No matter your level of success or importance, regardless of your popularity or influence, you will always need people (both men and women). That’s why it’s important to show your team members that you cannot win without them. When people know they are essential to the growth of the organization, they become highly motivated. One way or another, they each have an important role to play—don’t forget that!

President Woodrow Wilson understood this well, which is why he once said:
“We should not only use all the brains we have, but all that we can borrow.”

Everyone needs motivation and enjoys being motivated from time to time. Never underestimate the power of motivation:

• Motivation helps people do what they know they should do;
• Motivation helps people commit when they know they should commit;
• Motivation helps people break bad habits they know they need to break;
• Motivation helps people take the path they know they need to take.

Motivation is the appreciation you show to your team members. If you don’t appreciate anything about them, they won’t feel motivated—and that’s a problem. As Mr. Alex Balogun often says:
“What you appreciate increases in value, and what you fail to appreciate decreases in value.”

You must motivate them with words, send them messages, occasionally reward them—anything to touch their hearts. Also, there are two kinds of appreciation: public and private.

Public appreciation is done openly, in front of other team members.
For example, a leader might thank all the team members, praise them, or single out one for their outstanding work in front of the others.

Private appreciation, on the other hand, is more delicate. It requires an understanding of the languages of love. A lack of understanding of these languages is one of the main challenges in interpersonal relationships, whether at work or in families. There are five love languages:

1. Words of affirmation
2. Quality time
3. Gifts
4. Acts of service
5. Physical touch

Each human being has a love language that the leader must identify in order to communicate effectively. The love language is like a radio frequency that the leader must tune into to truly connect with team members, making their private appreciation meaningful.

4 KEYS TO MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM MEMBERS

1. A Sense of Belonging
You must help your team members see the organization as their own. Treat everyone equally—treat subordinates the same way you treat your close collaborators. Honor everyone and consider everyone equally. Do not discriminate against anyone in favor of someone else.

“Do to others what you would have them do to you.”
When you give respect, you receive respect in return.

2. A Sense of Integrity
If you want your team to stay motivated, be a person of integrity. When you say something, follow through. Keep your word. To foster team cohesion, organize fun outings—like trips to the beach—where everyone is included and the CEO is present and having fun alongside everyone else. Avoid favoritism. The vision should be your only priority, not a particular individual.

Many people wonder if they are truly people of integrity. Others claim they are, but let’s find out through the following integrity test:

Instructions:
a. This test will only be effective if you are sincere and honest with yourself.
b. Take time to read each question carefully. You have 3 minutes.
c. At the end of the test, count your points and refer to the result that matches your score…

This text is an excerpt from the book “BUILDING A STRONG TEAM” written by ULRICH MEHOUELLEY.

We invite you to read the next article: “WHY DO I NEED A TEAM?”