Motivation is that inner drive we all have that keeps us going. Some times its the need for money, appreciation, or just accomplishing something that you never thought you could. The drive comes easier for some compared to others, but that is where as a leader, we step in. We kind of get down and dirty in a sense, I guess. Some days, you'll get a little dirtier than others, so bring some hand sanitizer.
Last week, I was working with a team mate who just fell out of her groove. I saw so much drive when she began her journey with me, but over time, her fuse seemed to have fizzled out and she seemed a little lost. Kind of like when you're a kid and you're dancing around with a sparkler but when it suddenly goes out ... so does the urge to dance. That was her. As a leader, I knew I needed to step in.
Each and every leader, regardless of the type, will find it useful to get to know your team on a personal level. Keep it professional (no Margarita Mondays), but get to find out what makes them tick, what makes them excited, what their hopes and dreams are. "Relatedness is people’s need to care about and be cared about by others, to feel connected to others without concerns about ulterior motives, and to feel that they are contributing to something greater than themselves. Leaders have a great opportunity to help people derive meaning from their work" (Fowler, 2014).
Once you get down to the bottom of it, that's all I takes. Use what you know about them to find ways to relate it to the current task at hand educate them! To me, there is no such thing as a "part time teammate," so no one needs to be treated like one. Help them grow, and your team will prosper both inside and outside of the workplace.
Reference
Fowler, S. (2014). What Maslow's Hierarchy won't tell you about motivation. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/11/what-maslows-hierarchy-wont-tell-you-about-motivation
Last week, I was working with a team mate who just fell out of her groove. I saw so much drive when she began her journey with me, but over time, her fuse seemed to have fizzled out and she seemed a little lost. Kind of like when you're a kid and you're dancing around with a sparkler but when it suddenly goes out ... so does the urge to dance. That was her. As a leader, I knew I needed to step in.
Each and every leader, regardless of the type, will find it useful to get to know your team on a personal level. Keep it professional (no Margarita Mondays), but get to find out what makes them tick, what makes them excited, what their hopes and dreams are. "Relatedness is people’s need to care about and be cared about by others, to feel connected to others without concerns about ulterior motives, and to feel that they are contributing to something greater than themselves. Leaders have a great opportunity to help people derive meaning from their work" (Fowler, 2014).
Once you get down to the bottom of it, that's all I takes. Use what you know about them to find ways to relate it to the current task at hand educate them! To me, there is no such thing as a "part time teammate," so no one needs to be treated like one. Help them grow, and your team will prosper both inside and outside of the workplace.
Reference
Fowler, S. (2014). What Maslow's Hierarchy won't tell you about motivation. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/11/what-maslows-hierarchy-wont-tell-you-about-motivation