Strong leaders know how to motivate others. Since the amount you can accomplish on your own is limited, it’s necessary to have the assistance of others. 

Someone that can motivate others to do their best has an incredibly valuable talent. When you can inspire others, you can accomplish much more.

Here are 10 ways to motivate others to do their best:

1.      Be emotionally supportive. To help others shine, removing the fear of failing or looking foolish is critical. Most people are frozen by fear and prefer to remain comfortable. When fear is greater than motivation, nothing happens. Removing fear can be just as effective as instilling additional motivation.

2.      Provide additional support. Ask what resources are required. Does your employee require additional help or funds to get a project off the ground? Determine what resources are required for success and provide them.

3.      Follow up regularly. Show that you care by monitoring their progress. It’s enough to ask and then listen. Asking questions will also help to keep them on track.

4.      Be publicly supportive. It’s one thing to support an employee in the privacy of your office. It’s quite another to be supportive in front of her co-workers. Parents are guilty of this, too. Avoid only supporting your children around the dinner table. Support them in public also.

5.      Acknowledge and reward. Acknowledge progress and effort regularly. Everyone needs a little boost now and then. Ideally, give acknowledgement publicly. Conversely, your disgruntlement and any discipline should be handled privately. It’s as simple as handling praise and reprimands most effectively.

6.      Ask for ideas. You might hear a few ideas that are better than your own. It’s easier for others to get excited about their own ideas than to get excited about yours. Using ideas from your team will create a sense of purpose and involvement.

7.      Be clear. Vagueness breeds confusion and confusion saps enthusiasm. When the objective and the necessary steps are clear, motivation is easier to generate. Ensure that everyone is clear on their roles.

8.      Set a good example. If it’s important to you, it will be important to your teammates, spouse, and children. Don’t just tell them it’s important but show them by your behavior. Make the objective a priority in your own life.

9.      Create a vision. Paint a picture of the end result in the minds of those involved. The work is not always enjoyable but it’s the end result that matters. Keep reminding everyone of how great things will be when the vision is achieved. The work is the path to reach that endpoint.

10.  Deal swiftly with dissenters. It only takes one dissenting, negative employee to bring the whole thing crashing down. There’s often one complainer that tries to undermine the enthusiasm of everyone else. Don’t underestimate the damage this one person can do. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with them or move them out of the group.

·        Motivation isn’t just about adding positive motivation. It’s also about removing the obstacles. Dissenters are obstacles.

·        Encourage the sharing of opinions. However, once a decision has been made, expect cooperation.

Always encourage others to do their best work, to learn continually, and to work together as a team. Motivating others is a skill that anyone can develop. You can only be as successful as your team. Avoid the belief that you can do it all alone. You can’t.

Strong leaders are tasked with the responsibility of inspiring others to be overachievers. It’s a challenging task, but if you’re good at motivating others, you’ll always be one of the most important people around.

Use Your Gifts!

Melanie Massey Groves and Brian Russell with MoCo: Leadership, Strengths, and Culture Coaching

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