7 best Ways of Encouragement & Motivation for your Team & other Employees
“Keep me in mind that you can contact me anytime you need anything or if you just want someone to talk to”
Encouragement & Motivation Topics: Thank Them, small Wins, offer Help, demo Confidence, Choices, Peer Recognition, “Stretch” Assignments.
Encouragement is not the same as praise. Done well, encouragement can lead to motivation & success for a person — at which time praise is appropriate. You see, encouragement is the act of providing positive feedback that focuses specifically on effort and/or improvement, rather than specific outcomes. Praise is given when success has been achieved and it provides motivation.
The Challenge. The ability to successfully encourage others through periods of difficult times and lack of progress is both a science & art. There are techniques that you can use that will provide encouragement & motivation, but they are only helpful if you are using your emotional intelligence during the process.
Emotional Intelligence includes the ability to adeptly read and respond to the emotional needs of others. Keen observation of body language, choice of words & interaction with others will be helpful in this process. Here are 7 techniques I recommend Leaders use to help encourage their team members:
1. Thank Them for even little things.
A leadership best practice often overlooked is Thanking & Praising employees several times – for every time feedback is provided requiring change & adjustment from a person. There are times when work effort may not equate to expected results. Just like a long distance runner being handed water during the race, this is your opportunity to thank them for their efforts, yet remind them that they haven’t yet reached the finish line.
2. Recognize small, Incremental Wins.
These wins can include minor behavior change and skill mastery. Wins are not tasks that don’t demonstrate change. Leaders often forget that – small wins deserve recognition – so that employees know that they are making progress toward their bigger win. Recognizing positive change reinforces the perons understanding of what they need to continue doing. Don’t wait for the big wins, look for the small and recognize them, and more, bigger ones will come from this motivation.
3. Ask them: “What help do you need?
Often times the simple question of “How can I help?” will start the process of encouraging a person. Timing of this simple, but powerful, question is important and requires you have good observation skills. Watch & listen for changes in behavior, choice of words & body language. These can be hints that a person is becoming discouraged & frustrated. Often all the help they need is talking through the situation and having an empathetic ear to listen to their challenges.
4. Demonstrate your Confidence in them.
When you practice encouragement, don’t keep it behind closed doors. Take the opportunity during meetings to practice encouragement, so others can learn the art & science of it. Share their small wins with other team members, and ask others to also recognize the small wins of team members. As time progresses, it should become more natural for team members to recognize each other’s contributions. The goal is to create Viral Encouragement environment. [That was a mouthful, but lots of Wiz4biz there]
5. Coach them to “discover” Choices.
When a person gets stuck and isn’t making the progress you or they expect, frustration sets in. When you observe a person frustrated, first reinforce the confidence you have in them based on previous behavior & accomplishments. Start asking them questions that will help them see how to become “unstuck.” Ask enough questions for them to develop their own options on how to become successful. A little coaching & motivation can go a long way.
6. Help them get “Recognized” by others.
Become your team members #1 Advocate. Share their work and accomplishments by communicating to other parts of the organization how their work has helped the organization get closer to the organization’s Vision or reinforced the Core Values. External recognition is just as important. If they have done stellar work, look for opportunities to nominate them for local professional awards. Local business newspapers and magazines often look for stories of professionals’ accomplishments. This is super Motivation. Share yours
7. Put them on “Stretch” Assignments.
These assignments should be designed to:
- Provide a higher level of visibility
- Build on the strengths of the person
- Develop new skills
- Assist the person to advance towards their ideal role in the organization
When you match a Stretch Assignment to the right person, not only are you encouraging & motivating them, you are developing them for the future.
Conclusion: Done consistently, encourage-ment will become a part of your culture. As a leader, when you model & practice encouragement techniques, your people will start encouraging each other. When a company embraces encouragement, success follows. What do you plan to do differently to encourage your employees. Plan now. Act now !!!
Quotes on Encouragement
“Your actions have proved that you are not the type of person who gives up easily. I admire that in you”
“I appreciate all the hard work you put in on a regular basis. I just want you to know that I have noticed”
“Your humility is inspiring to those who are watching your success”
“The initiative you show in your work is outstanding”
“I don’t think I tell you often enough how grateful I am for all that you do for me”
“Thank you for having the courage and dedication to stay on the path when most people would probably give up”
“You are an amazing person whom I am blessed to know and work with. You inspire & motivate me”
“Keep doing the great work that you are doing and we will accomplish our goals”
“Thanks for all that you have done and continue to do. You’re a good role-model for our team and others”
Comments: Do you know of any other ways to Encourage & Motivate others?
from entrepreneur.com 7/11/17 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz, Ask to Help,
For more Info, click on Motivation, Leadership.