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Keep Your Team Motivated Remotely

How to Keep Your Team Motivated Remotely

Now even more so than any other time, the ‘team’ is the most important and vital asset for a company. So it is essential for that team to feel motivated every day. But how do you keep your team motivated remotely? With the coronavirus pandemic insisting many of us work from home, employees might feel a little less motivated than usual and it might prove harder to motivate them too.

But as Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”.

So, to begin with;

Find out what motivates your team

In larger teams it’s hard to understand each person’s particular motivator, but in smaller teams it’s much easier to get familiar with. Depending on the company, the team, the policies, and other factors, different rewards are considered acceptable. But it’s important for the team to actually consider them rewards. With smaller teams you might be able to consult them and discuss a suitable reward. In some teams you might even be able to have different rewards for different purposes, be it cash money, bonuses, gift cards, public appreciation, perks, or even more independence. This needs to be coupled with some amount of feedback as well. Otherwise it will not be clear why they earned the reward and they will not be able to repeat the behavior that’s being appreciated.

Give them the big picture

Part of motivating your team comes from sharing your, or rather the company’s vision with them. It gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility and that in itself is a strong motivator. Only delegating tasks to your team might seem effective but does not prove to be in the long run. While team members need to focus on one project at a time, it might seem logical to only delegate immediate tasks, but that will not help the team aim and work towards a common goal. They will also be able to understand the breakdown of tasks and see how their work fits into the plan. So in order to keep your team motivated, let them in on the big picture and allow them to chime in on the idea as well. You might be surprised with some of their suggestions.

Communicate regularly

This can not be stressed enough. Communication is extremely important in any walk of life. Just as it is here in the corporate world or the business world. Without regular communication the team might misunderstand directives, lose focus, and it also might breed negativity. Regular communication, preferably through video meetings, about goals, project updates, feedback, and even struggles that the company might be going through helps your team be engaged in their role in the company. It reduces, if not eradicates miscommunication and misinterpretations. Which not only allows for a more productive environment but also saves time. Regular communication also helps keep every member connected and engaged, which also helps keep your team motivated.

Make sure the physical environment is motivating

While this is possible while working out of the same office, it is slightly more difficult when people are working remotely. The situation we’re experiencing right now is challenging due to this, among other reasons. But even though your team is working remotely you can, to a point, ensure they have a productive work environment. Make a list of items and to-dos they should all adopt and help them get it. Whether they are laptops, other digital tools, productivity apps, and most importantly a work-space that’s conducive to working effectively. Encourage them to have a separate work area, in a space with some natural sunlight if possible. While this might be the hardest to do, it is possible to source and create an environment via ecommerce websites. You can also help them navigate the challenges of the sudden work from home arrangement. Apart from the physical things, you can also help them with templates for processes and productivity techniques, study material for how to be productive remotely, and so much more. Also ensure they are maintaining healthy habits and getting the required rest so that they are not stressed and are able to maintain their energy to work productively.

Work as a team

Teamwork is challenging even when everyone works in the same physical office, working remotely with no connection strains teamwork heavily. So encourage teamwork through online team-building exercises on a regular basis. Gamifying important projects is a great way to help your team work together. And gamifying is also a great way to engage and motivate people and also builds a little healthy competition. This will not only help team members from feeling isolated and disconnected from the team but it will also boost the morale of the members considering everyone is under some amount of stress due to the pandemic.

This is an unprecedented situation for everyone, so motivating your team requires techniques you haven’t implemented before. By being structured in your approach and ensuring no member of the team feels left out, you can build up their confidence and successfully keep your team motivated through this global crisis.

Further Reading: https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-keep-your-team-motivated-remotely

Summary

Q. Why is it important to give your team the big picture even though they are focused on smaller tasks?

A. Involving your team in the big picture gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility toward the end goals of the company and makes them more engaged in their roles to achieve those goals.

 

Q. How can you encourage teamwork during a mandatory work from home directive?

A. One way to instill and encourage teamwork is through gamification of important projects.

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