoiding what Patrick Lencioni famously refers to as a state of ‘Artificial Harmony’.

This vulnerability goes both ways, after all we’re not flight attendants ignoring turbulence to keep our travellers calm. Acknowledging when you’re feeling under pressure too, and what you’re doing to recharge, creates trust and safety by assuring your team it’s okay to be human. Agree on next steps on how to handle challenges, remembering to only do so on what you actually intend to deliver – here at Xero we take our value of #ownership very seriously. In action, this looks something like:

“What I’m hearing is that x, y and z are slowing your progress down, and it’s causing some frustration. Based on xx, what can I do to help things go in the right direction? And what steps do you need to take?”

4. Learn your team’s unique strengths and call them out

I get it, spotting the strengths and potential of your people can sometimes drop down your to-do list when you’re in the thick of it. But, ask a room full of people to talk about their strengths and watch the volume skyrocket! Making time to reflect on your team’s unique skills and future potential not only enables you to build the leaders of tomorrow, but creates a strong platform for providing motivating and growth feedback.

Leading based on strengths also shifts you into an asset-based focus, as opposed to focusing energy on what’s not there which is all too easy to do (read more on what drives this here). Ask your people to complete a strengths survey or share what they feel energises them and debrief on how you both see this demonstrated at work. Here are a few handy tips to get started:

• My favourite strengths tool is Values in Action as it not only highlights strengths, but can give you insight into what motivates your team . Oh…and it’s free!
• Ask: “When was the last time you felt so in the zone at work you lost track of time?’”
• Call them out and celebrate their achievements: “I know honesty is one of your top strengths, and the way you used it to help course correct X project in that last meeting what incredible. You clearly and diplomatically articulated your thoughts, and shared your concerns in a balanced and constructive way which allowed the group to come up with solutions. Keep it up!”

5. Connect your team’s work with the bigger picture

As humans, we have a drive to want to make a positive impact. Leaders can inspire this by helping to connect an organisation’s wider vision with the day-to-day activities each team member undertakes. It’s important to note that this means different things for different people. Using tools like Values In Action, you can tailor your conversations to help each individual make meaningful connections. Pose open questions to ask your people to tune into what’s important to them:

“What are you most proud of?”

“What’s important to you about where we’re heading as a brand?”

“What do you get fired up about?”

There you have it. Having high quality interactions with your team will improve retention, engagement and performance. Not to mention, enabling everyone involved to thrive and enjoy their work. By openly having your team’s back, getting crystal clear on expectations, creating a safe environment, making strengths a priority, and connecting work to the bigger picture – your people will be motivated and empowered to do what they do best.

I’d love to hear from you. Comment below or reach out to me on LinkedIn and share how you go at trying out these steps and what works best for you. 

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Source: Xero Blog