There is only one way to get someone to do what you want them to do … You have to get them to want to do it. So, if you want team performance to lift, forget about the carrot and the stick – all you’re doing is making a rod for your own back by treating your team like children.
The best way to get someone to want to do something is to help them to see what is in it for them. No, not the carrot, people are looking for so much more than instant gratification. As soon as you take the carrot away the risk is that the performance returns to the status quo. You have to find your team members’ ‘on buttons’ – the things that light their fire, their under-utilised talents and the activities that will make them feel like getting out of bed in the morning to come and work with you. Your team performance will lift if the work they’re doing is helping them achieve their goals in life.
Of course, you have to be very clear on these things for yourself and your business first. What you’re striving for will be documented in your plan, your core values and your business purpose. So, make sure you get these done first and share them with your team. Then it’s a question of meeting with your team members individually and asking them to articulate their goals.
Aligning their goals with yours ensures you’re all heading in the same direction. If your team member goals don’t align then you may have to open the door of opportunities for them – help them to find a new role where they can achieve their goals (either with your business or elsewhere). If you’re struggling to find a diplomatic way of figuring out whether your team members goals are aligned with your business goals, check out our DiSC profiling service. This assessment can help determine whether your team members are a good fit for their roles, and help you better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Once you have aligned the goals, then together set the tasks and activities that are needed to achieve them. Determine what training and support is needed and agree a process for regularly checking in on progress. As the business owner, at a minimum you should meet 6 monthly with every team member – an annual goal setting meeting and a 6 monthly check in on progress. If you’re also that team member’s line manager, you should have them report to you weekly (say on a Friday) and then have a 15 minute stand up meeting weekly (say on a Monday).
The most important thing you can do to ensure your team stay highly motivated is to take a genuine interest in your team members achieving their goals. Not just the weekly meetings, but the ad-hoc discussions and opportunities you give your team on a regular basis.
The achievements of an organisation are the results of the combined effort of each individual – Vince Lombardi
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