“I’m motivated but how do I get my team there?”

This was a question I was asked by a business owner following a meeting.

Many of my blogs have looked at personal motivation where I’ve stressed the importance of finding leverage and knowing your ‘why’, but when you are trying to motivate others it’s a little bit different.

First thing is first don’t try to motivate them. Yes, you read that right.

Avoid the temptation of trying to be super positive and passionate in the hope that it rubs off on your team.

It might work with a few but it will be short lived.

Instead spend your time getting to really know your team and find out what truly drives them so you can join the dots between what is important to them and what you need to achieve as team.

On the surface it may seem that we are all driven by a wide range of reasons but under it all there are six universal human needs that provide the driving force in our lives.

Understanding which one of these is the primary driver for each individual will enable you to set up better conversations and generate more effective ways to motivate your team members to do more.

The Six Universal Human Needs.

Certainty. 

People who’s prime driver is certainty need to feel in control and know what’s coming next so they can feel secure. They seek out routine and avoid things that put them at risk, for example they maybe reluctant to get involved in new projects or put forward ideas.

There individuals are most motivated when they have a clear view of what’s coming, clear   targets and a sense of routine set of activities.

Variety

People mostly driven by variety seek out change, they like to be involved in different things as sameness drives them insane and they get bored quickly. They are more open to taking risks and likely to put themselves forward for new projects for example.

To keep these people motivated look for ways in which you can involve them in wider projects or vary their work to keep interest levels high and avoid boredom!

Significance. 

People who are primarily driven by significance need to feel important, special, unique, or needed. They can fulfil this need in a number of way such as high performance to standout from team mates but also in more negative ways such as drawing attention to all the problems they maybe having.

These individuals will be most motivated by rewards or recognition for their achievement or when they feel like the attention is diverted to them.

Love and Connection 

Those who are driven by love and connection seek a sense of connection to others by building strong relationships or by feeling like they are part of something.

These individuals will be most motivated when they feel valued as an important part of the team unit  and by activities which promote camaraderie with colleagues.

Growth 

People who are driven by growth are looking for opportunity which to learn new skills, acquire knowledge or take part in activities for the sole purpose of self improvement.

The key to their motivation is the connection between what they are doing and how it will grow them as human beings. These people live by the motto “If you’re not growing, you’re dying”

Contribution

Individuals driven by contribution live by the credo “Life’s not about me, it’s about we”. They want to make difference to the world and leave some kind of legacy. Their world could be their family, community or literally the whole planet.

Keeping these guys motivated is all about helping them see the bigger picture and how what they do makes a difference to other people’s lives.

For more help with understanding human needs or ideas for keeping your teams motivated please drop me an email here